global issue

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Increase the Efficiency of Your Email Marketing Campaign by Avoiding 10 Dreaded Red Flag Words

If you have been running an email marketing campaign for quite some time now, then you already realize the fact that your number one enemy is not reader apathy? it?s the spam filters. Indeed, spam filters can prevent your messages from being received by your target recipients. And because of the decrease in your recipients? numbers, your response rate would likewise take a dip, and with it, the profitability of your email marketing strategy.

Time and time again, people have said that gold is in your mailing list, that your subscriber base is a figurative gold main. Too bad the spam filters sometimes close the road towards that gold mine, preventing us from harvesting whatever bounties it could promise.

The Number One Culprit?

The main reason why your messages get flagged down by the spam filters is the presence of what we call as red flag words. These are words which many email programs have pinpointed as likely used by spammers, hence, their spam filters are programmed to check messages for the presence of these words. Once determined, the message goes straight to the bulk folder.

What are these words? Here are the top ten most dangerous red flag words you should start avoiding as soon as possible:

1. free
2. amazing
3. congratulations
4. great offer
5. unsubscribe
6. risk free
7. winner
8. guarantee
9. dear friend
10. click here

Indeed, writing messages have become quite restrictive with the seeming ban imposed on marketing-centric words like those mentioned above. Logically, the first option would be to stop using the aforementioned words altogether. But then again, such a recourse would render your email messages useless. After all, how else will you describe an ?amazing? and ?great offer?? How else would you tell your subscribers that your offer is ?risk free,? or that you promise a ?guarantee??

Is there something you could do to avoid the spam filters without losing the potency of your messages?

Some Practical Solutions

For starters, you could begin using other words in your vocabulary. A thesaurus would come in handy. You?d be able to convey whatever it is you want to convey without sacrificing the power of your message altogether.

This is not always effective, however.

For example, nothing can beat the sheer power of the word ?free.? Yes, you may use similar terms like ?gratuitous promise,? or ?available at no charge,? but they are not as attention-grabbing as the original. The word ?free,? after all, has always been hailed as the most powerful term in marketing.

So what should you do?

Some marketers go around the problem by ingeniously spelling the red flag words quite differently. ?Free? becomes ?fr.ee? or ?fr/ee? for example. ?Click here? becomes ?cli.ck.here? or ?cl-ick here.? This strategy has been proven to evade the watchful eyes of the spam filters and have contributed in increasing deliverability rate of many marketing emails.

The Value Of Testing

The most prudent approach, however, is to always test your messages before you send them. Once you have composed an autoresponder sequence, try to send each of the messages therein to your own email address. Check if they will all make it through.

If an email or two gets flagged by the spam filer, study them and determine where you went wrong. Correct the error, and send them again to your email address.

Continue repeating this process until such time when all your messages actually arrive in your inbox.

Sounds taxing? It?s very much worth it, however, considering the fact that your emails contain your business message, and this is essential for your overall marketing campaign.
Mark Flavin - EzineArticles Expert Author

Mark Flavin Is The Owner Of Mark Flavin Marketing. Mark Is An Expert In Online Marketing & All Make Money Online Topics. Mark Recommends You Visit eMail Secrets To Learn How To Increase Your Subscriber Base & Make More Money From Your List.

You Can Sign Up For Mark's Free eCourse at http://www.markflavin.com

Hyperlinks in Audio and Video

Those that were around for the beginning of the world wide web will remember that the groundbreaking concept that fueled its explosion was the hyperlink. The hyperlink seems commonplace today, but it is still the glue that holds the internet together.

Where would you be if you could not click on a link and get to the information you wanted? At best, you would be looking up addresses in a book and typing them in.

The latest buzz on the internet is all audio and video. That is all well and good. But, much of the interactivity of the web is lost in most audio and video applications. You follow a link and either download the file of interest or start to listen and watch the presentation on the internet.

There are several problems with this.

You are probably aware of your own browsing habits and realize that you rarely read everything on a web page that you land on. You tend to rapidly skim over the page to see if it offers what you are looking for. If it does, then you zoom in on the specific items you want and then after absorbing that, you look for links for further information.

Think about the current audio and video technology. How much different is it to have to listen to several minutes of audio or video before you find out whether it has the information that you are looking for. Then, it is often difficult to zero in on the information you need and repeat it as needed.

Furthermore, if the presentation mentions additional resources, it is much more difficult getting to that destination than a simple click.

The W3C is currently working on some of these problems. First of all, they are addressing the possibility of linking into the middle of an audio or video clip. This would allow you not only to find that section in a search engine, but let your website designer give you an index to each file.

Even with that ability though, you are only getting the entry advantages of hyperlinking. At this time, the need for outbound links from audio and video files are still on the distant horizon.

One of the roadblocks to really ramping up the usability of intelligent audio and video on the web is artificially intelligent speech recognition. That will allow the search engines to spider audio and video files and make software populated linking. Currently, you must present a printed transcript of any file to the search engines.

Another required innovation is the ability to make outbound links within audio and video files that will allow the viewer to click out of the currently playing presentation to different or more focused information.

Once those two hurdles are crossed, we will be looking at a world wide web that will be barely recognizable is being related to what we are using today.

In the mean time, don't wait. If you are looking for an area on the web where there is very little competition, the audio and video market are the places to look.

If you don't believe me, look at video.google.com. Care to guess how many video clips are available under the search term 'internet marketing'? As I write this, there are only 123. Can you even remember when there were only 123 competing links for any search on Google?

My advice is to get whatever equipment you need - get the software - and start producing as many quality audios and videos you can. And do it now.

Come to Extreme Affiliate Income now for more great articles by Ron McCluskey.

How You Could Create an Information Product in an Hour

Do you know how you could create an information product in an hour or less?

An ebook? you would probably need a week if you are a good writer.

The fastest and most creative way, and probably the most popular way to create an information product is through audio.

Audio program are great, people can listen it everywhere they go, they can download and listen with a mp3 player.

But why audio? Audio is the fastest way you can create your product, you could record an hour of audio and sell it, easy and fast.

Do you know that it has been proven that putting audio on your website can increase your sales? Using audio postcard for people to listen your message, or even use audio inside email.

Creating an information product using audio can increase the price of your product because it has a higher perceive value, and most of the customer love to hear audio than spending several hours reading your book.

Why I creating audio program is because I can use it to test my niche market fast. Unlike writing an ebook, you may need a a week or two to create one.

For Audio, it may take a hour or less, depends on how you long you record it. It is an easier and faster way you could create a product.

Think like this, if what you are doing is a dead duck, you want to know it fast, you don't want to spend a month or two, or even half a year to figure this out, right?

Titus Cheng is the creator of "Instant Ebook Profit", http://www.instantebookprofit.com

How to Write a UserFriendly eBook

Right now, someone, somewhere will be embarking on the writing of an eBook. Why? Some do it to make some money; it?s one of the easiest ways to start an online business.

Others do it to share information they may have for those in similar financial, social or medical situations; maybe you want to share how you beat cancer or how you got out of debt. Whatever your reason, there are some basic rules to consider that will make the final product more professional and. So, let look at some of them.

Anyone that embarks on writing an eBook will undoubtedly have read many as well. You will know from this that you must write in an appealing way that maintains the reader?s attention. After all, you want them to read ALL your eBook don?t you? Plus, you?ll want them to come back for more if you are building an online business.

There are many tricks you can use to keep your readers? attention.

Anecdotes give practical examples of what you are trying to explain. These give readers confidence that what you are saying really does work. They are also a great way of explaining complicated topics.

Images are also a powerful tool. They can make topics clearer and they will stick in a reader?s mind longer than 5000 words of text. They also break the eBook up and give the reader ?markers? to parts that interest them.

Note-boxes or sidebars are also good for summarizing a point or providing additional information. Like images, they break the text up and make the reading experience more enjoyable.

Write in a conversational style so the reader feels that you are talking just to them. This way they feel that they are the only one benefiting from your information and that makes it more valuable to them.

Don?t write long sentences or paragraphs. They become difficult to read and detract from the experience. Your eBook is more likely to be put down and not picked up again.

You should also change the length of your paragraphs and sentences so you don?t send your readers to sleep. Blocks of text that are all the same length will lose the reader?s attention and you?ll be lucky of they are awake by Page 10!

We mentioned earlier the use of images as a way of breaking up text. It may be that you can?t use images to any great extent; but there are other tricks.

A very powerful one is the use of numbered and bulleted lists. Even with the most basic of word-processing programs you can include different types of bullets and even use custom pictures as bullet icons. These make your topic easier for the reader to absorb and also to give them a mental break from blocks of text.

Finally, think about the design of your eBook. Select a font that's easy to read, and stick to it. You may be tempted to change fonts as a way of trying to make it more interesting. Don?t. All it does is confuse your readers and they will switch-off.

