Hi. My name is Jason, and I am a newbie blogger. And I’m not an alcoholic, just a drunk. Alcoholics have to go to those damn meetings. =)

If you read many journals and blogging sites on “how to be a better blogger”, many will tell you that it’s all about networking. Throw your site out to as many people as you can, type of deal. While I do not find myself to be that tenacious in terms of “forcing” people to visit my site, there is one small way that I help in getting my site’s name out there.

You see, I make “Personal Cards” every couple of years or so. They’re like Business Cards, but you give them to friends & family, people you meet, etc. It’s actually rather classy when you meet someone at an event, bar, concert, sport game etc, and instead of having them type your number into their phone or writing it down on a piece of paper, I hand them one of these.

Many of them say “What’s this?” and you can reply with whatever your favorite comeback line is “Oh, it’s my personal card” or “it’s all the contact information you’ll ever need” — choose your own!

On the latest print, I include my name, a good quote to fill in space with, my phone number (since that’s likely the main reason you’re passing this out to someone), my website, and two different e-mail addresses to reach me at.

I even have the new calendar on the reverse side, so it’s useful for people to carry with them in their wallet! Multi-functional, and you get a box of 500 for around eight bucks.

You can casually leave one at whatever outing you’re on, here and there, even if the chance of someone picking one up and going to your site is unlikely.

Again, the point is networking, and this is just one more easy way to do that.

How to Use Twitter for Internet Marketing

Travis Tracy has been using Twitter for a while now and has quickly found the value in it as he has become more involved in the community. He has recently been using Twitter to market some of his purple martin houses that he sells. Follow him on Twitter: @phpgator.

First off, if you are just now getting involved on Twitter, you probably have a misconception about what it is to be used for. Obviously, there are people (very annoying people) that simply tweet things like “Hey, I’m eating a hot dog.” Who really cares, right? This is a good way to NOT build a following on your profile. People want to follow people that interest them.

The best way to think about Twitter is to think of it much like a forum community. I am sure most all of us have visited forums or been a part of a forum community of some type in the past. You have those that simply come and spam the boards with useless posts, then you have those that get involved and add some type of value to it. You want to be the one that adds value.

The first thing I highly recommend is simply getting involved in your target community. This means follow others and respond to other peoples tweets (posts). Just like in a forum community, the way to make friends and gain trust is to respond to other peoples threads as well. It gets your name out there and gets you noticed. Do not hesitate to simply reply and tell someone that you found something interesting, or join in on a conversation.

Although getting involved and responding to other people is a good way to get started, at some point you have to provide your own value to the community you are trying to be involved in. This means placing USEFUL tweets (posts) up on Twitter. Talk about things that you think people would be interested in! For example, if you are targeting a bird community, you might talk about a species of bird that you saw today in your area. Or, you might recommend a specific product that worked well to attract a bird. If you are targeting the internet marketing community itself, you would talk about how your PPC campaigns are doing. You might talk about how a marketing tactic worked for you, whether good or bad. You might even link to blog posts that you found were helpful (not every blog post you read). These are many different ways to add something useful to the community.

Lastly, if you have no idea where to find these people, I recommend using the search feature on Twitter. It is super powerful. You can find people tweeting about things you are interested in. Interested in a specific type of bird? Go to the search feature and follow people that are talking about them.

The end goal here is that you build up a following of people who are interested in the same things you are. You will then be able to turn around and market specifically to these people that are following you. Those that respect your opinion and value your posts will be more inclined to click on the links that you provide and buy the products on the other side. This often can mean money in the bank for you. It really is this simple

3 Free E-Books You SHOULD Read

E-Books are a great source of information that are readily available online. The only problem is there are so many out there how can you pick the winners from the losers? Well for your enjoyment I’ve put together a small list of e-books that are not only useful but free. Honestly, who can complain about free useful material?

