Using Twitter 101: Detailed Video Instruction

Today I have a new post about using Twitter in a more advanced way - creating Twitter lists, attending "Twitter Chats", and how to message people. Yes, there is a RIGHT way to do this (you have to be careful when messaging and the video instruction in my Life Skills post details this).

As you may know, you can browse different topics by inputting a keyword phrase.  If you will use the hashtag (#), then you can find all conversations that are targeting that particular keyword phrase. So you simply type the keyword (s) and place a "#" (pound sign) in front of it.

What does the hashtag do? Well, it ties the conversations of different users into one stream for you. You may start your SEARCH at search.twitter.com

To see a really GOOD Video instructional about Twitter - you can view this vid:
  

           

**Note:  At the Life Skills training page, where you'll go to FIND the video instruction, the last video on the page says "How to Use Twitter for Businesss Part 1".  Just wanted to let you know that if you want, you can find the other parts of that series on Youtube .     


   

 

Social Skills Games and Social Skills Activities: Ideas for You to Increase Camaraderie

By JAN ASHBY          

 

This article is about “social skill activities”.  So what am I going to tell you about?  Basically, the following:

• fun team building activities
• social skills games
• social skills ideas
• free social skills activities
• social skills lessons and activities

 

As a team leader, there are certain things you can do to encourage better communication and greater involvement – for example, there are SOCIAL SKILLS GAMES you can use to both lift spirits and enable improved communication.

I found a great one at Amazon called The Big Book of Team Motivating Games.  What’s nice about this instructional is that it serves as a communication tool + problem solver -  and its exercises are quick (this keeps players from getting bored !) 

 

The Solutions Focus:  A Book to Aid in Conflict Resolution

And if you’re looking for a sort of game that can

HELP with Conflict Resolution, you might look at The Solutions Focus (One reviewer said: “it makes so much sense to identify, and then DO what works“).

You can find this book @ Amazon.

 

CONFLICT Resolution Games: How You Can Cope with Others

Then too, there is an awe-inspiring book called “Improvisational Negotiation: A Mediator’s Stories of Conflict About Love, Money, Anger & the Strategies That Resolved Them“. It not only has wonderful stories you’ll enjoy, but it gets to .. READ MORE

 

More Social Skills Ideas and Games

There is more life skills training (Social Skills curriculum and social skills games) which will help you to increase your confidence and communication with others (co-workers, mentors, friends, your downline). 

 

 

Copyright  2013

 

 

Blog Monetization: What You Should Do First

Hello beginners to Wordpress..    

I created a video, with the breakdown of what a newcomer to Wordpress should do first (Step by step coverage of blog development).

There are 8 key steps covered, and the Final Step you take is the monetization of your blog.  It is very important to leave that until the end.

Dont be in a rush.  

You want to develop your blog readership, and offer plenty of things of value so that you'll BUILD up a loyal readership..

You can offer free ebooks, links to valuable blogs within your niche, and podcasts to enrich your audience. If you create a video (and you should), script it first; write it out and include bullet points 
so you'll hit the highlights and won't sound like you're just talking from a script.

Also, before you begin speaking - have a SMILE on your face.   Your video will come across much better that way.

                                                SEE MY VIDEO HERE 


To read more of my blog postings, visit Life Skills Training Online . and to discover how you can get "return visitors" at your blog .. visit my customer loyalty


To see how you can develop a "blog persona"  visit the persona blog post

- By Jan Ashby
  Life Skills for Adults

College Preparation: Healthy Kids Articles

I certainly would think that going off to college is a heady occasion-- a possibility to know brand-new things and meet brand-new individuals. And bear in mind that (if you're a guy) you'll wish to make a great first impression on the girls! However if you're women and are reading this, well, ladies like to be organized with their storage rooms, storage bins and their apparel-- it makes it easier to "accessorize"!


In the end, whether you are a guy or a lady, it will be ultimately valuable to your studies and grades to have all these things arranged and organized. So take it to heart, and get a head start !

Also, if you have certain needs taken care of in advance, your study time won't be interrupted. So why not put a bit of time into these considerations - things like having a drink machine (or two) right in your room - a mini-frig may help ..  