I recommend either one and a half or double line spacing. Spacing the lines too far apart make it difficult for the reader to track where they are. Too close makes it dull.

Also, choose a font size that is in proportion to the line spacing you are using. You can get away with a larger font (say 14 point) with 1.5 line spacing but 8 point will look weird. Experiment with different combinations to find one that suits you but remember - what looks OK on the screen may look dreadful in print. Think about how your readers are probably going to read the final eBook (most print PDF eBooks ? the idea of the paperless world is myth!).

Lastly, add page numbers and a header to each page with the title of your eBook. I?ve lost count of the number of times I have been infuriated by the number of eBooks that don?t have page numbers. Also, adding a title in the header is a good way of reminding the reader what they are reading and who wrote it. Don?t overcrowd headers and footers but use them wisely to give branding to the eBook (your company name or web address if you sell online).

Most importantly, don't forget to do a proper spelling and grammar check. You can even go to somewhere like elance.com and get someone to proof read it for you (for a fee). It?s worth it to end up with a credible eBook.

Like it or not, you and your topic will be judged by the standard of spelling and punctuation. Don?t shortcut on quality for fear of some criticism. It?s better to find out before it is published.

That's it! By following the simple steps above you have just written your eBook. All that is left for you to do is publish it online and get visitors to your website so they can read it. But those topics are a whole new ball-game and best left for another day.
David Robertshaw - EzineArticles Expert Author

David Robertshaw and his wife, Dawn, run a successful Home Business and have a series of internet marketing resources, ebook and tips sites all designed to make your online business succeed. They also have a Free 7-day course to help you get started packed with tips and resources. Check it out at:

http://www.internetmarketingbasics101.co.uk

How to Write a UserFriendly eBook

How to Stream Audio from Your Website for Free

This article is a simple introduction to Streaming Audio and how it can be added to your website or CD ROM without expensive software, hardware or dedicated streaming web hosting.

Lets start at the beginning.

What is Streaming?

Streamed audio, be it MP3 or any other types of audio you may want to stream enables you to start listening to audio long before the file has downloaded completely. It's a bit like reading a letter while someone is still writing it!

What are the advantages of Streaming Audio?

There are several advantages to streaming. Firstly, your visitor will be able to listen to your audio very quickly. This is important, as we all know how impatient web surfers are. Visitors to your site want to be able to listen to your audio as soon as possible.

Let's look at what happens when a visitor arrives at your web site and wants to listen to an MP3 audio that isn't set up to stream.

In a non-streaming set up the link on your web site points directly to the audio file on the server. When the link is clicked, a window will appear asking where the file is to be saved, and once that's been decided, the download commences. Audio files tend to be large so the chances are it's going to take some time to download, especially if the visitor is using a slow Internet connection. The end result is that if your visitor waits around long enough for the download to finish - all well and good, but the downside is they have a copy of your audio saved on their computer.

This may not be what you want, as it could be your copyrighted material you have given away. Although it is much easier to record streaming audio with readily available software these days, there?s no point in making it easier than necessary for people to save your audio, plus they may not want large files saved on their computer.

If you were to set that same file up to stream, and someone clicks on the link, Windows Media Player, Real Audio Player, or which ever player your visitor uses to listen to audio would open, the file would start streaming, and within a very short time your visitor would be listening to your audio. NB; The time taken between a visitor clicking on the link and hearing some sound will still depend on their Internet connection speed but it will be much quicker than a non-streamed file.

Is Stream Audio Difficult to Set Up?

No! It's very easy, it just involves a simple text file that contains a link pointing to the MP3 you want to stream. The file is then saved with an '.m3u' extension. (without the quotation marks). In other words this little m3u text file acts as a ?go between? to link, the link on your website, to the audio file to be listen to. All the support for streaming is already built into your visitor's computer.

How do I Set Up Audio Streaming?

Here is how you configure your files. I will assume you know how to make an HTML link or have a WYSIWYG software program to allow you to create one, although the easiest way is to use Notepad.

Imagine your audio file is called 'reggae.mp3' and it's in a folder called 'mp3s' it?s saved in a website folder called ?website? and it?s on the 'C' drive. The file path would look like this C:website/mp3s/reggae.mp3 and this file has been uploaded to your web site in the normal way.

Now we have to create the m3u file (our ?go between?) to link reggae.mp3 to the link on your website. To create this file, open notepad, and type in your full web address (URL) file path, and name of your mp3 file. In our example it would look like this:

http://www.website.net/mp3s/reggae.mp3

Now save the file as C:websitemp3sreggae.m3u (make sure it's saved with the .m3u extension) and upload to your web site.

The next thing to do is to add the link on your web page that will point to the m3u file (our ?go between? file) not the mp3 file. In our case it will be http://www.website.net/mp3s/reggae.m3u

Now when someone clicks on your link, the m3u file comes into action, the default player opens and your mp3 starts to stream.

Can I Set Up More than one Audio File to Stream?

If you have more than one MP3 you want to steam, create another 'm3u' notepad file for each MP3 you have, upload the files to your site and point your link to the new 'm3u' file.

Can I stream MP3's continuously?

If you want one mp3 to follow on straight after another, then create a file with the .m3u extension as normal but instead of just one file, you list the mp3 file paths under each other like this:

http://www.website.net/mp3s/reggae.mp3
http://www.website.net/mp3s/reggae2.mp3
http://www.website.net/mp3s/reggae3.mp3

So in this case when someone clicked on the link in your web page it would open reggae.mp3 followed by reggae2.mp3 followed by reggae3.mp3

(NB: This works fine for me, but if you have problems with this method you can set up a file using #EXTM3U extensions which will create a play list. I haven't tried this but this alternative is explained at http://hanna.pyxidis.org/tech/m3u.html )

I hope this introduction has helped you with your audio streaming.

David Grant is an audio electronics engineer and owner of http://www.soundabout.net which is a professional format transfer service. Transferring Vinyl LP's to CD, 78 to CD, Tape to CD and even removing unwanted noises from ?live? recordings. For more information on SoundAbout's Professional Services visit our website http://www.soundabout.net

How To Make Money Selling Ebooks

Many people have told me that they want to make money by selling ebooks, but they don?t want to write an e-book. If this describes you, I have great news for you! You can still make money by selling e-books written by other people by using affiliate marketing.

What is affiliate marketing? Affiliate Marketing is an agreement between a merchant (the person who wrote and owns the ebook) and you (an affiliate). You agree to use your web sites and blogs to promote the merchant's e-books and to link to the merchant's web site. In exchange for this, the merchant pays you a commission on all sales that were generated by the affiliate web site. A referral occurs when a customer clicks on your product link and makes a purchase.

So now that you know what affiliate marketing is, start looking for a few affiliate products that you would like to sell. You might already know someone whose ebooks you would like to sell, and who has an affiliate program. In this case, just register for this person?s affiliate program, get your affiliate links and start promoting the e-books.

If you don?t know of anyone who has e-books and an affiliate program that you can use to sell them, just use your favorite search engine to find them. For example, if you are looking for e-books on gardening that have an affiliate program, just type in gardening e-books affiliate program into search engines. Chances are, you will find what you are looking for.

Once you find e-books that you would like to promote, start promoting them. Here is information to help you promote them:

Create good web marketing copy for the e-books on your web site. It is not enough to list the e-books on your web site and then link to the seller?s web site. The people who come to your web site are not looking for links to other sites; rather, they are looking for useful information for themselves. Having useful information on your web site increases the changes of your web site visitors buying the e-book, and will generate affiliate commissions for you.

Once you have good web site copy, start promoting your web site online and drive traffic to it. One way to do that is by optimizing the site for search engines. Search engine optimization is the process of modifying web page content and meta-information to improve the search engine ranking of the page. Successful search engine optimization will greatly increase the number of visitors that come to your web site. The more visitors to the web site you have, the more affiliate products you will be able to sell, and the more money you will make. Make sure you optimize every page of your web site for search engines, especially the ones that provide the information about the e-books and sell the e-books; that way you will get more web site visitors.

Another way to drive more traffic to your web site is by creating a blog to promote it. A blog is your business diary, in which you share the information about your web site, as well as the e-books you are promoting. Your blog is an excellent tool to let the world know about the affiliate products and to connect with potential customers who would want to purchase them.

In order to bring the most online traffic and make money with your blog, make sure that your blog consistently and create blog posts that are of interest to your past as well as potential customers. Regular posts that are interesting to read is what will keep your readers coming back and buying from you.

Use the tips discussed above to make money selling e-books written by others. That is an excellent way to make money online.

