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Most Bloggers Forget This Simple Rule. Do You?

2010-12-01T04:20:00.001-08:00

When I wrote “most bloggers” in the title, I was including myself. In fact I forget this rule 80% of the time probably. Want to know what rule I am taking about? It is this one:

Include one image on each blog post you publish.

This rule is important for a couple of reasons. First of all adding images to your blog posts will help you capture the attention of distracted readers and encourage them to read your post.

Second, having images around will improve the design of your blog and make it more appealing.

Third, images can be a good source of search engine traffic, especially every post you publish has one (i.e., over time the combined traffic you’ll get for your images will add up).

So why do most bloggers forget this simple rule? Probably because they get lazy over time. That is my case at least. The solution is to force yourself to add those images initially, until you develop the habit.

Where to Find Images for Your Blog

“Where do you find images for your blog?” That is a question that I get asked quite often, therefore I decided to write about it.

The interesting thing is that the quality and sophistication of the images that I use grew gradually with my blogging experience. When I started blogging, I would just use Google Image Search. Some of those images were really awful, and some were even copyrighted. I used them nevertheless, thinking that both my readers and the authors would not care that much…

Over the time I discovered better places to find images. Royalty-free ones, which is more important. Below you will find 3 sources that I use often.

iStockphoto
I started using iStockphoto (referral link) only recently because I was reluctant to pay for images. “There are free resources out there, why should I pay then?” That was my reasoning, but I changed my mind after taking a look at the quality and variety of their database.

For most blogs the small format will suffice, and they cost $1 a pop. I think that is a reasonable price, specially if you consider that the quality of the images can separate your blog from the pack.

Stock.Xchng
While I like iStockphoto, I also like to save money. Most of the times before going to their site I will check some free resources to see if I can find a suitable image. My favorite one is Stock.Xchng.

The site has a smaller database, but the quality of the images is good enough. Another benefit is that you don’t need to register up (unless you want special image formats), just right click and “Save image as.”

Yotophoto
Yotophoto is a search engine that will look for royaly-free images on several places around the Internet (including Stock.Xchng, Flickr, Wikipedia, Morguefile and others).

The quality of the images is not so good, but it can be useful if you are looking for something very specific

3 Crucial Elements of Well-Written Blog Posts

2010-09-28T02:35:00.000-07:00

The feeling of finishing a great post is without compare. Just before clicking the publish button you’re filled with the ecstasy of newlyweds, anticipating comments will roll in and your trackback list will circle the globe many times.

Your ecstasy vanishes, however, when you notice the low number of click-throughs and tweets your post has received because you didn’t fulfill one of the three requirements that skilled and successful bloggers implement every time.

Let’s take a look at them…
1. Is my headline great?

Those few words at the beginning of your blog post can be the difference between the post being read and spread like a virus through the web like a wild fire and it languishing in your archives, barely noticed. ~Darren Rowse

Never publish before you’re convinced your headline is effective. If you say to yourself, “I think it will do,” then delay publishing your hard work until you come up with one you’re certain is effective.

Here are my three Jedi tricks to help you craft great headlines:

A. Every time you read a post from a blog known for writing great headlines, read the headline aloud. Ask yourself why it’s magnetic and compels you to click it. If you ask this question with enough headlines, the answers will start to pour into your mind and your headlines will soon begin to reflect the tactics that those headlines use.

B. Open your reader and visualize your headline being immersed in all the others. Does it compel you to click it?

Another thing you can do is make a list of effective headlines from blogs and paste them into a word document. Now, sandwich your headline among the proven headlines. If you were scanning these headlines, would yours stand out or at least compete? If not, devise a better one.

C. When I’m having difficulty coming up with a good headline for an important guest post, I sometimes ask a skilled writer for advice on the ones I’ve crafted. He or she will give me an honest critique and then offer some suggestions as well. This strategy is worlds better than relying solely on yourself if that means settling on a mediocre headline.

