The following is a guest post by Alia Haley. If you would like to write for this blog, please check out the guidelines here.

Irrespective of your love for new and innovative apps, whether you are a geek or not, whether you have a habit of spending hours together sitting on a computer or not, this combination of two words, the second one bearing its origin from the science of mathematics, must have hit your ears at least once. Google+ (Plus).

Google+ has become the latest competitor to Facebook. It seems very interesting and different than Google’s other failed social networking experiments. There are many reasons why you should come to like it, but here are 10 features that we have come to love.

Top 10 Reasons to Like Google+

1. Circles

Google Plus allows you to segregate your friends into groups much easier than Facebook does. You just drag your friends’ names to the appropriate group that you designated. You can create as many groups as you want. You can have people in multiple groups. In that way your status updates and the things that you are sharing with those people are seen only by those people and not by your entire news feed the way Facebook is now. So Google has really tried to create a new niche to allow these circles to be formed.

2. Hangouts

It is basically group video chat. It would kind of be like a status update which says, “Alan is hanging out with seven other people. Join the Hangout.” and you go and join the group video chat. You see everybody on the screen. It is like Skype group. So it is very exciting, something that has not been implemented on a large scale for social networking yet.

3. Huddle

Instead of text messaging your friends, you basically can create group chat sessions very easily, so if you have got a group of people who are going for a party, everyone can be chatting with each other. Thus, everyone will be informed together in real time.

4. Sparks

You can gather content on the basis of your likes and interests. This will be done by sparks who will collect the content that you are interested in ensuring you that you always have a stream of content at your disposal.

5. Ripples

Ripples is a brand new feature which helps you visualize a post. You find a post and then hit the ripples button, and you will be directed to a fresh window showing stats for the posts, e.g. how many times a particular post was shared by a specific person.

6. Creative Kit

This is built within the editing software of Google+. You can do a whole lot of things, like cropping pictures, adjusting different exposures, rotating, and much more. There is no need for complex software like Photoshop for an average user.

7. Mobile

Google+ can be integrated fully into your mobile phone, utilizing its basic functions like camera, GPS, etc., and can thus give an impressive Google+ experience on your smart phone or other mobile device.

8. Extraordinary Interface

Google+ comes with a very crisp and thoughtful interface. It is very soothing to the eyes as compared to the interfaces of other social networking sites.

9. Privacy

The privacy settings are easy to find and edit, unlike Facebook settings which are very cumbersome. Furthermore, with the help of Circles, one can control who sees what content that you post, therefore providing the right information to the right viewers.

10. One-Way Following

Taking a leaf from Twitter, Google+ allows the users to follow anyone without having to friend that person, a newly added feature integrated into Facebook.

What Do You Like About Google+?

Share with us what your favorite features are about Google+ and why you like using Google’s social networking site so much.

About the Author:

Alia Haley is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on luxury and technology. Beside this she is fond of mobile games. In her free time she loves playing game on her cell phone.

The following is a guest post by Chi Norris. If you would like to write for this blog, please check out the guidelines here.

Often a mobile application will offer pared-down features, allowing the user to access necessary information without navigating a company’s entire website. No matter the applicant, from a student pursuing an online degree to a recent college graduate seeking that first professional position, having a bevy of employment search applications at one’s fingertips can help make the necessary connections to find a job and get hired.

Here are 10 applications to consider…

1. LinkedIn

A great place to network and make or renew professional contacts, LinkedIn is arguably the best resource for job preparation. Persons seeking a new job or a new career can upload a resume, make some connections, and sign up for timely updates from persons with whom they network. Staying in touch while out and about allows applicants to seize a professional opportunity while it’s still hot.

2-5. CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, Exact Hire

Invaluable for their mobile search options, applicants utilizing CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, and Exact Hire can find available positions according to geographic region, save their preferred postings as favorites, and apply for jobs online. Logging in to find jobs selected based on one’s search parameters can take some of the stress out of changing careers or hitting the ground running for the first time.

6. Twitter

Never underestimate what can be said in 140 characters. The power of tweets – from the job seeker, the people and organizations that the applicant is following, or a timely retweet – can lead to a position the candidate never knew existed. Tweeting a link to one’s online portfolio can help companies in the search for future personnel too, especially if they’re farming social media channels looking for applicants.

