The great thing about social networking is sharing a passion and finding other like-minded individuals. Lucky for book lovers (and authors), there are many sites especially designed to share the love of books. With the following sites, book lovers can discuss what they are reading now, favorite books, and even those they really couldn’t get into.

Best of all, they can get recommendations on what to read next. Here are some social networking sites especially for book lovers.

Shelfari

Shelfari allows book lovers to create a virtual bookshelf that helps log how much someone has read. Shelfari has a blog that talks about popular books, author interviews, and other popular book-related news items. There is a widget for book lovers to show what they are reading on their own blog or website.

Goodreads

Goodreads has a variety of options for book lovers. People can look up favorite book quotes, gather friends together to form a book club, and answer trivia questions related to the written word.

Library Thing

Library Thing lets users list books they have read and enjoyed like the other sites, but they also offer up books for review. Some local author events are listed as well. It is a good source for authors and readers to interact.

aNobii

aNobii is a based in Hong Kong, and encourages readers to strike up online conversations with others on the site. According to their website, the name comes from the “first few syllables of Anobium Punctatum, which is the proper name for bookworms.” Users can get help navigating the site with a “most popular” list that shows what others are discussing, as well as books that are “most buzzed.”

Like the other sites listed, aNobii allows users to rate and review books as well as find other sites that sell works by their favorite authors.

Book lovers today have plenty of options on how to chat and interact with other people who share their love of the written word. Not only that, but many authors also frequent the aforementioned sites, which provides opportunity to interact with the person behind the writing. Finding great things to read has never been so easy.

Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About 10 months ago, I listened to Gary Vaynerchuck talk about this new site called Pinterest. He was really excited about it, though at first I didn’t get it. “Get on Pinterest now!” Gary encouraged. I didn’t listen, thinking “oh, dear, not another social network!” But Pinterest has proven to be anything but another social network.

First, its growth has been extraordinary. According to several reports, including a blog post shared on Mashable, from September 2011 to December 2011, unique visitors on Pinterest increased by 429%. That kind of growth has never been seen in a social network and while it’s still early for Pinterest, we’re seeing a lot of staying power, especially with established brands like Macy’s, Land’s End and magazines such as Real Simple – which got more traffic from Pinterest in October 2011 than from Facebook.

For those of you who haven’t been on Pinterest, the concept is almost deceptively simple. You sign up for an account (there’s a waiting period right now as Pinterest tries to manage traffic and new accounts, once you sign up it should take about a week before you can get in). The site is a collection of boards, sort of like virtual bulletin boards that you name and add to your page. You can have as many boards as you want and name them whatever you want (though make sure to read through the Pinterest terms of service so you know you’re not violating any of their regulations). The boards can describe your brand, book, message, or business. We’ll look at some board ideas in a minute but for now, think bulletin board.

So, that said, how can you make the most of Pinterest? Like any social network, I recommend that you poke around, follow a few people in your industry and see what they are posting about. There are a lot of creative boards and a lot of companies using Pinterest as a unique brand extension. Check out http://pinterest.com/chobani/, they have all sorts of boards that tie into their brand including Chobani Champions, recipes, spoons, and sans yogurt which is a board about all things non-yogurt related.

Picking your Boards

* First, it’s important to come up with creative and interesting board names. Keep in mind that these board names get shared whenever someone repins you so make them catchy!

* When you first start on Pinterest, you are a completely blank slate. It’s up to you to fill your new Pinterest page with exciting boards. But where to start? Well, your business, product, message, or book will often determine the boards you put up. You should consider your audience first and what they would like to see.

Here are a few ideas:

* If you do a lot of speaking or other offline events, create a board that captures the excitement of these by posting pictures and videos. This is especially great if you have a conference or other big event you’re planning. You could put the board up early with “teaser” content to encourage sign-ups, too!

* Create a customer or reader board that has pictures and/or videos of happy customers. I often talk about capturing endorsements or reviews on video when you see someone at an event, these can be posted to this board.

* How-to boards are great as well. You can create a board (or several) around how-to’s related to your product or service.

* Company boards are great too, you can create one that showcases your company, sharing your core values, and also highlights your team.