Start making money with affiliate marketing today! Biana Babinsky pays you 50% commissions for selling her Complete Online Marketing Course at http://www.completemarketingcourse.com/affiliates/

How to Get Your Website Indexed Fast

Most people who are new to website building have very little idea how or why it is important to get their website indexed by the major search engines. What we mean by "indexing" is simply the process by which the major search engines find a website, analyse its content, and enter a summary into their database so the site becomes eligible to be listed when people search for that kind of information.

One of the most pervasive bits of misinformation concerning the indexing process is that you should "submit" your site to the search engines on a regular basis. According to people who sell this bogus service, the search engines spend their day waiting for website "submissions", which, once received, they obligingly go look at and then index, presumably with no concern for the quality of the site in question.

But the fact is, search engines are very busy little beavers. They are not sitting around waiting for submissions. On the contrary, they are constantly out there scouring the web so they can keep the most up to date database possible.

In many cases new information gets recognized by the major search engines within hours of being posted. Take news sites, for instance. In order to keep abreast of breaking news, and to make their news services relevant, the search engines have to be crawling these sites several times every day and be constantly updating what they find. Otherwise their "news" results would be of very little value.

On the flip side, given their preoccupation with sites that are regularly changing and being updated, if a site is rarely changing or being updated, it is not likely to get regular visits from the spiders. Why would they waste their time?

So if you are a webmaster wanting to get traffic from the search engines, this should tell you something quite important: keep your most important pages fresh and updated. Give the search engines a reason to come back and look at them again. Regularly add content, and keep fine-tuning the "relevance" of your content.

Another important fact about search engine behavior has to do with the importance of links. Normally search engines index pages because they have followed a link from an already indexed page.

So it stands to reason that the more links you have pointing to a given page, and the more significant those links, the faster that page will get indexed, the higher it will get ranked for your most important keywords, and the more often it will get visited by the search engine spiders.

Once you are indexed, regular submission of the kind offered by bogus "site submissions services" is not going to help you. What will help you is regular updating of your pages and getting more links. The search engine spiders will follow the new links and have even more reason to visit your pages more frequently.

If you give the spiders something new to chew on when they get there, so much the better. As they learn that your pages are worth spidering (because your pages regularly change and contain useful content), they will get crawled more often.

What this means is that the best way to get a new site, or a new page indexed is to create a link from an already indexed page. But bear in mind that if the page that contains the link rarely gets crawled, it may take quite a while before that link is of much help to you.

When people speak of "quality links" they often fixate on the page's Google Page Rank. But while Page Rank is important, it does not tell the whole story. Often a link on a page with no PR at all will still send the spiders your way. It just depends how often that page gets crawled. For instance, getting your link on a blog page -- even a brand new one with no PR -- is usually a very effective way to get search engine attention. The reason is that the search engines often visit active blogs on a very regular basis.

Among other things this should tell you that exchanging links with other sites and having your link end up on a relatively useless "link page" is a very inefficient way to make an impression on the search engines.

An easier and much faster, more efficient way is to buy quality links from a link placement or text advertising service. For example, buying a listing in a syndicated blog that gets crawled on a regular basis will have almost immediate impact. The blog entry will get crawled very quickly, and if it is syndicated so your link is live on additional sites, that will give you even more search engine exposure.

Rick Hendershot provides effective link building programs | Get effective links - Your link placed on indexed pages | Earn up to 75% of PPC Revenue

How To Earn From Your Ezine

So you have hundreds, if not thousands, of subscribers who have signed up for your online newsletter. You send out copies of your eZine quite regularly, and it takes so much of your time to come up with valuable content for your subscribers to consume. You must be wondering?

How could I earn from all these efforts?

Indeed, eZines as marketing tools were not invented for gratuitous labor. You can earn ? a lot of profit at that ? from publishing your own eZine and building your subscriber base. How? Let us enumerate 10 ways by which you could earn from your eZine.

1. Sell products. Your mailing list would enable you to follow up on your subscribers to warm them up for your offers. You could try to win their trust by establishing regular contact, and eventually selling them your products.

2. Sell your affiliate products. You don?t need your own products to be able to sell anything to your subscribers. You could enroll in any of the countless affiliate programs on the internet. You?d be entitled to a commission every time you?d refer a subscriber of yours to purchase a product from the affiliate merchant.

3. Sell solo ads. You could allow another internet marketer to promote his or her products on your eZine by giving him or her a space in one of your issues where he or she could talk about his or her offers. Of course, you?d be doing this for a fee.

4. Sell recommendatory ads. You could also offer to recommend another marketer?s products to your subscribers for a fee. You could do this by writing reviews or recommendations embedded in one of your value-packed content messages.

5. Build your brand. Joint ventures can explode your profits tremendously. Unfortunately however, the established online businessmen would take into consideration your standing in the industry before they could consider you for the partnership. If your mailing list has thousands of subscribers, chances are, they?ll take you in without blinking an eyelash.

6. Pay-to-subscribe system. If your eZine has built a solid reputation for itself as a genuine information resource for the subject it is servicing, and demand for subscription is at an all time high, you could start charging for subscription fees. You?d get to earn every time new user would subscribe to your eZine service, and every time a user would have to renew his or her subscription. This could provide for you great income for many, many years!

7. Gain some affiliates. The best way to promote your own products is to get some people to help you advertise the same to ever corner of the World Wide Web. Indeed, we are talking about establishing your own affiliate program. And the best source for affiliates is, and will always be, your mailing list.

8. Generate repeat traffic. If you?re engaged in a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) program like Google AdSense, then page impressions count. Page impressions are not dependent on unique visitors alone. Repeat visitors are crucial to your sustainable success. Your eZine can help you secure repeat visitors as you?ll have a platform to constantly remind your subscribers about your website.

9. Lead your subscribers to your sales page. Some internet marketers create different websites for each of their products. How would people know where to go? Aside from the organic traffic from the search engines, you could lead the members of your mailing list to your various sales pages by simply including a link on your eZine.

10. Use your mailing list as leverage whenever you want to sell your website. A website with a mailing list of 5,000 subscribers can command a higher price than a mere website with no mailing list at all. There are some ethical considerations with this, however. The website and the eZine should be maintained by the buyer. The buyer cannot change everything and expect the existing subscribers to continue their subscription for something totally different from what they have signed up for.
Mark Flavin - EzineArticles Expert Author

Mark Flavin Is The Owner Of Mark Flavin Marketing. Mark Is An Expert In Online Marketing & All Make Money Online Topics. Mark Recommends You Visit eMail Secrets To Learn How To Increase Your Subscriber Base & Make More Money From Your List.

You Can Sign Up For Mark's Free eCourse at http://www.markflavin.com

How to Create a Newsletter Name

What's in a name, a newsletter name?

When I wrote a plan for my e-mail newsletter, developing a name was a critical part of the planning process.

To develop it, I used a strategic approach. In other words, worked backward from my objectives to produce a newsletter name that would help me achieve those objectives. Of course, you might also consider other methods...

Other Newsletter Name Methods

For example, the two-column menu method. Take a word from Column A, let's say the company name, and a word from Column B, perhaps one of the standards like Gazette, or Chronicle, or Times. That gives us a utilitarian newsletter name like The Acme Gazette (assuming Acme is the company name).

Then there are reader contests. They work well for employee newsletters and member newsletters because readers get involved, making them feel they're part of the newsletter.

Or how about the clever method? Using brainstorming and creative thinking; the outcome a clever play on words or concepts.

And, then there's the benefits approach, a good tactic for customer newsletters. Take the product name plus a word or phrase that describes its most important benefit, and you've got a high-potential newsletter name.

The Strategic Newsletter Name Method

I decided, though, to use the strategic approach, which builds on objectives, and that seemed appropriate since this newsletter would explore the strategic side of organizational communication.

The newsletter has three objectives:

1. Supporting sales of my book, A Manager's Guide to Newsletters, by directing readers to the book's website,

2. Creating additional streams of revenue by selling ads in the newsletter, and

3. Associating my name (Abbott) with the idea of strategic communication.

Let's start with an easy one, objective 3, which calls for building an association between my name and the concept of strategic communication. So, my last name, at least, should go into the newsletter name.

Second, every newsletter or e-zine name should include some functional information. That way readers get an immediate idea of its content. Objective 3 refers to communication so the word 'communication' should get into the title.

That also helps me connect with objective number 1; as you will have noted, the subtitle of the book is Communicating for Results.

But, should it say communication, or more specifically strategic communication? Obviously the latter describes the content more precisely, but, the newsletter will be distributed by e-mail, so shorter is better. Second, the idea of strategic communication is a relatively uncommon one, and might reduce advertising sales (the second objective).

Focusing on objective 2, it helps if the type of medium (in this case a newsletter) is immediately identifiable. But, should I call it a newsletter, or should I call it an e-zine, which refers to an online newsletter or magazine?

I prefer 'newsletter' because my target audience is comprised of managers, who spend a limited amount of time online, and may not know what 'e-zine' means.

