Christmas Shopping Online?

So, I was doing a little Christmas shopping on Ebay, and I came across a really cute store. They had some awesome gifts at really great prices. I didn't want to pay the shipping that was required on each item, so I messaged the owner, Cathy. I basically told her what I wanted to pay and asked if that was alright. Cathy messaged me back and said that was fine. She gave me a quote, and we decided that I would purchase the gifts outright from her rather than through Ebay. I simply gave her my PayPal email id, and she billed me. I told her what I wanted, and she shipped them off.

Well, since she was so nice and accomodating, I told her that I would tell others about her store. She messaged me back and told me that she would really appreciate it. You see, her husband is battling cancer. Now that he's lost his income, they are having a really hard time paying their monthly bills. Well, didn't I feel terrible about asking for a discount! This just goes to show that you never know what situation someone might be in.

If you need to do some Christmas shopping, please go by and check out her store. I got some really cute gifts from her, and I didn't pay more than $12 for any of them. Aside from referring you guys to her because she needs the extra sales, she was totally sweet and responded to my email very quickly. Here is the link to her store. http://stores.ebay.com/Cherry-Creek-Gifts-and-Wholesale

Great New Networking Site

Hey guys. There is a brand new networking site that looks like it's going to be BIG. It's called Zubby. It's a social site where you can connect with all types of people. It's sort of like an improved and more professional Myspace without as many annoying ads. So, the coolest thing is that the first 1,000 people will share in the profits...

Right now, there are less than 200 people. Sign up, and look for me. My user name is your-writer. I'd love to add you to my friend's list. By the way, it's completely free to sign up, and you may have to check your bulk mail folder for the confirmation e-mail.

It's Coming Guys!!!

Thursday we will be enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with our loved ones, gathered 'round the table enjoying the ham or turkey and all the best trimmings. It will be calm, joyful and fun. However, the very next day we will be at the malls, department stores and retail outlets battling it out with other shoppers trying to get their hands on the best Holiday gifts. Well, I should say YOU guys will, because I plan to do all of my Holiday shopping online. I think a lot of people are doing this to avoid the crowds and get what they want easily.

I have been very busy with clients trying to get last minute holiday articles, press releases and web content in place for the virtual crowds. If you haven't gotten your holiday marketing done, it's the time! It's approaching very quickly, and with everything else there is to do in order to prepare for the holidays. As I said before, I am doing a discount for all Christmas related projects to help clients get in the Holiday spirit. I hope that all of you are getting your Christmas things finished, and are gearing up for a profitable one! Check out www.your-writer.com for more info on Christmas discounts.

A Guide To Giving Your Writer Resources

No matter how great a writer is, chances are you may not get what you want from him or her if you don't provide the necessary resources. By resources, I don't mean a bunch of links. A writer that is worth anything knows how to research things. What I mean is, what angle do you want the writer to take? What kind of mood do you want the article writtien in? What is the desired word count? These are all very important things that you should think about when you decide to hire a writer.

Providing your writer with examples of articles you think are great is a really good idea. This is like a manual for what you like, and it can go a long way in ensuring that you get a quality article that you will love. While links and other resources are easy to find, it's difficult to read someone's mind and find out what they like or want. So, provide your writer with a lot of resources, and maintain open communications. Have a great day, and remember to provide clients to give plenty of examples and resources.

Should Your Writer Charge for Revisions?

Point blank? No. You are paying for an article, press release, e-book or whatever. When you pay for something, you are paying for a product that you are satisfied with. Paying for revisions is like paying to exchange a suit that doesn't fit you. No matter what kind of writer you hire, revisions should be included.

Are there exceptions? Yes. When you are asking a writer for the 7th or 8th time to revise something, it should become clear that you are not into the writer's style. Either that or they provided you with false samples that made them seem like a great writer. So, if a writer asks you to pay for a revision, you can pretty much assume that they don't care about the level of service they provide you with. To learn more, visit www.your-writer.com

Samantha

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I just wanted to say hello to everyone out there and tell you to have a happy Halloween! Hope this one is fun and profitable!!!

