Which is your preferred reality TV show: Survivor, Real World, American Idol, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Big Brother, Dog Days, Starting Over, or Temptation Island? Or is it Paradise Hotel, Playing it Straight, Mad Mad House, Love Cruise, Last Comic Standing or Next Action Star? Would you prefer Road Rules, My Big Fat Fiancé, Forever Eden, Fame, Both Camp, or the longer name Beg, Borrow and Deal? How about The Apprentice, Top Model, Rebel Billionaire, Extreme Makeover, I Want a Famous Face, and Fear Factor. Consider a more bizarre list: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Queer Eye for the Straight Girl, Can You Be a Porn Star?, Wife Swap, and Murder in Small Town X. Because the list is long, I had to abridge it. (What an abridgement!) So, forgive me if I excluded your favorite.
It appears, nowadays, that everyone has a new concept for reality TV. (Next season watch out for these new shows coming your way: The Cut, Rock Star, Fire me . . . Please.) But not all new concepts make it to TV land. Some, like the dream conquests of Hannibal and Napoleon, are writ on water. For the other day while browsing the Web, I came across these "new" ideas for reality TV shows, which might never see daylight: Ultimate Reality, World's Scariest Prostitute Chases, World's Most Uneventful Videos, Middle School Blind Date, Rent-a-Cops, When Hobos Attack, Joe Heterosexual, Accountants, The Saddams, Meet my Internet Stalkers, I'm an Online Gamer. Since everyone is coming up with their own concepts for reality TV, I shan't be undone. So here are mine: Tax Evaders and My neighbors, the Terrorists.
The proliferation of reality TV shows only highlights their popularity—they are over a hundred of them running on cable alone. And their ratings are enough to make TV producers dream up more. For out of 10 most viewed television programs 5 are reality shows. Like the smash hit among reality buffs, Big Brother. But little do the many fans of these shows realize its allusion to Orwell's classic novel, 1984, where the machinery of a totalitarian state, personified by an anonymous "Big Brother," oversees the lives of its citizens. In the book spy cameras were every where—in the bathrooms, in bedrooms, and at places of work!
In the days of yore spying was the sole reserve of Intelligence agencies. Like the American CIA, the British MI6, the Israeli Mossad, and the defunct Soviet Union's KGB. Now, anyone who has the right tools and a little time could play "Big Brother." Like in Thailand, Asia, where peeping-Toms run amok and famous actresses and ministers are filmed having sex in their own boudoirs, and beamed live to viewers all over the country. (The Clinton / Lewinsky fiasco was sissy stuff.)
And not too long ago in Spain, a man was caught by the Spanish police for spying, and stealing people's data through their webcams. Scary? I have heard worse. Because you can also be spied upon through your computer monitor.
Paranoia appears to be necessary in today's brave new world. Because privacy is nix. Hear this from Andrew Shen, a privacy analyst at the Electronics Privacy information Center (EPIC): "Most people haven't fully grasped how everything that you see or do on the Internet is recorded and stored somewhere." Or this more harrowing remark from Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems: "You already have zero privacy—get used to it."
Yes, get over it. Because in today's knowledge obsessed world, data is priced commodity. And any organization—or individual—who wants it will. And the sad thing about this is that we most times give it away without knowing. Did you just ask how? Simple. You are the kind that likes to download lot of free stuff—music, games, softwares and what have you. But what you never knew is that you are actually paying for those programs with your personal data. Surprised? Don't be. (There is no such thing as a free lunch.) And when this data is taken and used for marketing purposes it can also be sold to a third party, who may use it for whatever it pleases.
And if you're not tricked into giving your data away, there are always insidious programs like Cookies and Trojan horses. A Cookie is a program which you sometimes download for the better viewing of certain websites. (It is a security loophole and can be used by skilled hackers and crackers to infiltrate your system.) A Trojan horse—like the fabled wooden horse which the Greeks used in infiltrating Troy—is a back door to your computer which a cracker can use whenever he or she desires to steal data. Or simply take over your computer to cause mayhem. (To discover a Trojan horse—it works invisibly—a good antivirus like Norton, MacAfee, or even Panda is required.)
