better stronger blogger

Increasing Your Productivity on a Home Business Blog

by TJ Philpott

A home business blog can be a very lucrative way to earn a living but it is by no means a free ride to wealth. The blogging business involves so many different responsibilities in order to be successful. Responding to blog comments, researching content, composing blog entries and tweaking your layout are just a handful of tasks a blogger performs. With all the responsibilities to look after it is essential to learn how to boost your work productivity in order to make your efforts worthwhile.

Your ultimate goal if you are blogging to make money is to satisfy the blog reader. It therefore makes sense to focus more on those activities that accomplish this goal.

Let's take a look at 5 principles you should keep in mind to help increase your work productivity so that it will make your efforts all the more effective.

The 80/20 Rule

We have all heard of the 80/20 rule where we can expect to get 80 percent of our value from 20 percent of our efforts. As time goes on learn to identify what activities you are performing that are getting you the results you are looking for. After a while you will be able to shift your emphasis from the less productive to the more productive activities. The net result will be a more rested and productive you.

Don't Over Think

Parkinson's Law states that any task will seem more complex and require more time to complete in accordance to the time you've set aside for it. In so many words 'getting ready to get ready' will only make an otherwise simple task more difficult to start and therefore longer to finish. Just do it and before you know it you will be finished and moving on to the next task.

Group Your Task

When you have a number of mundane tasks that may be boring or time consuming just group them together and complete them one after another. Using this 'assembly line' approach will spare you the 'start up time' and will also help you focus better on the individual tasks as you are performing them.

Take Aggressive Action

Don't wait for situations to occur to react to but rather think ahead and take the necessary actions to move your blogging business forward. By reacting to everything is the equivalent of swimming in quicksand, nothing gets done you are just struggling to maintain the status quo.

Concern yourself more with what else you can do to get more visitors, find better content, or maybe improve your design or layout.

Learn From Setbacks

I have a prediction here and that is that you will make mistakes, gasp! Ok now that we have got that out of the way learn from your mistakes. You make a mistake so what! Learn from these errors and don't beat yourself up about it or you will miss the lesson you could/should be learning.

These internal whippings serve no purpose and in fact will succeed in demoralizing you resulting in lost productivity. Move on and feel good knowing you won't make the same mistake again.

A home business blog can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. The experience however can be even more satisfying and productive if you learn to put your time to better use. The blogging business itself entails multiple responsibilities ranging from handling blog comments to composing and editing blog entries. Learning to coordinate these responsibilities in a more streamlined fashion is critical especially if you are blogging to make money. By more closely adhering to the 5 principles that we spoke of above both the blog reader and your own income will most likely benefit.

About the Author:

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina. Learn more about Running a Successful Home Business Blog and also get a free guide that teaches valuable niche research techniques by visiting: http://blogbrawn.com/

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Increasing Your Productivity on a Home Business Blog

Making Your Blog Work For You

by Peter Wong Tet Phin

Blogging is a process of writing your thoughts, opinions and ideas on just about anything and having them hosted onto the World Wide Web.

When you have started on your blog, you will need to update your content posting on a regular basis to generate traffic to your blog. Promote your blogs to others build your traffic flow. There are many affiliate selling programs where you can join and plug in your blog to increase traffic.

There are several ways to make your blog work effectively for you.

Connect your blog to related sites and post your comments fairly and justly. Then, add a link from this sites to your blog, and pretty soon, you will start getting lots of traffic coming your way.

The key to generating lots of traffic to your blog is its ranking by the search engines. When you update your blog on a regular basis, you need to remind yourself that search engines are always on the look out for blogs with good keyword-based contents for better search engine ranking.

Studies have indicated that in order to make your blog work for you, there are two points for you to consider. Your choice of blog topic will be your first marketing point. Readers are attracted most to the topic of your blog than the rest of your blog contents.

Secondly, readers have always look for quality contents that they may want to post it in their own websites, where credit and links will be directed to your blog. First impressions really matter, and poor quality contents simply drive away traffic from your blog.

About the Author:

Peter Wong Tet Phin, BUMblogger, Infopreneur, Restaurateur, is a full time affiliate marketer helping others succeed online.

If You Are Serious About Creating A Consistent, Sustainable Income Online, Then The 4-Day Money Making Blueprint Program Is Just What You Need Right Now. http://bummarketing-method.com

Learn And Earn Marketing: Watch, Copy And Earn. 3 Simple Steps To Secure Your Income Online Today! http://www.secureincomesystemonline.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Making Your Blog Work For You

Don’t Be A Bump On A Blog! How To Effectively Use A Blog To Increase Website Traffic

by Anton Cheranev

Almost anyone can create a website these days, but only a select few will be able to maintain enough traffic for their site to be considered successful. Maintaining and increasing traffic to your website may not be a priority if you only have your website for personal purposes. If you run your business through your website however, increasing traffic can mean a world of difference. Chances are if you are on a tight budget, advertising is not a great option for you. There are ways to advertise your website without paying any fees. One great way to get your website address out there is through a blog. There are several ways to use a blog to increase website traffic. Take a look below to get a few ideas that will help you get started.

Before you begin, you will need to decide whether you want to create your own blog, or utilize the blogs of others for your task. There are advantages to both methods. Creating your own blog can be a lot of fun, but it also takes a little time. There are several great websites that offer free blogs to those who choose to create their own. The free websites often have extremely simple steps to use that will help you get your blog rolling right away, allowing even those with limited computer skills to create a blog in less than an hour. You may want to read on to see which methods of blog use you want to try before determining whether you want your own blog or not.

One of the best ways to increase traffic to your website using a blog is by using search terms. This can be done in several ways; however you probably will want to create your own blog for these. To utilize search terms, you need to post them on your blog or throughout articles on your blog. For example, if your website is about fishing and you want to target fishermen, then you can post articles containing fishing terms on your blog. You can even simply post lists of fishing terms on your blog as well. When fishermen get online and do searches for these terms, chances are they will be led to a link to your blog. At that point, you will need to also post many links to your fishing website. This will possibly draw the fishermen in and get them to click on the link to your website. When using the search engine approach, you will need to find software that allows you to see exactly which search engines are most popular. Then you can cater your search engine lists and articles to fit the most popular words. Blogs are perfect for search engine terms and articles because you can literally post anything you want on a blog without it being inappropriate. Even professional websites use this approach and it has been found to be one of the most effective out there. Not to mention, it is free for you to utilize.

Another way to use a blog to increase traffic to your website is simply by posting. This can be done on other blogs that you read as well. In the comments area, you can post a response to blogs you read that includes your website link. This should only be done when you are writing a legitimate comment however. Otherwise, if you simply use the comment line for your personal ad space, you will deter many people from clicking on your link due to it being considered rude. Just read as many blogs a day as you can, make legitimate comments, and include your website link in your signature. This is a fast way to get an increase in traffic.

