Archive for the ‘E-Zines’ Category
GEORGETOWN A Scott County equestrian hopes to be the first Kentuckian and the first American to take gold in an international championship for single-horse carriage driving.
Earlier this month, Sterling Graburn and 11-year-old Dutch Harness horse Ulano won the National Championship in single driving at The Southern Pines Combined Driving Event in North Carolina.
That makes Graburn a top candidate to be named to the US team to compete in the 2012 Singles World Driving Championships in Lezirias, Portugal in September. The team wont be officially named until August.
Graburn, 49, is the only Kentuckian in the running for the position on the US singles team. He is now looking for additional sponsors to help with the cost of training and moving Ulano and equipment to Europe, where Team Sterling must perform in two competitions in the Netherlands before the championships begin in Portugal.Just to fly the horse and equipment to Europe and back again will cost about $20,000, Graburn said.
And then theres hotels and transportation, and then we have to get from Amsterdam to Portugal, Graburn said. Weve estimated that to finish the season out, we need about $45,000 total.
A fund-raising event was held at Spindletop Hall, and Graburns teamsterlingdriving.com Web site includes a page soliciting financial support.
Ultimately, the support goes toward Graburns effort to accomplish something that is special to him.
It was always my dream as a little kid to go to the Olympics as a three-day rider. And then in my mid- to late-teens, I started driving, he said. So my goal shifted and my focus was on driving. The pinnacle of combined driving is the World Championships. The US team has a shot at a medal. Id like to think I have a shot at an individual medal.
Graburn is no stranger to success. In 2006, he competed in the World Singles Championships in Italy. He won the National Championship in single driving in 2008, but had no money to go to the World Driving Championships in Jarantow, Poland.
Driving is based on the Olympic sport called eventing but with a carriage behind the horse. As in eventing, teams are required to complete three phases of competition: driven dressage, marathon and cones.
The three competitions are designed to test the responsiveness, agility, fitness and stamina of the horse, and the judgment, accuracy and capability of the driver. Teams are assessed penalties for mistakes, so the lowest score wins. In the marathon and cones competitions, the time it takes each team to finish the course also factors into the scoring.
Visitors to the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park might remember four-in-hands driving which involves four horses, a driver, navigator and a groom on each team. The Lexington games did not have singles driving, primarily because it would have brought many more animals and people to the already-crowded park.
Bred in the Netherlands and once owned by the Amish in the United States, Ulano is owned by Larry and Marilyn Denny of Lebanon, Ohio. Ulano was the left-side leader of the four-horse team driven by Australian native Gavin Robson in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Hes got a lot of competition experience, but it was in a bigger group, Graburn said. He had not competed as a single; he had done it as a pair and in the four-in-hand. So he had to get a little bit used to being the only one out there. And there still are times when I catch him looking around like, Guys, where are you?
With his four white socks and white on his face, Ulano has all this presence. We say he has a lot of chrome, Graburn said. There was an article in Dressage Daily, which is one of the equestrian e-zines, that said when he comes in the ring, people just go Oooh!
But aside from his striking looks, Ulano is a competitor, Graburn said. Hes got this amazing balance and this amazing movement, and that makes it easier in the dressage phase. It makes it easier to get a really good score.
Competing in the world championships will bring additional notoriety to Gayla Driving Center, a 700-acre farm north of Georgetown, where Graburn is head trainer. The center offers instruction in pleasure or competitive carriage driving, and hosts various competitive and non-competitive driving events.
Gail Austin, owner of Gayla, said she has enough depth among her staff to keep the driving center going while Graburn is away.
I think its exciting, Austin said. This is his dream, and the best I can do is go along with it.
Debbie Banfield, a manager at Gayla, said she thinks Graburn and Ulano are unstoppable.
The thing about Sterling, hes not only a great driver, hes also a fierce competitor, Banfield said. When you have that kind of mentality, you cannot be intimidated by anybody. And thats the kind of adrenaline you need to be successful at that level.
London (PRWEB UK) 20 April 2012
Sean King, CEO of award-winning multi-platform content agency Seven, spoke at the WAN-IFRA Digital Media Europe 2012 this week, highlighting how the pressures on budgets means big business for publishers as brands look for innovative and cost-effective ways to reach and engage customers.
The annual conference, held from 16-18 April at The Science Museum, London, brought together the most innovative digital media minds in and outside the publishing industry. Three hundred media executives attended this key event for newspaper publishers searching for the latest trends in the digital publishing field.
With some of the most influential media moguls speaking at the event, including a keynote speech from Andrew Miller, CEO Guardian Media Group, UK, King highlighted key issues, including the challenges for brands, how they are responding, the impact of publishers and the new business models. He was joined by Peter Bale, Vice President and General Manager of CNN International Digital, UK; Greg Taylor, UX Strategy Director, EMEA at Tigerspike, UK; Maani Safa, Innovation Director, Somo; Mary Lojkine, Product Director, CNET amp; GameSpot at CBS Interactive (UK); Alex Dale, Chief Marketing Officer of king.com and Alex Balfour, Head of New Media for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, London 2012.
The session, moderated by Gareth Mitchell, presenter of Click, BBC’s programme on the latest digital news and trends, focused on today’s hottest digital topics, including digital advertising, Innovative business approaches, paid content, Mobile and tablet platforms,
Speaking at the event, King said: “We are starting to see a lot of clients taking money from media budgets into building owned media. Content is moving from a cost, generated by third parties, into an investment, generated in house, instead of renting media you invest in your own channels.”
“For example, Coca-Cola’s advertising strategy has moved from ‘creative excellence’ to ‘content excellence. The company now has an online fashion channel which it produces in collaboration with IPC. There are opportunities for new kinds of partnerships between brands and media owners.
Publishers are well-placed to maximise this opportunity as they reconfigure their business models he added.
With retailers building content supply chains guided by insights into customer behaviour, kept up to date with customer-generated content, brands are rapidly recognising the importance of content in the retention and engagement of their customers.