They are a lot of compromised websites out there embedded with Spywares and Trojan Horses. But the problem is—it's impossible to tell a normal website from a compromised one. So what do you do? The best bet is to browse without downloading anything you don't trust. I personally prefer this advice from Bob Kane's and Bill Fingers' Batman: "Trust nobody." Because your friends' computers or emails maybe compromised without them ever knowing it. (Never open an attachment you are not expecting, even from those you know.)
With the Net and the Web came good things. Like the exchange of knowledge and ideas (a student studying micro electronics somewhere in Srilanka maybe reading the latest development in nanotechnology published by professors in MIT.) People interact today from far corners of the globe who would not have met ten years ago (a boy from South Africa chatting with a girl from the Philippines). We can download the latest music through Mp3s. We can send and receive pictures and home movie videos. But for all this freedom which the web gives we pay a price—we forfeit our privacies. Because anyone, anywhere on the Web, who is interested, can trace us. (Our digital tracts are everywhere.)
So, even if you choose to move unnoticed like a phantom by using an Anonymizer—a software which masks your identity—it's all just a means to make us feel better. Because the fact is no matter what we do on the Net, no matter how we try to conceal our movements or even use softwares to protect our privacies—Big Brother is watching us!
Val .K. is a poet, and a nature lover. A collection of his poems "Without a Name" will soon be published by AuthorHouse, U.S.A. For personal contact, send mails to: leviathandepthsreturns@yahoo.com
About the Author
Val .K. is a free lance writer, a book reviewer, a poet, and a nature lover.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Who said nothing is for free?
So many people wonder how companies can afford to give away freebies. I received 250
business cards for free the other day and my friends couldn't understand how I got so much free stuff. I said, "You just fill out a survey and they send you something." But there's much more to it than that. One of the main reasons companies give out free samples is to give customers an incentive to go to their site. Often times, users will buy additional items if they're on sale. Giving out freebies is not only a cost effective way of promotion but also can be a viral marketing strategy since most people who request the freebie tell their friends about it, who tell their friends about it, etc.
Still, giving away free offers can create a major dent in the company's budget. Some
businesses offset the price of the freebie by having sponsors. There are many ways to go about this. Many have co-registration checkmarks on the form, or request the person's e-mail address to keep them updated on new products.
It's important to keep the cost of the freebies down even if there are sponsors.
Generally, freebies are .50 cents to a dollar, but it depends on the kind of arrangement each company has with the post service. Another big reason companies offer free samples is to get return customers. Giving away freebies is a great way to generate trial and awareness. Obviously, if a user receives a product in the mail, tries it, and likes it, they're going to probably buy it next time they see it in the grocery store or online.
Normally companies expect 10 percent of consumers to redeem a coupon. For freebies,
the request or return rate is often higher. When asked about the kind of feedback
they get, some companies said they generally see an increase in the response rate from 5 to 50 percent. Some days there are lots of requests, and other days it's steady. It all depends on who finds out bout the freebie.
If the publisher of a large newsletter hears about an offer, a company can expect more requests than usual if they publish the offer in their newsletter. There are also other reasons or ways of offering freebies. One company, Girl Power! (health.org/gpower) is a national education campaign that was developed and supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They are able to give free materials because the government recognizes that those items are good for the health of the people in America. There are a lot of other U.S. Government organizations that provide free materials.
Lastly, most companies that give away freebies don't anticipate the high response
rate that they receive; therefore a lot of times they can't afford to give away all of their freebies. Freebie hunters can help this by only requesting freebies they are really interested in. Also, freebie hunters use unethical practices such as giving out wrong e-mail addresses, or other information which is what helps the marketer afford to give out freebies. If you don't want to be added to someone's mailing list, then don't request the freebie.
