Make a Free Blog Header

I just found this and hope it saves you money!

There are millions of blogs out there so it can be difficult to distinguish yourself. Just making a blog header can personalize the template so your visitors know exactly what your blog is about before they ever actually start reading. The blog header makes a first impression on the guests of your site so make sure that it's a good impression.

Photos are popular sources for blog headers. You'll want to make sure that the picture directly relates to your content or incorporate it with a witty tagline. Be aware that people all around the world will be visiting your blog so make sure that you take that into account when deciding whether or not to use pictures of your kids.

For a personal blog or if you scrapbook or sell crafts you might be interested in a cute cartoon graphic. This can look like you but still have a sense of whimsy. This creates a welcoming feel on your blog. It's rare to find these graphics for free but if you look through free stock photo sites you may be able to dig up a few. You'll want to contact the artist before you put it in your template. The picture may only be available for private use instead of on commercial sites. You'll also want the artist to be aware that you'll be using the photo in a template, especially if you are going to let other people use your design as well.

You'll need some kind of photo editing software when creating designs for blogs. There is free software that is comparable to Photoshop such as the GIMP program. Be aware that there is a sharp learning curve for these kinds of programs because there are so many different features available. Give yourself enough time to really learn the full capabilities of the software. This will give you a professional looking design.

If you aren't a designer then turn to people who are for free help. Many designers offer free headers. These are basic designs that you can use for a background. Then you can just add the title of you blog or maybe hang a frame with a picture that speaks to your niche on it. The downside to this is that you'll probably have to include a link in your template back to the designer but it saves you a lot of money.

The other way to create a free blog header is through the use of collage. You might want to just crop different photos and then resize them. Then you can lay them out in your blog header for a tile effect. This way you'll have a totally different look from every other blog out there. You'll want to make sure that the title of you blog is still visible and readable on top of a custom header.

A free blog header allows you to personalize a template easily. You can create a custom look without a big budget and it's an opportunity to tap into your creative skills.

To learn much more about hosting a blog visit Hosting a Blog. You'll find this and much more, including Fantastico Hosting to use.

Are you selling your articles? Here are my tips

Lets first see where your at:
Are you selling articles to blogs or other sites that will post them for you?
example:
Squidoo
Associated content
Ezine

These are only some of the places you are able to sell your articles or use them for affiliate marketing.

If your not using your articles in the three places I just mentioned, your not taking full advantage of your articles. I personally like to do 2 things before I place my articles up for sale at Associated content. If they get refused from there then I post them on Ezine immediately. I wait a day or 2 and put up a Squidoo lens. This way I am taking full advantage of my articles.

Remember those articles are very important and you must use them to your advantage as well.

I'm going to share some more of my article progress with you throughout this blog so stay tuned there is so much more to come.

A Squidoo Policy Update: Watch out or lose your lenses!!

This comes from a friend of mine from a forum I regularly go to:
Thank you xray :)


I'm posting this for those of you who use Squidoo for affiliate marketing or backlinking purposes.

As you guys know (or should know) Squiddy recently adopted a new policy change on 7/17/09 where among other changes, certain topics are now considered spam & longer permitted - weight loss, x rated topics, forex, win back your ex, music downloads, any 'miracle' cure topics, etc.

Here's the link to the policy update lens:

http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo-policy-update

FYI, the update does NOT give a list of every topic they consider spammy, but from personal exp. over the last few days, I can tell you the new spam filter is VERY sensitive. Topics that no reasonable white hat would ever consider as spam
So if any of you have 4 or 5 star lenses on 'affiliate marketing' or on any 'affiliate marketing program(s)', I would quickly move them to another platform before the Squid locks them. A Squidoo staffer replied to a post re: the spam filter -- said they will be locking spam topic lenses soon [I moved two 5 star affiliate marketing program lenses to Blogger over the weekend & am adding the individual lens modules as scheduled blog posts every 3 days].

The other thing you want to watch out for is the Clickbank products your linking to from your lenses. They're not banning CB links, but I imagine that if you're linking to products in niches they consider spammy, you'll trigger the spam filter.

Blog Promotion on Twitter

One of the advertising beauties of the internet for your online business is that some good digital detective work can dig up the online hotspots where your potential niche market customers hang out and socialize and buzz. Finding these prospects is important, but it's just the first blog promotion step. How do you connect with these like-minded people? And then, how do you move them into your blog sales funnel?

A good place to start is to begin your research with 2 questions:

• Who are your potential targets?
• Who would they follow and network with on Twitter? If they have a blog, what links are on their blogroll? And what experts do YOU follow on Twitter?

Google "Twitter directory". Read the descriptions, and choose one of the top-listed directories. Search for the names you come up with answering question #2. I chose Twellow.com, which also allows you to search by category, so have your keyword list handy. Searching your global niche market can be profitable.

