by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff It's no secret that Facebook is a great place to spread the word about your business. For freelance writers, part of that generally involves sharing links to our writing. But is there a right and wrong way to do this? As with any other type of promotion, there should be etiquette involved. To present your work in the best light, you should know the difference between promotion and spamming.
Post more than just links. The number one mistake I see people making on Facebook is not having any engagement with people. They seem to just drop links and not converse with others. You don't have to be on there all day. But at least interact if you're going to drop links. Most likely, people are not going to click the links anyway if it's obvious that is the only reason you are there. If dropping links is all you're interested in, Facebook and other social networks are not the place for that. The whole point of Facebook is to socialize. Do not tag people in link posts, unless the link is related to them. Facebook tagging etiquette is important. When you tag someone in a Facebook post, it appears on their profile, as well as in their news feed. It also appears in the news feeds of their friends. Absolutely do not tag people unless a post is related directly to them or they've asked you to. Tagging people in all of your links is considered spam and will get you a fast ticket off Facebook. It may also cost you some friends. Is tagging your link really worth losing friends and your Facebook account? When people tag me in their articles or other promotional links, it makes me not want to click the link or share it with others. I generally will remove the tag. In special circumstances, it may not bother me, such as if a friend is obviously having fun or just wants me to see a specific article. But habitual link taggers are spammers in my book and will not receive any clicks from me. Use a fan page. If you know you are going to be writing often, the best thing you can do is set up a Facebook fan page. There are many reasons why. But one reason is to limit exposing family and friends to every single link to all of your work. Some may appreciate it. But not everyone does. By setting up a fan page, those who want to receive all your links can follow your fan page by 'liking' it. This doesn't mean you shouldn't post any links on your profile. But if you publish often, it's just common courtesy not to post all your links on your profile. Some may consider frequent linking to be spam. Hide links from friends that aren't interested. Do you have friends who don't want to see every link? Create a custom list and hide your link posts from those people as you post them. To do this, simply select the lock button in the status comment section when you place a link there. Choose custom from the menu. Then, type the name of the list in the field where it asks who to hide the post from. Then, hit send. It sounds complicated. But it's actually very quick when you are doing it and it keeps your friends happy. I no longer do this, as most of my friends are writers and want to see all of my posts. However, it is very useful for people you want to keep on your list that don’t want to see those posts. Don't post links on fan pages or in groups without permission and relevancy. When I log onto Facebook and check my personal fan page, the last thing I want to see is links to irrelevant websites. On the other hand, I love checking my niche Facebook pages and groups and seeing links posted in those places that are relevant to the topic. Be mindful of where you should promote your links and where you shouldn't. Not taking heed of this could cause a loss of readers instead of drawing new ones. Relevancy attracts readers while spam alienates them.
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by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer ![]() So, you've just joined a content site and need some tips on commenting etiquette? Maybe you've been around a while and just need a refresher. Whether you're new to the game or an old-timer like me, you may be reading and commenting on the works of fellow writers frequently. Here are some of the rules I practice and recommend when it comes to commenting on the works of others. What should I say? Say whatever the writer's article makes you feel - provided it is not threatening or slandering in nature. There is no exact way to comment, as long as you are not violating the TOU (or TOS) of the site or breaking the law. However, it is nice to leave a comment that signifies to the writer how you felt about the piece or the subject matter. Think about the author and readers. Some may be offended by certain comments or those that read "PV love" or other similar statements. Even if it may not be your intention, some may feel you are only reading the article for reciprocal views. Also, outside readers may not understand the meaning behind such comments. There is nothing wrong with helping out fellow writers. But, putting some thought into your words may be appreciated even more. Just be you. This is something I am very adamant about in everything I do online and off. Be yourself. Allow your personality to shine through in your comments. There's no need to be reserved if that's not you. If you're reading an article, but don't know much about the topic other than what your reading, don't be afraid to admit it. The author will be glad to know you appreciate the lesson. Share personal experiences, but in moderation. If you feel like it, go ahead and share your life in comments. That can be a great addition to an article. But, think before you speak - or rather, type. There are some things that you just don't tell everyone. If the writer is a friend of yours, you might send a private message instead. A good rule of thumb: if you are not