Expert in creating intelligent, relevant and effective content across multiple channels, including magazines, websites, social media, interactive e-zines, video, iPhone and iPad apps, Seven has scooped three prestigious awards at the recent APA Awards. They were for Best Consumer Retail Magazine for Sainsbury’s Magazine, Best Integrated Solution for Sainsbury’s Little Ones for the second year running and Best Consumer Publication (non-retail) for Barometer (Savills) by Blue Door Media, a subsidiary of Seven. Seven was also highly commended for three digital projects. The awards were for its PROJECT magazine iPad app, Sainsbury’s Little Ones and the Guardian/Christian Aid Poverty Over campaign.
Watch Sean speak about brands becoming channels and the new publishing model at [WAN-IFRA Digital Media Europe 2012.
- ends -
http://www.seven.co.uk
Contact at Seven:
Shareena Ali
PR
Seven
3-7 Herbal Hill
London
EC1R 5JF
Tel: 020 7775 5549
Email: shareena.ali@seven.co.uk
Notes to editors:
About Seven
Seven is an award-winning, multi-platform content marketing agency.
Expert in creating intelligent, relevant and effective content across multiple channels, including magazines, websites, social media, interactive e-zines, video, iPhone and iPad apps.
Clients of Seven include Aviva, Sainsbury’s, CIMA, Grant Thornton, Guardian Media Group, Lloyds Banking Group, New Look and English Heritage.
For further information, find us at http://www.seven.co.uk or contact Shareena Ali, PR, Shareena.ali@seven.co.uk 020 7775 5549.
The content marketing industry is estimated to be worth around £1bn, with fast growth in digital formats. Digital activity encompassing websites, e-zines, email, mobile applications and video now accounts for 37% of the industry, an increase of 22% since 2007 and 32 per cent since 2005, according to Mintel.
Ruth Mortimer, editor of Marketing Week, says: “We are always keen to give our readers access to exclusive research, insights and case studies that can aid them in their jobs. Our partnership with the APA will give us access to more material than ever before that will help us create great content for our audience.
“We will also be providing the APA with some of our own content to ensure its members are kept up-to-date on the latest trends that will affect their businesses. As the leading brand for identifying marketing trends and analysis, we want to make sure we can reach as many people as possible and help them work in the most effective and informed way possible.”
Julia Hutchison, chief operating officer at the APA, adds: “Content marketing continues to gain prominence as marketers recognise the commercial value it delivers to their brands.
“Our new partnership with Marketing Week is reflective of this growth and will help us to connect with a wider marketing audience seeking to engage consumers across multiple channels, and in doing so, ultimately showcase the amazing work our members do. This is particularly apt in the lead up to the International Content Summit in November, which is set to become an integral part of the marketing industry’s calendar, attended by both brands and agencies alike.”
I am walking down to the beach in Maine to see if my husband is having sex with our friend Levi. Its an idea so crazy it makes sense. Sex would be the culmination of what Ive been feeling all summer: that my husband likes Levi more than he likes me. Daniel slips out of bed at six so he and Levi can climb twenty-foot ladders and reshingle our house. All day long, the men work shoulder to shoulder, making jokes I cant hear. Daniel tells Levi about his hemorrhoids. They sing Penny Lane.
Levi is like Jesus. A carpenter who builds things and fixes things and never loses his temper. Levi rolls his own cigarettes and never wears sunblock and plays War nicely with our children and sleeps in a tent and grows bean sprouts and is thinner than a cricket. He isnt gay as far as I know. His partner is a Mexican woman, Ana, but he hasnt seen her in months, and men being men, needing sex as often as they do, something may have bubbled to the surface.
All summer, Levi has taught Daniel the construction skills he never learned because Robinson men are lawyers, tax lawyers, estate lawyers, loophole lawyers, men in wool suits who call people like Levi to fix whatever is broken. The more cocky Daniel becomes, flexing his biceps, swinging his hammer, the more he expects me to play wife: produce cookies, applaud progress, take photographs documenting each miracle. And I did this for a while until the whole setup got on my nerves. Everything slid into two against one
Read the rest of the story here.
Comments from the author:
I wrote Handyman in one short blast. A friend of mine had recently learned her husband was having an affair, a discovery that reminded me of the precariousness of marriage. We also had a house guest for the summer, a wonderful man who was far more patient and kind than I am. One day, I walked to the beach and had a rush of what if thoughts. So I took these elements and told the story in a voice not my own. As I was writing, I felt I was channeling Grace Paley, though the story probably doesnt sound like her at all.
Handyman is essentially a travel piece, though its only a walk to the beach. A walk to the beach might change your life. I knew the story had to be short because I wanted to leave the ending ambiguous. The readers wondering would mimic the wifes wondering, her fear about what she might find, her fear that she might deserve it. Most of the editing I did was designed to heighten the drama and select details that carried the greatest metaphoric weight. This is the fun stuff: Compass Island, Penny Lane, the card game Warall there for the taking.
Recently, Ive fallen in love with the short form. I am not a poet but this is the closest I can come. Moments like this one bubble up, unannounced, usually when I am traveling, when Ive left my heart ajar.
Lili Wright
Comments from The Cincinnati Review:
What I love about Handyman: the bracing directness of our entry into the story; the way it establishes immediately that its length does not doom it to simplicity or lack of range (by the end of the second paragraph, weve encountered Jesus, the Beatles, hemorrhoids, bean sprouts, a Mexican woman, male lust, sunburn, and feats of carpentry); the easy self-assurance that lets the reader know straight off, I am in good hands. I trust this writer. But best of all, from my point of view, is the sense of rich, complex uncertainty Wright conveys here. Is there an affair? Consider the evidence. Pop duets and bathroom confidences? Hmm. Refueling with peanuts and a skinny-dip together? Uh-oh. But what her suspicion proceeds from is not facts, but rather the sense that whats gone wrong with their marriage has to have a name, a proximate cause, lest it be just a slow, inexorable, terrifying slide toward unintimacy and indifference. Does she hope to catch them making out? At least a little . . . because thats a narrative she knows, a movie Ive already seen. What she fears most, it seems, is not so much that shes lost her husband to this other person (which would be awful, but she can deal with it) as that shes doomed now, for the rest of her life, to keep losing him minute by minute, day by day.
