Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Emma Tomlinson.  Please read more about Emma in the bio footer.

You have probably heard plenty of Internet marketers say that uploading videos is an effective and efficient addition to their marketing campaign.

Now, if you are the type of person who wants to see proof before nodding to particular issues, you will be amazed to know that…

There are over 30 billion video searches beating keyword queries (which have reached more than 15 billion) by around 50%.

YouTube (Image via CrunchBase)

Given this data, you are most likely considering the idea of creating your own clips. But before you do, you should check this out these…

Fascinating YouTube Facts

It has already obtained more than 13 billion visits.

• It is the most reputable video platform, especially for bloggers.
• It amounts to 81.9% of overall videos embedded and shared on blog sites.
• There are around 23,000 videos viewed every second and 2 billion each day.

Do these figures seem promising?

If you do, then you already have an idea where to upload and share your creations.

Now, whether your affinity for making videos is…

• Personal – you want to go viral and become a Web sensation
• Business – you want your promotional campaign to have a global reach
• Purely fun – you find the activity engaging

You need effective ways to make it rank in both video and keyword searches.

With that said, here are…

 Great Strategies to Help You Bring Together YouTube and Search Engine Optimization

1. Come up with a good title

As you are doing this, you have to remember the following aspects:

•  Incorporate keywords
•  Include the word “video” because many people are going to use it
•  Ensure it is catchy and worthy enough of clicks

2. Create a brief description

Through it, search engines and users have a basic idea of what your video is about. Again, you have to take note of essential factors, which consist of the following:

•  Come up with 2 to 3 sentences
•  Place relevant keywords
•  Begin the first sentence with the URL of your social media page, blog, or website

3. Include a transcript

This is a written version of your material. So, if the video is not long, you can transcribe it and add the transcription to the description.

4. Put tags

This strategy is similar to tagging traditional Web content. To help your video get listed under YouTube’s “related video” category and boost the possibility of going viral, you should find out which tags are most popular and effective.

5. Ensure backlinks

One way to link back to your YouTube content is through blogging, wherein you can choose any of the following ideas:

•  Focus on a topic related to the video’s main theme and incorporate the link in the body
•   Place the URL in the author bio

6. Keep track of its performance

You can monitor your video’s ranking by using YouTube Analytics.

There you go. Take note of these techniques for optimization purposes.

Now, before we end this topic, here is an important pointer:

Always encourage interaction from your viewers. You can make this possible when you enable sharing and embedding. You can also ask the users to rate and comment on your videos.

Coca-cola Facebook Page

In the last few months, Facebook users may have noticed that some personal profiles display a timeline instead of the streaming newsfeed we have all grown used to. Now, this will also apply to Facebook brand pages. According to Facebook, this new format will be mandatory on March 30th, so get used to the change.

Many companies have spent a significant amount of time on their landing page. Now, the timeline changes all that. I have not even begun to look at the timeline on my pages, even though I have already changed my personal profile.

There seems to be mixed feelings on this new change, but just as Facebook continues to grow, we have to grow with it. There really is no sense in fighting it. Instead, learn the new format and try to get the most benefit from it.

Since this is the big talk of social media right now, here are what other bloggers are saying about the new fan pages timeline.

5 Key Changes to the New Facebook Page Marketers Need to Know …

www.jeffbullas.com3/4/12

Last year Facebook changed the design and user interface for the Facebook personal profiles. They introduced key features such as the new timeline and a large area at the top for a photo or image in a banner format.

New Facebook Pages: This Week in Social Media | Social Media …

www.socialmediaexaminer.com3/3/12

Social media news and new developments making social media marketing easier. (Facebook Timeline for Business Pages, Linkedin Company Follow button, YouTube)

Facebook Merges Rules For Ads And Timeline Pages

www.allfacebook.com3/5/12

The marketing changes announced this week lend themselves to Facebook merging the rules for pages and advertising into one set of terms.

Timeline for Facebook pages: a complete overview of new features

www.insidefacebook.com2/29/12

Facebook today unveils Timeline for pages — a combination of design elements and moderation features that give organizations the controls they need to maintain an effective presence on the social network. The redesign …

7 Crucial Things About Timeline For Facebook Pages

www.allfacebook.com2/29/12

Here are the seven most important things to know about timeline for pages.

New Facebook Pages with Timeline Design – 12 Pros & Cons

kikolani.com3/1/12

Initial observations about the New Facebook Pages with Timeline Design including timeline cover photo rules, default landing tabs, custom apps, and more.

