Adam Ginsberg launches ShortenMe.net - another addition to the long list or URL shortening websites.  What is ShortenMe.net anyway?  ShortenMe.net is a URL shortener.  URL shorteners transform ugly, long URLs into short ones that you can email without fear of them breaking - or include in Twitter tweets without using up too many characters.

What the headings mean

• URL length shows how many characters (including the http:// at the front) the shortened URL generated for this site’s homepage was. The first figure is the base length (EG http://shortenme.net/ is 20 characters), the second number is the short code generated (this can vary from 4 to 6 characters at most services - popular services have used up all the 4-character ones already, so it might be good to start using a new service!  The result is that you can expect ShortenMe.net to change to 20+5 if this post is very popular!), and the final number is the total.
• Custom name - whether you can choose your own memorable short-code or not (rather than the random string of letters automatically generated). Not all services offer this feature
  .

It simple and easy to use.  For example, if I wanted to promote something at AdamGinsbergBlog.com I might use ShortenMe.net reduce the number of characters in the URL.  If you wanted to promote an Adam Ginsberg affiliate offer - or any affiliate offer for that matter, you could use a URL shortening service like ShortenMe.net to “mask” and shorten your affiliate link.

I purchased this service for 2 reasons.  First, I thought it would be cool to own a shortening website.  And, secondly I really liked the name.

So, try it out today and see how it works.  Go there now and have fun!

ShortenMe.net

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Starting September 1st 2009 for all new publishers and October 1st for all existing publishers, eBay Partner Network will start paying for clicks sent to eBay sites. The price paid will depend on the traffic’s quality — the more incremental revenue the traffic generates for eBay, the higher the amount paid per click.

This new program is called Quality Click Pricing

With Quality Click Pricing, eBay will pay publishers for clicks sent to eBay sites and the amount paid per click (EPC) on a daily basis will depend on the traffic’s quality. The quality of traffic will be assessed using a number of different factors, including revenue from sales and the long term value of new users, as today, but also eBay advertising and PayPal revenue and other user behavior factors. Essentially, the more incremental revenue your traffic generates for eBay, the more you’ll be paid per click.

The key is “quality traffic” - and if you can make this happen you will have massive opportunities to take advantage of the new eBay affiliate program payouts!

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Although YouTube is one of the most visited sites on the web and is the clear leader in web-based video sharing, it still has a bit of an image problem with business professionals.  When most people think of YouTube, they think of funny homemade videos or video clips from favorite bands or TV shows.  They don’t always think of YouTube as a solid marketing platform suitable for a variety of businesses.  Some even argue that YouTube isn’t a true social networking site, depending on how strict their definition of the term is.

Properly used, YouTube can be a wildly successful promotional vehicle for savvy marketers who know how to use the web to build their brand and connect with their audience.

YouTube’s popularity is a clear sign that users love the visual impact that today’s broadband access and advancing technology provide.

Founded in February 2005 and purchased by Google in November 2006, YouTube has become a web phenomenon and a household name in only a few years’ time.  in 2008 more than 90 million viewers watched 3.5 billion videos on YouTube, averaging 41.6 videos per viewer.  In just the last 12 months YouTube has experienced tremendous growth that demonstrates the numerous marketing opportunities that this communiation medium can provide.  It has announced partnerships with the BBC, CBS Sports, and Apple; released localized sites in Brazil, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK; and premeired its first international film competition, Project Direct, with works from filmmakers around the world.

YouTube was also a major player in influencing the 2008 presidential election with the YouTube You Choose ‘08 channel that enabled candidates to communicate directly with the voters.

YouTube clearly has a lot to offer savvy marketers, even those who don’t work for major corporations.  Steve, for example, is an up-and-coming musician trying to gain some exposure for his new band.  He’s heard that some youTube videos for popular artists and movies have received hundreds of thousands of views in a matter of days.  Steve would be happy with a fraction of this type of exposure.  He signs up for a YouTube account, gets his own channel and posts some of the band’s video clips and tour information.  To generate further buzz, he uses YouTube email and bulletins to spread the word, posts video responses to the videos of related artists and joins relevant YouTube groups.

Jennifer, the author of a new book, would like to use YouTube to promote the book with a book trailer.  With the help of her husband she creates a slick 3 minute video that’s designed to captivate the attention of viewers and encourage them to buy her book.  She posts her video to YouTube, tags it with the most appropriate keywords, and embeds the video on her blog and website.  In an effort to get even broader overage for her book, Jennifer also posts her video on teh other Video-sharing sites such as MSN Video, Google Video, Revver and Daily Motion.