Michael Griffith
Lili Wrights Handyman encapsulates a moment both small and large: small, because it is one afternoon in a womans life; large, because it may be the moment that changes everything. It accomplishes what flash fiction does at its best: captures something on the cuspa brief but important point in time, a moment which may or may not transform the course of her marriage. Its a statement on the precarious state of our happiness, on how close we may be to the beginning of our worst-case scenariosor how far.
The storys sentences are both economical and incisive, describing richly the narrators feelings toward her husbands newly developed bond with their handyman without rendering the subject matter sentimental. The narrator tells us that Levi isnt gay, as far as I know, but that men being men, needing sex as often as they do, something may have bubbled to the surface. These are the facts as she sees them; these are the facts as she delivers them to us. Levi is the man who may or may not be sleeping with her husband, but he is also a man who plays war nicely with her children and who never loses his temper. The story doesnt attempt to incite anger or pity on behalf of the narratorthere are no villains, no martyrs, only peopleand it is all the more emotionally resonant for that.
Becky Adnot-Haynes
The short-short, as its known, has really taken off in recent years. There are even e-zines and print mags devoted to exclusively to this compressed mode of storytelling. The fun thing about the short form is its surprising versatility. Its often unclear whether a given piece is poetry (a prose poem) or fiction—and even when the category is clear, the work can go in any number of directions. The most successful short-shorts are often ones that present an intriguing, offbeat idea and then elaborate on it, building a meaningful context for the idea to inhabit. Thomas Israel Hopkinss three short-shorts in our Winter 2012 issue are delightful examples of surreal scenarios that are grounded in real emotion. For Soapboxs feature, however, we chose to highlight Lili Wrights Handyman (from the same issue), in large part because it is the hardest kind of short-short to pull off. Often such submissions feel like half-baked entrees, missing a crucial ingredient, cold in the center. Wrights offering, however—though only a page and a quarter in the journal—manages to complete an arc of story that could well spool out in a dozen pages, but is even more fulfilling as a swift dive into a charged moment.
One of the accomplishments of the piece is how efficiently it settles us into the physical and emotional landscape using recognizable tropes: the cocky lawyer proud to conquer new territory, the bromance, the wife-become-mother who, in her role as commander-in-chief, feels she cant be nice. Wright smoothly joins the physical and psychological, imbuing concrete details with a shrewd significance: How will I tell the kids—years later—about . . . the summer when their father learned how to cover old siding with fresh shingles, learned to snap a plumb line, learned that male friendship is easier than marriage. The story ends inconclusively by design, the moments potent uncertainty exemplified by the changing-house near the water as well as the view of Compass Island. In the last line we, like the speaker, are poised at the brink, not knowing which way the needle will swing.
Nicola Mason, managing editor
1. Relevant Content
Research and write content that your market is interested in. In this way, not only will you keep your subscribers happy, you will also boost the amount of people who will recommend your newsletter to their friends.
Research can be done by sending out an email asking your readers what they want to read. You can also sign up for other ezines in your market and see what they are writing about.
2. Using Feedburner
www.Feedburner.com allows readers to subscribe to your blog updates by email. So even if you have not started your own newsletter yet, you can still update your readers of new content on your blog via email.
3. Ad Swaps
Ad swaps are exchanges of advertisements. By incorporating someone’s advertisement into your mailing, they agree to do the same for you. Swap ads with people in the same industry or related non-competing industries. Use this technique every 2-3 weeks and you should see your subscriptions climb rapidly over time.
4. Subscription Boxes
Subscription boxes can be added anywhere on a website. Integrate more subscription boxes so that more people can see the boxes and subscribe to your list. I recommend the following autoresponder accounts:
- If you don’t want to put a form (subscription box) on your site, but a simple button and get demographic data directly from the users Facebook account (to optimize your campaigns) and dramatically increase delivery rate, the your choice should be this brand new EMAIL POWER TOOL. If you rush you may still get the prelaunch price. Sign up for a free webinar here…
- GetResponse for Multilanguage sites: www.getresponse.com
- Aweber for English-only sites: www.aweber.com
NOTE: I’m customer of GetResponse and recently added the EMAIL POWER TOOL to my arsenal. In the future I will be exclusively using the EMAIL POWER TOOL, not only because of its social data, but also because it is a cost saver on the mid long term.
5. Newsletter and ezines
You can rely on RSS feeds to build your email list. However, a more effective way of building your list is to start a newsletter or ezine on appropriate topics that are popular, address a genuine need, or solve a problem. This makes it easier to attract new subscribers for your email list.
6. Safelists networks
Joining safelists networks will gain you access to a large group of individuals who may be interested in joining your list.
7. Bonus Or Gift
Offer a bonus or gift to individuals who sign up for your newsletter or ezine. Freebies always attract people. A good bonus could be back issues of your newsletter.
8. Opt-in Form
Add an opt-in form on your blog. If your content garners readers who come back to your website on a regular basis, they may decide to opt-in to your newsletter. You
9. Viral Marketing
Free viral Ebooks get passed around readers very quickly hence it is a great way to get new subscribers. To learn more about creating viral rebrandable ebooks, you can check out this site: http://www.viralpdfgenerator.com/
10. Newsletter or email frequency and consistency
If you want to be trusted and credible, you need to ensure that you are consistent with your newletter or email frequency. Delivery can be set weekly, monthly or less frequently.
11. Facebook fanpage
Create a facebook fanpage and set up a profile with relevant information about your business. Add links to your list and freebies and also consider simple discounts, giveaways or coupons for your selected products when users “like” your facebook fanpage. Discover how you can increase Facebook fan page likes easily by going here: http://doubleyourlikes.com/
12. Pop Up Windows
Pop up windows are still effective to get subscribers, especially in niche markets. Exit popups works well because when someone leaves a page on your website they get a popup window asking them to subscribe to your newsletter. Use this software to create popups: http://www.popupdomination.com/live/
13. Cross Promotion
Get to know owners of other blogs or websites in your niche so that you can partner with them to do some cross promoting of products. You can promote their products in your mailings in exchange for promotion of your newsletter in theirs. There are also paid options where you pay a small fee to an external mailing list to send a mail shot advertising your own list. Leverage an established list to promote your own.