Facebook Launches Timeline for Facebook Pages

laughingsquid.com2/29/12

Facebook has just launched Timeline for Facebook pages (regular uses have had it for a while). Currently pages have an option to preview Timeline until March 20, 2012, when Timeline will be implemented on all pages.

Changes to Facebook Brand/Business Pages: What … – Mouth Media

www.mouthmedia.com3/5/12

Following the visual direction of recent change to personal pages on Facebook, brands will now be able to have a large wide picture at the top of their page. Consider this your Page’s welcome mat. It is great that Facebook …

20 Facebook Page Cover Photos to Inspire Your Brand

mashable.com2/29/12

Timeline has finally rolled out to brand Pages and companies have quickly hopped on the opportunity to get creative.

Facebook Timeline for Pages: What You Should Know

www.stellatacollective.com3/5/12

What the new Timeline for Facebook Pages means for artists, arts organizations, and small businesses.

How We Upgraded Our Own Facebook Page To Timeline

www.allfacebook.com2/29/12

Facebook’s put a lot of effort into creating instructional pop-up windows to guide page administrators through the process of upgrading to timeline. And we’ve also noticed that we can edit the page while logged in with our …

Facebook Timeline pages: how does the change affect marketing?

businessplusbaby.com3/5/12

I wanted to write a post about the latest changes to Facebook pages. I really did. But when it comes to Facebook changes I get this uncontrollable urge to procrastinate -so I haven’t made any changes to my page yet!

4 Cool Applications For Facebook Timeline Pages

www.allfacebook.com3/2/12

Just two days after Facebook debuted timeline for pages, four different vendors have applications for the new layout.

The New Features of Facebook Timeline: A Guide for Businesses

www.lunametrics.com3/5/12

Facebook begun rolling out Timeline for brand pages recentely, which presents many opportunities for brands to showcase themselves on Facebook like never before. The new format will be pushed live to everyone on March …

How to Convert Your Facebook Page Over to the New Timeline …

www.johnhaydon.com3/3/12

inbound zombie timeline How to Convert Your Facebook Page Over to the New Timeline Layout (. As you may know by now, Facebook Pages will automatically migrate over to a completely new format on March 30th. You do not want to wait …

The Complete Guide To Facebook Timeline Pages

www.allfacebook.com3/3/12

Relax! You have plenty of time to get comfortable with the new timeline layout and add content between now and March 30. So here’s a comprehensive guide to all the new features that timeline for pages offers your brand.

Facebook Page Welcome Tabs: Big Loss Or Good Riddance? – InformationWeek

news.google.com

VentureBeatFacebook Page Welcome Tabs: Big Loss Or Good Riddance?InformationWeekThe Timeline for Pages redesign Facebook announced Wednesday at a marketing conference in New York broke things, or is about to break them, for businesses that relied on …

Facebook Timeline for the 99 percent – iMedia Connection

news.google.com

iMedia ConnectionFacebook Timeline for the 99 percentiMedia ConnectionLast week Facebook announced sweeping changes to the way brands interact with customers through their pages. Since then, a slew of articles and blog posts have been published that …

And on Twitter…

MariSmith

28 Things You Need To Know About The New Facebook Timeline Pages http://t.co/upAS7rdV by @kikolani on @kissmetrics [Like!]

March 5, 2012 8:10:10 AM MST

videoministry

15 Creative Tips to Rock Your Timeline Cover Photo for Facebook Pages | Social @ Blogging Tracker http://t.co/pOm0mPMI

March 5, 2012 5:58:17 PM MST

margaretcyphers

Good article from @mashable on #Facebook Timeline Brand Pages http://t.co/eM63P8YG

March 5, 2012 5:57:32 PM MST

Take some time to look at some new Facebook timelines for businesses and read some of these articles. Before you know it, the old format will be a thing of the past.

Editor’s Note:  This is a guest post by John Lewis. Please read more about John in the author’s bio.

With dozens of popular social media websites and many unique log-ins to keep track of, managing your social media accounts can get a bit overwhelming. To solve this problem, many services and products are now available, especially for businesses.

Businesses tend to create multiple accounts on every website to promote new ventures, events and more. Here are some of the best ways to manage your accounts without a lot of confusion.

Hiring a Social Media Manager

This is one choice that’s popular with business owners who are tired of trying to handle dozens of accounts. A manager can take control of every single account and continue to post updates and respond to followers. This makes it easy to stay connected with customers and keep your business relevant without devoting much time to your social media accounts.