1. David Risley’s Six Figure Blogger Blueprint

URL: http://www.davidrisley.com/blueprint
BLURB: “I’ll reveal to you how I have turned blogging into a real business which supports my growing family – and how I have been earning a six-figure income at it for several years… and NOT in the “make money” niche!”
I believe the best thing I enjoy about David Risley’s blog about how he makes money online is that he so constantly stresses that the majority of money is not made through his ‘make money’ blog. A lot of people out there just assume they can setup a blog and make money off of it and that is all they have to do. David clearly points out various ways to make money that can use a blog as a promotional resource but not as the focus of income.

2. The Infopreneur’s 7 Days to Better Traffic

URL: http://www.theinfopreneur.net/7-days-to-better-traffic
BLURB: “If you want to transform your website traffic then this is the tutorial for you.”
Who likes traffic? Everyone likes traffic! The more hits that you get the more you are getting your message out. It doesn’t matter if you are going for popularity, visibility, or marketing – traffic is key. James Richmond if The Infopreneur has put together this great little guide on methods you can use to drive up your own traffic.

3. Simply Zesty’s Social Media E-Book

URL: http://www.simplyzesty.com/free-social-media-book
BLURB: “You can catch up on our guides and tutorials that aim to teach you the basics of social media.”
There are countless aspects to social media and it’s ever changing landscape. Niall Harbison and Lauren Fisher have put together a comprehensive guide to the current social media world based off of their experience and current writing on the subject. If there is anything you need clarification on or a general guide to this is the E-Book that you should be downloading.

9 Social Media Blogs To Follow

NAME: Conversation Agent
URL: http://www.conversationagent.com/
BLURB: connecting ideas and people – how talk can change our lives
Conversation Agent is a blog written by Valeria Maltoni who is a a brand strategist She has 10 years of online brand building experience and another 10 in corporations from mid-to-large sized companies. It is a site about both branding and network with a constant flow of useful information. The focus is how networking by conversation can help your self, your brand, and your marketing.

NAME: Altitude Branding
URL: http://altitudebranding.com/
BLURB: …brand elevation through social media
Altitude Branding is another great source for anything social media related! It is written primarily by Amber Naslund who is the Director of Community for Radian6 social media monitoring. She’s spent the last 15 years working on fundraiser, client services professional, corporate marketing director, and an entrepreneur. Clearly have the experience in a variety of areas that relate to social media.

NAME: Successful Blog
URL: http://www.successful-blog.com/
BLURB: You’re only a stranger once
I still find people who don’t know about Lis Strauss and Successful Blog. This is one of the most potent sites for actual methods of networking (“social” or face to face) that work. She is the CEO and founder of SOBCon and has proven time and time again to know the insides of networking as the author of Successful-Blog.com.

NAME: Techipedia
URL: http://www.techipedia.com/
BLURB: Social Media Consultant and Tech Geek at Heart
Techipedia is written by Tamar Weinberg who is a freelance writer and author of The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web. If that’s not enough for you she also is the community & marketing manager of Mashable (which should be enough of a reason to be interested in what she has to say) and consults at social media marketing agency M80.

NAME: Shannon Paul’s Very Official Blog
URL: http://veryofficialblog.com/
Very Official Blog puts a lot of focus on social strategy and trying to show how social networking can be viewed and used through other people and professions. Shannon Paul currently works as the community manager for PEAK6 Online.

NAME: All Facebook
URL: http://www.allfacebook.com/
BLURB: The Unofficial Facebook Resource
I’m going to just use another quote from the site on this one “The purpose of the blog is to cover all issues pertaining to Facebook including new applications, general news, and analysis about the future of Facebook.” Honestly that is what the site wants to be and is. If you use Facebook for marketing or application development this is a site that you should follow if you aren’t already.

NAME: Web Strategy
URL: http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/
BLURB: I strive to deliver insight on disruptive technologies and their impact on how companies communicate with their customers
Web Strategy is written by Jeremiah Owyang a Partner in the Altimeter Group and Columnist for Forbes CMO Network. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to explain to you the quality of writer that Forbes tends to hire so let’s go straight to the subject content: he keeps it updated both with comparisons between strategies and major happenings in the social media world.

