Twitter is a "micro-blogging" service that allows you to make posts of no more than 140 characters (including spaces). This allows you to send very short messages to people and therefore has a range of useful business applications.

Initially, when Twitter was launched in October 2006 it was seen as a method of updating people with your current personal activities. So, it quickly became populated with messages such as "I'm just going down to the shops" or "Had a bad day, off to bed now". These mini messages are called "Tweets" and their random and personal nature has meant that Twitter has not been seen as a serious business tool; but it is.

There are several ways in which Twitter can be used positively within businesses and organisations of all sizes. For instance, the Los Angeles Fire Department has its own Twitter account to alert people about current emergency situations; that could save lives. The University of Texas is using Twitter to pass on useful information to students. Hewlett Packard is delivering press release headlines via Twitter and the BBC is using Twitter as a breaking news service.

Clearly, there are plenty of organisations and companies using Twitter in innovative ways. But how can your business benefit from this micro-blogging tool? Well, the first thing to do is ignore the notion that it is just for people who seemingly want to tell the world they've just fed their cat, or made a cup of tea. Instead, think of all the kinds of short pieces of information a business needs to pass on. These could include:

• Staff in/out status
• News headlines
• Emergency information
• New staff appointments
• Event listings
• Price list announcements
• Stock availability
• Share price index

There are literally dozens of different types of short pieces of information that every business provides already - perhaps via phone messages, on web sites or in person. Twitter merely provides an extra delivery mechanism - and the means of automating existing ways of getting short items of information out.

The 140 character limit for Twitter is there for a reason - it means your Tweets can be sent via SMS (text messages) on mobile phones. Your customers, for instance, could choose to have your Twitter information sent to them on a mobile, or as an RSS Feed, or via email. As a result, Twitter can deliver short pieces of information in exactly the way your users want.

Twitter as a PR tool
As an example, consider the delivery of press releases to journalists. At the moment, it might come as a surprise, but almost no press releases ever get read by journalists. They are far too busy to read the millions of words that are sent to them each day. But what if your business had separate Twitter accounts for the, say, four groups of journalists you would like to keep in touch with. They could subscribe to your specific set of Tweets relevant to their interests. They would be able to read the 140 characters and only then look at any more in depth information if they are interested. The "old" way of delivering the news meant that journalists were presented with the in depth material first - and this put them off right at the outset. The Twitter way of PR means increased engagement with the media. And this is just one possible way of using Twitter.

Twitter as a sales promotion tool
As another example, consider how you currently let customers know about price reductions or special offers. You might change your web site, or send emails, or print special promotional leaflets. Whichever way you choose, your customers either need to come to you or your web site to get the information, or you need to send them the information which makes them feel "overloaded" and hence it gets ignored. Now, with Twitter, you can update selected customers with a Tweet for each individual price change all via SMS or an RSS feed. In either case, customers only get the new price information they need, in a short bite-size chunk, making it much more acceptable.

Whatever kind of short pieces of information you send out already, Twitter will provide you with a way of making that material more accessible and more acceptable. Without using Twitter for short pieces of information, your business will start falling behind the competition which will be using Twitter as a business tool.

Using Twitter in business
How do you start? Firstly, draw up a list of all the kinds of short pieces of information you currently produce or could produce. Then, write down all your separate audiences you would like to reach. With both of these lists you can then decide on the specific Twitters you can set up.

Having got your target audiences and sets of information organised, go along to Twitter and set up your free account. You will need one account for each target group you are aiming at. Once your accounts are set up, click on the Settings link for each one and then on the Notices tab and add a mobile phone account. This will allow you to update Twitter by adding Tweets from your mobile phone when you are away from your desk or don't have Internet access. You can also add a picture and change the design; you may want to do this if you have several Twitter accounts so that you can distinguish between each one.

You should also get a Twhirl account organised as this will allow you to manage your multiple Twitter accounts in one place. Twhirl is a desktop computer program, so it is only of value when you are at your PC; even so, it makes using Twitter much easier if you have several Twitters for your business.

Another multi-Twitter tool is Tweetlater. This allows you to arrange Tweets in advance. You could, for instance, programme in a series of price reductions into a price promotion Twitter that were automatically added over a series of days, or weeks.