14. Banner advertising
Banner advertising can help you in list building. Submit your banner to some banner networks and purchase a rotating banner slot on various sites. Use this software to easily create banners: http://www.easybannercreator.com/
15. Use Name Squeeze Pages
A name squeeze page is a simple subscribe form that then leads them to either a free report or a sales letter.
16. Create videos
Create video content to promote your site. For instance, creating a series of instructional videos and offering them as content for newsletter subscribers is a good way to pull in more sign ups to your list. Here’s one of the best video marketing softwares: http://www.thetrafficplayer.com/live/
17. Buy Leads With Co-Registration
This is about buying subscribers from a 3rd party service. Co-registration works this way: After completing a subscription form or upon leaving a website, visitors are invited to subscribe to one or more e-zines. If yours is listed among these and the site gets a substantial amount of traffic, you’ll begin to receive a number of subscriptions.
18. Host teleseminars/webinars
Teleseminars and webinars are conference calls you can conduct to discuss your area of expertise. For list building, during the call and at the end of the call, make explicit mentions for people to join your mailing list (and explain how it is even free to start with).
19. Write Free Articles
Create a free e course and plug it into an autoresponder. After which, write an article and let the readers know there is this great E-course for free they can sign up for. Then, provide the autoresponder link and explain how to sign up.
20. Limit Promotional Content in Your Emails
Once people opt in to your list, it is crucial for you to strike a good balance between genuine information that is valuable for your readers and information that promotes products or services. This is because it determines whether they will stay in your list or not. If you are always promoting your products and not providing any other value in your newsletter, people will be pretty turned off and possibly unsubscribe to your list.
21. Joint ventures
Create a working partnership with another business owner and arrange for some sort of exchange related to list building.
22. Social Media
Identify which social media channels are best for targeting your desired audience and take steps to acquire new subscribers by engaging with prospective clients on those sites. Learn more about social media here: http://www.thesocialnetworkingacademy.com/
23. Use A Sales Letter To Get Subscribers
Create a sales letter but at the end of it, instead of an order button, have a subscribe here button for people to sign up for your newsletter. Master copywriting with this course: http://www.copywritingsupremacy.com/
24. Crafting An Effective Call to Action
Professionally design your sign-up form and place it above the fold of your website to achieve optimal results. You can also add a link to join your list towards the end of your articles or your author bio. This is known to improve conversions drastically.
25. Generate opt-ins through affiliate marketing
Create a product that include links for readers to sign-up for your list. Get your affiliates to sell this product and offer them a nice commission. This becomes a win-win situation because while they make money, you’ll get subscribers. Some internet marketers offer up to 100% commissions to affiliates so as to build a substantial list.
26. Using Mp3s To Get More Subscribers
Conduct audio interviews with experts in your field and record it on mp3. Once you have these interviews, write to the publishers you’ve been in contact with and tell them that you have this great set of mp3?s just completed and you want to offer them for free to their lists.
On your website include the download link to these mp3?s and also put a subscribe form near them for your newsletter.
27. WordPress plugins
Take advantage of plug-ins such as ‘popup domination’ to improve conversions in your list building efforts.
28. Pay for referrals
You can purchase leads formally; or by seeking out webmasters who are willing to divert traffic to your site for a fee.
29. Your Newsletter Back Issues
Allow people to read your back issues without having to signup for your newsletter, this will show them what type of content you do write and will make them want to join. Do remember to add you’re your newsletter subscribers get each issue 2 weeks before non subscribers, so as to encourage them to sign up to your list.
30. Landing Page
Optimise your landing page so that it will have a good chance of ranking well on search engines. Another traffic source is to promote your landing page on social media networks. As your landing gets more exposure, more people will visit your website and sign up to join your newsletter.
31. Make your landing page more personal
Consider including a picture of yourself at the top right corner of your website. This has proven to increase conversions from 1-2% which also means that you will be able to receive twice as many subscribers in a given week.
32. Don’t use free Autoresponder services
These services are unreliable and can go down at anytime. What’s more they are not professional looking and emails sent out through them may most likely be recognized as spam by email bots. . I recommend the following autoresponder accounts that have a proven track record for high deliverable rates:
- If you don’t want to put a form (subscription box) on your site, but a simple button and get demographic data directly from the users Facebook account to optimize your campaigns and dramatically increase delivery rate, the your choice should be this brand new EMAIL POWER TOOL. If you rush you may still get the prelaunch price. Sign up for a free webinar here…
- GetResponse for Multilanguage sites: www.getresponse.com
- Aweber for English-only sites: www.aweber.com
NOTE: I’m customer of GetResponse and recently added the EMAIL POWER TOOL to my arsenal. In the future I will be exclusively using the EMAIL POWER TOOL, not only because of its social data, but also because it is a cost saver on the mid long term.
33. Split test landing pages
Send identical traffic streams to different landing pages so that you can test which landing page generates a higher conversion rate; and can adopt that exclusively for your list building efforts.
34. Free Forum Posting
Posting useful and valuable information on a forum thread related to your niche is a great way to not only get more subscribers for your newsletter but recognized as an expert in your field. Do take note of forum rules and abide by them religiously lest you get banned from participating.
35. Measure and Refine Your Results
Using Google Analytics, set-up goals to track subscription rates. Other tools also include Google’s website optimizer where you can run simple split tests to see what methods deliver the best results.
36. Create a squeeze page
Build a squeeze page that specifically captures email addresses for your list.
37. Trade Ads With Other Publishers
Contact and arrange with other publishers to place an ad in their newsletters and they do the same for you in return.
38. Launch Your own Product
By launching your own product, you can promote and build a substantial list of subscribers. You can also choose to create email tutorials or launch free webinar training to help grow your list quickly. Another method is to launch a free membership website and offer resources such as guides podcasts or videos.
