Category Archives: Writing, Marketing, & SEO
YOGA, Antivirus, and Jeans Squidoo Lenses
As an internet marketer, it is important to have a diverse portfolio. You should be incorporating a wide variety of traffic generating techniques in order to make sales. While many prefer to stick to traditional article marketing and forum posting techniques, many strong marketers know the importance and value of having a good Squidoo Lens in place. A Squidoo Lens is great not only for driving traffic back to your website but for earning some additional income as well.
That said, I’ve created a few Squidoo Lenses that I’m putting up for sale. These three lenses are very different from each other but all focus on hot niche topics – yoga (health/wellness), computer security, and higher end women’s clothing.
Check out the lenses here and let me know if you are interested. They’re all new lenses currently priced at $100 USD:
- Pranayama Yoga – Breathing for Life
- How to Find the Best Women’s Jeans
- Choosing an Antivirus System for Windows
All of these lenses are optimized for Amazon sales and the Yoga lens has at least one Clickbank link as well. You can change anything you’d like about these lenses, and I’ll give you instructions for updating the links with your own affiliate identification codes as well.
All of the images contained within these pages are from iStockPhoto so you will never have any copyright issues with the images.
Contact deborah at writeontheedge dot com if you’re interested in any of these lenses or if you’d like me to build you a custom lens!
I Can Be Successful Online
I have something to admit. 2010 was a really bad year for me. A lot went on, both personally and professionally, and some of that personal stuff made the professional aspect of my life a bit difficult.
2011 is going to be different. I’ve got a clearer picture of my business model in my head. I know I’m not going to waste as much on stuff I don’t need, and I know what I can do realistically as opposed to what I only wish I could do.
There are very few internet marketing “gurus” I really trust. When I first started to build my freelance business, I subscribed to the lists of more people than I can count. I soon realized I had joined a bunch of marketing lists. These people didn’t really care about me. They simply wanted to make money.
There is one marketer I do trust, though. Her name is Tiffany Dow and while she does sell products to her list, I’ve never gotten an email from her that didn’t contain valuable, helpful information. Tiffany seems to understand just how large the web really is and she isn’t afraid to help others find their little piece of internet real estate. I learn something from every single message Tiffany sends. I’ve purchased her products, I’ve read her eReports, and I learn from her. She even answers my emails!
I can’t say that about most of the others I have encountered.
Needless to say, I’m feeling a bit inspired this morning. I’m working through my to-do list for the week and I’m just about where I should be. I’m keeping my eyes on my goals and am working towards developing the next part of my internet empire. This year is going to be my year for success!
Thumbnail image for this post licensed for commercial use, from talented Flickr user royblumenthal.
Editing Your PayPal Payment Receipt Settings
Every now and again we have a lesson to learn – the hard way. This past weekend I learned that while the majority of my clients will pay me instantly, some will occasionally attempt to slip an eCheck or slower method of payment into the mix. According to most of my contracts and agreements, this simply isn’t acceptable.
Imagine my surprise, then, when one of my clients – after weeks of quick payment – suddenly paid me via eCheck. The implications are rather far reaching. To make a long story short, eChecks have a 6-8 business day hold for clearance. This meant I would be at least 1 – 1 1/2 weeks behind financially and would be unable to pay the “team” working with me on this project.
My client was kind enough to replace the payment immediately but I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something I could do to avoid being forced to accept this less-than-desirable method of payment.
Fortunately, a fellow writer and Facebook friend quickly came to the rescue and gave me instructions on how to change my PayPal settings. So here’s what you need to do:
- Log into your PayPal account
- Go to your Profile
- Click on Seller Preferences
- Click on Payment Receiving Preferences
From here you’ll be presented with a whole list of settings you can update, including wehther or not you will accept eChecks (you can block eChecks for everything except for eBay).
It may be worth logging in and taking a look around, even if this is not a problem for you. You never know if or when you will have a payment issue.
Writing with Suite101
Around this time last year I found myself filling out an application to become a writer at Suite101.com. I was hesitant, as the site doesn’t pay writers upfront for the work they do. Like so many other sites, writers are paid based on royalties generated by the advertisements on their article pages.
What sets Suite101 apart from so many other content-driven sights, however, is the publication process. Before I was accepted as a writer, I had to complete an application and submit a sample. Upon acceptance, I had to read and complete a contract, giving Suite101 exclusive rights to my work (for the first year only), and promising to write at least 10 articles every 3 months.