For a business with the budget for a social media manager, this is definitely the best choice of all because you get access to someone who will constantly keep all of your accounts up to date while talking with followers and customers about news, updates and more.

TweetDeck by Twitter

This is a free service you can download from Twitter that works on your computer, Android phone or iPhone.

TweetDeck helps you manage a number of Twitter and Facebook accounts that are arranged in the order you choose.

Everything is clearly displayed on one screen and you’ll have the ability to use filters for easy reading or schedule your Tweets, a helpful feature for companies with customers around the country or worldwide.

MarketMeSuite

The MarketMeSuite is a social media management tool that is designed to help you market your business using popular social networking websites. It’s designed for small businesses and includes great features like cloud technology and targeted locations. You can use it on the computer, Android phones, iPhones and Blackberries.

Digsby

The Digsby is a desktop application that helps you to manage email, instant messaging and social media websites in one easy-to-use program. Although this isn’t the best option for a business, it does make it easy to manage multiple accounts without a lot of confusion.

CoTweet Enterprise

This social media account manager is designed for medium or large businesses. It’s an easy-to-use app that helps you manage your Facebook and Twitter accounts, putting all posts and tweets in one place.

One of the best features is the ability to add an unlimited amount of users. That means everyone at your business can view posts by others in the company about the brand or products to stay on top of everything and avoid information gaps. It also incorporates a good search feature and the ability to save conversation histories.

ObjectiveMarketer

This option is for any business that wants marketing solutions for their business. ObjectiveMarketer helps you manage all of your social media accounts in one place to make your marketing strategy more effective. It provides a good deal of distribution tools to help you get information out with video, slideshows, contests, text messages and more.

ObjectiveMarketer works with YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, making it the most effective and easy to use option for a business that is planning a great deal of social marketing online.

These are just a few of the most popular management tools for social media accounts. Some are best for small businesses, while others target the marketing strategy you’re interested in.

For a business that can afford it, a part-time social media manager is perhaps the best way to stay on top of every account and keep everything current. The applications here let you handle everything on your own. Either way, any one of these options will help you get control of your social media accounts to stay on top of information and get the best possible interaction with followers.

Related articles

• Social Media Dashboard MarketMeSuite Helps Turn Followers Into Customers (mashable.com)
• Looking for CoTweet Alternatives? Our Comparison of Social Media Management Options (perkettprsuasion.com)
• Social Media Interaction Organizers – MarketMeSuite Helps Brands Engage & Manage Online Customers (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)
• Be social: Social media for small businesses (marketing.yell.com)

Editor’s Note:  This is a gust post from Lindsey Harper Mac.  Please read more about Lindsey Harper in the bio footer.

Linked In, a hybrid social networking and business connections website, is one of the fastest growing arenas for networking online. According to the LinkedIn company website, it is the world’s largest Internet-based professional network. The website touts its membership at more than 135 million people in more than 200 different countries.

With this kind of professional reach from the comfort of your home or office, it’s no wonder that Linked In is one of the most powerful tools for creating and enhancing your career. Despite the potential effectiveness of Linked In, surprisingly few people truly utilize it for its intended purposes.

Linking Your Resume with Linked In

Whether you’re in the midst of a career or haven’t yet embarked on one, your resume is the dynamic representation of who you are and what you’ve accomplished. If you’re considering some form of online learning, having a resume that is connected with your LinkedIn profile puts you far ahead of the competition and right where educators and potential employers can see you.

Rather than using Linked In as a substitute for your CV or resume, think of it as an enhancement. The information you put on your resume or CV can’t be expected to cover everything you’ve accomplished or will accomplish. Instead, you can direct potential employers to your LinkedIn profile so that they can garner more information that supplements what you’ve provided briefly on your resume.

Higher Education and Linked In

Whether you’re pursuing a degree online or simply taking a college course, people, particularly potential employers, should know.One of the most proactive things you can do for your future is to further your education.

Perhaps you don’t have the time to attend on-campus traditional classes, or you’re too far from campus for regular commuting. E-learning is a viable alternative to the traditional classroom environment. Although some individuals may perceive online coursework as inferior to or simply different from traditional classroom learning, the demands of modern life have made online learning a more flexible choice.

Including this coursework on you resume and LinkedIn profile can provide potential employers with supplemental and important information about your willingness to continue to pursue knowledge that is relevant to your chosen field.

