Hi this is #CarlDewayneJr#Da1Nonly I want to give you an encouraging word! As you seek the spirit of God which is the word of God, God is going to open up doors for you. Deuteronomy 28:1-13 says that the blessing of the Lord will overtake you and your household as you listen to the voice of God order your steps. Let me tell you today get ready for a great change in your life the Lord is about to pour down blessings upon you say this prayer:
Heavenly Father, I look up to you in this time of change. Allow me to have the courage to change my life for the better. Allow all my burdens to be risen up to you as I know that You will see me through. Forgive those who have done evil and allow me to do the same. Teach me to love with an open heart and open spirit. Take time for me today to help with all the trials you have set out for me and allow me the strength and energy to follow you. Give me the blessings to find a new home, keep my family together, and bless those who are away, may they be strong and know how much love is out there. Let them know you and I are thinking of them and missing them dearly. Bless me with love, strength, wisdom, health, courage, forgiveness, and a willingness to learn Amen.
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up - 1 Thessalonians 5:11"
Having a criminal record can create many obstacles for a person. A criminal record can impact your ability to get a job, secure an apartment, regain custody of a child, qualify for certain professional licenses or exams, and can even take away your right to vote or travel freely.
For some of the above scenarios, it might not matter whether or not you were formally convicted. An application may still ask you to disclose a record of an arrest or criminal prosecution, which will have the same effect on these issues. Therefore, if possible, it is important to try and clear your criminal record.
Being able to remove a criminal charge largely depends on the circumstances in connection with the charge and the laws of your jurisdiction. The reason for this is because there are certain crimes that can never be cleared from an individual’s criminal record and removal is heavily dependent on the laws of each state.
In general, clearing a criminal record can be accomplished using one of two processes: either through criminal record sealing or expungement. If your records are sealed, it means the records still exist, but they cannot be accessed by employers or other persons. In contrast, if your record is expunged, then the charges or arrests will be erased as if they never happened.
When both the state laws and the type of criminal charge involved create the proper circumstances to permit record clearing, an individual may ask the court to erase a conviction from their permanent record. They do this by filing specific paperwork according to the procedures outlined in the laws of their state.
Once filed, the court will investigate your criminal history to determine whether or not you qualify for record clearing. Next, there is usually a hearing to assess this information. Although you may not always need to be present for the hearing, it is probably in your best interest to attend.
In the event that a court requests your presence, then you should contact a criminal attorney to appear with you at the hearing. You may need their assistance to answer questions that are asked by the court, or to represent and protect your interests.
If the court grants the request, then certain parties, such as the public, future courts, or law enforcement officials, may not have access to that information. There are certain limitations, however, where it might be necessary to disclose your criminal record despite having it sealed or expunged. To learn more order a copy of How To Clear Your Criminal Record click here
All of us have goals. Goals like losing weight, earning more money,
finding a life partner, setting up our business, achieving performance
targets, being fitter, building better relationships, and so on. Some
people seem to have no problem achieving their goals. Some, on the other
hand, don’t seem to be able to make any progress. I’ve a good amount of experience with goal achievement, having
been actively setting goals since 10 years ago. I’ve experienced
setbacks and successes in my goal pursuits. I receive alot of reader mail seeking help
for situations they are stuck in. I work with clients who are not
getting results in life and want to turn things around. This has given
me a lot of insights on what keeps people from success. At the end of the day, if you find yourself stuck in your goals, it boils down to one or some of these 11 reasons:
You Procrastinate. You keep putting things off. You
talk about how you want to do something but you don’t act on it. You procrastinate
on taking action because the situation is not painful enough for you
yet. However, the times when it does become painful enough are often the
times when it’s too late to do anything. Either you start taking
action, or you forever lay in peace. Your call, I’ll leave it to you.
You underestimate your goal. Achieving a goal is
about getting from point A to B. From point A, you create an action plan
that gets you to point B. Sounds foolproof, except the action plan
isn’t 100% valid. That’s because you’re setting the plan from point A.
You haven’t even been to point B, so how do you even know if it’ll get
you to B? At most it’ll be help to bring you closer to point B, but it’s
not going to be 100% accurate. Almost all the time, people fail because
they underestimate what it takes to achieve their goals. What should
you do then? Over-commit your resources and review your progress
constantly. Adjust your plan of action and adapt accordingly.
You spend more time defending your problems than taking action.
You complain how you are not getting XYZ results. When people try to
give you suggestions, you spend more time justifying why their
suggestions will not work and defending your lack of results than
brainstorm with them on how to get out of your rut. Spend less time
talking about your problems and use that time to think about solutions.
Then act on them. You’ll get a lot more results this way, and you’ll be
happier.
You’re too enclosed in your own world. You don’t
venture out beyond your normal routine. You do the same things, talk to
the same old friends, act the same way, circle around the same issues.
It’s no wonder you stagnate. Open yourself up take active steps to
grow. Get to know more people who people who are driven, positive and
focused. Get new, refreshing perspectives. Ask for feedback on how you can improve.
You’re not working smart. You do the same thing
over and over, even when you don’t get results. You apply brute strength
to your goals, without strategizing how you can apply this strength
more effectively. If you are not getting what you want, it’s a signal
it’s time to change what you have been doing. See how you can do this in
a different, smarter, more effective way. Look at people who have achieved the same results before, and learn from them.
Avoidance or Fear. You avoid taking action because
some of the things you have to do intimidate you. You rather delay the
process as much as possible. Unfortunately, results are not going to
come automatically from delaying. Results come to people who pay their
dues, not people who avoid the work. The fear isn’t going to go away by
waiting it out. Face the fear and do it anyway.
You’re easily distracted. You get
distracted by things thrown in your way. Your attention gets diverted
from your goals. Your ability to stay focused is instrumental to
achieving your results. Be clear of what you want and stick to it. Don’t
let anything or anyone distract you. These are the obstacles the
universe sends your way to see how serious you are about getting what
you want.