alright with everyone you know reading it, don't say it. You never know who might come across what on the internet. Also potential employers or clients might Google your name to see what you're up to. Don't have expectations. If you leave a comment on someone else's article, they may choose to reciprocate. However, don't assume they will or expect them to. Also, remember that just because someone does not leave a comment does not mean they did not read your work. Speaking for myself, because my days are busy, I do not leave a comment on many of the articles I read. Be considerate of other people's time and choices. Ever received a message from someone asking you to read an article you've already read because you hadn't left a comment? Please don't send such messages. If someone wants to read your article, they will - and they may not always leave a comment. No one should feel obligated to leave a comment on every article they read - or to read every article from their favorites or followers. When would there be time to write or spend time with our families? Instead, simply leave comments when you are able and appreciate the comments you receive as well. Bonus: Less stress from worrying about whether you or someone else has commented or not. *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network "Followed. Follow back, please." I and other fellow writers are probably just as sick of hearing those words as you are of typing them. Seriously. It's time for a new strategy because all that one does is make me NOT connect with you. Harsh? Possibly. Necessary? Yes.
Don't Make Demands or Expectations If I see words of expectations or demands in comments on my profile or content, I ignore those users. To me, if you are the type of person that expects or demands things from people, you aren't my kind of people. Therefore, there's no need to check out your work. You'll have much better luck by leaving comments on my work or that of someone I read. I thoroughly enjoy seeking out and connecting with new members. However, if I am expected to or someone tries to force me to, it'll never happen. Do Show Me Your Awesomeness If you want me to check out your work, give me a good reason to instead of demanding or expecting that I follow back. Write good content that people will want to check out. The thing is, I am not going to connect with you just because you connected with me. That would be too many notifications to handle in a day, not to mention the fact that some would likely be spammers. No thanks. I connect back when I like the content or the person behind the content -- or both. Show me I should connect with you simply by doing what we writers do best. Don't Connect With Me Just So I'll Do The Same It's very obvious when people do this. Unless you actually have the intention of reading my work and aren't just seeking a follow back, don't bother connecting with me. A connection is worth nothing if you never intend to read the content posted by that member. I repeat, if you are only hitting that follow button just to see if I'll do the same, go away. Please. Umm, now. On the other hand, if you actually want to read my work, I'd love to have you around, of course. Just don't ever ask me to follow back. If you're any good, I'll likely do so naturally without the demand. Just be you. This goes back to showing me your awesomeness. I don't want to see you using techniques to get a reciprocal follow from me. I just want to see you. The uniqueness of each writer is what gets me to connect with them. A connect back request will prevent me from seeing that awesomeness because from that point on, you are invisible to me. But unique content, thoughtful comments, and a respectful attitude toward fellow members is very likely to win me over. Just be you and I just might connect back. *I originally published this elsewhere (no longer published there). ![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff "Amy who?" If you get that question often, you need some help branding yourself. Have you ever thought about twitter? Perhaps you've tried twitter already but don't know how to brand your company with it. You're just talking to thin air, right? Wrong. If you use twitter correctly and tap into the available resources, you have access to a very wide audience. I've been using twitter to brand myself in several niche areas for years. So how do I do it? Follow people who represent what you stand for. This is one of the most important ways to show people what your company is all about. If you want people to know you are involved in a particular activity, be involved in it everywhere, including twitter. One of my missions in life is to help rescue and bring appreciation to small animals. Anyone who knows me, even for a second, knows this. Why? I put it out there. I talk about it, write about it, have a web page about it, facebook about it, and yes, twitter about it with a twitter account dedicated to that alone. On that account, I interact with other animal lovers. Following and keeping up with these people not only shows I'm involved, but it keeps me up to date with what's going on in that niche area. Tweet tips about your purpose. If your purpose is to bring attention to homelessness and you're tweeting about your new cat and his cute tricks, you are targeting the wrong audience. It's one thing to have random fun posts. But most of your posts should be related to the niche you want to brand yourself or your company in. Otherwise, your followers will be very confused as to what exactly you represent. Do people need to ask what your purpose is? Do your followers often have nothing to do with your niche? If so, work on tweeting more about your purpose, lest you branded for something completely unrelated, such as silly things cats do, instead of fighting homelessness. Tweet links to more information. This shows