What is Affiliate Marketing?

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Filed Under: Affiliate Programs

What is Affiliate Marketing?
It seems that more readers are asking this question than I previously thought.
In a recent poll here on ProBlogger I asked readers whether they’d done any affiliate marketing on their blogs. The results revealed that:

• 29% of readers regularly do it
• 24% occasionally do it
• 27% have never done affiliate marketing on their blogs
• 6% used to do it but don’t any more
• 14% don’t know what affiliate marketing is

There’s some interesting results there but it was the last category (of bloggers not knowing what affiliate marketing is) that I wanted to write this post for with the hope of answering the question. It’s pretty basic and quite beginner focused but for the 14% of you who don’t know what affiliate marketing is – here’s a brief introduction.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Perhaps the simplest way to explain affiliate marketing is that it is a way of making money online whereby you as a publisher are rewarded for helping a business by promoting their product, service or site.
There are a number of forms of these types of promotions but in most cases they involve you as a publisher earning a commission when someone follows a link on your blog to another site where they then buy something.
Other variations on this are where you earn an amount for referring a visitor who takes some kind of action – for example when they sign up for something and give an email address, where they complete a survey, where they leave a name and address etc.
Commissions are often a percentage of a sale but can also be a fixed amount per conversion.
Conversions are generally tracked when the publisher (you) uses a link with a code only being used by you embedded into it that enables the advertiser to track where conversions come from (usually by cookies). Other times an advertiser might give a publisher a ‘coupon code’ for their readers to use that helps to track conversions.
For example:  when I recently released my 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Workbook I also give people an opportunity to promote the workbook with an affiliate program whereby they could earn a 40% commission for each sale. When you sign up to become an affiliate you are given a special code unique to you that enables you to promote the workbook and make $7.98 per sale. The top affiliates earned over $2000 in the first few weeks after launch through these commissions.

• Advertisers often prefer affiliate marketing as a way to promote their products because they know they’ll only need to pay for the advertising when there’s a conversion. I knew when I started this affiliate program that while I’d earn less for each sale that having a network of affiliates promoting it would almost certainly increase overall sales levels.
• Publishers often prefer affiliate marketing because if they find a product that is relevant to their niche that earnings can go well in excess of any cost per click or cost per impression advertising campaign.

Why Affiliate Marketing Can Work Well on Blogs

Affiliate marketing isn’t the only way to make money from blogs and it won’t suit every blog/blogger (more on this below) but there are a few reasons why it can be profitable in our medium. Perhaps the biggest of these reasons is that affiliate marketing seems to work best when there’s a relationship with trust between the publisher and their readership.
I’ve found that as this trust deepens that readers are more likely to follow the recommendations that a blogger makes.
Of course this can also be a negative with affiliate marketing – promote the wrong product and trust can be broken (more on this below).

Affiliate Marketing – Easy Money?

While affiliate marketing can be incredibly lucrative it is important to know that affiliate marketing is not easy money. Most people who try it make very little as it relies upon numerous factors including:

• traffic (high traffic helps a lot)
• finding relevant products
• finding quality products
• building trust with your readers
• having a readership who is in a ‘buying mood’
• you being able to write good sales copy (and more)

There’s also some risk associated with affiliate marketing in that if you push too hard or promote products of a low quality you can actually burn readers and hurt your reputation and brand.
It’s also worth noting that affiliate marketing doesn’t work on all blogs. Some blogs are on topics where it is hard to find products to promote – other blogs attract audiences who are not in a buying frame of mind and for other blogs it just doesn’t fit with the blogger’s style or approach.
Tomorrow I want to continue the focus upon affiliate marketing with another post – this one on how to find affiliate products to promote.

How to Attract More People to Your Blog

Content Marketing: How to Attract More People to Your Blog

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/content-marketing-attract-more-people-blog-143030251.html

By Annetta Powell | Business 2 Community – Sat, Jul 20, 2013 10:30 AM EDT

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Content Marketing: How to Attract More People to Your Blog

Image Credit: Laura Bell

Just Before You Get Started

Before you start a blog, you should honestly examine your motives. If you’re going to blog for self-gratification or other self-serving reasons then you will simply inhibit the growth of your blog readership. Also, if your primary motive is making money online, then you need to re-think your purpose.

The truth is that people visit blogs because they want to find valuable information that serves their needs. So, if you write self-serving blog posts then you will lose big time. Having said that, let’s now look at powerful ways of growing blog readership.

Promote Your Blog through Social Media

Social sharing is an easy way to increase the exposure of your blog for online lead generation. Every time you write a post, you should make sure that you embed the link to the latest post in your social media accounts. You can use Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn Groups, and even Twitter to promote links to your latest posts.

While social media marketing channels are primarily used for network marketing, they also play a vital role in attracting readers to your blog. Sharing links to your latest posts gives readers an opportunity to read and also share the links with their friends. Eventually, your readership and subscription will grow to match your popularity in social media.

Encourage Readers to Share Blog Posts

It’s not enough for you to create and publish your blog posts regularly. You have to encourage readers and prospects to share your posts and content with others. You should add a call-to-action that prompts your current readers to share links to your blog or blog posts. To facilitate sharing, you should add social sharing buttons that allow readers to sign into their social accounts and share or comment on your article.

Provide Valuable Resources in Your Blog

If you want to attract visitors and convert them into exuberant readers then you should provide FREE useful resources in your blog. There are quite a number of things that you can provide free. You can write and share a free downloadable eBook, a whitepaper, a market report, or a podcast. You can also share links to valuable resources located in partner sites or 3^rd party sites. When you share valuable resources, you will give readers a reason to want to join your mailing list and to share the link to your blog with others.

Be Charismatic and Approachable

Since blogging is about attracting people and engaging them, you should learn to be charismatic and approachable. You can easily connect with readers and establish life-long relationships if you are witty, compassionate, and remarkable. When you develop these traits, you will find it easier to leverage your blog as a tool for attraction marketing. Besides that, people will want to associate with you and even recommend your blog to their friends and colleagues.

