Sweet Businesses

3 Strategies To Creating Long Lasting Relationships

Teasastips — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:45:27 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

Last week when I was on vacation, I realized that I spend the majority of my time reading and learning about social networking. Not that I need to find out how to talk to people, but I felt I needed to enhance my skills in social networking. I just don’t want to be one of those people who piss others off by being over bearing and intrusive. We’ve all experienced the intrusive IM from a contact trying to sell their affiliate program even though you have told them you are not interested. Usually this person will proceed in trying to knock your program in an effort to convince to join theirs. Wrong move.

Funny I made this discovery, because I received an email regarding this very topic from one of my subscribers on YouTube.

How do you create lasting online relationships? Are you selling a product before you get to know a contact? If so, that is uber tacky. Let’s take a look at Amanda Marie’s thoughts on successful long-lasting online relationships.

Mobile Social Networking Heats Up: comScore (appscout.com)
US military surrenders to social media, changes policy (arstechnica.com)
Social Networking Now More Popular on Mobile than Desktop (readwriteweb.com)
5 Social Media Tips for Ecommerce Marketing (socialmediatoday.com)
William Shatner Takes On Social Networking (tech.slashdot.org)

How Social Networking Can Save Education

Teasastips — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:04:12 +0000

: Image by Christopher S. Penn via Flickr

Social Networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have become a part of the mainstream media these days. Numerous reports appear daily on how the integration and use of social networking is as much a part of our lives as drinking water is. Whether it is a story about Conan O’Brien picking a Michigan woman to follow on Twitter, or how the state of Georgia is restricting sex offenders from using Facebook, social networking is here to stay.

But, what really fascinates me more and more, is how people are actually using social networks. It’s like social networks are replacing other forms of communication. Maybe because its a quicker, more broad way of reaching a huge group of people. Take a look at one of my peers and what he accomplished in just a few short hours using social networking. Dear Blog Engage Members, Can We Make History?

I’ve been thinking about social networking as an educational vehicle.

For me, I’m really interested in advancing the use of social networking in United States public schools, more specifically inner city students. Because I am a product of the Detroit Public School system, my heart is anchored and focused on those students first.

Maybe its because the Detroit Public School system has a 25% graduation rate and is the nation’s worst performing urban school system (The blogprof.blogspot.com). I have a crazy idea that involves social networking and education. Hey, right now a school system such as Detroit’s is tanking fast, and needs something crazy and out of the box to save it.

Since social networking is about people and getting as many of them together to unite for one cause, I know that Detroit students could benefit from the use of social networking to further their education.

For instance, if Detroit Public School students had access to the internet, had computers to use at home, then they could integrate Facebook Fan Pages as a great social studies, economic/business and english writing exercises. The educationally archaic method of teaching students in inner cities don’t work, just take a look at the graduation rates.

Our kids today are technologically advanced, thus they are bored with coming to class and opening a book. Lets send our kids to school and have them turn on a computer. This way we teach them how to do by giving hands on examples. Researching a topic in American History or even Economics is way more fun when we teach students how to find the information, what sites are credible to use for research, then teach them how to utilize Word and Excel to enhance their reports.

ALL kids like mental challenges. Boredom is a great dream killer. No wonder many inner city kids decide to join gangs, sell dope, or just kill one another. Its way more exciting than going to school and opening a dusty old school book that doesn’t even show any of the last 3 U.S. Presidents.

We need to change our thinking if we are going to reach our kids today. Social Networking is one way to do it. Parents buy their kids cellphones that can access Twitter, Facebook and MySpace all the time. Let’s make good use of these skills and integrate these sites into the educational system.

Its worth a try, anything is because right now our kids are losing, the dropout rate is ridiculous, all while we complain about higher taxes, health care reform, whether a black U.S. President is failing the black race.

None of this will matter if our children, our future turn out to be as dumb as a box of rocks. Can anyone spell s-l-a-v-e-r-y? That’s what happens when a society has no knowledge or makes use of it, that society becomes enslaved by a more superior culture or race.

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them….leave a comment below or continue the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.

Dan Zarella: When to publish articles to Facebook (blogs.journalism.co.uk)
Detroit School Board President Fights Over Control with Outside Manager via Email: FAIL (minx.cc)
The Educationalization of Social Media (pamil-visions.net)
High School Without the Teachers (detroit.blogs.time.com)
Social networking belongs in school (news.cnet.com)
Bomb detonated in Detroit school; no injuries (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Social Networking For Texas School Districts Presentation Slides (nextcommunications.blogspot.com)

Successful Social Media Experts Have A Plan

Teasastips — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:46:52 +0000

Is It Really Possible to Create a High Traffic Blog?

