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When it comes to marketing your business, social networking is rapidly becoming a must. And one of the common tools used now is Twitter. But sometimes things get a little heavy-handed on Twitter. In such cases of social media, blogging and marketing, ProBlogger almost always has relevant words of wisdom. Such is the case when it comes to affiliate marketing on Twitter. Here are 8 tips offered by Darren Rowse:

1. Be relevant.
2. Personalize.
3. Genuine recommendations.
4. Be conversational.
5. Indirectly link to affiliate products.
6. Be moderate.
7. Listen to followers.
8. Be useful.

I think #1 and #8 are especially applicable, as is moderation (#6) and being genuine (#3). If you are just trying to sell something, eventually (or not so eventually) people will figure it out and you will likely be shunned. And that does no one any good.

Poverty is becoming a bigger issue by the minute. Billions of people around the world live in poverty, and the problem can seem overwhelming. But if everyone concentrated on a small patch of the world, eventually the individual efforts would add up.

And that means that your home business, no matter how small, can join the fight against poverty. Over at Responsible Marketing, there is a list of 25 things your business can do to fight poverty. There some things that even a home business can do. Here are some of my favorites from the list:

* Cook and distribute meals. You can work with a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. I know that my son's school has programs during the summer and holidays where you can help provide a meal for children who mainly only get good nuitrition while at school.

* Give to a charity. And encourage any employees you might have to donate as well.

* Have a donation program. You can donate some of your goods and services to charities. Additionally, it is possible to offer discounts to your clients who buy goods and services on behalf of others.

* Engage in microfinance. Not only does this help those in poverty, it can also help you create another revenue stream for your business.

* If you've been accumulating reward points, donate them. Many credit cards will allow you to donate your points to charity.

Can you think of ways for your home business to help fight poverty?

When engaging in home business blogging, it is important to have a plan for what sort of voice and style you will have. Additionally, you want to be able to exude a sense of authority with regard to your subject area, coming across as an expert. I really like some of the thoughts and tips on writing offered by Lenin over at Cute Writing:

* Develop a writing style.
* Know your audience.
* Do adequate research.
* Write what you know.
* Be diligent in your efforts.

I think these are essential items if you are looking to improve the quality of your home business blogging. Can you think of some other tips that can help improve your writing?

I use social media every day. Which is why I think this song is so funny.

Happy Friday!

Yesterday, I posted a video interview about selling advertising on your home business blog. Today, I thought I would address one of the items that can make your blog more attractive to advertisers: increased pageviews.

Pageviews are the number of times your blog posts are viewed. Right now, pageviews are considered one of those vital metrics used when determining whether to advertise on a Web site or blog. Problogger (always seems to know what to do) has some easy ways you can boost your pageviews:

* Self-link. Link to old posts you have written, and to products and services you offer.

* Add related posts. At the end of your article, you can add related posts. There plug-ins for different platforms (WordPress especially) that automatically do this based on category and tag.

* Make use of your sidebar. You can use your sidebar to link to most popular posts, best posts and other areas of your blog.

* Multi-page posts. If you have a longer post that you have written, use the "read more" feature to make your post two or three pages long. Just be aware of the fact that too many multiple page posts starts to get annoying.

Can you think of other ways to boost pageviews to your home business blog?

Many are finding that it is possible to make a little extra money by offering advertising on the home business blog. This goes beyond just using AdWords. It's about ads with images in addition to text ads on your home business blog.

Wendy Piersall at Sparkplugging interviewed John Chow about getting ads for your home business blog. It's some good stuff.

One of the things that has me thinking this morning is the massive hemorrhage on Wall Street. As things slowly continue the implosion, I am a bit concerned about my job. See, I'm a freelancer. I do a lot of work for online companies especially. And as things worsen as far as the economic picture is concerned, I think about the fact that if something is going to get cut in some budget, it is probably going to be me.

So, it's time to cut back, make sure my emergency fund is in order, and hope that I've got enough work of different kinds to see me through this.

Does this economy worry you in terms of your home business?

One of the promotional tools you can use for your home business is a blog. I really like these 12 Tips for Writing Better Blog Posts over at KoMarketing. Here are 12 ways you can improve the quality of your blog posts -- potentially pulling in more traffic for your home home business:

1. Write with clarity.
2. Identify the objective as quickly as possible.
3. Make your blog post titles strong.
4. Images can help bring interest to your post.
5. Organize your writing (subheads, bullets, etc.).
6. Focus on the subject.
7. Reference sources.
8. Link to related posts.
9. Be concise in a wrap up at the end.
10. Get some feedback before publishing -- even if all you do is edit it yourself for spelling and grammar.
11. Consider timing.
12. Evaluate and learn from the results.

Do you have any tips for writing better blog posts?

Happy Labor Day!

Even though today is Labor Day, I still have work to do. A freelance writer still had deadlines to meet. However, I am lucky enough to be able to operate under a reduced workload on Labor Day.