Samantha
www.your-writer.com

How to Write a Quality Article

While I do this for my clients every single day, there are many of you who might want to produce your own web content. If you have a talent for writing and want to try it out, the following tips may help you.

Assuming that you know about the subject you're writing on, and don't need to do any research, the first thing you will do is outline your article. When I begin writing articles for my clients, I create a rough outline. For example, if I'm doing an article on 'Designer Handbags,' I will think about the construction of the article. This is how I normally do my article outlines:

• Introduction.
• What is it?
• Where did it come from/what are it's causes?
• How does it benefit/affect people?
• What to do about it/Why you should act on it.
• Small recap of what I've already written.
• Closing.

Usually I begin with a snappy introduction that will grab the reader's attention. Since I am a humorous sort of person, I like to add humor to my articles if it's appropriate. If the article is a very serious subject, I still want to grab the readers attention, so I might just shock them. Adding a beginning sentence that really captures the attention is a good idea. For example, "3 people will die in the next second from _____" This is a beginning sentence that grabs you and makes you stick with the rest of the article.

In different projects, I like to tie in current events to make the article more interesting. I don't do this for article marketing though, because I don't want the article to become dated. For an article that will be published once this is great though. For example, if you can tie an article about Designer Handbags in with a celebrity who loves a certain brand, or something like this it will really make it interesting and readable.

Another thing I really try to do is 'talk' to my readers. I think about explaining something to a friend, and I write in that tone for friendly articles. Unless the content needs to be formal, I like to make them friendly and easy to read. 'Talking' to your readers can really help you accomplish this. There is no need to show off your vocabulary because you want the article to be readable by everyone. If the article is medical related, I try to explain terms and situations in a simpler level, because not everyone is privy to medical terms.

With my recap, I shortly explain what I have already told them. This helps the reader retain the information better. I will do this sometimes by saying something like, "Since you already know...," or "Now that you know..." This is a clever way to sneak a recap in. With my closing, I try to end with humor or something else that will leave a lasting impression. Overall, I try to make the article easy to read, easy to understand, and something that the reader will remember.

If you plan on trying out your own hand at writing, I hope the tips and info in this post will help you do that. For more info, visit http://www.your-writer.com/.

Ghost Writer Prices

Okay, so I've been working my butt off and haven't had much time to post, but recent events have made me want to visit the pricing issues with ghost writers. I've never had a client tell me that my prices were too expensive. In fact, most people expect to pay a decent amount to their writer for the work that they do. However, I feel like there are two different kinds of business men and women. There are the ones who don't mind paying extra for quality work. Then, there are the ones who want a writer to produce content or article miracles for less than what it costs to buy a Coke.

With places like getafreelancer, that second kind of business men and women feel right at home. The problem is, that most of the work I've seen done on getafreelancer is not good copy. Don't get me wrong. There are a ton of excellent writers who bid on jobs there. But, they don't usually bid on the jobs that are willing to pay no more than $3.00 an article. That kind of price is insane. Freelancers make a living on what they are paid. If you want a 500 word article, and you are paying them three dollars for it, factoring in time spent on research, that freelancer is getting paid somewhere around $1.50 an hour at the most. No wonder they are sending you back crappy work.

Buying a piece of writing from a freelancer is like buying art, and the old saying really does apply. You get what you pay for. So, if you're going to look for quality work that is really going to increase your sales, expect to pay a reasonable amount, because you're not going to get it at three dollars an article. It's like the difference in purchasing quality, name brand appliance. If you get a great one that is going to last for years, you're going to pay a little more. If you buy the cheap stuff, it's probably not going to work right, and then it's definitely not going to last long.

Here's another bit of advice. If you find that perfect writer, don't be afraid to pay a little more to keep him or her wanting to write for you. It' s very hard to find a writer that you mesh well with, and who understands time after time what you need and how to get it done. Similarly, if you're a writer, give your best clients discounts from time to time. When they provide you with steady, good paying work, show your appreciation. Buying an article for the price of a Coke is not using good business sense. Writers, bidding on a job that offers to pay very little is not having respect for who you are as a writer. Let's respect each other and work together to improve your business and make some money.