7. Facebook

With the ability to post status updates announcing a new or renewed job search, share items that contacts have posted (such as job announcements), and link to companies with their own Facebook pages, the best-known social media application in the world can be a formidable force when seeking new employment. Just be careful to keep the professional and the personal separate. A job search could easily be hampered by those vacation photos from Cabo.

8. Gigwalk

For those looking for more casual employment opportunities, Gigwalk offers the chance to find and complete a short job, e.g., reporting back about a store’s hours of operations, and get paid via Paypal. This search option is especially handy for those whose employment needs aren’t necessarily tied to business suits and boardrooms.

9. Craigster

The wealth of information on Craigslist is distilled in their mobile app, giving job seekers the chance to act on the numerous professional opportunities posted to the site on a daily basis. The app is especially helpful for candidates from out of state. Marry an employment search with a glance at available apartments and a visit to the jobs discussion forum, all from a mobile phone.

10. The Local Newspaper

For those who once looked for jobs in the classifieds and came away with newsprint-covered fingers, searching jobs using a mobile app is a welcome and mess-free option. Users can search for job postings, catch up on their business news, and see the latest headlines all at once. It’s an excellent resource for searching within one’s community, especially for companies who might only be seeking local applicants.

These ten applications are but a suggestion. With a world of opportunities online and a smart-phone in nearly every person’s hand, information gathering on the go is more than convenient – it’s the norm.

About the Author

Chi Norris is a writer and visual artist who likes painting, poetry, and reading memoirs. She writes for www.professionalintern.com.

The following is a guest post by Brendan Cruickshank. If you would like to write for this blog, please check out the writing guidelines here.

I’m amazed at the increasing number of job postings for freelance writers these days. While I’ve noticed this merely as an observer, albeit one who’s been working in job search and recruitment for many years, I thought I’d check to see what researchers are saying. Indeed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, a compendium of descriptions of hundreds of jobs types, including information on education requirements, earnings, and job prospects over a 10-year period, agrees that the trend is real.

The official word is that between 2008 and 2018, employment for authors, writers and editors is projected to grow about 8%, about as fast as average. The Handbook says that an increasing number of writers today are freelancers. I bet that now, with the current economic recession, the number of freelancers is going to be even higher than BLS predicts. Budget woes are causing governments, businesses and organizations to tighten their belts, and one good way for them to save money is to contract out their writing needs.

So, you’re a freelance writer and you’re looking for jobs. What do you do? In part, it depends on what kind of writing you do, what the topic(s) are and who your markets – both the employer and the readers – are. These are all questions you’ll need to consider as you develop a marketing strategy for yourself. However, I’ve got some suggestions and strategies to help you, and they’re appropriate for any type of freelance writer

Using LinkedIn

Do you have a LinkedIn profile? If not, you should spend time setting one up for yourself. As soon as you contact a perspective employer for work, it’s more and more likely that they’ll Google you to learn who you are and what you’ve done. LinkedIn profiles almost always come up on the first page (because the site is one of the most popular social networking sites), and it’s to your benefit to be there. Your LinkedIn profile will show that
you’re a professional and that you value communication.

You will need to create a well-written and complete profile, and then start seeking connections. The more people who have access to your LinkedIn page and can track your activity on the site, the more obvious you are. And, if you’re working from home – whether it be in the middle of the desert or on the 28th floor of a Manhattan apartment building – you’re likely alone. You need to find a way to remind people that you exist. Seek out
recommendations from colleagues, engage in group discussions, ask and answer questions, and demonstrate what you know and how well you write.

You can also use LinkedIn to research potential employers. Many companies and organizations have Company pages that identify staff members and their positions. Through your connections, you can gain access to people who may be looking for your writing services. With LinkedIn, you can play the networking game for all its worth!

Self-Branding

If you’ve set up a LinkedIn profile, you’ve already started the personal branding process, but there are additional ways to establish your presence. The first step is to figure out who you are, what you want to do and how you want to appear to others. Chances are you know a lot of this already, but it’s important to consider the image of yourself and your work that will best help you get freelance jobs. Do you want to market yourself as a specialist
in niche market – as an expert in nanotechnology, for instance – or as a generalist who understands science and technology, and who can communicate about latest trends?

