HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

I have been looking for more ways to spread the word about this blog, and one popular choice is Pay Per Click advertising.  For the uninitiated, a site owner contributes a certain amount of money to purchasing ads on websites and are charged according to the number of clicks an ad gets.   This is very popular on Google.   Recently, Network Solutions, who is the domain registrar with one of the longest histories, got into the internet marketing game.    The jury is still out for me on this, but I admit the Network Solutions name makes me turn my head a little.  In fact, the very first domain we had registered in the 90s was purchased through them.    In reviewing their  program, it seems that they offer a more comprehensive plan, such as keyword research, site analysis, and ad copy.  You don’t want your whole campaign crashing and burning based on something only you think is catchy.    The other positive is that if your site deals with a local business, you won’t be placed on sites that will bring you calls for a plumber from five states away.

The  service may seem a bit pricey for sites that revolve around personal hobbies or blogging, but if your site is also about your livelihood, such a high percentage of business comes from the internet these days, it could be well worth it to you.

It is time once again to think about those autumn events. People will be back to the daily routine once September is in full swing. Outdoor fundraisers start to dwindle down in the fall and it is time to already have dates set for the dinners, auctions, and other “indoor” fundraisers that are scattered througout the fall and winter.

Luckily, there is a Special Sale going on at VistaPrint. You can order some of the promotional materials ahead a time at a great discount.

When one is throwing a fundraiser, often there are unnecessary expenses that can be avoided. However, you don’t want to bypass sending out invitations to key people. You may not spend a dime for the calendar listing in the paper, but people tend to forget about things. Time just slips away. A personal invitation may cost pennies to a few dollars, but if this is an event that attendees will be opening their wallets up for auction items, and the like, a dollar or two to spent on extending a personal invite will come back to you.

The one item you might not think of is the smaller corrugated lawn signs. I can’t tell you how invaluable little extras like this are. They really get people in off the street if you have an event where preregistration is not required. Put one or two at the entry to the parking lot or driveway of the event, and on the corner to attract attention. Even if it is a closed event, it will prevent people from driving right by it and second guessing their directions. Right now they are half off, only $5.99, so order a few with your logo, or with a three word or less phrase that attracts attention that you can use again.

With a little planning, your event can be a big success. It is like shopping for the holidays. Buy ahead and get a better discount rather than rushing things at the last second.

On Friday, I wrote an entry thanking a few bloggers for spreading the word about animals in need at Heard County Animal Control. I do have a readership that includes a few fellow/sister bloggers who pick up news stories from me from time, and I am thankful for that. This past week, I didn’t have much time between receiving the information on what sweet cats and dogs that were going to be put down this week, and the time it was happening. I needed help right away !

I turned to the devoted Sparkers at SocialSpark for help, as I knew that I could count on them. I have recently joined SocialSpark, which has a great set up for getting the word out about just about anything that can be blogged. A blogger places their “order” so to speak, and a request goes into the list of available “Sparks.” Suddenly a “Spark” is ignited and the matter you are trying to call attention to or the blog you are wanting to promote is called to attention. Other bloggers can write about it, and in exchange for their generosity, you’ll throw them back a mention too. It is a great way to get to know eachother!

In a nuthshell, it is social networking for bloggers. You may wonder with all of Google’s rules, how can you add all sorts of shout outs to other blogs on your blog? I mean, Google likes to see link exchanges, but you get penalized in the rankings and searches if you go overboard. They just want to make sure you are not one of those spammy “links only” sites with no real content. SocialSpark is 100% Google approved. The use of “no follow” tags instruct the Google robots what to do.

What’s more, is that you can also purchase advertising with this system and get 100% honest opinions about your product, website, or message. You never know what people think sometimes when you buy print advertising. You may get a few phone calls, but what did the other folks who saw it think and why didn’t they act on it? With using SocialSpark, you can find out not only instantly through the opinion of bloggers, but will get a trickle effect from their readers too. All bloggers are required to carry an in post disclosure that has two benefits. Firstly, the reader knows that they are reading a compensated review. Secondly, it gets you traffic from others interested in checking you out. Word spreads fast on the internet!  

Ignite the Spark!  CLICK HERE to start!

More than a few people have mentioned to me that they would like to get their passion for their cause out to a wider audience, or just feel they “have a book in them.”  Often, the thought of the whole process discourages them from ever taking the manuscript out of the show box.  Sometimes, it even makes them hesitate to put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard.     

AuthourHouse.Com provides an alternative to traditional Book Publishers.  They have an AuthorCentric Self-Publishing process that provides support along the way.   For some people, they are looking for discounts on raw materials, which they provide.  For others, it is the guidance, and they supply that too.  If you are serious about your story, you may want to pay them a visit on the web. 