Tea is fundamental to helping you wind down from hours of intense study - something along the lines of chamomille tea, or lavender tea

Fundamentally, if you take some time to become acclimated to your university's rules before you attend you'll be better off -- and why not watch some of the videos online with advice, and points of interest. You'll find out things that are required of you for College, and also the layout of the college grounds and parking lots - so you'll find out things such as whether there's a cafeteria, vending machines, and whether or not microwaves or tea kettles and coffee makers are permitted in one's dorm room.

Just pack as light as you can, as the majority of college graduates will tell you this was the main mistake they made as a freshman; if at all possible, contact your roommate to be so you can discuss the floor plan of your room, and what will be alloted to whom.  Also, try to find out rules regarding visitors, as you undoubtedly will have some at holiday breaks.

For more thoughts on Things You Need for College. visit my Healthy Kids website - which has many articles for teens, as well as kids and their families.

Good fortune be with you -

Sincerely,

Jan Ashby

What is a Blog used For in Terms of a Home Business?

Wordpress for Beginners Series by Jan Ashby

What is a blog used for - and what is the easiest blog to use? Herein I'll explain a bit about each of the top 5  blogging platforms - Wordpress, Posterous, Blogger, Tumblr, and Squarespace.

For Beginners to Blogging

You need to know that wordpress and blogger aren't the only options..   
Actually, Tumblr is kind of a neat way to blog because you don't have to commit large CHUNKS of time, to get your thoughts or ideas disbursed across the Net.  And it's free.


For those who don't know, Tumblr is sort of a cross between blogging and Twitter - you create brief posts

(shorter than the formal style postings done on Wordpress).  You frequently use photographs or images in these posts at Tumblr - and you'll also tend to post videos there.   

It is a handy tool - it encourages many to write more frequently, since it is micro-blogging. Quick, short bursts..

You can also use Tumblr to post a quick link, quote, or some music from your phone, desktop or email. 

*Note: Posterous is a similar blog platform - a "no-fuss" way to blog ( micro blogging service which allows you to post media & images, and post by Email too)

The Wordpress Blog Platform

Wordpress has the free version - wordpress.com, which you could start out at.  They provide the hosting for you, which is nice. But the difference is you don't really OWN the blog - i.e., it's not a web property you can sell and make cash from.  It's more for the beginner, and for linking out from; that's what it's good for.

It's not to be used for commercial purposes, you see.  Now let's discuss the merits of self-hosted wordpress blogs. Well, it's a property you will own - you pay for the hosting, and you do the writing.  It's your property, your "online real estate", and you can create an effective brand around it.

Wordpress Blogs:  Your Own Voice

It's your chance to be heard in the world.  You should make it a good blog of high quality.  One you can be proud of.  To this end, you'll want to become an effective writer, to evoke an emotional response in your readers. It's worthwhile to invest some dollars here  (writing courses).

There are effective ways of writing - be brief and concise.  Never use jargon, or scientific words on your blog; you'll only sound pretentious. 

Here's a list of do's & don'ts for your blog -

1. ALWAYS cut a word out if possible  
2. Restrict your usage of foreign terms
3. No jargon
4. Use active verbs rather than passive verbs
5. Don't drag on with lengthy explanations
6. Use Images to help readers comprehend your meaning
7. Don't use metaphors or cliches - be inventive and create your own sayings
8. Don't discuss religion - unless you have a blog devoted to this purpose
9. Provide good value
10. Brand your blog

The Square Space Option:  You Pay Based on Volume

With squarespace.com, you pay based on the volume of blogging that you do. This means the experience is equal for all - the low-volume blogger gets access to the SAME things the high-volume writer has access to.  Also, squarespace is easy to use - no coding.  It's based around a modular design - it's not difficult to build a blog.

Blogger - Google's Blogging Platform

Blogger supports drag-and-drop template editing, and it does dynamic updating (i.e, it autosaves your material). It's main boon is the ease of use - you can have your blog set up almost instantly!

It's FREE to use, and is owned by Google - this can be a plus as far as search engine listings  (i.e., google likes to publish it's own properties).

