On Thursday this week in went to the launch of The Start-Up Kit.

It contains everything you need to start and run a business in the UK. It is the brain child of well my friend the best-selling author Emma Jones. The great thing about the pack is that it contains a book with all the advice and information you need including example business plans etc, but it also contains over £400 pounds worth of discounts for things that small business owners will need. If you are thinking about starting a small business then it is well worth buying.

You can buy your copy directly from the publishers at: http://brightwordpublishing.com/products/view/2 

Emma Jones Twitter @EmmalJones

Emma Jones is founder and editor of Enterprise Nation, the home business website, and has started two businesses herself from home offices in London, Manchester and rural Shropshire. Following a career with an international accountancy firm, Emma started her first business at the age of 27 and successfully sold it just 15 months after launch.

The days of auto blogging are not finished yet… however simply putting up a blog so you can make cash fast and on autopilot are well past and will never return…

Over the past two years there have been virtually millions of blogs created for one simple reason, to create additional income from the internet. One such method that was used is “Auto Blogging” and it is starting to get very popular with many of the fortune seekers online…

What I will say right now so it is very clear to all… The internet gold rush is over, where you could simply throw some text on a blog site and start making money from just about any niche market you like, it just does not happen any more.

However there has been a shift into what is called auto blogging where you can place your blog on virtual autopilot and make money. So the question is, do these Auto Blogging programs work?

To answer this question honestly I would have to say “NO”, with nothing more than scraped content from sites like EzineArticles, RSS feeds,Video from Youtube and some of these systems allowing you to grab content from Yahoo Answers.

And for the unfortunate marketer who believed the hype and big claims of these people selling their auto blogging programs, there was nothing but disappointment all round.

Auto Blogging Had Lost Its Effectiveness

And to prove a point on this, just look at the forums online that are talking about auto blogging and you will see what I mean. These programs were offered with out any real substance or support to those that got involved, so they were simply left to fend for themselves until it all failed. Especially when the search engines started to change to defeat this form of blogging and they were very effective in doing so.

You Might Want To Grab This Free Report On The Top 13 Mistakes Bloggers Can Make.

Auto Blogging Had To Evolve

What needed to happen to make auto blogging viable for all those involved was that the tools and resources had to evolve with the search engines. You could no longer rely on the quick links from social bookmarking sites or using reciprocal links which were really no more than link farms.

Then you look at the blog itself only to find that they were nothing more than “Spam Blogs” which offer no value to the reader at all.

Auto blogging had to change in not only supply of unique quality content but in the way they were using links both inbound and internally to manage the blog. Even pinging your blogs over time has needed to change, simply because the methods they thought were effective were simply getting them banned from the search engines.

So Has Auto Blogging Evolved Enough

Well if you listen to these two marketers it has, Jason Katzenback and Jason Potash are about to release a new auto blogging system which has been named the “Blog Blueprint” where you can actually get access to the tools if you are looking at getting involved with auto blogging as your online marketing strategy.

It is a course divided into seven modules with pdf e-books and videos to compliment each of the modules as well as some of their most powerful tools that they have used to market online over the last five years.

Will this course be successful? Will it help people make it online with their blog? Only time will tell… However, you might want to get their free report on blogging mistakes because this report will show you what mistakes to avoid whether you are a auto blogger or not. See Top 13 Auto Blogging Blunders.

Social Media Tips

The “social media” buzz word has been around for approximately a decade and is changing the way we do marketing. It is impossible to ignore how it is affecting companies through the different channels of Marketing, Advertising, and PR. To stay up to date and current you need to know what works and what doesn’t and realize what will work for you might not work for someone else and visa versa. However there are some standard tips on how to maximize your exposure through social media below. Hopefully they add to your brand as they have done to others.

One needs to understand why you want to use social media, is it to increase sales, brand awareness, expand your service offering or do it because everyone else is doing it? Social Media is something that can give you a competitive edge or can do damage if you do not understand the core reason of why you are engaging in social media.

Einstein says the definition of insanity is expecting different results from doing the same thing over and over again. Ensure you get the results by choosing the appropriate tactics for your social media planning, let it be a walking, talking extension of what you are trying to create.

