Monday 31 July 2017

7 Keys to a Positive Personality

Birthday adventures

If you are like me you won't like surprise outings. I need to know what is about to happen in advance so I can be prepared. 

Thats not to say I haven't enjoyed the 'surprises' organised for my 71st birthday by my family, quite the contrary I have had a lovely two days, starting with that organised by my daughter who took me to a delightful local pub for a 'beer and cider festival' on Sunday and thereafter at home for a lovely meal prepared by my wife, a fabulous cook, which was enjoyed by us all. 



Today, Monday, I have walked 12.5 miles, been to Cannon Hill Park and enjoyed a picnic lunch with my wife, daughter, daughter-in-law and grandson 

There is nothing better in my eyes than to spend quality time with my family, I don't need presents, their presence is much more valued. 

We have always celebrated birthdays more than other 'conventional' holidays, they are personal and much more relevant than generalised public events. To be involved in a personalised gathering is much more pleasurable than to be showered with presents, the majority of which are of questionable use anyway. 

Don't get me wrong, I am not being ungrateful, I do appreciate it when someone goes to the trouble/expense of giving me a gift, its just that I would be more than happy with their company and have them avoid the worry and hassle of choosing 'an appropriate' present. 

Yes, there certainly is pleasure derived from giving and I would not want to deprive anyone of that but for me it's always the thought that counts and not the material possession of an artefact. What do you think?
At times, it is hard to get visitors for your site in the start. The tips given in this article will help you get a few hundred visitors per day without any problem. Getting started with blogging is difficult in the beginning but becomes easy if you keep trying. Read on.
1. Yahoo! Answers
If you do a quick search on Yahoo for SEO, you will get thousands of questions that you can answer. To drive traffic to your blog or site from Yahoo Answers, all you have to do is give helpful answers. Your goal should be to become an authority in your niche. With this technique, you can easily get over 100 visitors and your site will get a lot of exposure.
2. Social Bookmarking
If you can create enjoyable content, one of your posts may go viral or get popular. Actually, your goal is to put your site in front of potential visitors. Another way to do it is social bookmarking. With these sites, you can bookmark your favorite sites for other users to view. And the great thing is that you won't need to spend more than a minute to bookmark your website. Some good social bookmarking websites are Delicious, Reddit, and Digg.
3. Guest Blogging
For free traffic, we suggest that you go for guest blogging. All you have to do is spend a few minutes to write a quality article. You may want to contact the most popular sites in your niche and then ask them for permission to publish an article on their site. The majority of sites will give you the permission happily.
4. Forum Posting
You can find community forums for every niche, topic or industry under the sun. For likeminded people, the internet is the best place. What you need to do is post on the forums for the community members. The majority of forums will let you leave a link back to your site in the signature of your post.
5. Twitter
Whenever you write fresh content, don't forget to Tweet about it. With the help of the right keywords, you can make your tweet interesting and you will get a higher click through rate. Make sure the posts have creative headlines. If the headlines are not catchy, people won't click on it.
6. Facebook
You can create a Facebook fan page in a minute or two. If you are a business owner, make sure you have one. The reason is that 1 out of every 13 people of the world uses Facebook.
7. Blog Commenting
Another way to get a lot of traffic for your site is through blog commenting. As soon as you post a comment, you will get traffic. Make sure that the comments are insightful and are posted as soon as a new post goes live.
8. Article Marketing
You can also promote your website through article directories. As a matter of fact, this is an effective way of getting traffic for your site. You can write quality content and publish it on your sites, such as Article Dashboard and Article Base. However, make sure that the articles are interesting, creative and contain the right keywords.
So, if you want to get traffic for your new site, you may follow these tips.



Wednesday 26 July 2017

��THESE 10 FOODS THAT UNCLOG ARTERIES NATURALLY AND PROTECT AGAINST HEART...

Should cholesterol be a matter of concern for you this could be helpful advice, I'm all for the natural way of things and try my best to avoid chemicals if at all possible. As it happens most of these items are part of my normal diet anyway and you know what? I've got a great  and varied diet, I love my food and my wife loves cooking, a marriage made in heaven.