Posterous: Features It's Known For

This is another Free blogging platform; you actually don't need to sign up.  You don't do anything but send an email to get your own Posterous blog.

It's a snap to get started & post up images, media etc.  Posterous is not exactly a "micro-blogging" platform though.  You can make a long post, if you wish.  Posterous is best known for it's "post by email" function.  It has a rich text editor, and you can TAG entries right from the email Subject line.

Add tags in the subject of your email using the syntax ((tag: apple, gadgets)).

Okay to read further on Posterous go here 

There you go - I hope I've given you some ideas and helpful info. In my opinion, the easiest blog to use is what? (Click the link & find out)

To Your Business Success -  Jan 


Copyright  Breaking News Dispatch

What is a Blog Used for? Here's 8 Tips on Blogging Procedure

Hello all.  I'm Jan Ashby   

I just made another video in my Wordpress for Beginners series.  This video discusses an answer to the question, "What is a Blog Used for".

It's challenging for beginners to wordpress to know what to focus on initially.  The newcomers to wordpress are sometimes overwhelmed by all the plugins and wordpress widgets - not to mention dealing with a wordpress theme. Whew ..

I can understand why those not familiar with the inner workings of wordpress have issues. I remember what it was like for me - in the beginning, I wasn't quite sure what to do first.

I mean, I knew it was important to attract advertisers (from what I'd read) .. but I didn't really understand that first you have to work on being a good writer, and getting your message across in a succinct manner (and be entertaining from time to time).

Then, once you know how to write a decent post, you've got to get a grasp on SEO (search engine optimization), keyword density, permalink structure, tags etc.

Plus you've got to know something of "social media", web 2.0 sites, building your contact list, and networking with others (LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube e.g.).

Yes, there is a certain order to things.  That's what my tutorial covers.  If you'd like to see the 2nd "wordpress for beginners" video I did go to this youtube video on wordpress lessons .

Copyright   BreakingNewsDispatch

Wordpress for Beginners: Patient Advisors who Provide SEO Tips and Hints

Wordpress for Beginners: SEO Hints and Tips

Good day to you.  I am Jan Ashby. If you are a beginner to seo and wordpress, I have an excellent suggestion for you..

A place you can go to get help, where the people are actually patient.  I remember when I first started to learn about the Internet, and about all things "seo" - I'll never forget how impatient some teachers were.

The talked too fast, and during the webinars I would attend, it was clear they were needing to get finished with the webinar to go onto something else (presumably more important).

Anyway, I've you've experienced something similar, you'll find it refreshing indeed when Sakura leaders stay late at the webinar's end, to answer your question.

If you are one who needs some hand-holding and seo hints and tips, you really ought to check into the Sakura group. You can  "Join FREE" and go through some of the no-cost training, & then decide.

*Note:  when clicking the hyperlink, you'll be taken to a safe website - and at the Top of page you can find the yellow JOIN Free button.

It's a friendly little group - and one that truly wants to see beginners succeed, and get their first wordpress blog going.  To see an introduction, watch this vid:

  



Video Training and Video Marketing

Another thing you may be wondering - is the training "up to date", as far as seo techniques go.  The answer is a resounding "yes".

I have learned so much about Youtube that I didn't know before - about the importance of playlists, and how to optimize my Youtube channel.  Yes, part of doing video marketing (promotion) is to create your own channel. 

This is part of the training, and SEO Hints, which you will be privy to when you come join our little group.

I even have a special design on mine. You can get your youtube channel tricked out by somebody at Fiverr, btw.

Rest assured, if you have a question on video optimization (such as what exactly to DO when inside the challenging-looking youtube dashboard), you can speak to me (leave a voicemail), or Michael Camire - or John Jarvis.

These are members of the Sakura group, who'll be very happy to assist you. That is our niche - helping beginners to Wordpress, and video  marketing.

Thanks for visiting.  To learn more about blogging or developing skills (such as keyword research, video SEO, blogging, and building your team) you can go to my Life Skills training blog.

P.S. If you'd like to see one of my videos (Beginner information), go HERE
To see an example of a Youtube playlist, visit this