* Thank you boards are great, too. Consider creating a thank you board for clients.

* If you’re promoting a new book, product, or campaign you can also create a board to support that. The board can have tutorials on it, or videos of the new product. It can be a combination of how-to and showcasing what you’re offering.

* Tutorials are big for our company, so we plan to offer tutorial boards to help walk our clients through how to use social media, how to continue reaping the benefits from our campaigns once they are done, etc.

* Trends and seasonal stuff make great boards, too. So don’t hesitate to create a holiday or trend board if you think your audience will be interested.

* You can also let your customers work on a board with you. Create a user-generated content board and invite customers or readers to pin away!

Marketing Ideas

* If the idea of Pinterest is still intimidating, consider the following marketing ideas for your boards:

* Videos: Pinterest loves videos. What videos can you pin to a board?

* Keywords are big on Pinterest, so be sure to think carefully about what you name your picture and what words you use in the description. You can even use hashtags on Pinterest and if you’re trying to get the attention of another Pinner, use the @ followed by their Pin-name to tag them. You can also use a dollar sign to add a “ribbon” to your pin that will immediately show pricing. This is great if you’re selling product.

* When you add your pin, don’t forget to tweet it and add it to Facebook, you can do this as soon as the pin is loaded.

* When you blog, be sure to add great pictures to your blog so that when you pin your blog post to your board, you can capture a great image. Images on Pinterest are obviously important!

* Click the “popular” link on Pinterest to see what’s hot and what’s trending. You might be able to make this part of your content strategy.

* Be sure to promote your Pinterest account on Facebook, Twitter, on your website, and in your email signature line, of course

A Few Final Points

Be sure to add a catchy description to your profile and when you’re setting up your Pinterest account, link it to your Facebook and Twitter accounts. This will help you gain followers, and add the icons to your profile page so you can direct people there, too.

Make sure to engage on Pinterest. Repin pins you love, comment on pins and since you can see pins on the site from folks you aren’t even connected with, be sure to broaden your reach when networking. You never know where the next follower will come from.

Pinterest is a fun, if not highly addictive way to start marketing. Still not sure what to do on Pinterest? Then get started by following others in your industry and get a sense of what they’re doing. While the future of Pinterest is still uncertain, one thing we know for sure. The site has grown at rates that no one expected and continues to do so. It’s been the quickest site to monetize (to give you perspective, it took Twitter five years to monetize) and has already become a staple for many businesses.

Happy Pinning!

Other boards we love:

http://pinterest.com/societysocial/
http://pinterest.com/pulpwoodqueen/

Reprinted from “The Book Marketing Expert newsletter,” a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

More on Pinterest:

• The Ultimate Guide To Marketing Your Business With Pinterest (Internet Marketing, Social Media for Profit, Web 2.0, Web Marketing)
• Pinterest For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
• Pinterest Marketing Bible: The Definitive Guide to Marketing Your Brand and Products on Pinterest (Volume 1)

Freelance writing is a career that can be difficult to get into initially, and even harder to maintain an income. After all, it is filled with rejections and uncertainty. Even the most experienced of freelancers can get frustrated by the continual search for work and dealing with client’s objections.

As with every other area of life, attitude is everything with freelancing. How can freelancers keep motivated to continue? Here are some thoughts.

Writer’s Groups Can Help Freelancers Stay Upbeat and Positive

Writers typically work alone, so having other likeminded people around to understand and support you is an important part of succeeding as a freelancer. If you’re not able to hang out with writers face-to-face, an online forum can work just as well. A search for “writers” on Facebook can help you find groups that can also lend support.

The key to being successful in a writer’s group or forum is to listen and provide support for others. The more genuine a friend you are to other writers, the more support you will receive in return. This is something that can’t be faked, so take some time to get to know your fellow writers in order to reap the benefits of their understanding and advice.

Learn How to Work More Efficiently as a Freelancer

When you write for multiple blogs, clients, or assignments, you can quickly get overwhelmed. Organizing your day is a crucial part of the freelance life and can help you remain motivated to accomplish your writing goals. To make better use of your time, learn to write in chunks.