Wednesday 19 July 2017

Why you should define your fears instead of your goals | Tim Ferriss


Fascinating and frightening at the same time. Stoicism, is an area I have not really considered in depth, though having viewed this TED video I might just do that (despite being relatively untroubled myself). 
Having spent a great deal of time recently developing a mindset of positivity I cannot imagine how someone who suffers with bi-polar disease could focus to the extent that I/we have as part of our mentoring journey with @paulomahony
Nevertheless Tim Ferris seems to have found a way whilst flirting with the 'other side', a remarkable story and one which we can all learn from. Your thoughts?

How To Create A Lead Magnet To Get More Prospects

A lead magnet is the free incentive you offer in exchange for somebody joining your email list. Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies for running a profitable online business. It doesn't matter which niche you're in you must have a responsive email list. People will not give you their email address to receive something that doesn't interest them. When you create a lead magnet it has to be something so enticing that your prospect would otherwise pay for it.
Types Of Lead Magnet   Your lead magnet can come in a variety of formats. Think about what your audience is most likely to respond to. Here are some examples
  • Cheat Sheet: This might be in the form of a worksheet, notes, a mind map, or some kind of visual.
  • Course: People often like email courses that they receive over time.
  • Report: A short, easy-to-digest report that offers a great strategy or tips.
  • eBook: A longer, more comprehensive lead magnet in the form of an eBook.
  • Audio File: A sound recording or course that teaches something.
  • Video: A video that teaches something, shares a great strategy, demonstrates something, etc.
  • Coupon: A discount to new prospects who sign up for your list.
  • Quiz: People like to answer questions and see if they're correct, so you can deliver their results via email. 
Keep It Simple   Don't over complicate things. Your offer should be simple and effective. It should be easy to understand the value that you're offering and easy to sign up. Make sure your lead capture page (also called a squeeze page) is clean and straightforward.
Be Precise  Ensure that your offer is specific. Offering one solution to one problem people in your market have. You don't want to be to general or attempt to cover lots of different areas. Really spell out exactly what people can expect to receive.
Build A Great Lead Capture Page  Remember that you really have to encourage people to sign up for your list. You really have to "sell" it so people will sign up. Make it an offer they can't refuse and put the strongest 3 to 5 benefits on the lead capture page.
You Need Highly Targeted Traffic  Direct targeted web traffic to your lead magnet. This means you know your audience will be interested in what you have to say. You can use paid or free traffic or a combination. If you have a good lead capture page and you create a lead magnet that your target audience will want, you'll get a sizeable amount of sign ups for your list.
Anything you do online is pretty much useless without traffic. It doesn't matter how many lead magnets you create if you never get any traffic to your lead capture pages. This free checklist reveals free website traffic methods that will lower your reliance on potentially costly paid traffic sources: http://jonallo.com/freetrafficchecklist