No matter if you want to use your own blog or someone else’s blog to help you increase traffic to your website, blogs are effective in doing so. You can use blogs at no cost and create pathways for new traffic that you otherwise would never be able to reach and attract. As you probably know, the success of your website depends largely on the amount of traffic it receives. Therefore, focusing on the amount of traffic you should attract is an important aspect of running your website. Use these tips to help you easily use blogs to increase your website traffic.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=35939&ca=Marketing

About Anton Cheranev

Achieve 100% Message Delivery Rate, Boost Your Customer Loyalty, Skyrocket Your Message Response Rates, Recover 'Lost' Revenues & Generate Mega Sales from Your Messages and Newsletter! Here’s How: http://www.thedirect2client.com

Blog Writing - Top Five Tips For A Blog Readers Love

by Angela Booth

Whether you're a writer or not, you can write a blog readers love. Bloggers don't have to be "writers", they need to be communicators, and you can communicate in many ways, including via audio (podcasting) and via video.

If you've been hesitating to create a blog, here's how to create a blog that your readers will love so that you get great traffic.

1. Write as you speak on your blog - in a casual style

It's important to write as you speak - in a conversational style. When you write as you speak, you're writing is easy to understand and enjoyable to read.

If you're used to creating business documents, it may be difficult for you to develop a conversational style at first, however your ability to write as you speak will increase with practice.

Of course you can always take a shortcut, and that's by actually speaking your blog posts, using voice recognition software, or a digital recorder.

2. Use paragraphs, with a maximum of three sentences per paragraph

When blogging, you're writing to be read on the Web. It's very difficult to read on a computer screen so you need to write differently from how you would write for a print publication

Create short paragraphs, with no more than three sentences per paragraph. You can also use a bullet points, and include headings and subheadings.

Readers scan online rather than reading, so your readers will appreciate your attention to their needs.

3. Keep most of your blog posts short, but also create longer "feature" posts

Most blog posts are short. However you can also create longer feature posts which can be up to a couple of thousand words in length. These feature posts are usually reference material, or other material which give readers a background in the topic of your blog.

Take your time writing these longer posts. When they're complete you can link to them from the home page of your blog, so that your readers will find them.

You can also turn these longer feature posts into reports, which you can give to readers in exchange for their email addresses. An email "list" is very useful - if you are writing a money making blog, you can market to these readers.

4. Have a plan for your blog, and stick to the plan

It's important that you have a plan for your blog, and that you stick to this plan. Your plan should include the topics you will cover on the blog, how you'll market your blog, and a schedule for blog posts.

If you have several authors for your blog, ensure that they post to the blog on a schedule too. This is easier when they create draft posts to be published later.

Most blogs take at least six months to gain a steady group of readers. You can get readers faster by marketing your blog consistently. Once you have ten blog posts start to market your blog to both advertisers and to readers.

5. Create a "New to this blog? Start here" page, with links to introductory posts

Because blogs have a chronological order newer posts will push the older posts down and finally off the front page.

Therefore readers who are new to the blog are disoriented. Ensure that you create a "new to this blog?" Page on your blog and provide links to those posts which will help your readers to get to know you.

Blogging is both easy and fun. Follow the five tips above to create a blog which readers will love.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=251959&ca=Internet

About Angela Booth

Blogging PLUS coaching ensures that you'll make money. Pro blogger and copywriter Angela Booth has been making money blogging since 2002. She'll teach you how to blog the right way, so your blog is profitable from the start, with her bestseller. Angela's blogging ebook pacakage has a companion blog filled with blogging tips.

Link Building - 5 Insider Tactics For Getting Links to Your Website in a Jiffy

by Jeyanth Watson

If you have an interest in increasing your website traffic and search engine optimization, then you would know that building backlinks to your website is one of the most important keys for success. This is the reason why many of the experts recommends professional Link building Services and the services to buy high PR links for this.

Here are 5 insider tactics for getting links to your website in a jiffy:

1. Blog Commenting

Find high trafficked blogs and make comments on the posts. Link back to your website in the posts. But be sure not to just Spam the blogs with mindless comments contribute something useful as most blogs moderate comments before they go 'live'.

2. Forum Posting

This is another tactic for leveraging on high trafficked sites. Many forums on the Internet receive thousands of visitors per day. Do you think you can tap into some of this traffic? You bet you can! Create a nice signature file with a link back to your site and you can get some juicy, fresh backlinks as well as getting tons of targeted visitors.

3. Article Submission

This is another deadly link building strategy! Submitting articles on article directories allows you to leverage on their high Page Rank. For best results, submit multiple articles promoting your website, and don't forget to make your links anchor text links.

4. Wikipedia

You can get some hot links to your site just by editing Wikipedia pages that are relevant to your business or product. Not to mention, Wikipedia is also a great source of 100% free traffic!

5. Cross-Linking

Do you have a network of blogs or websites? Cross-link your websites to each other to get some instant links for virtually no work at all! Its better to use professional Link building Services for this.

About the Author

The author has been actively involved in the internet marketing and the Link Building Services and has compiled the article from the past experience.

The Secrets To Become A Successful Blogger

by Chris Clarke

Your Blog Is A Gateway To Tons Of Search Engine Traffic You Couldn't Get otherwise.

The real power of blogs is the ability to tap into the blog suppliers search engine. For example, I have blogs that were developed to lead readers to my web sites. These blogs get 28, 76 & 180 hits per day. This is genuine traffic that comes from blogger.com & wordpress.com.

To create a blog that will generate traffic you need to initially put yourself into the shoes of the searcher. You need to be SEO conscious of course, and use keywords that are relevant to the searcher you are looking to attract. You need to think of what keyword phrases you would use to find information you are presenting in your blog.

You also want to create headlines that would make you stop scrolling to read. Most people glance for a whole second at your blogs caption. If you can't hook someone that quickly, you won't be generating much traffic.

Your blog posts will display higher in the rankings providing you are updating your blog regularly. If you can add 1-10 blog posts per day, you should see constant traffic being sent for free.

The blog posts you create should not have any links put into the first paragraph unless it is completely appropriate to do so. The reason is, the search engine uses the first part of your post (usually the first paragraph) in the search engine results page. If you have links in your post people will immediately believe it to be spam and will move on.

Obviously strong spelling, grammar & punctuation skills are standard. Any more than one mistake in your blog post and your readers will have formed a very negative opinion of your writing. You can correct 99% of errors by simply running a spell check on your work.

You can link your blog posts to keep your reader reading. For example, if you have written a post about Baby food, you may want to offer the reader your past blog post on diapers. Linking relevant articles will keep the reader within your "web."