For example, rather than writing a blog entry, posting a link to Facebook, and then checking email simultaneously, opt to write three or four blog entries at once. Try and post ahead to the extent that you can. You’ll actually take less time to write three quick posts than you will continually going back and forth each time you have an assignment or idea.

Email can also derail your time, so only check it once or twice a day, as opposed to having it open throughout. This way you can quickly respond to items or delete them, saving yourself time. Doing this will help you feel more in control of your day and more motivated to get your work done.

Avoid Taking Lower Freelance Writing Jobs

Nothing is more frustrating than working all day and having little income to show for it. Writing large quantities of articles each and every day can quickly leave you feeling unmotivated. To avoid this, search for the highest paying jobs you can find. If you need to take a break and get a part time job for awhile, it is better than giving up freelance work entirely. You’ll keep up your motivation to get better freelance gigs and not settle for something that pay peanuts.

Find Clients You Enjoy Working With

Difficult and demanding clients can push your patience to the limit, especially if they pay slowly or require rework. Always reevaluate your client list so when you do add new people you can end a few poor client relationships. Any time you take a new job, look through the work you currently have to make sure you have the clients and work assignments that make you happy.

Take Time Away from Work

This one is a hard thing to do. I certainly need to learn to be better at it. If you’re like me, you have a tendency to log long hours, especially when you work in a telecommute arrangement. It’s important to take breaks throughout the day. Take a quick break every hour where you get up, stretch your legs, and allow your body to move. Focus your vision on something else besides a computer for a few minutes and allow your mind to wander.

Being a freelancer gives you freedom of choice in assignments and work schedule. However, the freelance life can also leave you feeling tired and unmotivated at times. Realize that this feeling is natural and with some of the suggestions above, you can better deal with the ebbs and flows of the freelance life.

More on Freelance Writing:

• Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer (Second Edition)
• The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less
• Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments

Image: tungphoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Do you do a lot of interviews? I’ve done one or two (or 200) myself, and I’ve been interviewed by others numerous times also. Interviewing is definitely an art, and like most things in life, the more someone does it the better they generally get at the process. To start off on the right foot, there are a few things to keep in mind to make the interview the very best it can be.

Doing interviews is one way to get backlinks for a blog or website, and it’s also a good way to support other writers. They key in doing a good interview is to find out more about the subject before asking questions. The more an interviewer knows about his or her subject matter, the more natural (and at the same time, revealing) the interview will come off.

Make the Interview Subject Comfortable

It’s okay to use a method that the interviewer likes, but if the subject balks at having to email responses or prefers not to be taped for a phone conversation, it’s best to work with them. Putting an interviewee in a comfortable position mentally will help him answer questions more easily.

Now, at the same time, if you’re on the flip side of this (meaning that you’re the one being interviewed), you should be flexible. Don’t balk if someone wants to interview you live or via email. Granted, they should do everything in their power to make you feel comfortable, but if they want to do an email interview, don’t get all dramatic and tell them you just can’t. There are always ways to come to an understanding with someone.

Provide Questions Ahead of Time

It’s a good idea to give the questions to the interviewee ahead of time. In fact, before requesting an interview, the writer should be prepared to tell the subject a general idea of what the questions will be like. This is true even if you have not started writing the questions yet. No one likes to be caught off-guard.

Ask Original Questions

There’s nothing worse than repeatedly answering the same questions over and over in every interview. Interview subjects, especially if they are popular, will appreciate questions that make them think differently. With a little creative thinking, you can come up with questions from a different angle, which will make the end result much more interesting for the interview subject and the reader.

Investigating Without Leading

You may be in awe of the person you’re interviewing, but it’s important to keep the tone and presentation professional. It’s okay to tell the person how much their work is admired, but don’t go on and on to the point where the subject actually gets annoyed.

Throughout any interview, you should think about what types of information your readers would most enjoy hearing about, and conduct the questions keeping that thought in mind.

At the end, thank your interviewee and be sure to promote the interview.

More on How to Interview:

• The Craft of Interviewing
• The Art of the Interview: Lessons from a Master of the Craft
• 1001 Solution-Focused Questions: Handbook for Solution-Focused Interviewing (A Norton Professional Book)

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guest post by David Trenbath

Ever since writing was invented, people have been finding new ways to make a writing material which is easier and cheaper to use other than parchment or papyrus. Did you know this….paper wasn’t invented until some 3000 years after the invention of writing itself!

