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Top 10 Ways To Get Top Dollar Here is a list of things to consider when writing your tips to ensure top dollar payments in your next check:
1. SPELL CHECK. Every misspelled word is $1 off the tip.
2. Avoid Run-on Sentences. Tips are short bursts of information that contain a powerful message. Make sure your message is clear.
3. Consistency Counts. Keep your writing consistent throughout your tips. LifeTips follows AP style guidelines for grammar and abbreviations. LifeTips style is to capitalize the first letter of each word of the tip title.
4. Fact Check and Source. Make sure to include the source of your information if you're citing specifics/statistics in your tip.
5. Use "Final" Keywords. The "keywords and phrases" must be used in at least one tip per keyword/phrase. For more information on how to properly use keywords, view the memo dated April 17.
6. Research Other Keywords. LifeTips has provided you with the keywords designated by the sponsor of the tip site, but does that mean those are the best keywords for your tip? We've included a few different tools on the job board to help you research keywords for your tips.
7. Go The Distance. Supply useful information that goes beyond the obvious in your tips.
8. Watch Your Tone. Know your audience, and write appropriately with the right tone and language for your target audience.
9. Don't Duplicate. Don't reuse tips in order to fill all 100 tips, and don't duplicate content from another source or tip site. Instead, brainstorm with your editor about ideas for more tips.
10. Stay On Target. The tips you write should relate to the specific category. Be careful about adding off-the-wall tips that don't make sense. It's not relevant to the consumer, the reader, the client, or LifeTips.
Tip of the Week: From the Child Protection Tip Site, Authored by Susie McGee Tip: Red Alert Notification Because the risk of new sexual predators moving into an area continues to be a very real issue, the National Alert Registry eliminates the need to continuously check the Website or contact a local law enforcement agency. They have created a Red Alert notification. As the national sex offender registry is continually updated, the Red Alert is an e-mail that is sent to individuals alerting them to a new sexual offender in the area. You no longer have to search through sex offender registries to see if a new sex offender has moved to your neighborhood! A notification that includes the date the sex offender has moved to your area, along with information about that predator will be included. Editor's Note: The tip is newsworthy, value-driven and to the point. It makes use of the keyword "sex offender" on multiple occasions.
So you want to write for LifeTips, the leading online publisher of consumer tips? Have a great idea for a tip site and want to cast your spell on audiences? Before you break out your dictionary and start organizing your categories, take a look at the top rules for LifeTips writers:
1. Know your audience! It's important for writers to know WHO they are writing for in order to connect with the readers. This way, the readers get the most out of the tips. * Example: If you're writing tips for a tax-sponsored tip site on Lifetips, your tone should be professional and business-like. The readers are likely to be over-21-year-old professionals, business owners and individual tax filers looking for ease and simplicity for filing taxes. Avoid slang terms and abbreviations. Taxes are a complex issue and people want clear and concise definitions.
* Example: If you're writing tips for body jewelry or tattoos, your audience is going to be more relaxed and "hip." Slang words are ok if they are industry-related, and the tone can be fresh and fun.
2. Spellcheck. Most word processing tools have a spellcheck option - USE IT. Even though you can write your tips directly online now, it might be beneficial to write them first in Microsoft Word, WordPad or Works and use the spellcheck option before submitting your tips. Misspelled will cost you - $1 minimum will be taken from each tip that has a misspelled word. And, if the tips are written poorly, the audience won't take them seriously.
3. Use present tense. These tips are meant to be used at any time so keep the tense present unless you're specifically writing about something that takes place in the past. Do not change verb tense within a single paragraph.
4. Re-read your tips! Be careful - it's easy to misuse and misspell words. Double-check the following words before submitting your tips:
* Your and you're
* Their, there, and they're
* "A lot" is two words
* Its and it's
* Internet, World Wide Web, Web, and Net - anything referring to the use of or in reference to the Internet is capitalized.
* A good idea is to bookmark: www.dictionary.com - if you're unsure of the correct spelling or use of a word, double-check.
5. You can use acronyms, but make sure you define the acronym for the reader. For example, if you're writing a tip about workplace safety and you site OSHA regulations, make sure you define OSHA: Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. ** If you're referencing something multiple times in various tips, it might be a good idea to make a category out of that acronym, instead of spelling out the definition in every tip.
6. When writing numerical information, keep the following rules in mind:
* Numbers one through nine are in written form and anything above 10 is numerical. Easy rule: single-digit numbers are written, anything with two or more digits is numerical.
* Always use numerical form when writing about dollars and cents. For example: $100, or 50 cents.
* When starting off a sentence with a number, it is always in written form. For example: Eighty years ago the great inventor John Doe created something.
7. Bullet points and numbered items make tips simple. For example: if you're writing for the mortgage tips site and your tip offers five suggestions for finding an agent, use lists instead of one big paragraph.
8. Re-read your tips out loud. This will help you identify any grammatical or spelling mistakes.
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Writer Memo: May 1, 2006
Words For Writers: Week of May 1, 2006 NEW VIEW: SOURCE As LifeTips brings bigger, stronger and brand name companies into our network, it's important that we maintain the level of professional writing and research LifeTips is know for. Millions of readers read our tips every day and wonder, "where did they get that information?" LifeTips is a reputable source and we strive to uphold the reputation of fair and ethical publishing. Going forward, all writers will be required to source their information for tips submitted. The source field will appear in your tip task box, and I encourage you to add the source on some/all of your tips for submission. When the client says, "This isn't true!" We can say, "Yes, it is!"
