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<title>Latest Articles by bobtheteacher2</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/</link>
<description>Articles at Populate.NET</description>
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<title>Here's A Squidoo Secret: Make Your Lens Useful</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Site_Promotion/building-traffic/here-s-a-squidoo-secret-make-your-lens-useful.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Site_Promotion/building-traffic/here-s-a-squidoo-secret-make-your-lens-useful.html</guid>
<pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Without help from a recognized expert, mastering any Web 2.0 platform can take time and a lot of trial and error. The same is true for Squidoo, a social marketing/blogging service created in 2005 by marketing genius Seth Godin.

To help you skip ahead along your learning curve, let me share the #1 secret to success with Squidoo. 

Make Your Lens Useful
If I were writing a college thesis on Squidoo, I would say, "Squidoo was created within the premise that collaboration in a free market exchange of ideas will generate great content."

In other words: the cream will rise to the top. However, in order for your ideas on Squidoo to gain that larger audience you are seeking, you have to make your lens useful.

To do this, you must determine what it is your customers will appreciate you sharing with them. What is it that you know that they should want to know? Once you answer this question, give your audience the good stuff - don't hold back.

Next, you must convey your information in a friendly, readable way. Create your lens (your unique page on Squidoo) with short blocks of information. This is accomplished with multiple Text/Write modules. Use the titles of each module as your subheadings to break up longer articles of information.

According to Godin, your job as a lensmaster is to filter the overwhelming amount of information online into one easy to find resource (hence the term "lens"). So another piece of making your lens useful is to direct visitors to the best information that already exists online.

Use Pre-Built Modules To Make Your Lens Useful
To accomplish this, you can use several pre-built modules. The best of these are the Link List, RSS, and YouTube modules. The Link module makes it easy for you to link to the other websites and provide a short description for each site (for long term results, use the Link Plexo instead so your readers can add to this list).

The RSS module gives you the power to bring other people's blog articles into your lens. The module is made in such away that the first 25 words or so are automatically imported to your lens every day.

The YouTube module makes it easy for you to put the best videos on your topic into your lens. Not only does this provide your readers with more relevant information, it also makes your lens more fun to read. And don't worry - you don't have to be the creator of the videos to include them in your lens (but it does help!).

Create How To Lessons With Your Lenses
Another way to make your lens useful is to present your information as "how-to" lessons within your topic. This helps you and your audience in a number of ways.

First, it directs you to write content in a logical way. You may be stumped with what to write about when you start working on a lens. But if you approach your lens as a set of how-to steps, your ideas will come faster. And with the Reorder modules tool, it's easy to rearrange the steps if you get them out of order initially.

Having a step-by-step guide for your lens also gives your readers the action steps they need to become better in your area of expertise. As they accomplish their own goals of knowledge/skills, they know you were partially responsible. So they will "favorite" your lens, book mark it with Digg, Del.icio.us, or Stumble Upon, rate your lens 4 or 5 stars, perhaps even join your fan club.

In other words, the more useful your lens is, the more your readers will show their appreciation for what you are giving them.

That may seem like an obvious statement. And it is. But it's important to highlight it because with social marketing, also known as new media marketing, your reputation carries much more weight in your success.

Finally, the more useful your lens, the more likely you can get attention by people in high positions.

You could win a coveted Lens of the Day award by Squidoo. Or perhaps get picked up in a media publication. One of my own lenses was highlighted in the New York Times in early 2006, and the long term effects of that are still being felt in 2008.

So if you want to gain the fame and/or fortune you desire from your favorite pieces of knowledge, be sure to create lenses on Squidoo that are useful - indeed, make them the best single source of information on your topic available anywhere on the internet. ]]></description>
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<title>Is Your Webmaster Charging You Too Much Money?</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Internet/Web_Hosting/is-your-webmaster-charging-you-too-much-money.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Internet/Web_Hosting/is-your-webmaster-charging-you-too-much-money.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Webmasters and web hosting companies around the world may be overcharging you, and you don't even know it. They say ignorance is bliss, but for you, it is likely a money pit.

In the next few minutes, you'll learn what you need to know about web hosting so you'll be better equipped for your online business. And be sure to read to the end so you can get a free gift which will reveal even more web hosting secrets to you.

How Is A Web Host Different From A Website?
A web host is a company anywhere in the world that stores people's websites on servers - special computers designed to work with the internet. The web hosting company typically has dozens of servers (some have hundreds), each with dozens of accounts connected to the web at the same time.