Chinese

We can trace the start of paper making back to the Chinese around 100 BC. During the Han Dynasty in 105 AD a man named Ts’ai Lun, began developing paper on an industrial scale. It appears that Ts’ai Lun developed his paper by mixing hemp rags and mulberry bark with water. He then mashed the mix, compressed it to get rid of the water before letting it dry.

It is believed that his idea to make paper was probably inspired by commonly used cloth in China at the time, bark cloth. He was very successful and his paper was used by people all across China.

India

For a thousand years people were using paper in China before it was used anywhere in Europe. Paper established itself in India by 400 AD.

Spain and Italy

Parchment was still being used by European Christians. When Christians conquered Spain in the 1200′s, it’s at this point in time when they switched from parchment and started to develop and use paper instead. The Italians were renowned for the quality of their paper making. In 1250 AD they sold their paper throughout Europe.

France

In 1338, the French began to develop their own.

Germany

The Germans did not start to make paper until what was nearly 1,500 years after the Chinese first invented it. The Germans also became inspired by the Chinese methods of printing. Using their new found knowledge of paper making they began to print the first books. In 1453, a German man named Gutenberg printed the world’s first bible.

Aztecs

At the same time the Aztecs had just invented paper with no knowledge of its invention and use throughout the rest of the world. They made their paper from plant fibres, where it was made into books.

Whist the Aztecs had only just started to use paper, the Chinese were coming up with other ideas and uses for paper. Some of these ideas brought about Chinese lanterns, toilet paper and kites.

David Trenbath is an experienced digital marketing professional, currently working for Cartridge Monkey who are one of the leading supplliers of ink cartridges in the UK.

Write and Market Your Book:

• The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing: Everything You Need to Know to Write, Publish, Promote and Sell Your Own Book
• Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book
• 21 Ways to Promote Your Book on Twitter
• Virtual Book Tours

Image: Phiseksit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guest post

A certain faction of the business world has basically given up on business cards, and this is really too bad, because business cards still work. Cards are still an important part of the social world of business for a wide range of reasons:

Not Everyone Has an iPhone
People who have given up on business cards tend to make this assumption: “Who needs paper cards when you can check your address book on your phone?” However, not everybody has an iPhone or Android. Some people just aren’t interested in what these phones can provide. Many people in the business world like to simply disconnect when they leave their hotel room and step out on the convention floor.

Typing in Addresses and Names Can be a Hassle
On a crowded convention floor, nobody wants to stop and type in your name and email and phone number and what your business does and so on. A business card changes hands and there you go: Instant exchange of information, faster than any digital medium will ever achieve.

Business Cards are Tangible
Part of the charm of business cards is that they’re tangible, they’re real,

they’re printed on card stock and they can be held in your hand. You can’t hold an email address or a banner ad, but you can hold a business card. This triggers a little something in your brain and tells you that this business card will lead you to a real person, a real company. Furthermore, it’s a memento of a real meeting, a real event in the person’s life. Even if all they did was grab it off the counter at a coffee shop it’s still going to be attached to a real memory, and that can be very useful.

Business Cards Have Personality
Finally, a business card actually has a lot more personality to it than a name in a digital rolodex. The cardstock you choose to print on, the color of ink you use, the font, the spacing between the letters, whatever image or logo you might want to put on it, and the watermark all carry some message or other regarding who you are and what you do. All of this stuff tells a story, a story that simply cannot be told with a name and an email address alone.

A lot of your leads will come from the web, a lot of your new business partners and clients will come from the web, but when you do meet someone in person with whom you might be able to strike up an interesting business relationship, you don’t want to be caught without a card to slip into their hand.

For premium design and business card printing see Snap printing Brisbane. They’ll work with you to create a unique card to represent your business and help you stand out from the crowd.