1. Goal Setting and measurable outcomes: Set objectives of what you are trying to create and work towards a measurable plan.
2. What type of Social Media are you going to use? What is suitable for your brand, twitter, facebook, word press, YouTube are to name a few.
3. Social Media 101: Know who your customers are. Not all of them understand Social Media yet – you need to convey that it is not all about technology but about learning different types of re-communication.
4. Be flexible: What worked yesterday might not work today; you need to stay on the forefront of what is happening in your market and adapt or lead accordingly.
5. Be optimistic and patient!!! Understand that it is not always a numbers game. Creating relationships with customers and clients is hard work and there is no getting around that.
6. Maintain your edge buy being current – in all facets, from your on-line profiles, branding, and website information. Do not get lazy, maintain a high standard at all times.
7. Encourage constructive feedback and always take into account what is being offered vs. what your customers are expecting.
8. Do you know what your competitors are doing? Follow other social media sites, your competitors, industry leaders and new entrants. Remember quality vs quantity.
9. Search engine and website optimization. This should be a given.
10. Use your social media sites as a point of exclusive contact to encourage followers and usage.
11. Pay attention to who is following you. Who vs. Expected can add insight into how your brand is perceived. 

Social Media is becoming something of a given rather than a nice to have in the current market place. Don’t get left behind and do your brand justice by understanding the fundamentals of social media. Good Luck!

by ‘Lianne du Toit’

I have this blog and a number of other projects; I am looking for a co-blogger. If you know anyone who could be interested in this role please do connect us

Marketing/PR/Blogging Intern for MurrayNewlands.com

MurrayNewlands.com is an online marketing and social media blog with a focus on new marketing ideas and green living. We began in the Spring of 2009 and have grown to a readership of 1000 visitors per day.

We are seeking a Marketing/PR/Blogging Intern for MurrayNewlands.com to assist in writing site content, researching topics, strategizing and executing social media and traditional public relations, and contribute new ideas to the growth of the site.

This is an ideal opportunity to work with a growing blog and be part of innovative social media strategy.

The ideal candidate will have a degree in marketing, media studies, communications, or journalism. This is a Work At Home position that will require daily Skype check-ins with site administrator Murray Newlands.

The ideal candidate has experience in writing, blogging, public relations, both social media and traditional media promotions, understand how to write and format SEO content, and is active in online forums within the blogging community. We are also interested in someone with experience running online contests and competitions, experience promoting content on Digg/ SU/ Reddit promotions, and

Content writing will be on: Social media marketing, affiliate marketing, blogging, Facebook, Twitter, related events, marketing and social media events, and other topics that are time and subject relevant.

Blog promotion, you will also be expected to do blog outreach for the blogs, finding opportunities to guest post. Commenting you will be expected to both comment on other blogs and reply to comments on my blogs.

You:

• Write creatively and effectively

• Be passionate, creative and hardworking

• Be comfortable with working from home

• Excellent communication skills

• Highly motivated self-starter personality

• English first language

Responsibilities:

• 35+ posts per week

• Social media promotion

• Blog promotion

• Regular Skype check-ins with site administrator

Compensation:

•    $1000/ month

Next Step:

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send an email to murray@affiliateheat.com with:

1.    Links to your best online writing

2.    Your resume

3.    Any other experience or qualifications that make you stand out

Leslie Loves Veggies Blogger Product Reviews An Interview

Leslie writes her reviews in a way that keeps you coming back for more. She has values and sticks to them as you can see in this interview and in her blog too.

Leslie Loves Veggies

Tell me about your Blog -

SodaStream Fountain Jet Soda Lover’s Start-Up Kit Review & Giveaway 748 Entries.. What a fun Giveaway!  I think it was really important to get some photos of Hubby and I actually using the SodaStream!  When you see how easy it is to assemble, see the soda being made and the actual fizzzzz you want to taste that soda!  I think it really puts you in the mood for soda and makes you really WANT that SodaStream.

I am so thankful to ALL of my Leslie Loves Veggies Readers!  They are a true Blessing to me!  They email me if they see a typo in post, or just to tell me to have a Great Day!!  What a Blessing!!  This is MORE than I could have ever dreamed of!  YAY me!