Use Audio Visuals and Captivating Graphics

You can also increase blog readership by creating and posting content that features rich graphics. As part of online video marketing, you should also post audio visuals that capture the attention of visitors. Naturally, readers are attracted by captivating content. Images are more attractive than plain content. So, instead of writing a plain and boring blog post, create cool infographics and include them in your posts. This will attract the attention of readers and give them an easy time to digest the information and details of your blog post.

Create a Series of Great Tutorials

There is no better way of increasing blog readership than creating and publishing a series of blog tutorials. Though you can attract some readers, through your weekly blog posts, you stand a greater chance of doubling blog readership by creating unique and relevant blog tutorials. When you create tutorials, you’ll give readers the impetus to share links to your posts.

Unfortunately, many people waste time sharing their lop-sided opinions or writing boring subjects. It’s very important for you to understand that some readers don’t just want a weekly dose of your musings or rantings; they want good solid information that will add value to their lives.

Optimize Your Blog Posts

The majority of customers and prospects use Search Engines to find links to websites and blogs that are relevant to their needs. This underscores the importance of search engine optimization in increasing the visibility and traffic to your blog. If you optimize your blog posts for targeted keywords, then you will rank higher for those keywords than most of your competitors.

Besides optimizing your blog for the search engines, you should also optimize them for readers. You can do this by posting unique and relevant information that provides timely solutions that addresses their specific needs.

Write Killer Guest Posts

You have probably heard people say “Content is King”. That’s true. Successful blogs thrive because of good content. Writing killer guest posts for another blog is a surefire way of increasing your exposure and maximizing traffic back to your blog. You can write about a real life story of someone who conquered a weakness, or someone who excelled in his or her business, or someone who came up with a great innovation.

The other thing that you should know is that a guest post introduces you to a new community of readers. By being a guest blogger in someone’s blog, you will not only add value to the host’s blog, but also build a relationship with existing readers. As you write more posts, your will influence will grow, and ultimately, you will find it easier to attract readers to join your email marketing mailing list.

To sum it up, there is no one magic formula to get readers to your blog; it takes time, dedication, and effort to increase blog readership and popularity. You have to be cognizant of the content marketing needs of your readers. It also pays off to optimize your blog posts and to encourage readers to share your content. When you back all these with an inviting personality, you’ll attract more readers and build lifelong relationships with them.

How Can I Write a Successful Blog and Get More People to Read It?

Lifehacker.com

Dear bloggers,
Congrats on your new blog baby. Starting and maintaining a blog can definitely be rewarding, and not just in the financial sense. As you know, though, it’s not just enough to choose a platform and set up a blog or spend hours carefully crafting posts. To be successful, you need to build—and continue to grow–an audience. So here are seven tried-and-true methods for increasing your blog’s traffic, whether this is just a hobby or something you want to do for income.

1. Find Your Niche

The broader and more general your blog’s topic (e.g., technology), the harder it’ll be to gain an audience, because of all the bigger, already established websites competing for the same readers. At the same time, you want to make sure your blog isn’t so specific that there aren’t enough people looking for that particular information or you run out of things to write about. Focus your blog on a unique angle (e.g., technology for young kids), and make sure your subject is one that you’re both passionate about and feel you could write tons of posts on.

Not sure what your blog’s main subject should be? Think about: Your hobbies, topics you like to talk about and debate with others, and subjects you love reading and researching. Boost Blog Traffic offers straightforward guidelines for how to tell if you’ve chosen the right blog topic or not. Among the recommendations, measure your interest and the topic’s viability by checking: how many books you own on the topic, if there’s already an audience for your topic, and whether you can come up with at least 52 different post ideas (one for every week of the year).

Once you’ve decided on your blog’s theme, stick to it. (That means no middle-of-the-night, out-of-the-blue rants!) Consistency is the key to getting the audience you’ve already attracted to keep coming back for your great content.

2. Keep Writing Great Content

Speaking of great content, what makes posts popular and more likely to be shared? Generally speaking, great posts: answer a question, solve a problem, make readers laugh, or make them cry (in a good way).

Also, no matter how long or short a post is, format it so readers can quickly scan the content by using:

• subheads
• bulleted or numbered lists
• blockquotes or captions
• line breaks
• bold fonts
• images
• and other formatting to break up large blocks of text

If you can build a habit of writing every day, awesome. Quite simply, the more useful content you have out there, the better your chances of readers finding your blog. Even if you can’t write every day, aim to post often and regularly so readers will keep coming back for more and you can build a loyal audience base.

On the other hand, as blogger Cherly Harrison advises, don’t blog just for the sake of it or just because you’ve set a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. Publish when you have quality content:

I have never heard anyone say “I unsubscribed from Blog X because he didn’t post this week.” I have heard dozens of people say “I unsubscribed from Blog X because it was obvious he was stretching for content.”

There’s no perfect blogging schedule for everyone, but to get to the point where you’re posting regularly without pushing it, focus on what you enjoy writing about and carve out time to work on it.

Know also that it can take quite a bit of time to grow your blog, and you'll need to keep at it, especially if you plan to make money by blogging. (See this post from The Financial Blogger for a reality check.) So don't get disheartened if you don't see quick results. Persist.

3. Write Catchy, Head-Turning Headlines

Headline writing is an art unto itself, and it’s one of the biggest drivers of a post’s popularity and success. Attention-grabbing headlines can make or break your post. One huge example is how Forbes repackaged a New York Times article titled “How Companies Learn Your Secrets” to “How Target Figured Out a Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did” and got all the traffic: 680,000 page views versus the original article’s 12,902.