One more essential tool is Twitterfeed. This allows you to automatically post items to a Twitter account from an RSS feed. So, going back to the press release example, you could publish the entire press release on your web site but use Twitterfeed to submit just the headlines to your interested journalists. That way, all you have to do is write the full press release on your web site and let the combination of Twitterfeed and Twitter do the rest.

Join the Twitter Club
The Twitter Club is a useful source of information and help for anyone using Twitter. There are plenty of other Twitter users there who provide ideas and support; join in the discussions to find out more. There is also an active blog and discussion about Twitter at Twittown that is worth reading. You should also check the Twitter Fan pages to find a long list of downloads and services which can all enhance Twitter.

Twitter is not something you can ignore; there are increasing ways of using Twitter and every business can benefit from having at least one Twitter account. There are over 100 competitors to Twitter and Google has recently bought Jaiku. However, it is likely to have an uphill battle because of the vast number of Twitter users alerady in place. Google's argument is they don't need the Twitter users, as they already have millions of their own. What Google is forgetting is that Twitter is currently integrated with virtually every social networking site around. Adding members to Jaiku might be straightforward for Google; but disconnecting Twitter from the networks will be much harder. So, even though Google is currently working on the micro-blogging boom, using Twitter is a pretty safe bet. Besides which, if you don't start using Twitter, your competitors will.

Labels: blogging, marketing, social networking

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Whether you run a business totally online, or you operate a bricks-and-mortar business and have a promotional website, you should consider “article marketing”. If you aren't marketing your business with articles, you're missing a huge chunk of the marketing pie. Let me give you a few reasons why.

Firstly, article marketing is low cost. Every business owner knows that advertising isn't cheap. Every newspaper or magazine ad you run costs you dearly. By spending just a little extra time writing and submitting several articles each month, you'll save quite a bit of money. And writers are often less costly than paying for a team of advertising “creatives”.

Branding your business
Article marketing also helps to brand your business. Have you ever wondered how some businesses seem to become so well known in such a short amount of time? They're getting their name out there. They're giving away something of value for free to their potential customers. Your articles will brand your business and make it a well-known name.

For this reason, article marketing makes you, or your key employees, an expert. If you write articles about the subjects you know well, you'll quickly become known as an expert in your field. Do you run a website on bird watching? Writing and submitting fifty articles on bird watching will show people that you know what you're talking about.

When you do submit articles, they create back links to your website. Without getting into the technical details of this, back links to your website are good and you'll want lots of them. Back links help boost your rankings in the search engines, thus gaining more exposure for your website.

Remember that article marketing isn't the cure-all answer to advertising your business; it's one piece of the pie. It requires persistence and patience. You should plan to spend a certain number of hours each week writing and submitting articles to promote your business. Pencil in this time faithfully and stick to it. Within a few months (maybe even a few short weeks!), you'll begin to see the results of your hard work pay off.

Making article writing easy
Many people I speak to equate article writing with onerous tasks such as writing school or university essays. The memories of the pain involved in this form of writing can take time to fade away. The good news is that after learning a few simple steps, writing your own articles isn't as hard as it appears.

Once you have decided on a general area, a good way to narrow the topic down is to focus on the problems that people have. Typically, people read articles because they want to be entertained or they want information. Writing entertaining articles is a particular and more difficult skill. However, writing informative articles can be as simple as sharing tips that you have learned.

You will probably already know the common problems that people have in your particular field, but if not, a good source of information is to look at related online forums and note the most common questions asked. If you don't have all the answers a small bit of research can assist. Often the answers are readily available with a Google search which the readers could do themselves. However, you are adding value and convenience by providing a range of answers in a single document.

Articles online can also be as short as 400 words long, so they aren’t as onerous as school or university essays. If you break the article into an introduction, a small number of sub-headings and a conclusion you may only have to write about 100 words in each section, making it even easier to write.

The first draft should be for your eyes only. Don't try to produce a final copy as you write. It tends to be much quicker to get your thoughts down and come back to edit later. The final step in the writing process is to proofread your article making sure that the writing flows and would be interesting to the reader. Ask yourself, 'does the article provide information the potential reader is looking for?’ It can also be helpful to have someone else proofread the article. This is also the time to remove spelling and grammatical errors.