The blogging bug bit mankind a couple of years ago and since then, it has spread like a virus. Blogging as a hobby appeals to people of all generations; everyone, from the age of eight to eighty, seem to be interested in the concept. The reason behind this is that the topics of the blogs are of such diverse nature that it has an inborn element of appeal attached to it.

Nowadays, people blog on just about anything, from their experience of a one-night stand to their latest culinary endeavors.

And needless stay, most blogs have a dedicated readership base, a fact that is reflected by the huge amount of online traffic each blog enjoys everyday. This unconventional ability to attract readers without putting in too much of an extra effort soon caught the attention of the corporate houses. Once the clever bourgeoisie got wind of this fact, they immediately tapped this sector to advertise themselves. In return they set up a source of income for the bloggers. Truly something quite unheard of!

Why does a blog attract so many netizens? The reason lies in the fact that most blogs are like one’s personal diary made public, where every common man reflects on his day-to-day experiences. In the midst of these discussions, there comes forth issues of social relevance, and soon concerned readers pour in to share their views. So it’s quite evident that the social networking facility of a blog is the secret behind its being such a brilliant net traffic inducer.

The very concept of blog may not be directly a social networking scheme; in fact the very idea of having a common public forum for discussing things appealing to similar tastes was already present in websites and chat rooms.

Twitter and Facebook came after blogging had already won the faith of almost all netizens. But the revolutionary thing about blogs was that it afforded people to elaborate their views or display their literary skill or any other such fondness and in turn make new friends with people of similar or different passions.

When corporate houses understood the marketing potential of blogs, they immediately set up sites Lifehacker and Kotaku, each of which has its own set of dedicated content writers, who have to ability to amalgamate their creative juices with their bookish (or shall should I say wikish) knowledge and churn out new articles at the flash of a lightning.

Hence, interested readers would log onto that page every half an hour or so to check out what’s new. And the fun doesn’t stop there. Most readers, after reading these blogs, comment on them as well. Nine out of ten times a healthy conversation ensues which leads to an elaborate process of quoting numerous bloggers and thereby getting to know other people who might thinking about these matters.

Social networking inevitably leads to linking of various blogs together. Once the process of linking starts, the blog sites become virtually a more powerful search engine than Google or Yahoo, since quite effortlessly and without any net traffic hassles, the concerned reader would get to know a lot about the issue.

These opinions are again open to debate; some are a bit biased while others are extremely lame in their logical structure. But since they reflect the various human perspectives of a single issue, blogging ensures that a person develops the ability to appreciate various angles of a single matter.

By being informal in their structure, blogs do cater to a large and dedicated reader base, one that keeps expanding with time.

If you want to go this route, make sure you write your content in such a way that it encourages healthy conversation between bloggers. Soon enough, you’ll notice marketing managers hankering after you to attach a small tagline of their product to your blog. In that process you end up earning quite a bit, if and only if you have the flair to weave magic out of words. Happy Blogging!

Google Adds Facebook Pages to Real-time Search (mashable.com)
Blogging Tip: Make most out of your Top landing page (shoutmeloud.com)
Yahoo extends social drive with Twitter deal (v3.co.uk)
Facebook status updates to appear in Google (telegraph.co.uk)
Another Way To Promoting A Blog Is By Email Signature (yearn2blog.com)
Press Releases for Building Traffic and Recognition (thoughtmechanics.com)

The Rich Jerk: Never Trust A Guru

Teasastips — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 04:09:44 +0000

I was sickened when I read this article. See, that’s why my motto is “Never Trust A Guru.” Self professed internet marketing guru The Rich Jerk, you’ve heard of him, probably seen his ads on guru, you might even be on his mailing list. If you’ve shelled out the $10,000 for his ‘coaching and mentoring’ program, then you are one of the fools he refers to in his public ‘confession.’

Let me give you some background, and I hope this article reads right because in my mind I am on fire! I hate it when people take advantage of other people for their own material gain. Call me naïve, call me whatever, but I am real, know this to be true! I don’t want you to shell out money for products I know don’t work. Maybe that’s why I only promote online games. I will NEVER have my name tied up with some scam artist. These people prey on those who don’t know any better, who are looking to make a quick buck. People who act impulsively and choose to let their credit cards do their thinking.