Tuesday 18 July 2017

10 Proven Ways to Increase Your Facebook Likes

Whether for personal or business purposes, one of the main goals of most Facebook users is to garner more likes and reactions. This article will outline 10 simple ways to increase the amount of likes for any post.
1. Keep Your Page Updated -  It is important to note that keeping your page updated is not synonymous with spamming your Facebook followers. Getting more exposure on social media by posting periodically will result in more likes, reacts and even comments. However, posting too often is quite, frankly, annoying. As a result, your friends will literally like your post less, which translates to Facebook likes too!
2. Filtering -  You can and should choose what you share on Facebook. If you have a Facebook page that you are updating correctly, but the content is lacking, you may still find yourself not reaching your goal of likes. Ask yourself: What is the point of this post? A post will have more of an impact if the meaning behind it is clear to its audience, whether its intention is to be funny, touching or thought-provoking.
3. Add Photos  -  Any post that has a photo attached to it will garner more attention than any solid text post. When deciding to include a photo in your post, choose one that catches the eye of someone scrolling down their newsfeed. While adding a photo will be sure to increase your likes, make sure to include one that is of good quality. If someone stops to look at your eye-catching photo, they will be curious enough to stop, so take this opportunity to share what you will.
4. Factors of Exposure  -  Before posting to Facebook take into account the factors that will affect your Facebook likes. These include trending topics and viral posts. If you want more people to see your posts, it is best to include topics that are currently trending on Facebook so that your post will be seen in that thread. You can take advantage of hot topics like the most recent American election to do this. The mention or recreation of viral posts can also spark an increase in exposure and likes; for example, the popular mannequin challenge.
5. Post Time  -  Time plays a larger role in receiving likes than you may think. Obviously a post at 3 a.m. will result in less likes, but there are less obvious times to be avoided as well. Avoid all times when you know people are occupied with real life social interactions: office hours, happy hour, dinner hours, and morning rush hour. On the other hand, lazy hours, such as Sunday mornings, lunch breaks and late evenings are prime time for garnering likes since people are more likely to be on their phones.
6. Link Your Social Media  -  Facebook is one of many social media platforms out there, and this is something you should use to your advantage. Linking social media is a common practice for people who have found great success on these platforms. For Facebook this means: if you make a post on a different platform, you should also link those followers to your Facebook page. Using posts on different platforms to promote your Facebook page is an opportunity to increase exposure. This will expand your views, and also your amount of likes.
7. Relatable Content  -  If your Facebook page posts content that is relatable, more people will like it just because of this. Additionally, people are likely to tag their friends in these posts because they may know that the person experiences something similar. The surge in the popularity of "memes" in the mainstream media is proof of this.
8. Clickbait  -  While it is looked down upon by the social media community as deceitful, clickbait is not necessarily deceitful. Clickbait, in this sense, is creating a post that piques the curiosity of Facebook users by using ambiguity rather than deceit. For example, instead of saying "I am moving to Mexico to do volunteer work", say "I am making a huge change in my life, please join me on this journey" and let them watch your video for the explanation. This method works most effectively for videos or other content that people don't immediately see.
9. Tags  -  Make use of all the tools social media, in particular Facebook, has provided you. When creating a post, make sure to tag everyone involved or in the picture, so that their friends will see the post too. This will increase the views received by your post, and consequently your likes.
10. Giveaways  -  If you have the means, giveaways attract a lot of attention, and likes. Usually users can have a Facebook like and Facebook share of the post as a condition for entry in the giveaway; this is an effective Facebook marketing strategy. Many companies may also sponsor you if you have a large enough following!
BiggieTips - Tips and Tricks for Your Daily Life ( http://www.biggietips.com )
BiggieTips is dedicated to BIG TIPS to help you get things done more efficiently. You will master how to do everything in a bigger way and live smarter. Topics include Home, Health, Lifestyle, Travel, Technology, Entertainment, Business and Video.

Monday 17 July 2017

Having an online presence is more than a necessity these days and with online presence comes the importance of digital marketing. Digital marketing solutions are of different types and what you opt for completely depends on your requirements. Let's look at some of them in detail:
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)  There are millions of websites on the Internet. Having a website is not enough these days, you need a website that has all the ingredients required to get a good rank. This is where search engine optimization or SEO comes into play.
SEO is the art of optimizing your websites and its web pages so that it secures a high rank in the search engine result pages and is noticed. This is still the most trusted way of attracting traffic to your website.
SEO experts to optimize your website use different strategies and these strategies keep on evolving. What worked five years back, would not yield the same results as it did five years ago. Therefore, when looking for a digital marketing agency, it is really important for you to make sure that they are using the latest tactics.
Content marketing happens to be an important element of SEO, about which we have talked later. Other SEO tactics include less loading time, making use of the right keywords, and their placement etc.

Social Media Marketing  You would probably find the entire world on Facebook or Twitter. That is why it is really important that you invest in social media marketing. It is a great (best) way to connect to your customers and also increase your sales, if you are into e-commerce.
Social media marketing is all about doing things that would accentuate your business in the various social media channels, starting from Facebook to LinkedIn. It makes you socially active and allows you to connect to your customers and vice-versa.
Whether you are just starting out or you are in business for the past few years, investing in social media marketing would benefit you. Most customers these days, look for windows through which they can connect to your easily. Your Facebook or Twitter page can be two such windows.
Moreover, you can make use of these social channels to advertise for your product and services as well. If your customers are happy with you, then would even write reviews and that would help attract more customers. Like, share, and follow buttons can also increase your sales to a great extent.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC)  If you have some idea about SEO and digital marketing, you probably know what pay per click (PPC)
Advertising is. Most people have the notion that PPC refers to the sponsored links that we get to see while doing Google searches. However, the ads that you see in other search engines like Bing and Yahoo also fall under this category.
As clear from the name, you would pay the publisher only if your ad is clicked. And if you do not pay, the ads do not exist. This is a great way to attract traffic to your website.
However, it is important to do it in the right way else, you would not get the desired results. Make sure you hire the right digital marketing company that has a dedicated team for PPC, in order to get the results, you are looking for. It is all about choosing the keywords and optimizing your web pages based on these keywords. Also, it is important to monitor the traffic that you are getting due to these ads and making changes to your PPC strategy accordingly.
These are three most popular digital marketing solutions that are effective. If you are planning to join the e-commerce bandwagon and sell online, you cannot do without these. Just ensure to hire the right experts who can fulfil all your digital marketing requirements and offer results.