Once you have written your article you should add it to your own web site, as well as submit it to article directories. Article submission can be a tedious process, but software and websites that can submit to multiple directories in one go exist to make the job much easier.

After writing your first few articles you will find it is not as daunting as it first appears. You never know, you may even want to offer your services as a freelance writer on the Internet as a way to make some extra income...!

Generating ideas for article
So just how do you come up with ideas for your next article? Here are several suggestions that may help...

Hang out in online forums. Watch what people are talking about. Look at the questions they are asking. The topics that are bringing the greatest number of visitors would make for an excellent article.

Watch TV. Take a look at what information is being broadcast on TV, radio, newspapers, and online. This information is usually a hot topic.

Read blogs. What are people posting about? What kind of comments are they leaving? What questions do they have? Blogs are the hot internet marketing medium right now and you can literally find them everywhere on any topic. This is an excellent source for your next article idea.

Take polls. Survey your current customers or website visitors. Ask them what kind of article they would like to see in your next ezine or published on your website.

Check bookstores online. What are the top sellers? This can be a good way to come up with an article that catches the attention of what people are reading.

Be seasonal. Write about what is going on that time of year. Holidays, festivals, sports, graduations, etc. all make for an article that someone will want to read.

Be fashionable. Write an article about a current fad. There is always something that is hot at the time and could make for interesting reading from you.

Take notes. Keep track of what your customers and prospects are asking you. If you get an email or phone call with a question this may make for a good article. Others may have the same question, but are afraid to ask it.

File things. Start a swipe file on what others are writing about. If it is of interest to you it will probably be of interest to others. Never plagiarise the work of others, but you can certainly get good ideas this way. The biggest benefit of a swipe file is having it handy to refer back to over and over whenever you are ready to write your article and are not sure what you want to write about.

Hopefully this will give you some ideas on how to come up with your next article. The online business that has interesting articles has a huge leg up on their competition. If you can master this strategy you will be amongst the top of your profession or industry.

Labels: marketing, web

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At May 17, 2008  Anonymous said…

At May 17, 2008  Anonymous said…

At May 18, 2008  Graham Jones said…

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Links from one web site to another can be useful - but they can equally be destructive. Your web site needs links in order to boost traffic, but it needs the right kind of links. Otherwise all your good work on your web site could be to no avail.

There is a powerful reason why your web site needs links. If someone is reading information on another web site and that web site links to you within the main text of the article it is like a personal recommendation. We value personal recommendations, so links within the articles we read have particular worth.

However, for recommendations like these to be of real value they need to be personal. In other words, they need to be highly focused for the individual readers - not just links that "might" be useful, but which actually are of value.

Therefore getting links on any page - such as a web site run by a friend - is of no help to you. This is because there is no value in such a link to the reader. For example, let's assume you have a web site about business consultancy and your friend the florist also has a web site. So, the florist puts a link to your web site on theirs. In theory, sounds great. In practice, not so good at all. Why to people go to florist web sites? To find out about flowers and, perhaps, to buy them. No-one visiting a florist web site has in their mind at that moment the need for business consultancy; hence if there is a link to the consultancy on the florist web site, it has no appeal - it no longer has the same feel as a personal recommendation.

However, imagine your friend's web site is still that florist's web site. And let's pretend for a moment you have written a book about displaying flowers. Aha...! You see, there is now a much more obvious reason for a link.

Now I know this all sounds rather obvious, but far too many people chase links for links sake. Being able to say you have a thousand sites linking to you is impressive - but how many of those links make sense psychologically? If the links don't make any real sense to the visitors to the sites where those links appear, then you may as well not have the links in the first place.

Link Strategy - Step One
The first and most important step in gaining links is to ensure you find the right pages to link to you. What you are looking for are pages that have content that is directly related to what you want linked. So, for our florist example, having a link to your book on flower arranging would be no good on a page that was about pot plants. Equally, if you have several books, linking to the catalogue of them is no good either, because people will have to search for something of relevance - and they won't. So you need to find specific pages within your web site that you want to link to specific pages on other people's web sites. Appearing on a general "links list" has no human value since people rarely go trawling around lists of links - they go to Google instead which has far more links than any other web site.