Always start your blog with your end goal in mind. If, for example, you want to sell a product, then you should clearly define that as your goal when starting your blog. Knowing the goal of the blog will allow you to keep your posts consistent, and you will flat out make more sales.

Most importantly, stick with it. I can't tell you how many blogs I've seen just stop updating right before it was going to take off. If you don't give your blog time to develop you will not have very much success blogging.

About the Author

People are always asking me how to increase their business potential.

The answer to any successful online or offline business is Knowledge. The "how to" is all that makes the difference between coming second or first.

Visit http://infinitenewcustomers.com or http://infinitenewcustomers.com/blog

4 Marketing Techniques For More Traffic

by DJ Bishop

"How do I drive more traffic to my website?" The answer to this question is easy. Expose your website to as many internet surfers as possible, and traffic will flow.

Getting expsosure to your website is not easy, especially when you do not know the best strategies to use. Effort and the most effective strategies and techniques need to be put in place in order to make it a success.

Here are some techniques.

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Successful search engine optimization will greatly increase the number of visitors to your website. People who are looking for products and services use search engines. If your website is ranked high in the related keyword search by search engines, expect loads of free internet traffic to your website.

One of the ways to optimize your website is to make it search engine friendly. Generate back links from other websites to your website. When websites provide a link to your site, the search engines consider your site valuable, and this affects your position in the listings.

2. Article Writing and Publishing

Articles are a popular tool for online marketing. It helps to generate back links from other websites to yours. It also helps to get exposure for your website through your articles' hyperlinks.

You can write your articles on the topic related to your website, product or services to others. Website owners or newsletters publishers will submit them to article directories, forums or blogs. When the publishers use your article in their ezines or websites, they retain your bio information which contains links to your website at the bottom of your articles.

The publishers will link from their websites to yours. These back links are counted in search engines. When their visitors read your articles, and if they want to know more about your products or services, they can click the hyperlinks at the bottom of your articles to reach your website.

3. Pay Per Click Advertising

Pay Per Click is advertising provided by the search engine providers (Google, Yahoo!, MSN. etc.) where you pay for top placement. Most search engines give top positions to the highest bidder. It is a quick way to have your ad on the first page of the keyword search as listed in the search engines. You do, however, have to pay every time someone clicks to go your web site. Clicks add up fast so make a budget, stick to it, and make sure you monitor your account.

4. Affiliate Marketing

An affiliate program is another way to drive traffic to your web site. Affiliates are commissions-based sales people who make money when they sell your products. Affiliates drive traffic to your web site in exchange for commissions on sales.

If your products are digital items, and you don't want to manage your affiliates yourself, you could subscribe to an affiliate network such as ClickBank. ClickBank marketplace is able to expose your products to thousands of affiliates who are looking for products to sell online.

Websites need a stream of traffic. Create a marketing plan, and incorporate these 4 marketing techniques and strategies. They are proven to flood your website with traffic.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=380165&ca=Marketing

Was the article helpful? Get your Free step-by-step tutorials here.http://www.MaverickMoneyMakerishot.com Maverick Money Makers is a private society that will teach you how to build a steady high paying monthly internet business. If you want to make money online, join the society now.

How to Create a Profitable Blog - Five Easy Tips For Making Money From Your Blog

by Ian Hollander

Who else wants to learn how to create a profitable blog? If you are anything like the vast majority of people who read our articles, one of the biggest skills you want to master is the art (and science) of learning how to turn your blog into a profit center in your business, right?

It's true....and if you've been listening to our advice for any length of time, you already know that we've been recommending every business owner start a blog for years....and at no time has that become even more true than right now. Why? Well, just about everyone is "twittering" playing on Facebook and doing the whole social networking dance, and speaking this to these folks in the informal, evolving language of the web has never been more important if you want to make money online, or with your existing business.

With that said, here are 5 simple tips for turning YOUR blog into an evergreen profit center that will grow with you, and your business going forward.

• Always host your own blog. Say no to "free" hosted services as you lose control of your content....and once you become successful, you WILL regret not having your own host, I promise! [Editor's note: TypePad allows you to use your domain name and you retain all the ownership of your content.]

• Not Hemmingway or Tolstoy? Don't worry about it, it's NOT a reason not to start writing. Most people don't read Hemingway or Tolstoy anyway, and are only looking for simple, straightforward information in the industry that you work in. Trust me, simple is very effective and more than sufficient to generate tons of business.

• Write a lot of lists. This sort of dovetails with the above. Keep things simple, and offer lots of short bulleted lists that people can scan, and consume quickly. Believe it or not, fortune favors people who can write succinctly, more so than writing really well, but elaborately. 4 Ways to do this, 7 ways to do that, and the like are very effective for a blog.

• Link to your competition, and be a great resource of impartial information. Sounds a little bit backward, right? I mean....who would put up a yellow pages ad and include a mention to your chief competitor? But believe it or not, for a whole slew of reasons outside the scope of this article, the MORE links and mentions you make of sites, services and information outside of your site, the better off you are likely to show up in the search engines very highly for your market. ( plus it's a PROVEN fact that people tend to come back more and revisit "resource" oriented sites, than they do blatant sale sly sites)

• Controversy Crushes: Yes, if you want a ton of eyeballs in front of your site, service or offer, creating some controversy is the very best way to get some quick. Call out an injustice, pick on a competitor or simply say something sure to stir the pot a bit...and you'll be rewarded with buckets of backsides who'll come over to "hear" what you've got to say!

Are there more? Absolutely, but creating a profitable blog is dead simple, and whether you are an Internet marketer wannabe...or an established professional in your field without a web presence, I don't know a quicker way to get the word out than this!

About the Author Click Here for the very best FREE blog marketing tips anywhere online! Karmic Consulting. Empowering People Through Information, Service and Opportunity.

Business Networking And Blog Courtesy-working On A Professional Link Campaign For Blog SEO

by Chuck Crawford

Business is all about networking, right? Plus, you likely know that you need to get some links to your website to build traffic. Since you’re a pro blogger, of course the first place you look for those much needed links is the blogosphere.

However, some manners are in order when it comes to posting comments and linking to your blog from other blogs.

It comes down to common courtesy. We’ve all heard the ‘golden rule’, right? Do unto others and all that jazz? The goal is for us to get a much needed backlink to our website, that’s true. But that’s not all we want. Spammy backlinks can be obtained pretty easily. There’s even software out there that will blast your links to a million different blog posts comment areas. But it’s not really what we want or need.

I’ll tell you one reason why.

Before even thinking about the other guy’s blog, and common courtesy, let’s consider your overall professional appearance. Think of your backlink campaign as one big press release for a minute. If you were blasting a press release to the major news networks today, you would want to present a super professional appearance right? You would want the world to see you as the undisputed expert in your field, professional, classy, the very best. Right?