Is your home business open on Labor Day?

One of the things I know as a freelance writer working from home is that a steady and traditional "paycheck" is one of those things that you cannot rely on. Sometimes it can be a hassle getting paid for your work at all! There will always be clients that try to stiff you, or who disappear as soon as you send an invoice.

But there are a couple of things you can do to try and come up with some sort of a work from home "paycheck":

1. Set aside money when you have a really good month. When you work from home, it is important to have a really big emergency fund. Because freelance writer (or any other freelance work) income is anything but steady, you need to plan for the lean times. If you make bank this month, see that you set a good portion aside for next month -- just in case.

2. Figure out a regular "paycheck" schedule. This is a great idea from Tamara Berry at Freelance Parent. She suggests that you figure up your annual income (you can use your tax return) and then divide it by 12 to get a "paycheck." You can live off this money each month, and use the rest for your emergency fund.

Do you have any ideas for creating a steady "paycheck" when working from home?

You have probably heard all about how you need a blog for your home business. Your home business may even be based around a blog. But in order for it to work, you need a successful blog. And while good content and good writing can take you a long way, you need a little bit more than that to get the extra oomph that puts you into success territory.

Things you need -- in addition to content -- for a successful blog

Darren Rowse, the Problogger himself, has a list of some extra things that you need to make a successful blog. Here is what he says you need:

* Mojo. You know, that "it" factor.

* Luck. Yes, luck.

* Trust. Are you authentic?

* Expertise and authority. What qualifies you to give others tips and avice?

* Charisma. An ability to connect.

What do you think it takes to build a successful blog for your home business?

By now, you probably know about the flap concerning John McCain and his using Paris Hilton in a campaign ad. (He used Britney Spears as well.) And you might have even seen this response.

But I love it. Paris is *totally* protecting her brand.

Happy Friday!

One of the least complex (from a supplies needed and office set-up standpoint) home business ideas is writing. It's actually what I do for my home business. There are many different types of writing that can be done, and the Internet has only expanded the options. But I found this handy list over at Home Biz Notes that includes 13 writing jobs you can do as a home business:

1. Travel writing
2. Copy Editing
3. Column writing
4. Blogging
5. News Reporter (yes, many of these are freelance)
6. Ghost writing
7. Compiling and editing anthologies
8. Web site design and writing
9. Newsletter production (print or online) for businesses
10. PR writing for businesses
11. Educational writing
12. Publishing print and e-books
13. Publishing a magazine or e-zine

Freelance writing and blogging can be very rewarding, and I love that I can still do my job no matter where I am in the world. Well, as long as I have an Internet connection, anyway.

Is there a type of writing that you do for your home business?

As a work from home professional, I know how difficult it can be to find job leads. Here's a great one that was brought to my attention by Yvonne Russell at Small Biz Mentor:

Blogging Position

Two bloggers wanted at Corporate Eye: one to cover the Investor Relations section of corporate websites, and one to cover the Careers section ...
 
In both cases, we're interested in the major listed companies (FTSE100, FTSE250, S&P500, Eurotop300 etc) but if a smaller company is doing something interesting, we'd like it to be covered.
 
  Please note: We're not interested in stocks/shares or investment tips, or in interview tips/advice to candidates - we're interested in what companies are doing online.
 
More information on the site ...  If anyone knows someone suitable, please ask them to contact us at jobs@corporate-eye.com.

If you have some expertise in one of these areas, visit the Corporate Eye Web site for more information. WorkShak is not affiliated with Corporate Eye.

This could also offer you a great opportunity to raise the profile of your work from home business, and establish yourself as an expert.

Social media is becoming increasingly important when it come to promoting your home business online. And one way to do this is through business blogging. But you do need to be able to promote your home business blog when you do this. And Facebook Pages offers a new way to do this. Problogger offers a look at Facebook Pages, and how it can help you home business blog:

Once you have created a page on Facebook, people can then become your “fan” or “supporter”. You don’t have to accept people as a fan and they can’t see your individual profile. On a page you can then easily add relevant pictures and video. You can have a discussion board and add any of the thousands of applications to your page.

I'm at my grandpa's house. I'd rather be fishing. But I'm writing a blog post. If I'd pre-posted this, I'd be catching some trout. But I'm not.

One of the best things you can do for your home business blog is to be familiar with the process of pre-posting. If you plan ahead, you can write your blog posts ahead of time, and then posting them doesn't cut into your precious vacation time.

Now, it's time for me to hit the stream.

When it comes to your home business, one of the most important things you can do is become an expert in your field. This  will raise your profile, and can result in some very interesting perks and opportunities.

Yvonne Russell at Home Biz Notes offers some helpful hints for becoming an expert in your field:

*Get to know local reporters (and be available for comment).
*Write a related business blog.
*Offer a workshop.
*Be available for guest speaking (especially for local groups and for free).
*Do interviews when asked.
*Try to build a business profile in the local newspaper.

