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Social Media Blunders That Could Cost You

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There are plenty of social media tips floating around there for real estate professionals and other self employed contractors. Usually, these tips cover what you SHOULD do on social media, and how to use it to benefit yourself. But, using the internet wisely is also knowing what NOT to do. Check out this post by Katie Lance at Inman for some faux pas to avoid on Facebook and Twitter; it’s written specifically for real estate agents, but I think that bloggers and others working from home will find them useful as well: 

-Don’t outsource your social media: write it all yourself. 

-Don’t automate it- it makes you look spammy

-Don’t sync your Facebook and Twitter- it looks lazy: create separate posts for both.

-Don’t just post your listings- get creative! Take photos and videos

-Don’t be a broken record- be sure to come up with new content

Photo Credit: Mikogo 

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Working With A Small Office Space

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Having a designated office area when working from home is absolutely necessary for productivity. If you work on the sofa while watching TV and eating chips, you’re going to get distracted and not get much done. Just having a small area is fine- even if it’s just a desk in the corner of a room. But, you don’t have to feel cramped and constrained: just because you have a smaller workspace doesn’t mean it can’t be fabulous and inspiring! Check out these ideas by Kate at centsationalgirl for small spaces with big impacts:

Contained Office.   A tall computer hutch is a great way to use vertical space to pack all things office into one piece of furniture

Clever Cucinas.  The kitchen is the heart of the home where much time is spent with friends and family.  Who needs a home office when a little cabinet space can be sacrificed to a compact work station 

Bedroom Sharing.  Steal a little space in a guest room for your office – and make the desk part of the decor.

Keep it in the Closet. Yep, you’ve seen it before, those clever souls who turn a closet into a workspace

Photo Credit: Laura Lewis 

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Catch These Sneaky Scams Before They Bite You

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My general rule of thumb to avoid work-at-home scams is very simple:

If someone asks you to give THEM money, it’s a scam.

Anything that requires a “start up fee” or a “beginner’s kit” is usually a huge red flag. Another, less obvious one is when “companies” ask for loads of personal information (Social Security number, bank accounts for “direct deposit”, home addresses, etc.,) without officially hiring you or asking you to fill out a W-9 or other tax paperwork first. However, some work-from-home scams are a little sneakier and harder to detect. To make sure your identity (and your money!) is fully protected, read this post by Bethany Ramos at The Work at Home Woman:

Be extremely skeptical of:

-Outrageous claims: Any business opportunity that claims you can make $1000 per day is simply not true. When it comes to too-good-to-be-true opportunities, they are just that. (One of my friends recently joined a company that I’m almost positive is a huge pyramid scheme. She was CONVINCED that she and her husband would be making millions of dollars a year, and would be able to retire in two years. She’s 23.)

-Craigslist Ads: Just be wary of Craigslist in general. Reputable companies tend to have their own websites where they post freelance opportunities, and will not use Craigslist.

-Pyramid Schemes: Generally what happens is, an  individual pays a certain amount of money to be part of this so-called opportunity, but then to make any money they need to recruit other individuals to pay in and get involved with the opportunity. ( Back to my friend from earlier: she kept being extremely pushy and trying to get me involved with it so she could recruit more people. After talking with mutual friends, we realized she had been doing the same to all of us. The more recruits she got, the more money she makes. Sorry for her, but none of us were buying it.)

To sum things up, if something gives you an icky feeling, avoid it. Use your critical thinking skills and follow your intuition.

Photo Credit: Don Hankins 

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Where To Find Photos For Your Blog And How To Use Them

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If you run a craft or food blog, you probably take your own photos. But, even that can get exhausting! Sometimes, the lighting just isn’t right. Sometimes, the muse is just gone. And sometimes, you just feel lazy. If you’re having a creative slump for whatever reason, or for those of us who aren’t so creative at all, there are plenty of ways to get photos on the internet that you can legally use.

-You have to be extra careful- be sure that each photo you use is under a “Creative Commons” license.

-Make sure that each photo is marked as being available for free commercial use

-Also, be sure to give credit in your post! Here are a few resources that I use to find photos for this blog:

Flickr Creative Commons: The absolute motherlode of free photos. Any photo you find on this search engine requires only “attribution,” which means you must credit the artist. 