More on Business Cards:

• Avery Business Cards for Inkjet Printers, Matte, White, Pack of 250 (08371)
• MagnaCard Magnetic Business Cards, 50 Count (MC50)
• Samsill Regal Leather Business Card Wallet, Holds 25 Cards of 2 x 3.5 Inches, Black (81220)

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guest post

When was the last time you tried something really different? Tried something really new? Tried something that stretched your comfort zone? If it’s been a while, then get out there and do something wildly unconventional – you may be surprised at how good it is for you. Tonight I went to a live drawing class with a Burlesque theme. It was my first attempt at live drawing, my first exposure to Burlesque, and I loved every minute of it. It couldn’t have been any better. Well actually, maybe if it was sans nipple tassels and pasties it could have been even better, but then again, the whole mystery of the unknown has something to be desired too. I learned a few things from this experience that I think have applications to our general lives, so I thought I’d share my post-doodling thoughts with the world and hopefully inspire a few new adventures.

People Learn Really Quickly

My first drawing was terrible. It was hesitant, sparse, and rigid. My second drawing had some personality, but still lacked depth. But by the time I had finished etching out my third drawing, I had started to create something that brought a little smile to my face. Then my fourth drawing really started to develop some individual style, but more importantly, I had already learned how to either avoid or fix the mistakes I had made in the previous three drawings. By no means was this a great drawing when compared to trained artisans, but the contrast between my first drawing and my fourth drawing was remarkable. I was really proud of the progress I’d made, and surprised at how quickly I improved. I’m sure though, that I would have learnt just as quickly with painting, singing, dancing, business, science, or whatever else I’d chosen to do instead.

Small Tasks, But Lots of Them, Facilitate Growth

I spent two hours at the Burlesque live drawing class. In that time, I did 9 drawings whilst huddled over a piece of paper with a dirty piece of charcoal in my hand, had two gin and tonics, and even watched a Burlesque performance. All

up, I think there was probably about an hour worth of drawing, at an average of just over 5 minutes per drawing. More specifically, we actually started off with 2 minute drawings and worked our way up to 15 minute drawings. That means, there were 9 chances for me to fail quickly, learn from my mistakes, and try again. There was also more time for me to apply my improved skills as the time progressed. I think it was a great recipe for adaptation.

Refreshing Difference, Amazing Fun, Creative Minds

Let me paint a picture of the evening. An out of the way warehouse style building converted to a music club, frequented by rock acts, blues locals, and a bunch of hippies. A dingy little back room with a small and intimate stage. A host dressed as a hunchback, with a grotesque mask on their face, unknown whether male or female (I suspect female), and a penchant for balancing lollies on peoples’ heads. About 20 other scribblers scattered around the room on chairs and couches. A very pretty girl as the star of the attention, striking black hair, and a voice like Marilyn Monroe. Most importantly, a dirty great piece of paper and a good friend by my side. This wasn’t my average Tuesday night. I loved every minute of it. Afterwards I felt really creative. I even came back home and started writing this article at 12:30am. I found that my imagination was in overdrive, thinking of new ideas for business, new ways of seeing the world, and new things that I want to do next weekend.

Somehow, I’m sure that this wildly different experience freed my mind of monotonous routine and allowed it to think differently. So what are the big takeaways? They’re simple in practice but powerful in results. Here goes. Don’t be afraid to try new things, you’ll learn faster than you think. Start small and repeat quickly, it’s a great way to practice. Be adventurous and different, it’s a great way to inspire your imagination, and most it’s importantly it’s crazily good fun.

This self-reflexive piece is brought to you by the team at Bathroom Renovations Perth and Kitchen Renovations Perth.

Image: MR LIGHTMAN / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guest post

Numerous people have their free time on Saturday and Sunday. Some of them are comfortable with their earnings but others are not. Anyone who would like to make extra money every week can find weekend jobs. These are mainly part time jobs that do not use all your day. By doing these jobs you can make extra money to pay for extra expenses in the house. In most civilized countries such as Australia, weekend jobs are available not only for students but anyone who is interested in being hired casually can find a job.

Seven Popular Weekend Jobs You Can Do

Become a Tutor

Students usually have a lot of assignments in the weekend and most of them do not have anyone to consult. Parents use the weekend to look for extra work, to take a short-term vacation alone or to sleep and rest. They barely have enough time to help their children with their homework. You can look for parents who want to pay tutoring fee for their kids during the weekends. There may also be tutoring opportunities via registered learning facilities in your area.