Cultivating a Network by Using Your Resume and Linked In Profile

No one likes to land on a website only to see it hasn’t been updated in a year or more. The same can be said about your resume and LinkedIn profile. Both should be current, making regular changes as your experiences and career progress.

You don’t need to update every minor change. Instead, make an effort to do a review of your life every few months and update both your resume and LinkedIn profile to reflect the events that would be pertinent to potential employers.

Harness the power of Linked In. It’s a no-cost way to network that allows you to expand on the information contained within your resume, at absolutely no cost.

Related articles

• How to Find New Clients via LinkedIn (xemion.com)
• 7 Effective Tips to Turn Your LinkedIn Profile into a Social Media Battle Winner (socialmaximizer.com)
• Looking for a New Job? Update your LinkedIn Profile Secretly (labnol.org)

Social media is a part of many people’s daily lives. Checking Facebook and Twitter several times a day is not uncommon. I recently wrote about the cons of social media for writers. I would also like to address the positive aspects of social media for writers.

Social Media Pros

The Pros (© Anatoly Maslennikov)

In an attempt to cling to my strong desire to remain an optimist, I believe  that these pros outweigh the cons. Social media opens doors for writers. It gives them a way to dip a toe in the publishing pool without significant hoops to jump through.

By creating compelling content, you can become a celebrity. ~Paul Gillin

Okay, celebrity may be a strong word. But even if it is only fifteen minutes of fame, a well-written piece can get you noticed through social media.  Who knows? It may be tossed into the lap of the right person. A well-known publisher or even a popular blogger may see it. And like it. Both literally and digitally.

Facebook Pages, Twitter Lists, and Linked in Groups connect writers, publishers, bloggers, and editors from all over the world.  Sites like Linked In allow you to present your writing without getting past the receptionist. It is not always that simple, but it gives writers a more equal playing field.

• Ability to reach many. With social media, you can put your writing in front of thousands with just a few clicks. No stamp required. Social networking sites like Digg, Stumble Upon, and now Pinterest make it simple to expose your writing to the world.

• Opens doors. Long before the days on the Internet, writers had to send queries by snail mail. These letters came along with hundreds of other letters that came across the editor’s desk. If it was accepted, it could take months before you knew. Although, most print publications still require a query letter, there are other outlets to get the attention of an editor or publisher – social media.

• Constructive feedback. This may teeter between the pro and con list for some people. Constructive criticism is invaluable for a writer, as much as it stings. The essential word that puts this on the pro list is constructive. There are people that just like to be negative, all the time. Without advice that offers something of value, it may be perceived as hurtful. Sold advice from a mentor is definitely positive!

• Virtual Networking. The Internet, especially social media, provides many ways to connect with others in your niche. Even if you only connect online, networking provides both professional and emotional support to writers. Writers can find inspiration from other writers. The news of a writing conference or seminar travels through social media. Local publishers, editors, and writers form groups or Meetups and advertise them on social media.

• No one cares.  I realize this was on the con list, too. I think it depends on how you look at it. If the writing is not your best foot forward, but just something you had to get off your chest, maybe it is best that no one really cares. If no one is responding to your writing, this provides a way to use it as feedback. Is the writing entertaining, interesting, helpful, or educational? Often times, if it is one of these things, people will take notice. If not, rethink your next piece of writing.

National borders aren’t even speed bumps on the information superhighway.  ~Tim May

I would like to know what other people have experienced through social media!  Please share your comments!

Related articles

• Social Media: Helping or Hindering the Art of Writing? (writeandgetpaid.wordpress.com)
• The Photographer’s Social Media Handbook (taylordavidson.com)

Long before the Internet and social media, I was writing silly love poems in the back of my grade school notebook. No one ever read these and when I look back, they were pretty horrible. I am grateful that social media did not exist back then. I may have been tempted to share them.

In my teen years, I wrote a few short stories. Again, no Pulitzers or any Literary Awards in my future.

In Comes… Social Media

Social Media

Before social media and blogs, unless their work was a best-seller, writers did not get the same opportunities for recognition that they have today.  This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Just like two sides of sandpaper, when you share your creative words on social media, results can be rough or smooth.

If you are a risk-taker, you may expose your poems about your high school crush on Facebook for all the world to see. Who knows? If they are good, maybe it will go over smoothly. No offense, but if your poems are anything like mine were, prepare for some rough feedback.

Well, that’s if you are popular on the social media scene. If you have twelve followers or friends, I guess there is not much of a risk.