Creative Commons Search: Make sure you have the “commercial” box checked and search away! Also useful for music and video sources. 

Open Clipart– all images on this site are free as well: most are illustrations. 

Take your own photos– and all copyrights will belong to you! Plus, it’ll make your posts more personal and engaging. 

Photo Credit: Colin and Sarah Northway 

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Read This Before You Write A Long Blog Post

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Even though really popular sites get page views by publishing list-like “articles” with usually less than 100 words, surprisingly, people prefer to read long blog posts. That’s why they follow you, right? They like your writing and find your content valuable. Maybe you post some really interesting tutorials or recipes. Maybe you share your experiences as an outsider in a foreign country. Maybe you run a business and use your blog to advertise yourself. Maybe you’re just a funny person who has a fresh take on life that people love reading! Whatever your blog is about, it’s important to find a balance between long, informative posts, and short fun ones. Check out this article by Mitt Ray at Social Marketing Writing for tips about long blog posts:

-Avoid repetition- and cut anything unnecessary.

-Include images- to break up walls of text. Especially important for tutorials!

-Make it easy to read and navigate through- use subheadings and keep sentences simple.

-Place share buttons on the bottom- for easy marketing

-Don’t force it- always choose quality over quantity.

Photo Credit: photosteve101 

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How Much Should A Domain Name Be?

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Having a good domain name is crucial if you conduct any business online. Sure, some professionals strictly stick to just social media for marketing, but every legitimate business owner has more of an online presence than just a Facebook. Your domain name communicates exactly who you are, what kind of service you provide, and should hook customers and make them interested in your brand. It’s like a book title! But sometimes, the domain name you want is taken. Sometimes, the current owner will be willing to sell. But how much is too much? This post by Kathleen Daniels at Active Rain shares her recent experience with trying to buy a domain name from someone who was selling it:

What the heck I thought, I’ll complete the form just to see what they are asking. I’d pretty much determined it would be for sale at a high premium.  But, I had nothing to lose. Meanwhile, I continued to search for a domain name.  

I later came up with a different domain name, that was available for around $100.

Today, I received a response to my inquiry to purchase the two-word domain name which is available for sale. They were asking for $14,000.00 … definitely too much for me to pay!

Photo Credit: UTC Library 

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Ways To Give Your Iphone More Battery

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For any professional, especially those working from home and dealing with clients, your smartphone is your lifeline. If you’re out and about, a dead phone is one of the worst things that can happen to you for your business- especially if you depend on it for calling, texting, emailing, and GPS. It can be avoided by planning ahead, but sometimes the battery life just seems to drain away extremely fast. This post by Alan White at Buzzfeed shows the most common battery killers in Iphones:

-Limit your location services- apps that are constantly using your GPS feature to update your location are really bad for your battery. Go to Privacy > Location Services > Off.

-Close the apps you’re not using- double tap the main button, and swipe up to close them. Delete apps you don’t want anymore by holding down and pressing the X.

-Turn the brightness down- Go to settings > Wallpaper and Brightness, then turn it down just enough to where you can still read it.

-Turn on airplane mode when you’re not going to be using your phone for a while- it’ll do wonders for your battery life.

-Turn off automatic downloads- go to Settings > Itunes and App Store > Automatic Downloads – then swipe it to “Off”.

Photo Credit: Ged Carroll 

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Becoming A Less Lazy Blogger

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Working from home as a blogger can seem like a dream job for less organized people. You can stay up as late as you want (as long as you eventually get around to work), you can stay in your pajamas all day, you write about what you love, and the hours are extremely flexible. However, without a solid plan and at least a little organization, it can be extremely easy to let yourself slack off. This can lead to lackluster content creation, or even missing deadlines and losing readers. Check out these tips from Laura at The Turquoise Home on how to keep yourself on track and become more efficient:

-Have a designated office space- give yourself a private area with NO TV or other distractions

-Use a planner- plan your time by the day or by the hour

-Create office hours- and stick to them! Make a strict line between work and home life

-Use “pretty” organization. Folders, dividers, pen cups, and other supplies work much better when they are eye catching.

Photo Credit: Laurence Simon 

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