Then why would you use a different approach and spam your link across the blogosphere? Making you and your website (translate: your company) look cheesy and unprofessional? If you knew that was the way the world perceived you and your business, you probably would have thought twice about it before you used a link blaster and posted your link to a million spam blogs. The problem is that many businesses and many bloggers don’t think the internet is part of ‘the real world’. They don’t stop and think about the fact that their actions on the web can have the same negative impact that they would have in the real world when it comes to cheesy and sleezy promotion tactics.

Nope, the internet is different in their eyes. They only know they need a bunch of links. It’s not important to them to build an overall web persona. PR is not a concern. But it should be. Because the web is no different than any other advertising medium. People are people, and if they read crappy comments that make you and your company look bad, they are not going to do business with you.

Now, let’s also consider the other blogs out there and some basic manners. In the real world, that is the one that doesn’t have a keyboard attached to it, you need to have some etiquette when it comes to business networking, right?

For example, if you are a member of the local rotary club, you don’t walk into the meeting each week shouting, “Make $5,000 every day using my secret methods”!

Do you?

No. You network. You shake everyone’s hand and say hello. You get into conversations and have intelligent discussions. You add something to the group as a whole. When asked, you give your expert advice and opinions and you build new relationships that turn into new client relationships.

So why would you do it any differently online?

When working on links from other blogs and other business communities, have the same manners you would if you were in that rotary club meeting. Be a contributing part of the conversation. Get involved and work on your professional appearance at the same time. Post relevant comments to the current discussion. Don’t interrupt like a thirty second commercial break, changing the topic so that you can promote your new product or service. Stay on topic and contribute something useful.

It’s o.k. if you don’t agree with someone. Good debate can be good for business. Some people will agree with you and visit your site based on your professional opinions. But only if your argument is written professionally and with some class. Stay out of name calling sessions and stay away from labels. Don’t call anyone an idiot or a moron. In the end, you end up looking like one.

Your comments are mini press releases. They are little road signs showing how professional you are. Or how unprofessional you are. Your public appearance is up to you. So have some courtesy when posting your comments. It will make the difference when it comes to how successful your linking campaigns are.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=275803&ca=Business

Chuck Crawford is an established expert in web design, traffic development and website financial analysis. He has been helping people design and develop their internet business since 1995. visit Expert Business Blog Management , San Antonio Professional Website Design, Affiliate Marketing Website Experts or call (559) 761-0910

American Indie, Getting the word out - Featured Site and Idea in one!

American Indie

So, you're working diligently behind the scenes to get your weblog ready to launch. It's not quite there yet, but you want/need to generate some buzz? Follow in the footsteps of my good friend, Melanie, and her new site, American Indie.

If you're just getting starting with blogging, creating a teaser site like this means you can generate some buzz, start promoting your site, and maybe even hand out your brand new business cards. It also gives you a little time between getting your style and design set up, fleshing out the direction of your weblog and getting down to the nitty gritty of writing (or editing) all that content.

So, what is a teaser site? A teaser site is simply a small page or two that introduces people to your coming site or weblog. You could go ahead and post a short, sample article, or just let people know what's going to be posted. Prominently display the features that are going to draw the most attention, like interviews or opening discounts. Anything that makes you stand out! Make sure you make it easy for people to contact you, as well as a way to subscribe to the feed or a newsletter that lets them know when the site fully lauches.

If you want to recruit Guest Authors or set up Interviews, a preview of your site can also inspire involvement. Sometimes, just getting a feel for what's coming can get people excited to be a part of it. It's also a great way to get feedback on design elements or content suggestions, since those people interested in your pre-launch are likely going to be a important starting base of readers and subscribers.

While a teaser site may not work for everyone, it definitely has the potential to jump start your blog!

Seen any other great teaser sites? Have questions, comments, or disagreements? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear what you think!

5 Reasons Why Headlines Are Crucial To Your Website's Success

By: Robert Boduch

With such visual and sequential prominence, it's little wonder why headlines are the number one key to an effective web site.

Without a powerful lead, your message stands little chance of being noticed in an increasingly competitive marketplace. If your headline doesn't capture attention and pull prospects into your sales copy, than your marketing effort is a total waste of energy and resources.

Nothing is more important to getting your message noticed than the first few words on a page. If you're not allocating a sizable percentage of your time and creative effort to the headline used on each page of your website, you could be losing out on a large chunk of business.

Top copywriters understand this concept well. They know how essential it is to capture attention by literally stopping pre-occupied prospects in their tracks. It's the reason why headlines command so much of their collective creative effort.

Here are five good reasons why your site headlines deserve greater emphasis and attention:

Why Headlines Are Crucial #1: Headlines Are Natural Attention Getters.
The majority of online prospects are quick scanners. No one reads the body copy of a page without first reading and being pulled in by the headline. Headlines are the first thing your visitors see. They jump out visually and command attention. Headlines are leads set distinctly above the rest of the text. Often the typeface, size, and style used for headlines contrasts with that uses in the body copy. It's a proven approach that naturally attracts eyeballs, virtually forcing interested prospects to grasp the message of the headline and to read on.

According to advertising legend David Ogilvy, 5 times more people read headlines than body copy. Although Ogilvy was talking about print advertising in general, the observation is certainly applicable to websites as well. With 5 times the readership, headlines have the power and capability to make any message many times more successful.

Why Headlines Are Crucial #2: Site Headlines Serve As Valuable Guides To The Busy Surfer.
Headlines reveal key details. They tip off readers as to what follows. They provide clear signals to help readers decide whether they should stick around for the full message, or dash off to something else - something better suited to their own special needs and interests. As a quick summary of the entire piece, the headline either attracts continued interest and readership, or they repel it. Without a headline, the reader is forced to wade through a portion of the text to understand the meaning. Forcing readers to do this is to risk losing them altogether. It's sales suicide. In effect, having no headline will cost you at least 80% of your potential audience.

Why Headlines Are Crucial #3: Headlines Prepare The Reader For What Is To Come.
Headlines stimulate interest. They captivate, arouse curiosity and stimulate the desire for more. It's the headline that starts the reader's motor running. A good headline sets up a feeling of expectation as the reader anticipates discovering more -- and can't wait to get it!

Successful headlines address specific audiences. They open prospects minds to new possibilities and expand their level of enthusiasm and interest. The best headlines involve prospects... virtually guaranteeing their sustained attention for the time being.


Why Headlines Are Crucial #4: Headlines Simplify The Learning Curve.
Every headline serves to introduce whatever follows. As an opening or lead-in, the role of the headline is to succinctly communicate the essence of the message it precedes in an interesting and compelling way. Effective headlines and sub-headings reveal key bits of information -- often with the added power of emotion. A review of the various headings alone can often provide one with the gist of a given message. This makes it faster and easier to understand, remember, and review. Use your headings to generate emotional involvement and you increase the chances prospects will go back and read more of your copy.