I don’t like false claims!  If a company makes a claim, By Goodness they should be able to back it up!!!  Don’t try to pull a fast one on my Readers, that makes me mad!!!I LOVE LOVE LOVE companies that give back to the community!  That shows heart and soul to me!  I seek out companies that Give Back in some way!  I ALWAYS make sure to give them PROPS and KUDOS!  We have to help our Brothers and Sisters!  This is HUGE with me!

What do bloggers do that you wish they wouldn’t/do that you like?

I don’t like tiny fonts (drives me nuts) or colors that make it impossible to see.  I also don’t care for music on a Blog.  I have an iPod, thank you very much

What advertiser would you like to work with given a chance?

Keurig, Walmart, All ecofriendly companies, Veggie friendly companies too!

LeslieVeg@(nospam)gmail.com

Leslie Loves Veggies http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/#/leslieveg?ref=profile

Forums- Extraordinary Mothers, SheBlogs.org, The Giveaway Bloggers Network, The Product Review Place

Lotsa hard work and very little sleep   Actually this is the truth.  I search for the companies I work with.  I do have the luxury at this point to have some wonderful companies that will email me and offer me some wonderful Product Reviews & Giveaways every so often.  But for the most part.  I find my own by searching for companies I know *I* would love to use.  If I would like to use their products, then I know my Readers would too!

Affiliate.com a division of Media Breakaway is a top player in affiliate marketing. Previously named CPA Empire, they announced their name change to Affiliate.com during ad:tech NY in November of 2008 but have been in business since 2001.

Affiliate.com provides:

• Email List Management and Monetization
• Domain Registration
• Website Hosting
• Website and Banner Design Services
• Domain Parking

Their blog helps affiliates keep up their game with posts about networking at events like Affiliate Summit and others. As Tom Wozniak, Director of Marketing, describes, It’s the connections at events with other affiliates, marketers, bloggers, etc. that will help you achieve your goals. The best way to connect is to talk and to ask questions. You’ll be surprised at how much you learn and how many people are willing to help you.

Affiliate.com a division of Media Breakaway is working towards connecting and networking online and offline. They have a Facebook page, a Twitter Page and their blog as well as their website. Look out for them at Affiliate Summit West in January at booths

Don’t forget to  visit with Affiliate.com, introduce yourself and let them know that you learned about them from this blog. I’m sure that you’ll learn a new way to earn money through their Value Added Services. Feel free to ask questions and get to know who is representing their company.

Deciding on the best affiliate program for your blog is something that you should put some thought into. This is a process that beginners and seasoned marketers need to do.

1 – Base the program on your blog’s niche. If you are a mom blogger, it doesn’t make sense to work with an affiliate for Playboy Magazine instead try parenting affiliate programs, or Amazon.com for parenting books.

2 – Know your readership. Similar to your niche, but knowing the details of your incoming traffic assists you to match the program to what your readers want and buy.

3 – Research all affiliate programs. Learn about how much you have to earn before you can be paid, if they make timely payments, if there have been complaints about them, etc.

4 – Read blogs that are devoted to affiliate marketing and join affiliate marketing forums. (Of course, this blog and the author Murray Newlands is an expert in the field.)

5 – Don’t expect to get rich quickly. Affiliate programs take time to learn and to earn money from. You also need traffic to make money from these types of programs.

6 – Learn what keywords bring traffic to your blog and where people click. This is more information to add to making your choice. If your traffic comes from keywords about fashion, then look into clothing store affiliate programs. If your clicks are going to recipes, perhaps a food related affiliate will work for your blog.

Choosing the best affiliate program for your blog can be time consuming but it will be worth it in the end. Earning money from affiliates is another way to monetize your blog and any extra money you earn is welcome.

Connie Roberts
ConnieFoggles

Marketing Blogging is a powerful new trend that applies whether you are a marketer doing online or offline marketing. Why? Because consumers are looking for information on the web. And those consumers are not just consumers of products and services- increasingly, people are using the web to become consumers of information. Yes, there are hundreds of marketing print publications and there are dozens of marketing networking events, no matter what area you are operating in. But marketers are busy and business can move at the speed of thought- and when you need to find advice, perspective or information quickly, how do you find it?

1) You Google it.

2) You ask your friend or

3) You find a good resource and something else catches your eye.

