Promoting your news web site online requires more due diligence than promoting a business that sells a physical product. Like the name of your site, your domain name should be unique, recognizable and something that people can easily remember. After you set up the brand and generate content, the next step is to promote the news articles and make sure they get read. One way is to promote through social media.

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter offer opportunities for readers to directly connect with web content. Create accounts on the most popular social media platforms. To syndicate your news feed on those services, there are a few prerequisites. Make sure that your news site has an RSS/Atom feed. With the RSS/Atom feed handy, create an account using the service “TwitterFeed.” Follow the instructions and link the RSS/Atom feed to your Facebook and Twitter. Every time you publish an article, it appears on Facebook and Twitter automatically.

When it’s convenient, be sure to login to your accounts and interact with readers and potential readers.

On Facebook fan pages, there’s limited personal interactivity between the page administrators and fans. Facebook appeals to more organic growth. You promote the articles on your site’s fan page and wait for people to “like” you: that’s not a formula for success. You can do more with a Facebook fan page — a lot more.

Consider running sponsored ads for your news site. This allows your site to receive exposure on user profiles of those within your targeted demographic. Facebook Ads offer businesses the opportunity to broadcast ads based on a specified age range, location and interests. You’ll also see very detailed estimates on how many people your ad will “reach.” Those estimates will come in handy when crafting a presentation for potential advertisers. Before you invest any money in Facebook Ads, consider the nature of your news site. If your news site appeals to a limited or niche demographic, you should focus instead on promoting your site for free by using Twitter and submitting your site to search engines.

Critics of the Facebook advertising program have said that Facebook ads are too discreet and not very engaging. To overcome these issues, you need to have ad copy that will emotionally invest people into reading the news on your website. Think like someone at a news desk. You need a captivating headline and concise teaser copy that brings people to you. Consider mentioning milestones for your publication (“Over two million subscribers!”) and announcing/reminding potential readers of resourceful sections (i.e. Classifieds). Your teaser copy must be clear and focused on one subject. Don’t hesitate to place advertisements that announce giveaways and contests held by your publication. Advertising a news site on Facebook will always be trial and error, but the likelihood of gaining new visitors will increase when you invest in longer ad campaigns. Continuously tweak your ad content until you find the right wording and demographic.

Your Facebook page content needs constant maintenance. You need to populate your Facebook page with news articles regularly. Be sure to interact with your readers regularly and converse with them. Human interaction is a popular social media trend for businesses. Encourage readers and viewers to not only check out your content, but also comment and get involved in other ways. For example, readers respond favorably to captivating visuals — just like they do in print publications. Readers tend to respond to photos of stunning and colorful landscapes, food photos, and timeless portraits that readers can relate to. It’s preferred that the visuals you upload on your Facebook page relate to articles on your website. Follow up with some text that encourages people to check out your articles and features.

Twitter takes things to the next level. The popular social media service allows news sites to interact with people directly. Take advantage of the features that Twitter has, such as the “Find People” option. If you have a Gmail, Yahoo or an AOL e-mail account that has contacts, use that e-mail account and Twitter will search for contacts that also have a Twitter account. Be sure to “follow” those who are already following you on Twitter. Sites like “Twellow” ( http://www.twellow.com/ ) can help you find followers based on categories. Tweet Grader ( http://tweet.grader.com ) allows you to find and follow users who live in your community. Follow members that would be interested in the news on your web site. The people you choose to follow should also have many followers and update regularly. Never think about the amount of people you follow. Always think about the type of people who you want to follow. Quality over quantity is an adage that’s welcomed on Twitter. If you focus on finding the right people — and not following a lot of people — you’ll be successful.

Connect with users who either benefit from reading the articles you publish or would be interested. For example, if you have an article that features a certain business, follow popular users that are likely to express interest in the business and their product, including the business’ Twitter account. If you have an article that covers an event, follow popular users that have a strong likelihood of posting or re-tweeting event information. Interact with these users in moderation. Imagine you’re at a bar and you overhear people talking about something that you’re interested in. The best way to jump in is to study the flow of the conversation and then take part once the opportunity to do so arises. If someone asks a question about a subject featured in one of your articles, feel free to answer them with a link. People will appreciate the friendliness as long as you’re focused on being resourceful and not promoting your news site directly. Remember, you’re trying to promote your news site — so being resourceful should be your primary goal. Once you develop a large following or subscriber base, you will no longer need to do this.