* Plagiarism will result in being removed from the LifeTips writer pool, and you will not be paid for any work submitted
Tip of the Week: From the Substance Abuse Tip Site, Authored by Jane Raeburn Tip: Abuse Prevention Early attempts to prevent steroid abuse concentrated on drug testing and on educating students about the drugs´ adverse effects. A more sophisticated approach has shown promise for preventing steroid abuse among players on high school sports teams. In the ATLAS program, developed for male football players, coaches and team leaders discuss the potential effects of anabolic steroids and other illicit drugs on immediate sports performance, and they teach how to refuse offers of drugs. They also discuss how strength training and proper nutrition can help adolescents build their bodies without the use of steroids. Later, special trainers teach the players proper weightlifting techniques. A program designed for adolescent girls on sports teams, patterned after the program designed for boys, is currently being tested.
Editor Notes: The tip is newsworthy, focusing on the recent steroid abuse in sports and how to prevent steroid abuse. Although the client of the site is Passages Malibu, the writer was able to work in another program aimed at abuse prevention without stepping on the toes of the Substance Abuse Tip Site client.
How to Maneuver Your Way Through the Writer's Admin Tool
All assignments can be done online and filed online. There are multiple steps to take, so here are some helpful hints:
1) Log on every day to view new assignments.
2) If you are qualified to write the tips for a particular assignment, hit the "apply" button to submit your name for the task.
3) Once you are approved for a task, all writing assigments will be done online. (Note: If you are approved, you will receive an email and a deadline date).
4) View the task projects from your writer's admin tool - you'll see the category, keywords, and the number of tips needed for each category. Start writing!
5) When you're done with a category, and there are no more changes, send the tips to me for review. You do this by hitting the "DONE" button at the bottom of each category page. (Note: If you hit "SAVE" this will allow you to come back later and make changes).
6) If the tips are rejected, you will get the entire category back - this does not mean all the tips in the category have been rejected. The rejected tips will have notes from me asking a question, or providing some editorial comments to enhance the tip. Make the changes, and send the tip back to me.
It's that simple! Please remember to spellcheck - misspelled words are an automatic deduction from your tip payment amount.
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Writer Memo: April 24, 2006
Words For Writers
Sell Yourself: When applying for jobs on the job board, make sure you include links to published articles, or source documents that you've written about in the niche topic you're applying for. Include URLs to specific online articles with your application.
If you're interested in the topic but have no previous written work to document, provide examples of tip ideas that you would write about, and why it's important for the consumer.
Tip of the Week: From the Running Tip Site, Authored by Malcolm Smith Tip: Choosing the Right Running Shoe Different running shoes are designed for different biomechanical needs, and matching a shoe to your needs can be a little intimidating at first. That's where the “shoe finder” comes in. A running shoe finder is simply a system that helps you select a type of shoe that best fits your body's needs and your style of running. An online search will reveal many options. Shoe finders from magazines are generally the least biased. Large retailers come next – though they only list the shoes they carry. Manufacturers only list their own shoes, so their finders are of limited help. To use the finder, enter answers to a few simple questions (sex, weight, etc.), and the finder will return (usually) several shoes of the type best suited for you. Make a note of the models the finder suggests. Try several finders, and note which shoes are recommended time and again. Finally, visit a good running shoe dealer, and try on as many of the recommended models as possible. Jog around the store in each one that fits well, and select the model that's most comfortable.
Editor Notes: The keyword phrase specified in this tip is "running shoe finder" and the writer used variations of the phrase throughout the tip, without compromising the tips value to the consumer. As a result, the company moved their ranking up to the No. 6 slot in Google for this searched phrase.
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2005 Standard Deductions for Individuals
There are two main variations on the filing status for individuals. You can file single filing status or head of household. To file under head of household status, you have to be unmarried and have paid more than half of the cost to maintain a home for yourself and your claimed dependents or another qualifying person. The 2005 standard deduction for the head of household filing status is $7,300. To file single, you must be unmarried, divorced, or legally separated. The 2005 standard deduction for single filers is $5,000. Before you decide to claim the standard deduction, however, you should familiarize yourself with items you may claim as personal tax deductions to see if you could get a tax cut by itemizing. Generally speaking, if your itemized federal tax deductions exceed the standard deduction, your taxes will be lower—and that's like money in your pocket.
* This tip received a $10 grade. It offers insightful information for the reader, gives the reader action steps and offers value to the reader. To read more, you can visit our Taxes Tip Site
Online Car Buying Resources
Why leave your home? There are so many online resources available to today's consumers that buying a new car can be done almost entirely from home. Instead of wandering car lot after car lot, narrow your choices down by researching your options online. You can:
• Build your car online, carefully considering options in the comfort of your own home instead of succumbing to last-minute, high-pressure sales tactics at the dealership
• Crunch the numbers by researching transaction values (what buyers are paying for the car in your area), or what Edmunds.com calls "true market value"
• You can request car quotes from multiple dealers online (doing so puts you in a much better negotiating position)
*If you're comfortable with online transactions, you can complete the transaction online conducting dealer communication by e-mail and having the car delivered to your doorstep. In this case, paperwork would be completed by mail.
* This tip was also given a top dollar rating. It provides the user with action-based options and value-added information that will them a consumer.
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