You over-complicate situations. Common among the
neurotic perfectionists. If you are a neurotic perfectionist, you blow
the situation out of proportion and create this mental image that’s so
complicated that it’s no wonder you don’t get anything done. Things are
usually simpler than you think be conscious when you are adding
unnecessarily complications for yourself.
You give up too easily. You give up before you even
get anywhere. If you think like a winner you'll know all big goals comes
with a dipping point a chasm where it seems nothing you do is giving
you results. It’s normal. This is the point that differentiates those
who deserve the goal and those who are just taking a casual stab at it. Some people have a penchant for giving up in their goals early on. If they realized that there’s no easy way out, and all goals have their
own set of obstacles to be overcome. Persevere, press on, and it’s a matter of time before you reap the fruits of your labor.
You lose sight of your goals. You settle for less,
forgetting the goals you once set. That’s bad because then you are just
stifling yourself and making do with what you have and this isn’t who
you are meant to be. You have to first reconnect with your inner
desires. If you cannot fail at all, what would you want to do? What are
your biggest hopes and dreams for your future? What is the future you
want to create for yourself? Reignite your vision and don’t ever lose
sight of it. It’s your fuel to your success.
You’re too stuck in your ways. You insist on doing
things a certain way. You don’t open yourself up to new ideas. Guess
what? You’ll remain stuck in your situation, too. Open yourself to new
methods. Experiment. You can only improve if you are willing to try new
things.
If you haven’t noticed, these 11 reasons are self-created
problems you can easily dismiss them just as you have created them. Your goals are in your hands
you can achieve them as long as you strive for them. Address the 11
things blocking you from your success, and it’s a matter of time before
you achieve results you seek. Get results today click here!
What does social media presence mean? Not really what you think it does I would bet! It doesn’t refer to your social media accounts being there or not there, but rather how they are there. Basically, one’s social media presence refers to how they post and engage on all of their accounts. It refers to how frequently you post, the type of content posted, and the levels of engagement on your social media accounts! Just as someone who attends class that day is marked as “present”, if you post on a social media account daily, you have a social media presence. But not so fast! Just because you are posting on social media daily, doesn’t mean you automatically get a gold star. Similarly, just because someone is in class that day, doesn’t mean they have a good presence. If you attend class, but goof off the entire time, laughing, yawning and passing notes, then you would probably be noted as having a bad “classroom presence”. Presence is basically how you are within where you are. See? So present is different than presence, but both coincide when evaluating one’s social media presence. You not only have to post, but have to post effectively to be cited as having a good social media presence. Examples of having a good social media presence can include posting content daily that is pertinent to your brand, posting with the type of communication and language that best represents your brand, and sharing content that followers of your brand would appreciate! Lastly, the final part of maintaing a good social media presence is engagement. One’s social media presence is always going to be better when engaging with followers or likers. Just like in conversation, if you ask a person something and they don’t respond, it is seen as rude or standoffish, if you have a social media account where people are constantly sending in questions, if you don’t respond, it’s rude! Engagement, like responding to questions or comments, but also just reaching out to followers or individuals, is a major gauge of a brand’s online presence, whether it is good or bad. Social media presence can really be judged on the same basis that we would evaluate a person’s presence on: are they there, mentally or literally? Are they acting/speaking in an appropriate and effective way? And are they responding to/generating conversation? Brands, businesses, companies and individuals should all strive to have a social media presence that embodies the above three characteristics, and in a positive way. Now are you getting it? Boost your social media presence today click here!
All of us have goals. Goals like losing weight, earning
more money, finding a life partner, setting up our business, achieving
performance targets, being fitter, building better relationships, and so
on. Some people seem to have no problem achieving their goals. Some, on
the other hand, don’t seem to be able to make any progress.
I have had a good amount of experience with goal achievement, having been actively
setting goals since 7 years ago. I’ve experienced setbacks and
successes in my goal pursuits. Running Effective Advertising
(which is all about results), I often receive reader mail seeking help for situations they
are stuck in. I work with clients who are not getting results in life
and want to turn things around. This has given me a lot of insights on
what keeps people from success.
At the end of the day, if you find yourself stuck in your goals, it boils down to one (or some) of these 11 reasons:
You Procrastinate.
You keep putting things off. You talk about how you want to do
something but you don’t act on it. You procrastinate on taking action
because the situation is not painful enough for you yet. However, the
times when it does become painful enough are often the times when it’s
too late to do anything. Either you start taking action, or you forever
lay in peace. Your call, I’ll leave it to you.
You underestimate your goal.
Achieving a goal is about getting from point A to B. From point A, you
create an action plan that gets you to point B. Sounds foolproof, except
the action plan isn’t 100% valid. That’s because you’re setting the
plan from point A. You haven’t even been to point B, so how do you even
know if it’ll get you to B? At most it’ll be help to bring you closer to
point B, but it’s not going to be 100% accurate. Almost all the time,
people fail because they underestimate what it takes to achieve their
goals. What should you do then? Over-commit your resources and review
your progress constantly. Adjust your plan of action and adapt accordingly.
You spend more time defending your problems than taking action.
You complain how you are not getting XYZ results. When people try to
give you suggestions, you spend more time justifying why their
suggestions will not work and defending your lack of results than
brainstorm with them on how to get out of your rut. Spend less time
talking about your problems and use that time to think about solutions.
Then act on them. You’ll get a lot more results this way, and you’ll be
happier.
You’re too enclosed in your own world.
You don’t venture out beyond your normal routine. You do the same
things, talk to the same old friends, act the same way, circle around
the same issues. It’s no wonder you stagnate. Open yourself up take active steps to grow. Get to know more people people who are driven,
positive and focused. Get new, refreshing perspectives. Read new books.
Add new blogs to your subscription. Ask for feedback on how you can
improve.
You’re not working smart.
You do the same thing over and over, even when you don’t get results.
You apply brute strength to your goals, without strategizing how you can
apply this strength more effectively. If you are not getting what you
want, it’s a signal it’s time to change what you have been doing. See
how you can do this in a different, smarter, more effective way.Look at people who have achieved the same results before, and learn from them.
Avoidance (Fear). You
avoid taking action because some of the things you have to do
intimidate you. You rather delay the process as much as possible.