Become a Salesperson

Many people spend their money on shopping during the weekends. The shopping malls and retail centres are usually very busy and this forces them to look for extra labourforce. If you are good at sales and marketing you can really appreciate working at a busy shopping centre on Saturday and Sunday.

General House Cleaning and Baby Sitting

Employed people hardly have time to do thorough housekeeping during the weekdays. If you do not mind getting yourself dirty with house work during the weekends you can make a lot of money this way. Besides, several white collar workers hate this kind of work and can pay you handsomely to get it done. Most mothers want to have time for themselves during the weekends and may need someone to babysit their kids while they relax.

Work Online

In order to make sure that you have an online job to do over the weekend you should start to search for it throughout the week. There are many simple jobs that you can do for a few hours such as article writing, data entry, article submission work, writing and posting on blogs, reviewing products and writing product descriptions, clicking ads, playing games for money and so on.

Work in the Food Industry

Most people eat out on Saturday and Sunday especially in the places where they go for leisure. So the food service businesses and hotels are usually very full of activity. They often look for extra bartenders, waiters, waitresses, banquet servers and other related workers.

Instruct Projects

Do you have special skills that most people would be interested in learning? Perhaps you are good at barbequing, cake baking and decorations, hand sewing and embroidery, sculpturing, drawing, yoga or any other special skill. If you do, look for a recreation facility that can allow you to display your work and instruct other people.

Tourist Guide

Do you love your country as well as travelling a lot?  In the weekends you can become a tourist guide. Some travel agencies may need extra tour guides toward the end of the week or during the public holidays. In addition, local tourist attraction sites like wildlife parks and museums hire people who can lend a hand regularly.

Thomas runs Part Time Jobs Australia, a website helping students and teenages find weekend work and part time jobs.

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Whether you are in the business of selling goods or services, you no doubt want to tell your target market all about it. Through your marketing efforts, you want to promote your goods or services in a way that captures your target audience’s attention, educates them about the benefits your goods or services offer and hopefully entices them to make a purchase. Communicating your message effectively is key to getting the end result you want, which likely is greater sales. Here are five key steps to communicating your business marketing strategy more effectively:

Define Your Target Audience 
Every type of company has a unique target audience who their services or goods appeal to. Defining who this target audience is for your company is a critical component of communicating your marketing strategy. This is because your actual message needs to be delivered in an appealing way to that specific audience, and it needs to be delivered using a media format that will be most visible for them. Defining a target audience involves determining who the main audience may be as well as any smaller market segments that may find your goods or services appealing.

Develop a Strategy
After the target audience has been determined, the next step involved is developing a marketing strategy. A solid marketing strategy may have multiple messages, but the messages will be fairly consistent in their content. When developing a strategy, it is best to brainstorm the many benefits your goods or services offer. In addition, focus on the aspects of your goods or services that set them apart from the competition. Are your goods and services higher in quality, lower in price, enhanced with quality features or something else?

Create a Focused Message
Once you have determined exactly what it is that you want to say to your target audience, you can then create a focused message. This is often done in conjunction with the next step, which involves considering your delivery options. What you say specifically to your target audience may vary based on the delivery option being used. However, all messages will carry a specific theme or will deliver the same overall message to your target audience. They will be in line with your marketing strategy.

Consider Your Delivery Options
There are many different delivery options that can be utilized to deliver your message to your target audience. Media options include TV commercials, radio spots, banner ads on the Internet, social media sites and more. A sound marketing strategy may make use of multiple delivery options to reach out to your target audience in different ways. However, to enjoy the best results, you should use delivery methods that your target audience uses regular.ly For example, social media marketing may be ideal for younger or middle aged adults. Radio ads run in the morning may be well-suited for professionals who are commuting as well as stay-at-home parents who are carpooling kids to school.

Deliver Your Message Repeatedly
In order for marketing efforts to be effective, they have to be delivered to a target audience repeatedly. It is not enough to run a single TV commercial at the same time every day for a month. Instead, such efforts may be combined with direct mail, social media marketing and more. Consider how you may best reach out to your consumer in the most direct and cost-effective way so that your message is reiterated to your target audience regularly.