Hence, you need to find suitable pages that could be linked to specific parts of your web site, or to particular content. One way of doing this is to choose an article or something you wish other people to link to. Then use Google or your favourite search engine to find related content. After that, contact the owners of that web site and point out to them that you have some content of value to their readers. They will then want to link to your content in order to improve what they offer to their marketplace.

You can semi-automate this with programs like Axandra's IBP and Arelis combination. This helps you locate suitable pages where you could gain links to your material. It also lets you email the page owners to offer them the opportunity of linking to your information.

Link Strategy - Step Two
Having found suitable pages which could contain your links it's time to move on to the next stage of ensuring you have good links. This is ensuring that your links are "contextual". Contextual links are ones that make sense to someone reading the text. Links that say something like "click here" or "more" don't help the reader because they don't tell them what the link is about. The link earlier in this paragraph makes it clear to you that the information you will find is about "contextual links" - links that make sense to real readers.

To ensure you get contextual links you need to prepare the HTML code for people who could potentially link to you. By doing this you are controlling the way they link to you so that it makes real sense to people reading the page where the link is going to be based. As a result, it helps boost your traffic more effectively. Here is the basic code you can use. Just swap "yourdomain" for your actual domain and "context words" for the words you want to trigger the link.

<A HREF="http://www.yourdomain.com">context words</A>

This simple line of HTML code is all you need to provide people with. They can then include this in the middle of articles and in places where it makes human sense to use the context words.

If you provide the traditional coding of a title, followed by a link and then a description of your site, it leaves the user of your code only one place to put the link - in a links directory, which is the last place you want it to be.

Link Strategy - Step Three
Although this is the third step, it is in fact the most important as the previous two steps are dependent upon it. You need to keep adding valuable content to your site. Otherwise sites that could link to you will have no reason to. Simply linking to other sites adds no real value to the site where the link is based. However, referring to useful articles and resources does add value. Hence the more content you add to your site, the more links you can generate.

Furthermore, if you publicise your new content using blogs or RSS feeds, or perhaps press releases as well, you will automatically gain publicity for your new content, thus attracting other web site owners towards it. Creating a piece of link code at the end of the article will allow other people to quickly link to your article once they have read it. You'll see at the bottom of this article a "permalink" to it which can be copied and pasted into any web page. I've also added a "context" link at the bottom as well, to show you what can be done. However, neither of these additional links to this web site would be possible without extra content.

Link Strategy - Conclusion
What you need is plenty of fresh new content that makes it appealing for people to connect to your site and recommend your articles and content to their own readers. You can make this more likely by providing the relevant code for other web site owners to use. Plus you can find relevant web pages that would benefit from the addition of your content to spread the word. Publicising your added content also helps attract potential link partners.

Seeking links in this way means that a site may provide you with several different links to your web pages, rather than a single link in a "links page". This adds significant benefits because it means you get much more exposure. Plus there is a further boost - via Google.

If Google sees plenty of links to your web site, it rates it as more valuable to readers than a site that has few links. Equally, if those links are in context, on a page that is relevant to the linked material, then they also get bonus points. Indeed, being in a simple links directory on a web site can do you more harm than good because your link could easily be associated with negative words or competition.

Adopting a strategy where you are seeking links to specific items of content in your web site is by far the best way to go. It adds more links to you, they are in human context, which coincidentally works best for Google as well, so it all adds to a search engine benefit.

Here is the code you can use yourself to link to this article:

<A HREF="http://www.grahamjones.co.uk/indepth/2007/10/ how-to-get-even-more-links-for-your-web.htm">links strategy</A>

Labels: marketing, SEO

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At October 15, 2007  Ian said…

At October 15, 2007  Graham Jones said…

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With billions of web pages it can sometimes be hard getting yourself noticed. What can you do to stand out from the crowd? How can you get your web pages highlighted and sought after? Here are 12 ways in which you can get more attention for your web site.

1. Fill your web site with content
Your web site visitors are not interested in you, they are more concerned with their own world, their own problems, their own difficulties. If your web site is full of information that can help them cope in their world, remove their problems, or ease their difficulties, they will appreciate you. So, focus your web site on the content you provide. There are several ways you can do this. One is to provide a blog as part of your site, though you will need to update this at least daily if it is to have any real impact. An alternative is to have an articles section where you include more detailed information than you might have in a blog. You could also have in-depth reports that people download directly from your web site. However you do it, just focus your strategy on providing content - and lots of it. But the content must be practical, useful material that your readers can directly benefit from.