Unfortunately, results are not going to come automatically from
delaying. Results come to people who pay their dues, not people who
avoid the work. The fear isn’t going to go away by waiting it out. Face
the fear and do it anyway.
You’re easily distracted. You
get distracted by things thrown in your way. Your attention gets
diverted from your goals. Your ability to stay focused is instrumental
to achieving your results. Be clear of what you want and stick to it.
Don’t let anything (or anyone) distract you. These are the obstacles the
universe sends your way to see how serious you are about getting what
you want.
You over-complicate situations.
Common among the neurotic perfectionists. If you are a neurotic
perfectionist, you blow the situation out of proportion and create this
mental image that’s so complicated that it’s no wonder you don’t get
anything done. Things are usually simpler than you think – be conscious
when you are adding unnecessarily complications for yourself.
You give up too easily.
You give up before you even get anywhere. All big goals comes with a dipping point a chasm where it seems
nothing you do is giving you results. It’s normal. This is the difference from those who deserve the goal and those who are just
taking a casual stab at it. Press on, and it’s a matter of time before you reap the fruits of your labor.
You lose sight of your goals.
You settle for less, forgetting the goals you once set. That’s bad
because then you are just stifling yourself and making do with what you
have and this isn’t who you are meant to be. You have to first
reconnect with your inner desires. If you cannot fail at all, what would
you want to do? What are your biggest hopes and dreams for your future?
What is the future you want to create for yourself? Reignite your
vision and don’t ever lose sight of it. It’s your fuel to your success.
You’re too stuck in your ways.
You insist on doing things a certain way. You don’t open yourself up to
new ideas. Guess what? You’ll remain stuck in your situation, too. Open
yourself to new methods. Experiment. You can only improve if you are
willing to try new things.
If you have noticed these 11 reasons you can easily
dismiss them just as you have created them. Your goals are in your hands you can achieve them as long as you
strive for them. Address the 11 things blocking you from your success,
and it’s a matter of time before you achieve results you seek. Get results today click here!
1. Consider the source. ABCnews.com.co (not the actual URL for ABC News),
WTOE 5 News (whose “about” page says it’s “a fantasy news website”),
and the Boston Tribune (whose “contact us” page lists only a gmail
address) are all fake news. An news story about the Obamas were buying a vacation home in Dubai, a made-up missive
that came from WhatDoesItMean.com, which describes itself as “One Of
The Top Ranked Websites In The World for New World Order, Conspiracy
Theories and Alternative News” and further says on its site that most of
what it publishes is fiction. Clearly, some of these sites do provide a “fantasy news” or satire warning, like WTOE 5, which published the bogus headline,
“Pope Francis Shocks World, Endorses Donald Trump for President,
Releases Statement.” Others aren’t so upfront, like the Boston Tribune,
which doesn’t provide any information on its mission, staff members or
physical location — further signs that maybe this site isn’t a
legitimate news organization. The site, in fact, changed its name from
Associated Media Coverage, after its work had been debunked by fact-checkingorganizations. Snopes.com, which has been writing about viral claims and online rumors since the mid-1990s, maintains a list of known fake news websites, several of which have emerged in the past two years. 2. Read beyond the headline. If a provocative headline
drew your attention, read a little further before you decide to pass
along the shocking information. Even in legitimate news stories, the
headline doesn’t always tell the whole story. But fake news,
particularly efforts to be satirical, can include several revealing
signs in the text. That abcnews.com.co story,
headlined “Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge Of Allegiance
In Schools Nationwide,” went on to quote “Fappy the Anti-Masturbation
Dolphin.” We have to assume that the many readers who asked us whether
this viral rumor was true hadn’t read the full story. 3. Check the author. Another tell-tale sign of a fake
story is often the byline. The pledge of allegiance story on
abcnews.com.co was supposedly written by “Jimmy Rustling.” Who is he?
Well, his author page claims
he is a “doctor” who won “fourteen Peabody awards and a handful of
Pulitzer Prizes.” Pretty impressive, if true. But it’s not. No one by
the name of “Rustling” has won a Pulitzer or Peabody award.
The photo accompanying Rustling’s bio is also displayed on another
bogus story on a different site, but this time under the byline “Darius Rubics.” The Dubai story was written by “Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers.” The Pope Francis story has no byline at all. 4. What’s the support? Many times these bogus stories
will cite official — or official-sounding — sources, but once you look
into it, the source doesn’t back up the claim. For instance, the Boston
Tribune site wrongly claimed that President Obama’s mother-in-law was
going to get a lifetime government pension for having babysat her
granddaughters in the White House, citing “the Civil Service Retirement
Act” and providing a link. But the link to a government benefits website doesn’t support the claim at all. The banning-the-pledge story cites the number of an actual executive
order — you can look it up. It doesn’t have anything to do with the
Pledge of Allegiance. Recently, we’ve read fake news story on the admittedly satirical site Nevada County Scooper, which wrote
that Vice President-elect Mike Pence, in a “surprise announcement,”
credited gay conversion therapy for saving his marriage. Clearly such a
“surprise announcement” would garner media coverage beyond a website
you’ve never heard of. In fact, if you Google this, the first link that
comes up is a Snopes.com article revealing that this is fake news. 5. Check the date. Some false stories aren’t completely
fake, but rather distortions of real events. These mendacious claims
can take a legitimate news story and twist what it says or even claim
that something that happened long ago is related to current events. Since Trump was elected president, alot of readers want to know if Ford had moved car production from
Mexico to Ohio, because of Trump’s election. Readers cited various blog items that quoted from and linked to a CNN Money article titled “Ford shifts truck production from Mexico to Ohio.”