By following these tips, you can most effectively communicate your marketing strategy.

This is a guest post by Tracy Hills, a freelance writer for PaydayAdvance.us — helping consumers receive a payday advance online absolutely hassle-free.

More About Marketing:

• The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly
• Guerrilla Marketing, 4th edition: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your Small Business
• Smashwords Book Marketing Guide – How to Market any Book for Free (Smashwords Guides)

Guest post by Charles Reybreck

Taking on not-for-profit jobs is a selfless and noble thing to do, but that doesn’t mean you should make yourself skint and miserable doing it. Sometimes you have to ask, not what you can do for charity, but what charity can do for you.

With that in mind, here are some of the very best charity employers around.

Royal Society for Protection of Birds

The RSPB works in the UK to ensure birds and other wildlife have safe environments in which to thrive. With previous presidents including Mastermind’s Magnus Magnusson and Question Time’s Jonathan Dimbleby,  and the support of celebrities such as Bill Oddie, they’re the first choice for anyone who cares about our feathered friends.

It’s an organisation that people like to stick around with, as one in four of their employees have dedicated over 10 years of service to the charity. Maybe they’re staying for the RSPB’s regular team away days, quiz nights and summer barbecues, or maybe it’s just that protecting wildlife is just so fulfilling.

In 2009 the RSPB saw itself climb to 36 in the Sunday Times’ top 100 list of companies to work for. Its employees feel very strongly about the work the company has been doing, with 93% of its staff believing their work makes a real difference to the world in which we live and 87% of them saying they were proud to work for the RSPB. This means that as many as 6% of the employees believe they’re helping improve the world, but don’t want anyone to know about it. I’m not saying 6% of RSPB employees are Batman, but the statistics do kind of speak for themselves.

Christians Against Poverty

A much better organisation than Christians Who Think Poverty Is Awesome, over the years this organisation has done an awful lot of good,  providing debt counselling for people in financial trouble. On top of that they’ve built a reputation as a great employer as well. As well as winning the Best Charity to Work For Awards at the 2007 Charity Awards, they’ve also gone on to win the Times’ Best Small Company To Work For in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Matt Barlow, the charity’s UK Chief Executive is evangelical about the organisations commitment to being a great employer: “Since the start, CAP has been committed to developing a fun, passionate environment, where staff really are supported and cared for, so they can serve to the very best of their abilities. We recognise that it’s God and His Spirit at the heart of all we do which has made this culture possible and made CAP simply the best charity to work for.”

The charity currently has 66 local debt counselling centres across the UK and is succeeding in helping over 7,000 people out of debt and poverty every year.

St Giles Trust

The St Giles Trust does good work helping ex-offenders gain the training and education they need o equip them for life outside of prison. A mid-sized organisation, they work directly with prisons and in the community, working to break the cycle of re-offending by offering ex-offenders alternatives. Some of those alternatives include actually working for St Giles, and roughly a third of the organisation’s staff is made up of reformed ex-offenders.

And working for St Giles is a pretty good deal. This year, for the fourth year in a row, the St Giles trust ranked in the Sunday Times’ 100 best companies to work for list, ranking, appropriately at number 4 in the non-profit category. 

Of the respondents to The Times’ survey, 93% thought they were making a positive difference, 88% felt the job was giving them opportunities for person growth, 84% said they got a buzz out of work and 89% loved their jobs.

What’s more, the charity’s current Chief Executive, Rob Owen, has been ranked as the second best leader in the not-for-profit sector. The charity boss described the award as: ”A great way of other employers, other charities and government to see and understand the passion, professionalism and purpose of what we do and the success we have with our clients and this impact on wider society.”

However, these are just some of the great organisations working in the not for profit sector. Have a look around and you’re sure to find your dream employer here.

Charles Reybreck is a writer and social activist who blogs primarily about volunteer work and not-for-profit jobs. 

More on Doing Work for Charities:

• Works of Love Are Works of Peace: Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity
• From Charity to Social Work: Mary E. Richmond and the Creation of an American Profession
• Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work