Go to the branded expert's Twitter page and click on "Followers". You see a list. Choose to follow a couple dozen of those who are following the guru. Then see what happens ... how many choose to follow you? Probably a lot.

Every day, spend a few minutes building your Twitter following. At the same time, continue to publish really good, useful information on your blog. Entertain, educate, and enlighten your niche market. And each time you publish a new blog post, tweet it.

Focus on this productivity process every day, every week, and you will create stronger relationships in your personal blog community network. You'll build your list of ezine subscribers, and you'll move more and more prospects into your blog sales funnel.

Only results count. Richard Dennis submitted 20 short articles in 10 days. Result? Google lists all 20 articles in its top 4 search results. In fact, 16 articles are #1 ... against many millions of competing pages. See the proof at http://ArticlesByRichard.com, and get your free step-by-step plan for how you can do the same.

The 5 Steps to Overcoming Vlogging Shyness

Aaaaggggh! I know what you're probably thinking. I'm not good in front of the camera so why should I make any videos? I'll just look ridiculous and people won't take me seriously. I'll fumble with words and look like a total jerk in front of everyone watching me and this will definitely won't help me become the internet marketer I want to become. So lets just stick with writing posts and making vids with camtesia at least my voice sounds good enough to be heard.

Well, you know what? You're absolutely right, I thought those same thoughts and still do sometimes when I'm about to plan my next vlog. Some people feel completely at ease when facing the camera and come across as real pros when you watch how calm they are and how flawless they deliver their monologue on video. Bastards! how do they manage to do it with such confidence and ease? You think. I want to be able to do it just like that.

My guess is that although they do come across as pros on their vlogs, you have to remember that they have months if not years of experience working on line producing this kind of content while you being a first timer you grapple with the thought of wanting to show your mug to the world because you haven't got the experience that these pros have to begin with.

But you have to remember one thing, they all started like you did. In fact I'm almost certain that they all had issues just like you have when it came to looking straight into the camera lens and delivering their speech. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them still feel a little awkward when they have to do it today. I sure as hell do but that's just part of nature.

But one thing I can guarantee you that with practice comes experience.

Yes! Practice, practice, practice.

So, I'd like to talk about the 5 step exercise you should follow in order to overcome your vlogging awkwardness and shyness and quash your hesitancy into smithereens.

First step- You need to get hold of a video camera. In this day and age it shouldn't be a problem either buying one brand new or getting one second hand. If you can't afford to spend to much and you're a bit tight for money then another alternative is borrow one from your friends, like I have done ;-) Hey, that's what friends are for, right? If you can afford to spend a little money then I hear that the flip camera is the best buy at the moment in the market. If you can afford to spare around $140 then this is a steal for that price.

Second step - I suggest you practice talking in front of the mirror a few minutes a day. I know it sounds ridiculously silly but I'm not expecting you to deliver a Shakespearean monologue here, just talk into the mirror about what ever comes to mind. Get comfortable with yourself - remember, you're not here to win the Oscar for best actor, although it doesn't hurt trying - your aim is to be comfortable in your own skin, seeing yourself speak.

Third step - Set up your camera somewhere where you will not be disturbed by anyone else. Turn off your mobile and switch off the phone. Another thing I'd suggest is getting a tripod to set your camera on and you'd preferably want to do it where there is a decent amount of light either next to a window or just below some artificial light source so that the you get good enough camera exposure. Sound is also crucial, so try and film yourself, preferably in a confined area, a room where there is no reverberation of sound. If you can buy or borrow some lights and a mic from a friend even better plus if you really want to take things to the next level when it comes to vlogging then watch some free videos by Gideon Shalwick.

Fourth step - You've set up the camera with the angle that you like, the sound is good and the lighting is great and now all you want to do is press the record button and just speak to the camera. Yes, just talk about whatever it is you want to talk about. Don't prepare anything in advance, just ad lib and go with the flow. the whole point of this exercise is to just let go. You'll feel very uneasy at first which is good, that means it's working but don't give in, continue speaking to the camera and relax into it. Feel at ease and begin to feel how it is to talk to the camera as if you're talking to a good friend of your. Well done! When you feel like you've made some progress then stop the camera.

Fifth step - if you haven't already done so you'll need to purchase a firewire cable which plugs from your camcorder straight into your PC or MAC. Then dump the footage that you've filmed of yourself onto your editing software which comes as standard with your PC or MAC. (either windows movie maker for a PC or Imovie for a MAC).

Now the fun part. Watch yourself from beginning to end and have a good laugh. Try not to judge yourself too much,
although I know you will. You'll probably cringe at some moments and laugh at others and that's good. You want to get all those embarrassing moments of yourself out into the open and out of your system. And appreciate and admire yourself for who you are on screen. That's who you are so live with it.