But that story is from August 2015, clearly not evidence of Ford making
any move due to the outcome of the election. (A reminder again to check
the support for these claims.) One deceptive website didn’t credit CNN, but instead took CNN’s 2015 story and slapped a new headline and publication date on it,
claiming, “Since Donald Trump Won The Presidency… Ford Shifts Truck
Production From Mexico To Ohio.” Not only is that a bogus headline, but
the deception involves copyright infringement. If this Ford story sounds familiar, that’s because the CNN article has been distorted before. In October 2015, Trump wrongly boasted
that Ford had changed its plans to build new plants in Mexico, and
instead would build a plant in Ohio. Trump took credit for Ford’s
alleged change of heart and tweeted a link to a story on a blog called
Prntly.com, which cited the CNN Money story. But Ford hadn’t changed its
plans at all, and Trump deserved no credit. In fact, the CNN article was about the transfer of some pickup assembly work from Mexico to Ohio, a move that was announced
by Ford in March 2014. The plans for new plants in Mexico were still
on, Ford said. “Ford has not spoken with Mr. Trump, nor have we made any
changes to our plans,” Ford said in a statement. 6. Is this some kind of joke? Remember, there is such thing as satire. Normally, it’s clearly labeled as such, and sometimes it’s even funny. Andy Borowitz has been writing a satirical news column, the Borowitz Report, since 2001, and it has appeared in the New Yorker since 2012. But not everyone gets the jokes. We’ve fielded several questions on whether Borowitz’s work is true. Among the headlines our readers have flagged: “Putin Appears with Trump in Flurry of Swing-State Rallies” and “Trump Threatens to Skip Remaining Debates If Hillary Is There.” These were satirical columns, some indicated that
they suspected the details were far-fetched but wanted to be sure. And then there’s the more debatable forms of satire, designed to pull
one over on the reader. That “Fappy the Anti-Masturbation Dolphin”
story? That’s the work of online hoaxer Paul Horner, whose “greatest
coup,” as described by the Washington Post in 2014,
was when Fox News mentioned, as fact, a fake piece titled, “Obama uses
own money to open Muslim museum amid government shutdown.” Horner told the Post after the election that he was concerned his hoaxes aimed at Trump supporters may have helped the campaign. The posts by Horner and others — whether termed satire or simply
“fake news” — are designed to encourage clicks, and generate money for
the creator through ad revenue. Horner told the Washington Post
he makes a living off his posts. Asked why his material gets so many
views, Horner responded, “They just keep passing stuff around. Nobody
fact-checks anything anymore.” 7. Check your biases. We know this is difficult.
Confirmation bias leads people to put more stock in information that
confirms their beliefs and discount information that doesn’t. But the
next time you’re automatically appalled at some Facebook post
concerning, say, a politician you oppose, take a moment to check it out. Try this simple test: What other stories have been posted to the
“news” website that is the source of the story that just popped up in
your Facebook feed? You may be predisposed to believe that Obama bought a
house in Dubai, but how about a story on the same site that carries
this headline: “Antarctica ‘Guardians’ Retaliate Against America With Massive New Zealand Earthquake.” That, too, was written by the prolific “Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers.” We’re encouraged by some of the responses we get from readers, who —
like the ones uncertain of Borowitz’s columns — express doubt in the
outrageous, and just want to be sure their skepticism is justified. But
we are equally discouraged when we see debunked claims gain new life. 8. Consult the experts. We know you’re busy, and some
of this debunking takes time.
Between FactCheck.org, Snopes.com, the Washington Post Fact
Checker and PolitiFact.com, it’s likely at least one has already
fact-checked the latest viral claim to pop up in your news feed. FactCheck.org was among a network of independent fact-checkers who signed an open letter
to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg suggesting that Facebook “start an open
conversation on the principles that could underpin a more accurate news
ecosystem on its News Feed.” We hope that conversation happens, but news
readers themselves remain the first line of defense against fake news.
Sites like Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized how people
interact with each other, they have also forever changed how business is
done. There is a reason why social media marketing is one of the
biggest trends in business right now. When social media is done right,
it can be extremely effective, even more so than many other commonly
used advertising mediums. But what exactly is it about these social
media sites that make them such invaluable tools for businesses? Here
are some of the key characteristics of social media marketing that make
it an extremely effective resource in today’s business environment.
An extremely diverse audience. People of all ages
and from all walks of life can be found on social networks, which means
the marketing opportunities are endless. Whether you want to advertise a
product targeted for teen boys or a service intended for middle-aged
women, these networks are filled with much broader demographics than
they were just a few short years ago.
People spend a lot of time on these sites. Not only
is the number of people on social networks growing, but these same
consumers are also increasing the amount of time they spend on these
sites. Let’s face it. Tweets, newsfeeds, status updates, and mobile
uploads have become a major parts of our everyday lives. The chances of
an advertisement being noticed on Facebook, for example, have become
much greater than one being noticed on the radio or even in print.
Unique interactive opportunities. Typically,
customers don’t get a chance to directly interact with a business unless
they go into the store itself or contact customer support. With the use
of Facebook “Fan Pages” and other social networks, people now can have
direct conversations about your brand and with your business as well as
connect with people who share their similar interests. Whether it’s to
ask questions, download coupons, or upload images, interaction through
social media profiles can strengthen your organization. It’s word of
mouth marketing at its finest!
The ability to perform brand monitoring. Along with
the interactive opportunities offered by social networks, the ability
to keep track of what others are saying about your company (known as
“brand monitoring”) is a huge plus to social media advertising. Instead
of conducting complicated polls and surveys through other mediums that
are not likely to get a great response rate, you can find out what
others think about your product or service in a whole new simplified and
inexpensive way.
If you have not yet began to immerse your business into the social media world, now is the time to get started. CarlDewayneJr will provide the strategies you need to make your company a driving force in social media click here.
Reason 1: When you choose a business name you can register a trademark for, you set it up to be a successful brand.
Effective marketing means creating a unique identity—or brand—for your company. And nothing is more central to your brand identity than your business and product names. Names that are good for branding are memorable and aren't likely to be confused with competitors' names. These same sorts of names are eligible for trademark protection.
If you approach naming with federal trademark registration in mind, you will choose a unique, marketable name rather than a generic, forgettable one (like “New York Pizza"). As part of the registration process, it's advisable to conduct a thorough trademark search that will help you identify and avoid names that may cause problems because they are too similar to other brand names.
Reason 2: A trademark helps you avoid costly rebranding.