Now that you’ve checked off having a great headline, let’s move onto…
2. Does my opening draw the reader deeper into my post?

Where the headline is the most important part of your post, the opening is the second most important.

You can have the most awe-inspiring copy in the middle of your post while having an opening that makes the idea of studying the dictionary more appealing. If you want people to continue reading after they’ve finished the first few lines, don’t mess this part up.

A great headline mixed with a lame opening is like inviting someone into your house, only to slam the door in their face as they approach ~Brian Clark

I’ve recently learned that it’s not imperative to write the introduction prior to beginning your post. In fact, being adamant about doing so can compromise your productivity. If you’re having trouble coming up with a killer opening, skip it! First write the rest of your post and then as Carl Natale says, “go back and write the introduction that fits into the whole writing.”

It’s never worth having an amazing post that’s tainted by a lackluster opening. Make your entire post exude greatness.

Now you’ve got the reader by the throat, awesome! But what about the ending…?
3. Does my ending leave pleasant residue?

While the headline and the opening are vital to your post’s success, don’t underestimate the importance of the close. If your whole piece is a work of art and ends with a lame final sentence, you’ve just tarnished what could’ve really wowed your readers.

The positive reason for ending well is that a good last sentence–or last paragraph–is a joy in itself. It gives the reader a lift, and it lingers when the article is over. ~William Zinsser

A good ending leaves residue. Whether that’s writing something unexpected, posing a question, or leaving with a compelling last thought, you know when it’s done right.

6 Simple steps To Setting Up Autoresponders With Your Free Gmail Account

2010-08-20T04:30:00.000-07:00

Dont pay to get this.Real ly,i wonder how you will survive in internet marketing without autorespo nders.How ever,let me try and dive some vital informati on to those newbies who dont know anything about it and thereafte r.i will teach you steps on how to set up your own autorespo nder with your free gmail account.
If you own an internet marketing or online business,you've probably grown tired of answering the never ending amount of emails you get on daily basis.Mos t companies get hundreds of emails a day,many of which are questions from clients and potential customers .If you"ve grown tired of answering emails-you should look into an autorespo nder and discover how it can work for you and save you a lot of precious time.
When someone sends out an email,they expects to get an instant reply.Alt hough you can meet this demand with some emails,it can be very hard to send an email to over 100 people-especially when you have hundreds of other things to do with your day.
You can always hire additiona l staff to answer emails,or work longer hours yourself. These option may be good for some although many decide to use the power of an autorespo nder instead.
What many fail to realize is the facts that autorespo nders have many other uses than just answering emails.Th ey also give you the opportuni ty to email potential customers and clients about future products,special offers,free samples,and anything else you feel would be important to your visitors. You can also offer advice andtips to affiliate s as well,helping them to sell your products and services. On top of this,autoresponders are also a great way to build trust and a working relations hip with your visitors and customers .
When you load up your autorespo nders with content,you can make the material long or short,although you should make sure that your readers can follow along and keep up with the material you are sending.W hen a potential buyer or current customer signs up on your list,you should always let them know what it is that they are signing up for.
When you send out your first email,it should be a welcome email to first time subscribe rs,letting them know what they can expects to receive from you in the future.Th is way,customers will anticipat e your emails.If you give them high expectati ons,they will anticipat e your emails.Yo u should always make your messages enticing,letting readers know that you are offering them great content with your autorespo nder for the best price of all-free.
Email is one of the best tools you can have with marketing and business,although autorespo nders have the power to take e-mail to an entirely new level.Thr ough the use of an autorespo nder,you can instantly contact hundreds of thousands of customers,as many times as you wish,with the click of a button.Yo u can learn many things about your autorespo nders-all you have to do is play around with it and let your creativit y take over.
6 SIMPLE STEPS TO FOLLOW:
STEP ONE:Log into your Gmail account and look for the link 'settings' on the right corner and click it.
STEP TWO:Scroll down the page and click on (Vacation responder on).
STEP THREE:Supply the subject matter or your informati on or sales copy.
STEP FOUR:Supply your messages/sales copy or informati on you want people to access.
STEP FIVE:Click on save changes.
STEP SIX:Text what you have done by using another of your yahoo email account to send a request to this autorespo nder you have just created.
Read the message you have created.I f you need to edit it then go back into the autorespo nder message and do so.
However note that this gmail autorespo nder will not give you the privilege to cue message and also send broadcast to your list.
I hope this helps.
cheers..