Think of a web hosting company like a small town. Each town (web host) has several neighborhoods (servers), each with several houses (websites).

Just like there are great places to live, and real dives that you would hate to raise your family in, you have to be careful about which web hosting company you decide to partner with.

This decision is reversible - but it's always better to get it right the first time to avoid potential headaches down the road.

Learn Why Free Hosting Services Cost You In The Long Run
The old adage, "You get what you pay for" is very true when it comes to web hosting.

Free web hosting services like GeoCities are great for setting up a family website, or getting the hang of making your own pages online. But the free services often come at an "unadvertised" cost that you shouldn't be paying as a business owner: advertising other people's stuff.

Most free services make their money by advertising on YOUR website. In exchange for providing you with space (often very little), you agree to let the company advertise on your site without paying you.

Since you are in business, the only advertising you should have on your site should be ads that pay you.

Also, with many of the free website services, their site building templates can be very confusing. But more importantly, when you try to transfer your website to another host later, you'll usually find complications.

When your business is growing, the last thing you want to worry about is complications with your website.

Learn How You Can Reduce How Much You Pay For Webhosting
Your online business will require regular investment. Web hosting is no exception to this. However, with such a wide range of prices out there, you should know a few things to avoid paying too much.

First, look for a web hosting company that allows you to have at least 10 domains on one hosting account. Even better - use those that provide unlimited domains.

This feature is even more important than unlimited bandwidth (how much traffic you can handle) or high storage space (how many files your site holds), because with unlimited domains you only pay one monthly fee.

Some hosting companies try to charge you a separate hosting fee for each domain you register. Even at $5/month, that can really add up.

As for space and bandwidth, it is very unlikely that you will come close to filling up the space or using all the bandwidth the hosting companies provide you.  Plus, you can always upgrade to bigger servers when the time comes.

All of my websites are either PoweredByHostgator or PoweredByKiosk.  

Never Register Your Domain With Your Hosting Company

This may seem confusing at first. However, to maintain control of your website for the life of your business, you should register your website's domain name (the address you get on the internet) from a separate registrar. This is because if you have your website hosted and registered at one company, and something happens to that company, you may lose everything.

Additionally, most hosting companies will charge more to register your domain than you should pay.  Shylar's Quest and Namecheap are the top online services for serious marketers to register a domain for under $10.

Be sure to make a note of your web hosting company's "DNS", which you will need to enter in your domain registrar's dashboard. If you do not connect these together, no one will ever find you on the internet.

Learn The Main Web Hosting Tasks You Should Know How To Do
You should be comfortable doing the main jobs needed to run your websites, even if you want to outsource them to someone else. If you learn these skills, you'll avoid paying too much to any person or service provider either now or when you decide to outsource later because you will understand just how much time each of these things take (hint: each of these can be done in less than 15 minutes!).

    * Create and manage your own email account
    * Registering your own domains
    * Set up your web hosting account properly
    * Upload and manage your website files and images
    * Redirect users to different URLs
    * Install a blog, forum, Wiki's and more, with Fantastico
    * Customize your 404 Error Pages
    * Create and manage SQL Databases
    * Add on multiple domains within one hosting account
    * Protect your directories from unauthorized snoopers
    * Create and manage Subdomains
    * Track your site visitors and errors with Statistics
    * How to set up and manage Resell Rights products and sales pages for maximum profit
    * Installing a PHP/MySQL Script properly

This list of tasks may seem very daunting to you. However, once you learn them, you'll save a ton of money. And if your web hosting company uses cPanel(R), then these tasks become even easier.

So there you have it, the core basics of web hosting you need to understand in order to save money and have more control over your internet business.

With this information under your belt, you should be well under $25/month for your web hosting needs. More importantly, you'll be less likely to be taken to the cleaners by unscrupulous webmasters. ]]></description>
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<item>
<title>Reading Comprehension Rockets With Audiobooks</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Family/Parenting/Teenagers/reading-comprehension-rockets-with-audiobooks.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Family/Parenting/Teenagers/reading-comprehension-rockets-with-audiobooks.html</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Love of reading and reading comprehension go hand in hand, and audiobooks have proven to promote increased reading activity -- and advance reading comprehension, something many people struggle with on a day to day basis.
	
For students, audiobooks stimulate the imagination, help build vocabulary skills and enhance pronunciation. Also, whereas a thick-paged book might be intimidating to a student, most are familiar with computers, iPods and stereo systems - and are adept at using them. So why not give them an option that merges traditional reading enjoyment and comprehension with the high-tech universe they're immersed in?