NAME: Collective Thoughts
URL: http://collective-thoughts.com/
BLURB: Social Media Thinking
A group effort of 12 writers (if you include the cat) who focus on everything social media related. Each of the writers have different focuses and fields of experience (even the cat who uses Twitter) and they take what they know to write on what they know giving readers a broad range of both experience and examples to draw upon.

NAME: SocialTimes
URL: http://www.socialtimes.com/
BLURB: Covering All That’s Social On The Web
Social Times is written by Nick O’Neill has had articles in Fast Company, New York Times, Practical E-Commerce, Forbes, USA Today, The Washington Post, Wired, and many more. The goal of the Social Times is to help its readers learn how to help businesses and people properly use social media to further their goals.

How to Write Consumer Product Reviews

Writing online consumer product reviews is a great way to share relevant, helpful information with consumers interested in purchasing products you’ve already tried. You can use this as an outlet to promote a product that you enjoy, a source of content to post on your site, and even a way to sell affiliate products. Ready to write a review? Here seven tips on how to write both an effective and persuasive consumer product reviews:

1. Know the Product

This is the most important and one that quite a few who sell affiliate products do not do. Before you type a single word- make sure you are familiar with the product and have spent ample time using it yourself. If you haven’t first off your review will not have any actual merit, second off if anyone is familiar with the product they will quickly be able to tell you haven’t had experience, and finally when people find out the trust you have built up will fail.

If you know about a product from first hand use you will most likely be able to write at it at length, just as it is easy to write about anything you are familiar with, trying to come up with random information to stick in as filler just never comes off well.

2. Post on the Right Forum

When writing online consumer product reviews, make sure you find an appropriate forum to post the reviews on. For example, don’t post a review of your new fridge on a site solely for reviews of service professionals. Be aware that most review forums and websites require (free) registration prior to posting. If you run a site on blogging you don’t want to write a review on stereos. Another factor to keep into consideration is whether your review is positive or negative; that may also affect where it is posted.

3. Give Full Product Information

To ensure consumers know exactly what product you are referring to, give the full product information. This should include the exact product name, brand or company, and model number, if applicable. If it’s about an e-book make sure to give information on the author, author’s site, and where to purchase the e-book. It’s pretty common sense but something that can be easily overlooked.

4. Be Detailed

Typically speaking, when it comes to consumer product reviews the more information you provide, the better. Be as detailed as possible about the pros and cons of the product and if there is any additional information the consumer might find beneficial (e.g. is there an additional use for the product aside from its original intent?). Don’t skimp on either area regardless of how you felt about the end result. A pro for a product might prove more useful to someone else and outweigh the negatives. The details are important to include to help others make up their minds. You can always slant the review towards your viewpoint but don’t leave out information.

5. State Facts

Don’t just say whether or not you like a product, give reasons why. Why was it not worth the money, why would you recommend it to a friend? Also be sure to state how you used the product and list any improvements/changes you personally would make about it.

6. Use your Own Voice

Make the review your own by letting your personality show. Be genuine by expressing your true feelings about the product and avoid copying or mimicking another consumer’s review to enhance your credibility.

7. Be Conscientious of your Language

The way you write and the language you use can dramatically impact how effective your review will be. Avoid using profane or immature language and be sure to use clear, universal language so that everyone can understand. Be professional in tone and words and once the review is completed, proofread it before you post. Make sure the grammar and punctuation is all correct.

Reviews are a great way to add valuable content for your readers or just let others know your opinions on a product or service. If you are into affiliate sales it also can be an invaluable tool to help sell products that others make. Just make sure you don’t put up false reviews for everything under the sun as that isn’t a good long or short term marketing practice for building trust in your readers.

