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Internet videos are an outstanding tool to expose your businesses products and services. There is no doubt that there are lots of other kinds of marketing methods around which include editorial writing to blogging, from press releases to RSS. However, nothing says “cool, connection, & creative” like a short format video. Vidify is one of the best video production companies around that produce cost-effective short format online videos for local businesses.

Each week more & more organisations of different sizes are creating promotional videos about their services. They are not only just posting them on their company sites, but they are adding them to their blogs. To gain worldwide 24/7 publicity, commercial videos are being published to loads of video-sharing websites like YouTube and Google Videos. And why not ? it?s economical, easy-to-do, and can have a massive difference, in some cases, on the traffic it brings to your businesses site.

There are various other reasons why professional videos are a marvellous way to market your firm.

Promotional videos benefit from a large distribution: Videos by their very nature are simple to “package” which means they are suitable to go into a choice of different distribution channels. You can post them on your site or blog, then again you can save them onto your personal computer & show them again & again at a chosen business show. You can upload them to scores of Web video-sharing sites. You can copy them onto CDs & give them away or sell them. You can even dispatch them via email.

Promotional videos are a wonderful way to advertise. As our utilisation with technology develops, so do the methods in which firms like to cooperate with others. Most people are visually oriented meaning that is how they best understand & cooperate with their world. This makes internet videos the idyllic marketing strategy to talk with today’s customers.

These are just some of the numerous reasons why videos on the Internet might be a great way to market your firm’s products and services. Discover more about this area to see how you could utilise your precious time, assets, and energy to talk with your target marketplace in a new & exciting way.

Entering the speaking industry can be both daunting and exciting. It is an excellent environment where you can make a real difference in the lives of your audience. It is a rewarding and challenging industry to be part of. If you are keen to become a professional speaker, try these tips:

1. Find a buddy - make a friend with another speaker who is at a similar stage to you in their speaking career to be able to share ideas, questions, frustrations and wins with them.
2. Get a mentor - seek out a speaker who is an expert in their field and is willing to share one hour a month with you for 6 months. Create an agenda for each meeting, set up your expectations before the mentoring begins and reward them with your honesty, loyalty and promote them to others whenever you have an opportunity.
3. Create a mastermind group - find 3-4 other speakers who are new and willing to meet each month to brainstorm ideas, share learnings, provide tips and encourage each other on your path to become a successful professional speaker. You may schedule your meeting to occur before your monthly National Speakers Association meeting.
4. Contact speakers you admire - email, phone or write to speakers you admire and let them know you are new and you would like to learn from them. Most people are willing to give you time, provide advice and share their information with you.
5. Attend all National Speakers Association (NSA) meetings - make this a priority in your month to attend these meetings that will develop your skills, expose you to accomplished speakers and build relationships with people in your industry.
6. Attend an NSA convention - schedule an annual convention in your diary to expose yourself to the best in the speaking industry, build your skills and meet people who are achieving their speaking goals. You may like to combine this with a vacation to an overseas destination.
7. Get involved in the NSA committee - volunteer to assist your local chapter with the meeting, greeting new members, accreditation programs or logistics. There are so many roles that could be suitable for you. It is a very rewarding experience.
8. Attend toastmasters - find a good group and learn more about your craft.
9. Borrow resources from other speakers - when you start out you may not have significant capital so borrow tapes, videos, books and resources from other speakers. When you become a well known, highly paid speaker you can do the same for new speakers.
10. Subscribe to Professional Speaker Magazine and Voice of Experience CDs - invest in your self-development with some of the best tools in the industry.
11. Read Speaker Directories - learn what categories are available, check out what speakers call their presentations, review accreditation experience and read their testimonies - this will all inspire you.
12. Review websites - make time each day to visit the National Speakers Association websites from all over the world. Investigate other speaker’s websites for tips, product information and ideas.
13. Create a one-page overview of you and your topic - use this page for marketing and sending to Speakers Bureaux as a summary of what you speak about.
14. Create a website - if you can’t afford a whole site to start; create a home page with your photo, contact information and what you speak about. Expand the site as your funding and reputation grows.
15. Meet Speakers Bureaus - introduce yourself as a ‘rising star’ and develop relationships with them. Make time to contact them regularly with your progress reports, new marketing information, promotional videos or CDs and invite them to see you present. These people are one of the most valuable resources in your industry.
16. Speak at interest groups for free - there are many groups who regularly meet and have guest speakers including SWAP, Zonata, Rotary and many more. Find out your local networks and offer to speak to their members.
17. Get Accredited - find out how to improve your skills through the NSA accreditation system and complete each level. This will keep you motivated to achieve your next level and build your skills as you do it.
18. Do a Presentation Course - learn how the professionals do it. Many speakers’ bureaus also run these programs so keep an eye out for them.
19. Seek voice coaching or enrol in a drama or dance class - learn more about your voice and body and how to increase your platform skills.
20. Be persistent - don’t get discouraged when you don’t have bookings, keep focused on your goal to become a professional speaker and remember… it takes time. Be patient.