About the Author
Nicole Seekely is the publisher of The Panda Pages weekly e-zine. You can contact her at gymaholic7@pandapages.f2s.com Also, visit her website at http://www.pandapages.f2s.com for freebies, cool sites, and more. To
subscribe to her e-zine send an e-mail to gymaholic7@pandapages.f2s.co
business cards for free the other day and my friends couldn't understand how I got so much free stuff. I said, "You just fill out a survey and they send you something." But there's much more to it than that. One of the main reasons companies give out free samples is to give customers an incentive to go to their site. Often times, users will buy additional items if they're on sale. Giving out freebies is not only a cost effective way of promotion but also can be a viral marketing strategy since most people who request the freebie tell their friends about it, who tell their friends about it, etc.
Still, giving away free offers can create a major dent in the company's budget. Some
businesses offset the price of the freebie by having sponsors. There are many ways to go about this. Many have co-registration checkmarks on the form, or request the person's e-mail address to keep them updated on new products.
It's important to keep the cost of the freebies down even if there are sponsors.
Generally, freebies are .50 cents to a dollar, but it depends on the kind of arrangement each company has with the post service. Another big reason companies offer free samples is to get return customers. Giving away freebies is a great way to generate trial and awareness. Obviously, if a user receives a product in the mail, tries it, and likes it, they're going to probably buy it next time they see it in the grocery store or online.
Normally companies expect 10 percent of consumers to redeem a coupon. For freebies,
the request or return rate is often higher. When asked about the kind of feedback
they get, some companies said they generally see an increase in the response rate from 5 to 50 percent. Some days there are lots of requests, and other days it's steady. It all depends on who finds out bout the freebie.
If the publisher of a large newsletter hears about an offer, a company can expect more requests than usual if they publish the offer in their newsletter. There are also other reasons or ways of offering freebies. One company, Girl Power! (health.org/gpower) is a national education campaign that was developed and supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They are able to give free materials because the government recognizes that those items are good for the health of the people in America. There are a lot of other U.S. Government organizations that provide free materials.
Lastly, most companies that give away freebies don't anticipate the high response
rate that they receive; therefore a lot of times they can't afford to give away all of their freebies. Freebie hunters can help this by only requesting freebies they are really interested in. Also, freebie hunters use unethical practices such as giving out wrong e-mail addresses, or other information which is what helps the marketer afford to give out freebies. If you don't want to be added to someone's mailing list, then don't request the freebie.
About the Author
Nicole Seekely is the publisher of The Panda Pages weekly e-zine. You can contact her at gymaholic7@pandapages.f2s.com Also, visit her website at http://www.pandapages.f2s.com for freebies, cool sites, and more. To
subscribe to her e-zine send an e-mail to gymaholic7@pandapages.f2s.co
Why And How To Get Published
1. Why get your words and ideas published:
This is how you develop share of mind. This is how you create name recognition. This is how you generate credibility as an expert in your field. This is how you make your phone ring for possible speaking gigs.
This is how you establish and perpetuate your market position. This is how you get to have the thrill of causing prospects to discover you–and call you regarding your services and your products. And this is how you inspire referrals.
Plus this: Your published articles document your position and your mastery in your field. They are better than any brochure. Your prospects start to feel they've seen your name somewhere. You must be a somebody!
And–reprints of your articles may be used in your promo kit forever. More than that, because you always retain the copyright to each article, you can get them published over and over again for as long as you like. (The publication gets first rights only.)
In addition–you can keep every article in your computer and customize them for various markets endlessly. You cast the words for that market. You include their jargon, make references to examples from their industry, personalize each with quotes from known leaders in each industry.