Catchy Title

While not every blog out there needs to have artwork or screen shots included I’m pretty sure most will at the very least suggest it to you. It’s extremely useful to be able to have visuals to go along with your posts either as attention getters, examples, or just as a visual draw to help move your readers through an article. While the most useful tool out there for anything photo related, Photoshop may be out of the reach of many users. Even if it isn’t if you are somewhere else (day job, family’s house, wherever) you may not have access to your usual suite of applications. Mix in the fact that you may be somewhere where you cannot install an alternative art software (ie: GIMP) and you need something web based to take care of your needs. This is where Picnik comes into play and with it’s quick load time and friendly user interface there are multiple reasons for it to be on the top of your list to use.

Uses For Bloggers

While there are a pretty much unlimited numbers of reasons that any blogger needs access to photo manipulation software. There are three that you will of course need more than others. The ability to resize pictures, the ability to modify pictures, and the ability to insert text into pictures. There is an ease of use to modify pictures as well as you can input photographs from filckr, facebook, photobucket, picasa, webshots, webs, myspace, and your computer.

Standard Features

• Fix your photos in just one click
• Use advanced controls to fine-tune your results
• Crop, resize, and rotate in real-time
• Tons of special effects, from artsy to fun
• Astoundingly fast, right in your browser
• Awesome fonts and top-quality type tool
• Basketfuls of shapes from hand-picked designers
• Works on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• No download required, nothing to install

Advanced Features

While this does give you a monthly fee (though it is a low one) it gives you quite a few bonuses.

• Batch Picture Uploading
• More Effects
• Beauty Tools
• More Collages
• More Fonts and Stickers
• Advanced Editing Tools
• Unlimited History
• Unlimited Connections
• Priority Feedback
• Ad-Free and Fullscreen
• Layering and more!

External Tools

On Picnik’s Tools page there are even more bonus features for you to use.

The first is Picnik Extensions for Firefox, Chrome, and IE. These extensions allow you to both easily access Picnik from right clicking images any page that you are on as well as take screenshots. The second are the Picnik Bookmarklet for the same browsers which is just a step down use wise of the extensions but take up less resources. It allows you to quickly drag and drop pictures into Picnik. Speaking of drag and drop there is a Picnik Yahoo Widget that lets you to easily upload images from your desktop to edit at any time.

If none of these are exactly what you need and you have a bit of programming knowledge under your belt you can use the Picnik API to build your own tools! Yes you can include Picnik’s vast range of free utilities into any project that you may make.

So if you need a portable web based graphic solution than Picnik is for you!

The Importance Of Having Pre-Written Content

Two weeks ago I posted a picture of a cat and formed an entire post around trying to go into detail why you should not procrastinate on putting together posts. It was pretty self explanatory, if you aren’t prepared with posts you have to rush through them. While for many bloggers this isn’t a big deal, if you have a day job that is ridiculously busy that day and trying to get the post done at the office or between the office and going out for the night? Quality of content suffers. Anytime you have to rush there is an increased chance of content suffering.

How Do You Prepare For Being Too Busy To Write?

That’s very clear. Write in advance! It doesn’t matter if you have a specific day set aside or a certain amount set aside each day for writing ahead, what is important is that you stick to it. I personally write in a 3 step process where the first 2 are spread out throughout the week and the third is usually done on Saturday or Sunday depending on my schedule.

The Process
• Map Out Ideas
• Writing Overview Posts
• Writing The Actual Post

It’s a pretty straight forward process and while not what everyone will use I’m sure a variation of it will work for just about anyone out there. The concept behind my plan is two-fold. First off it keeps me writing throughout the week to some extend which always helps to keep the creative juices flowing. Secondly it allows me to keep everything organized and have a flexible plan on being able to finish all of my writing in time and not have to worry about it at the last moment.

So let’s take an overview of the 3 step process I use.

Mapping Out Ideas

I keep an unpublished post at all times on every blog I write on regularly. In this magical unpublished post I jot down every idea that I come up with during the day of something I may want to write on. It doesn’t matter if it’s something I see while surfing the net, an idea I get from a day to day interaction in life, or just something that comes to me – it’s added into the post.