This is one of the most exciting industries in the world - you can do it. Believe in yourself and you will become an exceptional professional speaker.

Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy - and where they focus their attention - Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://neenjames.com/

Life can be hard

Life can be complicated

We all know that

But we’ve got to be contented

Life can be sweet

Life can be bitter

It can be the worst thing

But think positive for the better

Life can give you problems

It can bring you sadness

But everyday there’s a brand new day

So cast your troubles away

Also do not worry

Have no fear

Because you’re not alone

I am here

About the Author: Hi! I’m Anna Biaritz, a highschool student from de la salle santiago zobel school… I hope you like my poems.

Source: www.isnare.com

My bookcase takes up one whole wall in the family room, from floor to ceiling. It shows my eclectic reading tastes… fiction, non-fiction, Harry Potter next to murder mysteries and metaphysical literature. Also there are books I’ve written for the business sector - on negotiation, writing letters, communication skills, real estate sales and a lot more. The business books, however, have other people’s names on them. I’m merely the ghostwriter.

These days, I’ve moved from writing fiction and being a ghostwriter to a new career as an information marketer on the Internet. (What is an “information marketer”? Just what it sounds like. I do extensive research to find out what information people are searching for, and then I find a way to create it, package it and sell it to them. It’s a bit like ghostwriting, really, except that I’m doing it for myself instead of someone else.)

My experience as a ghostwriter was invaluable for doing what I’m doing now. So was my experience in writing fiction. Fiction writers make excellent ghostwriters, because they use their skills to bring scenes and people to life in non-fiction. You see, people love to read about people.

Not things.

Not places.

Not strategies.

Rather, they like to read about the people behind all these things: this is what brings non-fiction to life. If you are a skilled fiction writer, then you can easily adapt your talent to ghostwriting. And the happy news is this: you will probably earn a lot more as a ghostwriter than you ever will writing fiction.

“Ghostwriter” will be only one of the terms for what you do. Sometimes you will find yourself acknowledged as a “consultant”; sometimes as a “copywriter”. Most often, you will not get any recognition at all… because that’s why people hire ghostwriters: they want to produce a book (or e-book or article or a report) without having to slog away at the actual writing. So… they hire a professional.

Really, the label is not important, and nor is whether you get acknowledged for what you do. What is important is that you get paid regularly for doing something you enjoy. Plenty of people would kill for a job like that!

Any competent writer can earn a steady income from ghostwriting. You can establish a ghostwriting career online or offline - but I would recommend that you start ONline, if you haven’t done this before. Thanks to the Internet, it’s possible to establish a portfolio of work and get up and running within weeks. Yes, that’s right: not months… weeks. If you already have a few samples of articles or work done for others, then you’re off to a running start!

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Start Building Writing Credits.

My first work in ghostwriting came about because I had a portfolio of published articles. What I did not have was a background in journalism. I learned how to write articles by reading how-to books and articles in writers’ magazines, and by analyzing the structure of articles in a range of magazines and newspapers. Then I started sending my work out. Luckily, you don’t have to take as long as I did to build up credits. You can write a number of articles on different topics, post them to article sites on the Internet, and earn yourself an ‘expert’ rating within DAYS.

2. Talk About What You Do / Network.

ONLINE: (1) join in forums and mention that you’re a ghostwriter; (2) email your friends and acquaintances and asking them to put the word out; (3) create an email signature that advertises your ghostwriting services; (4) set up a website to promote your services, and (5) take the fast route and sign up at Internet sites where potential clients post work.

OFFLINE: (1) Always mention what you do (you never know who knows somebody who knows somebody etc etc…); (2) Do a mailout to businesses in your local area; (3) Put an ad in the paper; (4) Join professional organizations where business people go (the local Chamber of Commerce; Rotary etc)

3. Create a Professional Image From Day One.

Make sure that your work is as close to perfect as you can make it: DEFINITELY no typos or grammatical errors. Sample articles, book outlines, reports etc should be attractively presented and easy to read. As soon as you start getting work, make sure you MEET YOUR DEADLINES. This is crucial!