But, the length of the word 'newsletter' is an issue, because we want the name to fit in the subject line of an e-mail reader. So instead of 'newsletter,' I went with just 'letter.' That also adds a degree of personalization, because letter suggests a one-on-one relationship.

Pulling the pieces together I end up with Abbott's Communication Letter. I think the name satisfies all the objectives, and aptly describes a newsletter that explores how managers can use communication to help achieve their goals.

When you start looking for a newsletter name, think strategically before making a final decision. Not all newsletter names have the same potential.
Robert Abbott - EzineArticles Expert Author

Download three free chapters from Robert Abbott's book, A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results; it's the first step toward creating a powerful and sustainable newsletter: http://www.managersguide.com/free-sample.html (and they will help you develop a strong newsletter name, too!)

How to Choose a Web Host Factors to Consider

With all of the web hosting companies, including resellers, out there today, and with all of the promises they make, choosing a web host isn?t always easy. Here are five factors you should consider when comparing web hosts and their hosting plans:

Support

Even if you prefer email support, see if the company at least offers a toll-free support number. Check the hours that it?s available. If something happens, and your site goes down, will someone be there to help you? Also find out what kind of support documents they make available to their customers, which you can use to find answers to your own questions. At the very least, email the hosting company with some questions, and see how long it takes them to respond to you. A good hosting company will answer you within a matter of a few hours if you email them on a weekday (some even on the weekend).

Price Plans

Don?t worry so much about the exact monthly price, but instead on how you?re expected to pay. You?re better off finding a host that allows you to pay on a month-to-month basis than one who requires you to pay up front, whether it?s for three months, six months, or even a year or more. Don?t just trust that a hosting company will be around for long, or that they?ll let you out of your deal without any problems if you find their service less than satisfactory. Comparing the simple price per month can be misleading, because you need to account for every small detail being offered between two competing hosting packages.

Services & Features

Most small business sites would be fine with 100mb space, and sometimes less, if they don?t have an image-heavy site. Other sites require more space and bandwidth, because they host many image, audio, or video files. You should find out what you need and compare similar services from different hosting companies. For instance, do you need to host unlimited domain names? Do you need to be able to create unlimited sub-domains? Do you want access to Fantastico? Do you need a certain number of email addresses included? Do you need access to set up a MySQL database, or even unlimited databases? Do you need a hosting provider that includes a stats package? Do you need to have FrontPage extensions or e-commerce support? Do you want a hosting company that provides free web site templates? These are all different features that you should consider when evaluating a lower-cost plan that may not have them, versus a higher cost plan that does.

Their History

Find out how long the hosting company has been in business. A larger number of new hosting companies don?t survive past their first year, so signing up for an account with one that?s been in business for several years is usually the best idea. You can find out how long a hosting company has been in business by running a WhoIs search on their domain name to see when it was originally registered. You should also do a search on the Web for reviews about the hosting company you?re interested in. Don?t simply believe the testimonials on their own sites. Specifically look for negative reviews to see what past complaints have been.

Your Freedom

Before you sign up with any web hosting company, find out what kind of freedom you will, or won?t, have when managing your site(s) through them. Something as simple as blacklisted email can be overlooked. For example, let?s say you run a small business, and you want to run a company-wide newsletter. You can sign up for email marketing services through companies such as Constant Contact. If your employees each have an email address associated with your hosting account, you may find out the hard way that your employees won?t be allowed to receive your newsletters.

For instance, if you were hosted through GoDaddy.com, you?d find out that they blacklist certain email providers from sending mail to their customers. So, with Constant Contact blacklisted (which it was at last check), you would be forced to sign up for a new email management service or a new hosting provider. Some hosts, such as HostGator.com, allow you to decide who you want to blacklist and whitelist, so you?re completely free to use whatever external services you choose. If you?re running a very small personal site, you might be willing to give up on some freedom for the savings you?ll find. But if you?re a business owner, be sure to find out all of the details about what kinds of freedoms you will and won?t have when running your business? site through any potential hosting provider.

Copyright 2006 Stephen Ashton

Find a web hosting plan to suit your sites needs at http://www.abetterwebhost.com or get programming tips and tutorials at http://www.programmertutorials.com

How to Avoid Negative Feedback on eBay

If you are a regular eBay user then I am sure you will have seen someone with a negative feedback comment in their profile. Negative feedback is usually posted when a buyer and seller have a difference in opinion about a certain product, or one of the parties fails to fulfil their part of the transaction.

If you are a seller on eBay, your feedback profile is the most important part of your business. One negative comment from an unscrupulous buyer could damage your reputation and more importantly damage your sales and profits! As a seller on eBay you want to avoid getting negative feedback comments at all costs, let me show you how to do this.

To begin with ALWAYS make sure you are polite to your customers, I shouldn't need to write this because all good sellers know that it is vital to be polite with your buyers. If you are polite with them in all correspondence then you should be able to work out any problems that you are having. No matter how rude the buyer is when corresponding with you, always keep a cool head and reply to them with a courteous email. If the buyer is a reasonable person then you will be able to resolve your differences without risking a negative feedback.

What if that doesn't work I hear you cry! Well don't worry, even if the buyer leaves you a negative comment after your polite emails there is still a way to get the feedback withdrawn. I'm sure you will have heard of the term "Mutual Feedback Withdrawal". This is where both parties (the buyer and seller) agree that the feedback comment is no longer justified and decide to remove the comments. You can apply for a negative feedback withdrawal via an on-line form on the eBay website, once you have submitted the form the other party must accept the request within 30 days, if they accept the request then your feedback will be removed, it will still be displayed to the public but the negative score will have been removed from your profile.

Before requesting a mutual feedback withdrawal you should contact the other party again via email and tell them (politely of course!) that you would like the matter to be resolved. Discuss the problem with them and try to find some level ground, do your best to solve the problem for them, you could even offer them a full refund or ask them to return the item to you if they are not happy with it. Once you have resolved the dispute ask them if they would be willing to withdraw the negative feedback, when they reply simply fill out the on-line form on eBay and as long as they accept the request your feedback will be removed.

If your trading partner rejects your polite emails and your mutual withdrawal request then unfortunately you are stuck with the feedback. However there is still time for some damage limitation! You can respond to all feedback comments that you have left and received via the eBay feedback forum. You can find this part of eBay by going to your feedback profile, then look at the top of the page and you will see some links that say - Home > Community > Feedback Forum > Member Profile. Click on the link that says "Feedback Forum", you will then see links to the pages you are looking for. Click on the link that says "Reply to feedback received" and you will be able to reply to your negative feedback comment. You should then leave a brief (polite!) reply stating the problem you had with the other party. Although replying to your comment wont remove it, it will show other potential buyers that you tried to resolve the situation and that you do care about your customers and your feedback profile.

One thing I haven't mentioned throughout this article is responding to the negative comment with a negative comment of your own. No matter how tempting it may seem DON`T DO IT! Immediately sending a negative comment to the other party involved will more than likely make the situation worse and will harm your chances of resolving the dispute successfully. The only time I would leave a negative comment for the other party is AFTER you have followed the instructions in this article!

Dan is the owner of Auction-Arses.com, the site that lets you win prizes by naming and shaming bad eBayers!
You can come and chat with Dan at his fantastic members forum - http://www.auction-arses.com/forum.

How to Add Audio Elements to your Website

Are you interested in creating a multimedia Internet marketing campaign? Have you decided that adding audio and video features to your website will help improve your sales conversion rate? If so, then congratulate yourself for taking a step forward into the future of Internet marketing. You are on the cutting edge of Internet marketing.

Now the question still remains - How do you add audio to your website? Do you picture a studio full of audio professionals that know an intricate mix of commands to create the audio files? Erase that complicated scenario from your mind. Creating audio elements is in fact very simple and you can do it from the comfort of your own home or office.

Answer these questions before we go into the specifics of creating audio files for your website.

? Do you know how to type a paragraph in Microsoft Word or other word processing program?

? Do you know how to highlight a word, sentence, or paragraph in Microsoft Word or other word processing program?

? Do you know how to ?delete? a word, sentence, or paragraph in Microsoft Word or other word processing program?

If you answered ?yes? to these questions then you already have what it takes to create and edit audio files. Don't worry if you answered ?no? to these questions because you can acquire these skills quickly.

The first task is to fill your office or home with the proper tools for audio recording. You need to invest in a microphone (preferably of high studio quality), computer, and quiet room. These are three basic necessities you need to get started.

Next you will need to verify that you have an interface that will connect your microphone with your computer. Most new computers have audio capabilities built in. If your computer is older you can consult with a computer technician at your local computer store.

Now it is time to actually record your audio message. You can use software called ?Sony Sound Forge?. Sony Sound Forge enables you to create CD tracks and web audio files. You can even capture audio from an analog source and digitize it onto CDs and MP3s.