If you do your homework and choose company and product names that seem eligible for trademark protection, you reduce the chance that you'll have to rebrand your company later to avoid a lawsuit by a registered trademark owner, as Drop Anchor did. Rebranding is an expensive and time consuming process, and you lose the marketing momentum you already had.
If you file a trademark application and your federal trademark registration is approved, you have the exclusive right to use your mark nationwide on the goods or services you listed in your application. This puts you on much firmer ground if another company claims you are infringing its trademark.
Reason 3: A trademark makes it easier to expand your business.
Forming a business entity in your state gives you an exclusive right to use your business name—but only within your state. You may also have common law trademark protection because you've used your name in your business, but that protection only extends to the geographic area where the name has been used.
So while state and common law trademarks can help you protect your name locally, they aren't much help if you decide to expand. Customers may confuse your business with other similarly named ones, or a similarly named business with a federal trademark may force you to change your name or limit your operations to your original locality—even if that business started later than yours.
Registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office gives you national rights, minimizing the chance of problems when you decide to expand.
Reason 4: A trademark helps protect you from copycats and other infringers.
A registered trademark carries a legal presumption that you have a right to use your mark nationally and prevent others from using it. As Anchor Brewing Co. demonstrated, this can be a powerful tool if you feel another company is infringing your mark.
In addition, if you have a federally registered trademark, you can help prevent importation of infringing merchandise by filing your trademark with the U.S. Customs Service. Filing a U.S. trademark application also makes it easier to apply for trademark protection in foreign countries.
CorpNet offers a full range of trademark services find out how to get started click here.
How to Spend Less And Save More Recording an Album
So
you’ve decided it’s time to make an album. You’ve been playing these
songs live, you’ve recorded the demos, and people keep asking, “When is
your album coming out?” You can’t wait to get these songs tracked and
you’re ready to see all the music inside your head coming to life. And then you figure out how much it’s going to cost.
Recording
an album can get expensive. But it doesn’t have to break the bank. You
don’t have have to drop $10,000 to get a great record, if you go into
the process prepared. Knowing up front what is important to you can
help you decide what you want to spend money on, and what you can skip
to make the process cheaper.
So lets look at some things that will drastically affect the cost of your record, and how to drive those costs down.
Length of the Project
The length of the project will drastically affect your cost. 12 songs are more expensive to record than 3 songs.
You
have to be honest with yourself and your other band members about what
songs are good enough to go on an album. Make sure that your investment
of time and money is funding great songs. You want to make an album that
you are going to be proud of for years to come.
Do People Actually Want a Full-Length Album?
As
you make decisions about your upcoming project, you need to look at the
music industry as a whole. For the past 15 years, we have seen album
sales drop, and sales of singles rise. When you create an album of any
size, you invest time, money, and a lot of emotions. You need to be able
to get a return on your investment. Sometimes, recording a full length
album is a great idea. Creatively, getting to spread your wings and work
on 12 songs can be a wonderful thing that fulfills you as an artist. If
you have the time and money to record a full album and that’s what you
want to do, then go for it. But for many artists, recording a smaller
body of work now can result in a better return on your investment later.
If you have four really great songs that people absolutely love, and seven songs that are just okay. Just record those four songs. You’ll cut your cost drastically, and you’ll be giving fans the music they truly love.
Producers
You
also have to decide whether or not to work with a producer. Producers
have been a part of recorded music since its inception, and they are an
important part of the recording process. If you have a particular sound
in mind, finding a producer who specializes in your genre can be a great
way to make sure your music is comparable to what is currently
available. Working with a great producer can also bring a valuable
outside opinion on the music you will be recording.
A
producer can be one of the most expensive parts of your album. But a
great producer who understands you and your music can take your album to
new heights. Some artists love working with a producer, while other
musicians prefer to do it all themselves. You have to decide what’s
right for your music. If you have found a producer you trust, and can
afford them, I recommend you hire one.
Often
producers and sound engineers are the same person, especially for
smaller projects. This can help you cut costs while still reaping the
benefits of having a producer.
Studio or At Home
At
home recordings and DIY studios have come leaps and bounds in the past
few years. It’s now possible to make a great sounding record at home.
However, there are still costs associated with this. The equipment
needed to build a professional sounding at-home studio is still quite
expensive. If you don’t already have the tools you need at home, you may
find your initial budget gets eaten up quickly on equipment alone.
If
you are a beginner in home recording, even though your initial
investment in equipment may be higher, you could save money in the
future if you already have all the tools needed to make great music in
your living room.
Even
though it can be cheaper in the long run to record at home, studios are
still an important part of making great records. Studios have high
quality equipment, rooms that are acoustically engineered for great
sound, and either an in-house engineer, or a recommendation for an
engineer they trust. If you don’t have the patience or time to invest
learning how to make a great sounding recording at home, a studio may be
the best place for you.
Many
musicians work out a hybrid of the two. You may find your living room
isn’t the best place to record a full drum kit (and your neighbors might
hate you!) but it is the great place for tracking acoustic guitar and
aux percussion. Working out a deal to combine the best of both worlds
may cut your cost significantly.
Many
producers/engineers have a great home studio setup. They may charge you
a reduced rate to record there, or just bundle it in with the fee they
charge you initially. This can save you loads of money on studio hourly
fees and per day rates.
Ultimately tracking at home is the cheapest option. But you have to decide if that’s the best option for your music and your career.
Remember:
Although it’s definitely possible to make great music at your house,
there is still a standard of quality that you will have to meet. Even a
casual music listener can tell when something doesn’t sound the way that
they are used too. When you are deciding between recording at home or
in a studio, think ahead to how you want the album released, and what
kind of opportunities, like licensing and radio airplay, you will want
to pursue with these songs. Then make sure the quality of your recording
matches up with other songs that are being released on those platforms.
Studio Musicians
Another
costly item is studio musicians. If you are in a band, this is less of
an issue, although you still may want to hire session players for
strings or other auxiliary instruments. If you are a solo artist who
wants an album with a full band sound, this is a much bigger concern.