Audiobooks can quickly become a source of pleasure for the student and can mean the difference in viewing learning as a fun activity or as a necessary annoyance to be avoided at all cost.  That isn't to say audiobooks should replace traditional reading activities altogether, but they can contribute to the student's education and advancement.

Students who find themselves failing in the classroom can use audiobooks as a source of valuable information to help them catch up and forge ahead on almost any subject by increasing their comprehension. Audiobooks also offer the individualized attention that will ultimately increase a student's understanding of a subject.

Gifted students can also avail themselves of audiobooks to increase their knowledge of a subject or expand the volume of books they can read during a certain amount of time.  With a teenager's schedule, there's often limited time to pursue academic activities, and audiobooks can be devoured on the go.

A rapid increase in language comprehension can also be obtained by the used of audiobooks. The connection between text and speech becomes clear with the use of audiobooks, helping the student to improve his reading and vocabulary skills.

Audiobooks are increasingly being used to help special needs students grasp the key between speech patterns and reading. Once this connection is understood by the student, he experiences a new level of self-esteem.  The audiobook serves as a supplement to the educational tools the student already uses to gain clarity for a topic.  

The activity of reading becomes a much more joyful and useful experience when enhanced by audiobooks. Students can visualize more readily the actions of the words in the book and it becomes much more stimulating to the mind of the reader.

Once a student perceives audiobooks as an enjoyable hobby, he or she can make the transition to consuming print books on subjects they feel will entertain or educate them. ]]></description>
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<title>Are You In The Right Marketing Niche For Your Internet Business?</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Strategic_Planning/are-you-in-the-right-marketing-niche-for-your-internet-business.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Strategic_Planning/are-you-in-the-right-marketing-niche-for-your-internet-business.html</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Chances are, you are in the wrong business.

When you build a business, something that's going to take you over the obstacles you're going to face, take you through the challenges, you need to make sure that you're doing something that you love, something that seems really natural to you.

Most people trying to build a business on the internet are failing because they are trying to do two things at once: learning how to build a business, and learning the ropes of a niche they don't know anything about. Does this sound familiar?

It doesn't really make too much sense to me for you to try to learn something else, some other skill and then try to teach it to someone while you're trying to grow a business.

Before you take another step forward with your efforts, ask yourself if you are in the right niche in the first place.

Discovering what you should be doing is an important exercise. It may take a few hours, weeks, or even months to settle on the right path. And to be truthful, your decision today may evolve into something else later.

The important thing is that you take this exercise seriously.

Here's the first question: What is it that you do on a regular basis that you love to do and you would do it even if they don't pay you for it?

The reality will be that if you love it and you're good at it and you learn the techniques to promote the things that are related to it, you are going to make money from it too.

If you're the type of person who loves learning more about the specific area you're going to discover through this, you're going to love learning more. You're going to perfect that expertise and you're going to develop into the expert that people are looking for.

Here are two more questions to ask yourself:

What do people turn to you for again and again? What are those things they keep coming to you and you don't know why they keep coming to you?

You figured that by now they should just 'get it.'

When I first started doing my online information marketing, it came to me in the same kind of question. The reality was that when I was teaching high school classes, teachers were coming to me and asking me about how to use technology. They were asking me how to use Excel, how to use PowerPoint, how to even plug in the machine for the slide projector.

These were things that I thought people could figure out on their own. I wasn't giving them enough credit. They're smart in their own way and they have their own talents but they needed someone to show them things and I had a natural talent for that.

You are in a similar position. No matter where you are in information marketing and building a business online, over the course of your life, people have been coming to you again and again for help and you need to figure out the things that people ask you for help with. The reality is you're not going to think about them automatically because they may come too naturally to you.

Once you discover what people are turning to you for again and again, then it's time for you to discover whether or not people will pay you for that knowledge. You may not really know for sure right away. But, hopefully you'll get a sense that people will be willing to pay because you're solving a problem that is not being solved otherwise (or alternative solutions are difficult to find or more expensive).

When you complete this exercise, you will have a better idea of what business niche to pursue. Then, you can put aside learning the trade itself and focus instead on learning how to market what you know. You will find your business will accelerate much faster this way.

So before you take another step forward in the cycle of opportunity chasing, determine the best niche that will play to your best strengths. And turn that expertise into your own internet marketing empire. ]]></description>
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