Should I Put My Photos On My Website or On Flickr?

2010-06-28T03:39:00.000-07:00

I blog about animal training, and end up with quite a few good photos I’d like to share with my readers. I put a few photos in my posts every now and then, but would really like a place a reader could go to view a collection of my photos.

Here’s my question– is it better to self-host my photos on my site or use and outside site, such as Flickr?

I think both methods can be useful, depending on your goals and business model.

For a photographer who makes money selling his photos or doing freelance work, for example, it would be important to have both things. He would need to have a website with samples of his work and a portfolio, but he would also need to have a presence on social networks where people share images (Flickr is the main one, but Facebook could also help). This presence on social networks would help him to expose his work to more people, to network with other photographers, to meet potential clients and so on.

If your goal is to make money directly with your website (e.g., by selling advertising or related products), however, then hosting the photos yourself would be a better idea, because those might bring more traffic and increase your earnings.

This seems to be the case of the reader who asked the question, so I would put most of the photos on the blog itself.

She also mentions the idea of creating a gallery. I think this can be useful for the user, as it facilitates the browsing of the images, but I would make sure that each photo also appears inside an individual page focused on a specific topic. For example, if you have a picture about teaching a dog how to sit, place inside a place where you explain how the process work. The combination of a relevant title tag, a unique piece of text and relevant keywords will make the image rank better in search results.

Finally, here is a tip for those who are not playing with images yet: images can drive a lot of organic traffic, because Google is integrating image results on most search queries. In other words, creating a niche website or blog around a topic with plenty of images (e.g., celebrities or sports images) could work well.

Blogger or Writer: 3 Ways to Nourish Your Writing Roots

2010-06-28T03:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows you can make money writing; authors of books, newspapers, and magazines are all presumably paid for their work. But people are consistently intrigued with the idea of earning money blogging. Why is this, when a blog is basically a series of self-published articles? A blogger is a writer that goes above and beyond to do their own publishing, marketing, and monetization.

The lifeblood of blogging is the writing craft. Too often we hear the “content in king” cliche and accept it as the final word. We decide that our topic is important or interesting, and therefore that we have the content part nailed. But content is not so much the information provided as the manner in which it is conveyed. We tend to forget this, and pour more effort into the logistics of the enterprise than into the literary backbone.

I have fallen for the blogger-writer distinction about as hard as anyone, starting with little writing experience. This made it blatantly clear to me that I had some work to do. Reading had given me a feel for good writing, but creating it did not come as easily. The blogosphere of course has many tips: you should write write list-posts, follow your interests, and create snazzy titles — but such tips will not correct serious deficiencies. The most compelling advice I’ve encountered points to practices that take time and dedication. I have found the following three most helpful towards the blogging platform.

Practice 1: Develop a rich vocabulary. Almost all good writers use a diverse set of words because it allows them to express finer shades of meaning, state ideas succinctly, and adjust the sound and rhythm of the writing. You do not want to concoct ridiculously ornate prose, but the right word at the right time can pack a powerful punch — whether it is to motivate, persuade, inspire, or entertain. As a bonus, you will sound more intelligent, for we naturally intuit what formal studies prove: vocabulary sizes correlate very strongly with IQ scores.