Here is why marketing blogging is good for all three of these reasons from an information consumer’s perspective:

1) Marketing Blogging With Google, or any search engine for that matter, the amount of information available is simply gigantic. You can search for anything and get suggestions- and people know this, especially people who are looking for information. When all you have is a word or a phrase, an Internet search engine is the best option.

2) Marketing Blogging as friend’s recommendation: Bottom line is, it’s a lot easier to recommend a link to someone than it is to tell them they should go out and buy the magazine you’ve got sitting on your desk- or that they need to get this book that you can’t quite remember the name of…

3) Marketing Blogging that catches your eye: Even with all the wonders of Google, often you find 10 articles related to what you want but they aren’t quite exactly right- maybe because of the rankings or maybe because you typed in a general term. But the way blogs are structured, there will be dozens of links to other articles and bloggers on most every page, so if you need to figure out where to go next, that answer will be there just waiting to catch your eye.

Marketing Blogging from the marketing blogger’s perspective:

1) Marketing Blogging for Google: If you know how to do SEO, Google is a powerful awareness vehicle that only requires time and effort. This is great news for busy people who know a lot about marketing.

2) Marketing Blogging Connections to Friends: When you need to know something and want the source to be good, you ask your friends. With the rise of social media, asking your friend can be as simple as posting the question to Twitter or sending an email, or a text message. Your friend can recommend something with a link that gets you where you need to be instantly. Think about the number of recommended articles you have read that you heard of on a train or at a cocktail party vs. that you heard of in an email or a tweet? Instant access. As a marketing blogger, this means that people have access to your information, your perspective, and ultimately your name when they are looking.

3) Marketing Blogging Catches Your Eye: In a conversation or a magazine, chances are the only other things going on are distractions- whether something esle is happening in the room or there’s an ad for an unrelated product on the page or embedded in the article. On the Internet, articles routinely have links to related articles at the bottom of a post or in the comments- this means you can glean traffic from other blog posts by having the right titles in the right places.

Marketing blogging is a good idea as a general practice for thoughts and keeping your perspective fresh and available- and it is a great way to get found by those who are seeking information. Start doing it- if you’re reading this, you already started finding it.

Marketing Blogging, Why Marketing Blogging is Good for Consumers and Bloggers

Scott

Government Social Media Strategy: RaxRaxRax, on his Government Social Media Strategy work with the Ministry of Justice

Tell me about your new Job?
I joined the Ministry’s Communications Directorate on June 22 and have been tasked with formulating a cohesive digital strategy across the MoJ’s entire workforce – no small task! A large part of the newly created role is also to leverage social media platforms into the current communications strategy.
The Ministry of Justice is one of the largest government departments, with around 95,000 people (including probation services) and a budget of £9.2 billion.
Every year around nine million people use our services in 900 locations across the United Kingdom, including 650 courts and tribunals and 139 prisons in England and Wales.
Our work spans criminal, civil and family justice, democracy, rights and the constitution.
The Ministry of Justice works to protect the public and reduce re-offending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. We also provide fair and simple routes to civil and family justice.
The Ministry of Justice’s creation on 9 May 2007 brought together, for the first time, responsibility for the justice system – the courts, prisons and probation services. We work in partnership with the other government departments and agencies to reform the criminal justice system, to serve the public and support the victims of crime. We are also responsible for making new laws, strengthening democracy, modernising the constitution and safeguarding human rights.

What is your biggest challenge in working in government?
People warned me when I started that I would experience a huge cultural shift moving into the public sector and I’m beginning to see what they mean. However one of the main reasons for me taking on this position was to move away from brand marketing for consumer products to focus more on the impact that digital communications has on citizenship. Social change and democracy are two of the defining features of social media and for me. Government policy is beginning to recognise that in order to engage with the public, new communication platforms need to be explored.
Despite the obvious change in working protocols associated with a move from the private to public sector, I have been genuinely surprised by the willingness of the Ministry to engage with tools such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs. I expected a certain amount of resistance as there is a perception of most civil service departments to be slow on the uptake of these new tools. However, the feedback so far from my colleagues within the Communications Directorate is very much of the ‘let’s do it’ mindset – which validates my decision to take on the new role.

