Some Eye-opening Statistics

Here are some eye-opening statistics I thought I'd post. They are very sobering and I post them not only for readers to find, but also to refer back to myself. I have no problem staying motivated, but in the chosen path of internet marketing, or any other field for that matter, a reminder now and then never hurt anything.

Out of all people that start employment at age 20, by age 65
1% are wealthy
4% have enough money to retire
3% are still working (can't afford to quit)
63% depend on Social Security, friends or charity
29% are dead and
95% of all Americans retire in poverty after working for 45 years!
- Bureau of Labor Statistics -

New Web Browser Recommendation: Flock

Just when I was getting used to my Firefox web browser, along comes Flock. A flock of what? Well Flock is a relatively new web browser that is creating a lot of buzz in the web 2.0 world. It is actually a close relative to Firefox, as it is built out of the Firefox codebase.

I first became aware of this service by tuning into the Thirty Day Challenge. Ed Dale does a 30 Day Challenge to teach affiliate marketing techniques for free, to anyone who signs up. Ed Dale provides such useful and cutting edge information during this thirty day period, that when he gave such high marks to Flock, I decided it was time to check it out.

It's a bit overwhelming and confusing at first, because there is so much on the screen. Though I must say I am very pleased with this service and give it a high recommendation as well. The speed at which I'm able to zip from page to page is a welcome bonus. I can see this facilitating the speed at which I accomplish the task I do on a daily bases. As an online web 2.0 marketer it is envaluble, as a tool the way it integrates with the popular social networks, blog sites, my own emails, etc.

Flock specializes in providing social networking and other Web 2.0 features built into its user interface. The browser is built on the Mozilla Firefox Code base. On June 16th 2008 Flock 2 based on Mozilla's Firefox 3 went into open beta.
The Flock browser is available as a free download, and supports Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux platforms.

In May 2008, Flock won the Social Networking category of the Webby Awards. Flock was nominated for this award along with Facebook, Bebo, and Ning. On July 22, 2008 Linux distributor PC/OS announced that the Flock browser would replace Firefox as its primary browser on its workstation releases.

Features
Flock 1.1 integrates social networking and media services including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Flickr, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc. When you log into any of the supported social services, Flock automatically activates these services within its features:

* Flock can indicate when friends have updated their profile, uploaded photos or other items.
* Flock has internal features that allows the sharing of text, links, photos and videos.]
* Flock has its own "media bar" allowing preview of online videos and photos, and subscription to photo and video feeds.
* Flock's Feed Reader organizes Atom and RSS feeds.
* Flock's Blog Editor allows direct posting into a designated blog, along with being a blog reader.
* Flock's web-mail component allows users to check email without going to the site, compose new messages, and to drag and drop pictures and videos from the mediabar or web clipboard into a new email message.

I'm still learning some of the features and not even taking advantage of all of them, but I highly recommend downloading Flock and giving it a test drive. I can already see the advantages of using this quick and agile service. And in the web 2.0 world, high speed is what it's all about.

Animoto Tutorial: How to Create a Quick Video with Your Own Pictures

The new Animoto slide/video creation site animoto.com. provides an easy to use platform to create quick and effective videos and market your business online. Animoto allows you to upload photos and your own music or music from their library. The music is by artists who allow their music to be played publicly without a royalty fee.

Here's a quick tutorial I made to walk you through making a quick Animoto video.



Here's a sample of one of those videos.



Then there are many other features as far as what you can do with the video. For instance: uploading it to YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, your website or blog. I recommend this site to anyone looking to enhance their video making skills and especially for internet marketers. I still recommend simple videos that reveal who you are, but this is just another complement to your arsenal of tools to market online.

Blogger Basics and Key Features

Here's a video tutorial I posted on YouTube on the basics and advantages of blogging. Particularly this blog service right here - Blogger.com - A free blog platform that allows you to create multiple blogs, update them as often as you want, and add an array of features and gadgets.



Blog is short for weblog and is a way to keep a journal or log online about your goings on, activities, interest, or business. Blogging is an excellent tool for business promotion and a great way to network with other marketers and potential clients.

Gaining a readership to your blog or a following is no easy task and comes with consistency and offering content that is of value. That content may be of an informational nature or entertainment value. There really is no limit to what can be done with your blog.

