CAN WE MONETIZE OUR SOCIAL NETWORKS?

While the term ‘Web 2.0’ may not have any real meaning to you and I, as internet uses, we can not deny the symbolic value of this term. Internet gurus say that Web 2.0 basically represents the paradigm shift in the way we consume the Internet. You and I are no more just the passive consumers, who got involved, excited or got offended by something we read, saw or heard on the Internet, but could not do anything about it. With Web 2.0 we got our voice back and we can now easily voice our opinions. We are now ‘prosumers’ (a consumer who produces content as well).
With this new found status, individuals have started to create value that they can share with others on the Internet: thus came into existence ‘social networking’ and ‘social bookmarking’ web sites.
As we, the user, creates value we should expect to reap rewards as well. By rewards I mean real rewards: cash, followers and clientele. The question is how do you convert your reputation share into real money? I will not claim that this is an easy task or that this article is a magic potion. The process will take time but the point is, it is possible to make money using these ‘social’ sites.
Let’s first understand the nature of the Internet. The Internet is just a medium, a medium through which you communicate, share, experience, shop and access information on the things you want to know about. What differentiates the social networking sites like facebook, myspace, twitter, plurk, orkut etc., and the social bookmarking sites like Digg, reddit, StumbleUpon, del.icio.us etc., from rest of the web sites is their power to extensively communicate and broadcast. To draw an analogy from the broadcast medium we can say, these sites are prime time slots of the Internet.
WHERE TO START?
A product or an idea can be a good starting point but not the perfect one. Everyone has a product or some idea, which they think is ground breaking, but not everyone, earns a reward from it. So, before exposing your products or idea to social networks, you need to build trust. This is the essence of peer-to-peer recommendation; this is ‘the thing’’. This is what most marketing campaign, even word of mouth marketing lacks. Once the required trust is in place, we can then start marketing our products.
Instead of spamming all our contacts with every product we have to sell, we should hand-pick the contacts from our list and provide them not only informational material on the product, but also the experience you and others have had using the product. This micro-targeting will have higher conversion rate as the product information will reach the right hands and will have the required personal touch to it.
WHAT TO SELL?
Anything that is safe, ethical and beneficial to others. You can sell anything you are passionate about and that has demand among people. You can pass on your affiliate links of favorite movies or books, or you can ask your contacts to check out your particular website or online store. You can even invite your contacts to visit your blog or web site which in turn may build regular traffic to those sites.
WHICH TOOL TO USE?
The answer to this lies in the age-old wisdom: what is your goal? You can use networking sites to build brand awareness or to provide detailed information about the things you liked. Bookmarking a site can be used to make announcements about the recent updates. The mixture of these strategies can even attract referral traffic for your blogs or web sites.
You can also consider using twitter and plurk to keep your audience posted, for immediate announcement of your product with links, and these can also be used as teasers to pull visitors to the page of your liking.
Always remember, it is ultimately the product or the idea that sells. Social networking and social bookmarking sites can potentially provide you with new visitors or can induce trial for your product or idea; it is the product that ultimately will get sold, so quality both in product and accompanying information must never be compromised.
Would you like to know how easily you can do this? CLICK HERE to access and download highly sort after information on how to achieve what you need and want through social networking.

Beyond Cosmetics—Women Take Home Business to a New Entity

Remember when the only business a woman could run was selling lipstick and eye shadow door to door? Remember the hours and hours she’d have to work, just to earn a little pocket money? Well, those days are long gone. Women can now become entrepreneurs in any field they choose, and, through the power of the Internet, no knocking on doors is required—customers will line up on their own at your virtual door!
The concept of “women’s work” has undergone a radical shift. Not only are women working in more industries than ever before, they’re no longer confined to supporting roles. Many successful companies are women-owned, women-run, or both. In fact, the CEO of the largest direct selling company in the world is a woman. There’s no limit to what a determined woman can achieve in today’s business world.
You may not realize it, but women are ideally suited to running their own businesses, by virtue of the skills we already put to use in our daily lives: time management, prioritizing tasks, appointment keeping, delegating authority, tracking income and expenses, and supervising teams of people—even if those people are all under the age of 10!
Lots of things have changed for women over the years, but some things never will: we’ll always have to juggle the roles of mother and wife, sister and friend, and, for most of us, wage earner. Thankfully, today’s home-based businesses are practically tailor-made to fit a woman’s hectic schedule and still leave time for the important things in life.
When you partner with a well-established, successful business venture, you have maximum flexibility, maximum control, and minimum risk. Your parent company will provide you with the tools and support you need to develop your own thriving enterprise. Where you go from there is up to you. Because you have the ability to develop multiple streams of income from the same source, your earning potential is limited only by the time and desire you’re willing to put into your business.
A home-based business can be anything you want it to be. Whether you’re saving for a family vacation or your children’s college fund, or whether you’re interested in becoming a full-time entrepreneur, the opportunities are there. Home-based marketing businesses are estimated to account for $50 billion in sales in the United States alone. Don’t you owe it to yourself to take your dreams to the next level? www.GRTDiamonds.com