Every
musician charges different rates, but there is probably a “normal”
dollar amount that musicians are charging in your area. Remember, the
quality of the musicians you choose will drastically affect the quality
of the music you are recording. Shop around a little, and find the best
musicians for your project.
To
cut costs, ask a friend who is great at their instrument if they would
be willing to help you out. If you are involved in your local music
scene, collaborating with other artists can also be a cheaper
alternative to hiring studio musicians.
Post Production
Remember
that though the tracking may be finished, the project isn’t. You will
have to pay for mixing, mastering, and your disc packaging/digital
distribution. All of these things are vital steps in the recording process that you shouldn’t skip.
Mixing
might be the most important part of recording a song. No matter if you
recorded at home, in a studio, or with a producer, mixing can make or
break your record. Do some research, and find the best engineer you can
afford.
Many digital distributors and disc manufacturers like Nationwide Disc
offer mastering services at great rates. Again, this is a step that
shouldn’t be skipped if you want your recording to be the same quality
as the songs that major labels are releasing.
There
are many factors that will affect the amount of money you spend on your
new project. But with some research you can decide what you really need
to make your project exactly what you want it to be. Once you know what
you need, you can find ways to significantly cut your budget. This
applies to a record you made by yourself at home, or a fully produced
album made in the most expensive studio in town.
If
you asked a professional sound engineer or studio manager what the
number one way to save money in the studio is, they will probably tell
you to come prepared. When time is wasted, the dollars begin to add up
quickly. So how do you prepare well? We will be addressing this issue in
our next few blogs, and today we start out with something you might
have overlooked as you began studio demos.
I
know you’ve heard it before. Demos from a simple recording on your
smartphone, to a fully produced track are an important step in the
songwriting process. If you are hoping to pitch your song to another
artist, a professional demo could help you get those placements.
But
the demos we are talking about function a little differently. These are
your pre-production demos. They are for you (and your band) to get to
know your music better before you hit the studio. They are for tweaking
the songs until you get them just right, and they give studio musicians
or your band something to rehearse to. If done well, they can even
function as a scratch track in the studio, saving you time and money as
you begin the tracking process.
Creating Your Demo
In
many situations, a simple recording on a smartphone will suffice for a
demo. But to use pre-production demos to their full potential, you are
going to have to go one step further.
Your
demos don’t have to be so fantastic that you don’t actually need to go
into the studio after they’re finished. But there are a few key elements
that you will need to be able to control as you create your
pre-production demos.
You will need a
Digital Audio Workstation that will allow you to have control over
tempo, and allow you to use a MIDI keyboard or controller. There are
many different kinds of DAWs at all different price points. You just
need to find one that you are comfortable using. If you already have a
more advanced DAW like Protools, use that. Audacity is a free DAW, and
Garageband comes pre-loaded on most Macs.
If you are able, I also recommend purchasing a simple USB interface, this will allow you to hook up a MIDI Keyboard,
as well as plug in your guitar and favorite microphone. However, you
don’t have to. Most Macs and PCs have built in audio recording devices,
and Garageband will allow you to input MIDI using your computer’s
keyboard. Although it may be easier in the long run to purchase a USB
interface, you can still create a useful pre-production demo for free.
Tempo
The
exact tempo of the music can drastically alter the feel of a song. Even
just a few beats per minute (BPM) up or down can have a huge impact.
Before you record your demo, rehearse the songs with a click track. If
you’ve never used a click track before, this can be a big adjustment.
However, playing to a click track is vital for studio work. The better
you are at staying locked into the click, the smoother your recording
process will be.
As you are rehearsing,
try changing the BPM of the click, and playing the song at new tempos.
You may find your song works really well as a ballad instead of the
mid-tempo rock song you thought it was.
When
you find a tempo you think works, create a click track in your DAW and
record a simple track, guitar or keyboard and probably vocals. Have
other people listen to the song. Have your guitar player or drummer play
along with it. If they think it’s too fast or too slow, play around
with it. If you record MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) keys
as your basic track, it will be easy to adjust them to a new tempo
without re-recording. If you recorded acoustic guitar, you may need to
re-record. That’s okay. Better to spend a little time up front on these
demos than to discover halfway through tracking in an expensive studio
that the song is too slow.
Key
As
you are playing through a song, you may discover that the key you wrote
the song in is not the best key to record the song in. The ability and
range of the primary vocalist is the biggest determining factor when
choosing a key. You need to make sure your vocalist is comfortable, and
can achieve the sound you want in the key the song is written in.
It’s
also important to remember that different instruments work best in
certain keys. If you know you want to feature brass heavily on a song,
it’s best not to record that song in a key with 7 sharps. Brass players
usually feel more comfortable in flatted keys, string players feel
better in sharped keys. Keeping your instrumentation in mind while
you’re choosing a key can help you get a great finished song.
Production
Pre-production
demos are also a great place to work out auxiliary parts for your
songs. Once you determine the tempo and key, you can use your MIDI
keyboard to do some experimentation. If you think that a song needs
strings, try adding a string part with a virtual instrument. Doing some
of your production this way will allow you to communicate better with
session players, a producer, or a sound engineer.
This
is also a good time to get your lead guitarist to nail down his solo.
While you should allow for creativity to happen when you’re actually
tracking, having a plan and knowing exactly what parts you want for each
song will make your life easier when it comes time to actually record.
Save Time, Save Money
The
biggest reason that pre-production demos are important is their role in
saving you time and money as you prepare to lay down tracks. This is
true whether you use a home studio, or a professional studio.
Pre-production demos allow you to tweak your songs easily, let you play
around with sounds, tempos, and meters, and let you know exactly how the
songs is going to be structured. That way when it’s time to record, you
have a clear picture of what you want. This can be especially helpful
if you are in a band and want multiple band members to have input on the
overall direction of a song, but don’t want to spend time discussing it
in the studio. Regardless of where you are recording, saving time means
saving money and pre-production demos allow you to be prepared.
Listen, Listen, and Listen Some More
In
addition to allowing you to experiment with your songs, pre-production
demos can help with the song selection process, and deciding the order
of songs in your project. Although you might already have a good idea of
what you want, these demos can help you iron out the rough patches.
