You work hard publishing at Yahoo! Contributor Network but promoting your stuff is a drag. By creating an RSS feed of your published work you can create animated graphics on your blog or social networking site, send automatic tweets whenever a new article is published or even place a graphic in your email signature promoting your most recent pieces. The benefit of this is the fact that after the initial setup the promotion is automatic, allowing you to concentrate on creating great content.
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Showing posts with label networking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label networking. Show all posts
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Helping Fellow Writers
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| Rissa Watkins |
A community of togetherness
One of the best things about Y!CN and content writing in general is that if you network yourself, you get to meet a variety of great people. We come from all walks of life, have many different backgrounds, and while many of us are from North America, we are sprinkled all over the world. And it never ceases to amaze me the sense of community, the acts of kindness and helping one another that our freelance, content writing circle makes. It gives me warm fuzzies.
So as I began reading up on this, I began to see Risa Watkins name on lots of different articles and blogs. It makes me so happy and proud to be part of this wonderful and kind networks of writers.
How you can help
I had a big paragraph of what you could do to help Rissa out but I just watched the below video from theBarefoot that lays everything out neatly for you. Please help if you can.
Subscribe to the Barefoot's YouTube Channel
Merry New Year! There's lots going on. Forgive the fast-talk, but I was trying to stuff it all into one video.
Oh, shirt! http://thebarefoot.spreadshirt.com
JPLnews - What's Up for January 2011? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvIHDw...
Buy a leukemia tee shirt & 100% of the profit goes to help Rissa fight her cancer:
teeBarefoot Charity items - http://ow.ly/3wUfm
Another shirt for Rissa from Angel Sharum http://ow.ly/3wUf7
Read. Simply read. Yahoo pays Rissa for every page viewed:
Rissa Watkins at Yahoo/AC http://ow.ly/3vX77
Make a purchase from Twin Trinity Media (http://www.shop.twintrinitymedia.com/).
$1 from every book and 25 cents from every e-book sold goes to Rissa
Send messages of encouragement:
http://www.RissaWatkins.com
Rissa's Facebook profile http://www.facebook.com/rissa.watkins
Friday, September 24, 2010
Facebook: A regular page or a "Like" page?
When you're looking to promote your business or your image (such as for a band or politician), I always recommend a "Like" page on Facebook. The biggest reason is to gain more exposure in search engine results. It's fairly easy to manage one and you can do it directly from your main (personal) account, assuming you have a personal Facebook page just to keep up with friends and such.
Using a Facebook "Like" (previously known as a "Fan") page is one of the best tools for online networking. As Facebook continues to grow, even locally, the exposure your page can have to potential customers and fans is phenomenal.
Read More...
Using a Facebook "Like" (previously known as a "Fan") page is one of the best tools for online networking. As Facebook continues to grow, even locally, the exposure your page can have to potential customers and fans is phenomenal.
Read More...
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Linking Articles from One Site to Another or Between Articles
A reader posted the following comment on my How to Start Writing Content article on Associated Content:
"So, do you try to link your AC and Examiner articles? How about your blog? Are your posts to each duplicated or in concert with each other in any way? Just starting out, so I'm curious how to get organized from the beginning. Still learning about all the RSS, Digg, Twitter, etc. options and trying to tie it all together cohesively. ~ Thanks for all of the tips, etc."
This is a lot but I'll try to explain, from my perspective, how I can link different things up.
When I still regularly wrote for Examiner, if I had an article that related to one I was writing for Associated Content, then I would link it. If I didn't have one, then I wouldn't. The same goes for my blogs or other sites. If it isn't relevant to the article you are writing, then don't link it. It's really that easy.
I don't intentionally write things that will link up with one another. I think about each blog and each site that I write for, create a list of topics for each and start writing. After I'm finished writing it, I think about whether it is relevant to another site or blog. If it is, I'll find a way to link it. If it isn't, then I move on. You should never try to link up something to your articles just to create a link. It is a quick way to discredit yourself.
Sometimes, I will write an article on one blog or site, and then realize that it is relevant to another blog or site. In most cases, if it is on a blog (not AC), then I will do a teaser and then link the article from my other site. For an example of this, see this post.