2. What to always include:
You always include offers to send the reader more information. Important, crucial, vital and alluring stuff there's no room for in the article. For example, copies of your Special Reports. �The 10 best ways to...� �The 7 actions that...� �3 Strategies That Always...� �The 7 steps to...� �What never to do when...�
The titles of your free stuff are to be grabbers. Seductive, exciting, must-have. Make them so engaging that reader can't resist desiring them. Now. So enticing that reader gets out of that comfortable chair at home, backs the car out of the garage and drives in the dark of night through a raging blizzard to the post office to mail you their request.
People love it when you amplify, quantify, and simplify. And when it's free for the asking. You offer to send this material by regular mail and not,.by e-mail. That's how you capture correct spelling of reader's name and address, and often the phone number–as well as other insights.
You may choose to ask for a stamped, self-addressed #10 envelope. This makes it harder for reader to get your precious pearls. You do this to put off the free loaders who aren't prospects anyway.
You may ask only that reader phones you. Let your experience guide you on this.
3. Where to place your offer:
Here's a nugget to burn into your consciousness: Bury your offer deep inside a paragraph near the end of your article. Why? Reader then has direct access to you even if editor does not permit a callout box.
4. How to get published:
You may self-publish. (I continue to do this.) You write a Paper. A Study. A Report. A Special Report. Call it what you will. Produce it on your computer. Be sure to use the spell-check feature. Punctuate with care. Most of us need an editor to review our work. I'm an excellent writer-editor. And I have 2 editors. They spot the glitches I miss. They clean up my prose.
5. You may get published in journals, newspapers, magazines, newsletters as well as in corporate and association in-house publications. These may be local, regional, national, or international.
Here are real examples: Tony Alessandra gets over a hundred articles in print every month. Most are in professional and trade publications only read by those in that field. Tony actually has a full-time staffer who does nothing except get articles placed.
His same articles, with minor edits and appropriate industry jargon included, are published again and again. You can do this, too.
Marjorie Brody is another fine speaker who gets herself a lot of print by relentlessly submitting articles to editors hungry for whatever serves the interests of their readers.
Phone the editors of publications read by decision-makers who can hire you to speak or train or consult. Tell the editor you're an expert writer and researcher. Do not reveal that you are a speaker, not yet.
Ask for a couple of back issues of the publication. Ask what their preferred number of words is. Ask about any editorial bias.
In particular, ask what issues are hot in that industry. Ask what gaps in editorial coverage need to be filled. Say you're more than willing to do what it takes to unearth valuable insights readers will treasure.
When you read those back issues, pay special attention to the writing style. Some publications only print what is in their preferred style. Many publications accept only what fits their ideas of format, style and slant.
Some will not pay you at all. This is OK if your aim is simply to be in print as much as possible. (Tony and Marjorie have no interest in being paid. They want the exposure and the recognition as experts in their respective fields.)
And some publications will give you an ad or at the minimum, a complimentary subscription. If they give you an ad, you can promote your books and tapes.
Further, some publications have reprint budgets. When they won't pay you, you can request a quantity of reprints of your article on heavy glossy stock. Ask for 1000 reprints. Their only cost is the paper and a few minutes of press time. Your value is substantial because you can send out samples of your article for many years as part of your promo kit.
If you're asked to send samples of what you've written, send a cover letter on your letterhead. Be sure everything in the envelope is professional and that it adds to your credibility as the expert you say you are.
Another touch of spin you can employ is a subhead under your article title, from the forthcoming book, (name of book). This adds prestige to your name. It also gives you a worthy target–to actually write the book, article by article. (That's not such a bad idea!)
6. Always request a callout. This is a little box with your access information, street address, City, State, District or Province, Postal Code, country, as well as your e-mail and www addresses. You may not get all you ask for– and if you don't ask, you definitely won't get any of this
7. Always request a head shot. This is a small professionally posed photo of your head and maybe your upper chest. Many editors won't provide this. Some will. You have nothing to lose by asking.
8. When an editor likes your style and you get 2 or 3 articles in that publication, recommend that you do a column every month for that publication. Jeffrey Gitomer now is a regular columnist in 60 or 70 business journals all over the USA.