Practice 2: Practice imitating styles. Your favorite bloggers or writers probably have distinct voices formed by their sentence structures, word choices, and emotional appeal. Do they lure you in with short anecdotes, or jump to the main ideas? Do they employ metaphors and imagery, or state ideas plainly? Is the voice conversational, or formal and journalistic? Practicing writing in other voices helps you stretch your capacity and better understand your own mechanics. See if you can make your writing indistinguishable from that of whom you emulate.

Practice 3: Reduce the number of words as much as possible. Concise language is clear and vibrant. It forces you to use a decisive, active voice, rather than meandering around topics on which you have little to say. Try taking a post and cutting the words in half, without sacrificing content. Even if you think the piece is irreducible, commit yourself to this exercise. I think you will be surprised, as I often am, how much extraneous writing surrounds your core ideas

About the Author: Brad in the author of Word a Day Wonder, a site that teaches vocabulary using fun and interesting facts.

The top 10 Social Bookmarking websites of 2010

2010-02-20T06:08:00.000-08:00

This is really a super short blog post. I was doing some researching when I came across this post about the top ten social bookmarking websites of 2010.

Here is the original article: http://www.seowat.com/2010/02/11/the-top-10-social-bookmarking-sites-of-2010/

Here is the list:

1 . Twitter Inbound Links: 12,572,670

Alexa Rank: 12

Page Rank: 9/10

2. Digg.com Inbound Links: 33,477,840

Alexa Rank: 98

Page Rank: 8/10

3. Yahoo Buzz Inbound Links: 432,836

Alexa Rank: 3 (Inc Yahoo.com)

Page Rank: 8/10

4. StumbleUpon Inbound Links: 21,636,190

Alexa Rank: 231

Page Rank: 8/10

5. Reddit.com Inbound Links: 594,462

Alexa Rank: 335

Page Rank: 8/10

6. Delicious Inbound Links: 1,137,520

Alexa Rank: 357

Page Rank: 8/10

7. Mixx Inbound Links: 3,707,449

Alexa Rank: 663

Page Rank: 8/10

8. Technorati Inbound Links: 3,805,617

Alexa Rank: 916

Page Rank: 8/10

9. Propeller Inbound Links: 1,012,324

Alexa Rank: 1,810

Page Rank: 7/10

10. Fark Inbound Links: 1,310,432

Alexa Rank: 2,291

Page Rank: 4/10

The rankings are according to alexa the web information company

Trouble Explaining What You Do For a Living? Well, It Is a Good Sign!

2009-11-24T06:20:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I was chatting with one reader of this blog. He told me that he wanted to build websites and blogs for a living, to which I replied “Go for it. Working online is great.” Then he told me that he had one big problem: his parents and friends couldn’t possibly understand how someone could make a living from working on the Internet, so he felt a lack of support.

Obviously my initial reaction was to tell him to not care about what others were saying and rather to pursue what he thought was right. In other words, the fact that other people couldn’t understand what he wanted to do for a living was irrelevant.

These days I caught myself thinking about this issue again, and I came to the conclusion that the fact that other people can’t understand what you do for a living is not only irrelevant, but it can also be a good sign.

I am not sure where, but sometime ago I read the following sentence: “If you can explain to the average guy sitting in a bar what you do for a living, you are half way through commoditization.”

It made sense in general, and is particularly suitable for people who work on the Internet.

A commodity is a good that does not have differentiation in the market place. Sugar is a good example. Sugar is sugar, after all. When you go to the supermarket, there is a good chance that you’ll pick the cheapest product, or pick one without even caring to compare it. As a result, companies producing sugar compete mostly on price, and profit margins decrease over time.

People can become commodities too. Production line workers are commodities. Companies pay the same (low) salary to all of them. If one particular worker is not happy with the conditions, the company will invite him to leave and replace him with a similar worker the day after. Why is that? Because performing production line work is trivial, and there is plenty of supply for it (i.e., workers).

When you are not a commodity, on the other hand, you can differentiate yourself. This means that you are be able to develop your brand, to charge a premium price for your services or products, and that you are harder to replace.