And sometimes, I will specifically write an AC post that will link up to one of my blogs or another site. For an example of this, see this post. Because my Associated Content articles are scattered from topic to topic, I don't expect someone who is interested in my television articles to be interested in my local articles. But I want to keep the interest of these readers and I do so by having a television blog and a local blog which each feature my content on the subjects as well as others. (Notice how I linked those up because it was relevant?)
I don't often duplicate articles from one site to another but I also don't write for many different sites. I'd rather link to and from my blogs so I get the page views from one to another. But I realize it's different for everyone.
Social networking (Digg, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) is a different beast than inter (or intra?) linking your content. For social networking topics, visit this post and this post. You will find some great information on those links.
In reality, there's no easy answer for how to correctly do these things. You can read all the material you want but it doesn't equal the knowledge you gain from time spent actually doing it. Over time, as you build your library of content across whichever sites you write for, linking between articles will come naturally. You'll then understand what is relevant, how best to do it, and how to be successful overall.
"So, do you try to link your AC and Examiner articles? How about your blog? Are your posts to each duplicated or in concert with each other in any way? Just starting out, so I'm curious how to get organized from the beginning. Still learning about all the RSS, Digg, Twitter, etc. options and trying to tie it all together cohesively. ~ Thanks for all of the tips, etc."
This is a lot but I'll try to explain, from my perspective, how I can link different things up.
When I still regularly wrote for Examiner, if I had an article that related to one I was writing for Associated Content, then I would link it. If I didn't have one, then I wouldn't. The same goes for my blogs or other sites. If it isn't relevant to the article you are writing, then don't link it. It's really that easy.
I don't intentionally write things that will link up with one another. I think about each blog and each site that I write for, create a list of topics for each and start writing. After I'm finished writing it, I think about whether it is relevant to another site or blog. If it is, I'll find a way to link it. If it isn't, then I move on. You should never try to link up something to your articles just to create a link. It is a quick way to discredit yourself.
Sometimes, I will write an article on one blog or site, and then realize that it is relevant to another blog or site. In most cases, if it is on a blog (not AC), then I will do a teaser and then link the article from my other site. For an example of this, see this post.
And sometimes, I will specifically write an AC post that will link up to one of my blogs or another site. For an example of this, see this post. Because my Associated Content articles are scattered from topic to topic, I don't expect someone who is interested in my television articles to be interested in my local articles. But I want to keep the interest of these readers and I do so by having a television blog and a local blog which each feature my content on the subjects as well as others. (Notice how I linked those up because it was relevant?)
I don't often duplicate articles from one site to another but I also don't write for many different sites. I'd rather link to and from my blogs so I get the page views from one to another. But I realize it's different for everyone.
Social networking (Digg, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) is a different beast than inter (or intra?) linking your content. For social networking topics, visit this post and this post. You will find some great information on those links.
In reality, there's no easy answer for how to correctly do these things. You can read all the material you want but it doesn't equal the knowledge you gain from time spent actually doing it. Over time, as you build your library of content across whichever sites you write for, linking between articles will come naturally. You'll then understand what is relevant, how best to do it, and how to be successful overall.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Make a Living Writing Online?
It's not about the networking. Okay, so maybe it is a little. After all, without networking, you couldn't make friends with your fellow writers and have that support system with help and leads that we all love and need. What I'm saying is that if you think you're gonna increase your page views by digging heavily into networking, unless you have a network of millions, it's not gonna work like you want it to.
But I've learned a little something along the way. If you want the page views, if you want to make the money, here's what you do:
If you're one of those people who want to make a living of it, in addition to the points above, you have to understand that you have to treat your content writing as if it were a job where you get up and go to work everyday. Everyone thinks working at home is all about watching all the television you want, taking breaks when you want, being able to just take off when you want... and while the flexibility is great (it's awesome being able to make a doctor's appointment without having to check a work schedule or check with a boss), you will need to be in the mindset that it is a job. If it helps to get up in the morning and shower and dress like you would if you were leaving the house, then do it. If it helps to sit down and schedule your writing throughout the week, then do it. Often, you will work harder than you would if you were leaving the house to work. But in the end it is worth it.
But you have to understand that it will take time. Even after all this time, I'm still learning. Just stick with it.