You should use the MP3 format when creating audio files. This is the accepted format in 98% of the world. Therefore you know most customers will be able to hear the audio. The basic steps to creating a MP3 audio file are to hit the record button, mark spots where you make a mistake, and edit out these mistakes through the delete option. Sony Sound Forge has a free trial offer and also provides tutorials on how to use their software.

You can also integrate music and sound effects into your audio file. Make sure, however, that you select music that is royalty free. You can search for this type of music by typing ?royalty free music? and ?buy out music? in Google.

Adding audio to your Internet marketing campaign has never been easier. Take a giant leap above your competition by adding audio to your website. You can create an intimate web experience for customers which can lead to immediate and future sales.

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine?s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com.

How eBook Publishers Can Cash In On Seasons Anniversaries And Special Events

The RIGHT books can be great sellers at the RIGHT time of year. Note the word RIGHT because certain times of year are notoriously unkind to the mainstream info products seller.

The run up to Christmas, for instance, typically brings little demand for business opportunities books which often fare better just after Christmas when credit card and other bills land on the doormat and tempt the individual to look again at ways to regenerate his fortunes.

Summer, too, with holidays on the horizon, creates a feelgood factor that outweighs worries about boring old things like bills, work and money. When the cold months return though, it?s a different matter, there?s little to do now but work out ways to make money for next year?s travels ?... and then there?s Christmas closing in ?..!

Generally speaking, January to June and September to November, are kindest to anyone selling business opportunity and other moneymaking titles, including marketing, investing in stocks and shares, building a property portfolio, making money at auction.

So what happens in between, how does the specialist seller of business opportunities and moneymaking books survive the leaner times? The answer is he either makes enough during the good times to cover the bad, or he finds something additional to sell with all-year-round or seasonal appeal. Let?s look at seasonal appeal today.

SEASONS, ANNIVERSARIES, SPECIAL EVENTS - A MARKETERS' DREAM COME TRUE!

Seasons, anniversaries, special events - some of universal interest, like birthdays and family celebrations, others with a high market following, like Christmas, Easter, Valentine?s Day, Mothers? Day, Crufts Dog Show, 100 years since someone famous died or something important happened, and so on, and so on. And so on!

The benefits of focusing on seasons, anniversaries, special events, are many and include:

* High Niche Market Potential. At Christmas, almost everyone thinks Christmas, and much the same goes for Valentine?s Day, Easter, Halloween. The result is niche markets that last just a few weeks, sometimes just days, but they?re potentially most profitable of all.

* History Repeats Itself. Seasons and anniversaries come and go, and what you learn one year will benefit coming years? endeavors. You?ll learn which ads to repeat and which to bin, which media to focus on and whose advertising sales reps. to cold shoulder, while all the time building a list of enquirers and buyers for future promotions.

* Great Research Potential. Every season, anniversary and special event comes with ready made ideas for you to copy next time round. Be careful, however, and learn to distinguish between legal and illegal copying of other people?s ideas, products and intellectual copyrights. When you know the distinction, buy as many advertising publications as possible for your target audience, visit web sites, save marketing emails, compile a huge swipe file of print and online marketing ideas and initiatives. Especially product ideas.

* Sense of Urgency To Buy. Most seasons, anniversaries, special events, are of limited duration and people know if they don?t buy soon, the ads. will quickly disappear. There?s a sense of urgency attached which forces people to buy NOW, unlike non-time-sensitive promotions which might be put to one side to study later, and promptly forgotten!

* All-consuming Passion. Virtually every season, anniversary, special event has a huge audience of followers, and usually buyers, too, of theme-related products and services. At such times of year, the occasion fills MOST people?s minds, MOST of the time!

* Nostalgia. The most popular seasons, anniversaries, special events, have been spoken about, filmed, written about over many years, sometimes centuries, so a mass of research material exists which can itself form the basis of your product. More than this, history itself interests today?s readers, so you could create a product based purely on the background to a particular season, anniversaryor special event. Take virtually any publication and you?ll find the Christmas edition of issue one to forever includes articles, ideas, snippets of useful information, jokes, puzzles, pictures, and more, which can be lifted untouched (out of copyright items or with permission only), or adapted (by rewriting, paraphrasing, not plagiarising) for your info products.

* Niches Within Niches. Many very profitable market niches exist within already seller-friendly niches. Cat lovers for example, and Elvis fans, are highly responsive buyers within other profitable markets, such as Christmas where books, calendars and diaries come bearing pictures and facts about most popular subjects, including cats and the King.

* Free Publicity. Opportunities for low-cost, no-cost marketing are great, as for example where a book about James Dean was launched on the anniversary of his death and sparked countless television and media mentions through carefully timed news releases about the book.

* Media Self-Promotion. It?s a well-known fact that few writers specialise in seasons, anniversaries and special events, so editors are frequently short of features around those special times and will welcome articles, fillers, photos, cartoons and other printable matter in exchange for a write up about your products.

Avril Harper is a business writer and triple eBay PowerSeller and webmaster of http://www.resell-rights.net. She has produced several free guides to making money from resell rights titles - which you can download with other freely distributable reports and eBooks at http://www.toppco.com.

Life Insurance 7 Myths About Life Insurance

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions when it comes to life insurance.

You need to know the truth when it comes to what you are purchasing, don?t just assume based on rumors you?ve heard. Mistakes made when buying life insurance have long-lasting consequences. If your family isn?t provided for as they need to be, you won?t be here to fix it.

You need to choose the life insurance that is right for you. You can do so by avoiding these seven common myths:

Myth #1: You should buy seven times your annual earnings.

The rule of thumb that says you should have so many times your annual income isn?t necessarily true. The average American has a policy three times his or her annual income. Your dependents should be able to withdraw 5% each year from your insurance policy money without having to touch the principal. If you are making $60,000 annually and you purchase three times your annual income, you have an $180,000 policy. This means your heirs will only be able to withdraw $9,000 each year.

Most people have less coverage than they need. To calculate the amount you actually need, estimate how much your heirs will need to maintain their lifestyle without you. Include the costs of child care, education and emergencies. Add up all other sources of income and subtract it from the expenses. This will show how much of a policy you need to have.

Myth #2: Agents don?t give you the best deals, the internet does.

The internet is a great place to shop and research life insurance. But don?t assume that you?ve gotten the lowest price just because it?s the internet. Good agents will find a competitive rate that?s comparable to your online quotes.

Often, the premiums posted on internet sites are misleading. They are usually quoting you are rate that only those in the healthiest of conditions receive. They may give you an initial rate that will increase significantly in a year.

You can?t just compare rates. You need to also compare the policy that you are receiving. Shop around on the internet and with various agents for the best policy for you.

Myth #3: All policies are the same, you are just charged more

You have to read your policy. It is a contract between you and an insurance company. It tells you what is payable and what isn?t. All policies have different features. Make sure that you have received what you were told you were getting. Make sure that all names are correctly spelled and all numbers are right. Your written policy is what matters, not your phone conversations or your agent?s promises.

Myth #4: You should always name your estate beneficiary

If you do, the proceeds will go through probate. This means that your policy proceeds could be tied up for several months to over a year. Your heirs will not have access to the money during this time.

The proceeds will also increase the value of your estate, which means your family might have to pay estate taxes. If you have an estate over $1.5, you will pay taxes depending on your state. Estate taxes are often as high as 48%, so do everything you can to avoid them.

Myth #5: If you are in poor health, you are uninsurable

This simply isn?t true. There are a lot of companies out there that specialize in coverage to those who have or have recovered from a serious illness. The coverage is often expensive, but you can get it.

Being turned down once doesn?t mean it will happen again. Shop around, one company might charge you an added surcharge, while another will charge you a standard to preferred rate. It really depends on the company, not just your health status.

Myth #6: Insurance agents know what you need

Many life insurance agents are looking out for your best interests, others aren?t. That?s the way it is. Agents are compensated differently for selling different products; that often influences what they sell you.

If you need help, also ask your CPA what type and how much life insurance you should buy.

Myth #7: Life insurance is more important than disability coverage

Most people recognize life insurance as an important part of their financial planning. They often overlook the importance of disability insurance. You are 50% more likely to be disabled than you are to die when you are under the age of 50.

Most people will find that term life insurance best fits there needs and offers less expensive premiums. If you do, you also need to have disability insurance.
Martin Lukac - EzineArticles Expert Author

Martin Lukac, represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

Largo Florida Homes are an Excellent Investment

If you are searching for a home in Pinellas County Florida, but are discovering that home prices are just too high in many areas, you may want to take a look at the City of Largo. This charming city is conveniently located between Clearwater and St. Petersburg and has so much to offer. Home prices have continued to rise in this area, but homes are a little older and some need a little tender loving care. They offer great neighbors and an excellent location, and with a little work, could provide you a large return on your investment. Largo has so much to offer, such as quiet neighborhoods, highly rated schools, and the Largo Central Park. This facility has an enormous children's playground, Cultural Center, offers numerous city events and even has a train that runs throughout the park for you to enjoy.