Invest in quality equipment. With a computer, a high-quality word processor and a laser printer, you can produce not only books and articles, but also proposals, fliers, and an attractive letterhead for your business. For fast, efficient online research: a broadband connection is well worth the additional expense. These days, an entry-level broadband connection is almost as cheap as dialup anyway.

4. Organize Your Material.

As your client base increases, you will find yourself speedily becoming an “expert” on a dazzling variety of subjects. Keep your subject matter organized by client, by subject or both. Eventually you will be able to save time by looking up previous articles - but always give it a new slant.

5. How to Decide What to Charge for Your Services.

Initially, I suggest you charge modest fees and concentrate on building up your client list and your reputation. As a rule of thumb, decide on what you would like to earn in an eight-hour day, then derive from that an hourly rate to use as a basis for costing work. If you start working for online outsourcing agencies, you will be able to get an idea of what to charge very quickly - you’ll be able to browse the jobs posted and the bids being made.

6. Time Management - a Dual Writing Career?

You can tackle ghostwriting full time, or create a dual career (use ghostwriting to give you a part-time income while you write your novel). You will find that mastering the art of writing pacy, entertaining business articles and books pays off in all your writing. Your editing skills will improve as you get used to cutting articles and copy; your fiction-writing skills will help you in writing anecdotes for articles. The essence of managing a writing career in different fields is forward planning. Keep a desk or computer diary, a pocket diary and a wall planner. Write in deadlines, assignments and consultation times (and make sure you transfer the information from one to the other). Always have a mental map of what is due in the next week or two. Write out a ‘to-do’ list each morning, and rank jobs in order of importance.

7. Different Clients, Different Styles.

Different clients like to work in different ways. I had one client who cheerfully admitted he “couldn’t even spell, let alone write”. For him, I worked from audio interviews or a few brief points on a page, and did a lot of research. Other clients sent me each chapter as it was finished, then I set to work fixing elements of style and tone; re-writing or adding anecdotes, and making suggestions about structure. When it comes to Internet clients, you’re likely to find that they want a swift turn-around (2-4 weeks for an e-book of between 50-80 pages with straightforward research). Information marketers will often provide you with a list of questions to be answered or points to cover, and require you to do the research.

8. Confidentiality.

If you want to be a successful ghostwriter, it is VITAL that you maintain confidentiality. Unless your client gives you permission to use his or her name as a reference, don’t do so. Some people are happy to acknowledge you as a ‘consultant’, but not as a ghostwriter. That’s their decision. As a ghost, you’re supposed to be invisible.

You’ll find plenty of work out there a good ghostwriter if you set about looking for it. You don’t need to work from 9-5 outside the home in order to pay the mortgage or put food on the table. If you need to earn an income, why not choose a job in which you can use your skill with words? You could find that ghostwriting is the perfect solution for you.

(c) copyright Marg McAlister http://www.TheEssentialGuidetoGhostwriting.com
About the Author

Marg McAlister has created a “Mini Guide To Ghostwriting” for all those frustrated writers who are eager to make their skill with words pay. Sign up for a free 7-day e-course on Ghostwriting at mailto:mini-ghost@aweber.com

Are you ready to abandon your poems? Before you toss your newest poem away, revisit it using some exercises that have proven helpful to poets who are feeling “stuck.” If you explore some of these ideas, you may be steps closer to placing your poetry in a well-known literary journal.

You can make submissions on your own, or hire some help. Every poem, on average, must be submitted to 100 markets before it is accepted. For poets, these numbers are sad, but true. Even the best poems must cover a lot of territory before they appear on the printed page. A reputable author’s submission service may offer you more time to write while they take care of the submissions. Remember that a good submission service screens potential writers for quality work. They don’t take everyone.

When writing poetry, a poet considers language. They also consider form, and may even consider audience. But that is not all. Though form serves as a vehicle or container, and audience can help drive a poem; and while it is language that gives voice to poetry, it is basically the root of the poetthe poet’s experiencethat gives voice to the voice. Even when poetry does not reflect the poet’s direct experience, it is still filtered through her or his eyes. Both poem and poet are inextricably connected; one cannot exist without the other. The material from which the poet culls the poem is that which has been sown, tilled, pulled, dumped, dredged, fermented, stored, and often kept hidden all the poet’s life. If the poet feels brave enough, or even if she is terrified beyond belief, she will excavate this treasure and use it to lay a foundation. Foundation laid, the poet then uses language to form the structure, build the ramparts which hold the poem together. Having built the poem with the blood and bone and truth of her, the poet thus offers a monument that withstands even the critic’s wind. Or, at least the storm of self-doubt.