What Recession? Recession-Proof Your Life With An Online Home-Based Business

If you’re unhappy in your current job, you probably think there’s nothing you can do about it right now. People keep telling you just to be thankful you have a job; quitting would be financial suicide.
You may find it hard to believe, but tough economic times is be the best time to start your own business. Think about it—you can’t get laid off or made redundant if you’re your own boss, right? And the best part is you can operate a business right from your own home, without a lot of expensive startup costs or equipment.
With an online home-based business, you can get started in next to no time; with only basic computer knowledge. Basically if you can check your e-mail, you can start an online business. It’s really that simple.
Lots of people love the idea of working for themselves from home, but they fear there are limited legitimate opportunities out there. While there are some unscrupulous people on the Internet, just as there are in any business arena, they are in the minority. The online home-based business industry is thriving, and more and more people every day are becoming successful entrepreneurs.
Picture your dream job, and what do you see? Are you bustling around all day, talking to suppliers, overseeing orders and managing a team of competent, happy workers? Or maybe you see yourself sitting down at the computer after the kids have gone to bed, working quietly for an hour or two before turning in yourself. Whatever your idea of a dream job is, there’s an online business to match it.
One way to protect yourself against fraud and receive guidance and support in starting your home business is to consider affiliating or aligning yourself with an established company. Many people, especially women, have been taking this path to success for decades, selling jewellery, cosmetics, and household items ‘door to door’ or at parties. The Internet provides the same opportunities and protection, while allowing you to work entirely from home. You don’t have to spend a lot of your valuable time and energy tracking down potential customers when the entire world is right at your virtual doorstep! In fact customers look or ‘Google’ for you!
Many companies will provide you with your own personalised Web site, training material, and a ‘shopping-cart’ system allowing you to have products delivered direct to you or your clients door.
Whether going into business for yourself is something you’ve always wanted to do, or whether you’re turning to the Internet because of reduced job opportunities in your area, there are countless ways for you to start your own successful home-based online business. Open your eyes to the possibilities and become your own boss today! You can easily develop skills and techniques or enhance the skills you have, to generate an extremely generous cashflow through a proven online marketing system.
Keep doing what you’ve been doing and you’re bound to get the same results. It’s a proven fact. Recession proof your life. Don’t risk living a life plagued by a perpetual lack of money.
At this moment you have only seen a glimpse of the tremendous value in this article. Take the opportunity to get the full benefits of this valuable information at www.GRTDiamonds.com for more details on what you can do. Act now! It not only makes sense to do what successful people to, it’s your right.

World Financial Crisis Saga? I think NOT!

The current financial hurricane that is sweeping across the world has forced many world leaders to increase efforts in finding solutions to save their country from a total economic meltdown. Each day headlines on our televisions and radios and in our newspapers are filled with the latest in redundancies, bankruptcies and financial scandal resulting in despair and hopelessness in the eyes of the community.

The economic downturn has left many people without homes and the rise in unemployment has given wings to an increase in delinquencies. It has also forced many credit lenders to beckon help from Federal Governments, or, to humbly sell out to their competitors. The collapse of solid and wealthy companies and corporates such as Lehman Brothers and GMH and even banking institutions is a sign to the financial world that will never be forgotten. We are told that the situation will only worsen before it gets better. Surely this must mean there is no hope for us right?

While the present financial crisis will be one of the worst in the last one hundred years, we truly believe that no matter what happens we are in charge of our destiny -do you?

Why is it, that with all the economic difficulties around the world, some people still prosper and grow? Who are these people and what do they do? Let’s use the infamous Sir Richard Branson for example who has just launched yet another airline and also a luxury resort!! How can this be? I mean, aren’t we in the grip of the most economically challenging times of our time at the moment? All the news says so. Did you know that it has been said by those that predicted this current economic downturn that more millionaires are created in times like these than at any other time in history?

Did you know that the online home based business industry is increasing as people look to repair their financial situation? Why is this? Working from your own home or office, at times that are convenient to you, with little outlay, overheads and risk while also being your own boss and reaping all the rewards that are in fact from your own efforts. Sound inviting?

Do you want to know the success secrets of these trail blazing entrepreneurs, or should we just sit on our hands and wait for the government to fix the problem, accept our redundancy packages and severance pay and wither away?

Don’t wait to be handed your redundancy, lose your home and you and your families independence. Take the recession for a spin with www.GRTDiamonds.com for more details on what you can do. Act now! It not only makes sense to do what successful people to, it’s your right.