Due to some personal issues, I wasn’t able to keep up with my Suite101 obligations. I asked to have my account put on hold and just last month asked Suite101 to reactivate my account (you can do this without reapplying).
This is what I really want to say about Suite101. Many writers hesitate to write for sites that pay based on page views or advertising revenue because they don’t know if they’ll get any compensation for the work they do. I can safely tell you that, with only 5 articles in the system, I have generated more than 9,000 page views and have earned almost $40 in royalties. These numbers reflect a three month period but, taking the # of articles I have in their system into consideration, as well as the fact that I did NO marketing, I have to assume I’m not off to a bad start at all.
You also get tips and constructive criticism from editors, who will review all of your articles as you publish them. Between them and the writer forums, you’ll find lots of information about how to write for the online world.
Are you a writer struggling to get started? If you don’t have your own blog, setting up an account on a site like Suite101 is a great way to publish some work, get a decent amount of distribution, and have your name and byline appear online. Interested in creating a Suite101 account (yes, that’s my affiliate link), then please check it out. You won’t be sorry, and, at the very least, you’ll have an outlet for work that other sites don’t want.
Good luck!
Why Writers Need to Blog
I’ve had the fortunate experience of working with some incredible writers and bloggers over the past few months. Some were seasoned full-time freelancers and others were a little bit new to the game. Almost everyone I meet, however, at some point gets around to asking for advice on how to get started in either a) writing or b) making money online.
It’s a question I’m glad to answer. I usually share information on freelance job boards I’ve worked on, or I talk about other sites where I’ve submitted articles for pay. These are all things and sites I’ll get around to talking about on this blog as well. What I’d like to talk about today, though, is blogging.
I am a firm believer in the idea that everyone who wants to write for a living should have a personal blog.
Why?
A blog is like a business card. A blog will allow you to showcase your talents while allowing you to market yourself and your writing as a business. Your blog will allow you to establish yourself as an expert in your chosen field, and your blog will help you to stay connected with the public (or your family, or your friends, or your potential customers). If your blog becomes popular, you’ll be able to monetize it and earn a little bit of extra money on the side. The content on your blog is your own and, if constructed properly, can be used as your sample portfolio when bidding on projects as well.
Now don’t panic.
Creating a blog doesn’t need to be a complicated process. While many experts believe that a person or business attempting to build a brand should have a personal domain, not everyone has the time or money to pay for hosting upfront. You can easily start a free blog on Blogger or WordPress with no problem.
If you do have a few extra dollars to spend, go ahead and register your own domain (at around $10 per year), and purchase some cheap hosting (think $5 – $10 per month depending on the plan you choose). Building a blog of your own, on your own domain, can be incredibly beneficial as well. You’ll have more wiggle room when it comes to customizations, layouts, and future changes.
In the end, it’s all about credibility. Can you really market yourself to a potential client as a “blogger” if you don’t have a blog of your own to share? I’ve worked on plenty of blogs. My problem? I’ve been a ghostwriter, which means my name wasn’t attached to a significant amount of my work. Without my own blog, I’d have nothing to show for myself.
Go figure.
Confused? Don’t be. You don’t have to be an expert on any one topic to blog. Just find a place, write, and publish. You’ll end up with a great online portfolio – and you’ll be doing something that will allow you to grow as a writer – in your own style and on your own terms. That alone is worth the effort.
Earning Online with Swagbucks
Not long after the holidays, a friend of mine referred me to a site known as Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a site on which you earn points for conducting web searches, participating in polls, and (sometimes) for finding codes worth a few extra bucks. You can later trade in your Swagbucks
At first I struggled with the concept. I thought Swagbucks would turn out to be just another time waster. Then I had a small epiphany.
As a writer, I spend a ton of time on Google every day. The folks at Swagbucks were asking me to do something very simple by installing another toolbar to my browser. This didn’t prohibit me from using Google. Instead, it gave me a second option for searching.
In the end, I was able to occasionally earn Swagbucks for doing the natural searches I would be doing each and every day, in the course of my work, anyway. It only takes a few seconds to enter a phrase into the toolbar, and if I don’t get the results I think I need, I just switch back to Google. Essentially, I’m earning Swagbucks, and eventually rewards, for doing what I already do – nothing more.