Once you’ve determined this, there are an increasing number of tools you can use to project your image and brand. One is the tried and true resume, which you’ll want to spruce up to indicate your interest and experience pertaining to freelance writing. Next, set up a website for yourself, and include a description of who you are, your clients, writing samples, and testimonials about your work. Next, is a blog, which serves your branding
strategy, and more. See below. Finally, become active on a variety of social media websites, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and others. Project yourself so that people will get to know you and remember you.

Face-to-Face Networking

Getting out and talking to people is another of those tried and true methods of getting a job. That’s not to say that there are automatic or direct pay-offs for having coffee with someone, even if you’re the one paying for their Venti Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream. What I mean is that the more you actually meet people in person, and communicate who you are, what you’re like, and what kind of writing you have done and
can do, the deeper the impression you’ll have on them. And, the more likely they’ll think of you when they or their colleagues have freelance writing needs.

Face-to-face conversations are more open, revealing and free form than written communications. They provide participants with opportunities to ask questions and respond directly to answers. And, you’ll also gain valuable non-verbal information from your interviewee. For instance, when querying someone about a potential employer, body language may indicate more than the words spoken. In general, a personal interaction is warmer, more memorable and more informative than a series of emails or phone calls (though, if you and the employer are physically distant, telephone or Skype are good alternatives).

Blogging

Since you’re reading this, you’re aware of the power and outreach of blogs. They’re excellent vehicles for demonstrating your interests and writing style, and bringing attention to your abilities. For a freelance writer, especially one who doesn’t have a lot of published work yet, blogs are an easy way for you to show off your stuff. You’ll need to write well: clearly, concisely and interestingly. That is, you’ll need to be articulate, using
proper grammar and punctuation, and be able to keep your readers’ attention. You want your audience to read all the way to the last word, and to beg you – on hands and knees, if possible – for more.

Finally, the nature of blogging is that you’re creating a continuing conversation – one that the blogger initiates and readers respond to. This means that you need to be diligent and dependable, establishing a publication schedule and keeping to it. In doing this, and in maintaining dialogue with your readers, you demonstrate that you are responsible and communicative, features which employers of freelance writers value as much as the writing itself.

Now go to it, and come back to let us know how it works! Best of luck.

About the Author: In his 8 years in the job search and recruiting industry, Brendan has served in senior client services roles with major sites like Juju.com and JobsInTheMoney.com. He has been regularly quoted on topics such as employment as well as jobs. His opinions have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and US News & World Report as well as other major publications.

Summer has quickly come and gone, and with temperatures dropping to the low 60′s here in Central PA, Fall is fast approaching. I’m actually looking forward to it and to the new opportunities that await. What season do you like best? What do you have to look forward to?

With time always moving, it’s important that we make the best of the time we have and take advantage of every opportunity. I say that for myself just as much as for you.

With that in mind, take a look at these posts from last month, and if you see an opportunity to improve your internet business or your life in any way, grab it.

AshMax – The Perfect Work From Home Opportunity?

Learn Affiliate Marketing Today

Marketing Your Online Business Effectively

What are Backlinks, and Why Do I Need Them?

How to Properly Use Backlinks to Increase Search Engine Rankings

5 Link Building Myths EXPOSED

Thanks again for being a reader of my blog. If you haven’t yet connected with me on Facebook or Twitter, I invite you to do so. You’ll get a peek into my personal life and what I’m all about.

Talk soon…

March is gone, and April is here. It came fast! I’m sure loving the beautiful weather we’ve been having. Definitely can’t complain about that. Seems as though we completely skipped Spring and went straight to Summer, already hitting over 80 degrees! Crazy, I know.

Anyway, here are my blog posts from last month worth reading (again maybe?). If you found them helpful you’re welcome to post a comment letting me know, or if you have a question then ask away. Seriously, don’t be shy here.

Without further ado, here they are:

A Complete Step-By-Step Guide to Setup a Money Making Website

Blog Commenting Contest – Win $10 from Dennis Edell (The commenting contest has been restarted for this month, so head on over and leave a comment for Dennis. Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite ).