Life Lessons from an 80 Year Old Who Became the Hottest Guy on Catwalk

Saturday 15 July 2017

Techniques to Enhance Learning and Memory | Nancy D. Chiaravalloti | TED...

Social Media: Does Social Media Allow People To Create Their Own Shrine?

If one was to go into a populated area in the west and to ask a number of people if they are religious, they may find that a common theme begins to appear. This could be a time when they will that see that not many people believe in or worship a god or a number of gods.
A Strange Reaction There is also the chance that a number of the people who were asked found it strange to even be asked this question. It would then have been clear that this is not something that remotely interests them. If one pushed further and asked them why this is, they may have heard that it is because they have more important things to focus on. A number of these people may spend a lot of time using their Smartphone, for instance.
Other Priorities Along with the amount of time that some of them spend using a device, there will be other things that take their time. There can be the time they spend at work, and with their friends and family.  What is clear is that it is not difficult for someone to find something to do in today's world. It could be said that there is no reason for one to be bored; that is unless they are at work, or if they have become over stimulated.
Too Much  When one has been exposed to so much stimulation, and this has happened for a certain period of time, it is going to be a lot harder for them to be stimulated. Their brain will have adapted and they will need even more stimulation in order to be stimulated.  This is then similar to how a drug addict will need to continually take more to achieve the same high. The law of diminishing returns as at work here and this is a game that can't be won.
A Number of Options  And when one uses their Smartphone, there are going to be plenty of things that they can do. One of the things that they are likely to use the most is social media, and this will allow them to stay up to date with their 'friends' and family.  Here, one might share practically their whole life online, or they might only share certain things. In addition to this, they may just use one of these sites, or they might have a number of different sites that they use.
A Different Level of Exposure  When one doesn't share a lot online, it can show that they don't have a strong need for attention. They might prefer to send a private message, or to speak to someone over the phone or in person.  On the other hand, when one does share a lot online, it can show that they have a strong need for attention. It might be hard for them to keep things to themselves, and it is then going to be easy for their 'friends' and family to find out about what they have been doing.
Effortless  What can't be denied is that social media has made it extremely easy for someone to receive attention. There is no need for them to achieve anything significant; the only thing they need to do is to upload a video or a picture of themselves, for instance. And if one is physically attractive, they can end up being treated as though they are some kind of celebrity. Once they have shared a picture of their face or even their body, the 'likes' and comments are likely to come flooding in.
One Step Further  Due to the effect this has on how they feel, one could share a picture everyday or a few times a week. When it comes to the amount of positive feedback they receive, it is partly going to depend on how many 'friends' and/or 'followers' they have. So, regardless of what their profession is, one can end up having their own followers. These people will 'like' what they share and they can tell them how special they are, amongst other things.
Another Angle  Thus, even if one didn't set out to do this, they will have created their own area where people can worship them. Some of these people will be religious and some won't, but they are still going to be treating them as though they are some kind of god.  If one was to realise this, it might make them feel uncomfortable, or it could be something that has a positive effect on them. When it relates to the former, it could cause one to take a step back and to reflect on if they want to carry on doing the same thing.
A Business  At the same time, if sharing their life in this way is part of their business and not just a way for them to receive attention, they might carry on doing the same thing. In this case, they don't have the desire to be worshipped; it is simply a by-product of what they are doing.  When it relates to the latter, it could show that one is completely out of touch with their true-self. One can then see themselves as being better than others, and it will then be seen as normal for other people to put them on a pedestal.
The Other Side  Alternatively, one could be in a position where they worship a number of people on social media. They might visit their page a few times each day to give themselves a mental and emotional boost.  When it comes to the people who they look up to (or down to their Smartphone to), one could believe that they are superior to them. No matter what they say or do, it might not have an effect on the idealised image they have created of them.
Conclusion  What this emphasises is that even if one says they are not religious; it doesn't mean that they are not worshipping something or someone else instead. There could be something else in their life that binds them.  One could say that the people who look up to a god are not very bright, but this could be coming from someone who looks up to a sports team or a celebrity, for instance. It could then be said that one is deluding themselves.
Prolific writer, author, and coach, Oliver JR Cooper, hails from England. His insightful commentary and analysis covers all aspects of human transformation, including love, partnership, self-love, and inner awareness. With over one thousand four hundred in-depth articles highlighting human psychology and behaviour, Oliver offers hope along with his sound advice. His current projects include 'A Dialogue With The Heart' and 'Communication Made Easy'.