Tell me about your Blog
I’ve been ‘consuming’ blogs now for five years. Google Reader is my life-support. If I go a day without reading my RSS feeds, I am left with over 1,000+ posts to sift through. It takes a few hours every day to read my feeds. I usually take an hour in the morning, half an hour over lunch and then my commute home to catch up on what’s going on out there in the big wide Blogosphere.
Yet despite this ‘obsession’ I only began blogging relatively recently. I justified this blogging inertia with the following logic:
A film critic, inhales films. He eats, sleeps, breathes cinema. He may go to his local Odeon three times a week, buy all of the film review magazines, religiously follow the latest DVD releases, have his TV locked to FilmFour and he may have IMDB set as his permanent homepage. He may even at a push be able to recite by heart all of the opening lines of the collective works of Woody Allen. There would be little doubt that this fella is an expert in film. What he isn’t though, is a film director.
Extending this logic to my own situation, I argued (and have done so ad nauseum for the past few years) that whilst I consider myself to understand the anatomy of a blog and the way that the wider community works, I didn’t have to fully immerse myself in the medium in order for me to do my job.
However, since I began blogging back in October last year, I began to realise that writing a blog was fundamental to understanding what it means to be part of a connected community.
I write mainly about stuff that captures my eye in the world of social media. I tend to flit between short observational pieces and larger post which focus on wider topics currently impacting on social media strategy.

I love case studies both from a brand perspective and a citizen point-of-view. I’m constantly learning and in doing so, feel compelled to blog about my experiences.
www.RaxRaxRax.com

What was your first experience of social media?
I started working in PR because I loved the simple idea of connecting with audiences. Initially, it was done using traditional media or an analyst house as a conduit. However, the technological advances of the last few years has given marketers and communications professionals the gift of being able to connect directly with their audiences without having to go via a mddle-man.

I remember working up the social media strategy for Marmite a few years ago and being able to grow a community of Marmite lovers on Facebook which currently stands at a quarter of a million people. These consumers didn’t just wake up one day and declare themselves to be Marmite Lovers. They have always been out there – often forming informal fan-groups online. What social media platforms like Facebook have allowed us to do is organise communities and to unite them in a way which leaves the door ajar (no Marmite pun intended!) for brands to communicate with their consumers transparently and openly from the heart.

What is the biggest tip you would give to a newbie in social media?
Listen. Learn. Join-in. There are no ‘experts’. We’re ALL learning. Anyone that claims to be an expert is lying. Your voice is just as relevant as the next persons. Make your opinion be heard. It makes the conversation a richer experience.

What do advertisers do that you wish they wouldn’t?
I hate seeing a brand treat social media as a shiny new toy without taking the time to genuinely engage with its audience. There is plenty of lip-service being paid at the moment to blogging platforms like Twitter by so-called marketing experts. However, brands still see communication as a monologue rather than as a two-way street. Don’t broadcast your messages – take time to engage. You’ll come out enlightened and with a better reputation.

The most successful marketing campaigns are the ones which avoid preaching to the masses but instead, focus on a niche which it understands and communicates directly with in an open non-salesy dialogue. Listening is still the most effecting marketing tool and is becoming increasingly important if you want to leverage the wisdom and experience of ‘the crowd’.

Where do you see growth in the social media field?
For a while there was much talk about marketers employing ‘Community Managers’ to manage their social media presence. This was a lazy reaction by self-styled communication professionals who didn’t have the will or the desire to understand their audiences. Instead of centralising social media outreach, I believe that all marketers will have to acknowledge the necessity to engage directly with their audiences online. This won’t be the sole responsibility of the marketing department either – all individuals within an organisation will take on the shared responsibility of monitoring their brand’s online reputation.

What do you do to improve the world?
Smile at people on the Tube. It probably freaks them out, but it’s worth it.

What do you do that is green?
Blow my nose

What is one thing about you that not many people know?
I speak French, Spanish, Italian, German, Gujerati and Hindi

What’s your favourite book?
Facebook

What is on your iPod?
A cool new British-Maori group called Hui-a. Awesome sounds – mixing native New Zealand chants with fresh, London soulful rifts. http://www.koharecords.com/koha/hui-a.html

What are your contact details (email, company, blog, facebook, myspace, forums, etc)?
Twitter: @raxlakhani
Email: rax@raxraxrax.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/raxlakhani

How do you prefer to communicate?
Face to face always beats any other form of communication but it is a luxury which sadly isn’t always attainable. In the absence of eyeball to eyeball… Twitter is my thing!