Following are some simple ideas for exploring poetry and using your own experience to create a poem. If you’d like in-depth technical information on form and poetry structure, there is a brief list of recommended books at the end of this article.

* Practice using your voice by writing a poem about a life experience, a memory, a desire, or a belief.

* Write a poem about your name. You may do this in either a positive or negative lightwhatever is meaningful to you. You may even pick a name you like and write a poem about that name, making it your own.

* Select a poem written by someone else; write your version of the poem.

* Select two poems by different poets which contain the same theme. Write a couple of paragraphs comparing the poems.

* In your own words explain what you think makes a “good” poem.

* Pick a topic you dislike and write a poem about it.

* Try writing song lyrics. Compare your lyrics to a poem you’ve written.

* Read some material on different structures of poetry (iambic pentameter, rhyme, sonnet, etc.). Write a poem with the same theme in each specific structure. Pick at least three different structures.

* Write a poem explaining poetic rhythm.

* Explore and write examples of lyric and narrative poetry.

Some books on poetry worth owning:

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver

In the Palm of Your Hand by Steve Kowit

How to Interpret Poetry by Laurie E. Rozakis

The Poetry Dictionary by John Drury

Exploring the ideas listed above may help open new doors for your writing. In addition to your poems being well crafted, they must be submitted regularly and extensively. Beat the odds with strong writing COMBINED with a powerful and tenacious submission strategy.

About the Author

Mary Diane Hausman was born and raised in the Texas Hill Country, and that experience provides a strong voice for her work. She teaches college level creative writing and poetry as well as public workshops. She has utilized Writer’s Relief Inc., an Author’s Submission Service, for ten years which frees her time to write. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.wrelief.com

You’re almost done with the whole article. You should feel relieved. Instead you feel like you’ve written a bunch of junk.

It’s funny, though. At other times you’ve felt that you’ve written something worthwhile.

Now, however, you feel the urge to read several more articles, add more footnotes, edit it some more, or check your email. Anything but wrap it up and send it in.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a “revise and resubmit” article for a journal or a draft chapter to show to your dissertation advisor. There’s something anxiety-provoking about letting go of your work and putting it out there for the wider world to see.

One very brilliant client of mine told me how she had a similar feeling when she was 9 months pregnant. The baby’s room wasn’t ready, and she had so much more to do. She tried to will herself not to give birth yet. Luckily, her body didn’t cooperate. Now she tries to do the same with journal articles.

This reluctance to release one’s work is so common in academia, that it may well be the norm. In some cases, though, it can become crippling.

Reasons for Reluctance to Release Writing
Here are the kinds of statements that I hear from academics in regards to this issue. Each statement is followed by an alternate way to look at the situation. If you’ve found yourself saying anything like this to yourself, try the alternate way of thinking on for size.

Who am I to make that definitive a statement?

If not you, then who? What makes someone else an authority and not you? Where and when did the current authorities start having the authority to make their statements?

I have an idea, but I can’t find any references to cite that say what I’m thinking.

Maybe that’s because it’s an original idea! Sometimes new ideas really are leaps. Run it by some colleagues and see what they think.

I’m intimidated by the fact that others have written about my subject for much longer than I have.

Sometimes people who are steeped in a subject can’t think about that subject in as clear a light as a newcomer.

A new voice is always welcome (and if it isn’t, too bad for them.)

My viewpoint doesn’t fit the mental maps of academics in my field, so they will disagree with what I say.

Try to welcome disagreement! The best scholarly contributions often incite others to argue vociferously against the new ideas. By generating discussion you’re advancing the field.

The critical nature of academia is paralyzing to some. It’s important to realize that academics enjoy thinking and puzzling things out. The “devil’s advocate” approach that looks for holes in your logic is just part of the process. Try not to take that part personally.

Remember that some of the most famous theorists, even the ones with scads of data to back them up, invited the most invective. Charles Darwin comes to mind - I’m sure you can think of others.

What if I just don’t know what I’m talking about?

Then finish the piece, have others read it, and find out! Chances are you’re not completely out of your mind.

Everything I’ve written is junk. It doesn’t make any sense to me any more.

It’s time to finish the up the part you’re writing, give it a rest, and let someone else look at it. Either fresher eyes or new eyes will help you see it in a new light.