39. PPC
Create a text ad in your Google Adwords account, select relevant keywords for it, and then pay only when someone clicks on your ad. Your ad will link directly to your website or squeeze page where a strong call-to-action will direct visitors to subscribe to your list.
40. Contest
Get a group of publishers and run a contest together. Inform subscribers in your list that to enter this contest, they must subscribe to the other publishers lists and vice versa. Here’s a simple contest software you could use: www.contestburner.com (you can get a free beta access to their contest software for Facebook pages here
41. Article Recommendation
Get together with 4 or 5 publishers and have them agree on running an article that you wrote. The article you write is about the best newsletters in your market, and these recommendations will of course be the newsletters of publishers you partner with. The article is to be objective like a news report.
42. Write a post or article to Promote Your List
Write a post or article published to your website to announce the launch of your mailing list and highlight your newsletter benefits for subscribers. Take steps to promote it on search engines and social media to drive traffic to your site.
43. Free ebooks
Provide subscribers with a free ebook after signing-up, they’ll be much more likely to join.
44. Thank You For Subscribing Page
Partner with a group of publishers and tell them you want to send new subscribers of your ezine to a page that recommends signing up for their ezine and that they do the same.
45. Free reports
This is similar to giving away free ebooks in exchange for subscription. A free report often targets a specific theme or is a write-up on a “how-to” topic.
46. Buy Ezine Solo Ads
Ezine solo ads are ads that are sent out by themselves, unlike classified and other ads that go out in the ezine itself. A compelling solo ad works wonders for your list building. Here’s a directory of ezines: http://www.directoryofezines.com
47. Add content to your site
Add content to your site with a subscription form either in the margins, in the middle of the content, or in a pop-over. The more articles you have, the more value you add to readers, the more traffic you will generate, and the more opportunities you will have to generate subscriptions.
48. Information Privacy
Include a note below your opt-in form that explains that you will never sell subscriber information–and you will never spam people who join your list. This should help to increase your conversion rates.
49. Press Releases
Write press releases announcing the launch of your subscription free giveway with both readers and search engines in mind and then submit it to press release websites. This helps get more exposure to your website and directs traffic which increases sign ups to your list. Here’s a superb press release course: http://www.pressreleasefire.com/.
A very good press release distribution service that I am using and that has divers distribution offerings, ranging for FREE to $299, is www.1888pressrelease.com. I also use www.prweb.com for my corporate customers, but it has no free option and is quite expensive, but the results are excellent.
50. Teaser Posts
Offer teaser content on your website on an interesting topic. Teaser posts help to increase the rate of sign ups because users are redirected to sign up to your list first in order to access the full content.
About the ABPM
What industry sectors does the agency specialise in?
ABPM specialises in the property industry, both residential and commercial in the UK and overseas.
What is special about the agencys approach to PR?
We are very results-driven and focus not only on branding building and profiling but also lead generation which is especially important in todays economic climate. We are 100% focused on property with our database of nearly 3000 journalists all related to the property market. In essence, we live and breathe property.
On your website you say the inspiration for creating your agency was that you identified a need for targeted public relations, bridging the gap between agents, developers and the ever changing property media. How successful do you believe the agency has been in achieving this goal?
ABPM was established in 2005, some seven years ago this very week, in fact, and back then no other PR agency was focused just on property. We found that agents and developers just didnt understand what the media wanted in terms of newsworthy information delivered in an easy to digest and useful manner. We have worked hard to ensure that we present the clients information, be it about a new development, price increase or a celebrity buyer, in a useable way for the media and ensure that all press materials are highly newsworthy, topical and accurate. The fact that we regularly have our clients featured in the national press, regional newspapers, magazines and online is testament to the fact that this approach works.
Your agency has a strong focus on the environment. What led you to choose this approach and how has it effected how the agency works?
ABPM Green was born out of both a passion for addressing the impacts that property has upon the environment and an increase in the number of sustainable projects coming to market. We have represented a number of developers; for example, the leading eco-friendly French property developer Terresens, carbon neutral projects in Estonia, game reserves in Botswana and bamboo investments in Nicaragua, to name but a few. Property can have a negative impact on the environment if not done responsibly so I feel that it is important to represent those companies building sustainably and ethically. Closer to home, ABPM has purchased acres of rainforest in the Amazon for preservation, we recycle in the office and I am a Trustee of the Frontiers Foundation, a charitable foundation set up with one of my clients, Property Frontiers, raising money for small scale charitable projects in Africa, the first of which will be a well in Zambia.
What has been the biggest challenge for the agency?
The recession! After riding the wave of the international property boom back in the mid 2000s where property companies couldnt sell homes quickly enough, the 2008 recession was certainly a shock to the system. Not unforeseen, of course, and ABPM adapted swiftly to retain clients and strong relationships with the media that remained. The last few years have been tough, not least due to the dwindling media outlets but we have seen business pick up over the last 12 months and are nearly back to 2007 client levels, which is very pleasing.
About clients
Tell us about a client you recently worked with. What was the companys brief, your approach and the result?
One of our biggest success stories is Taylor Wimpey Espantilde;a, the Spanish arm of the UKs leading house builder. TWE had used a number of PR agencies in the past but were disappointed with the results and lack of proactivity. It was a battle to win them round to the idea that PR can be effective if done correctly, but back in 2009 we won the account from a well known multi-sector agency.
Since then our focus has been not only on client service and daily communication but about building TWEs credibility in the industry, fighting against the doom and gloom about the Spanish property market and getting the message out that the market still has life in it. TWEs sales figures for January and February in 2012 are 100% up compared to the same time last year for British buyers!
We are very proactive in distributing positive press information, not only on TWE but also the market, and the sales and marketing manager Marc Pritchard has become an industry expert cited by the national press regularly. We have also run a number of successful press visits to HQ in Mallorca as well as setting up and managing the social media for TWE. This has been a huge success with hundreds of likes on Facebook, over 4000 blog visits each month and 2000+ followers on Twitter. From this, TWE has become one of the most visible social media players in the international property arena, that I know of.