What the heck is that???

So, I got a new client recently who wanted a few articles and a press release. I was pretty excited, because it was a pretty popular product with a large target market. Getting ready to go check out the client's website to get some information for the job, my first thought was, "What the heck is that???"

The client had hired a writer previously to work on his home page. Not good. The writer did a great job of including key words and plenty of relevant information, but that's about it. The presentation was sloppy. There were no feelings or pictures created with the writing. It looked as though the writer slapped something together in 15 minutes, threw in some key words and called it a day. I had a hard time sludging through what the home page was trying to convey.

Great!!! What was I to do? I didn't want to insult the client, but I knew one thing. When I submit the articles and press release for him, he might get a good bit of new traffic, but he probably wasn't going to get a lot of sales from that traffic. It's almost like getting exciting and full color fliers with great pictures that advertise a club party, but getting to the club and finding it's a rinky dink second rate bar in some part of town no one has ever heard of.

I had to let him know. He actually agreed with me and said that he was considering having it rewritten. I immediately typed up some new content and sent it over to him. He was extremely pleased with the way it turned out. It was much easier to read, it flowed well, and it included his keyword phrases. Now, I don't want to come across as someone who enjoys tooting their own horn, but I took the time to think about the presentation. The other writer got paid and that's all that concerned him or her. I want my clients to come back. And I certainly didn't want him to think he wasn't selling anything because my press release and articles weren't good.

Turns out the client did get lots of new traffic, and a good amount of sales from that traffic so far. It's so important to have a good presentation for your potential customers. Don't promise them a great club party and send them to a shack with a few bottles of tequila!

Who I Write For

Someone honestly asked me why someone would pay to have something written for them. They thought that my clients must be lazy, or not very knowledgable. That couldn't be farther from the truth. My clients hire me because they're extremely smart. Outsourcing your writing is a very smart thing to do, and many people realize this and are taking full advantage of it.

The people I write for are extremely busy, hardworking and brilliant people. By hiring me to take care of their business writing, speeches, press releases or article marketing needs, they wisely free up their time to handle other aspects of their business. They are able to focus more on growing their company or other ideas. They often quite simply don't have the time to sit down and put together an article, a press release or any other writing project.

Many of my clients are extremely capable writers themselves. That gives them the benefit of knowing good work when they see it. I am also able to look at past work that they have created and match their writing style. Companies all over the United States and other places are realizing the need for outsourcing. That's why customer service and call centers are being outsourced everywhere. For one, having a freelance writer to work for you when you need it eliminates the need for a costly staff writer. Some companies may not need an article or a press release weekly, and to have a staff writer on the payroll just for being 'on call' isn't very smart.

Also, when I work with my clients for a period of time, I am able to look at their companies with an outside view but still with a care for how their business succeeds. This gives me the advantage of offering valuable tips on what should be covered in writing pieces, and how they should approach certain topics. So, no, my clients are most definitely not dumb or lazy. They are at the forefront of internet and other businesses, and I truly enjoy being a small part of their success.