Now to keep this post from getting overly large I will go through it at least once a month to clear out ideas that have been sitting there for more than 2 weeks that I’ve lost interest in, are no longer viable, or have already written a post on based off of a similar idea. Sometimes ideas may end up being in here for months at a time before being looked at and sometimes they are in and out within the same day.

The main part though is 2-3 days during the week and the main writing day I have each weekend – I will spend an hour writing rough drafts of posts based off of these ideas. This is 3-4 hours a week just devoted to writing overviews of posts that I may or may not write.

Writing Overview Or Rough Draft Posts

The Overview post is basically my concept post. It’s the rough start with headers and a few pieces of information under each that I write out when I plan out each of my posts. It’s a great exercise for quite a few reasons. It let’s me always have something partially written in case I don’t have something to write on the spot and can go back to just finish a rough draft. It allows me to plan out if I have enough information to write a full post on a topic I’m interested in. It let’s me keep track of what I am currently interested in.

It’s much less frustrating to spend 10 minutes on a conceptual post than be 30 minutes of going back and forth into writing a final draft and realize I’ve run out of anything to say on a topic and nowhere near a length worth hitting publish.

Writing Full Posts

Now the writing of full posts. In theory I only do this one day a weekend for a few hours on all of my blogs. If I followed my first 2 steps for the week I have a huge pile of ideas stored away and drafts that just need to be finalized. When the first steps are followed this really is just re-writing and hammering out my posts into something that is legible, fun to read, or both depending the topic. On occasion if my weekend is cut short I may have to include this step during the week at night or the day of a post however, that is what we are trying to avoid.

Each post I have ready I still do not hit publish the day I plan on posting it off the bat. I generally review and revise my ‘final’ post one last time. While with the wonders of Firefox most of my spelling typos are already detected there are on occasion grammatical errors that need to be resolved or pieces of information that have to be edited. Having that last bit of proofreading before hitting the publish button will not save you from every error you may make while typing but it will definitely cut back on how often one slips through.

I make sure that these revisions are not done the same day the post is written whenever possible or at least not within an hour it is written. Why the delay? Another thing I’ve learned over the years is that reading over anything with ‘fresh eyes’ will allow you to more easily catch mistakes instead of just skim over what you have written.

Have A Process

What I really want you to take out of this is to have a process. It doesn’t have to be one you follow religiously if that doesn’t work for you but you need something in place to keep yourself organized. Anyone who works freelance, online, or with computers in general knows exactly how easy it is to get distracted. Having a plan you follow and being organized is the easiest way to keep you from daily being interrupted by distractions that can push back being able to accomplish anything to the best of your ability.

Happy 6th Birthday Flickr

Today is the birthday of an image hosting company. If you don’t know why that’s being featured here you must not have used Flickr before. The site is not just an image host but has become both one of the standard images hosts but also has social networking relevance. From having friends, a huge commenting interface, and an API that allows you to integrate uploading and use of photos in Flickr in a variety of both websites and applications. It allows you to sort photos by activity, groups you can create and join, and of course friends.

What is Flickr?

Flickr is the best way to store, sort, search and share your photos online. Flickr helps you organize that huge mass of photos you have and offers a way for you and your friends and family to tell stories about them.

This well put together and still thriving image host that was picked up by Yahoo years ago is showing that it can stand the test of time. Think about that for a moment. How many social networks, applications, or ideas have fallen flat in the last 6 years? Quite a few at this point. You really need to have the right look, usefulness, and reason to keep coming back to be able to survive online. There are a million image hosts online but the majority of those who need hosting will only go with a few specific companies – Flickr is clearly one of them.