Why I Chose Affiliate Marketing and Why You Should Too

Finding Your Perfect and Profitable Niche on the Internet

Write Online Product Reviews to Make Money Online

Again, feel free to comment on my posts, and if you’re feeling really nice, hit that little green ReTweet button. I’d appreciate the love. And, you may want to follow me on Twitter so you don’t miss any updates.

Stay cool, and have a Happy Easter tomorrow.

Another month has gone by. Seriously… is it going as fast as I think it is? I seem to keep losing more and more time each day and getting further behind on stuff. I apologize for the minimal amount of posts. I’m doing my best to keep up and provide quality content to you all.

Alas, another time for a blog post roundup of last month’s posts. I have some awesome posts included in this, as well as some awesome ones to come. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them so far and have benefited from them.

I don’t take my blogging lightly. I put a lot of thought into what I’m writing and always have you, my readers, in mind. As always, your feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

Okay, without further delay let’s get started. Be sure to check out any posts you may have missed.

Affiliate Marketing is the New Job on the Market

30 Ways to Get Free Website Traffic In Minutes

Are You a Struggling Internet Marketer?

Proven Strategies to Increase Website Traffic and Generate Sales

Legitimate Worldwide Work From Home Opportunities

Are You Targeting ‘Paying’ Keywords?

How I Get Backlinks to My Blog Posts Resulting in Sales

Google Celebrates Valentine’s Day – They Gave Me $100!

The Official Alibaba.com Success Guide

I was very pleased to see the first post on this list had gotten Re-Tweeted 27 times so far. Thank you to all who spread the word to your Twitter followers.

The Twitter Tweetmeme plugin has proven to work well and makes it easy for Twitter users to Re-Tweet posts. If you’re not yet utilizing it on your own blog, you should be.

Again, thank you to all my readers!

Social media is a great way to get the word out about what you do. It helps build your brand and bring awareness to your online business, products and services. I’m a member of various social networking sites, and I want to invite all of you to join me. There’s some you may not have ever heard of before.

The site that I spend the most time on is Facebook. I’m a huge fan of the site. There’s many networking aspects of the site that you can use to bring awareness to your business, so that’s a huge plus. I use my account for both personal and business. This allows you to see who I really am and helps me to be more transparent and open to everyone. Become my friend on Facebook and get a peek into my personal life and also get to know more about me.

Follow me on Twitter. I don’t spend a whole lot of time on Twitter, but I do find it useful to find resources from others that I follow. If you follow me, I’ll follow you back, assuming you’re not a spammer. Also, I never reply or even read my Direct Messages (DM’s), so if you want to get my attention on Twitter, @ reply me, and I’ll get back to you.

If you like making useful videos, then hit me up on YouTube. I don’t have much time to make a lot of videos, but I’ll slowly be getting more out eventually. I like watching videos that provide real and useful content that I can learn from. If you subscribe to my channel, I’ll subscribe back.

Here’s some other sites you can find me at:

Sokule – Just like Twitter, but you can make money.

DirectMatches – The largest business networking site. You can also make a good bit of money from this site.

LinkedIn

I’d love to have you network with me on these sites, so if you’re a member or want to become a member, just sign up and send a friend request to me.

If you run a blog I’m sure one of your many goals is to create content that brings in a large readership. Afterall, your content is what matters the most when it comes to getting to gaining readers and having them continue to come back for more. A problem you may face is coming up with ideas on what to write about that’s going to attract a readership.

I’ve put together 3 tips that you can put into action right now to create blog content that gets noticed.

So, without further delay, let’s get right into it…

Tip 1: Find content to write about with YouTube videos

Videos are the new medium on the internet, and there is a TON of information in the form of videos, not just on YouTube, but on every other video site. Videos are great for spreading content in a more personal way. However, there’s no actual content, or text, about what is being talked about.

This is where you can benefit. Find a video that relates to your blog content, and create an article based on what the video is about. It’s just like transcribing an audio file into print form, but with a video instead.

This will be completely unique content, and you can do it for any niche or subject. There’s really no limit as there are a massive amount of videos on literally any subject you can think of.