Taking a cue from some of the best copywriters of all time, Copyblogger suggests you spend half the time it takes to write a blog post on the headline, because it’s that important. The writing blog offers this approach from the American Writers & Artists association about the Four U’s of writing headlines:

Headlines, subheads and bullets should:

1. Be USEFUL to the reader,
2. Provide him with a sense of URGENCY,
3. Convey the idea that the main benefit is somehow UNIQUE; and
4. Do all of the above in an ULTRA-SPECIFIC way.

Just make sure if your headline promises a lot, the post itself fulfills that promise.

Here at Lifehacker, I’ve benefited a lot from bouncing headline ideas off of my fellow editors. You can do the same for your important blog posts by asking friends for their opinions or just taking a look at similar, highly popular blogs to see what kinds of titles tend to be more intriguing to readers.

4. Join in on the Blogging Community

No blog is an island. Now that you have a blog, you’re part of the blogging community, and reciprocation plays a large part of that. A few things you can do to connect with other bloggers (and probably get reciprocal traffic):

• Link generously. It’s not only good form to cite your sources, but links in your posts make your posts more search engine friendly.
• Leave comments and trackbacks on fellow blogs. Leaving a trackback posts a comment on the other blog noting that you’ve linked to that post. It has a dual effect of virtually tapping the fellow blogger on the shoulder and also putting your blog link in front of more readers.
• Update your blogroll. The list of “blogs you like” in the blogroll help other bloggers notice you. (And if you get listed on other blogs, more readers noticing yours.)
• Try to turn random readers into loyal ones as well. Engage with commenters on your blog, set up an email newsletter, and encourage feedback.
• Invite others to guest post or even ask readers to contribute to your blog. You can double your promotion power this way.
• See if you can guest post or contribute to other, larger blogs. This is another great way to get noticed. In fact, a lot of bloggers have done just that here at Lifehacker. You can get started contributing to Lifehacker in a number of ways: from starting your own Kinja blog, to becoming an author on Hackerspace, or emailing submissions@lifehacker.com with your original posts for consideration.

Even if you just give a larger site permission to republish your content, it can be a huge boon for you. For example, we republished a post from Jonnie Hallman of Destroy Today, which generated a whole lot of traffic to the source blog:

Expand

Even getting a mention or link back to your post from a popular site can drive a lot of traffic and get your blog noticed, your content read, and more readers.

5. Learn From Your Existing Audience

Perhaps the most important thing to do is know your audience and make sure your content continues to interest them. Tips & Tricks HQ advises:

Audiences are far more prone to read something that continues to appeal to them and gets updated regularly, and thus a happy medium between consistency and diversity without compromising quality or credibility is what’s going to give you results.

If you install Google Analytics on your blog (or use another analytics program), you can see which topics your audience particularly likes, where your readers are coming from, and lots more. Once you know that, you can create more content to attract similar people and also keep your audience coming back.

Also, social media can be a really powerful tool for getting more readers. In addition to adding the share buttons on your site, share your links on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter—in as non-sleazy, non-spammy way possible.

6. Make Your Blog Google-Friendly

You may have heard the term SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, before. It basically means writing your blog in a way that makes it more likely to show up in search results, and while it seems like an annoying buzzword, it can be a big help. But you don't need to go crazy. Frankly, the rules are changing all the time, and it’s probably not worth your time chasing them or changing your content every time Google does an algorithm change that affects search engine rankings.

That said, we do know a few things search engines like, and following those best practices could help your blog get listed higher in search results. Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide (PDF) recommends you:

• Use unique, accurate, and brief page titles
• Use the “description” meta tag
• Make sure your site is easy to navigate
• Use words for your URLs and avoid very long URLs
• Write good anchor (link) text. (E.g., “Read my SEO report” instead of “Click here”)
• Use headings to mark important sections
• Add an “alt” description to images

Search Engine Watch also has a list of 6 basic steps to step up your blog’s SEO mojo. Among them: add related posts to the end of all your blog posts, add social sharing buttons, and make content easier to find by classifying posts into categories.

For further reading, see Google’s quality guidelines and other recommendations.

7. Write Like Yourself

There are millions of blogs on the web today, so it isn’t easy to stand out. However, if you notice, the top or most popular bloggers have large readerships because of their unique voices and perspectives and the interesting things they share. While you’re crafting your posts, don’t be afraid to let your personality show through so you can really connect to your readers. After all, in the end it’s all about the reader.

There’s much more to learn about making your blog more successful, but hopefully the basics above will get you started. For further reading, consider these sources of excellent blogging and content marketing information:

• ProBlogger: Lots of advice for making a living as a blogger
• About.com Blogging: Comprehensive information for starting, growing, and monetizing a blog
• CopyBlogger: Advice for creating killer online content
• DailyBlog Tips: Quick, practical tips for becoming a better blogger

Good luck!

Love,
Lifehacker

Photos by Olivier Le Moal (Shutterstock), mikecogh.

Typhoon Onslaught Phillipines

Typhoon Onslaught Phillipines

http://www.indiatimes.com/news/asia/shocking-pics-typhoon-onslaught-in-phillipines-110979-4.html

A man (C) walks among debris of destroyed houses in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, eastern island of Leyte on November 9, 2013. One of the strongest typhoons on record killed more than 100 people as savage winds and giant waves flattened communities across the Philippines, authorities said on November 9 while corpses lay amid the devastation.

Typhoon Onslaught Phillipines

Tacloban city is covered by debris Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013 after powerful Typhoon Haiyan hit the city in Leyte province, central Philippines.

It Happened in India!