Largo is moments from the beautiful Gulf Beaches. Belleair Beach is a quiet beach just across the Belleair Causeway that prides itself on tranquility and sophistication. Clearwater and Sand Key Beaches are a few miles down the beach, and offer dining, fishing and an abundance of activities. Whether you enjoy a relaxing day by the water, or the entertainment of Clearwater Beach, you won't have to drive very far.

Living in Largo is a smart investment. Even as you drive down the main roads of this city, you will see that businesses and city officials have put large amounts of money into improving the appearance of storefronts, street signs, more lighting and improving roadways. There is very little land for developers to build on, and many people are starting to buy older homes and fix them up. We are seeing this all over Largo. There are still affordable homes, in many sizes. Singles, couples and families will all agree, that Largo offers everything they want. Shopping, dining and activities abound in this appealing city.
Robert Lipply - EzineArticles Expert Author

Bob Lipply is a top Real Estate Broker Associate in the Tampa Real Estate area. He and his team have been helping families relocate to Florida and on the selling end get top dollar for their homes with great success. Lipply Real Estate also specializes in Largo Real Estate visit his website where you can search the MLS for up to date available homes for sale.

Income Tax Preparation

Every person who receives income of one kind or the other has to pay income tax to the government. Tax preparation involves a lot of calculation and prior planning. There are forms to be filled and submitted, and refunds claimed from the IRS (the Internal Revenue Service).

The first step in income tax preparation is to choose the right form. There are several kinds of forms depending on the kind of income. The basic form 1040 (or 1040EZ or 1040A) has to be filled by everyone, apart from any other forms. Form 1040 is meant for all kinds of incomes, if the annual income is more than $50,000. This form is also used for itemizing deductions when not applying the standard deduction. 1040EZ is for single people, or when married and filing jointly. The applicant should not have any dependents, should be less than 65, not blind, and have taxable income (from certain sources) of less than $50,000, with earned interest of less than $400, and no itemized deductions. Form 1040A is for people who have annual income of less than $50,000, but have itemized deductions.

There are certain schedules generally used with 1040: Schedule A (itemize deductions); Schedule B (report taxable interest or dividends in excess of $400); Schedule C or C-EZ (report profit or loss from a business), Schedule D (report capital gains and losses); Schedule E (report supplemental income and losses) and Schedule EIC (claim earned income tax credit).

The forms can be obtained from the public library or IRS. After selecting the right form, prepare the return using W-2s (wage and tax settlements given by the employer), 1099s (dividend and interest forms given by banks, mutual funds and other investments), and other receipts. Attach all the required documents to the form, including the payment voucher form 1040-V (if required). Make sure that you sign the form, and the social security number on the form is correct.

The main information required for income tax preparation is: personal data (social security number, alimony paid and child care provider); employment and income data (W-2 form, unemployment compensation, miscellaneous income, pensions/annuities, jury duty pay, alimonies received, prizes/awards/lotteries/scholarships/fellowships received, state and local income tax refunds); home owner/rental data; financial assets, financial liabilities, expenses and self-employment data (if applicable).

You can take the help of a professional income tax preparer if: the tax preparation is too complex, the IRS questions you about something, or you want to save time and effort. However, check for the preparer?s credentials. Any certified public accountant (CPA), certified financial planner (CFP), or enrolled agent (EA) would be able to help. The National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) is a good source for finding a good Income Tax Preparer.

Tax Preparation provides detailed information on Tax Preparation, Income Tax Preparation, Tax Preparation Software, Tax Return Filing Preparation and more. Tax Preparation is affiliated with IRS Tax Help.

How To Make Your Cash Liquid Assets Invisible To Attorneys Creditors Other Snoops

We live in a litigious society. If you own a business, own rental property or practice a profession, you have a one in three chance of being sued this next year. Aside from real estate, large cash balances in your bank account or a healthy investment portfolio will leave predatory lawyers foaming at the mouth.

So how do you protect your cash, stocks and mutual funds?

As in any effective asset protection plans, privacy or more specifically, financial privacy is the key.

The entire litigation process is predicated on the plaintiff's ability to collect. It costs a great deal of money in attorney?s fees, court costs, etc. to pursue a court case. If they don't think you have assets to take, chances are they won't be interested in suing you in the first place. In other words, do you own anything of value that would make it worth their time and effort to sue you?

Cash in bank accounts, stocks or mutual funds in a brokerage account are relatively easy to reach, giving the plaintiff's attorney the green light to file their claim.

So how do you not own these assets but still maintain control over them? The answer is by setting up a private corporation to be the owner of the assets while you anonymously maintain control of them. Of the many different legal entities available, private corporations are ideally suited for this purpose.

Why corporations?

Under the law, a corporation is an artificial "person", completely separate from you. Because it is an independent entity, a corporation's liabilities and taxes are separate from the people who own and operate it. This is the reason why almost all successful people choose to incorporate. It permits you to keep you and your liabilities separate from your assets.

However, it is only in a state like Nevada or an offshore jurisdiction such as the Bahamas that you can set up a corporation so that, while you own and control your corporation, your identity and ownership can remain completely private. Since the ownership of the corporation cannot be traced to you, your enemies will not be able to take your assets within your corporation.

Once a private corporation is formed, a bank and/or brokerage account can be established for the corporation and your cash and investment holdings can then be transferred out of your name to the corporate account.

You will still retain your personal checking account to pay for your day-to-day activities but the bulk of your assets is now out of your name and will not show up if an attorney conducts an asset search on you. This strategy will not only lower your lawsuit worthy profile, it will also dwarf any collection efforts if you lose a future lawsuit.

Carlos Lee, MBA, is the senior consultant for Asset Protection Consulting Group.

Visit Asset Protection Consulting Group to learn more about how to bulletproof your assets against future lawsuits.

How To Make Money In The Stock Market

There are abundant of money in the stock market. However, not everybody can get the money out from there. Some people can gain a lot from the stock market but some has lost a lot of money there. It is very indecisive. Sometime at that moment, you loss money but after a few days, you may earn a profit and sometime is reverse. So, how should we do to get the money out from the stock market? Usually, there are two ways to get the money out from the stock market; that are investing and trading. The difference between trading and investing is trading involves buying and selling share, future or option within a short period of time; whereas investing is buying share, future or option and hold it for quite a long time, usually one year or more before selling it.

What is the difference between share, future and option? What we know is that option is much cheaper than the share and future, usually is tenfold lesser than the share price. So, if you have an amount of money that enough for you to buy 100 units share, you can use that amount of money to buy 1000 units option. And the return of investment is almost the same between share and option. Therefore, you will earn around tenfold if you buy option rather than share or future. However, the disadvantage is that if you lose on that trade, you will lose almost tenfold also. When we trade option, the amount of money that we can profit and lose is almost same as if we trade share. However, we need a lot of money to buy share compared to buy option. This causes the percentage of the profit and loss for buying option is much higher than share. The example is like when you buy $10 for one unit of share and $1 for one unit of option. When the share price drops for %ARTICLEBODY%.10, the percent drop for buying share is 1% but for buying option, the percent loss is 10%. That?s why the percentage of the profit and loss for buying option is huge compared to buying share even though the share price fluctuates in a small amount.

Due to the high profit and loss when buying option, trading or investing option is just like gambling. It is quite normal that the return of investment is more than 100%. But it is also quite normal that you could lose all your money in the investment or trading. In order that you can earn more than lose, you need to know some basic option trading strategy and technical analysis. Option is different from the share. Option has time value; whereas, share does not have time value. The value of one share will not depreciate due to the passage of the time. It is only affected by the supply and demand and also the company performance. However, option value will depreciate when the time has passed. When the time reaches to the option expiration date, there is no more time value for that option. That?s why, you need to use strategy to trade option, in order that you can minimize the loss and maximize the profit.

The very basic two option trading strategies are bullish call spread and bearish put spread. Bullish call spread is used when the stock price is anticipated to rise in the coming months; while, bearish put spread is used when the stock price is anticipated to drop in the coming months. Steps that are involved in this strategy are buying in the money option and selling out of the money option. In the money option is the option that has time value and intrinsic value; whereas, out of the money option only has time value. When the stock price moves to the positive side (generated money side), in the money option will generate profit and the out of the money option will cause loss. However, the minus of the profit and the loss is the net profit that has generated from this strategy. When the stock price moves over the out of the money strike price, the profit will become maximized. Continuously moving of the stock price to the positive side will not generate any profit. In this situation, we will close both positions to take the profit out from the market.