Blogging not only is a great form of sharing content on the web, informing others about yourself, and networking; it also can be used to link to your other websites, create valuable backlinks, and get you high page ranking through organic or natural page ranking.

The are many blog services available on the web and most of them are free. Some people choose to host their own blog through their web host or on their own server. This provides even more flexibility and features, although the principles remain the same.

Ezinearticles.com Creator Features James Broadfoot on His Blog

My special thanks to Christopher Knight,CEO and Creator of Ezinearticles.com for giving me an unexpected mention on his site's blog.

Here's the Post




My last entry featured a video tutorial in how to submit an article to Ezinearticles. This video was originally uploaded to YouTube and somehow Chris Knight became aware of it and posted it on the Ezinearticles blog.

It just goes to show that you never know when you're going to receive an unexpected and valuable reward for your efforts; and you never know where it's going to come from.

Article writing has long been a favorite internet activity of mine, not only for creating traffic, but as a form of self expression and discovery. As an advocate of writing articles and contributing good content to the web, I highly recommend exporing this yourself. The potential to reach people in your area of expertise and to interchange ideas is an area I will continue to emphasis.

Here's the Post

Feel free to check out my video and the nice mention I received from Mr. Knight on his blog, as well as delving deeper into the world of article submission. Subscribing to a few of the endless ezines,categories and subjects wouldn't be a bad idea either. There are many article directory sites, but I must say Ezinearticles is one of the best.

Submitting Articles to Ezinearticles:Video Tutorial

Get your articles read, generate free traffic to your website, and create valuable backlinks to your website or blog by posting on the popular article sites. This tutorial teaches you the basics in submitting an article, specifically to ezinearticles.com.




Article writing is just a drop in the bucket of the many free ways to promote your online business or opportunity. Writing and submitting quality articles with good content is a great way to generate traffic to your website. Ezinearticles.com is one of the leading article submission sites.

There are numerous article submission sites and they all vary slightly from site to site, but the basics are very similar in how to submit your article. This is an excellent free method to create valuable content and contribute to the internet marketing community. Interested subscribers will read your content and visit your other opportunities to find out more.

The topics and subjects to write on are limitless. Just find a subject area that you're passionate about and compose an article consisting of four to eight hundred words or about three to seven paragraphs filled with good content and value about your topic. Do a little keyword research and load your article with longtail keywords and keyword rich content so the search engines will spider your article and give you a higher page ranking.

Bloggers may use your articles on their blogs which further increases your web exposure and, of course, it's mandatory for them to include and keep your links in tact. I highly recommend submitting articles to the article directories because of the many advantages to your marketing efforts.

Flip Mino Review or "Endorsement"

My Flip Mino Review is actually a ringing endorsement. Listed below the video are some features and specs. My favorite features are the easy to use touch-sensitive controls, the big red record button, the "handle-ability", the tripod mount, and the ease of use in general. Least favorite features: buttons can be a little too sensitive or not responsive enough when in use and standing on its own while trying to keep frame still during adjustments. Sensitivity to light is at times hard to predict, but overall an excellent and fun to use electronic device. Highly recommended. Well worth the low cost, which may vary from online to standard retailers.

This will be a boon to my business and I can see the value that even a non-techie professional can gain from having a Mino. My special thanks and gratitude go out to Jamie Simmons and Wynn Ahern of Pure Digital Technologies,Inc. for sending me the unit to review.

Suggested uses in business for the Mino:
Impromptu testimonials
Sales presentations
Legal depositions
Mini-commercials for video sites
Real estate walk thrus
Real estate property tapings
Insurance damage
Emergencies
Used for a memory device
Demonstrations of all kinds
Meeting documentation
Get-togethers, celebrations, and award banquets

Here's my video endorsement:




Flip Mino Specifications:
Weight 3.3 oz.
One-touch push button record with 2x digital zoom
Touch-sensitive buttons for instant recording, playback, fast forward, rewind, pause and delete
Built-in software compatible w/PC or Mac:
Instant upload to MySpace, YouTube, and AOL Video
One-click emailing of videos and video
Custom editing, movie mixes, set to your own music
Capture still photos from video
TV connection for instant viewing (cable included)
Tripod mount
Available accessories (sold separately): AC power adapter, tripod, action mount, and pouch
TheFlip.com
Available in black or white: MSRP $179.99.