Bottom line: If you work with blogs, websites, affiliate marketing, search engine optimization and the like, well, you will certainly have a hard time explaining to the average Joe what you do for a living. But hey, that is not a bad thing at all. It is a sign that you are not becoming a commodity.

How to Effectively Promote Affiliate Products On your Blog

2009-10-31T10:48:00.000-07:00

Having a blog is a great way to effectively promote affiliate products and be making regular income monthly. This is because a blog gives you the opportunity to show your expertise on your subject, and build loyal readership, who will easily buy the products they need through your affiliate links.

And talking about been an affiliate marketer using your blog, there are different strategies you can use to continually promote different products and making money, which I want to treat here.

But before I go on, let me point out a very important fact about making success of affiliate marking business, which many marketers I’ve seen don’t heed to, and so never make any affiliate commission through their blogs.

You must choose affiliate products that are relevant to your blog’s subject to promote. And your blog should be focused on a particular subject, and not on general topics for search engines to easily find it, as well as for your visitors to quickly see you as an expert in an area.

In fact, this is the biggest advantage of blogging. As you build up your blog, you are increasing the perception your visitors and readers are having about your expertise, and because people are more relaxed relating with experts, it becomes easy for them to follow your recommendation on a product, and use your affiliate link to buy it.

Having established that very important fact about achieving success in making money with your blog promoting affiliate products, I will now move on to discuss the how to effectively promote your affiliate products on your blog.

There are different strategies or ways by which you can expose your affiliate products to visitors to your blog and get them placing order. These include:

Displaying the Product’s Banner

You can obtain a banner ad from the owners of the product you desire to promote to use in promoting it. Most product owners usually have professionally designed, attractive banners of different formats, designs, and sizes you can place on your site when you sign up with them.

All you need to do to get a banner to show on your blog is to copy the banner’s code, which will contain your affiliate ID and paste it where you want it to appear on your blog.

When visitors to your blog click on it, they are taken to the landing page of the product, and if they bought the product, you make some money as commission.

Displaying the Product’s Text Link

A text link is a promotional material like banners, containing your affiliate ID and through which your visitors will be taken to the landing page of the product when they click on it. The major difference between text links and banner links is that ad messages in text links are in form of texts or wordings; while in banner links the ad message is in form of graphics.

Comparing the effectiveness of the two, text links are generally believed to be better in compelling someone to click on the ad. Although I haven’t personally done an extensive test on this, however, from close observation I have received more clicks on my text links than banners, and I think this belief is right.

The reason why people would click on text links more than banners is that people usually associate banners to advertising, so when they see banners, their minds immediately turn up a picture of somebody trying to sell something to them, and since they don’t usually love to part with their money, they may resist the temptation of clicking the ad.

But in the case of text ads, since the message is in wordings, they appear as information, rather than adverts. And because people usually love to have information, they will likely click on it.

However, this does not mean you should only use text ads on your blog or site, no; you can use the two skillfully at different locations without appearing desperate to get the visitor’s clicks. Also, you can test which one works better for your blog and probably stick to it.

Before I go to the next strategy, again let me point out another thing that could strongly affect the success of your affiliate marketing on your blog.

Don’t crowd your blog with adverts. A lot of newbies usually fall into this error, I was too when I was starting out hunting for genuine money on the Internet. The wrong thinking is that if visitors are hit everywhere they turn to on the blog then they will surely click on one.

Like I said before, this is a thinking that has been proved to be wrong. People primarily visit blogs for the articles to get information. When they find good information on your blog, they will stay longer, and relaxed. They would therefore be in a good mood to buy something.

By rushing them with adverts as they log into your blog, instead of contents, only unsettles their minds, making them want to get out fast.

If you have several products you are promoting, instead of displaying all their banners and text ads on your blog, you can put many of them in a page you can title “Recommended Resources”, with a link from the side bar. Your visitors will see this link and some will click on it to see the product there. They will have already known that the products are for sale, and so would be more likely to buy them, without feeling someone was goading them to buy.