If you’re not totally burned out, push past that feeling. Trust the process. As one client said, don’t flip out just when you’re at the cusp of turning it from cream into butter. It seems like nothing is happening, but if you perservere, you will see that you have produced something worthwhile.

I can see that it’s not perfectly written. I’m a sham and a charlatan and I don’t deserve to be in this field.

It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be good enough.

You don’t have to be perfect. If you’ve gotten this far, you ARE good enough. Besides, everyone in academia feels that way every once in a while.

Looking over already published papers will remind you that imperfect writing still gets published. And has some value!

There’s so much more I could say about this subject.

You can use this excuse never to complete a project about the subject.

It’s OK to keep writing about the subject. In your next paper, chapter, or presentation, that is. Finish this one - you’ve probably said enough for now.

So Give Birth To That Baby!
The world deserves to hear what you have to say. Don’t deprive the universe of your ideas! Release them from your brain and get them out there!

Gina J Hiatt, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, tenure coach and dissertation coach and enjoys helping faculty and graduate students complete research, writing projects, and publish, while maintaining high teaching standards and other commitments. In addition to dissertation coaching, she teaches workshops and teleclasses on time management, writing, career planning and grad student/advisor relationships. Sign up for my free newsletter at http://www.academicladder.com or call me at (703) 734-4945.

You know the feeling. Looking out at a sea of faces, you notice a few scowls, frowns, even droopy eyelids on some of your audience members. What are they thinking? Do they disagree with your points? Are they in a bad mood? Do they just not like YOU? You bend over backwards to win them over. You smile, establish eye contact. But the longer you speak the more hopeless you feel as you see your desperate attempts to please fall flat. At the end, feeling discouraged and anxious, you limp away.

It doesn’t have to be that way. By using a simple image–the porch light–you can give the same talk with such enthusiasm that scowls won’t bother you. In fact, you may even be able to turn those frowns upside down!

Remember going trick-or-treating as a child? You would carefully examine all the houses to determine which ones would yield the good “loot.” Most likely, the brightly lit porches with elaborate Halloween decorations would have friendly, generous, confection-laden people behind the door. Also, you most likely skipped the houses with dark, unswept porches for their lack of promise.

Imagine the faces of your audience members as porch lights. Some will be brightly “lit” with smiles and encouraging looks; others may appear uninviting. The trick is to speak into the spirit of the bright porch lights. Let in support from those who are encouraging you. Speak into the generosity of those porches that are lit, rather than into the perceived criticism of the uninviting ones.

Does that mean you ignore the unlit porches? No. Instead of speaking from a panicky need to win them over, addresss the frowning faces with the same energy that you project toward the friendly faces. Easier said than done? Perhaps, but you can make it easier if you remember the following:

1. Negative expressions probably have nothing to do with you. People frown when they have a stomachache; they scowl when they’re reliving a fight with their spouses; they drop off when they spent the night rocking a sick baby. Nine times out of ten, they had turned off their porch lights long before you walked in the room.

2. Usually far more porch lights are ON than off. Most people in your audience want you to succeed. But you can get so focused on forcing the negative ones to like you that you don’t let in the support of those who already do! It’s a shame when warm, supportive energy goes unused. Besides, if you speak appreciatively into the positive energy of the “on” porch lights, the “off” porch lights see the magic that’s happening between you and your supporters. That’s often all it takes to turn on lights all over the room.

3. Just because a person’s porch light is off, it doesn’t mean nobody’s home. The person might just be concerned, anxious, or distracted. With a little more information or reassurance, that listener’s porch light might come on more brightly than all the others.

The next time you speak, remember the wisdom of your trick-or-treating days: Don’t spend a lot of time on dark, uninviting porches. Instead, enjoy the warm light of the inviting ones. That’s where you’ll find the best treats. And, who knows? The grumpy neighbors peeking out from their dark windows may see your joy and decide to turn on their porch lights after all.

* Based on an image mentioned in SPEAKING CIRCLES(R) Facilitator Training. The SPEAKING CIRCLE(R) method is a revolutionary new approach to increasing speaking confidence and charisma. To learn more, visit www.speakingcircles.com.

About The Author

Melissa Lewis turns traditional thinking about public speaking upside down to give people more comfort, confidence, and charisma in front of groups. She is a certified facilitator of SPEAKING CIRCLES(R), president-elect of the National Speakers Association Kansas City Chapter, and author of the soon-to-be-released book, Upside Down Speaking. For more information, call (913) 341-1241 or visit www.upsidedownspeaking.com.

Melissa@upsidedownspeaking.com