Whether valid or not, with the advent of social media and blogs, everyone is a “writer.”  Social media does provide quality writers more channels to share their work. Just like American Idol opens doors for unknown singing talent, social media allows unknown writers a chance to get noticed. This open door policy can have positive and negative results.

Let’s start with the negative side first.

Social Media Cons

The Cons

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” ~Einstein

What would he think TODAY?

Has the invention of gadgets, wireless, and social media allowed us to be so in touch that we have lost sight of simple human touch? Has technology replaced our need for face to face interactions?  Maybe the pithy comments has watered down our genuine interest in others? The ability to hide behind a screen.

It is possible that negative rhetoric and  controversial statements in 140 characters or less stems from the need to be noticed among the large crowd gathered around the virtual water cooler. Our words get lost in the constant streams of information. Or get magnified under a critical light.

• Prepare your heart for battle.  Writers, just like other creatives, bare their innermost personal thoughts when they write. For many, writing provides an escape route for their deep-rooted fears, wonders, chagrin, amusements, and passions. Sharing our writing with the public is like exposing a piece of ourselves. So, both good or bad feedback is tender on the heart.

• Dealing with critical feedback. You will eventually offend someone. No matter what you write, people will either agree or disagree. They may not like the content or your opinion. Grammaticians and English majors will come out to the party, too, if they happen to read what you wrote. As a writer, you have to constantly build up calluses to the criticism.

• Social media consumes you. We have all been there. How many people will “like or “retweet” my post or update? It is a sad state of social media obsession today that feeds the self-absorption zeal. In the digital world, vindication of our words comes from the number of Retweets or Likes. So, we check our accounts at stop lights, in public restrooms, while hiking, or even before we get out of bed in the morning.

• No one cares. This revelation is what wounds our self-esteem. Some writers have a stronger steel plate of confidence and are better than others at taking the journalistic snub. You may write what you believe to be an inspirational or informative piece and not one person reads it, responds to it, or shares it with their own circle of social media friends. Once again, mature writers had a more developed armor of confidence. They realize that sometimes, no one really does care. And that’s okay.

Every bit of software wants you to be “social.”  What ever happened to being grumpy and alone in your writer’s fugue?  ~Doug Green

Related articles

• Social Media: Helping or Hindering the Art of Writing? (writeandgetpaid.wordpress.com)
• The Pros of Social Media for Writers (inspiredtowrite.com)

Editor’s Note:  this is a guest post from David Lazar.  Please read more about David in the bio footer.

Image via CrunchBase

Here you can improve your writing skills, get honest criticism of your writing, and some needed and deserved encouragement. You can also learn new words, help others, and find and make friends with many like-minded Redditors.

Let me help by sharing some of the most helpful subreddits for every aspiring writer or fan of words in general.

1.) Writing is a subreddit with over 24,000 readers and the first stop for aspiring writers on Reddit. As its name says, the focus is on the written word: anything about fiction, nonfiction, your own creative writing, popular authors, and so on.

There is also a similar, still growing, subreddit Writers. I cannot help but agree with the creator of this subreddit, who says, “Life is all about art, and painting pictures. Some do it through music, some take the literal route, and some get creative with the dictionary. This subreddit is for those of us who prefer to manipulate language to our advantage, and create characters out of thin air.”

Make sure to check out both of these subreddits, subscribe and join their community.

2.) Literature is all about books and plays. Find literary criticism here along with insightful articles and food for any writer’s brain.

3.) Freelance Writers intention is to share tips about writing and landing writing jobs and gigs. If you are serious about your writing and plan to build a career with it, keep tabs on this subreddit.

4.) Logophilia is a place for “the lovers of words.” Share and learn interesting and unusual words here. What is awesome about Logolites (Logophilia’s redditors) is that you can use their vast knowledge when looking for a word you’ve forgotten or an evasive synonym.

5.) ScreenWriting is, as its name suggests, an aspiring screenwriter’s haven. This is a subreddit where it is acceptable to submit y.ur own scripts. Don’t expect pats on the shoulder or lukewarm praise here. Brace yourself for some strong criticism and a good walloping. Redditors are famous for their sincere and strong opinions. What you can expect though, is some sound advice and tips on how to improve your screenwriting. If you want to have your script read, definitely check out ReadMyScript as well.

6.) Reddit Stories is actually a regularly updated collection of longish Reddit comments that are very well written and a treat for avid readers. Comments on Reddit are what make this community so addictive and precious.