But as George Hull (not P.T. Barnum) once said, “there’s a sucker born every minute,” yes apparently so. The Rich Jerk (as he calls himself, Google this name and you will see who he is), still makes $1 million a month instead of the $3 million a month he was making (thanks to the FTC.) He is making this money from the wallets of unsuspecting people like you. If not you, then maybe your relatives, friends or neighbors, whomever.

Don’t let anymore self proclaimed gurus take advantage of you. People I implore you to do your research, read about a company before you join one! Don’t be a sheep, don’t be a follower. And please don’t believe the hype when you read, “only 12 left,” or “private launch.” Those words are the biggest sack of lies ever invented; designed to get you to part with your hard earned money as quickly as possible.

You can read the rest of Rich Jerk’s confession by going here: “Just Thoughts (and why most marketers probably won’t promote my stuff anymore.)”

I warn you it is not pretty.

Work-at-Home Scams are an Epidemic (startupprofessionals.com)
The Pros And Cons Of Clickbank (ronmedlin.com)

Did You Know Free Reports Build Lists?

Teasastips — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:55:20 +0000

Special Reports: Build your List and Make Money

Does your business enterprise need a boost? Consider using special reports to add revenue and build a business contact list for future use. (GET YOUR FREE REPORT BELOW BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE)

What are special reports?

Special reports are short reports that contain helpful information on a subject. The reports are anywhere from a few to 30 or so pages in length. If you have the know-how, you can write them yourself or hire a writing service to do it for you. There is very little work involved in creating them but they are versatile tools for building an online business.

One popular subject for special reports is how-tos. They direct a reader, step by step, how to do something. If you are knowledgeable with computer software and hardware, that is a perfect niche for special reports on your website. People are always having trouble figuring out their computers and you could help.

Marketing special reports

There are options for marketing your special reports. If you are trying to build a business list of customers, use these special reports as a freebie when any visitor signs up to be a part of your email mailing list. For this type of promotion, use a shorter report like a five page report on how to navigate problems with Windows Vista (if your website has a computer niche).

You can create a five-part course and use the first part as the free promotion. It is your hook. Once they sign up for the mailing list, you can grant them access to the other installments through emails that also advertise your website products. Signing up for a business newsletter subscription can also be the reason to gift a free special report.

Making money

All of your special reports don’t have to go towards list building. Besides your other products or services, you can sell special reports on your website. Many reports sell for between $5 and $20 a piece, but if you offer very valuable information, you can command a higher price. Sell single reports or create various courses to interest your customers.

People love to learn about money-making opportunities. They will pay the money for any information that is a how-to guide to making money on and offline in various ways. How have you made money? Begin there with the subject of your special reports.

As your business grows, create an affiliate program. This gives customers a way to help you make more money and also make some for them. Offer certain special reports as additional compensation for reaching a certain selling level in the affiliate program.

There are a number of ways to use special reports. As you build your library and your lists, alternate the free promotional reports and continue to sell your entire library, creating combination offers such as Buy Two, Get One Free.

While your special reports are building your contact list, they are also making you money. With such a low cost to create them, your profit margin will rise.

Traffic Generation and List Building Tips For Online Business (ronmedlin.com)
5 Common Newbie Affiliate Marketer Mistakes (tlmarketing.net)
Practical Affiliate Marketing Tips – 3 Effective Tips To Survive The Affiliate Game (slideshare.net)
Social Media Traffic & Your Website (thoughtmechanics.com)
How can I get a Traffic Explosion to Launch my website. (startups.com)
Want More Traffic? Write Compelling Content (shoutmeloud.com)

Let The Games Begin!