Personality Check

Did you know that, how you keep your loose coins has a say about you? How do you go about with your loose coins defines your personality. I came across with an article by Dr. Johnny Noet Ravalo, he told a story about a person named Al and explains what kind of personality Al has by simply knowing how he keep his loose coins. The story talks about an ordinary employee who is assured that his salary will be at his ATM every 15th and 30th of the month, just passive. He doesn’t seem to bother counting his change. I usually find myself on this situation too, no doubt. The story goes; this driver doesn’t have savings at all. His personality speaks that he is a slipshod, philosophical and is prone to discharge circumstances in times of complex situation. Thus, other “non-counters” so to speak has tendency that they often take into account their cash flows.
They less likely treat coins as money at all. The 100-peso bill is different from 20 pieces 5-peso coin. They would less like left the coins elsewhere. These kinds of people were treated likewise as investors, as Dr. Ravalo puts it. Instead of putting their money on a time deposit that can generate a guaranteed income on interest, they will gamble on investing into a higher yield, higher balance-longer tenor instruments. When their investment will reach to its peak, they will all the more avoid counting off the coins.
On the other hand, the opposite are those who have savings habit. Thus, it started with a simple piggy bank. These types of person have great pleasure in binding the increasing weight their piggy banks had become. These people were tending to be more patient and they are mindless doing the tiny details to achieve success. These were the people who have high emotional quotient.
All these were habits, in whatever situation we are right now, neither we experience abundance or our income is just sufficient to value savings greatly, reflect on the value of a coin and it will make a difference. Though savings may not a guarantee, that when in time of dire needs, we will have enough, nobody has and no body will be, and same is true with having life insurance, nobody profits from life insurance, but the fact still remains, at least have prepared for it. It gives you security than not having at all.
This is like the classic tale of the ant. I’m sure everyone knows it. We should learn the values the ants possess. They save what we scattered around. When rainy season comes, they have enough stock to feed the whole army.
Look around; see if you have loose coins, when you count them, you’re a peso richer.

Learning from the Experts

The new today talks about crisis. It had become an overused term. We can hear it in the news, when we are on a gathering, etc. The economic crises are an often effective topic to strike a conversation. The Conversation will start on running even when you just sit beside a complete Stanger. Because of these crises, we cannot blame people when they became cynical, glum, pessimistic on investing their money into managed funds, stock markets, life insurance and etc… Even in banks, others felt that it is no longer safe and secure. (Most cases of the rural banks here in the Philippines). Well, I disagree. It is still important to have savings. Make a way to create your own investment portfolio. If it has become your habit to set aide a portion of your income every month, by all means, continue to do so. Segregate your savings. As financial experts would say, segregate your eggs into different baskets. Don’t concentrate on 1 particular avenue. Put a portion to a bank and open multiple accounts and limit only within the coverage of the insurance could cover. Another venue is in money market. But if you don’t know your way around, there are financial managers who can help you manage your funds. Thirdly, Insurance Companies can be a good venue to invest your money too. Make some research first if the insurance company is duly regulated by the government (Here in the Philippines, The Insurance Commission). If these insurance company is stable, and the most important factor to consider is if they can pay in case there are claims. The added factor when you invest in insurance is the protection side. It protects not only the investment, but the investor as well. For example, if you have P100, 000 in your pocket, if you put it in the insurance company, your protection is most likely around P1, 000,000.00. In case of a fortuitous event, you walked away from the picture earlier than expected; your family will get not only the P100, 000.00 but the P1, 000,000.00 coverage. But be smart in investing your money. Do some research first if the company is stable, and is duly governed by the proper regulating body. Learn from what happen to our society today. Avoid company who gives false promises, like those who gives high interest rates or a short Return of Investment (ROI). Try to consider also the claims. How fast are their services? My point is, if you put your P100 under your pillow, the next morning, it is still P100 pesos. But if you put it in these institutions, your money will earn for you even in your sleep.

Knowing your spending habit

Every month or even every weekend, when you open our cupboards, cabinet and refrigerator, checking the supplies for the week, or just going to the mall and check whats new. Buying groceries or new stuff even if you say that you need those, how will you know that your spending way over your head? well, here are something to check on to evaluate if your overspending and if you really are based on the indicators here's how some guide on how you send and work on improving your situation.
Were you able to save five percent of your gross income? A saving rate of five percent or below means that you will have real difficulty when an there's emergency. It is advised that saving 10% of your gross income to ensure you will have enough cash and had enough when emergency crops up.
Are your credit card balances continues increase? If your paying the minimum amount of your credit card balance, then you are most likely spending more than you should. Think hard if what you are likely to buy is what you really need. If you can have a day or two to think it over and if you will live without it, then you don't need it. Don't charge it to your account.
Are you spending 28% of your income on your house? If you are paying your mortgage, insurance and property taxes that is 28% higher in your gross income, historically, 28% is considered that rate at which the average person can get by with making mortgage payments and still enjoy a reasonable standard of living.
Are your bills are spiraling out of control? If your paying several installment bills, whether necessary or unnecessary, installment purchases, you are most likely spending beyond your means. Go through each bill and ask yourself whether each product or service is really necessary and make that change.