Features

• Upload – Upload from the web, using a desktop client, by e-mail, or even by phone.
• Edit – Who doesn’t love the ability to change photos around? Flickr has a powerful built in web based photo editor to put the finishing touches on your pictures.
• Organize – From tags to groups to personal collections to sets there are a variety of ways to organize both your photos and videos.
• Share – Share your work with both certain friends, web sites, or anyone online by just choosing preferences!
• Maps – Map tagging is really a great feature being used more and more often as of late, showing off where photos were taken and also being able to search locations!
• Make Stuff – I’m going to just quote the web page on this one “Sexy cards, photo books, framed prints, Target pick up, DVDs, etc.“
• Keep in Touch – You can easily set your preferences to be notified when friends or family upload new pictures, when you receive comments on yours, and so much more!

The options listed above and the fact that it is incorporated in so many major websites is exactly why it has worked in the realm of social media. It allows for easily sharing files and interaction concerning them. With an easy to use API it is easy to add in to any upcoming web site, blog, or application. If it’s success is able to continue I would image we’ll see flickr be around for another 6 years easily.

Online Payment Processing: Questions to Ask Merchant Account Providers

It’s pretty standard that if you are an online merchant who want to offer customers the convenience and security of paying with a credit card you must apply for a merchant account. Since not all merchant accounts are created equal and with so many providers to choose from, it can be difficult to find one that meets all of your needs. Here are eight questions to ask prospective merchant account providers to ensure they offer online payment processing that suits your needs.

1. How much does the merchant account cost?

Discuss monthly costs of the account with a customer service rep. Some providers charge a flat monthly fee while others charge a percentage of each transaction on your site. The provider should give you a clear idea of how much you should expect to pay. You should also know if you prefer a flat rate or a percentage is what is taken out of your profit margin.

2. What start up fees should I expect to pay?

In addition to regular fees, find out what start up costs are involved with the service, especially since many payment gateways have “hidden fees”. (Think in terms of activation costs for the majority of cell phone providers.)

3. What customer service options do you provide?

If something goes wrong with your online payment processing, find out what options you have to contact the company in order to resolve problems when they arise (and trust me, they will). Avoid providers that only offer customer support via email. The best option is to always find one with phone support that is as close to being covered 24/7 as possible.

4. What is the fee for charge-backs?

Find out the fee for charge-backs since they vary among merchant account providers. Charge-backs are going to happen in many product based online businesses and you should have an idea of how much may come out of your pocket.

5. How many merchant accounts can one user have?

If you have more than one e-commerce website, find out if you can have more than one merchant account under the same user. In addition, find out if there is a reduced or discounted cost for second merchant accounts.

6. What are the contractual obligations?

Many merchant account providers require users to sign a contract, binding users to their service for at least one year. On the contrary, some providers offer their service month-to-month. Determine a budget beforehand to see which option will best suit your needs.

7. What is the process to apply for a merchant account?

Find out what steps you must take with prospective providers to apply for a merchant account and figure out whether or not it is a long, intensive process that’s worth the time.

8. Is an online merchant account necessary if I already have a retail merchant account?

If you already have a retail merchant account for a brick-and-mortar store, ask your provider if they can also provide an online merchant account for your e-commerce website. Sometimes merchant account providers will even offer discounts for using both services.

The Write Start Is Accepting Guest Posts!

As any blogger will tell you guest posting is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to get your name out there and help draw in more of an audience. The staff at The Write Start fully believe this is a great way to go and are going to make it easier for anyone interested in spreading their content online!

We all know that, networking aside, the main reason most guest blog boils down to allowing you to have exposure to readers on another site. If the site is on the same subject or a similar one as what you write on it’s an easy chance to catch the eyes of these other readers who may also start to visit your blog.

Key Benefits To Guest Posting

• Increased Exposure Of Your Content
• Networking With Other Bloggers
• In Some Cases Additional Backlinks
• Practice At Writing For Someone Else

So if the benefits sound good for you and you believe The Write Start is a good place for your content there are a few main points. The first of which is that any article you are submitting should fall into one of the following categories:

• Blogging
• Networking
• Freelancing
• Social media
• Online Tools

If that still sounds good than for all of the details head over to our Guest Posting Page.