How do you balance the use of social media and traditional PR in your work?
I believe that online PR and social media is just as important as traditional offline PR activity, so we try and balance our time 50/50. With fewer titles in print today and over 90% of property buyers starting their search online, its important to be visible through articles and e-zines, both for lead generation and SEO purposes as well as on social media, which is often the first place buyers will look for company information.
What has been your most memorable work for a client?
Gosh, well, memorable in terms of an experience – it has to be our game reserve client, Limpopo-Lipadi out in Eastern Botswana. A truly unique and wonderful project, L-L contracted us to promote the game reserve and the opportunity to buy shares to the UK market and as part of the campaign we took four national press journalists out to Botswana for a week. It was by far the most far-flung press trip I have ever done, but so much fun. From driving along dirt roads for hours to camping under the stars, tracking elephants and sitting around the fire at night, singing songs it was a magical and unforgettable experience.
What are the main issues for your clients in the property industry right now?
The property industry both in the UK and overseas is picking up once again and now its important for clients to be heard in order to convert interest into sales. Buyers have become wary so brand image, trust and credibility is essential. Buyers want to feel safe and secure in what and whom they are buying with and this, combined with attractive financial deals, is what we aim to convey via the media.
About journalists
Which areas of the press do you communicate with the most?
We are primarily focused on the consumer press at all levels, from national print through to local newspapers, magazines, broadcast media, online magazines and portals both in the UK and overseas. We do also target trade publications, as the property industry is heavily integrated; for example, with developeragent networks.
What can you offer to journalists seeking a story on one of your clients?
We encourage all clients to be open, honest and approachable. We like to arrange direct interviews with company owners or spokespeople so journalists get the story right from the source. We will always go the extra mile to ensure that a press visit is arranged if required, a free trial is made available if applicable, case studies and high res images are supplied.
How do you build and maintain strong relationships with journalists?
By picking up the phone! Too many of us have become slaves to email and whilst it may be convenient there is nothing quite like a personal conversation in person or on the phone. We make it a point to set weekly targets for journalist phone calls to make sure we dont slip 100% into the often faceless online world.
We also listen. Taking on board journalists interests both in and out of working hours can be very useful to ensure you are pitching the right stories to the right people at the right time.
How do you think the PR/journalist dynamic will change in the future?
I think that PRs have to be constantly on their game in providing new and innovative material to the media. Fresh ideas, creative thinking and enthusiasm get results. Churning out press releases on new development launches or price increases just doesnt cut it. PR/journo relationships are symbiotic and rely on each other to be successful.
About you
What made you decide to get into PR? Do you think your previous experience in the overseas property market has helped with your agencys success?
I founded ABPM back in 2005 with my business partner after working for one of the largest Spanish property companies at the time. Heading up their advertising team I saw that print advertising was dwindling but demand was growing for property PR which just wasnt being met, so we took the plunge! My previous experience both in my first role and from my fathers commercial property company and Geography BA certainly have given me a firm foundation of property and marketing knowledge.
What media do you seek out first thing in the morning?
Living in London, its hard not to pick up the Metro to pass the time on the tube, but I usually start each morning with BBC Breakfast on TV followed by The Telegraph Online. The property sections of each national paper combined with trade news from OPP and IEAT are a must, also.
Are you involved in any other projects?
As mentioned earlier, the Frontiers Foundation is something I am very passionate about. I have long believed that with so much wealth in the property industry, more can be done to give back and so I am very pleased to be involved in this charity. Our first project (for which we are still raising funds through half marathons and triathlons!) will be drilling a borehole in SW Zambia in order to bring clean, safe and free water to a local village. Me and my fellow trustees will be heading out to Zambia to help dig the well later this summer.
Name three guests youd invite to a dinner party and why…
Oh, thats a tough one, but Id opt for:
- Michael Palin my childhood hero! He inspired me to travel from an early age and I still have Around the World in 80 Days on VHS! As a volunteer for the Royal Geographical Societys Teaching Geography in Schools scheme I have also had the privilege to meet and hear him speak.
- Richard Branson Not only is he the spitting image of my Uncle Robert, Mr Branson is one of the worlds most successful and inspirational entrepreneurs. He also seems like a really decent, normal guy. Oh, and you never know, my dinner party chat might get me a free stay at Neckar Island!
- Brad Pitt/George Clooney/Ryan Gosling/Justin Timberlake whoever was available on the day! Being a 30 year old woman, a little bit of eye candy wouldnt go amiss!
Companies spend on online content marketing grew to nearly $16.6 billion last year, with video showing the strongest growth of all media measured. These stats come courtesy of a new study conducted by the Custom Content Council and ContentWise which was released this week.
Survey trends reveal that online content marketing is likely to surpass print in the next few years, though print will likely remain a major player. The formats measured by the study included print, web, email, video, virtual events, white papers (both print and electronic), podcasts and e-Zines. (The $16.6 billion figure includes everything but print.)
Funds that were previously earmarked for print are being shifted to video and web content, though print remains a dominant part of the overall spend,” Lori Rosen, executive director of the Custom Content Council, said in a statement.
In 2011, 52% of marketers said they used video, as compared to only 37% in 2009, and this is likely to grow even more, as 54% of marketers said they expect to use more video. Additionally, the number of videos produced has risen from 12 to 19 per year.
By Marie Spano, MS, RD, Contributing Editor
The most famous soluble fiber is the beta-glucan in oatmeal, but other soluble fibers offer health benefits, as well. Research shows soluble fiber aids digestion, increases satiety, helps control blood sugar and benefits cholesterol.
Technically speaking, “dietary fiber is the edible parts of plants or analogous carbohydrates that are resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine with complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine (AACC Report of the Dietary Fiber Definition Committee, 2001). Though there are important nutritional differences between soluble and insoluble fiber, the difference between the two fractions is somewhat arbitrary and based on the solubility of the soluble-fiber fraction in a pH-controlled enzyme solution (Cereal Foods World, 1999; 44:367-369).