But I've learned a little something along the way. If you want the page views, if you want to make the money, here's what you do:
- Don't just write for AC. I currently write for AC and Examiner.com in addition to my blogs. I could probably make a lot more if I wrote for other sites as well but I prefer to keep it to two sites and concentrate extra time on my creative writing. If you'd like information on different sites that pay, you can consult experienced writer Suzanne Alicie's site, Freelance Writer Online.
- Stick with it. Trust me when I say that you WILL get frustrated. Your pay will suck while you are starting out and learning the ropes. But if you keep working at it, you will eventually learn what I have and earn a descent pay out of it.
- Write frequently, write often, write well. If you need a critique and some advice on your article writing, hit the AC forums and put your work in the Workshop for more experienced contributors to take a look at. Don't be too shy to do this. It could mean the difference between your failure and success on AC and other sites.
- Research frequently searched topics and hot topics. In addition to writing articles that can last over a long period of time, write for the heavy hitting as well.
If you're one of those people who want to make a living of it, in addition to the points above, you have to understand that you have to treat your content writing as if it were a job where you get up and go to work everyday. Everyone thinks working at home is all about watching all the television you want, taking breaks when you want, being able to just take off when you want... and while the flexibility is great (it's awesome being able to make a doctor's appointment without having to check a work schedule or check with a boss), you will need to be in the mindset that it is a job. If it helps to get up in the morning and shower and dress like you would if you were leaving the house, then do it. If it helps to sit down and schedule your writing throughout the week, then do it. Often, you will work harder than you would if you were leaving the house to work. But in the end it is worth it.
But you have to understand that it will take time. Even after all this time, I'm still learning. Just stick with it.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
How Much Time Should You Spend Promoting?
How much time should you pour into posting links in various social networks? Is it really worth the time and effort? I'm not talking about autopost. Autopost is wonderful but only covers WordPress, Facebook, and Twitter. And what about those days when you don't write? Is it worth setting links up in Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and the zillion other social networking sites so you can get clicks on your off days? And watch out! If you constantly post links, then you might be in danger of spamming.
These are all very tough questions and everyone has their own opinion about this. I can get extra page views by retweeting and reposting links to content that hasn't been posted in awhile but personally, I don't think that the payoff is worth a half hour of my time setting up links. And how many social networks are too many?
I've been thinking about this topic for quite some time now and it just so happens that I came across this article by Lyn Lomasi yesterday while searching for answers to these questions.
But really, if you're spending more time posting links then you are writing, that's not a good sign. If you're still not pulling in the page views after posting all those links then it can be frustrating, I know. Time to rethink the topics you are writing on.
But take a look at the article above and find your own balance.
These are all very tough questions and everyone has their own opinion about this. I can get extra page views by retweeting and reposting links to content that hasn't been posted in awhile but personally, I don't think that the payoff is worth a half hour of my time setting up links. And how many social networks are too many?
I've been thinking about this topic for quite some time now and it just so happens that I came across this article by Lyn Lomasi yesterday while searching for answers to these questions.
But really, if you're spending more time posting links then you are writing, that's not a good sign. If you're still not pulling in the page views after posting all those links then it can be frustrating, I know. Time to rethink the topics you are writing on.
But take a look at the article above and find your own balance.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Newbie Tip: How to Use the Social Features
Lyn Lomasi is a prominent name around AC. She rests on clout 10, is a community guide, has over a million page views, and has won a Best of AC award. And having played with her on Twitter and Facebook, I can say that she is a great woman and one of the sweetest people you could meet. She also spends much of her time promoting other people's work without asking or expecting anything in return. With that being said, she also writes helpful articles for AC noobs. The point? If you come across a "how-to" from her, listen to what she has to say. She knows what she's talking about.
Here is one that came across my inbox from her this morning. Because my next post on here will focus on social networking, I thought this a good lead in.
New to AC? How to Use the Social Networking Features
If you're a new Contributor on Associated Content, you may not have given the social aspects of AC much thought. If you have, but you haven't done much social networking online, it may be slightly confusing at first. What does AC have to offer in this area?
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Here is one that came across my inbox from her this morning. Because my next post on here will focus on social networking, I thought this a good lead in.
New to AC? How to Use the Social Networking Features
If you're a new Contributor on Associated Content, you may not have given the social aspects of AC much thought. If you have, but you haven't done much social networking online, it may be slightly confusing at first. What does AC have to offer in this area?
Read More
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