Can you think of other ways to become recognized as an expert in your field?

When you have a home business blog, it seems counterintuitive to promote it offline. After all, aren't your readers more likely to find you online? It may be so, but it is possible to round up new readers -- and through them find even more -- if you do a little more to promote your home business blog offline.

Over at Scribefire, Darren Rowse offers some tips that can help you promote your home business blog offline:

*Attend conventions and conferences. Mingle with people and get to know them!

*Business cards. Make sure the cards for your home business include a Web address for your blog.

*Meetups. There are a variety of blogger meetups (as well as Twitter meetups) that you can attend to meet people and share your blog.

*Stickers. Create stickers with your home business blog address -- and a cute or clever picture.

Don't forget, though, that when you set out to meet people and promote your home business blog, you need to return the favor and visit others' blogs as well.

If you are a freelance professional, or a blogging professional, you know that on the Internet, social media is becoming increasingly important. Many companies are beginning to recognize that there is some value in connecting via social media.

This podcast from Entrepreneurs-Journey is an interesting look at how a blogging professional can make use of social media -- and how social media is measured in terms of value and return. If you have half an hour, I suggest having a listen.

If you are interested in gaining more exposure and doing a little networking in order to help promote your home business blog, BlogWorld Expo might be the place to go. Bloggers from all over the world exhibit, hold workshops and seminars and network. And, right now, there is some early bird pricing available for BlogWorld.

Another conference to be aware of is the BlogHer conference and the Reach Out Tour. These are great opportunities to meet women in blogging -- and even men who blog about women's issues.

Conferences can be a great way to meet others in your niche (and outside your niche), and do some quality networking.

It can be tough to make money blogging. But it is possible to pad things out a little bit if you work at home. And one of those is through blogging affiliate opportunities.

Sparkplugging (formerly eMoms@Home) has a great list of 18 blogging affiliate programs that can help you inject a little more money into your work at home efforts.

But remember: Even though sign up is free, you still have to put in some time and effort. Carefully choose which programs you sign up with. You want to make sure that you are protecting your reputation as an expert -- and as someone who recommends useful products and services.

One of the ways you can promote your home business Web site is with a blog. But you can't just put a blog up and expect people to come. Deb, over at Network Blogging Tips, offers some great insight into the mistakes that many new bloggers make. Don't let yourself fall into these traps:

1. Thinking that blogging is a way to get rich quickly.
2. Not doing enough research for your blog.
3. Blogging in a niche that is over-saturated.
4. Blogging about something you don't know.
5. Not promoting your blog.

Remember: If you do a good job with your blog, and you get out there and promote it -- especially by being a member of a community -- you will build a loyal following for your home business.

One of the things you can do to help boost traffic to your home business blog is to takes steps to boost your online credibility. This is not done just by offering relevant and useful content on your home business blog. There are are things that you need to do in order to increase your credibility and your visibility.

Problogger points out that it takes time to build online credibility, and that it can't be rushed. Here are some other tips that Darren Rowse has with regard to building online credibility:

*Leave useful (and not self-promoting) comments on other blogs in your niche.
*Build relationships with others in your home business niche.
*Offer to guest post (and also accept guest posts) on related blogs in your niche.
*Have an opinion about what's happening in your niche.

Second Life is becoming a bigger and bigger trend. It is possible to attend jobs fairs and even get exposure real-world items and businesses when you create a Second Life.

And now, some experts are saying that ignoring virtual worlds like Second Life may be a bad idea. After all, if you want your home business to appeal to an under-30 crowd, it is important to start connecting with them on a variety of levels.

Learning Second Life can be time-consuming, though, so you need to carefully evaluate your home business and decide whether other avenues of social networking may be better for your time.

One of the tools in the home business Web site arsenal is the blog. Your home business blog can help you drive traffic to your site, and increase your sales. Having a home business blog can be very helpful to nearly anyone.

But it does require effort.

You need to figure out how to make the posts to your home business blog useful and informational, as well as interesting. Over at ProBlogger, Darren Rowse shares his blog posting workflow, and there are several comments as well. These can give you some great ideas for arranging your own workflow.

When it comes to a home business, marketing can be tough stuff. However, over at Biz Chicks Rule, they've got some good ideas kicking around from readers. However, be warned: Most of the marketing ideas are geared toward those whose home business is writing.

But you can head over and get some good ideas, as well as leave your own marketing ideas.

My home business is freelance writing. And, at this point, it is mostly professional blogging. Most of my livelihood comes from blogging. But the überexpert on making a living from professional blogging is Darren Rowse. And he's got a book coming out at the end of the month: ProBlogger Book -- Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income.

While it can a while to get going with professional blogging, it can be a great home business choice. And, as Liz Strauss points out at Successful Blog, the gold rush is just beginning...