Jeffrey told me he endured rejection after rejection for years before he finally hit. For samples of his columns, get his book, The Sales Bible.
He also told me how he merchandises and generates more value from his articles. He sends reprints to prospects and clients, frames and laminates
his reprints for the office wall, includes reprints in his ads, and in his direct mail pieces.
9. Consider a letter to the editor: Present your thoughtful rebuttal to views expressed by another expert. Be literate and make sense.
(Sending enough of these is like throwing mud at a barn wall. Some of it will stick.) Some of your letters will be published.
People read these letters. Thus, they get to know who you are. Hold your letters to not over 125-160 words. Start with a summary of your views. include some evidence. Stick to the point and the facts. Send them by e-mail or fax. Include your full name and address.
Burt Dubin, a 20 year veteran of the business of speaking, coaches and mentors speakers and wanna-be's world-wide. Burt works with people who want to be speakers and with speakers who want to be masters. The words of his clients, the admiration and respect expressed for his work by some of the world's most successful speakers, testify to the values he delivers. For samples of his wisdom, simply go to his web-site, http://www.SpeakingBizSuccess.com. Down-load some of the 12 FREE articles and 20 FREE newsletters.
Burt Dubin, 1 Speaking Success Road, Kingman, Arizona 86402-6543, USA. Phone 800-321-1225. Fax 928-753-7554. mailto: burt@SpeakingBizSuccess.com
� Copyright 2002 Burt Dubin
This is how you develop share of mind. This is how you create name recognition. This is how you generate credibility as an expert in your field. This is how you make your phone ring for possible speaking gigs.
This is how you establish and perpetuate your market position. This is how you get to have the thrill of causing prospects to discover you–and call you regarding your services and your products. And this is how you inspire referrals.
Plus this: Your published articles document your position and your mastery in your field. They are better than any brochure. Your prospects start to feel they've seen your name somewhere. You must be a somebody!
And–reprints of your articles may be used in your promo kit forever. More than that, because you always retain the copyright to each article, you can get them published over and over again for as long as you like. (The publication gets first rights only.)
In addition–you can keep every article in your computer and customize them for various markets endlessly. You cast the words for that market. You include their jargon, make references to examples from their industry, personalize each with quotes from known leaders in each industry.
2. What to always include:
You always include offers to send the reader more information. Important, crucial, vital and alluring stuff there's no room for in the article. For example, copies of your Special Reports. �The 10 best ways to...� �The 7 actions that...� �3 Strategies That Always...� �The 7 steps to...� �What never to do when...�
The titles of your free stuff are to be grabbers. Seductive, exciting, must-have. Make them so engaging that reader can't resist desiring them. Now. So enticing that reader gets out of that comfortable chair at home, backs the car out of the garage and drives in the dark of night through a raging blizzard to the post office to mail you their request.
People love it when you amplify, quantify, and simplify. And when it's free for the asking. You offer to send this material by regular mail and not,.by e-mail. That's how you capture correct spelling of reader's name and address, and often the phone number–as well as other insights.
You may choose to ask for a stamped, self-addressed #10 envelope. This makes it harder for reader to get your precious pearls. You do this to put off the free loaders who aren't prospects anyway.
You may ask only that reader phones you. Let your experience guide you on this.
3. Where to place your offer:
Here's a nugget to burn into your consciousness: Bury your offer deep inside a paragraph near the end of your article. Why? Reader then has direct access to you even if editor does not permit a callout box.
4. How to get published:
You may self-publish. (I continue to do this.) You write a Paper. A Study. A Report. A Special Report. Call it what you will. Produce it on your computer. Be sure to use the spell-check feature. Punctuate with care. Most of us need an editor to review our work. I'm an excellent writer-editor. And I have 2 editors. They spot the glitches I miss. They clean up my prose.
5. You may get published in journals, newspapers, magazines, newsletters as well as in corporate and association in-house publications. These may be local, regional, national, or international.