When you make it easier to read and comprehend your messages, you increase the chances of making the sale.

Why Headlines Are Crucial #5: Headlines Allow You To Deliver Your Biggest Bang Right Up Front.
Capture attention and interest at the outset, by using your most appealing selling point. If your strongest, most desirable product attribute (benefit) fails to pull prospects in, surely nothing else you could ever say would do the trick, either. They're your initial point of contact with visitors -- that's why headlines play such an important role.

The stronger and more compelling your headline, the more readers are likely to read on and spend more time at your website. Create every headline to grab attention and inspire interest. The more alluring and irresistible you can make it, the more genuine prospects you'll attract and ultimately, the more sales you'll record.

Headlines are powerful marketing tools when used effectively. Take a good look at your site headline. Could you add more intrigue, curiosity, or interest? Test different headlines by trying various appeals and offer combinations. Keep an eye out for additional headline opportunities throughout your sales letters, as well as on other pages on your site. Make your headlines impossible to miss and difficult to ignore... then, watch your results soar!

When you see the difference a strong opening statement makes, you'll see why headlines are the most important part of your sales copy.

More resources at www.makeyoursalessoar.com

Author Bio
Robert Boduch is an author of dozens of best-selling books, reports and articles on the art and science of selling. A free newsletter targeted at anyone interested in selling more of anything is available at www.makeyoursalessoar.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Social Networking Through Twitter

by Terry Benson

Twitter is a fast growing "micro-blogging" service and social network all wrapped into one. After some bumpy roads & strong growing pains the free service that allows hyper-connectedness & an interesting way to express "what you're doing" at any given time, seems to be on the fast track now to becoming the next mega success story online.

Twitter was founded by Evan Williams, who is no rookie to bringing creative ideas to multi-million dollar reality. Evan was a blogging pioneer and has created & grown web properties that have attracted the attention of the big dogs, including Google.

One of Evan's past web projects grew to be so huge, in fact, that Google bought him out for a multi million dollar price tag.

Rather than reclining on a beach chair & sipping Coronas for the remainder of his life, Evan decided to try his hand again, when he thought up the concept of "micro-blogging."

In all our modern day internet hustle & bustle there's come a need for brevity... short, to the point, yet meaningful messages.

Evan's idea for Twitter was a service that not only allows people to post short "micro-blog" entries (by enforcing a self-created parameter that only allows users a maximum of 140 characters per post), but also helps people stay connected through the use of followers, text messages, and @replies.

The Twitter faithful are even coining their own new lingo to describe some of the everyday actions that take place on the site. "Tweets," for example, are the term used to describe each of your short, 140 character or less, posts to update your Twitter profile.

In this article the aim is to go over a simple overview of the everyday things you'll need to know in order to get started on Twitter & set yourself up for maximum exposure using this free service.

First off, you'll need to go create an account by visiting the site and following the easy to follow prompts for creating a new account.

Once you're all setup, be sure to visit the "Settings" tab and customize your profile and also enter a short bio, along with the URL to your website.

In order to double the chances of getting a click, I'd also recommend including a hyperlink within your bio, in addition to the hyperlink you'll enter in the box for your web URL.

The next thing you'll want to do is visit the "Devices" tab and get your account setup so that you can send tweets on the go from your mobile phone.

The steps for confirming your mobile device to work with Twitter are easy to follow and you'll be up and rolling in no time flat.

Once you've got your new account created and have configured your settings & mobile, it's time to start tweeting.

Remember, you'll be limited to 140 characters per message so choose your words wisely. If you'd like to include a hyperlink with your Tweet you should consider shortening it down using a free tool like Tiny URL, or Snip URL.

Be careful not to come off as too spammy by including links in every Tweet... get involved with the Twitter community and share some of your daily activities with your followers so you can get a real feel for what it's all about before sucking traffic out... its got to be a give-give relationship!

Now, to really get yourself on the fast track and start adding new followers fast, the best advice is to follow people who you find interesting, and single out those who already have a large followership. Tweet regularly and often using your mobile, the Twitter site, and even handy third party applications like "Twhirl."

Anytime you see a new Tweet from someone you are following send them an @reply by including the "@" sign + their Twitter username in a message responding to their original tweet.

By sending users an @reply you'll get their attention, strike up conversations, and best of all - put yourself in the public spotlight so that all of their followers will take notice of you.

Before you know it, you'll be addicted to Twitter and will have a massive followership as well!

Once you've built a followership it's easy to get visitors to your site by using services like TwitterFeed anytime you post a new blog entry, TweetLater to automatically direct message new followers, and other little known tips & tricks for putting it all on auto-pilot.

Twitter is a new revolution in communications and may be the first glimpse at Web 3.0. I recommend getting setup on Twitter today so you can ride this new wave into the future and enjoy it for all it's worth!

-- To learn how you can get more targeted free traffic from Twitter on auto-pilot, visit: http://twitterhints.com/?vip=5711

About the Author

Terry Benson is a contributing member to OnlineWealthCreation.com. Helping online entrepreneurs reach their goals through proven tools and techniques followed by the Online Wealth Creation network members.

To find out more visit http://www.OnlineWealthCreation.com.

Common sense tip: publish during the day!

Have you ever set aside time in the evening to publish an especially prolific blog post and then end up disappointed when you don't see the hits rolling in?

Here's a better way: save your post as a draft and then publish it in the mid-morning the next day. Sending your post out into a world full of sleeping readers won't get you much attention!

This is especially true if you update your blog's Twitter with links to new posts. Save those updates for when most people are online and looking at Twitter, in the mid-morning when they've already gone through their own email and are ready to catch up with their Twitter friends.

LinkWithin Widget

I just discovered a great new widget! It's called LinkWithin and it adds link below each of your posts to other related posts. I know lots of TypePad subscribers have been asking about this type of functionality, so I was very excited to try this widget and find it works so well!

Win the Popularity Contest: 6 Ways to "Socialize" Your Blog

by Suzanne Svette

Blogging is an important part of online marketing. It allows clients and prospective clients an opportunity to learn about you and your products or services. And, it allows them a chance to interact. Blogging in itself, however, is not the "end all." Here are six ways to "socialize" and expand the conversation.