2. Use the words your web site visitors use
Whatever your web site is about, it will only attract attention if it is using the language of your target audience. If, for instance, you have a web site that offers "take-away foods" it is not going to get much attention in parts of the world where they call such things "carry-outs". In other words, your content must match your audience. Don't use the words and jargon you might use in your business, but use the words your potential customers use. If you don't know what they are, ask them. Also make sure you check the words that people will use to search for your site using Wordtracker.

3. Have a design that follows the standards
People have become used to certain online conventions - links in blue, underlined, for instance. Even though it may be tempting to appear different or unique, if you do not follow the standard conventions your web site becomes less appealing to people. So this means, for instance, having the navigation down the left hand side of the page, or along the top. It means having a footer on each page with your contact details. It means using the conventional colours to signal links, emails and so on. If you try to do something different you confuse your visitors meaning they are less likely to return and even less likely to tell their friends about your site.

4. Get your site listed in directories
People often use directories to find appropriate web sites. You need listing in all the relevant directories to your business. To find specific directories that you can get listed in, use a program like Internet Business Promoter. This helps you locate subject specific directories and manage your submission to them. Also, get yourself listed in DMOZ - it might take some time, be patient, but a listing here is helpful as many other directories and search engines use data from DMOZ. Getting a listing in the Yahoo Directory is also worthwhile paying for. Within seven days you could be listed on one of the most popular online directories.

5. Gain benefit from Wikipedia
One of the most popular online resources is Wikipedia - the online encyclopaedia edited by volunteers. Contributing content on your areas of expertise will help bring attention to you and your web site. You cannot simply put up a Wikipedia page all about your business - that would be considered "spam". But adding to existing pages, including your links where appropriate to relevant content on your web site, would be valuable to readers of Wikipedia and to your business.

6. Get links to your site
Having other people link to your site is essential. It shows that they trust you and like you enough to recommend you. Don't look for any old link; have a strategy to gain links from relevant sites that are also respected. A link on a relevant and respected site is worth many, many times more than a link on someone's site just because you happen to know them. So, if you are selling lawn mowers, get your site linked on gardening sites, web sites about grass growing and so on. Another way of generating useful links is to get your site bookmarked in del.icio.us and on Digg. Look for other social bookmarking sites like these in your specialist field. Try also StumbleUpon and ReddIt. To find useful sites to link to your web site you need Internet Business Promoter's Arelis feature.

7. Get involved online
Take part in forum discussions, Google Groups, Yahoo Groups and other discussion sites. Contribute also to Yahoo Answers. In doing so you bring attention to your expertise and also you get the opportunity to add a link to your web site or some of your appropriate content. Also, be on the lookout for blogs to which you can add comments, again showing your expertise and adding links to your web site, bringing it even more attention. To find suitable blogs use Google Blog Search.

8. Use traditional Public Relations
Many web site owners focus all their efforts online, forgetting that the "offline" world is a great way to publicise their web site. Indeed, the owners of Google did a considerable amount of PR to get their venture up and running. So take a tip from them, get as much "offline" publicity as you can. Get yourself listed in Expert Sources - journalists use this to find people to interview. Also make sure your web site has a "media" page that has all your contact details, examples of the kind of media exposure you are available for, links to articles about you, radio programmes you have featured in etc. Also, your web site media centre will need a selection of high resolution photographs of you and your business as well as a short business and personal biography. Your media centre should also include your press releases, if you have them. Journalists look at your web site and if they see a media centre they realise you are "friendly" towards the media and therefore are more likely to approach you. You can also distribute press releases automatically using Press Equalizer.

9. Take part in social networking sites
Use sites like Facebook, MySpace and Ecademy to bring attention to your expertise. On Ecademy you can become a "club leader" for your particular topic and on Facebook you can set up specialist groups on your area of expertise. By contributing to these sites - and others in your specialist area - you bring even more attention to your web site. Furthermore, you make it easy for your online contacts to mention your web site to other people online, thus further promoting your site. For a list of sites you can work with go to this list of social networking sites.