Here are real examples: Tony Alessandra gets over a hundred articles in print every month. Most are in professional and trade publications only read by those in that field. Tony actually has a full-time staffer who does nothing except get articles placed.
His same articles, with minor edits and appropriate industry jargon included, are published again and again. You can do this, too.
Marjorie Brody is another fine speaker who gets herself a lot of print by relentlessly submitting articles to editors hungry for whatever serves the interests of their readers.
Phone the editors of publications read by decision-makers who can hire you to speak or train or consult. Tell the editor you're an expert writer and researcher. Do not reveal that you are a speaker, not yet.
Ask for a couple of back issues of the publication. Ask what their preferred number of words is. Ask about any editorial bias.
In particular, ask what issues are hot in that industry. Ask what gaps in editorial coverage need to be filled. Say you're more than willing to do what it takes to unearth valuable insights readers will treasure.
When you read those back issues, pay special attention to the writing style. Some publications only print what is in their preferred style. Many publications accept only what fits their ideas of format, style and slant.
Some will not pay you at all. This is OK if your aim is simply to be in print as much as possible. (Tony and Marjorie have no interest in being paid. They want the exposure and the recognition as experts in their respective fields.)
And some publications will give you an ad or at the minimum, a complimentary subscription. If they give you an ad, you can promote your books and tapes.
Further, some publications have reprint budgets. When they won't pay you, you can request a quantity of reprints of your article on heavy glossy stock. Ask for 1000 reprints. Their only cost is the paper and a few minutes of press time. Your value is substantial because you can send out samples of your article for many years as part of your promo kit.
If you're asked to send samples of what you've written, send a cover letter on your letterhead. Be sure everything in the envelope is professional and that it adds to your credibility as the expert you say you are.
Another touch of spin you can employ is a subhead under your article title, from the forthcoming book, (name of book). This adds prestige to your name. It also gives you a worthy target–to actually write the book, article by article. (That's not such a bad idea!)
6. Always request a callout. This is a little box with your access information, street address, City, State, District or Province, Postal Code, country, as well as your e-mail and www addresses. You may not get all you ask for– and if you don't ask, you definitely won't get any of this
7. Always request a head shot. This is a small professionally posed photo of your head and maybe your upper chest. Many editors won't provide this. Some will. You have nothing to lose by asking.
8. When an editor likes your style and you get 2 or 3 articles in that publication, recommend that you do a column every month for that publication. Jeffrey Gitomer now is a regular columnist in 60 or 70 business journals all over the USA.
Jeffrey told me he endured rejection after rejection for years before he finally hit. For samples of his columns, get his book, The Sales Bible.
He also told me how he merchandises and generates more value from his articles. He sends reprints to prospects and clients, frames and laminates
his reprints for the office wall, includes reprints in his ads, and in his direct mail pieces.
9. Consider a letter to the editor: Present your thoughtful rebuttal to views expressed by another expert. Be literate and make sense.
(Sending enough of these is like throwing mud at a barn wall. Some of it will stick.) Some of your letters will be published.
People read these letters. Thus, they get to know who you are. Hold your letters to not over 125-160 words. Start with a summary of your views. include some evidence. Stick to the point and the facts. Send them by e-mail or fax. Include your full name and address.
Burt Dubin, a 20 year veteran of the business of speaking, coaches and mentors speakers and wanna-be's world-wide. Burt works with people who want to be speakers and with speakers who want to be masters. The words of his clients, the admiration and respect expressed for his work by some of the world's most successful speakers, testify to the values he delivers. For samples of his wisdom, simply go to his web-site, http://www.SpeakingBizSuccess.com. Down-load some of the 12 FREE articles and 20 FREE newsletters.
Burt Dubin, 1 Speaking Success Road, Kingman, Arizona 86402-6543, USA. Phone 800-321-1225. Fax 928-753-7554. mailto: burt@SpeakingBizSuccess.com
� Copyright 2002 Burt Dubin
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