your followers you know what you're talking about. An authority on a topic should have an outlet where the topic is further discussed. This could be a blog, a website, a facebook page, or all of the above. Tweeting these links helps to brand your name (or company name) to a niche topic because it shows activity on a particular topic. I am well-known for my parenting and pet content. Why? I live it, write about it, and share content about it regularly. Those links go out to twitter every single time so that followers know what I stand for. When your followers know what you're about, they will start to look forward to this information. That's when you know you've done a good job branding. But don't stop. Keep up the momentum. Use hashtags that represent your purpose. This helps readers and potential followers find your tweets. If you tweet about homelessness, you might use the tags #poverty, #homeless, or #homelessness after your tweet to indicate what you're talking about. If you do this with every single tweet, people come to associate you or your brand with the topic. To reach the maximum amount of people, experiment and search twitter for various hashtags that mean the same thing. Choose the ones that produce the most results. The more people that regularly use a hashtag word or phrase, the better. Use hashtags that represent your brand. You can also take it a step further and create tags that represent your company or name. Place those tags, as well as other related tags, in every tweet so that it's easier for people to find you and associate you with certain topics. I add #LynLomasi in many tweets that I want associated with my brand. One of my websites is called Life Successfully. When I tweet about something I want branded to that website, I use the hashtag #LifeSuccessfully. There are many ways to brand yourself on twitter. Be clear and consistent in the methods you choose to gain the most positive results. Be fair and don't spam too many links or over post. That will actually cause you to lose followers, rather than gain them. Be authentic and use twitter to enhance what you already believe in. **Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi ![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer Most who know me will know that I spend a considerable amount of time utilizing social media. I still will. It’s essential to the work I do and is a significant method for keeping in touch with those I care about. However, starting tonight, I’ve decided to go about it in a different way. I’m minimizing my mobile notifications for Facebook and Twitter – specifically, the SMS (text) ones… and yes, I can feel the shock coursing through the veins of anyone who knows me personally, as they read that statement. SMS is Outdated and Unnecessary Why the heck am I getting both text alerts and push notifications for the same exact things on Facebook? I receive several types of push notifications. Two of those include email and Facebook – and I get Facebook alerts in my email too. This means I am getting three notifications for the same updates (email, Facebook app, and SMS). Why? This is a bit excessive. At first, it was a precaution to be sure I don’t miss anything important. However, there hasn’t yet been a time when any of those methods has failed. Besides, with push notifications coming directly from the Facebook app, SMS is actually quite outdated, not to mention unnecessary. Why would I choose text alerts when the push notifications get me directly to the update in the Facebook app? The text notification leads to the mobile web version of Facebook, which is not how I prefer to access Facebook. I prefer the app because the features are better and it loads faster. Text Alerts Are Annoying My poor loved ones have to hear the constant annoyance that is my text alert going off literally every second sometimes. This is ridiculous and I’m putting an end to it. In fact, it’s even starting to annoy me and I’m the one who set it up that way. Yes, some of the notifications are important – some. But as I mentioned above, I’m already getting them via my mobile device in other ways. So the SMS is really just an unnecessary annoyance and distraction. Text messages that happen all the time are not cool and neither are those that wake people up in the middle of the night, unless they are an emergency. I don’t need to receive a text message every time a friend or business updates their status on Facebook or tweets on Twitter. I check those that matter via apps or my laptop anyhow. Seeing them more than once is annoying and takes time away from more important things. My Family Deserves More Attention I am a mother first before anything and these notifications can be a distraction. I’m not the type to ignore my kids. But glancing at my phone less is something they’ll likely appreciate. The same could be said for my lover, friends, and other family. I’m sure everyone in my life wouldbe very happy if there were fewer reasons for me to glance at my phone during fun activities. I still get things done and if you ask any of them, they’ll tell you I’m very loving and attentive. However, it’s just the principle of the matter. I’m Hoping for More Productivity I added so many notifications to increase productivity. Those who know me will also know that I am extremely productive. They’ll probably also be shocked if I can increase that and wonder how I can do that with fewer notifications. If you remember what I said above, you’ll remember that I am getting the same notifications more than once. Therefore, this should actually save me some time. If I’m being honest, I actually don’t look at every notification. However, I do sometimes look at the same ones in more than one place. So taking these away will end that possibility. My Cell Phone Battery Dies Too Quickly More notifications equal less battery juice. The whole