Article Marketing Goals

We've already discussed the importance of article marketing, and the correct method. It's important to think of your article marketing as a campaign. By submitting several articles to big article marketing websites, you gain credibility and reputation besides getting traffic to your website. When you submit to different categories, and you have many articles available for potential customers to read, you gain many benefits. The most important one is getting your name out there. You want to be recognized in your niche.
To do these things, you need to have article marketing goals. Set a plan to submit a certain amount of articles in the first week. Set your goals small to start, for example, 15 page views. That's 15 people who have read your information, and possibly have clicked on the link to view your website. That is 15 people who may consider you an expert in your niche. If you submit 3 articles, 15 page views can be achieved very easily. The next week, up your article submission count, and go for 45 page views. You can't control how many people want to look at your article, but you can control the quality of the article, and the placement.
For example, if you're a company who sells fine chocolates, you can submit your article to many different categories. Food, of course would be your first place to start. How about a few articles that have to do with the different kinds of chocolates, and how yummy they are? Then you can submit to the Health category and do a few articles on the benefits of chocolate to your health. You can submit to the Holiday category and do many articles on chocolates for Valentine's day, Christmas, etc. There are so many things you can do with a product, and many angles to use in order to submit a lot of articles and gain credibility.
This way, whether someone is looking for ideas for Christmas gifts, the different kinds of chocolates available, or to find out if chocolate is healthy or not, they will be able to read your article. It's important to have many articles in different categories, and to have article marketing goals. You want the benefits of 'word of mouth' advertising, and you want to build your credibility and reputation in your niche. Be the one that people go to in order to get information or products that have to do with (whatever.) This is acheived by a strong article marketing and press release campaign. Of course, there are other things you can do as well to build a reputation and credibility, but along with the article marketing, you will definitely be creating a name. Good luck, and for more info go to www.your-writer.com.

Holiday Marketing

Many businesses are gearing up for the Holidays. This is the biggest selling time of the year. The air is getting chillier, the fall leaves are blanketing the ground, and many people are beginning to do their Christmas and Holiday shopping. This is why businesses need to get an early start on thier Holiday marketing. There are many different things a business can do to promote themselves for the Holidays.

I strongly recommend implementing some sort of Holiday sale, discount or special. You also need to let the public know about this, and for many clients, I do press releases or articles. Your web content needs to be changed accordingly as well. Your goal is to get customers thinking about your product or service as a Holiday gift.

For my clients, I have decided to do 10% off of all Holiday related marketing pieces from October 1 to December 10. This will help them get a great head start on their Holiday promotion projects. Tis the Season to be jolly, and make a lot of dough!!! To find out more, check out my site at http://www.your-writer.com/

Join My Yahoo! Group

If you're a writer, editor, or business man or woman, I'd like to invite you to join my Yahoo group Key Words. I've just started it, and my goal is to have a community of writers and other people who want to stay up to date on the latest writing news and information. For writers, I want to work on helping you get fair pay and steady jobs. Unfortunately, for a lot of writers, there are only freelance bidding sites that grossly underpay. Visit today, and join the community.


Click to join key-words

What Will Article Marketing Do For Me?

I had a potential client ask exactly that. She had tried many different types of advertising and didn't really get anywhere, and wanted to try something new. Her concern was if article marketing would really work. Well, the truth is that one article isn't going to make you a millionaire. Probably not even close. Most of my clients use LOTS of articles to bring customers back to their sites, and to build their credibility.

You see, when people see that you have tons of information available on your product or service, they view you as an expert in your niche. This is important, because people want to purchase services or products from people who are very knowledgable. Article marketing is as important as optimizing your website, or advertising elsewhere. You build up your credibility. The more articles you have, the better your credibility, and the more potential customers you will bring back to your site.

Think about this. If your dog was lost, would you only hand out one or two fliers? No. You would staple them to every tree and electric pole you could find. You would probably tape them to store windows, and hand them to passersby. The reason you would do this is to have a better chance of finding your dog. Well, article marketing works the same way. You want to get your name out there, and get your company out there. Be recognised as an expert in your niche. This will increase your chances of new customers, and you will gain the benefit of 'word of mouth' advertising. Article marketing is an excellent way to build your reputation, credibility, and customer base.

There is a great interview with Christopher Knight, the founder of www.ezinearticles.com - It explains a great deal about article marketing. To learn more, visit my website at www.your-writer.com

Would a Press Release Work for my Company?

Yes. Plain and simple. You can create a press release for a company for a number of things. You can announce a new product, a new service, a new discount program, or a new development within the company. You can use pretty much any reason to write a press release. A ghost writer can help you figure out exactly what you want to say, and what angle to write the press release on.