Several sources of soluble fiber are used for food and beverage formulation, including oat and barley beta-glucan, konjac plant glucomannan, larch arbinogalacatan, soluble corn fiber, inulin and oligosaccharides. And, all come with an array of health benefits. “Soluble dietary fibers have two basic types, high viscosity and low viscosity that provide little bulk per se, but do positively affect intestinal health and provide a colonic environment compatible with the growth of beneficial bacteria, notes Kati Ledbetter, product development scientist, ADM, Decatur, IL. This may include possibly influencing the absorption of other nutrients that are not absorbed in the small intestine. Secondary influences on blood sugar, insulin, fat deposition and blood lipids (triglyceride and cholesterol) are well documented, but not universal for every fiber.
Digestive health
Each type of soluble fiber plays an important role in digestive health. For instance, “inulin and oligofructose belong to a select group of dietary fibers known for their selective stimulation of the beneficial microflora, which promote good digestive balance, says Joseph O’Neill, executive vice president of sales and marketing, BENEO, Inc., Morris Plains, NJ. The prebiotic fibers are fermented in the digestive process and result in the production of a range of short-chain fatty acids known to promote health and well-being.
In addition, “chicory inulin and oligofructose increase stool frequency and have a fecal bulking effect, and may help maintain regularity, says Deborah Schulz, inulin product manager, Cargill Health amp; Nutrition, Minneapolis.
And, inulin and oligofructose aren’t the only ones that have a positive effect on gut flora. One study found that 15 to 30 grams of larch arbinogalactan per day for a three-week period led to a significant increase in beneficial gut microflora, particularly Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus (Alternative Medicine Reviews, 1999;4:96-103; Alternative Medicine Reviews, 2002; 7:138-149; Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2001; 20(4):279-285).
Soluble fibers can also impact bowel functioning. “Resistant maltodextrin is a low-viscosity soluble dietary fiber that helps support or maintain intestinal regularity. Clinical studies show that resistant maltodextrin helps relieve occasional constipation, and select studies show that it improves stool consistency, according to Ledbetter.
Calorie control
Soluble fiber may help people control caloric intake by increasing the release of satiety hormones and slowing digestion. For instance, greater than or equal to 5 grams of beta-glucan decreased subsequent meal intake by more than 95 calories in overweight adults (Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 2009; 53:1343-1351) and beverages containing 2.5 to 5 grams of oat beta-glucan increased perceptions of satiety in healthy adults compared to beverages without fiber (Food and Nutrition Research, 2010; 54). Likewise, 2 to 4 grams per day of glucomannan led to significant weight loss in obese and overweight adults (Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2005; 11:30-34). And finally, a meta analysis found a statistically significant but small reduction in weight of 0.79 kg with daily glucomannan consumption in studies lasting an average of 5.2 weeks (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2008; 88:1,167-1,175).
In addition to the satiety effects of soluble fibers, resistant maltodextrin, inulin and oligofructose can help reduce the overall caloric content of a food without adversely affecting taste and texture. Plus, all are excellent options for no-sugar-added and sugar-free products, while adding the benefit of soluble dietary fiber.
Controlling blood sugar
The viscous and gel-forming properties of soluble fiber slow gastric emptying and macronutrient absorption from the gut, leading to a reduction in postprandial blood glucose response (Journal of Nutrition, 2008; 138:439-442). In fact, studies show that patients with type 2 diabetes who consume foods naturally high in fiber (50 grams per day; 50% soluble fiber) for a 6-week period significantly improved glycemic control compared to patients who consumed moderate amounts of fiber (25 grams per day, 50% soluble) (Nutrition Reviews, 2001; 59:52-55). Plus, a meta-analysis of 37 trials found 6 grams of resistant maltodextrin in drinks or foods significantly attenuated the glycemic response of carbohydrate-rich meals by 20% and 10%, respectively (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009; 89:114-125).
Cardiovascular benefits
Several studies show a positive relationship between diets rich in soluble fibers, such as beta-glucan, pectin, guar gum and psyllium, and reduced blood cholesterol (Food amp; Function, 2010; 1:149-155).
In adults with normal or high cholesterol, consumption of at least 3 grams per day of oat or barley beta-glucan can significantly reduce total and LDL cholesterol by 5% to 10% (Nutrition Reviews, 2011; 69:299-309; Nutrition, 2011;27:1,008-1,016). However, fiber viscosity might matter and higher molecular weight beta-glucan may be more effective than lower weight beta glucan (Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1995; 62:1,245-1,251).
While 3 grams or more seems to be the perfect dose for beta-glucan, glucomannan is effective at 1.2 grams or more per serving. A meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials found doses ranging from 1.2 to 15.1 grams of glucomannan per day administered in various forms led to statistically significant decreases in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, body weight, and fasting blood glucose compared to placebo, including potentially clinically significant reductions in LDL (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2008; 88:1,167-1,175).
The Daily Reference Value (DRV) for fiber is 25 grams per day for a 2,000-calorie diet, and the Dietary Reference Intake (RDI) is 21 to 38 grams per day for adults, depending on age, life stage and sex. However, many Americans are falling short on their fiber intake (Advance Data, 1994; 258:1-28). Because dietary fiber has a positive effect on many aspects of health promotion and disease prevention, functional foods and beverages fortified with fiber are a viable option for helping people meet their daily fiber needs. The minimum dose necessary for health benefits varies among the different fiber types, though all doses used in the aforementioned studies were well tolerated.
Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, is a nutrition communications expert whose work has appeared in popular press magazines, e-zines and nutrition-industry trade publications. She has been an expert guest on NBC, ABC and CBS affiliates on the East Coast. For more information, visit mariespano.com.
Having your own website to promote your affiliate products is the best option, but it is not necessary. Let me show you some simple methods on how to be an affiliate without a website. If you are on a shoe string budget, there are many methods available that can be used to run your affiliate marketing business. The list is long, but the most important methods are email marketing, writing articles for e-zines or directories, and joining online discussions also called forums. I am going to discuss these three methods on how to be an affiliate without a website.