1. Comments - Responding quickly to comments made on your blog keeps a participant active and interested. And commenting on others' blogs shows your interest and brings much needed links back into your blog.
2. Trackbacks - Mutual link exchanges that occur when one blog links to another. WordPress does this automatically between WordPress blogs. Others may require a request.
3. Outbound Links - Linking to another's blog posts not only provides the reader with additional, relevant information, it may also attract a link into your blog - or maybe an article in reference to your post.
4. Facebook - Mentioning a post on a Facebook account will attract readers for your blog post.
5. Twitter - The same goes for Twitter. A brief comment will attract interested readers who aren't shy about posting further comments. Interested parties can be asked to follow you on Twitter.
6. LinkedIn - Expands the conversation to a more professional level. Ask people with similar interests to network with you on LinkedIn.

A little time spent promoting your blog posts through any or all of these means increases its visibility and helps to establish you and your company's credibility. Let me know if you think of any other ways to "socialize" your blog.

ProBlogger offers 13 Ways to Promote Your Next Blog Post. See what they have to say.

About the Author Suzanne Svette is the Vice President and General Manager for IdeaStar Inc., a Web Development company. This article first appeared in Spinfield, IdeaStar's online marketing blog.

Website Traffic Is Not The Key To Success

By: Mike Burke

Website traffic is deemed the single most important factor when it comes to the success of a website but that statement needs to be qualified. Although it's true that a constant stream of traffic is the lifeblood of a website, the quality of the traffic is far more important than the quantity.

Of course, any amount of website traffic is better than no traffic at all but even if you have the most perfect website, your site is doomed to fail if you are not getting visitors that are looking for the products or information you have available on your site.

It's easy to get caught up in a numbers game. It's exciting to see the number of visitors to your site climb from a few a day to a few hundred a day. On the surface, this looks like exactly what you want but if your visitors are looking for something other than what you are offering, for the most part, your website traffic is wasted.

You could have a great website design, compelling copy, the lowest prices and fantastic specials but all your efforts will be useless unless your website is drawing traffic that is interested in what you are providing or promoting.

What you need are visitors specifically interested in your product or service -- you need 'targeted traffic'.

Don't think of targeted traffic as a sub-category of website traffic because they really are two separate entities. If you're marketing plan is designed to drive as much website traffic as possible to your site, no matter what kind of traffic it is, then you're not making effective use of your time and you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

The web is a very different venue than a shopping mall. A shopping mall relies on unfocused traffic, wondering from store to store, not looking for anything in particular but willing to spend it's money on an impulse.

Believe it or not, people surfing the web will leave a website after viewing it for only about 2 seconds. They're looking for specific items or information and if they don't quickly find what they are looking for on your site, they'll click out of your site and go to one of the other millions of sites on the web.

That's why most of the successful websites are tightly focused on their 'niche' and their marketing plan is focused on driving people to their site that are looking for what they offer - they understand the importance of 'targeted traffic'.

Of course, targeted traffic and a website focused on a particular 'niche' go hand and hand. Think about your website. Does it really lend itself to a specific product or service, or is it so broad that it tends to confuse potential customers?

Here are a few tips to help you prepare your website for targeted traffic:

Design your website to promote one particular product or service as your main item.

Determine the type of people that will be interested in your product or service and adjust your website to be attractive to them.

Establish the items or services that are 'closely' related to what you're promoting on your website. If you think that they would be interesting to your visitors, offer those items on your website as well.

Keep a constant flow of free content, that your visitors will find useful, on your website and add new content and information often. Invite your visitors back to your site to see the new material you're constantly adding.

Keep in mind, a website that's focused on a particular 'niche' item or service lends itself to targeted traffic simply because there is something specific to target and the more targeted traffic your site receives, the more productive your site will be.

There are many conventional and many not so conventional ways to drive targeted traffic to your website but we'll explore them in other articles.

The purpose of this article is to point out the difference between website traffic and targeted traffic. More isn't always better and if you focus your marketing on 'targeted traffic' you'll quickly find that the hits your getting on your website aren't just empty numbers - they'll be potential customers and, more importantly, sales.

For more website traffic tips visit www.starttheprofits.com

Author Bio Mike Burke is the author of numerous articles and has an affection for website marketing. Learn how to drive tons of targeted traffic to your site without spending a dime on advertising. Visit us at http://www.starttheprofits.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

common spam words

While the good folks at TypePad (and I can only assume every other blogging service) bans a large amount of spam before you ever see it, some spam may still manage to get through the filters.

Here is a list of common words that may show up in spam comments and banning these words in your blog's ban list might help reduce the amount of spam you see.

-online
4u
adipex
advicer
baccarrat
blackjack
bllogspot
booker
byob
car-rental-e-site
car-rentals-e-site
carisoprodol
casino
casinos
chatroom
cialis
coolcoolhu
coolhu
credit-card-debt
credit-report-4u
cwas
cyclen
cyclobenzaprine
dating-e-site
day-trading
debt-consolidation
debt-consolidation-consultant
discreetordering
duty-free
dutyfree
equityloans
fioricet
flowers-leading-site
freenet-shopping
freenet
gambling-
hair-loss
health-insurancedeals-4u
homeequityloans
homefinance
holdem
holdempoker
holdemsoftware
holdemtexasturbowilson
hotel-dealse-site
hotele-site
hotelse-site
incest
insurance-quotesdeals-4u
insurancedeals-4u
jrcreations
levitra
macinstruct
mortgage-4-u
mortgagequotes
online-gambling
onlinegambling-4u
ottawavalleyag
ownsthis
palm-texas-holdem-game
paxil
penis
pharmacy
phentermine
poker-chip
poze
pussy
rental-car-e-site
ringtones
roulette
shemale
shoes
slot-machine
texas-holdem
thorcarlson
top-site
top-e-site
tramadol
trim-spa
ultram
valeofglamorganconservatives
viagra
vioxx
xanax
zolus

Blogging For Website Traffic

by: Richard Legg

Nowadays, it seems that everyone and his cousin have taken to blogging. This form of online self-expression has slowly but steadily taken over the World Wide Web to become somewhat of a phenomenon in recent years. Some people use blogs as their personal journals, some may see them as an outlet for their creative work, and others may just want their own personal place in cyberspace to share thoughts and ideas.

Now, a quick question for the Internet businessman. If you have a blog, can you use it to boost your site's exposure and drive more traffic to it? A blog is great for sharing ideas and posting about things you like or don't like, but can a blog help your online business succeed?

The answer is a definite YES. Your blog can do wonders for your website, but it all depends on the way you utilize its potential power. I'm going to teach you a tried and proven method that has been effective for other website owners, and this method is applicable for any type of blog. You will just need a lot of creativity and some time to make it work.

First thing you have to keep in mind is that most blogs on the Web have a community feel to them. You may think that your blog is your own, since you're the one who installed and developed it. And you may be right. But your blog is also connected to other blogs on the same site. You may also be connected to other blogs that are using the same blogging software as you. This situation guarantees that sooner or later, a person will land on your blog and be able to see all that you have to say. This can also mean that your blog is now getting free advertising within the blogging community. I don't think you need me to tell you how beneficial this can be for your site's traffic.