If the stock price moves to negative side (opposite side that cause loss), in the money option?s value will depreciate and the out of the money option will generate profit. However, the profit, which is generated from the out of the money, is limited to the price that you have sold. The subtraction between out of the money?s profit and in the money?s loss is a negative value. This is because the profit that is generated from the out of the money option is less than the loss that is caused by in the money option. Out of the money option?s profit is limited in this strategy and in the money option?s loss is unlimited. If the stock price continuously moves to the negative side, you may lose all of your capital. So, what is the difference from buying naked option and buying option using spread strategy? The difference is that you may lose more money if you buy naked option and lose less money if you buy spread. This is because you do not generate any profit when you just buy naked option; whereas, profit is generated from the out of the money option if the stock price moves to the negative side. The disadvantage of the spread is that the commission, which is charged by the broker firm, is double compared to the naked option. This is because, naked option only involves one position; whereas, spread involves two positions. Each position will be charged with commission separately.

Besides, the purpose of selling out of the money option in the spread strategy is to minimize the loss of the time value of the in the money option. Actually, both in and out the money option?s time value would depreciate when the time has passed. Because we do not own the out of the money option; therefore, we can keep the money that we have received from selling that option. When the time value of this out of the money option has depreciated, we used lower price to buy back the option. So, we sell at high price and buy back at low price; therefore, we earn money. The money that we have earned usually is enough to cover the loss of the time value from the in the money option. However, you still lose the intrinsic value of option if the stock price moves to the negative direction.

So, bullish call and bearish put spreads are two of the very basic option trading strategies. However, it is not guaranteed 100 % win from the stock market. You still need to learn to predict the stock price direction accurately using technical, fundamental and news analysis.

By Alexander Chong
Author of "Workable Option Trading Strategies"
http://www.makemoneystocks.com/

How To Get A Letter From The IRS That Says You Are Recognized As A NonTaxpayer

Like most people you are filing a 1040 form at the end of each year. The question is, why? Now don't get me wrong here. I am not saying it is time to stop paying your income taxes. If you tried to just stop sending in a 1040 form most likely the IRS would hunt you down and prosecute you to the full extent of the law.

So let?s begin by getting to how you came to be in this position. The fact is, at some point, you were lead to believe that when you started to earn an income in this country you needed to file a 1040 Form to declare taxable income. As soon as you submitted that form a file was opened with the IRS called your Individual Master File (IMF). At that point you became a legal taxpayer, a person who is required to submit a 1040 Form each year from that time on. Before you filed your first 1040 you were a legal non-taxpayer and didn't even know it. How did this change take place?

Well, the fact is the United States Constitution states that the US Government could not tax an individual?s wages. The only way they were allowed to collect taxes was through excise taxes. These are the taxes we pay on fuel, telephone service and other utilities, motels, etc. These taxes are what support the backbone of this country and they are entirely legal. They provide the services and roads that we depend on every day. Well the government decided that they needed more money so the 16th Amendment to the constitution was created. What people do not know is that the laws created in that amendment apply only to these people...Federal Employees, residents of Washington DC and other federally controlled territories such as US Virgin Islands. That amendment does not apply to the majority of Americans! So what the IRS did was create a form, (aka the 1040 Form) that is a legal document of the US Virgin Islands. So guess what, when you filed your first 1040 form, you fraudulently stated that you are a resident of the US Virgin Islands. Of course you did not know that but now your Master File with the IRS says that you are legally bound to file income taxes for the rest of your life, because you are a resident of the US Virgin Islands. That is why you cannot just stop filing without serious consequences.

Well how can you fix this issue? You need to get your IRS Master File corrected. Any information held within that file can be used against you, even if it is wrong, should the IRS ever decide to take court action against you. The information in that file is considered fact unless rebutted. So if it is taken before a court of law, whatever your file says is what the court is going to accept as truth.

Now the Freedom of Information Act states that any agency that maintains a file on you must provide you a copy if you request one, much like your credit report. However unlike your credit history, your IRS Master File is written entirely in numerical code. You could not read it if you wanted to. Therefore you must hire an agency to do that for you. They have the IRS codebooks to clearly understand what is in your file. Interestingly must peoples Master Files are as much as 30 pages long. They often list you as not only a Virgin Islands resident, but also as an arms dealer, drug trafficker, etc. That way they have a strong case pre-built against you in the event that they aver have to start court proceedings. However once you have your Master File decoded and all erroneous entries deleted, your file will fit on one page. You also can get a letter from the IRS that states that you have no 1040 form requirement. So do yourself a favor and get that file cleaned. I am not the person to do that for you but I can direct you to those who can.

Wishing you the best, Adron Wood www.realfinancialeducation.com

As a financial education consultant I am here to help individuals locate little know strategies to assist with real long term wealth creation and preservation. That includes legal tax reduction or elimination. http://www.realfinancialeducation.com

How to Frugally Get the Most Out of Your Home Sale

With the U.S. housing market showing signs of slowing down, you may want to make your home look a little more attractive.

When the housing market slows, the market can become a buyer's market. This means that there are more houses on the market than buyers. The buyer gets his pick of properties. And you may have less traffic and offers.

There are ways to pull people into your home. But don't think that you are going to pull out your checkbook just yet. You can do this frugally.

You would be amazed at how much a little cleaning can appeal to a buyer. Walk through your home with boxes and start removing clutter. You are going to move anyway, might as well start packing. The goal is to show a clean, clutter-free home. You want to de-personalize the space. You want to show shelves with plenty of room and spacey cabinets. Not that the home isn't big enough to fit all of your junk.

For example, your living room needs a couch, chairs, a few plants and details, end tables and lamps. You may or may not leave the TV -- it depends on how large it is. A buyer doesn't want to see your 30-years in the home out for display. The buyer should picture his family living there.

Don't just stuff things in closets, they will be opened. Clean out everything that isn't essential for your living.

You may want to stage the furniture in your home to make the rooms look larger. You want to draw attention to the best features of your home. For example, if you have a large, beautiful bay window in your living room, you may not want to cover it up with furniture.

The purpose of the decor in your home is to no longer display your lifestyle. It is meant to sell your home. Keeping this in mind. Keep plenty of lights and make sure that light bulbs are replaced. Make your beds and empty the garbage cans every day. Make it a habit.

You may even need to spend $20 on a gallon of paint to fix any rough walls. For example, dining rooms without chair rails often start showing wear on the paint quickly. Decide what rooms need a fresh coat of paint and do it early enough that your home won't smell like paint.

The two main rooms that will sell your home are the kitchen and the bathroom. Spruce up these rooms a little bit. You might switch out the cabinet hardware or update your faucets for less than $200. Make sure that they are clean. You can even stage something in your kitchen, like a fresh loaf of bread on the counter.

In the bathroom, spend a little money on matching towels. Clean out all but the most essential toiletries.

When you are selling a home, you help it along by making sure that it is clean and clutter-free. You will be amazed at how people will respond. If you have any questions about what exactly you need to do, ask your Realtor. He or she should be able to guide you through needed improvements.
Martin Lukac - EzineArticles Expert Author

Martin Lukac, represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

How to Find a Great Real Estate Agent

After deciding to buy or sell a home, one of the first things you should do, is look into finding a knowledgeable and experienced real estate agent. There are many ways to find a qualified agent. One of the most common is word of mouth. Hearing from a friend, coworker or acquaintance that they loved their agent, is a great way to find someone that you will trust and feel confident in. This person will be representing you and your home, and having a good background of experience is a key ingredient in enlisting his or her help.

Another common way people search for a reputable agent is to contact someone who they see on "For Sale" signs in other seller's yards. Many prospective buyers still drive through neighborhoods they desire, and look for houses for sale. If you commonly see the same agent listing homes, there is a good reason why. Maybe that agent is well informed of the advantages of living in that neighborhood. They could have a great reputation in that area. They may offer a competitive commission rate. Or have been an agent for many years with a lot of experience. If other sellers trust them, maybe you should too!

Many prospective buyers and sellers use advertisements, billboards, and park benches to find a great agent. These tools are useful because they show that an agent is using his or her resources to promote themselves. The more people that contact your agent, the more likely they are to hear about your home. Agents love to sell homes they are listing to their own buyers who they are currently working with. It can cut down on commissions to the seller which helps the selling price for the buyer. It's a win, win situation!

And don't forget the internet! Internet web sites and listings are becoming one of the fastest growing ways to find a property. Agents have helpful web sites that are content rich and help to inform buyers of communities and neighborhoods within the city they are moving too. A great internet site can bring an agent business and help sellers sell their homes. Your agent can put photos and information regarding your home on his or her internet page. Buyers who are searching for a home like yours may see it on the internet!