Email Marketing
With this method you can promote your affiliate links without your own website, by leveraging other peoples email lists. You can find people who own email lists that are related to your niche and see if they are willing to place an email from you out to their list. This sometimes cost a little money, but the results are amazing. When the email is sent out to their subscribers their users can click on your affiliate links presented in your emails and can go directly to the merchant website to purchase the product, this is called direct linking.
Your email should contain the introduction about the product you are promoting and your affiliate links. Try to make your emails interesting and brief. Give the users something of value in your email soft selling the product you are promoting.
Try to expand your contact list. Use as many methods as you can to grab the email addresses of new people. Use online forums, chat forums etc to make new friends and get their email. Your email list should contain a few hundred contacts, at least. But do not spam. Don’t send emails to the people who don’t know about you or who don’t want to receive your emails. Otherwise they will just block your emails and you will lose your contacts. As I said, your emails should be interesting to get the reader’s attention. The most important part of your email is going to be your subject line so be creative.
Creating Free Incentives
Writing free e-books goes hand in hand with email marketing. With this method you are going to write an informative and interesting e-book and will send to the people via their email address. These e-books should be easy to read and helpful for their readers. The topics should be related to your affiliate products so that you can recommend the products in the body of your e-book. This method gives the user a lot of value and makes it much easier to get a sale. Alternatively you can add a brief note about your affiliate products and affiliate links for promotion. If the readers like your e-book, they may visit the merchant website and make a purchase.
Writing in Forums
Search for some forums, at least three, that are related to your product and have high page rank and a high alexa rank. You want to make sure there is enough traffic coming to the forum so your posts will be read. Register on these forums and start some discussions inside the forum where the maximum amount of people are involved. Just post your content there or answer some questions of other members. But don’t add any promotional text in the body of your posts. You do not want to be kick out of a forum for blatant selling. You are allowed to put your signature at the end of your post; this is where you can but a little promotional text and your affiliate link. When you become an active member of this forum then you may get some traffic from these forums to your merchant website through your affiliate links. This will ultimately result in more sales of the products you are promoting.
Writing Articles
You can write good quality articles and publish them in free article directories or get them published on multi-user blogs or e-zines. You can embed your affiliate links in the text of your articles, but don’t overdo it. If your articles are well formatted, informative, gives value to the user, and the article directory has a large amount of traffic then you can expect some good traffic to your affiliate links. And you know that more traffic on your affiliate links will result in more sales through your affiliate links. The best place to put your affiliate links is in the resource box of your article. Similar to forum post signatures this is where you can do a little bit of promotion for your affiliate products.
Conclusion
Learning how to be an affiliate without a website is a great aspect to your business. There are many different methods that can be used to promote your affiliate links without a website. The most popular among these methods are email marketing, writing to forums, article writing and offline promotion for example newspaper classified ads. The main idea is that instead of promoting your website you will directly promote your affiliate links and people will directly go to the merchant website by clicking your affiliate links to purchase the products. This way you do not have to pay extra for your website creation, hosting, and maintenance. As you can see these are pretty simple methods on how to be an affiliate without a website take these and get out there and make some money.
On April 25, 2012, Curiosity Quills Press author Michael Panush will be reading from a selection of his urban fantasy works at the Kresge Writing Center in UC Santa Cruz, as well as hearing pitches from aspiring authors.
Santa Cruz, CA (PRWEB) April 17, 2012
Writers House is a thriving residential community of student writers from UC Santa Cruz and, on Wednesday, 25th April, they will be playing host to prodigious young author, Michael Panush.
At 22-years-old, Michael Panush has distinguished himself as one of Sacramentos most promising young writers. Michael has published numerous short stories in a variety of e-zines including AuroraWolf, Demon Minds, Fantastic Horror, Dark Fire Fiction, Aphelion, Horrorbound, Fantasy Gazetteer, Demonic Tome, Tiny Globule, and Defenestration.
Michael released his first novel, weird Western collection Clark Reeper Tales. He recently announced a multiple-book deal with Curiosity Quills Press, with the first book, The Stein amp; Candle Detective Agency, Vol. 1: American Nightmares, released on 18th March.
The event on the 25th of April will run from 7pm to 9pm Pacific Time, with Michael reading from a selection of his stories, followed by a signing. Furthermore, Mr. Panush will be hearing aspiring authors pitches at the end of the event, giving fellow writers a chance to have their works presented directly to Curiosity Quills Press. Authors interested in preparing a pitch beforehand are encouraged to read the publishers submission guidelines.
We look forward to seeing both readers and writers joining Michael Panush at the reading event, says Eugene Teplitsky, Managing Partner at Curiosity Quills Press. If you love top-notch urban fantasy, the Stein amp; Candle series will pleasantly surprise you. And if you are pitching, we wish you best of luck and cant wait to see your work.
The event will be held in the Kresge Writing Center (in the Kresge Study Center downstairs and to the left), 600 Kresge Ct. Santa Cruz, CA 95064, so join us for an evening of paranormal mystery, b-movie monsters, hard-boiled detective noir – and even free refreshments!
About Michael Panush:
Michael Panush is the author of Clark Reeper Tales, his first novel. Michael began telling stories when he was only nine years old. He won first place in the Sacramento Storytellers Guild Liars Contest in 2002 and was a finalist in the National Youth Storytelling Olympics in in 2003. In 2005, Michaels short story entitled, Adventures in Algebra, won first place in the annual MISFITS Writing Contest.
In 2007, Michael was selected as a California Arts Scholar and attended the Innerspark Summer Writing Program at the CalArts Institute. He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 2008 and now attends UC Santa Cruz.
About Curiosity Quills Press:
Curiosity Quills Press (http://curiosityquills.com), launched in June, 2011 by writers, for writers, out of a common frustration with the state of publishing today. Instead of relying on readers to sift through the so-called Amazon slush-pile, CQ presents a uniformly top-notch level of quality, tastefully curated, hard-hitting storylines, and memorable characters readers wont forget amidst their Kindle downloading sprees.
We know its hard to stand out from the crowd when its millions large, but Curiosity Quills Press helps level the playing field through its members innovative social media approach, a transparent culture, and a deeply passionate team.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/4/prweb9411948.htm