7.) OneParagraph is what I like to call “fiction on the go.” This is a subreddit for small format fiction, limited to a single paragraph. Try to tell a story in only one paragraph and contribute to OneParagraph – it is an excellent exercise for polishing your writing skills.

8.) RoundRobin is a subreddit for collaborative writing. You can start a story by writing an introduction and can continue others’ stories as well. This is also a great place for practicing your writing skills and spurring your creativity.

9.) Wordplay is a playground for writers, wordsmiths, story weavers and all other creative users of the English language. Wordplay gives you the opportunity to explore the meanings of words and enlarge your vocabulary.

10) Poetry is a must for aspiring poets. Submit your verses or find inspiration and food for thought in poems written by lyrically inclined Redditors. Encourage and advise in order to get the same in return.

And of course, every true writer and word-addict should check out Bookit. You will find many book-related posts, including recommendations, reviews, stories about books, book technology and lots of other goodies.

See you on Reddit!

Image by Bruce Clay, Inc via Flickr

Google started with a lofty goal, their mission statement sounded more like the ratings of a madman than a proper goal for a company back in 1998 when first developed and still privately owned – “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Within a decade it didn’t seem so insane anymore, and truly today there are very few pieces of information in the entire world one cannot access from Google within a couple of seconds.

And despite being a multibillion dollar international corporation today, amidst much ill-will toward such entities, it remains beloved by all (except maybe Yahoo and Bing). They’ve done so by concentrating on relevant results with little opportunity for companies to pay their way to the top (unless you use Adsense, which is still easily identified as a paid ad in search results) and by following their slogan in all aspects of their worldwide doings, “Don’t be evil.”

Indeed they’ve made the world a smaller, more accessible place to nearly all 6 billion of us, increasing overall knowledge, making life more convenient, and creating endless opportunities for businesses in the meantime.

There is one area that has eluded Google thus far however, that is the world of social networking.

Introducing Google+.

Social Networks

This is not their first attempt at breaking into Facebook’s near monopoly of the social network scene. The good news for Google is that the nature of a social network allows for multiple players in the game. The bad news is that people really, really like Facebook.

If you have been in a cave the last few years, a social network is a site where you can instantly find and communicate with friends and family, all around the world, for free. Sharing pictures, writing, creating a page unique to who you are, even playing games. While primarily user-based and “casual” in nature, it provides opportunities for business to create brand awareness and to drive traffic to their site.

Twitter is a slightly different beast, allowing only short updates but which provides the opportunity to link to pages like Facebook, and even your own site. Twitter is today the second most commonly used social network, in business best used in conjunction with a Facebook page.

Google+

Where does this new site fit in? Google claims they offer a number of advantages over Facebook. They also say it is easy to use with the ability to quickly link to other Google-based sites like Youtube (Youtube is a Google site too). In addition, there are functions available on Google+ you simply won’t find on Facebook.

The value of these applications is yet to be determined, but it may be something worth looking into. The primary benefit as of now is that it is backed by the largest online entity in the world, and they are determined to make it work and they certainly have the resources to continue trying to make it work no matter what it takes.

Creating a profile is simple, and costs a company little in manpower or time. Updates may be the primary concern but you may choose how much effort to put into this depending on the results of your efforts.

The main negative is its newness. There are no stats as far as results for companies, while positive results have been well-documented on Facebook.

Conclusion

For now, put your primary social networking effort into Facebook and Twitter – definitely don’t abandon those two tools for Google+ at this point. However, it may be worth the effort to create a Google+ account and to update it occasionally so you will be established and ready if it does takeoff like Facebook.

Editor’s Note:  This is a guest post by Gary Shouldis.  Read more about Gary in the bio footer.

It's all About ME!

Building your reputation online is similar to building your reputation offline.  Through steady and consistent acts.

This can work both ways.

If you are the type of person who genuinely likes to help others? Are you interested in other people and super helpful in every way? If you answered yes, you are well on your way to building yourself a fine reputation online.

On the other hand, if you are that guy who stalks people at networking events and thinks eye contact is an invitation to move in for the hard close, you may be in trouble.

When you are first starting out online, whether for personal blogging or for business, you are eager to jump right into the online community and be heard. While it is important Being active online is important for building your reputation, but certain activities can quickly turn you into an online pariah.

If you are new online, here are 4 things to avoid doing when trying to build your online reputation. If you are already active online and are doing any of the following, please stop.