10. Take up public speaking
Every day there are thousands of business meetings that need speakers. All sorts of meetings are taking place from Chambers of Commerce breakfast meetings to lunchtime seminars to workshops and conferences. All need speakers. By offering yourself to business organisations as a speaker on your topic you can promote your business and gain further attention for your web site. In your talks all you need to do is mention your web site and some of the additional content you have available. Give everyone in the audience a handout or business card and they will all go to your web site as they have heard you speak and already have a relationship with you as a result. If you are nervous about speaking in public get some advice or training in presentation skills.

So, there you have it, ten ways you can get your web site noticed - and you didn't have to go near search engine optimisation!

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Readers of online newsletters are seeking information. There are thousands of people eager to soak up material on their favourite topic. If you have knowledge or expertise on a specific topic you should be publishing an e-newsletter of "ezine".

What is an ezine?
An ezine or e-newsletter is information sent out on a regular basis via email. The material you send in an ezine can be designed to look like a web page, or it can be straightforward text like a traditional email. There are many different kinds of ezines as there are varieties of printed publications.

First, choose your topic
A general ezine is unlikely to be successful. Focus on a specific topic, rather than seeing an ezine as a means of publicizing your business in general terms. In fact if you see the ezine merely as a promotional tool, you won't get many readers. Your e-newsletter needs to help your readers in a practical, problem solving sense. Find something they are interested in and write about that. If you don't know what to have as an ezine topic go to Wordtracker and check out what people are actually searching for. This should help stimulate your ideas.

Decide on a newsletter structure
Having settled on your topic you then need to work out a structure for your newsletter. What sections will you break it up into? Will you include news or will it just be opinion? Will you have "how to" articles? Case histories? Tips and hints section? You need to consider all the items and kinds of things you would like to include. You also need to make sure you are going to have enough supply of the kind of information you wish to include. For instance, don't include a tips section if you can only come up with a handful of such tips - your newsletter won't last long that way! Once you have decided what items to include, work out the order you think they should go in. You want to produce a "format" that your readers will easily identify. For instance newspapers often start with major news, then local news, then world news, then features, then the TV section, then business and then sport. It's a regular formula they use day in, day out, so that readers always know where they are. You need to produce a similar formula for your ezine so that your readers always know where they are in your newsletter.

Settle on a format
Now you have your outline plan for your newsletter sorted out, you need then to consider the format. Will it be like a web page (an HTML newsletter) or will you use a text-only format? Will you simply send out a short email with a link to a newsletter on a web page? Or will you make your newsletter available via a blog? You could also consider will the ezine be distributed as a PDF file, or will you also make it available in printed form? You need to consider all these aspects for your particular market. Only when you have decided the overall format should you continue with other aspects of ezine production. If, for instance, you decide to produce a text only newsletter, this won't look good if you later think you should distribute via the PDF route. That would mean a complete overhaul of your newsletter. To avoid that scenario, work out at the beginning what you would like the ezine to look like in overall terms. Only then should you proceed with any designs.

Design a template
After you have worked out your general format for the newsletter you need to produce a template. This will provide the look and feel of each issue. Even if you are only producing a text-only newsletter you will need a template that would include the way headings will look, the page footer and so on. For HTML newsletters or those in print your template should include graphics such as headers and picture positions, headline size and format as well as the basic text layout of each item of your ezine. If you want some inspiration you can get free newsletter templates from Templates Box. You can produce your template in a web design program, or a specific ezine production system such as Constant Contact.

Plan your first few issues
Now you have a good idea what your newsletter will look like so it is much easier to think about it as a "real thing". That's the point where you can start planning. Don't be tempted to rush into producing the first issue. The best publications are well planned in advance. Try to organise the list of articles you will write for the first six issues. Then each time you produce a newsletter plan the one six issues ahead. You will always have a rolling production line of ideas and material you can use in your newsletter. That way you will not run out of ideas at the time you need to publish. Ezine publishers are often frustrated by the fact they have little to write about just when they need to go "to press". However, with a six issue production plan, you will always be organised.

Work out the frequency of publication
With your ezine now well organised you can work out how often you can sustain the publication. How hard was it to come up with ideas for the newsletter? Could you do that every day, every week or each month? Also you will need to consider how frequently your readers will need your information. If, for instance, you are writing about investing in the stock market you will probably need a daily newsletter as stock and shares change each day. But if you are writing about painting and decorating you might only need a monthly newsletter. Consider, though, that anything less than monthly rarely gets reader loyalty because your ezine is too easily forgotten. Twice a month is good, weekly is excellent, but monthly will do if you simply cannot produce your newsletter easily.