Next you can contact a reputable real estate firm and ask for their assistance in choosing an agent within their firm. Let them know that you not only want the best, but someone who has the time to work with you on an individual basis and not just pass you off to their assistant. These agents are making money on selling your home and if you sign up with a specific agent, you want his or her help. It's okay to speak to assistants occasionally, but a real estate agent?s reputation is one of his or her best assets.

When choosing an agent, do your homework. Our homes are our biggest investment. Make sure you are happy with the real estate agent who will be representing you and your family!
Robert Lipply - EzineArticles Expert Author

Bob Lipply is a top Real Estate Broker Associate in the Tampa Bay Florida Real Estate area. He and his team have been helping families relocate to Florida and on the selling end get top dollar for their homes with great success. Lipply Real Estate also specializes in Clearwater Real Estate visit his website where you can search the MLS for up to date available homes for sale.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

How to Tell Your Children About Divorce

Whether your divorce is amicable or contentious, when and how to tell your children can be a difficult issue. Your children may already know that there are difficulties in your home life and marriage, but you may be surprised at the level of their sophistication and knowledge about divorce. Even if they are relieved to hear that a difficult home life is about to change, do not ever underestimate the degree to which your divorce can impact your children. The adults are not alone in feeling the stress and hurt of a strained family situation. You must take special steps to insulate your children and help them through the divorce process.

There is not one simple outline that provides all of the right answers and information on how to guide your children through the divorce process. When and how to tell your children about the divorce will depend upon your individual family dynamics, the maturity of your children, the ages of your children, the conflict level in your house, and your own individual preferences. If you are unsure of how to present this issue, it is a good idea to obtain professional help to do so. Many counselors are well versed in addressing divorce issues with children and they are available to guide you through this process with your children.

The type of divorce situation presenting itself in your family will have some impact on how and when you present this issue to your children. If you and your spouse are amicable, and your divorce is low stress, your children may not even be aware of the possibility of a break up. While that means that the divorce conflict has not impacted upon the children as of yet, it does not mean that it will not. Your children might be even more affected by the news that you are divorcing if they were unaware that there were problems in your marriage. If you or your spouse has been working with a counselor, either together or separately, that counselor can lay out some simple strategies on how to tell the children. Basic information that you want to discuss with the counselor is whether you tell the children together or separately and what information you can or should give the children about what their living arrangements will be in the future.

It is never acceptable to disclose that you and your spouse are getting a divorce when you are in the middle of a conflict. To place blame on your spouse, or to provide information in a way that conveys blame or fault may make you feel better in the short run. In the long run it will hurt your children, and it will impact your long term relationship with the children's other parent. Also, courts frown on providing children with adult level information and details about your divorce. Do so and you risk hurting your legal case, if your divorce will be presented to a judge.

Most counselors will support a joint parental communication to the children about the pending divorce. However, a joint discussion about divorce with the children does require that you and your spouse be able to maintain a basic level of civility, if for no other reason than to maintain your children's peace of mind. If you and your spouse cannot be civil, do not attempt to discuss this issue together with the children.

If your marriage has been rife with conflict, your children may be aware of or even welcoming the relief of a parental separation and/or divorce. Do not be surprised if you find out that your children know more than you thought, even if you have been attempting to conceal the conflict from them.

The issues that your children want to be reassured about involve where they will live, where they will go to school, whether their activities and daily lives will be disrupted, and the degree to which they will be able to maintain their relationship with each parent. Teenagers can be particularly vulnerable and sensitive to disruption in their lives and schedules. If you are able to work out a parenting schedule with your spouse, it is acceptable to share that with the children to reassure them. It also can be acceptable to involve the children in the process of setting a schedule. However, that issue can be very delicate. You do not want children dictating to the adults and you do not want the children to have limited contact with either parent.

Above all else, do not discuss marital fault issues or the reason for the divorce with your children. Even if you think that your spouse is the worse miscreant on the planet, that spouse is your children's parent. Your children want to and are entitled to love both parents. That a spouse cannot make a marriage work does not dispossess them of the right to be a parent. More important, it does not dispossess the children of the right to love that parent and have a relationship with the parent.

Consider that you may have a range of reactions from your children about the pending divorce. They may not be surprised. Or, they could be upset and shocked. In many cases, even when they are not surprised, the children might be angry or blame themselves. Work with a professional to address all of these emotional reactions. Your children will adjust to your divorce, if you provide the proper guidance and assistance during that process.

How To Incorporate Yourself Without A Lawyer

You could save hundreds of dollars by incorporating yourself without a lawyer. How? Is it advisable to do so?

1. This is Not Legal Advice!

The only ones who should be giving legal advice are those licensed to practise law (in other words, only lawyers). This article is not legal advice. If you need legal advice, consult a lawyer.

This article is being written simply to inform you that it is possible to form a corporation or limited liability company without a lawyer.

2. Why Use a Lawyer?

First of all, if you make a mistake incorporating yourself, who do you sue? You only have yourself to blame. On the other hand, a lawyer has insurance to cover errors and omissions.

Secondly, you could benefit from the expertise of your lawyer. Perhaps a corporation isn`t the right vehicle for you under your circumstances. Be aware that there can be disadvantages as well as advantages to incorporating. Your lawyer can consider commercial law, securities legislation, limited liability, tax factors, estate planning, share structure, and a myriad of other business considerations. Sometimes the advice of a good lawyer can save you thousands of dollars.

3. Is it Advisable to Incorporate Yourself?

Is it advisable to perform surgery on yourself? It is illegal to perform surgery on someone else unless you are licensed to practise medicine, but perhaps in a wilderness survival scenario, self-surgery might be your only option. However, is performing surgery on yourself really a good idea in most instances?

Likewise, just because it is possible to incorporate yourself without a lawyer doesn`t mean it is always a good idea.

In some jurisdictions, only lawyers can incorporate others. For a paralegal or other person to incorporate a company for you could be considered unauthorized practise of law. Thus, it may be legal to incorporate yourself but not others.

Some factors you might consider are: Am I really that short of cash that I can`t spend the extra money for good legal advice that may save me thousands of dollars? Am I confident that my situation is one that really doesn`t need the services of a lawyer to incorporate? Can the money saved on legal fees be better utilized in financing other aspects of my business?

Each person will have to make their own decision on whether or not to seek the services of a lawyer in forming a corporation.

"He who has himself as a lawyer has a fool for a client." I have often thought that perhaps a law firm originated this common expression.

4. How To Incorporate Yourself

Many books have been written by lawyers on how to incorporate yourself.

For example, in Canada, M. Stephen Georgas, LL.B., has written books on the subject of forming your own corporation. Published by International Self-Counsel Press Ltd., he has authored "Incorporation and Business Guide for Ontario" ("How to form your own corporation Includes tax advantages to incorporating") and "Federal Incorporation And Business Guide" ("How to form your own Federal corporation under The Canada Business Corporations Act").

The same publisher sells forms and minute books as well as titles for incorporating in other provinces of Canada.

Forms, corporate supplies, name searches, and kits are available from legal stationers and other sources.

In the United States, there are likewise many manuals available for incorporating yourself in various states. "Incorporating Your Business For Dummies" by The Company Corporation and "How To Form Your Own Corporation Without a Lawyer for Under $75.00" by Ted Nicholas are two such books.

Sometimes helpful information on this subject is available from federal, provincial and state governments for free or nominal cost.

You can sometimes locate incorporation manuals at your local library for free. Be careful. Legal manuals become outdated very rapidly. You might consider very seriously purchasing the most up-to-date manual available; it might also include helpful reference material on maintaining corporate minutes and other helpful suggestions on operating your corporation.

Buy the appropriate manual and supplies and then follow the instructions. With a little effort, you could save hundreds of dollars incorporating yourself without a lawyer.

global issue

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Increase the Efficiency of Your Email Marketing Campaign by Avoiding 10 Dreaded Red Flag Words

Hyperlinks in Audio and Video

How You Could Create an Information Product in an Hour

How to Write a UserFriendly eBook

How to Write a UserFriendly eBook

How to Stream Audio from Your Website for Free

How To Make Money Selling Ebooks

How to Get Your Website Indexed Fast

How To Earn From Your Ezine

How to Create a Newsletter Name

How to Choose a Web Host Factors to Consider

How to Avoid Negative Feedback on eBay

How to Add Audio Elements to your Website

How eBook Publishers Can Cash In On Seasons Anniversaries And Special Events

Life Insurance 7 Myths About Life Insurance

Largo Florida Homes are an Excellent Investment

Income Tax Preparation

How To Make Your Cash Liquid Assets Invisible To Attorneys Creditors Other Snoops

How To Make Money In The Stock Market

How To Get A Letter From The IRS That Says You Are Recognized As A NonTaxpayer

How to Frugally Get the Most Out of Your Home Sale

How to Find a Great Real Estate Agent

Thursday, August 9, 2007

How to Tell Your Children About Divorce

How To Incorporate Yourself Without A Lawyer

global issue

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