Thursday 13 July 2017

How Do You Start An Online Store Without Any Products?

The shop keepers in your local high street don't produce everything they sell. They purchase products from a supplier, put them into stock and then mark-up the products to sell on to their customers.
When you start an online store, you don't have to purchase any products before you sell them. You can sell products that have been created by another people and when you make a sale, the product owner pays you a commission.
Welcome To The World Of Affiliate Marketing
This business model is called affiliate marketing and it's an easy route to starting your own online store. You can sell physical and digital products as an affiliate. Physical products are items that are delivered to your customer's front door. Digital products are items that your customer can download instantly to their computer after purchase.
Top Affiliate Marketing Products
The best products to sell via affiliate marketing are those that won't go out of style anytime soon. The big evergreen markets of health and fitness, money and love will never go out of fashion. People will always have problems and issues in those areas that they want solved and will be looking for someone or something to solve them. There are, of course, other affiliate niches that you could look at.
Start With Digital Products
The most profitable affiliate products are digital products, rather than physical products. People will buy digital products faster and get them as soon as they buy them. Plus, you're likely to earn more money per item when promoting and selling digital items. Digital products are generally informative. They can be eBooks, audio or video courses, newsletters, software or access to membership websites.
Solve Problems for Your Audience
You want to find products that solve problems for your audience. Search for products that you can sell as an affiliate that offer solutions for your audience. Take the time to do some research. Just because there is an affiliate product or service out there that you can sell, it doesn't mean that countless numbers of people will want to buy it.
Different Products Pay Different Commissions
Always know in advance how much commission you will get paid when you make a sale. Every affiliate program out there has a different payout process. Some pay out monthly, some make you wait until you reach a sales threshold and others have even more complicated rules. Read all the rules, and understand when and how you'll be paid.
Companies are happy to pay commissions to people just like you, in return for selling their products and services. You have the potential to make a great income when you choose the right niche, stay committed, and understand your audience. For a no-nonsense, kick-start guide to getting started, download my free checklist, Affiliate Marketing For Beginners at http://jonallo.com/affiliatechecklist


Wednesday 12 July 2017

How to Build Your Email List



Most of the time when someone asks how to grow their email list what they're really asking is, "How can I get 1,000 people on my list this month so I can hurry up and start selling to them?" Most people won't admit that, but honestly, if I could give one secret tip that would answer that question wouldn't you go for it in a heartbeat? 

The truth of the matter is, the very nature of a successful email list has nothing to do with its size. It has to do with the engagement and loyalty of the people on that list. And getting loyalty and engagement takes time, attention and quality content.

There are several things you need to do off the bat to make sure you're giving people every opportunity possible to opt-in to your list. It isn't easy to get someone's email address. It's your job to make opting in to your list easy and compelling.

Using Opt-ins to Build Your Email List 

To make subscribing easy, be sure you have several places on your blog where people can opt in to receive some type of free goodie. The side bar, and header of your site are common locations for an opt-in box. But you should also consider adding a pop up. Even though just about everyone will say they hate pop ups, the truth is, they work. Today's pop ups have settings that allow you to make them as customized as you like. They don't have to be the intrusive screen covering monstrosities of years past. 