Set up a production schedule
After you have done all the initial planning you need a schedule. You should insert dates, deadlines and timetabled working periods into your diary. Considerable numbers of ezines "bite the dust" because their owners fail to adequately allocate enough time for all the research and writing. It might only be an hour or two each week or month, but if you do not timetable it, there's a chance it won't get done. That means you will miss your production deadline and your readers will start to lose faith in your publication. The only way out of this is to set yourself deadlines for research and writing and then stick to them.

Get writing!
Now that all the planning has been done, you can get writing - or get a freelance writer to do the writing for you. Your planning will be helpful to a freelance writer and will also save you money as they won't have to do any organising for you. Stick to the outline of your newsletter, slot in the articles scheduled for your first issue and get it published! You are away - your first ezine is available and you can start benefiting from it.

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Putting up a company would of course require a lot of things, to get straight to the point, you need a capital. To make money requires money as well. But of course, with the versatility the internet offers, there are many ways you could find that could help optimize the potential of your site or business in generating traffic.

While there are ways to jumpstart your traffic flows, many sites don’t have the resources that others have to generate more traffic for your site. Well, you don’t have to spend a cent; all you need is the proper mindset and a lot of eagerness. You also must have the drive and perseverance to do hard work and research to generate more traffic for your site.

How sweet it is to have more traffic for your site without spending a single cent. Now it’s a sure thing that many sites have articles that offer tips and guidelines in how to generate traffic using only free methods. Because it is possible, you don’t need to speed a single cent, it may take time, to say honestly, I’m not going to beat around the bush with you. You get better chances by paying for your advertisements, but at least you get a fighting chance with some of these free methods I’m about to tell you.

Take advantage of online forums and online communities. The great thing about forums and online communities is that you can target a certain group that fits the certain demographic that you are looking for. You can discuss about lots of things about the niche that you represent or offer. Another great advantage is that you know what you are getting into and you will be prepared.

With online communities and forums you can build a reputation for your company. Show them what you are made of and wow them with your range of expertise about the subject, with that you can build a reputation and build trust with the people in your expertise and knowledge.

You can also make use of newsletters. Provide people with a catalog of your products and interesting and entertaining articles. If you make it really interesting and entertaining, more people will sign up for your newsletter and recommend it to other people. The more people who signs up for your newsletter, the more people there will be that will go to your site increasing your traffic.

Another great idea is trading links with other sites. You don’t have to spend a cent. All you have to do is reach an agreement with another webmaster. With exchanging links, the efforts both sites do will benefit both sites. Every traffic that goes to the site could potentially click on the link of your site and visit your site as well. This works well especially when both sites feature the same niche.

Write articles that could pique the attention of people that have interest in your product. Try writing articles that will provide tips and guides to other aficionados. Writing articles that provide good service and knowledge to other people would provide the necessary mileage your traffic flow needs.

Many sites offer free submission and posting of your articles. When people find interest in your articles they have a good chance of following the track by finding out where the article originated. Include a link or a brief description of your company with the article and there’s a great probability that they will go to your site.

Write good content for your site. Many search engines track down the keywords and keyword phrases your site uses and how they are used. It is not a requirement that a content should be done by a professional content writer. You could do your on but you have to make content for your site that is entertaining as well as informational. It should provide certain requirements as well as great quality. Generally, internet users use search engines to find what they are looking for. Search engines in return use keyword searching in aiding their search results. With the right keywords, you could get high rankings in search engine results without the costs.

All of these methods and more will drive more traffic to your site for free. All it takes is a bit of effort and extended man hours. Learn all you can about the methods depicted here and you will soon have a site with a great traffic flow without the usual costs that come with it.

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It's not true that everything that has been said has already been written. Since that unfortunate axiom came into use, the whole universe has changed. Technology has changed, ideas have changed, and the mindsets of entire nations have changed.

The fact is that this is the perfect time to write an ebook. What the publishing industry needs are people who can tap into the world as it is today - innovative thinkers who can make the leap into the new millennium and figure out how to solve old problems in a new way. Ebooks are a new and powerful tool for original thinkers with fresh ideas to disseminate information to the millions of people who are struggling to figure out how to do a plethora of different things.