Who would you recommend, and why?

1. Andy Bellass – a creative genius who is driven by developing communications and brand strategy. An inspiration to me throughout my time at Splendid Communications, Andy continues to be my reality check and strategic mentor.
2. Shirin Majid – A Dutch-born Anglo-Indian pseudo Texan ex-New Yorker with Canadian roots in London / creative strategist with a relentless source of ideas and energy stashed up her sleeve. Shirin is also one of the loveliest people in marketing. Fact.
3. Lolly Borel – what Lolly doesn’t know about blogger outreach marketing quite frankly isn’t worth knowing. Soak up her wisdom here: http://www.laurenceborel.com/
4. Lewis Webb – social media’s smoothest operator and founder of the now legendary Shoreditch Twit.
5. Jonathan MacDonald – a whirlwind of ideas and a real force in mobile marketing. Possibly the most connected man in mobile.
6. Sandrine Plasseraud – Feisty, French and Fabulous! Author of the widely read Buzz Attitude blog and part of the We Are Social team.
7. Ged Carroll – a Social Media God that walks among us. Check out his common-sense approach to marketing here: http://renaissancechambara.jp/
8. Melanie Seasons – a relatively new arrival to our sceptre Isle, Melanie currently works for OnlineFire (an excellent conversation agency) and blogs at http://fakeplasticnoodles.com/about/  writing a little bit about social media and a lot about her experience living as an American ex-pat in this “fabulous black booger-inducing city”.
9. Michelle Lyons – a relatively recent new contact of mine who has a boundless passion for online citizen engagement and blogging. An angelic ray of Aussie sunshine…
10. Some bloke called Murray Newlands…? Ever heard of him? !
More about me:
I have over eight years of experience within the communications industry, working across numerous sectors including public and third sector, consumer and B2B technology, education, personal finance, FMCG, and fashion and consumer PR.
During my time in PR I had the pleasure of working on digital strategy development with major brands including Microsoft, Intel, Smirnoff, Guinness, Marmite and Carphone Warehouse and more recently have been running education workshops for many of these clients on harnessing digital communications.
I have been responsible for developing outreach strategy and community tools for a wide range of global brands focusing on targeting and engaging specific online audiences. Prior to joining the Ministry of Justice, I was working as an outreach and social media strategy consultant across different industries, helping marketers generate genuine online talkability within social networks and blogger circles.  Most recently I created the digital division at PR agency, Splendid Communications, where I developed new services such as blogger relations, social network site marketing, podcast seeding, wiki visibility tools, search engine marketing and online reputation audits.

Government Social Media Strategy: RaxRaxRax, on his Government Social Media Strategy work with the Ministry of Justice

Affiliate Marketing Benefits, Affiliate Marketing Benefits explained.

Affiliate marketing has many benefits for both merchants / advertisers and affiliates and consumers.

Affiliate Marketing Benefits to Merchants.
Affiliate marketing benefits merchants by producing results-based sales or leads. Growing your business with minimal risk through results-based customer acquisition is attractive to many companies because they only pay for what they get. If affiliates do not make sales or generate leads or if they have a bad day, they don’t get paid.
Affiliate marketing benefits merchants by engaging hundreds and possibly thousands of online marketing experts who contribute their time, money, skills and resources to grow a merchant’s business on a performance-only basis. There are not many spheres where you can truly engage leading experts from all around the world at their risk to promote your business.

Affiliate marketing benefits merchants by creating large scale brand awareness for a merchant’s products and services online. This brand awareness is not paid for directly by the merchant, who only pays when a sale is made or a lead delivered. This is seen by many merchants as risk free advertising. The brand awareness created through affiliate marketing is arguably as effective in the growth of some companies as the sales made directly by the affiliates.
Affiliate marketing benefits the merchant through promotions innovation for a product or service. Affiliates are experts at staying on the cutting-edge of online marketing and finding innovative ways to promote merchants online.

Affiliate Marketing Benefits, Affiliate Marketing Benefits explained.

See
Affiliate Marketing for Merchants
Affiliate Marketing for Merchants
Affiliate Book Affiliate Handbook