For example, if your company sells shoes - you can do a seasonal press release. The new 'Fall' look. Even if your company hasn't come out with a Fall line, you can choose from your existing line which products to promote with a press release. With the shoes you are selling, which ones are best for the fall season, and so on. You could also do a press release for the holiday season to announce 10% off of shipping on orders over a certain amount.

There are many things that you can accomplish with press releases. A ghost writer will be able to produce a newsworthy piece that informs potential customers of the benefits of your company, what's new, and so on. If you want to try your hand at a press release, here are some tips you want to remember.

When writing a press release, it should sound like a newspaper article. It shouldn't contain the words, 'you,' or 'your.' As in, "You can get a great pair of shoes here at shoe land." It should read more like this. "Customers have a large selection at shoe land, so it's not difficult to find a style and fit for a unique personality." You also shouldn't be too descriptive or complimenting in the writing. For example, "DJ's House of Fish has the finest and most delicious fish there is." It should read more like this. "DJ's House of Fish only purchases fish from local farmers, and the products are never frozen. They are always fresh, and cooked to order."

A press release might be the thing your company needs to move to the next level. Remember the tips above if you plan on writing it yourself, and remember a good ghost writer if you just don't have the time. Find out more at my website. www.your-writer.com

What is Article Marketing?

It's surprising to know that a lot of people have no idea what article marketing is. Many of my clients are asking me to write articles for them to submit to article marketing sites. Why? Because it's a great way to get traffic to their business websites. Here's how it works. I will create an article, complete with keywords, on some aspect of their business or product. For example, I just did some articles for a client who is in the skin care industry. Some of the topics that I used for her articles were: Organic Skincare, Benefits of Unrefined Skincare Products, and Different Uses for (Product.)

Then, the client or myself will submit these articles (usually 500 to 1000 wds) to an article marketing site. Some of the best ones are http://www.ezinearticles.com/ and http://www.associatedcontent.com/. By writing the article for the client, I am freeing up their time so that they can work on other things. When a potential customer searches for a product or information that contains the keywords I used in the article, my client's article will pop up. The potential customer can either be searching major search engines, or on the article marketing site itself.

When the article comes up for the potential customer to read, a link to my client's website is provided as well, along with a company bio. The customer gets excited about the information, and clicks on the link. Plain and simple, this is a great way to get more traffic and potential customers to your site. Hiring a ghost writer to write your articles is great, because you can put your name on the articles you submit. Some ghost writers will even offer the service of handling submissions and things like that as well.

Article marketing is truly an under-utilized option for getting more traffic and customers. If you have doubts, visit one of the above mentioned article sites and check it out for yourself. Read one or two of the articles and see what you think. Or, visit my content producer pages on either site. The links are http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Samantha_Cummings and http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/89052/samantha_cummings.html. You can also visit my website to learn more about what you can do to bring traffic and customers to your site. http://www.your-writer.com/

Making Money on the Internet is Easier than you Think...

Do you have a business that you're trying to promote? Every day, thousands of business men and women just like you are using ghost writers to help them make money. A ghost writer is a professional writer who takes care of your articles for article marketing, press releases, sales letters, web content, and much more.

When you hire a ghost writer to take care of things like this for you, you purchase the full rights to the piece. That means that you can distribute the writing to whatever companies or sites you want, using your own name as the author. It's easy to find a ghost writer who writes in your own personal style as well.

Hiring a ghost writer enables you to outsource your writing work. This gives you time to spend on other important aspects of your business. A good ghost writer can help you make money on the internet. In fact, some clients notice a huge return on investment or ROI when they utilize the services of a ghost writer.

Hiring a ghost writer is actually more affordable than you might think. The truth is, you can visit bidding sites to hire a writer for very little money. The problem with places like this is that you really do get what you pay for. Some writers don't speak English well, and if you're an American business, well, you want someone with a good knowledge of the English language.

You can find some excellent writers through bidding sites, but they're hard to find. Most business men and women want one writer who can handle all of their writing needs. Good consistency is important. To learn more about how a ghost writer can help you, visit my site at www.your-writer.com