1. It’s All About Me

Yes, social media is a self aggrandizing platform. But those who excel at it are the ones who use that platform to give value to others — valuable content, resources or useful connections to others. The ones who tend to suck at it are those who only speak about themselves and have a me, me, me attitude.

If the most interesting thing you have to Tweet about is yourself, you’ll be Tweeting alone. Stop thinking about what you can get and start thinking about what value you can deliver to whomever might be listening to you.

2. I Only Recommend My Own Content

You’ve seen it online, the guy who pops up out of nowhere to promote his services or his newest article, without actually engaging in any sort of useful communication.  Just like the first tip, only showing off your own content makes you look selfish.

Nobody likes a person who only talks about himself. Become a resource for the people who follow you, that often means directing them to places other than your blog or Facebook page. It’s okay to recommend yourself and your content, as long as it’s not the only thing you recommend.

3. I’m a Comment Spammer

Commenting on articles is a great way to get involved in the conversation, stir up debate, and to voice your opinions online. Unfortunately, far too many people use it as a poor mans link building tool and offer little value to the conversation.

You’ve seen it before, generic comments like “great article, I’ll be sure to come back again” or even “incoherent” comments that make it obvious you didn’t read, but skimmed over the article. Only comment on articles that you actually read and feel motivated enough by it to offer some useful insight or praise.

Want a tip to build goodwill online? Instead of leaving your own two cents, next time praise another person for their insightful comment. That’s building goodwill.

4. I’m an Auto-Reply Spammer

How many times have you connected with someone on LinkedIn or Twitter and almost instantaneously received an email telling you to also “Like” them on Facebook or to follow them on their blog?

I’m not saying you shouldn’t let people know how to find and follow you online, what I am saying is that you should build up some trust equity before slamming them with multiple Like, Follow and Join requests. It’s like asking for a second and third date before the first one even started. Show some value first before you ask for a bigger commitment.

Building a Good Reputation is Easy

The underlying theme here is avoid constant “me” and instead, focus on the “you.” The quickest way to earn a bad reputation online is to make everything about yourself.

The ones who are really good at building an online reputation know that you can ask for a little, then you need to add lots of value before getting permission to ask for even more.

Have fun, join in the conversations and just like in real life, don’t look at every encounter as an opportunity to promote yourself.

Editor’s Note:  This is a guest post from Pat Tate.   She gives you a good rundown on the proper use of PLR. Please read more about Pat in the bio footer.

If you’ve been hiding on some secluded island somewhere dreamy, you may not have heard about Google’s latest attempt at cracking down on spam in March 2011. The ‘Panda’ is the latest of Google’s algorithm alterations in the battle to remain number one. This Internet content ‘raid’ targets low quality, repeated content.

Rightfully Worried PLR Users

We’d be lying to say that PLR users shouldn’t be at least concerned about Google’s fairly recent actions. Numerous webmasters and article directories like Ezine Articles were most affected by this clean sweep.

Many PLR users think that their products won’t be ‘wanted’ anymore but that may not necessarily be the case. Although it may mean a little more work for you. As PLR sellers, you will have to teach the public about the right way to use the products.

Proper PLR

Did you know that original PLR was not supposed to be used just as it is? It was supposed to be tweaked and altered, even just a little, to make it better. The idea with PLR was to save time on brainstorming and to give you a solid base to start from.

So What Is PLR?

Private Label Rights (PLR) is content that anybody can buy instead of content made specifically for someone. As long as you aren’t re-selling it, you can use it over and over again. PLR is found on sites as content, blogs, press releases, and product information, and basically anywhere you need content of any sort.

The Goods Of PLR

Simply put, you can have instantaneous access to lots of content that is ready to go when you are. If you are a very slow typist or hate researching, PLR could take that pain away from you. PLR also allows you to get your website up and running at lightning speed because you don’t have to wait for the writing to get done and that can take quite some time.

The Not-So-Goods of PLR

Well I’m sure you’ll agree that the main negative with PLR content is that it’s not unique, there’s nothing ‘special’ about it. Chances are, someone else bought the exact same content, which makes it difficult for you to find your ‘niche’ in the market.

Another downfall is that the content is crap. You are getting it cheap you get what you pay for. As well, you’re taking your chances because Google is not fond of it. Don’t forget, Google decides the rules when it comes to Internet content.

PLR has really become popular with web masters and Google has caught wind of this. They don’t like this and have taken action to make it tough for PLR users. Right or wrong, that’s the way it is.