Using Links in Articles and Comment Posts

This is probably the most effective way of promoting affiliate products on your blog. It involves writing a very good article with lots of information the reader can use and then citing the product you are promoting as a solution to a highlighted problem, which the reader may consider using. You will put the link to the product at the appropriate place in the article.

But mind you, the article must highlight a problem or need, and the product you are promoting must be a possible solution to the problem. In this way, the reader will be grateful for the information and for showing him or her a way out, and they will more than likely click on the link, and the chance of making order for the product is also high

Does Google page rank count any more?

2009-10-28T01:25:00.000-07:00

Being a full-time SEM (Search Engine Marketer) I have been conditioned like Pavlov's dog (not a pretty picture) to jump every time Google twitches. Lately Google has been doing a lot of twitching.

Specifically, the rather startling news from Google Webmaster Trends Analyst Susan Moskwa that Google has ditched PageRank from Webmaster Tools.

"We've been telling people for a long time that they shouldn't focus on PageRank so much; many site owners seem to think it's the most important metric for them to track, which is simply not true," states Moskwa. "We removed it because we felt it was silly to tell people not to think about it, but then to show them the data, implying that they should look at it." (Source: WebProNews)

Now, for SEO reasons or for ranking in Google's index, PageRank has long been eunuchified by Google. However, even missing a few dangling bits, history has shown us, eunuchs still wheel tremendous power. PageRank is no different.

Regardless of what Google wants to happen, PageRank is still extremely important to anyone marketing on the web, especially if you're selling SEO services or operating a web business. Try selling SEO services when that little green bar on your site is pointing to PR0 or worst yet, pointing to a solid gray bar.

Obtaining a high PR7 or PR8 simply means more business and revenues... regardless of how Google is or is not using PageRank. People know how to count and they learned long ago, a ten is a lot more than a big fat zero.

Placed against a PR1 site, a PR8 will win more respect in the eyes of potential clients and can produce enormous profíts for the site owner and we won't even mention the still widely practiced habit of selling links, which Google is desperately trying to stop. Total and full elimination of PageRank would be an honest start, but it will still be an uphill, if not an unwinnable battle, for Google to fully eliminate link selling.

Even with my modest sites, I have turned down a small fortune by not selling text links on any of my sites. When I had a PR6 site instead of a PR4 - those link requests were nearly doubled. So one can easily understand Google's position and the need to downplay PageRank, if they want to put even a small dent in all this link selling and buying, which is still running rampant on today's web.

PageRank is Google's creation, and unless they drop it fully from their system and the Google toolbar, then PageRank still Counts. Actually, in the whole scheme of marketing your website on the net, PageRank counts big time. And in more ways than one.

There are several reasons why you shouldn't count PageRank out.

For years Google has been downplaying the importance of PageRank and states it's only one of about 200 ranking factors which determine how Google ranks its index for keywords. Obtaining top organic rankings for popular lucrative keywords in Google simply means money in the bank. Actually, even a movement of only one or two places on those first page SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) can make a major difference to any online marketer's bottom line.

Now while you can have a lower PR number and still rank above other higher PR pages for your chosen keywords, I have even had many times when my PR drops but my actual SERPs rankings in Google goes up, mainly due to building related relevant backlinks. So PageRank counts little towards your keyword rankings, but it can't be totally dismissed.

Mainly because, even if PR is just one ranking factor, in close competitive keyword battles (I am presently fighting tooth and nail for some very choice keywords) just one ranking factor such as high PR can make the difference of whether or not you get to the top spot. Big dogs are still jumping and for those of us who know how to count, getting a number one spot in Google makes all the difference in the world.

Not only because Google controls roughly 80% of all search engine traffic, but more importantly Google has established unmatched credibility and brand recognition in the eyes of potential customers visiting your site. Web users trust Google. Web users look to Google for guidance and direction. Web users believe what Google is telling them. In the online world, rightly or wrongly, perception is everything.