Remember you're not perfect, and neither is anyone else so don't be a harsh critic.

The other thing I want to say is that we all tend to look at ourselves differently the way others perceive us to be.

How you see yourself is not how someone else is going to see you so if you think that you look awful - stop right there! Someone else just might think you were great, instead.

When I did my first video I continuously went over in my mind how I wanted to perform it in front of the camera and to make sure I get all the words in the right order I even typed them out, printed them on an A4 sheet of paper and stuck them just beneath the camera so that I could read them out loud without having to think of what to say next. And after posting it on my blog and Youtube I'd look at it and think, damn I could have done this better, or I could have said that instead. But that is not the point!

You don't want it to be perfect because then you'll be agonizing over every details and re doing it over and over until you either run out of tape, battery power or feel completely deflated.

The whole point of the 5 step exercise is to just do your best and not expect it to be perfect. Leave perfection to the Hollywood actors out there and just concentrate on giving value - not perfection.

Remember that your audience are not going to judge your acting or talent skills. You're not up there to impress Simon Cowell of the X factor (or American idol if you're in the US) this isn't a contest. This is you - the real you doing what you can do best in front of the camera. So JUST BE YOURSELF.

Do a few test runs if it will make you happy and more at ease in order to get comfortable with yourself in front of the camera but don't over do it.

You don't want to burn yourself out. It's similar to actors, when they're on the set, and they do take after take after take, with each and every take they lose momentum and energy and the delivery of their lines soon becomes stale. So don't do the same mistake. You want your delivery to be fresh, like hot cross buns straight out the oven. It's okay to learn some sentences before you do your performance but don't agonize over it.

Remember, you're allowed to make mistakes in front of the camera. And I advise you to make them too. The majority of the people viewing your video will forgive you, in fact they may even find it more amusing if you cock up then if you were to deliver it straight - verbatim like a pro. It shows your vulnerability, the human side to you and that is what you want to bring across to your audience - THE REAL YOU.

Nothing fake, nothing artificial, nothing fancy.

The real you baby!

So just let go of your insecurity, your fear, your hesitation and take the vlogging plunge. Believe me you won't regret it.

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Making Use of Videos to Increase Traffic to Website

Even though you may enjoy watching internet videos, you may not realize how they can help increase traffic to your website. That said, if you are familiar with viral marketing, you will soon understand why videos have the potential to draw thousands of visitors to your site in a very short period of time. As may be expected, if you want to launch a successful viral video campaign, there are some things you will need to keep in mind.

Today, many business owners believe that a video should be strictly dedicated to showing consumers how to use a particular product. On the other hand, you may want to compare this belief to what search engine statistics and website viewer habits indicate. Without a question, you will find that the comic videos are the ones most inclined to reach viral status. For example, cute videos featuring pet antics routinely score in the top ten, as do ones featuring children.

Regardless of whether or not a video is relevant to your business, you can still use it to increase traffic to your website. Without a question, viewers will want to know more about you. They may even decide to visit your site in order to find out if there are any other interesting videos for them to watch. Chances are, if they find something of value, they may be more inclined to pass your weblink along to their friends.

Depending on how you distribute your video, it may or may not provide backlinks to your website. If you have a very popular video, it will still increase traffic to your website without the need for massive search engine optimization campaigns. On the other hand, if you can find a way to ensure that your video placement also enables you to have a valid backlink, it will of even more advantage to you.

Today, many people are learning that video hubs provide a number of resources that can help increase traffic to almost any website. Interestingly enough, web based video marketing is one of the few places where you may not need to strictly focus on your products or services. You may even be surprised to find that providing a video for the sake of humor will work far better than creating a thinly veiled sales pitch.

Tarron Acuff is a professional internet marketing coach who helps People build full time home businesses on the internet quickly and affordability. Visit Increase Traffic To Website for traffic generation methods, resources and training.

Make the Most of Your Opt-In

One of the most important things for an internet marketer is their list. Bottom line. Without a list, or the capability to build a list, an internet marketer has little ground to stand on. On that same token, some of the most successful internet marketers in the world have spent their entire careers building their lists. Additionally, almost as important as building a list is communicating with members of your list and giving them incentives to stay on your list, open your emails, and buy your products.

Of course if it were as easy as just snapping your fingers there would be no need for articles like these, but we all know that building a list can be one of the hardest, most grueling aspects of internet marketing. It takes a strong will and determination, creativity, and a knowledge for how to generate traffic, communicate with prospective customers, and develop a good reputation in this industry. All these things may sound overwhelming, so let's look at some measurable tactics you can do in order to start building the list of your dreams.