It Happened in India!
A Shi'ite Muslim is sprayed with rose water as he flagellates himself during a Muharram procession to mark Ashura in Mumbai November 15, 2013. Ashura, which falls on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram, commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammad, who was killed in the seventh century battle of Kerbala. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui (INDIA - Tags: RELIGION TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Exclusive: The Crusader Sub-Culture in the US Military

Exclusive: The Crusader Sub-Culture in the US Military

http://www.loonwatch.com/2013/11/exclusive-the-crusader-sub-culture-in-the-us-military/
Jacob Hausner


The US military’s “Islam problem” captured news headlines even before Wired.com ‘s 2012 breaking story about a military course teaching soldiers that the USA was at “war with Islam.” Since 2007 the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) and its founder Mikey Weinstein have diligently documented violations of religious freedom within the military. During that time many of MRFF’s documentation of violations have included cases of anti-Islam/Muslim propaganda and activities.
In addition to these very troubling stories reported in the mainstream press and by rights organizations, Islamophobia Today has uncovered facts indicating that the pervasive “Crusader” sub-culture within the ranks of Islamophobes isn’t limited to internet forums and blogs but also exists within the US Military.
Anti-Muslim/Islam and pro-Crusader themes tied to military-use paraphernalia, including: T-Shirts, insignias, bullet coating, rifle scope cases as well as tattoos inscribed “Kafir,” and “Infidel” have become common within a sub-set of the US military.
Many soldiers have expressed deep concern about this Crusader sub-culture. A growing network of e-stores, as well as large chains such as SEARS (online) to this day are selling the aforementioned anti-Muslim/Islam commodities.
Most troubling, Crye Precision, which is under Department of Defense contract for the production of Multicam camouflage for the US Military is also involved in the anti-Muslim/Islam trade with a brand of “Infidel” themed clothing wear and accessories.
Allow me to provide some examples:

USMC Marine with “Kafir”/Infidel Tattoo

Possible Navy SEAL (AOR pattern 1 camouflage- exclusive to Navy SEALS) with a menagerie of patches including “Infidel strong”, “Hadji Don’t Surf”

“Infidel strong”

“Hadji Don’t Surf

U.S. ARMY 3rd infantry division soldier- photo #1

Army 3rd ID soldier- photo #2 “infidel” tattoo

USAF Helicopter Crewman with “Infidel” patch

“Infidel Patch”

U.S. ARMY 10th Mountain Division soldier in Wardak Providence, Afghanistan, 2009. “Kafir” tattoo

Unknown SPEC OPS soldiers (Crye Precision Multicam uniform, OPS-CORE “FAST” ballistic helmet; both products designated to SPEC OPS community) conducting training in northern California. “Hadji Don’t Surf” patch

“Hadji Don’t Surf

German soldier, Afghanistan. Part of the NATO ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) forces. Note that the patch is in Arabic as well as English so that the meaning isn’t obscured.

The anti-Islam sub-culture that degrades and dehumanizes the Muslim ‘other’ has given rise to online e-stores that seek to fill the special niche of serving officers with the most dehumanizing representations of Muslims and Islam, as well as selling pro-Crusader images and insignia. Those involved are not only small online retailers, but such large and well know retailers as Crye Percision (manufactures all camoflague for US military) and SEARS.
For a country that has invaded two Muslim nations, continues drone strikes in several more and suffers from a severe deficit of trust with 1.5 billion Muslims, claiming to want to seek to “win hearts and minds” may well be viewed in an altogether different, more cynical light.
There are a number of internet businesses that propagate this culture. Two of the more well known sites to purchase “infidel” clothing and accessories are http://www.opsgear.com and http://www.milspecmonkey.com. Milspecmonkey.com is the manufacturer/e-retailer of the: “Infidel,” “Infidel Strong,” “Pork Eating Crusader, and “Hadji Don’t Surf” patches shown in the body of this report. Opsgear.com especially caters to military, law enforcement, and aficionados with their infidel t-shirt line:

“Infidel” t-shirt and cap.

“American Infidel”–Arabic & English

One retailer to take note of is Crye Precision.
What makes them stand out in particular is the fact that Crye is the manufacturer of Multicam, which is the new camouflage for all US armed forces. Crye is also under DOD contract to produce newer camouflage for the Department of Defense as well as (of 2012) to supply uniforms to US forces.
Crye’s side project apart from the Department of Defense contracts is a line of product called the “Major League Infidel” line. The most alarming part of this is that Crye manufactures camouflage and uniforms for the US Military and manufactures this brand of infidel products (which are also aimed towards service personnel). Here are some examples of what one can find at http://cryeprecision.com :

One of the most alarming aspects of this cottage industry may be that the “infidel” label is creeping into the mainstream. I came across Kafir/Infidel items for sale at a major retailer, SEARS.
From rifle scope covers to t-shirts and more, SEARS is selling all the aforementioned on their website:

Sold at SEARS: Eotec rifle scope case with Kafir/Infidel embedded in it

Sold at SEARS: Kafir/Infidel t-shirt

“Alarming” may be an understatement:  American military personnel are purchasing these goods and are displaying them in theater. One wonders what the indigenous Afghani and Iraqi citizens, police, contractors, and military personnel feel/felt when they see/saw US soldiers wearing these items?
Another extremely concerning aspect within this industry of hate is a product called Silver Bullet Gun Oil (www.silverbulletgunoil.net/), or SBGO.
It is quite clear what Silver Bullet Gun Oil is used for by the rhetoric on their websites blog:

SBGO claims that it sends Muslims ‘straight to hell’ if a shooter uses the product in their weaponry. I should point out that the gun oil contains 13% liquified pork fat and that it is directly marketed towards coalition soldiers and law enforcement in Western nations:

And:

This product is symptomatic of a greater Islamophobia that permeates deeper than clothing and tattoos. Because the product (reportedly) sends “Allahs’ followers to HELL”, or at least– that is the language employed by it’s manufacturer– one can say that it is actively pushing an agenda of Holy War against Muslims, as that is the language employed throughout the website:

While the US Military took action against Sgt. Dooley, suspending him for teaching courses that discussed “total war on Islam,” it is vital that the military also address the Crusader sub-culture within its midst.
A corrective course of action that both acknowledges the existing sub-culture and makes amends where it can is the only way to nip such sentiments in the bud. The belief that the USA’s “War on Terror” is really a “War Against Islam” is widespread in Muslim nations, by not addressing these issues the military will provide AlQaeda and its affiliates with a propaganda coup.