Listening to the pre-production demos and allowing other people to hear
them can give you a good idea of what songs are actually good enough to
make it on the album. After you have a good idea of what your best songs
are, you can begin to listen to them in the order you think they belong
in. This allows you to listen for any odd transitions between songs.
Pay special attention to what keys your songs are in at this phase.
Transitions between keys can greatly affect the mood of your album.
You
should also listen to how tempos are grouped. If too many slow songs
are together, the album may drag. If too many high energy songs are
paired with each other, the audience may get bored. A good way to combat
this problem is to have a non-musical friend give you their opinion.
Though they might not know exactly what is going on musically, they will
be able to listen objectively and point out some issues you may have
missed. Listening through your pre-production demos can help you solve
these potential problems before you ever get into the studio.
The
great thing about pre-production demos is that they are unfinished.
Their point is to be a continual work in progress. Let yourself have the
freedom to experiment and tweak them. If you use your demos well, you
can have better communication between band members, producers,
engineers, and session players. They can also help you to achieve a
better finished product for less money.
How
have you cut costs on albums you’ve recorded?
What part of an album do
you think artists should invest the most money into?
Let us know in the
comments below!
One note: Just
as you want to be compensated fairly for your work as an artist, your
friends, other musicians, producers, and sound engineers do to. If
people are willing to work with you for free or a reduced rate, that’s
great. But don’t short change your fellow musicians who are working just
as hard as you are to have a sustainable career in the music industry.
Every business, regardless of its size, needs killer copy to power it. From start-ups to global corporations, from customer-facing copy to
internal comms, words can dictate the success or failure of any brand in
any market. But in the digital space, where customers and competition are everywhere you look, copy takes on even greater significance. Do you find creating content a drag? Are you confused by all the conflicting advice out there? Got a feeling that your website could be getting better results? The good news is, you don’t need a background in writing to nail this copywriting lark. In fact, I have a bunch of easy, highly-actionable copywriting hacks that you can use to improve your website TODAY.
1. The 5-minute SEO copywriting trick
What’s the point in creating a great blog post if no one ever finds it? I have an incredibly simple way of optimizing every blog post on your site. It’s really quick to implement and you’ll be able to do it even if you have no previous SEO experience. This strategy revolves around understanding how Google actually works. Nowadays, when Google is working out what results to return after a
search, it will analyze all of the copy on a web page, not just the URL,
the page title or a handful of keywords. This allows Google to deliver search results that are more accurate and relevant. Let’s use a specific example. Suppose you wrote an article on how to write a screenplay. A collection of writing tips, let’s say. Now let’s pretend that someone somewhere in the world searches for ‘copywriting tips’. Is your article a good fit? No. This might seem obvious, but from Google’s point of view, how do they
know whether to show your post in a search result? Writing is writing,
isn’t it? The answer is, their algorithm has to be clever. After all, a term
like ‘writing’ could mean copywriting, screenwriting, essay writing… you
name it. So Google actually looks at all of your content before working out if it’s a good match. That means assessing everything. By looking at all of your content,
they can now tell that you’re talking about writing tips of a different
kind. And as it transpires, there’s actually something you can do in order
to grab Google’s attention – an easy way of showing Google that your
content is a good match for any relevant searches. Let’s take that previous example again. You’ve just written an article on how to write for a screenplay. Firstly, just search for something along those lines, using a sensible keyword:
Then scroll down to the bottom of the page. You’ll see a section that begins: Searches related to [original search term] So in this case, it says: Searches related to how to write a screenplay See here:
You’re now looking at actual searches that have been made and that are related to your content topic. They are searches that Google has dealt with before and that they think are similar. So why not make use of this data? Why not make life easy for Google? Weave a few of these phrases into your copy. That’s it! That’s all there is to it. Now, when Google uses semantic search to look for context, your article is metaphorically waving its arm in the air. Now, if someone searches for ‘screenwriting tips’ or various derivatives, you’ll convince Google that little bit more. It could make all the difference between being on page one or not. Between getting traffic or not. Between making money or not.
2. Spruce up your meta descriptions
Arguably, you should save your best copywriting work for your meta descriptions. For the uninitiated, that’s the copy that’s assigned to each web page, and which displays in a search result:
Why? Well, it’s basically the last chance you get to convince someone to click on your link as opposed to that of a competitor. You see, you’ve put in the hard yards by creating content. You might also have developed an effective SEO strategy too. But if you stop there, you’re playing a dangerous game. Because being on page one of a Google search only actually matters when it results in a click. If your on page one of a search and no one is visiting your website, then you’re basically throwing money down the drain. However, a neat little description could make all the difference. It could drive traffic to your site and help you generate more customers. Therefore, head into your CMS and make sure that your meta descriptions have a hook that matters to your target audience. Don’t forget that search engines tend to only display 150-160 characters. Write any more than that and your copy will likely be truncated, putting the effectiveness of your business message at risk. Look how hard this is to read and digest:
Meanwhile, compare that with this one:
It’s much more user-friendly, isn’t it? And here’s the one use for the Splash Copywriters website.
Note that they even put a phone number in their meta description so
that people can contact them without even needing to click on the link.
3. Get your design and copy working together
The funny thing about copy is that it doesn’t matter how good it is, if the visuals don’t work, the words won’t either. Great websites have design and copy working in tandem. Often, it’s such a nice user experience that you don’t even notice it. Copyblogger’s site is a great example:
Look how roomy this article feels. Here are some golden rules for digital design and copy:
Don’t be afraid of white space.
Choose a nice, large, readable font.
Be careful when wrapping copy around images.
Never stretch a font.
Only justify your text to the left.
Don’t use too many different colours.
And for a quick win, watch out for hanging words. This is where one word of a sentence gets pushed down to a new line. Note that even Copyblogger isn’t perfect. There’s a hanging word in the image above – the word ‘am’ is completely isolated. It might seem like nothing, but it looks sloppy, it’s jarring to the
eye and really breaks up the rhythm for the reader. When that happens we
have a tendency to skip over the word in question. That could be costly if that last word carries crucial importance imagine if someone switches off before they truly absorb a price or a
particular concept. If we all scan web pages for words and headings that stand out, it’s
important to give all our words the best chance of getting seen. Here’s another example:
The overall point is this: We all know that people only read 20% of words on a web page. What’s more, research tells us that’s pretty much a best-case scenario. Ultimately, the more barriers we put in front of a reader, the less words get read.