As an online marketer, I am completely amazed each day at the marketing power Google now commands with web surfers and with the general population. Google is king of online search and no other search engine even comes close to Google.

PageRank is Google's ranking system, and in the eyes of those who notice these things, it still wields tremendous influence and power. By default, PageRank is Google's opinion of your site, and web users can count (at least to 10) and if Google believes people are still not counting when it comes to PageRank, then they are fully mistaken.

10 Reasons Social Media isn't Replacing Email

2009-10-15T01:03:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal just ran a piece about the evolution of communication technology, chronicling the rise and alleged fall of email to social media. "Email no longer rules," the title reads.

Do you agree that email no longer rules? Tell us why or why not.

"We all still use email, of course," says Jessica E. Vascellaro, the author of the piece. "But email was better suited to the way we used to use the Internet—logging off and on, checking our messages in bursts. Now, we are always connected, whether we are sitting at a desk or on a mobile phone. The always-on connection, in turn, has created a host of new ways to communicate that are much faster than email, and more fun."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't all social networks also require logging on to use? Sure, you can set them up to remember your info so you don't have to log-in every time, but the same could be said for most email services. That's beside the point though.

It's fun to look at how communication has evolved, and it's easy to declare the old medium dead (although to be fair, Vascellaro didn't exactly go that far). It's just not the case.

WebProNews recently ran an article about how social media will not replace search, despite plenty of mutterings to the contrary. I will go ahead and declare the same thing about email. Social media will not replace email. Just as it did with search, it may replace it in some (even many) instances, but there is room for both forms of communication. In fact, they do a pretty good job of complimenting each other (for better or for worse).

Facebook Wants Your Email Address Too

Reasons Email Isn't Going Away Anytime Soon

1. People still send hand-written letters via snail mail, even though they could instead make a phone call, send an email, text message, or status update.

2. Nearly all sites on the web that require registration require an email address. Some are starting to integrate social media into this process (through things like Facebook Connect), but that is still a very small fraction, and they typically still allow for email information as well.

3. Email notifies you of updates from all social networks you are a part of (provided your settings are set up that way).

4. We haven't seen any evidence yet that Google Wave really is the next big thing and will catch on on a large scale.

Email Button on Keypad 5. Email is universal, and social networks are not. Nearly everybody on the web (while there are no doubt some exceptions) has an email address. Many places of employment give employees email addresses when they begin working there. Meanwhile, a great deal of them are banning workers from even accessing social networks.

6. There are plenty of people who have no interest in joining social networks. Frequent news stories about security, privacy, and reputation issues do not help convince them.

7. Email is still improving. It hasn't screeched to a halt with the rise of social media. There is still innovation going on, and integration with social media. Look at how Google is constantly adding new features to Gmail. Look at the new Yahoo Mail.

8. Even social networks themselves recognize the importance of email. Never mind that they update users about community-driven happenings via email. MySpace (still one of the biggest social networks) even launched its own email service recently.

9. More social media use means more email use. Look at these recent findings from Nielsen. The people consuming the largest amount of social media are also the people consuming the largest amount of email.

10. As far as marketing is concerned, email is doing pretty well, as many companies continue to struggle to find the right social media strategy to suit their needs.

Do you think social networks will replace email? Share your thoughts here.

How to Take Your Social Media Business Offline

2009-09-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

In order to succeed in the ‘Buzz Industry’ – now by that I mean, the social media business – it is necessary that you find smart and easy ways to market that buzz offline, otherwise how can you grab audiences that don’t know what the heck is ‘Social Media’ or ‘Web 2.0′?

Since you can not start a social media school or take them tutorials on social media, here are some tips that will definitely help you become successful with an offline market.