point of a cell phone is having it available for use at any time. That becomes less possible if I am on the go and for some reason am unable to charge my phone for a lengthy time period. My cell phone battery often dies quickly because I have so many notifications coming in every direction. Cutting off most of the SMS alerts will help remedy a great deal of that issue. Twitter and Facebook notifications come to my phone so often that if I stop receiving text alerts for even five minutes, I know that my phone is having issues and I need to restart it. It’s cool to have that indicator, but at the same time, that’s just too much. In addition to reasons stated above, I need my cell phone to keep its juice. Certain SMS and Mobile Alerts Are Staying Because some people do rely on me for emergency situations, certain alerts will still come to me via SMS. However, most will not. For instance, Twitter DMs will stay for people I follow back because those people rarely DM me unless it’s important and about work. I need those SMS notifications, as I do not receive push notifications for anything Twitter-related. But Twitter notifications for specific people and companies will likely go away. I really don’t need to know every time every entity I follow posts to Twitter. But I do need to know when someone needs assistance. In short, I’m cutting off many of my mobile notifications for family, life, and business purposes. Therefore, if you notice me slowing down on responding to less important things, that could be part of it. I love all of my friends on both sites. But there’s a point where too much is just…well, too much. **Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi I originally published this on BUBBLEWS (no longer published there) ![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff One of the questions I get asked most commonly as an experienced freelance writer is “Which photos can I use in my articles?” There’s much more to it than just doing a search. In fact, doing a search without knowing what to check for could land you in some very hot water if you use the wrong image. I generally recommend using your own images to avoid common issues. However, not everyone is a photographer, so that isn't always possible. Where should I look? First, check with the client or site you are submitting to. Some prefer specific sources. Once you know the rules as far as this goes, you can go from there. You can look pretty much anywhere, but the photos need to be licensed for what you intend on using them for and be within the guidelines of where you will be posting them. Many sources offer free stock photos with various licensing rights attached. Some of my favorite sources besides my own images include Flickr and Wikimedia Commons. How do I know which licensing types to use? This will depend on your usage of the image, as much as the site as it's going on. If you are using the image for commercial purposes (meaning you will earn in any way from anything the image is used for), you must look for either public domain images or images that can be licensed for commercial use. All images available for use should clearly indicate the licensing type and terms. What about Google Images and Yahoo! Images? It may seem that because these two search engines are specifically for finding images that the images found there would be safe to use. But before you use one, stop!! Retrace the image tracks. What do I mean? Check the licensing rights with the source link (hint: Yahoo! and Google Images are not image sources). I read all this and still have no clue what to do When in doubt, don't use the image. Ever. If you can't understand whether you can use an image or not, then you should only use your own images. Ignorance of the law is not an acceptable defense and you'll be better safe than sorry using only images you yourself have created or none at all. Questions? Experiences to share? Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi (Photo is free to use for both commercial and non-commercial purposes with credit to Lyn Lomasi as the photographer and a link back to this page as the source) ![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff Every day as I am browsing Facebook, I see at least one photo posted where it is the intent for people to comment and bash the person who is the subject. I see this most common with either very slender women or very large women. Why? Facebook photo bashing needs to stop. Now. For those of you doing said bashing, who made you the authority on how someone else should look? Perhaps they have a health issue causing them to gain or lose weight. Perhaps there is nothing wrong at all and you're just rude and judgmental. Maybe it is something else altogether. People come in all shapes and sizes and all of them are awesome. Being different is what makes us each unique. And we are all beautiful for our own reasons. “But look how tight her clothes are for her size.” “She looks like a skeleton.” Again, do you know how she got there? Furthermore, even if you do, it's her body not yours. Only she can decide what to do with it. “But I have to look at it.” Umm, no you don't. If you really don't like it that much, then look away. But don't make her problem – if she even has one – worse by posting her photo online and ridiculing her. Ever looked at the figures on cyberbullicide – suicide as a reaction to being bullied online? Could you really live with yourself if that happened to someone because you wanted to have some “fun” commenting on a photo online? Really? If care for your fellow man/woman doesn't stop you from leaving those nasty comments, perhaps the knowledge that cyberbullying is a crime will. That's right folks, it can land you in jail or worse, depending on the effects of the bullying on the victim. Look that up too while you're at it. I propose a challenge to anyone considering leaving a not-so-flattering comment on one of these photos. Find something nice to say instead. I guarantee you that will feel a whole lot better than the alternative. Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi I originally published this elsewhere (no longer published there) ![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff I've been using Facebook for several years now. I don't know if people are getting ruder or I just never noticed or experienced it before. But lately, it seems that people are getting extremely pushy about everything under the sun. Don't get me wrong, I spout my causes there too. But sometimes it isn't what you do, but how you do it. Or maybe I'm just being picky again. You tell me. Have you ever had a friend complain about something you posted on your Facebook wall? I'm not talking about posts which would be against the law – and in some cases, the posts are not even controversial, as far as I know. I'm merely talking about the everyday things in which you're interested. By complaining, I don't mean disagreeing, which is normal and fine. I've actually had people demanding in private messages, emails, and even directly on posts that I don't post certain things, like animals needing to be rescued or reputable scientific information. And I'm not even posting anything graphic. This is happening with normal pictures of sheltered animals and other normal, everyday things. From shelter animals to scientific information and everything in between, people are actually attempting to dictate what I post on my own Facebook wall. I can surely understand people disagreeing with me – and I don't expect everyone to agree with what I post. In fact, I love a good discussion because it's how we all learn things. I post what I do because it's me, not because I want it to be you or I want you to believe what I do. I also post it because maybe someone else out there relates to me and it helps them feel they are not so alone in this world. To me, my Facebook wall is like my home. In my home, I feel comfortable to freely be me and this is what I do on my Facebook wall as well. If you don't like what I do in my home, then why stay? We can hang out elsewhere or not at all. I am not forcing anyone to come into my home – or in this case, to look at my Facebook posts. No one should feel unwelcome in their own home and lately, it seems that certain people would like to make me feel this way on my own Facebook wall. Sorry to tell you, but that game doesn't work on me. Feel free to hide my feed or unfriend me if I'm really all that annoying. But please don't tell me what I can and cannot post, especially since the same is respected for you from my end. I've already moved on from the effects of those who have done this and continue to post what interests me. However, I hope that if anyone else is getting the same, this post will help them not feel so alone – and possibly motivate them to speak up about it too. Bullying or attempting to control others in any form is not okay. Has anyone ever asked you not to post certain things on your own Facebook wall? Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi I originally published this on BUBBLEWS (no longer published there) ![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff Comments from readers can make a person laugh, cry, or even stare off into confusion. Readers can do anything from asking genuine questions to trolling posts and leaving comments to get a purposeful rise out of the author or other readers. Should web writers answer reader comments? I've written on this topic before but it's been a while and is a good time for a refresher course, as well as some new information. Is responding to your readers allowed? Depending on where you are doing your web writing, responding to readers may not be allowed. If you are writing for a website or blog other than your own, be sure to know the terms and what is and isn't allowed. Some venues encourage commentary between authors and readers, while others prefer that only the readers do the commenting. Is the comment genuine? Before you lay your fingers on that keyboard to draft a response, consider whether the commentary left is genuine or not. Does the reader appear to be truly curious about the subject or does something seem off? Sometimes readers may leave comments meant to reel you in, so to speak. Consider the motive behind the comment before deciding about responding to it. Is your response reactionary or truthful? Are you just responding a certain way in a moment of frustration or passion or are you being completely truthful? Be genuine and true if you are going to respond to your readers. If you can't be truthful, there's no sense in engaging readers via the comment section. Sometimes what you want to say at first may not be totally in line with the way you truly feel after some thinking. Some comments don't really need a response and many times you'll find that your readers will come along and defend you if the comments seem to call for it. You won't have to say anything because they will do that for you. Of course, I am one who really doesn't care what people think of me, so I generally don't feel the need to be defensive anyway. Is your response useful? Don't waste your time typing up a response that isn't going to benefit your readership in some way. If your reader is asking about lizard care, there's no point in answering questions about your college degree, unless you graduated from some lizard specialty school and it's relevant to the questions at hand. A helpful comment section will include questions and information that adds to what is available within the article itself. Is your response helpful or hurtful to your desired image? Is the language and context you present in your commentary what you want to present to readers and potential clients? I personally am my true self no matter where I am. Therefore, I don't worry about this one too much. I know that I am not going to say anything that I wouldn't say in front of anyone, including business contacts. But if you know that you don't have the same awareness and control, be sure to examine what you are posting before hitting that comment button. Some people may find it helpful to type up potential comments in a document and read it aloud before posting. At the end of the day, if you are truly comfortable with what you are posting and it is acceptable to the venue, readers do appreciate interacting with writers. Therefore, if done correctly according to your personal standards, this could actually boost your career. Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi I originally published this elsewhere (no longer published there). ![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer If you browsed my Facebook wall (or other social media sites I am a member of) and hadn't before (or were not made aware of what I do), you might quickly become confused. Why? I often share work written by my friends as well as what I create myself. This means some topics might conflict with my personal viewpoints and other things posted -- and that's okay. However, it is confusing to some people and I receive questions about it often. Here's the deal. Freelance writers often get paid based on page views. Therefore, I frequently share to help them out once I have read a piece. Sometimes I agree with the points made in my friends' articles and sometimes I don't. I don't always share based on topic because I can disagree with a topic and still feel the article has value. Even if someone doesn't agree with me, they have a right to speak their mind as well. Unless it's harmful to others, opinion doesn't affect my choice to share the link to someone's work on various social networks. My strategy for reading when my friends do the same is to click what I'm interested in and ignore the rest. It's silly to send a message to someone asking them not to post certain things. Yes, I have had that happen: (http://www.articlewriterforhire.com/1/post/2013/10/please-dont-tell-me-what-to-post-on-facebook.html). I realize I do share lots of stuff on social sites. Please ignore what you aren't interested in and only share what you are. After all, sharing should be organic, not forced. What's your sharing strategy? Do you use opinion as one of the deciding factors in sharing content on social media? Photo Credit/Copyright: Lyn Lomasi I originally published this on BUBBLEWS (no longer published there) ![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer The other day while I was enjoying time with a friend, my phone apps were notifying me with alerts so much that I put the phone on silent and plugged it in another room and just checked it now and then. I’m not sure why I never noticed until that moment just how ridiculous my notifications had become. In order to enjoy my time with my friend without hearing and checking on that nonsense, I had to take action by doing what I did with the phone. But why did I have to in the first place? Why did I let it get that bad to begin with? Here’s the thing. I’m a workaholic. I’m also a mom – a single mom whose boyfriend lives in another country. That combination used to mean that I didn’t really get out that much unless it involved my kids, my pets, work, or errands. Therefore, it has been ideal for me to get notifications and alerts related to work and other interests because well, it’s not like anyone would notice except me and it helps me keep up with certain things. But guess what I discovered the other day (as well as on a few other occasions where I ignored the notifications as well)? Everyone survived when I only answered the important notifications. No one died. No one threw a fit. Hell, I don’t think anyone even noticed, honestly. Hmm… yup I did some thinking. Do I really need to get notified every time one of my friends checks in somewhere I’m probably not going and really don’t need to know they went (unless I’m a stalker, which I’m not)? If my friends want me to come somewhere, they’ll invite me, not just check into an app expecting me to come. Do I really need to know every single time my local news station tweets an update? Really? Every time? I don’t even watch the news or most other television, for that matter. So why am I having news and other similar notifications from the twitter application coming to me in text form all day every day? Do I really need to know about every event, sale, or promotion at every store or mall I shop at? I have plenty of children who are willing to spend that money so I probably have none left for those things anyway. Plus, I loathe shopping. So why the heck am I getting sale notifications? Those are just a few of the many things I decided no longer need to come to my phone. Today, I uninstalled several apps from my phone and the only thing I noticed was that it was much quieter and my battery lasted much longer. From now on, only the most important notifications (such as work-related items) will be coming to my phone. Are your app notifications taking over the life you could be living instead? Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi (Photo is free to use for both commercial and non-commercial purposes with credit to Lyn Lomasi as the photographer and a link back to this page as the source) ![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer "Please subscribe to my work. I promise I will read yours too." Those are words many web writers hear on a daily basis. But should those words be put to rest? In mentoring fellow writers, I often get asked about promotion. Many times people ask me what to do. Now I'm going to tell you what not to do. Here are 5 of the many marketing no-nos for web writers. Don't blast the same links on twitter all day long. Not only is this annoying, it is considered spamming and can get you banned from twitter. It makes me cringe when I see fellow writers sharing the exact same article link every hour all day long. If you want to reshare an article, wait for another day or share it elsewhere, not continuously in the same space. The same goes for when you're sharing on other social networks or anywhere else you promote your links. Oversharing could be a TOS violation. When you violate one thing, readers and clients may question your ethics. Don't use social networks purely for link posting. If you join a social site, then be social. Posting only links is not considered being social. Even if you click on links others post, you still aren't being social. Have conversations. Participate in the community. If you aren't going to do anything but post links, then you are probably promoting to dead air space because that's considered spamming. Don't demand reciprocation. If you follow another writer's work, don't expect them to follow yours. Sure, they might want to return the favor or they might like your work. But just because you read their work does not mean they are required to read yours. Think about it from their perspective. How do you feel when people expect you to do something? It's not a fair way to treat people. Instead of asking for or demanding reciprocation, leave people to make their own decisions about your writing. Don't expect family and friends to read everything you write. This is something many web writers will deal with. It's definitely a good feeling when family members and friends want to read your work. But don't make them feel as if they have to. Not everyone is going to understand your passion for writing. That doesn't mean they don;t support you. They may just have other interests. It's one thing to drop a quick link on facebook where everyone you know can see it. It's quite another to repeatedly email the same links to family members and friends. Don't use shady promotional tactics. If you want readers and clients to take you seriously, avoid certain marketing tactics. Selling traffic traffic clicks, using pyramid schemes, and other such promotional tactics may sound tempting at first. But these type of marketing campaigns are often frowned upon and are even against the TOS of many content sites and publications. Keep the trust of your clients and readers by only using trusted promotional techniques. Your clients will trust your work ethics when your traffic is verifiable and your readers will trust what you say if you are ethical in all your actions. **Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi **I originally published this content on Yahoo! Voices on July 5, 2011 ![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff You're making the usual Facebook rounds and noticed you've been tagged in several posts. Excitedly, you click on each notification one by one only to find out that none of the posts have anything to do with you and a few are what you'd consider spam. This is a common problem as more people are using Facebook. It doesn't mean your friends are out to get you. Most likely, they are just having fun and may not realize they could be annoying you with their posts. Maybe you're the one annoying people and you don't even realize it. Don't tag people every time you write an article. Yes, your friends may enjoy your work. If so, they are probably subscribed to you. If they haven't read it (or have but are not subscribed), it's not good form to tag them in your article posts, unless they ask you to. Asking is not the same thing as not getting a negative response when you tag them. They may simply be attempting politeness by not asking you to stop. Tolerating something is not the same thing as being in agreement with it. Don't tag people in all your status updates. Yes, I know there are people you want to inform about your breakfast and plans for the day. However, doing this every day can become repetitive and annoying to some people. Status tagging should only be done when your update is actually relevant to the person you are tagging. For instance, if I tag Jane every time I update my status, Jane might be upset with me and will maybe remove me as a friend. But if I tag Jane to let her know I'm on my way to the restaurant we are meeting at for lunch, she'll be thrilled to hear that. Don't tag people in pictures they are not involved in. This is one of my biggest peeves on Facebook. If someone is not in a photo or otherwise involved with it, why would they want to be tagged? Friends can see what's posted in your news feed and on your wall (unless you have blocked access). So there really is no need to tag everyone on your list each time you upload a picture. Even if you're gorgeous, this is still bad form. Tagging someone in a photo they are in or photographed is fine, as is tagging a company and/or its employees in a photo that involves that company. However, tagging all of those people in a photo of you with your latest outfit is not. Don't tag people in advertisements. Now, this one is a very huge pet peeve of mine. People often tag me in ads for their books or other products. It's fine if I have given someone permission -- as part of a social media package (those cost money and involve more than that) or out of friendship. But if someone hasn't given you permission to advertise on their wall, it's bad netiquette to tag them in your ads. Even if you don't consider something an ad, if you're mentioning your product, you shouldn't tag people who haven't given the okay. Don't tag people who remove your tags. If someone is removing tags every time you post them, there's a good chance they don't want to be tagged. Sometimes people remove them to keep certain pictures or posts out of their feed or photo features and may not actually be offended by the tag. But in most instances, if you keep seeing tags for a certain person disappear, don't tag that person again unless you have permission and something is directly related to them. It takes time to see what posts you've been tagged in. It also takes time to remove unwanted tags. Be courteous of your friends and keep the tagging relevant. **Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi **I originally published a version of this on Write W.A.V.E. Media