It’s important to note that message boards are good for article promotion. While message boards are now taking a backseat because of social media, they’re still very useful for generating buzz and traffic. Register accounts and take part regularly on message boards that relate to your content. It’s advised that you link to your material responsibly and sparingly. In other words, do not spam a message board with links. Only give self-serving links when there is relevance and a deficiency of information. Provide a link to your domain name in your forum signature. Also, don’t hesitate to customize your forum profile. People will be more attentive to those who have a strong, human presence. And once you feel that your site has developed a consistent, substantial amount of traffic, you won’t need to continue promoting your site on message boards.

News websites are a dime a dozen, which is why it’s so important to have quality content. No matter how you promote your news site, the goal for your news site is to have articles that are clear, engaging, thought-provoking and resourceful. When people are able to see that your news site is dynamic in design, organization and content, they will use your site as a resource. News is often considered a disposable commodity in the digital marketplace, but it takes a good content provider — with the promotional know-how — to make the news something worth reading.

Source by Aaron K Ochs

Why not start your gap year off by discovering more about the British Isles. It may not strike you as an exotic location, compared with Thailand, but knowing more about the countries closer to home will help your future employment chances. Employers love to have intelligent, curious workers who have an interest in what makes their economy, and therefore business, tick. Ireland offers a wealth of landscape, industry, history and politics as well as music and entertainment too. Here are some great tips for travelling to, and around, Ireland on your gap year.

Flying into Ireland from the UK is easy. Aer Lingus, the national carrier of the Republic operates from nine airports in the UK and nine cities across Europe. Dublin, Cork and Shannon are all only an hour from the UK and Dublin is the main airport for the Republic of Ireland. There’s a frequent bus service from the airport to the city centre so transport to your accommodation should be easy. Flights from outside of Europe are frequent, although often involving one change at a continental European airport.

The alternative method of reaching Ireland from other European destinations is by sea ferry from the UK or France. If there are a few people travelling in a car or camper van, this can be a very economical way of getting there. The high speed ferry from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Dun Leary) takes only 90 minutes. Other ferry services run from Fishguard, Pembroke and Swansea in Wales. You can also travel from France to Rosslare or Cork.

If you are planning on travelling around Ireland, then a car is a good idea. The roads can be rough and difficult to navigate in rural areas. You drive on the left in Ireland. However, if you only want to stay in Dublin, owning a car can be more of a nuisance than it is worth.

The bus service in Ireland is good value for money and runs between all major destinations. Rail is another way of travelling around, and both rail and bus networks are run by CIE. At Dublin airport you can buy prepaid, advance and discount tickets from the CIE information desk. You can also pick up maps and information too. DART is the Dublin Area Rapid Transit transport network. It covers 25 railway stations in the county. Dublin Bus (Bus Atha Cliath) is an economical way of getting around the city. There is an airport link from the city centre every 20 minutes from early morning until 11pm. You can also buy advance tickets from Dublin Bus Head Office on Upper O’Connell Street. An alternative to public transport is using specialist backpacker tours. The best known of these is Paddywagon, but they all offer slightly different packages, depending on the kind of travel experience you are looking for.

Expect to pay between £10 – £20 for a room in a hostel or dorm, depending on when you go. If you are planning on staying in Dublin for a longer period of time, think about alternatives to hostels. Be aware that short term rented accommodation is not easy to come by, and keep an eye out on noticeboards at the university or in bookshops. The situation is particularly difficult at the start of the university term in September time. Hostels in Dublin in the summer are very busy, so you will need to prebook to be sure of having somewhere to stay when you arrive.

Source by Naomi Scott

Many folks love to go sight-seeing and if you have the extra funds, you might opt for a warm tropical holiday overseas. Of course, before you start packing your bags and buying your plane tickets, make sure to plan your tropical excursion thoroughly to avoid any mishaps.

The first thing you need to consider is if there are any health risks at the moment in the country you plan to visit. Some tropical countries are prone to outbreaks of malaria, dengue fever and other tropical related diseases. Be sure to check out the Centers for Disease Control website (www.cdc.gov) for the latest health and travel news. If there are no major outbreaks, you are still advised to take the necessary injections for diseases such a hepatitis and malaria and take vitamin supplements before going on your vacation.

The other matter to think about is the visa requirements to travel to that country from your own. Some countries may restrict travel visa to no more than a month, three months or six months. Others may depend on where you’re from and may only give you one or two weeks of travel visa. You can visit the destination country’s embassy or consulate to find out about the specific visa requirements and other travel matters relating to that country. Once you have all the visa information for your destination, you can start booking your flight tickets and book your accommodations.

As you will be vacationing in a tropical country, you should bring along light cotton clothing like t-shirts, light cotton pants and sarongs. Don’t bring along too many clothes as most of these places sell nice tropical wear, usually at cheap and competitive prices. Rain, especially sudden, heavy rain is common during the monsoon season and even during the warm season so be prepared with an umbrella or two.