When I used to sell items online, I found that a customer had only tolerance to check back three times to see if you had something new, or currently had items for sale. If on three subsequent occasions, your store was sold out, they would not darken your door again. Well, they may, but it would take more effort on your part. This idea doesn’t only apply to online commerce. It applies very much to blogging as well. It applies to charity work too.

I firmly believe that maintaining your blog readership is 50% perseverance and 50% persistence. First and foremost, your job is to simply keep writing. In fact, it is not a job at all. For most people. blogging is a hobby. Maybe you don’t take it seriously if a blog is not being used to direct people to a business you own, but most bloggers I know stop feeling gratified if no one is out there reading and commented. Some may say “I write for myself, I don’t care if people read.” Well, that is a load of hogwash. If you were writing for yourself and didn’t intend to have readers, you would be keeping it on your hard drive. Yes, it is true, even the most self-effacing blogger secretly hopes to be “discovered” by others.

If the act of writing and “sticking to it” is the perseverance, the persistence is designing your blog in such a way or having other features that keep your readers coming back. They don’t come back just when they remember how good your writing is; it is the nudge on the shoulder. It could be a contest you are running that motivates them to return to see if they have won. It could be seeing your name comment on their blog, further reminding them to visit you again. Or, you could be directly requesting them to return. It is very common for those that have online stores to send a newsletter out to remind people of “specials.” Why is it so against the grain to do so with a blog? Cost is one reason some don’t do it, and the other reason is people may feel their blog has nothing the reader wants.

Zookoda offers a newsletter service for bloggers that comes with no cost attached, so that calms the first “anti-newsletter” thought. Secondly, because readers can opt in or out, you know they want updates from you and want to read what you have to say.

In the past, I have found the best prior services to be paid services, as they offered better stats, and were spam compliant. The free services just were not up to par. When my newsletter appeared in an inbox with an advertisement in the subject line unrelated to my site, that was enough to know it wasn’t for me.

Check out Zookoda.  It may be just what you have been hoping for.

I know that a lot of us make crafts, paint, or sell our extra stuff on the internet to help grow the money we have available to donate to help pets and people in need. The fees are pretty fair sometime. After all, if we were selling in our town we would have to buy booth or table space. Sometimes, however, fees on the internet can be quite prohibitive if you are just an occasional seller and aren’t looking to open a business.

SilkFair is a site that I recently discovered. There are no store or listing fees, which work very well for someone who just tosses their wares online occasionally or seasonally. You do pay a fee when the item sells, which is only fair. They charge a modest 3%.

What’s more, is it is not just your typical auction or shop site. There are multimedia features such as video. Imagine getting to show people how your latest invention works, rather than just showing a photo of a “whatsit” that people have to use their imagination with.

One of the hesitations buyers may have with purchasing on a relatively new site is that are wary of seller reputation. The site addresses this by allowing sellers to link to their Ebay feedback, as well as provides a way to leave feedback through Silk Fair. To protect sellers, Authorize.Net is offered to protect against fraud.

Have you tried SilkFair yet? If so, comment and let me know what you think.

I wish I could remember who said it. A few years ago, I read a remark that someday there would be an Oscar winning film made by a ten year old on her video camera that would outdo any study in originality and sincerity. A few years ago, I imagined a privileged child who had been given pricey equipment by her doting parents.

The way technology has changed however, anyone with a camera phone or anything else with a video setting is creating their own viral videos.

As Shakespeare once said (and this time, as you can see I remember who said it***), “There is nothing new under the sun.” I argue that all this isn’t the revolution of ordinary people deciding to have a whack at being the next Speilberg. It has a closer ancestor with the video clip shows that people would send their tapes into and compete for wonderful prizes. But it has matured. Sure there are the videos of people that remind you of your brother and his stupid friends making strange noises with their bodies on a Saturday afternoon, but people are really starting to get sophisticated. User generated content for video sites has just exploded, in that many social networking sites and classified sites are supporting the platform.

YawpBox is a new site that promises to go one beyond the social networking and the video sites, and be a social networking site where people are represented and relate on the basis of video. Yawpbox.tv is a 30 minute show that is done in “magazine style” and is filmed before a live studio audience. It will feature videos created by users of the website. Those that get the highest votes will most likely appear on television. Hosts Lex and Terry will commentate.

So if you have something to say, record yourself and then go to Yawpbox and give it a try.

Might be a great way to tell the world what you volunteer for!

*** Wrong again! It was in Ecclesiastes. Not Our pal Will.