However, you do have to keep in mind what you're posting as your blog's content. If all you're doing is making posts that promote your products or your business, then you're dead. Believe me, that is not the recommended way to use your blog. Have you seen the Internet lately? It's already overflowing with loads of advertisements for products and services. Be different. Your visitors need a good reason to keep coming back to your blog. Use it to give expert and knowledgeable information about your line of work to your readers. If you're selling a product on your site, talk about it on your blog, and don't just post a measly advertising blurb.

Let's say you're selling power tools on your website. You can write reviews and other useful posts about the kinds of tools you have on your site. What you're doing is providing some insight for your potential customers about the tools you're selling. These blog posts will then be able to generate confidence in your readers and encourage them to actually buy the products.

Another advantage of having a blog is that it makes it easier for interested buyers to get access to the seller (that's you). Usually, readers of a particular blog post are allowed to leave comments on what they've just read. For example, you've just finished a review for the new Ajax power drill. Whenever a reader comes across it and has a question regarding that product, he or she can easily leave a comment. You can then see the questions and post your answers. See? You can now connect with your readers and potential customers personally. This make you much more approachable, as compared to the faceless entity behind the impersonal commercial website.

In addition, your readers will also have the option of subscribing to your blog feeds via RSS or to your newsletters, so they can be immediately notified about any new posts you make. If you have established a reputable standing in your niche, a long list of eager readers will soon be waiting for your next post, and lots more will be coming to your website.

About The Author:
Richard Legg is a web traffic expert and generates over 1.5 Million visitors a year to his websites. Discover how you can instantly increase website traffic for free at http://www.MyInstantTraffic.com.

8 Essentials for Creating Balance Out of Chaos

Leadership and life balance has been a hot topic for some time now. Employers are waking up to the notion that for people to perform well they have to feel well.

In these trying times it's imperative to stay motivated. Change your mind and you change your circumstances. Change your thinking and you can change your life.

How do you do that? Here are 8 essentials for creating balance:

1. Focus on what you have, not on what you don't have. There will always be someone worse off than you. Whether they're facing a financial crisis, health problems, grief and loss, or something else. If you know someone like this, think of one thing you could do to help them.

For example, there's someone at my church who recently lost his father. A group of us decided to take food to the family. Helping someone gets your mind off your problems. And it makes you grateful for what you do have. You start focusing on the positive. As Denis Waitley says, "You are either the captive or the captain of your thoughts."

2. Feed your strengths, starve your weaknesses. Researchers note the average person has 50,000 thoughts a day. Most of those thoughts are negative. Your mind is like a computer or the crew on a ship. And what orders you give it will determine what you get.

What you dwell on becomes your destiny. What you focus on the longest becomes the strongest. Spend as much time as possible in a job, or in your life in general, in areas that utilize your strengths. Work doesn't have to be a four-letter word!

3. Practice self-control, self-discipline and a strong work ethic. This is a paradox, but doing the things you like least first helps in creating balance. Practicing good work habits, especially early in the day frees up time later on for doing things you enjoy. And you feel more deserving.

The most successful people are those willing to do what others don't want to do. They've mastered the challenge of overcoming procrastination. Live by the motto, "Just do it.Not by the tongue-in-cheek saying I saw on a t-shirt in Hawaii recently which said, "Just do it-tomorrow"."

4. Decide what really matters. Make a list of those activities and individuals that put a spring in your step. What gives you energy and makes you laugh?

For example, spending time with my boyfriend's family is terrific because they're hilarious. I always have belly-aching laughs when I'm with them. Laughter really is the best medicine. Conversely, what detracts from your life and drags you down? Start phasing those things out of your life.

5. Focus on having fun. No matter busy and stressful your days, schedule some time for fun. In creating balance, what makes you happy? For instance, this weekend my man and I are taking our dogs on a day trip to Flagstaff, Arizona. Being at 7,000 feet in the pines helps me "fill the well." There's nothing like crisp mountain air and the smell of the pines to make me forget the cares of the world.

6. Spend time in silence. Make an effort to get more sleep. Studies have shown getting enough sleep helps reduce cravings for carbs and sweets. Temporarily turn off your cell phone, Blackberry, TV or car stereo. Before bed spend quiet time in prayer or meditation.

7. People-pleasers: Learn to say no. Or, if there's something you must do, ask for support. Don't try and do it all yourself.

8. Concentrate single-mindedly on one task until it's complete. Stop multitasking. Sometimes when you try to do 10 things at once, you end the day not having completed anything.

Lastly, it's been said that survivors of emotional, physical, or circumstantial difficulties practice eight things: strong spiritual belief, sense of humor, strong support system, a connection to nature, goals, proper nutrition, openness to new ideas, and get sufficient rest and exercise. In creating balance, which of these can you create today?

You are free to reprint or repost this article for use in your newsletters, association publications, or intranet provided Colleen Kettenhofen's contact information (name, website, and email) is included with the article. Colleen Kettenhofen is a Phoenix, Arizona motivational speaker, trainer, & co-author of "The Masters of Success ," featured on NBC's Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. For free articles, video clips, and e-newsletter, visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com. Colleen's area of expertise are leadership, managing people, life balance, difficult people, presentation skills. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars.


She can be reached at contact
information listed below

Please let us know how you plan to use this article or send an electronic tear sheet.

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Colleen Kettenhofen
P.O. Box 74622
Phoenix, Arizona 85087

1(800)323-0683 Toll Free,
or (623)340-7690 Fastest Service

Website: http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com

email: colleen@colleenspeaks.com

Stormy Saturday

It's a stormy Saturday here, and I found a few pictures that really reflect the weather and my mood today.

You Choose to React or Respond

By: Daniel Sitter

Choices abound. Sometimes choices confound us, while at other times, certain choices are rather obvious. Any way you approach the subject, choices present opportunities to either excel or hinder. As human beings, we were endowed by our Creator with the power of choice. It is one of the factors that differentiate persons from animals. Some people make these choices or decisions more easily than others.

Each day, we must decide how we will spend our precious twenty four hours and deal with all that the world presents to us. We choose how we will be affected by both everyday occurrences and those that are much more extraordinary. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we choose to either react or respond. These are not the same, for one is negative and one is positive. Which we choose may have a significant impact on our life and possibly those close to us.

Reacting to outside influences, usually beyond our control is generally a negative choice. Reacting implies that we have given charge of the situation to someone or something else. We surrender our input and any control in the matter. We are now at the mercy of the situation and are forced to be in reaction mode where we are constantly dodging bullets and expending great amounts of energy just to stay afloat. In reacting to a situation, we do not anticipate that which is to come because we are too busy handling the present. The future then surprises us and the whole mess begins again.