First let's take a look at why lists are so important. Besides the obvious, lists are meant to be a base for your business. Think of a list as your customer base - or at least your pool to draw customers from. Many marketers dedicate the majority of their days not to product creation, or design, but to list building - and for good reason to. The size of your list can dictate how much money you are making on a day-to-day basis. For example, if you have several products and affiliate products that you are selling to your list, wouldn't it make more sense that you would make more money by selling to a bigger list? To sum up, the bigger you build your list, the bigger your potential income can be.

An important thing to remember is that building a list is not all about quantity. Sure you can have 10,000 people in your list, but what if only 100 of those people have actually consented to receiving your emails, or only 50 of those people read your blog everyday, or only 20 of those people have ever bought anything from you. List building gurus like John Reese have stressed the importance of building a good quality list. In fact, some of the biggest gurus in this industry will admit that their lists aren't that big - they are just really responsive.

So back to the point about how to get people fighting to get on your list. It all starts with the opt-in page, really, it does. The two most important things when it comes to your opt-in box are location and looks. Granted, if your product is drop-dead gorgeous than your opt in box can probably look plain and you can get away with it. But for the rest of us who are looking to build a business, the look and feel of your opt-in box can make all the difference.

To see what I mean, click on over to http://graphicaloptinboxes.com/

Marketing System Blog Profits

Most entrepreneurs design their blog promotion income formula with a BIG misunderstanding. They think blogging is a profit system allowing them to advertise and network for free and to sell their services and/or products from links in the articles they post on their blog.

That online business strategy is absolutely the road to frustration. It's simple. It's easy. It looks bright and shiny and extra attractive. Unfortunately, just because you can install and configure and operate a WordPress blog does not mean income will flow like water.

Here's exactly what happens. An online entrepreneur puts up a blog and starts talking about products, going into detail on benefits, reasons for jumping into the buying funnel. That is definitely a proven, tested sales formula.

Problem is, your visitors dream of being entertained or educated or enlightened. To the internet at large, a blog is an opportunity for a niche community of people with common interests who have come together to increase their skills or knowledge. When you put your energy into selling ebooks or software or tools or other products in blog articles, your credibility disappears. It's like you've slapped your audience in the face. They are insulted. You won't get profitable results, and you actually sabotage the value of your own blog.

And this applies to all the site promotion you develop, too. When you advertise in any way, emphasize the free benefits they'll get. Tell them how the powerful principles they'll learn will optimize their performance and guide them to online profits. Refer to the tactics you'll teach them to improve their own targeted traffic flow.

If you connect with your audience as a friend who wants to help, who can help them achieve their goals, then you have a chance to become popular and build a community of followers who you can email 1-3 times a week ... occasionally including an offer in your email that is profitable to you.

That is the tested, proven marketing system blog profit model.

Visit me at http://NetTrafficMachine.com, and you can download a free, step-by-step 1-hour audio training on the magic words you absolutely MUST include in your articles to get up to 50% or more of your article directory submissions listed on the first page of Google search results

High Ticket Marketing - Discover 4 Methods to Improve Your High Ticket Marketing

If you are putting 6-8 hours a day on your high ticket marketing campaign and still can't seem to generate decent sales and revenue, it's high time that you analyze your strategies and make necessary adjustments. You will need to make your campaign more targeted, more focused, and more aggressive to convince more people to do business with you. Here's how you can do that:

1. Communicate the real value of your high ticket products and services. Online buyers have only one question in mind when they are considering making a purchase and that question is: "what's in it for me?" As a marketer, you can't afford to keep these people guessing or you'll lose them to your competitors. So, make sure that you communicate the benefits of your products and services when promoting them online. You can create a list of the positive things that your offerings can give to your buyers and post it on your website, blog, and sales letters.

2. Publish your ezine. If you are looking for a cost-effective way on how you can convince your prospects that you are an expert on your chosen niche, I recommend that you publish your own ezine. This is the process of creating compelling newsletters that you can distribute to those people who are most likely to buy from you. For best results, you need to make sure that each of your newsletters is compelling, highly informative, useful, and relevant to the lives or pressing issues of your potential clients.

3. Create a sense of urgency. If you don't want to end your sales presentations with your prospects telling you "Well, I will think about it and get back to you", you need to create a sense of urgency to get them to swipe their credit cards ASAP. You can throw in amazing freebies or give them discounts if they buy within the next couple of minutes. As people generally love getting something more or something for free, this can surely boost your sales in no time.

4. Invade forums, social networking sites, and blogs. These are the websites where you can easily connect with a bunch of your potential clients so they will surely worth your time and effort. Use these sites to communicate with your potential clients to earn their trust and confidence. If you are successful in doing so, you can easily lure them to visit your website and later on, get them to make a purchase.

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Do you want to learn how to use articles like this to drive targeted traffic to your site? Click here: Article Writing Guide