What are the rewards? It depends. You can browse the SwagStore for any variety of prizes. I usually cash in my SwagBucks everytime I have enough for a new $5 Amazon Gift card. When I get my gift card code (they’re issued twice per month), I add the amount to my balance on Amazon.com and let it sit until I’m ready to make a purchase. I just traded my Swagbucks in today for another card.
There are, of course, other prizes to choose from. These include portable electronics, books, magazines, gift cards to a wide variety of stores, sports collectibles, and more. You’ll have to check out the store for yourself to see.
If you are a writer, or someone who already spends a lot of time browsing the internet each day, I highly recommend you check out the Swagbucks program. Stay away from the “special offers” – as those are where you’ll end up wasting time. Otherwise, in the end, you really have nothing to lose.
*The links above, as well as the box in my blog sidebar, are referral links. If you click on one of those links and sign up, I will receive additional Swagbucks. I appreciate you reading my honest review and hope that if you do decide to join, you’ll utilize one of these links.
Writers and Their Deadlines
I have a confession to make. I have been known, on occasion, to push my writing deadlines to the last minute. It’s not because I don’t have time to get to the projects, and it’s not because I didn’t start them in time. I always start my projects early, but sometimes I attempt to multi-task a bit too much, or I’m trying to get extra work done to meet a financial goal. Shoot – maybe I even spend a bit too much time on Facebook or checking email. As a result, I am turning my work in on time, or at the last minute, but rarely very early.
I find, for the most part, this pertains to one particular project that I work on. I don’t know if it is my familiarity with the client, my ability to be flexible, or my knowledge of the real inside deadlines. Truth be told, I’d prefer to turn all of my work in early. It’s something I’m working on. I do, however, meet the deadlines. And, if something comes up – like illness or a bad weather power knockout – I always communicate the potential for a problem in advance.
Unfortunately, I have also found myself in the position of editor. OK – wait. That’s actually not an unfortunate position to be in. The unfortunate part is that, whether I’m working on my own projects or those I’ve been asked to handle by others, I rarely get work from the writers I deal with by the deadlines I assign. I hesitate to say it, but it’s almost never. They don’t even push their deadlines to the last minute. They’re just bypassing them altogether.
So here’s the rub. We all get busy. We all get a bit overwhelmed from time to time. The problem? Writing is your job and you need to take your work seriously. If you are always missing deadlines, I have no choice but to conclude that you do not take your work with me seriously.
Seriously.
Breaking a deadline is a freelancing sin.
Missing a deadline tells your clients quite a bit:
- It tells them you have overextended yourself, and that you probably won’t have time for future work.
- Missing a deadline leads your clients to believe you have poor time management and/or organization skills.
- Not hitting, or even acknowledging, a deadline shows you don’t care – at least not about that project or client.
There are, of course, things you can do to make sure you meet every deadline you encounter:
- Keep a list of all of your ongoing projects and their deadlines. Calculate how much time it will take you to complete those projects and figure out when each one will need to be started in order to finish the project a) early or b) by deadline.
- Make sure you, or your client, have clearly communicated the deadlines in question. If the client assigns a deadline, look at your calendar and determine if there will be conflicts. If so, immediately ask for a change. If you are setting your own deadlines, there are absolutely no excuses for missing them.
- Clarify what each deadline means. If you have a project due on Monday, is it due by the end of the day (midnight), at the start of your client’s workday (8am), or at the end of the client’s workday (5pm)? Don’t assume that the assignment of a deadline means you can push your work off until the late evening hours. Your client probably spent the entire day hoping to see your work appear.
- Look at your schedule and block time each day for every project you have on your plate. Blocking time ensures you’ll get the job done and helps you to avoid distractions.
- Avoid overcommitment. If you take on too much work you’ll have trouble getting it all done in time, and what you do turn in will not be your best work.
Think of it this way. When you work in a corporate office there is a chain of command and if there is a problem at the top, it rolls downhill, causing everyone else problems. Missing a deadline does the same thing. You miss your deadline; the person waiting for your work misses his deadline; and an entire project is thrown offline. And guess what! You’re the guy at the top that made it all happen!
I’m going to be blunt. Procrastination is a bitch, and the stress associated with pushing yourself to deadline isn’t good for you. Even if you enjoy putting things off until the last minute, it’s eventually going to backfire on you – causing you to find yourself in a tough situation or, in the worst case scenario, losing you a client altogether.
Is frequently missing deadlines really worth that sort of risk?