You spend hours on a submission perfecting every little detail when along comes an editor to mess with your masterpiece. If you're going to make it as a writer, you will have to work with editors. A necessary part of the publishing process involves dealing with editors.
Learn to compromise. Editors can and often do change things. That's what they're there for. They catch the little mistakes we make (and we all make mistakes). They also may make edits that are better for structure, your audience, the web, and more. Though you may not always agree with them, you will have to deal with many editors. Learn to compromise on what your final piece will look like. Let it go. That may be easier said than done in many cases. Writers often see our works as our little babies, if you will. We work hard on what we produce and it means so much to us. Altering it can feel like someone is trying to change us. After all, it does often have our names on it and we made it. But at some point, we have to learn to let it go. If the work never bypasses an editor, it may never get out in front of the intended audience. Try not to get too attached and learn to just let the work go once its complete. What's the change? Instead of becoming to attached to the way the piece is written, focus on the message. If the edits do not take away the message, don't be so hard on the editor. It's perfectly fine to address the editor if you feel that the changes are unsatisfactory or take away from the message. But if the change is nothing that takes away the message, why waste all that energy getting upset? Write another article. Report the editor. This is only for extreme cases. As a writer, you will need to learn to deal with the fact that your writing will be changed by editors if you want it published with major companies. If the editor really is making changes that are unreasonable (and not just changes you don't like - changes that affect the quality of the work significantly), that's when you report the editor. I advise not taking this route unless necessary because a writer and editor need to be able to work together peacefully. But obviously, if there is an injustice it should be reported. Switch venues. If you just cannot deal with a particular editor, write somewhere else. Ultimately, you should be happy with your writing (or any) career. If that's not happening, you haven't found the right venue/s to write for yet. Realize you should not be switching venues every time you don't like what an editor does. But if there is a true problem, remember that you can move on. Write for yourself. If you truly cannot deal with anyone at all messing with your own work, only write for yourself. When someone is paying you to produce work, it should be what they want, hence part of the reason for the editors. If you create your own venue, such as your own website or blog, you make the rules. Even if you go this route, it can still be a wise move to have an editor (or at least a writing buddy) that is willing to be a second pair of eyes. But you'll have the most freedom when writing for yourself. Bottom line: Editors are a part of the writing and publishing business and writers need to be able to adapt to that fact. Work with (not against) your editor, unless you have a legitimate claim against them. 30 Day Web Writing Boot Camp for Writers & Business Owners - Improve Writing Skills FAST! Readers and fellow writers often ask me why I enjoy helping so many people? Am I worried about creating competition for myself? Why do I just freely give advice and inform others of what I do to succeed in writing? Am I creating competition by helping others succeed? If I were creating competition, I am not afraid to play the game and I'd play it fair. However, I don't believe I am. Why? There is a vast sea of opportunities, gigs, jobs, and contracts in the writing world. It's not humanly possible for me to have every writing task to myself, nor would I desire to. Aside from that, I am wise enough to know that every assignment is not for me. I don't know everything there is to know. Each writer has their own style. Why take on a project I know I can't do when there could be someone else better suited to it and who may need it more than I do? Instead, I could refer a good writer and move on to something better suited to me. I have always believed in helping others, no matter the situation. Whether in my career or in every day life, if I see someone who needs help, I'm going to provide it if I have the means. If you knew a secret that could change the whole world for the better, would you keep it to yourself? Of course not - at least, I hope not. No, writing advice is probably not going to change the world. However, if I can offer some guidance that can help change someone's perspective or career for the better, you can bet I'm going to tell them. One small piece of advice or word of encouragement could be all that is standing in the way of someone living their dream. How do I know this? People have given me that kind of hope and assistance. Were it not for fellow writers pushing me and offering me advice, who knows where I'd be today. I am simply doing the same. So, am I creating competition by helping others succeed? Does it really matter? Want your business to succeed online? Try our Expert Publicity & Consultation Services |
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