How to speed up your PC

The 2 Easy Ways to Make Your PC Run Like New

 http://www.howlifeworks.com

 

One of the most frustrating things in life is a slow computer. 
Every few years, we buy an expensive new PC and love how fast it starts up, runs programs, and loads websites. Inevitably though, it starts to slow down until eventually we are pulling our hair out waiting for it to do routine tasks.
Why is this?  It turns out the answer is actually quite simple and you don't even need to be "technical" to understand the causes and solutions.
The good news: It's not the computer hardware that's the problem. In most cases, the hardware you have is perfectly capable of being restored to its original glory and kept in fast running condition with minimal effort.
Rather, the problem lies with changes that occur to the PC's software. The two most common causes of slowdown (along with easy solutions) are:
1. The most common problem: registry errors
Every time you (or your kids) load a program, game, or file, your PC's software registry is updated with new instructions needed to operate that item. However, when the item is removed, these instructions usually remain on your PC. Every time you run your computer it tries to execute these instructions but, because the related program can't be found, it causes a registry error. Your PC is doing a lot more work than it should be, and the result is a significantly slower computer.
One of the best ways to manage this is with a neat little tool from Support.com, a Silicon Valley based company. It's called ARO 2013 and it scans, identifies, and fixes registry errors —resulting in a computer that's a lot more like it was when you first bought it. On top of the amazing results it offers, it's so easy to install and use that it was recently awarded a coveted 4.5 star rating (out of 5) by CNET's editorial staff, and has been downloaded more than 30 million times.
You can now get a free working version of the software, which will quickly scan your entire PC and identify all of the registry errors that may be bogging it down. The free version also scans for junk and checks your PC's baseline security status. It will eliminate the first 50 errors for free, and if you have more errors that you want to clean up or want to set the program to run on a regular basis (which is recommended), you can easily upgrade to the full version for just $29.95.  After that, registry errors will no longer be a problem.
To get the free version, simply click here.
2. Spyware and viruses
Spyware and viruses are software programs that are loaded on your computer without your knowledge or permission. They have various purposes, including:

• Changing the default search engine in your browser
• Tracking your Web surfing habits and showing you targeted advertising
• Using your email program to send out spam to other email addresses
• Stealing your personal information

Most spyware and viruses get onto our computers through files that we download from the Internet or as attachments to emails. They tend to take up a lot of computing power and, as a result, will significantly slow down your computer.
The simple rule of thumb to follow is to never download any free software programs from companies you do not know and trust, especially screensavers, emoticons, and the like. In addition, you should never open any attachment to an email unless you are 100 percent certain you know and trust the sender. Having a good anti-virus/spyware removal software running at all times will also help.
Follow the above advice, and your PC should stay fast and safe.

How to exercise your brain to make it strong

How Staying Mentally Fit Can Make a Difference

 http://www.howlifeworks.com/Article.aspx?Cat_URL=technology&AG_URL=Explanation_How_Brain_Training_Can_Make_You_Significantly_Smarter_669&ag_id=1307&wid=5D009E68-81E7-4188-A7AC-BB712734E4EC&did=4374&cid=1005&si_id=783

 

Your brain isn’t a muscle, but you can treat it like one
Many people focus on physical fitness, but few know that brain fitness is also something you can work on. In fact, you can exercise your brain as often as you would your arms or abs--and the results can be positive and empowering.
It’s helpful to think of your brain as you would a muscle. To improve your brain, you can’t simply repeat the same exercises over and over. Just as lifting a two pound weight will cease to challenge you, so will repetitive exercises such as crosswords or Sudoku. Once you master easy exercises, you must move on to harder ones in order to push your brain—like your muscles—to a new level.
This is based on your brain’s innate neuroplasticity, or its ability to grow and change in response to new challenges. In other words, the right types of stimulating exercises can physically change your brain.
The science behind brain training
Scientists once believed that your mental abilities were fixed in adulthood. Now that studies on neuroplasticity have shown just the opposite, millions of people around the world have adopted the new practice of brain training.
The most popular of these brain training products is made by the San Francisco-based Lumosity, which employs a team of in-house neuroscientists with degrees from Stanford and UC Berkeley.
Realizing that brains need more sophisticated programs and guidance to grow and change, Lumosity’s scientists work with an experienced team of game designers. Together they’ve developed a fun, effective online brain training program that measure, tracks, and adapts to your progress so you’ll always be challenged.
Lumosity's training algorithm and 40+ games are based on well-studied tests used in clinical neuropsychology research.
Promising studies on the effects of brain training
In a 2013 Stanford study, a treatment group of 21 breast cancer survivors used 12 weeks of Lumosity training to work on processing speed, mental flexibility, and working memory tasks. On average, those who trained improved on tests of these abilities, compared to a group that did not train with Lumosity.
There is even some preliminary evidence suggesting that Lumosity may be beneficial to normal, healthy adults. In a 2011 study by Lumosity and San Francisco State University researchers, 13 people who did Lumosity training over 5 weeks improved on tests of brain performance compared to a group that did not train. On average, those who trained improved working memory scores by 10% and attention scores by 20%.
Brain training is designed to address real-life needs
The goal of brain training is not to improve game scores: it’s to improve the underlying core abilities that those games rely on. Neuroscientists like those at Lumosity design brain games meant to translate into real-life benefits; with continued testing and research, the body of evidence behind brain training continues to grow.
Better attention, for example, can mean greater focus in the classroom or at an important business meeting. With improved processing speed, you might react and adapt faster to the demands of a busy life. And a better memory could mean stronger, longer relationships with the people closest to you.
Brain training is an investment
Training can take just a few minutes a day, but the rewards can make a difference in many aspects of life.
Lumosity is one of the first and most popular brain training programs in existence. There’s a small fee to use the full product, or new users can start a free trial.