Let's say you already have a brilliant idea, and the knowledge to back it up that will enable you to write an exceptional ebook. You may be sitting at your computer staring at a blank screen wondering, "Why? Why should I go through all the trouble of writing my ebook when it's so impossible to get anything published these days?

Well, let me assure you that publishing an ebook is entirely different than publishing a book in print. Let's look at the specifics of how the print and cyber publishing industry differ, and the many reasons why you should take the plunge and get your fingers tapping across those keyboards!

Submitting a print book to conventional publishing houses or to agents is similar to wearing a hair shirt 24/7. No matter how good your book actually is, or how many critique services and mentor writers have told you that "you've got what it takes," your submitted manuscript keeps coming back to you as if it is a boomerang instead of a valuable mine of information.

Perhaps, in desperation, you've checked out self-publishing and found out just how expensive a venture it can be. Most "vanity presses" require minimal print runs of at least 500 copies, and even that amount will cost you thousands of dollars. Some presses' minimal run starts at 1,000 to 2,000 copies. And that's just for the printing and binding. Add in distribution, shipping, and promotional costs and - well, you do the maths. Even if you wanted to go this route, you may not have that kind of money to risk.

Let's say you already have an Internet business with a quality website and a quality product. An ebook is one of the most powerful ways to promote your business while educating people with the knowledge you already possess as a business owner of a specific product or service.

For example, let's say that you've spent the last twenty-five years growing and training bonsai trees, and now you're ready to share your knowledge and experience. An ebook is the perfect way to reach the largest audience of bonsai enthusiasts.

Ebooks will not only promote your business - they will help you make a name for yourself and your company, and establish you as an expert in your field. You may even find that you have enough to say to warrant a series of ebooks. Specific businesses are complicated and often require the different aspects to be divided in order for the reader to get the full story.

Perhaps your goals are more finely tuned in terms of the ebook scene. You may want to build a whole business around writing and publishing ebooks. Essentially, you want to start an e-business. You are thinking of setting up a website to promote and market your ebooks. Maybe you're even thinking of producing an ezine.

One of the most prevalent reasons people read ebooks is to find information about how to turn their Internet businesses into a profit-making machine. And these people are looking to the writers of ebooks to provide them with new ideas and strategies because writers of ebooks are usually people who understand the new cyberspace world we now live in. Ebook writers are experts in Internet marketing campaigns and the strategies of promoting and distributing ebooks. The cyberspace community needs its ebooks to be successful so that more and more ebooks will be written.

You may want to create affiliate programs that will also market your ebook. Affiliates can be people or businesses worldwide that will all be working to sell your ebooks. Think about this? Do you see a formula for success here?

Figure out what your subject matter is, and then narrow it down. Your goal is to aim for specificity. Research what's out there already, and try to find a void that your ebook might fill.

What about an ebook about a wedding cake business? Or an ebook about caring for elderly pets? How about the fine points of collecting ancient pottery?

You don't have to have three masters degrees to write about your subject. People need advice that is easy to read and easily understood. Parents need advice for dealing with their teenagers. College students need to learn good study skills - quickly. The possibilities are endless.

After you've writtten your ebook
Getting your ebook out is going to be your focus once you've finished writing it, just as it is with print books. People will hesitate to buy any book from an author they've never heard of. Wouldn't you?

The answer is simple: give it away! You will see profits in the form of promoting your own business and getting your name out. You will find affiliates who will ask you to place their links within your ebook, and these affiliates will in turn go out and make your name known. Almost every single famous ebook author has started out this way.

Another powerful tool to attract people to your ebook is to make it interactive. Invent something for them to do within the book rather than just producing pages that contain static text. Let your readers fill out questionnaires, forms, even crossword puzzles geared to testing their knowledge on a particular subject. Have your readers hit a link that will allow them to recommend your book to their friends and associates. Or include an actual order form so at the end of their reading journey, they can eagerly buy your product.

When people interact with books, they become a part of the world of that book. The fact is just as true for books in print as it is for ebooks.

That's why ebooks are so essential. Not only do they provide a forum for people to learn and make sense of their own thoughts, but they can also serve to promote your business at the same time.

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