4. Save your best stuff for your most valuable pages
Time is short and you’ve got plenty to do. I understand that not
every one has the capacity to spend ages fine-tuning their business
copy. As a compromise, just make sure your copy is spot on for your website pages that get the most action. It’s pretty easy to see the top pages on your website. Log in to your Google Analytics account and click on ‘Behaviour’ to expand it. It’s one of the options in the menu on the left:
Then expand ‘Site Content’:
Just select ‘All Pages’ to bring up your top 10 most visited web pages:
5. Make your ‘about us’ page about them
Your ‘about us’ page is one of the most important pages on your site.
This is because, as the old adage goes, people buy from people. This web page is your chance to reveal who is behind your brand. You
can have the sharpest sales copy, the prettiest logo and the most
valuable product in the world, but one thing will always be true: Your ‘about us’ page can transform your bottom line if you use it correctly. Here are a few pointers:
Use words that will connect with people on an emotional level.
Talk about obstacles that you’ve overcome that will be relevant to your target audience.
Try and steer clear of empty platitudes. Every company should care
about their customers and deliver good service. It should be a given.
Think about what’s really important. You might be proud if your
company is 100 years old, but really it doesn’t matter to most people.
Unless it’s completely inappropriate in your particular niche, use an informal, chatty style.
Photos are always good. It’s reassuring to put a face to a name. It shows that you’re not hiding before a keyboard.
6. Use the problem and declaration (PAD) intro
When writing blog posts, many people have trouble getting started. What angle should you take? Are there any rules to follow? Meanwhile, others get started and structure their posts in a very formulaic way, which doesn’t make for an engaging read. I’ve found that the most entertaining and popular blogs all have a very clear framework. It’s a two-part framework that’s very simple, but really effective as far as engagement is concerned. They usually start by illustrating a problem. Here’s an example from a recent blog post on the Kissmetrics site:
This approach immediately forms a bond with the reader. The author is saying that that they know there’s a problem. I really like the use of the word ‘slog’ too, as it conveys a feeling
of hardship. It’s nice and subtle, yet the author is inferring that
help is on its way. After stating the problem, then it’s time to make the declaration.
This is when you should tell the reader that you’re going to help them. No details at this stage, but just some reassuring copy, preferably with some teasers thrown in. The aforementioned post does a decent job:
I’d prefer it if the copy was a little more direct. In other words,
spell it out for the reader a little more and say “I’m going to help
you”. But I like the two questions. “What if there were a shortcut” implies there is one. It piques our interest. “Wouldn’t you want to know how” has an obvious answer, but it’s a
nice narrative style that’s easy to read and, more importantly, keeps us
reading.
7. Come to grips with human psychology
Understanding what makes people tick is key to getting great results from your copy. This is a huge subject area, so I’d really recommend starting off by watching the video below. In it, speaker Simon Sinek talks about how people don’t “buy the what”. Instead, “they buy the why”. What that means is, if you can link your product or service to an ethos, you’re more likely to enjoy a profitable business.
8. Keep your URLs short
Most bloggers overlook this, but a great SEO copywriting tip is to ensure that your URLs are nice and tidy. When it comes to URLs, it’s best to have them short and relevant. If possible, they should also contain a keyword. So instead of having: www.myblog.com/12345-678-abc-ysdf24 or: www.myblog.com/how-to-write-a-good-blog-post-from-scratch-in-15-minutes have: www.myblog.com/blogging-tips The bottom line, once again, is user experience. Can someone quickly scan your URL and know what your post is about? Then that means it’s going to sit well with Google.
9. Leverage emotion
As humans, we all experience a wide variety of emotions every day, each with a varying degree of intensity. So I’m not just talking about happiness or sadness, but also: Confusion Frustration Confidence Satisfaction And many more. In fact, we’re always feeling something, aren’t we? The key to successful marketing is to identify what emotions are important to your target audience. Create a detailed, accurate profile of your best client. Who are they? What do they like? What do they dislike? Where do they hang out? What sort of content do they like? And… … what do they want? What is your audience struggling with and how can you help? Building up a picture of both them and their pain points will help
you create more impactful copy – the sort of copy that will convince
them to take action.
10. Optimize your blog posts around a commercially valuable keyword
Picking the right keyword to focus on will prevent you from wasting a huge amount of time, effort and money. There is a big difference between selecting a keyword that generates a
lot of searches, and choosing a keyword that will actually help
increase your revenue. Let’s assume you run a digital marketing business. Consider the term ‘internet marketing’. Here are the search results:
As you can see, it gets a lot of searches – 1,900 per month, to be precise. You would think that if you ranked on page one for ‘internet
marketing’ then your phone would be ringing off the hook with customers. But would it really? Because when you analyze the situation and delve a little deeper,
someone searching for ‘internet marketing’ could be looking for free
advice. Contrast that with the results for ‘internet marketing agency’:
Now this term might only get 170 searches every month, but you can be
much more confident that a user is interested in engaging with a
business that specialises in internet marketing.
11. Always keep a business goal in mind
Don’t forget that if someone visits your website, then it’s normally for a reason. You can create the best content and generate huge amounts of traffic,
but unless those visitors are doing something when they’re on your
website then it’s all kind of pointless. Your copy must take someone on a journey. For instance, let’s consider blog posts. As we know, visitors to your website will only read 20% of the copy on a web page. So therefore, if someone does reach the end of one of your blog posts, you need to have a compelling call-to-action. You need to benefit from their presence in some way. We’re not
talking about revenue here necessarily, but perhaps an email sign-up, a
download or some sort of consultation. Regardless, have some sort of objective. And be precise. Before writing anything for your website, always ask yourself one question: What do I want to gain from this?
Get the results that will help you grow your business click here