Nicole Lynn Mansfield, American Woman Converts to Islam, Joins Al Qaeda, Dies in Syria

http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/nicole-lynn-mansfield-american-woman-converts-to-islam-joins-al-qaeda-dies-in-syria/

May 31, 2013 By Daniel Greenfield 36 Comments

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There seems to have been a string of Jihadist convert murders and attempted murders. Two Muslims converts murdered a British soldier in London. A Muslim convert in France attempted to murder a French soldier. Now Nicole Lynn Mansfield, an American woman who married a Muslim and converted to his religion, went all the way, going off to fight with the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front in Syria and died there.

The report — from a Syrian media outlet called Breaking News on its website — sought to portray Mansfield as an extremist who was fighting with two other people from England; it said that government forces shot her dead along with her British companions. They reportedly had rifles, clips of ammunition, grenades and the flag of al-Nusra, a group related to al-Qaida.
“I’m sick over it,” Speelman said of her niece’s death. “I didn’t think she was (a terrorist), but God only knows.”
Speelman and other family members said Mansfield met an immigrant from the Arab world several years ago and married him. She then converted to Islam and started wearing the hijab.
They divorced about three years ago after he was able to get a green card that allowed him to stay long-term in the U.S.
About two to three years ago, Mansfield went to Dubai, upsetting her family, Speelman said. They urged her to come back, which she did.
Family members said they don’t know the name of the Arab man she married. They also said they don’t know when or why she went to Syria.
“It bothered me” that she converted and started wearing a headscarf, Speelman said.
But Nicole Mansfield, who has an 18-year-old daughter, was adamant that Islam was a good path to take.

She told people “that the best way of life was to be a Muslim. And that women should wear scarves … women should always cover their head,” Nicole’s grandmother, Carole Mansfield, 72, told the Free Press.
Speelman’s mother, Monica Mansfield Speelman, told the Detroit Free Press that her niece was a convert to Islam who married an Arab immigrant several years ago but later divorced him. The family was not happy about Mansfield’s conversion to Islam, said Monica Speelman and Mansfield’s grandmother, Carole Mansfield.
Nicole Mansfield was raised as a Baptist and her father was a General Motors production worker, the family said. She quit high school after becoming pregnant but later earned her GED, attended community college and worked in home health care for 10 years, they said.
“She had a heart of gold” but was easily influenced by others, Carole Mansfield said. “I think she could have been brain washed.”

The media will probably try to spin Nicole Lynn Mansfield’s death into war propaganda, but she went to a war zone and she likely was Sunni, which meant she was on the side of the rebels. The British Muslims headed to Syria are largely Al Qaeda. If she was with them, then she was an enemy of the United States.
It’s probably best that she died over there. If she was willing to link up with British Jihadists in Syria, the odds are good that she would have seen her way clear to joining in on a terrorist attack in the United States.
Like any other cult, Islam is good at sucking people in and turning them into zombie fanatics for its cause. There have been too many cases of converts to Islam trying to prove their worth through acts of murder. All this is yet another reminder that a mosque on American soil is a recruitment center for international terrorism.

10 secrets to being a millionaire and enjoying it

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-secrets-to-being-a-millionaire-and-enjoying-it-2012-04-03?pagenumber=2

1. Getting rich isn’t about money

Fidelity’s Peter Lynch often said, if you spend 15 minutes a year studying the economy, that’s 10 minutes too much. And when money guru Ric Edelman researched 5,000 millionaires for “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Wealth,” he discovered that millionaires spend an average of just 6 minutes a day on personal finance. They have better things to do.

2. Think different

Go inside “The Millionaire Mind” with author George Stanley: “They think differently from the crowd … it pays to be different.” Yes, it builds wealth. Go where there’s a unique opportunity that fits your unique talents. That’s “the central theme” of Stanley’s work: Don’t fit in, go your way.

3. Accentuate the positive

Most of us have read books like Napoleon Hill’s classic, “Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude.” That message hit home in “Fast Company” by a Special Forces instructor, a veteran of 26 years: “If you have a guy with all the survival training in the world who has a negative attitude and a guy who doesn’t have a clue but has a positive attitude, I guarantee you that the guy with a positive attitude is coming out of the woods alive. Simple as that.” As a Marine veteran, I know he’s on the money. 

4. Quit doing what you hate

Many people live in quiet desperation, waiting for retirement, doing something they hate. Marcus Buckingham put it very simply in his winning book, “The One Thing You Need to Know”: “Figure out what you don’t like doing, then stop doing it.”

5. Do what you love

You’ve heard all the pep talks: Follow your bliss; do what you love, money will follow. But most of all, never forget Stanley’s bottom line: “If you are creative enough to select the ideal vocation, you can win, win big-time. The really brilliant millionaires are those who selected a vocation that they love.”

6. Find ‘the real you’

Working in a career that doesn’t fit right is exhausting and stressful. You’re less efficient, less productive and underperform. Get in sync with the real you. Get help from a career counselor, if necessary. Read books on personality types. In “The Millionaire Code” I identify 16 basic types to help future millionaires focus on their dreams. Buckingham’s “Now Discover Your Strengths” is another example. Find the real you, go for it and never turn back.

7. Invest in ‘You Inc.’

Tired of working for Corporate America? Become an entrepreneur. Create your own business. Read Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” series. Browse through “EBay for Dummies.” Open a restaurant, dry cleaner or scrap-metal yard. Stanley’s lists of millionaires includes a lot of unexpected opportunities others missed. And remember, most millionaires work for themselves, pay less taxes and build equity in themselves.

8. Live with passion

Believe in something. Listen to the still small voice. What is it: Love, family, jazz, art, golf, writing, fishing, inventing, charity work? Whatever it is, it’s you. And it’s priceless. My mentor Joseph Campbell, the inspiration for George Lucas’ Star Wars, and author of “The Hero of a Thousand Faces,” tells us: “If you follow your bliss, you will always have your bliss, money or not. If you follow money, you may lose it, and you will have nothing.” Yes, even Campbell had a millionaire’s mind.