Use Words of Mouth

You know how gossip spreads like wild fire? That’s exactly how gossip about your social media business can spread like a virus. Tell your friends, family members, neighbors, classmates, workmates and anyone you find about your business and the products and services that you offer. Trust me, they will tell other people, who will also tell others…tell others…tell others… That way, you are likely to have infected as many people as possible with your business.

Use Communities
Here, I mean communities such as your school, church, clubs, associations, etc The idea is to reach out to the members of these communities that may need your services. Quick phone calls, brief presentations, or even lunch with these people could simply do the magic.

Use Traditional Media
Your local newspaper can just be what your business needs to get widely known offline. You may contact a friend who works with any of your local print media and get him/her to write about your business. You can also get yourself an interview with the newspaper. Thus, more and more people offline will get to know your brand when they read these papers.

Use Advertising Tools
By this I mean, engage in some advertising and promotional efforts to promote your business. You can use tee-shirts, face caps, etc to market your brand. That way, you can get people offline to engage with your products and services online.

Are there any other offline marketing strategies you have used for your business? How have they worked for you?

How to Turn Online Forums into Social Media Communities

2009-09-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

Online forums are becoming more and more popular in Nigeria especially with the success of Nairaland. Nairaland.com has been around since 2003 and has grown to become the hottest web destination for topical and societal issues that concern everyone.

With almost 400,000 members, Nairaland is competing with Facebook’s Nigerian user base which is currently about 500, 000.

But some of these online forums have not been able to manage their communities with an Online Reputation Management (ORM) system; or have not built their community around social media tools and Web 2.0 technologies. In fact, I rarely use them, except perhaps for NigeriaVillageSquare.com

Personally, I find most of these online forums, especially the ones built under the vBulletin and SMF softwares that don’t have social media functions, sub-standard compared to what online forums around the world have become as a result of the social media revolution.

Generally, an online forum that wants to adopt web 2.0 tools and technologies should critically access and determine the web needs of its target audience. For example, if the target audience are people who just come around to find the latest gist, but hardly spend time on the site, then you may not need to bother about Web 2.0.

On the other hand, if your audience are web-savvy (i.e. they understand what it means to interact, discuss and network within an online forum), then you should critically consider investing some time and money in Web 2.0 tools and technologies for your site.

Below are 7 tips on how to turn your online forum into a social media community.

Adopt a Social Networking Approach
Social Networking is simply the major buzzword. Every Web 2.0 site on the web space seems to be adopting a social networking angle to their business. When your forum members can interact and network with other members and building networks through such relationships.

Allow Users Create Blogs
Blogs are more likely to get people’s attention, since they display information in a more organized way. Thus, for an online forum, users can write blogs on any topic and could be used to publish jobs, announcements, news, events, etc.

Use Social Media Applications
Social media sites such as Digg, Sturvs, Delicious, Muti, Technorati, Facebook, Twitter, etc are very useful Web 2.0 tools that could be integrated into online forums. Thus, content could move around the web space faster and easier when these tools are used effectively.

Create a Facebook/Twitter Page
Facebook is a great tool to build your online forum’s reputation and attract more fans and visits. A Twitter account will also do the magic.

RSS Feeds
Feeds have become a very popular Web 2.0 application that syndicates information into a reader for easy access. It is gradually replacing the email newsletters and can be accessed through Google Reader amongst others. Thus, an integration of post feeds and comments feeds will be a good fit.

Mobile Alerts
These days, you can do virtually everything with mobile phones. An online forum that applies mobile 2.0 applications to inform users of the hottest news and announcements will be a hit.

Create a Rating System
To build successful online forums or communities that promote high-value conversations, there should be a post and comment rating system that rewards quality contributions to the community. Users’ comments can be rated to encourage meaningful conversations in the community.

Final thoughts
I personally think that if these tips are applied in Nigerian online forums, there’ll be more meaningful participation, online collaboration and community engagement. Besides, it will encourage companies that want to target the online forum’s audience to advertise their products and brand