In addition to the exposure it provides, one of the biggest advantages of YouTube marketing is that it’s free.  At no cost, YouTube enables you to:

• Host your videos, including movie trailers, book trailers, TV video clips, music video clips, software demos, presentation clips, political statements, instructional videos, and more.
• Promote your videos to a worldwide audience of millions of potential viewers.
• Create your own branded link. For example, check out Adam Ginsberg You Tube Videos
• Tap the power of social networking by allowing users to comment on and share your videos

Tag your videos with keywords that help your target audience

Even if you don’t have video content to post on YouTube, you can still benefit from its vast audience.  youTube also offers advertising opportunities for companies with an initial budget of at least $25,000 who want to target its demographics.  YouTube advertising options include:

• Display advertising, including skyscraper, leaderboard, large rectangle, and small rectangle banners.
• Custom brand channels
• Contests that encourage involvement and interactivity.

As of May, 2009, YouTube users were 54 percent male and 46 percent female.  Age ranges were spread rather evenly across all ages.  Note: twenty-one percent of YouTube visitors are over the age of 55.

YouTube can be serious business, and when you add to it the SEO benefits of posting videos online, you understand why the savvy marketer is using online video on YouTube in 2009 and beyond!

UPDATE: At a recent Search Engine Strategies conference an SEO guru talked of the value of video for improving one’s natural search ranking, and how engaging customers will be crucial in causing users to interact with your website.  Here’s what he said:

“…In the case of video, we believe that as one of the more important engagement objects, google has actually started to build it into the algorithm.  To us, that means if your website has engagement objects on it, video or mp3… it is going to be received y the algorithm better and your site will actually have an opportunity to rank better.

Now today, we haven’t seen it much as an incidence of ranking, mostly because not everyone is doing it… I don’t think we’ve yet seen even the tip of the iceberg.

In a year, if you don’t have video, if you don’t have engagement objects on your website, you are just not going to rank.  It will make you last among equals if you don’t have it.”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “If the opposite of pro is con, is congress the opposite of progress?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “How is it possible to have a civil war?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “How do you draw a blank?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “If it’s zero degress ouside today and it’s supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “If light travels faster than sound, is that why people appear bright until they speak?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “Is there another word for synonym?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “How would we know if a word were misspelled in the dictionary?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “How do you tell when you are out of invisible ink?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “Shouldn’t there be a shorter word for monosyllabic?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “How come you press hard on the remote when you know the battery is dead?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “Why si the word abbreviated so long?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “What was the best thing before sliced bread?”

Adam Ginsberg Ponders:  “Why do we wait until a pig is dead to cure it?”

Do you have a question for Adam Ginsberg?  Ask Him Here!

PS - These were all gathered together by my amazing 12 year daughter who was creating her uniquely written camp newsletter. So, while I do ponder these thoughts, I certainly can’t take credit for making them - nor assembling them all into one place. It’s great to have awesome kids!

Use Adam Ginsberg’s Template Optimizer to make money on eBay!

In today’s difficult economic times - and when it’s more competitive than ever to sell on eBay - you must lower your costs to maximize your profits if you are going to succeed.  eBay fees are stedily increasing so it’ more important than ever to use 3rd party eBay listing tools to increase your bottom live.  With Adam Ginsberg’s Template Optimizer, you have have incredible software that is a solution, a way to create quality listings quickly and easily without draining your budget.

To be successful you must adapt and change.  You also need to do things differently then way other people might be selling on eBay.  And by automating your business you will take it to the next level which will further set you apart from other people who sell on the world’s #1 auction site.

Scheduling

Scheduling allows you to list items in advance to go live when you want them to—which can help you maximize end-of-auction bidding and spread out your listings. eBay will charge you 10 cents per listing for this convenience—and when you multiply that by several listings, the cost quickly adds up. But Template Optimizer users pay no additional fee to schedule listings. So why pay for something you can get for free? You could use the money you save to invest in new inventory.

Image hosting

Adam Ginsberg’s Template Optimizer image hosting can save you even more per listing—and help increase your profit potential. When it comes time to list new goods, you’ll want to reassure buyers that what they see is what they’ll get and Adam Ginsberg’s Template Optimizer image hosting tools can help you do this. eBay will let you post one image for free, but each additional photo will cost 15 cents. To get Supersizing, you have to pay 75 cents per listing. with a maximum of 12 pictures per listing.  You don’t have to worry about these fees with Template Optimizer—or about counting images. Adam Ginsberg’s Template Optimizer listing tools support up unlimited Supersized images per listing at no additional charge.

Professionally-designed templates

Another tool to gain customers’ trust—and save you money—is professional listing templates. Template Optimizer has hundreds of these customizable skins that will make your listings pop and add a professional touch. While eBay does offer these, they are hard to customize and come at an additional cost.  As well, they are not attractive. Template Optimizer offers hundreds of templates, so you’ll be sure to find the perfect design to suit your business. And again, you don’t pay any additional fees.

Take your online business to the next level

As you can see, Adam Ginsberg’s Template Optimizer not only makes it easier to list on eBay, it also saves you money. Are you ready to take your business to the nextl level? Be sure to check out Template Optimizer today!