9. Live in the moment

Warren Buffett goes to work “tap-dancing.” He once told a group of University of Nebraska students: “I get up every day and have a chance to do what I love to do, every day. If you learn anything from me, this is the best advice I can give you.” Take it. We all live in the moment, that’s his, discover yours and live yours. Live every day to the fullest.

10. Make a difference

This one may be the real key to a being a successful millionaire, even before you have the money: We all have a daily pressures that demands we balance loved ones and family, the latest deal, client, customer and boss, our little world today and our future. Millionaires dream of making the world a better place, with visions of a better tomorrow for everyone. They love helping people, getting rich in spirit as well as in fact. I’ll bet you have a dream. Something that really satisfies you deep in your soul. Discover the real meaning of your life, go beyond yourself. You can get rich and make a difference too.

Remember, being a millionaire is all in your head. If you have the right attitude, if you feel it, if you believe you’re a millionaire, you’re already there, already rich. You have the mind of the millionaire. Money will follow. It really does work.

How to earn $10000 per month by PTC sites

EARN EASY MONEY WHILE HAVING FUN

 http://theptcexpert.blogspot.com/

in this post i would like to discuss something different from the PTC business.there are many other excellent earning options which are totally unknown to most of us.
win29.com is one such site.THEY HAVE AN EXCELLENT PROMOTIONAL PROGRAM WHERE THE GIVE $0.05 FOR FREE.YOU DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING .JUST PUT YOUR LIBERTY RESERVE ACCOUNT NO. IN THE BOX AND INSTANTLY GET $0.05 IN YOUR ACCOUNT.avail this facility here :
http://www.win29.com/promotion.php
win29.com provides free platform to game lovers.you can choose your favourite from a large list of exquisite games.here you can win prizes of up to several hundred dollars.they pay instantly into your LIBERTY RESERVE OR e-gold account.
They also have a fabulous referral program where you get paid on every member you refer to the site.join this amazing opportunity here:
http://www.win29.com/games.php

Saturday, December 20, 2008

how to earn big from PTC sites?

INTRODUCTION:PTC sites are one of the best places to earn easy money online.i have seen many people earning thousands of dollars per month from a single PTC.there are may scams out there for sure but you can always find legit ptc sites.you need to join a lot of genuine PTCs and have a large no. of referrals to earn those big bucks.you can earn a few dollars per month if you are clicking alone but that is not going to suffice.reliable PTC sites can be a viable investment option also.you need to master the earning strategies to play safe and make big with ptc sites.i am going to describe these points in detail:
PAYING STRUCTURE OF PTC SITES:
at ptc sites you get paid for seeing an advertisement for a certain time.the time may vary from 10-30 seconds and incentive is usually $0.01 per ad viewd.now do some math:
you click 10 ads per day
your earnings= $0.01x10=$0.10
100 referrals click 10 ads per day
your bonus earnings=$10
your total earnings for the day=$10.10
your total monthly earnings=$303
this is coming when i am taking just 100 referrals in to account.there is no limit on referrals, you can have thousands of them.
let you join 20 such sites.then your total monthly income will be $6060.

now comes the most important part of the process.how and where to get those referrals?
here are two ways to get referrals:
i)buy them directly from the site:you may consider this option if you have the required money and want to save your time.PTC sites sell the packs of unreferred members.you can buy or rent them for a certain time period they even have the option of replacing the non active referrals.
ii)generate referrals from your efforts:this is the better between the two.here i am inumerating some resources which will help in generating a lot of free referrals:
1)forum advertising:one of the best ways to get quality referrals.join the top forums.start and participate in discussions related to PTC sites,convince the fellow members about your program and pursuade them to join under your referral link.most forums allow multiple links in your signature profile.if you use them properly,these links could drive loads of traffic to your programs.the key to be successful in forums lies in developing good reputation of yourself as an authority in your field.you shouldn't advertise your programs blatantly. instead focus on redirecting the prospects to your blog where you have all the programs in detail at one place.you can even try referral exchange i.e. you join a site in return of the favour done to you.
2) write articles :i think this is the best way to establish yourself as an expert in your field.there are so many benefits of writing articles.here are some of them:
*you instantly get huge exposure.thousands of hungry prospects and ezine owners visit top article directories in search of quality content.if your article has value it may be read by thousands of visitors,taken up by hundreads of ezine publishers who in turn have thousands of subscribers in their lists,republished by hundreads of blogs and websites in your niche.so you can get thousands or millions of visitors to your blog just for writing one quality article.most of the directories do not delete articles for years so you can expect loads of traffic to your site or blog for years to come.these directories allow to include one or two links pointing to your website or blog in the resource box and ezine publishers are allowed to republish your article keeping your resource box intact .every time someone clicks on your box ,he is redirected to your site.write articles about your favourite programs and submit them to as many article directories as you can. this way you can generate hundreads of referrals.
*you get immediate surge in your site traffic which provides you with an opportunity to build your own mailing list.simply set up an autoresponder in your site or blog and pursuade your visitors to sign up to receive your free newsletter and other freebies like free e-books and reports etc.once you develop a healthy relationship with your list members it becomes very easy to get prospects for new programs.
*other reputed sites and blogs in your niche start linking with your site.this increases the no. of backlinks to your site which helps you getting free traffic and higher page ranking in search enzines which in turn provides you a lot of search enzine traffic without paying a penny.
*you get sought after by many webmasters who want reciprocal linking with you.
3)social networks: these are great places to find like minded people.top social networks have millions of members and are becoming the focal point of online advertising .join some these networks,make and accept as many friends request as you can and paticipate in disscussions related to your business.once you establish your reputation,you can get thousands visiting your blog and joining your newsletter.once befriended you can pursuade them to join your favourite programs as your referrals. most of these networks provide the opportunity to subtly advertise your programms though videos and blogs. make high quality viral videos and reports and distribute them to these networks.this type of advertising is working very effectively nowadays and you can expect hundreds of prospects.
4)start your own website or blog:
if you are serious about making it big with the PTCs,start your own blog or website about the top PTC sites.there are many services like blogger and wordpress as well as synthasite which provide free domain and hosting.fill your blog or website with top quality info about PTCs.encourage your readers to subscribe to your newsletter .you can get thousands of curious readers by applying the methods outlined above.strengthen your bond with them and pursuade them to join your favourite programs.
5)join referral exchange programs:here you'll find a large no. of people waiting to join your programs.utilise this resource wisely to get the best results. there a no. of referral exchange programs like getref.com,referridos.biz where you can get these prospects.but these types of programs have limitations too.you have to join other member's programs in return of the favour done to you .but you can get some free referrals in this way.
6)join surf exchanges:these are great places to advertise your sites and referral links for free.here you view someone other's site and your site is viewed in return.may not be as effective as article marketing or forum posting but you can still get a few hundred referrals by using them visely.most people join and surf at these exchanges to earn advertising credits so you have to make your website or blog very attractive.create eye catching headlines and supplement them with some bulleted benefits listings.after you make the visitor interested lure them to join your list by giving free reports or e-books.these exchanges are especially useful for the newbies.
7)buy enexpensive ads:buy enexpensive ads in PTC and PTR sites and advertise your links for a minimal amount of money. most of the persons visiting these sites are interested PTC earners.if you are promoting solid programs,you can expect to get a lot of referrals.
8)place free ads in ezines:ezines are read by thousands of people.prepare high quality ads and place them on top ezines in your niche.you can get a lot of free visitors to your site by this method.
9)place classified ads:though this method is not as effective as it used to be a few years back.still you can attract some visitors by placing small ,interesting ads in top classifieds.www.craigslist.com
is considered the best online classified site and it's free.
10)produce and distribute viral reports:viral reports can be a very effective advertising option.prepare free reports(you can prepare them at http://www.butterflyreports.com/) and distribute them at social networking sites(like myspace,facebook,perspot) .social bookmarking sites like digg,deliocious and gather are also very good places to distribute them.
please visit this blog frequently to learn about new ,updated techniques of advertising and getting referrals.i'll be updating it on daily basis.