Other great places to have your opt-ins:

Email signature line 
Social Media profiles 
Each blog post (up to five different types leading to the same freebie in each post) 
Business card 
Bios of guest posts you write for other sites 

Using Freebies to Build Your Email List

When creating your opt-in, you need a really amazing freebie. This should be something that offers a quick win to the person receiving it, but it shouldn't take you a long time to create. Consider the fact that the person opting in is probably a newbie in your area of expertise. Ask yourself:

What questions do newbies in your field want answered? 
Which questions do you get asked all of the time? 
What do you wish you'd known when you were first starting out 

Stay away from freebies that don't offer a really quick win for your reader. They'll put it aside to work on later and will probably never get back to it and, thus, never realize how valuable your content is to them.

Using Great Content to Build Your Email List 

No matter how many places you guest post, how many blogs you write or how many emails you send out, if you want to build your email list quickly, you need to provide really amazing content. Nothing you do will build your list more quickly than word of mouth. 

If you want people to share your terrific email with their friends, make sure those friends can easily find a way to add themselves to your list. Post snippets of your blog on social media and provide a spot on the blog to opt in to get a freebie that compliments the blog's content. Have a spot on your social media profiles where people can sign up for your list via an app or Call to Action in your header.



Building a strong, responsive email list takes time. It takes work. But if you leverage the work you're already doing to create amazing content that your followers love to read, you'll have a list of raving fans before you know it!




Tuesday 11 July 2017

The Top Digital Marketing Trends That Are Transforming Businesses

Digital marketing has taken the advertising sector by storm. It has become an indispensable tool in the hands of a marketer to promote its brand's objectives and lend it a visibility. As we are constantly witnessing advancements in the realms of social media, mobile marketing and user experience, the scope of digital marketing is reaching sky rocketing height. To help businesses stay cognizant of such opportunities, we have enlisted the top trends in digital advertising that will help them capture their online objectives effectively.
The Top Digital Marketing Trends
  • Live video streaming
    Live video streaming gained a lot of momentum in 2016 and continues to see a rapid growth in the present time too. It is an effective tool for a marketer to engage and interact with the customers. The trend of live video streaming gained impetus with video streaming apps like Facebook Live and Periscope which enables users to streamline real time videos to push out messages across social media. This trend s highly prevalent in the digital marketing space and is likely to continue for long.

  • Unique content still rules the digital space
    Every digital marketer will agree that unique and quality content is the 'king' in the online world and this tendency in the future as well. When the content stands out in terms of ideas and quality, it ensures that it engages and influences the readers completely.

  • Social influencers are crucial assets for your business
    Social influencers and established bloggers play a very crucial role in building a loyal following and gaining awareness for your brand. With new social media platforms being introduced every now and then, it is not easy to reach the desired audience. However, influencers and bloggers enjoy dedicated followership that captures the community and engages them with their content. Thus, choosing the right people to promote your business can help you reach the target audience and as a result your business will drive towards success.

  • Consumers are hooked to their Mobile phones
    Smart phones have revolutionised the way a consumer communicates and shares information with the world by providing on the go access to vital applications and social media platforms. Mobile phones and tablets have become our constant companions and their dependency continues to rise. It is crucial for the retailers to eye this fact and those who fail to do so will be left behind.

  • Augmented reality is the next big thing
    The immense popularity of Pokemon Go gave the idea to marketers that augmented reality experiments can go a long run. Today, consumers are eager to experience such augmented reality concepts which means that there are plenty of potential wins here for marketers. Get ready to witness more AR related experiments in the times to come.
Are you digitally ready?
As digital technology is becoming more sophisticated with time, the extent to which brands and businesses can engage their consumers is seemingly endless and this is a great opportunity for every digital advertising agency to help their clients get their desired visibility and hold among their clientele.

Monday 3 July 2017

Sunday 2 July 2017

The Science Of Yogic Breathing | Sundar Balasubramanian | TEDxCharleston

Thoughts without a thinker

"Psychotherapy from a Buddist perspective" - Mindfulness, Happiness, Motivation and Inspiration, all in one book by Mark Epstein.
According to Epstein both Buddism and psychoanalysis can shed light on the way human beings suffer. A major focus of both traditions is an attachment to the idea that a 'self' exists, which in many cases is the root of mental illness. He asserts that by practising Buddism you can find freedom from suffering and a sense of calm in your mind.
An interesting premise from the book which is open to question is that westerners feel an unstoppable hunger, whilst easterners struggle with humility,,,,discuss!