Sunblock and sunglasses are essential to protect your skin and eyes from the hot tropical sun. Sunblock with an SPF of at least 30, with UVA and UVB protection should be sufficient. Even if you plan to tan yourself at the beach, do use Sunblock on your face and body as you can get severely sunburned if you aren’t careful. Reapply your Sunblock every two to three hours, or every hour if you’re swimming. Pack along mosquito repellents as insects and bugs thrive in a warm climate.

Make a list of the things you need to do and bring before going off on your vacation. It is also good to read up on the country you’re visiting and the local places of interest you might tour. You can purchase travel books or read online about your destination. Some things to consider are currency used, norms and customs of the locals, mode of transportation commonly used, the local information on the town or city you’re staying in and where your own embassy is located there. Find out more about the accommodation you are staying in through their company’s website or email them for more information on facilities available, nearest hospital and transport available to and from the hotel.

To prevent yourself from being cheated on fares and such, plan on where you want to visit and what you want to do even before you get on the plane. Buying a map of the places you want to go will allow you to know travel distances between tourist attractions and how far it is from your hotel. Read reviews and tips on online forums to find out local travel fares, bargain shopping areas and travel advice. It is also beneficial to learn a few local phrases before you fly off so that you can haggle with the locals when shopping. You can learn some local lingo through phrase books or travel websites.

Plan your tropical vacation well so that you and your family or friends can have a fun, trouble-free holiday. Don’t procrastinate on your planning, it may seem tedious to do but it is essential. The important thing about any holiday is that you are safe.

Source by Lyna Murray

In your school days, you may have found, as I did, that economics really is the “dismal science”. However, I did learn one key fact. Supply and demand drive prices. For solo travel, the surcharge or “single supplement” does vary partly in keeping with this tried and true rule. The good news? If you prowl through the Internet, you can find ways to save on solo travel when demand is down. The bad news? Reduced or no single supplement offerings are limited in number and go fast.

Here are 10 ways to save.

1. Don’t ask for one room. Ask for a “room for one’. In Europe, lodging is often sold with solo pricing. Be sure to see if it is a solo price for a standard room or a small single room. Look at the size offered for single occupants. Then consider the amount of time you will spend in your room. I often take 10-12 hour day trips abroad with almost no time spent in my hotel room except to catch some sleep before heading out again.

2. Get there first. Book even one year ahead since few slots are reduced for solos. This is really important if you go in-season. Holiday resorts and hot spots in summer may have return visitors book the next year when they check out.

3. Head to the airport when everyone else is heading home. Off-season travel is the best way to get immediate 50% off reductions. In the south of France, rates go down as fast as Sept 9. Ski resorts, like the fabled Sun Valley Lodge, have specials just before Christmas. In winter and spring, European discounts can be half-price as well.

4. Get excited about rainy weather or extreme heat and cold. You will have to think how far you want to take this. I had a thrilling short term work trip one Jan. in Siberia. I also went on tour in India during the monsoons. In some cases, the negative pronouncements may not impact your trip. A good example? The risk of hurricanes each fall is less likely to touch the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) making for better pricing. In Africa, for example, safari rates are lower during the rainy or “green” season if you can get away, and don’t mind the possibility of short, heavy rains.

5. Look for new travel providers. Hotels that are just opening or reopening after renovations have specials to gain or regain market share. The Hotel Castille in Paris, for example, had short-term deep discounts when it reopened just steps from fashionable boutiques. Thereafter, the rates increased in keeping with other high-end small hotels

6. Be a contrarian. Don’t pay a premium for what’s currently trending. Prowl the Internet for undervalued regions. If it is all the rage, prices will soar. In the 1980’s, I somehow found a Montenegro resort right off the Albanian border. Since then, Sveti Stefan, where I stayed, has been updated as reflected in its 5 star pricing. The moral of the story is get there before the crowds discover a destination.

7. If you can’t pronounce it or spell it, you’ll love the prices! Substitute the road less traveled. If you have a dream to see the Parthenon you must go to Greece. (That is unless you live in North America and would like to see a perfect replica in Nashville, Tenn.!) Regional air carriers are a good way to find out great largely undiscovered places at low prices. One example: I dreamed of Tahiti in my early post-graduate days. When rates were high there, Air New Zealand suggested alternatives: Rarotonga and Aitutaki. I took them up on it and had the trip of a life time dining out on the stories for years.