Teasastips — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:13:54 +0000

: Image by jebb via Flickr

STUDY SHOWS WOMEN EMBRACE THEIR INNER GAMER…

A November 2009 study from Q Interactive and Social Media World Forum shows that more than 2000 women actively engaged with brands as they dabbled in social media games. It shows that women are passionate and very competitive about games like Lil Green Patches and Happy Aquariums and stocking up on virtual currency. According to Pew Internet, the study showed that 50% of U.S. women play online games which shows growth in a group where certain brands fit in. This is good news for the gaming industry which is already a $720 million online social gaming market is expected to at least double to over $1 billion this year.
Here is what the typical female gamer looks like demographically:

• 85% of those surveyed use 5 or less games/apps regularly. Women are loyal to a handful of favorites, and approximately 15% regularly invest in 6 or more games/apps at a time.
• 57% are earning/spending virtual currency daily
• 74% got involved in a game or app due to a recommendation by family or friend or because they noticed a friend or family members’ score
• 95% utilize virtual currency primarily to gift and/or advance games
• When women interact with games and apps, 57% feel virtual gifting, for example, giving a bag of virtual makeup from Sephora is as meaningful as real life gifting

So if you’re a game application developer, a good target audience is women. Its as if these games are a part of the everyday lives of women who chose online gaming. A February 2010 study conducted by Q Interactive and Engage! Expo showed that women are the largest demographic of social media users. The study of over 700 women proved that 54% of the women play games online everyday while a segment of the women (30%) play weekly.

But, what is really interesting is that 42% of the women responding say they are ‘gamers’ while 7% believe they are obsessed with online gaming. 67% of the respondents said that playing games online 1-5 hours a week is socially acceptable. While almost 45% of those surveyed say they have friends whom they consider obsessed with social media gaming. And get this, close to 16% of the respondents say they hide or sometimes hide their gaming habits.

Are there stigmas attached to obsessive social media gaming habits? 24% of the women believe the games are addictive, while 21% said playing online gaming makes you neglectful in other areas of your life. Of course there are those who believe that playing games online is a total waste of time (17%); while playing at work is taboo, 93% of those surveyed say they mainly play at home.

A major fear of women gamers is that their favorite pastime will no longer be free. Over 54% believe the future of online gaming lies in payment. But developers beware, if you make your huge customer base pay for their favorite online activity, 77% say they would give up the game. Only 10% reported they would agree to a monthly subscription or fee, but another 10% revealed that a pay as you go system would be acceptable. Just 2% preferred a separate payment scenario for each game played.

All this data reveals both challenges and opportunities for the gaming industry. Because I have marketed and promoted some games in various social communities, I have grown to understand that the majority of my users are women. Now, having a better understanding of this important demographic, I’m ready to let the

Who’s Playing Social Games? [STATS] (mashable.com)
New Survey Reveals Social Gaming Phenomenon in U.S. and U.K. (games.ign.com)
FarmVille on CNN.com: Changing the way we play games. (games.com)
100 million users in US, UK play online social games (newstatesman.com)
Love/hate: Being a ‘girl gamer’ (destructoid.com)
Women “obsessed” with social games (as long as they’re free) (games.com)
Women social gamers are engaged with brands and offers (seattlepi.com)

To Blog or Not To Blog?

Teasastips — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:54:47 +0000

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A Great Idea For a Blogging Web Site is No Longer Enough

Because there are so many blogs and web sites about blogs on the internet, it can be tough to distinguish your blogging web site from all of the others. Whether you are starting up a new web site aimed at bloggers or whether you are looking to make your existing blogging site more distinctive, the key to building and maintaining a site that will capture the interest and attention of the blogging community is finding your niche. If you can fill a unique need in a way that no other web site does, you’ll be able to build a lasting readership among web surfers. Once you have discovered a niche, you will still have a lot to do, but finding your place in the blogosphere is the place to begin. If you’re lucky, you can utilize the services of the Austin wordpress expert.

Every great blogging web site starts with a great idea, and you can’t build a successful site that will last without one. There are many great sites aimed at today’s bloggers, and competition for the attention of this growing demographic is fierce. To make your blogging web site stand out from the pack, you will need to offer something that no other site is currently offering, or you will need to do the same thing that an already popular site does but in a more impressive or valuable way. Using an Austin wordpress expert can help alleviate some of that stress.

Once you have a great idea for your site, have pinpointed a special niche that you are well equipped to fill, and have infused the site with personality, the next step is figuring out how to get the word out to bloggers. In the long run, a great idea just isn’t enough to propel your blogging web site to success. You will need to draft a smart and realistic marketing plan in order to draw readers to your site. Once you hook a blogger, your great content will keep them coming back, but it is vital to get that first glance or your site won’t have a chance to shine.

How the Blogosphere Uses YouTube Videos (socialmediatoday.com)
Top 5 Ways To Drive Traffic To Your Blog (shoutmeloud.com)
In Blog We Trust (dave-lucas.blogspot.com)
What Type of Blogger Are You? (blogworldexpo.com)

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