NOW AFTER LEARNING THE TRICKS OF GENERATING REFERRALS WE SHOULD MOVE TO SELECT THE BEST RELIABLE PTC SITES.
here i am giving a list of top PTC sites.they are all reliable,have a lot of members and are going to stay for a long time.
NEOBUX:simply the best .they have more than 3 million members and have paid more than $5 million to it's members till date.neobux pays $0.01 per click and $0.005 per referral click to it's standard members and $0.02 per click and $0.02 per referral click to it's upgraded members.the minimum cashout is only $2.here you get your payment within few seconds of request.join neobux here.

KINGSCLICKER:only $1 cashout.they are providing more than 10 ads daily so you can reach the cashout within days.this site has been my favourite for some time now.join it here:
http://kingsclicker.com/register.php?fol=viv008n
DUAL BUX:they are serving around 20 ads daily.you get upto 2 cents per ad for your and your referrals.payout is only $2 so can reach it in a few days even without referrals.they are paying instantly.join this amazing program here:
http://www.dualbux.com/?r=viv008n
TAKETHEGLOBE:you want to earn a lot of cash from a single PTC then this one of the best.they are offering more than 100 ads daily.you can earn a lot from your efforts only.imagine how much you can earn if you have a large no.of referrals.join this huge money making opportunity here:
http://www.TakeTheGlobe.com/index.php?page=register&r=viv008n
PERFORMANCEBUX:great $2 payout ptc.they have more than 53000 members and have paid more than $23000 to their members.with lot of ads served dialy you can reach the payout easily.join it here:
http://www.performancebux.com/index.php?ref=viv008n
BUX-MATRIX:in my view it's going to be the next neobux and may be even better than neo.got more than 8500 members in first 30 days and have paid more than $4000 to their members.they have started the unique concept of combining a PTC site with a matrix.here you can always be a free member and earn from advertisement clicks like any other PTC but in order to avail the full benefits you must upgrade to gold status.they have seperate cashouts for the PTC and matrix section.for the PTC side the min.cashout is only $2 and for the matrix side it is $5.
here are the benefits you get as an upgraded member:
1)you start getting double on your and your referral clicks.
2)you unlock your position in the 3x12 forced matrix for the lifetime.you get $2.00 upfront per member who upgrade under you and a residual income on their referrals which runs to 12 levels deep.you also get spillover benefit from your upline and 400 advertising credits free so the benefits of upgrading are immense.you have to pay only $12 for the lifetime and you have a chance to earn $1000000 by referring just 3 members if the matrix fills completely.
3)you can earn 20% of the advertiser's spend who was referred by you.
4)$0.05 per active free referral.
so you can see youself that the benefits of upgrade are immense and they are offering 100% moneyback guarantee on your upgrade.more than 6000 people have already joined this opportunity of the lifetime within two weeks of it's prelaunch phase and they have already paid more than $4000 to their members already.
join this fabulous opportunity from my link and i will give you $1.5 upfront when you upgrade to gold status.
http://bux-matrix.com/viv008n

PPCLIX:has grown very rapidally like richclix.has more than 51000 members and paid more than $16000 to it's members.they offer 5 ads daily .join ppclix here:
http://www.ppclix.com/register.r-viv008n.html
CLIXSENSE:one of the oldest PTC.they have been there for many years.have more than 100000 members and have been paying their members constantly.upgrade in order to avail the full earning potential at clixsense.join it here:
http://www.clixsense.com/?2562363
WAOINDIA:do you want to earn more on your clicks?yes!then this is the site for you.they give $0.10 per click to standard members and $0.15 per click to premium members.10 ads daily.more than 23000 members and has paid more than $44000 to their members.join it here:
http://www.waoIndia.com/register.php?r=vivn