8. Scour the Internet for national and regional programs offered by tourist boards. Check ahead as they may only be available abroad. One of the best deals I found in the 1990’s was with then “Lan Chile”. From the US, I purchased three stand-by tickets for a total of $200 to go anywhere in the country. At that price, I made my way to Antarctica Chile, at the end of the world!

9. Use flexible dates to grab week-day deals. Hotels and airline rates often go up and down together. Why is that? That takes us back to supply and demand. When planes and hotels have low load factors, prices are softer.

10. Share to save. Look for tours that have no single supplements by agreeing to share. The benefit to this approach? It is a way to save if your travel dates are not flexible, and no to low single supplement deals are not available.

In any case, before you give up on fitting solo travel into your budget, look at these options.

Source by Elizabeth Avery

For some countries no immunizations are necessary, but the further off the beaten track you go the more necessary it is to take precautions. Be aware that there is often a greater risk of disease with children and in pregnancy.

Leave plenty of time to get your vaccinations before you set off: some of them require an initial shot followed by a booster, and some vaccinations should not be given together. It is recommended you seek medical advice at least six weeks prior to travel.

Record all vaccinations on a International Health Certificate, which is available from your physician or government health department.

Discuss your requirements with your doctor, vaccinations which may be required include:

Cholera:

Despite its poor protection, in some situations it may be wise to have the cholera vaccine eg for the trans-Africa traveler. Very occasionally travelers are asked by immigration officials to present a certificate, even though all countries and the WHO have dropped a cholera immunisation as a health requirement. You might be able to get a certificate without having the injection from a doctor or health centre sympathetic to the vagaries of travel in Africa.

Hepatitis A:

The most common travel-acquired illness after diarrhea which can put you out of action for weeks. Havrix is a vaccination which provides long term immunity (possibly more than 10 years) after an initial injection and a booster at six to 12 months. Gamma globulin is not a vaccination but is ready-made antibody collected from blood donations. It should be given close to departure because, depending on the dose, it only protects for two to six months.

Hepatitis B:

This disease is spread by blood or by sexual activity. Travelers who should consider a hepatitis B vaccination include those visiting countries where there are known to be many carriers, where blood transfusions may not be adequately screened or where sexual contact is a possibility. It involves three injections, the quickest course being over three weeks with a booster at 12 months.

Japanese B Encephalitis:

This mosquito-borne disease is not of great risk to travelers. It occurs in Asia. Consider the vaccination if spending a month or longer in a high risk area, making repeated trips to a risk area or visiting during an epidemic. It involves three injections over 30 days. The vaccine is expensive and has been associated with serious allergic reactions so the decision to have it should be balanced against the risk of contracting the illness.

Meningococcal Meningitis – Healthy people carry this disease; it is transmitted like a cold and you can die from it within a few hours. There are many carriers and vaccination is recommended for travelers to certain parts of Asia, India, Africa and South America. It is also required of all Haj pilgrims entering Saudi Arabia. A single injection will give good protection for three years. The vaccine is not recommended for children under two years because they do not develop satisfactory immunity from it.

Polio:

Polio is a serious, easily transmitted disease, still prevalent in many developing countries. Everyone should keep up to date with this vaccination. A booster every 10 years maintains immunity.

Rabies:

Vaccination should be considered by those who will spend a month or longer in a country where rabies is common, especially if they are cycling, handling animals, caving, traveling to remote areas, or for children (who may not report a bite). Pre-travel rabies vaccination involves having three injections over 21 to 28 days. If someone who has been vaccinated is bitten or scratched by an animal they will require two booster injections of vaccine, those not vaccinated require more.

Tetanus & Diphtheria:

Tetanus can be a fatal wound infection and diphtheria can be a fatal throat infection Everyone should have these vaccinations. After an initial course of three injections, boosters are necessary every 10 years.

Tuberculosis:

TB risk to travelers is usually very low. For those who will be living with or closely associated with local people in high risk areas such as Asia, Africa and some parts of the Americas and Pacific, there may be some risk. As most healthy adults do not develop symptoms, a skin test before and after travel to determine whether exposure has occurred may be considered. A vaccination is recommended for children living in these areas for three months or more.

Typhoid:

This is an important vaccination to have where hygiene is a problem. Available either as an injection or oral capsules.

Yellow Fever:

Yellow fever is now the only vaccine which is a legal requirement for entry into many countries, usually only enforced when coming from an infected area. Protection lasts 10 years and is recommended where the disease is endemic, eg Africa and South America. You usually have to go to a special yellow fever vaccination centre. Vaccination poses some risk during pregnancy but if you must travel to a high-risk area it is advisable; note that people allergic to eggs may not be able to have this vaccine.

Before you travel discuss immunizatio with your doctor.

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Source by Gerald Crawford