Now you can get away with using PLR content as intended originally, by tweaking or rewording it. Even just changing the headings is enough to technically make it original. Although if you completely re-write PLR, Google will view this as an original article and reward you for it. Obviously this is the best route to go.

Is This The End Of PLR?

Well the sites most affected were article directories. These sites use PLR specifically for republication. Before Google pulled out their ‘Panda’ move, these sites did well in the rankings. They took a big hit afterwards, knocking them on their fannies.

The general idea is to offer free content to the directory. By having a link at the base of the article, you will draw people back to your site. This happens every time the article is republished; hence you get a wide range of users visiting your site, while you’re sitting in the beach sipping a cocktail.

Of course you will get a healthy dose of backlinks doing this and in theory Google would see this as a good thing and rank you high. The issue arises when the site that your link is on is crappy and ranks a zero, so you have a zero backlink and this does nothing for you.

Does this make sense?

Can We Still Use PLR?

The simple answer is yes. Although not like you’ve been able to in the past, that’s for sure. Try not to have a big freak out session. Stay calm and choose to have a fresh look at marketing strategies and use fresh eyes to look at content.

Google did the update to erase as much of the poor writing out there that it could and they did a pretty good job of it. They targeted the larger sites with weak content and the smaller sites with original good content are just fine.

So essentially if you have good content and don’t try to get your high ranking by being lazy and cheating, you should do just fine. If you’re on the flip side of the coin, you’re not going to get off so easy.

By using high-quality content you will avoid any issues and if you choose to use junk and ‘filler,’ you are going to end up sorry you did.

There Are Ways To Effectively Use PLR

Chances are pretty good that PLR will still be an effective method of getting content for your site, so long as you make a few minor adjustments in your thinking.

Use Your Own Words

Didn’t you learn in school not to copy? Shame on you if you did! The simplest route by far to use PLR is to rewrite it. If you don’t want to or can’t do it, hire a writer!

It’s a lot cheaper to hire a writer to rewrite an article, rather than research and write it from scratch. A good writer will be able to quickly give you an article that’s so much better than the low quality PLR content you bought.

Redo With Templates

By plugging the PLR content into templates, you can create new content. An example might be that you have an article on ‘Ten Ways You Shouldn’t Swing Your Golf Club.’ If you turn each of these into positives, your new content would be ‘Ten Tips To A Good Golf Swing.

Hook The PLR’s Up

Another route would be to take a few PLR articles and connect them to make a larger article. Of course you will need to make a few changes but that won’t take too long. As well, you could take sections from a few different PLR articles and mold them together to make a brand new article you can call your own. Again, you will need to change a little bit of the wording to make it flow together nicely.

Educate Yourself

A PLR article can give you a base to the topic of interest. In other words it can warm you up to start your research. If you had an article on convertible cribs you could find out the basics of baby equipment and then research the parts that interest you to write your own original article.

By reading through these PLR articles you will become knowledgeable and have the choice to find more information or to just write the article in your own words.

Find Another Purpose For PLR

Rather than using PLR for WebPages or articles, you could use it for information products, auto responder messages, free reports or an analysis. Here, it really doesn’t matter what Google does because it won’t make any difference, as you don’t need them to pick up your content.

Transform Your PLR Content

Google can only look for repeated or copied content, if it’s in text form. So if you translate the PLR text into a video or audio, it won’t be detected. One valuable option is to use your PLR content as script for your video works. Video has really taken off lately and it’s quite simple to make use of this affective marketing tool.

If you are stubborn and refuse to change, your PLR content for your articles or websites it just isn’t going to work for you. You need to flip your mindset and start putting quality first, not quantity.

Not Finished Just Yet

There’s a good reason why Google is on top of the Internet world. It’s because they are always ahead of the game. They don’t like low-quality content and figured out a way to start getting rid of it. By regularly refining their search algorithms, they ensure the world Google will stay on top.

The ‘Panda’ update was just Google’s latest bid to get rid of the crap that’s out there on the web. But don’t kid yourself; this isn’t the last time something like this is going to happen. There will be a lot more changes for the better in the not too distant future, as Google continues to deal with lots of unfinished business.

Bottom line is, you can still use PLR, just don’t use it naked. Make sure you change the article and rewriting it is the easiest route. If you’re a little lazier, ensure you at least change a few words around or combine a couple articles together.

If you want to be a couch potato and plaster your site with PLR content, your ranking will go down and you’re basically going to get nailed because YOU are what Google is determined to get rid of.

And guess what? Google usually gets what it wants more often than not!