Tip 2: Use Twitter and other Social Networks to find hot subjects to write about

This strategy will take a little more work, but it can be very effective. With this technique you’ll be blogging about current, hot topics that everyone is buzzing about. This should no doubt get your blog some exposure.

If you’re on Twitter I’m sure you’ve seen a particular subject that everyone is talking about. This could be true for any number of social sites. Start blogging about that subject, if it’s suitable for your blog, of course.

On Twitter, an easy way to find the most talked about subject is to go to the home page, and on the right-hand side, you’ll see Trending Topics. These are the topics that are most talked about, and this will save you a lot time to find them.

Tip 3: Read other blogs to get ideas for your own blog

Most bloggers are subscribed to RRS feeds of other blogs that they find interesting and are related to their own blogs. Sometimes a blogger you follow might write about something that really perks your interest.

One particular blog I follow is Peter Lee’s Work From Home Blog.

When this happens, what you can do is expand on what they talked about or even create a spin on the subject. You can even get a little controversial if you have a different point of view. This is another way to get exposure and a lot of comments.

When going this route, just be sure you don’t copy the post, as this is stealing. It’s okay if you want to quote a portion so that people reading your post can understand what you’re talking about. A link back to the other post wouldn’t hurt either.

What do you do to create blog content that gets noticed? Share your tips in the comments below…

If you’ve ever wanted a legitimate way to use Twitter to make money, then this is it. The site is called Sokule and literally stands for “so cool.”

From what I’ve seen so far, it really is SO KULE!

There’s been attempts to monetize Twitter before, and there are some sites that post ads to your twitter account while paying your for those posts. The problem is that it junks up Twitter and could potentially turn your followers against you if they figure out what’s going on.

So, those methods of making money aren’t very reliable and may not last long at all. Heck, Twitter themselves haven’t even monetized the site.

What Sokule does is really very “kule” in the way you earn money. Instead of posting ads on Twitter through your account, you earn money through the Sokule site instead.

Sokule is almost identical to Twitter in that you post 140 characters for your “followers” to see. Followers on Sokule are called Trackers. In reality, you’re making money using Sokule, but it also utilized Twitter. Let me explain.

Sokule is just like Twitter where you make posts and get “followers” and also “follow” others. But, posting on Sokule will also make that same post to Twitter for you, once you set it up. And, the post on Twitter will contain a link at the end that points to your Sokule page.

See how “kule” this is? It get’s better because Sokule let’s you monetize your page, allowing you to post affiliate links, program links, videos and ads. This is one way you make money.

Sokule also has different levels of membership. With Sokule’s affiliate program, when you refer other members to the site, you can earn money if they sign up for a paid membership. Sign up is free, but the paid memberships offer a lot more than just the free membership. I highly recommend the paid membership if you want to really take full advantage of what Sokule offers.

There’s more I can say, but just go to Sokule and check it out for yourself. View the benefits between the free and paid memberships and see which would be a better fit for you.

As always, I’d love to read your comments. So leave them below.

The creator of CommentLuv, Andy Bailey, has created another awesome plugin for WordPress called TwitterLink Comments.

Basically what this plugin does is allow commentators to type in their Twitter user name. Once the comment is left, a “Follow Me” link will appear next to the commentator’s name. This allows readers to be able to follow them on Twitter easily if they find their comment useful.

If you look below the comment box you will notice a blue rectangular box with an input field. You can just enter your Twitter user name here once, and the link will show next to every comment you make from then on. Cool, huh?

To read all about the plugin check out the post: http://wpmu.org/twitterlink-comments-hassle-free-follow-me-links-for-your-commenters/.

I’ve installed this plugin because I know how popular Twitter is and hopefully this will be a way for you, my readers, to get more exposure and more followers.

With in that in mind, this means you need to comment! Yes, another reasoning to my madness is I’m looking for more of my readers to comment on my posts. Sounds crazy, right?

Hey, you help me, and I’ll help you get more followers. Commenting is a win-win situation. I even have Andy’s CommentLuv installed, too, so you can use your keywords as part of your name. If you find my posts useful, or even if you don’t, I’d love to hear about it.

So now there’s absolutely no reason not to comment.

Share your thoughts below!