Responding to a situation is a positive choice. It is the opposite of reacting. It is proactive and anticipates that which is yet to come. Responding is preceded by thought and often prayer. In responding, we take charge and have command over how the situation impacts us. We also have control over how it affects us internally. We decide upon the level of personal impact.

Our lives, families, careers and other everyday activities and interests are operating at breakneck speeds and appear at times to be accelerating. One thing is for certain, the old days of sitting around on the front porch each evening listening to Mother Nature are gone for many of us. The pace of life in Mayberry, as healthy and tranquil as it would appear, is unfortunately a thing of the past. We live life on the fast track.

A major news weekly magazine is currently featuring material devoted to stress and distress in our lives and their effects on our cardiovascular health. Although not totally surprising, this information is disturbing. How did we ever get to this point? Witness the number of television commercials and magazine advertisements for gastric distress, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, headaches and other ailments that are increasing in frequency. There are millions of prescriptions written each day for these medical conditions, most of which will find their roots in internalized stress and distress.

People spend many hours of their lives worrying. Worry is a senseless, energy robbing activity that has engulfed many. No one has ever benefited from worry, yet countless people engage in it. Worry is the opposite of faith. Worry is negative while faith is positive. There is no mystery here. Many books have been written on the subject. The conclusions are the same: "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and "Stop Worrying and Start Living" are among the many themes presented. Good advice indeed.

Most areas of life present us with choices. We must choose either to respond or react to circumstances. We choose whether or not to worry. Learn to be aware that you have a choice in these matters. Learn that there are ways that you can deal with everything either positively or negatively. Learn that your choices may influence your very health, both physical and mental. Learn that there will be costs associated with poor choices, worrying and negativity in general. These may include social, monetary, peace of mind and time costs. Certainly, the total cost associated with negative choices is too high.

Learn that positively responding to circumstances in life will significantly reduce or eliminate worry and contribute to your overall good health and well being. Find joy in life. Be happy.

Author Bio
Daniel Sitter is the author of the popular, award-winning e-book, Learning For Profit. Designed for busy people, his new book teaches simple, step-by-step accelerated learning skills, demonstrating exactly how to learn anything faster than ever before. Learning For Profit is currently available at the author's web site www.learningforprofit.com and from numerous online book merchants. Mr. Sitter, having expertise in sales, marketing and personal development, is a frequent contributor to several publications.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Laughter on the Job

Humor Works ... at Work!

Laughter in the workplace increases job performance! It's true! Numerous studies have found that people who have fun on the job are more productive, better decision-makers and have strong relationships with co-workers. They also have fewer late and sick days than people who aren't having fun.

I travel a great deal and in many hotels, they ask guests to fill out a comment card. On the card, they usually ask, "What is the purpose of your trip?" The two choices are "business" or "pleasure." Why can't business be a pleasurable experience? Why does it have to be business OR pleasure? Business should be fun!

One misconception that we must rid from our minds is the notion that seriousness is the same as professionalism. That is a false statement. We could still be professionals and enjoy our work. Professionalism means doing our job well and treating others with respect. We need to take our jobs seriously, but ourselves lightly. If we start to take ourselves too seriously this can lead to burnout.

People often tell me, "This humor at work idea does not work for me; I am not a funny person." You don't need to "be funny" to benefit from workplace humor. Stand-up comedy has to with "being" funny. Workplace humor has to with "seeing" funny ... seeing humor all around us to cope with workplace stress.

Top Tips to Make Work Fun!

Place a Humor Bulletin Board in a High Traffic Area. Post funny articles, cartoons, pictures, quotes, etc. Encourage people to post their favorite funny things on the bulletin board. Here is a fun idea: have everyone bring in baby or high school graduation pictures. Post them on the bulletin board and give a prize to the one who makes the most matches. Try using pet pictures too!

Put Together a Humor First Aid Kit. This is a box filled with fun toys and gadgets to relieve stress. Here are some ideas to get you started: stress balls, noisemakers, bubbles, fun hats, silly glasses and buttons. You can obtain items at toy/magic stores, card shops and catalogs. One program attendee shared a fun story about using props to make a point. This attendee was working on a deadline and needed "quiet alone time," so she used some special yellow caution tape and put on her doorway!

Start a Humor File. This could be physical file folders or electronic files. Look for the humor that is all around us, including bumper stickers, funny signs, newspaper articles, cartoons, etc. I am always clipping things out and filing them -- I have different files for different subjects, such as: Church Humor" or "School Humor." This is one of my favorite bumper stickers: "Money talks. Mine says goodbye!" My favorite newspaper headline: "Thieves Steal Toilet Seats from Local Police Station. Police have nothing to go on."

Make Meetings Enjoyable! Turn those dull meetings around -- try adding a theme, such a food, holiday or movie theme! Have a chocolate theme or even an Elvis theme! Use themes to emphasize meeting concepts; if you are talking about teamwork, add a sports theme. Add humorous items to each meeting agenda, such as, "Why do they call it minutes when the meeting goes on for hours?" Often times, the focus of a meeting is directed toward what's not working instead what is working. re-energize your meeting by acknowledging positive elements of the workplace.

Schedule Joy Breaks. If you are feeling overwhelmed, have a plan to deal with those feelings. When I am overwhelmed, my Joy Breaks include: a brief walk (physical exercise helps relieve tension), meditation, reading cartoons or listening to music.

Begin a Laughter Log. This log is filled with fun experiences, both at work and home. You will be surprised at all the fun things that happen to you. Humor is all around us; we have to be on the lookout for it. Jokes are wonderful of course, but what really connects us to other people is not jokes, rather it is stories from our lives. Stories have the human connection. After I share a story from my life in a speech, people often come up to me afterwards and tell me, "When you told that story about your dog, that reminded of the fun I have with my dogs." We connected through humor.

Establish a Joy Gang. This group of people has one purpose -- to plan and implement a variety of fun/energizing activities and events throughout the year. Humor is infectious. Have as many people as possible infect your organization with mirth! The people at Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream began this innovative concept.

Have fun at work today!

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PERMISSION TO REPRINT: Please feel free to reprint this article in your own print or electronic newsletter. We ask that you please include the following paragraph:

Reprinted from the "Joy on the Job Newsletter," a complimentary electronic newsletter featuring informative and entertaining tips for creating positive workplaces. Subscribe at www.EdwardLeigh.com and receive the complimentary special report, "25 Ways to Create a Positive Workplace."

(If reprinting in an electronic newsletter, please be sure the website, www.EdwardLeigh.com, is a hyperlink.)

In like a lion

Spring is almost here! I spent my lunch hour sitting out on the back deck in my shorts.  Though I did wish idly for a firepit so I could sit out there more, even at night.