What is a Meme? A Viral, Link Building Traffic Generator

Creating content that is viral is a great way to increase your exposure on the net. One excellent tool used by bloggers for viral linking is the Meme. It was used heavily when I first entered the blogosphere in 2005. Some Memes have been successful in increasing Technorati authority, such as the one spread by DoshDosh. Haven't had the opportunity to participate in any Memes? Don't know why you should participate in a Meme? Continue reading to learn about some of the benefits.

Memes are a great way for bloggers to accomplish several things.
1. It's a great way to find new interesting blogs.
2. It's a simple way to increase your backlinks.
3. Memes can increase your traffic.
4. They can help in your branding efforts.
5. One may even make some money from the added traffic.

Stephanie from Stop the Ride (a debt reduction blogger and creator of the Make it From Scratch blog carnival) has tagged me. I haven't participated in one of these in a very long time. I thought it would be a great way to involve the readers of this blog. I welcome everyone to participate, even if I don't tag you. I can only tag 5 people, so I encourage everyone to copy and paste the Meme and participate even if you weren't tagged.

*Start Copying Here*

I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!)

It’s real easy!

Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially!

The benefits of Viral Linking:
- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!
- Increase your Google PageRank fast
- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site
- Build your community
- Make new friends!

The Strategist Notebook ~ Link Addiction ~ Ardour of the Heart ~ When Life Becomes a Book ~ The Malaysian Life ~ Yogatta.com ~ What goes under the sun ~ Roshidan’s Cyber Station ~ Sasha says ~ Arts of Physics ~ And the legend lives ~ My View, My Life ~ A Simple Life ~ Juliana RW ~ Mom Knows Everything ~ Beth & Cory's Mom ~ A Mind Forever Voyaging~ enjoying the ride ~ Jennifer's thoughts ~ Mom of 3 Girls ~ Amanda ~ Don't Make Me Get The Flying Monkeys ~ ExPat Mom ~ Just Jessie ~ Wilson Six ~Krisitn ~ Nuttier Than You ~ Shonnte ~ Summer's Nook ~ Laura Williams Musings ~ Melissa's Idea Garden ~~ Eve at Confessions of an Everyday Housewife ~~ ChristiS of the Blah Blah Blog ~~ Stephanie at Stop the Ride! ~~ Diane at Soap, Blings & Girly Things

It's All for the Best ~ Keeping Feet ~ Junky Love in Freehand ~ Getting Out of Debt ~ Free From Broke ~ How to Rule the World ~ Search for Blogging ~ Clouds in a Jar ~ Dawud Miracle ~ A Problogger Mom

*Stop Copying*



The last five on the list are my additions to the Meme. They are all great blogs full of information that can help you succeed online. Happy reading!

For an added burst of traffic, add this entry to your favorite social network site!

Scratchback.com: An Alternative to PayPal's Donate Button

Scratchback.com is an easy way to let your reader's tip you for your hardwork, while being rewarded in the process. PayPal Donate buttons are often used by bloggers, but they are bland. Scratchback widgets are eye catching and gives the tipper an added benefit: a link.

In 2007, Jim Kukral launched Scratchback after being frustrated with the monetization of his own blogs/sites. After creating this unique widget and beta testing it, people responded with positive feedback. The initial fee for Scratchback was 50% of one's tips, but it has since been decreased to 10%. (This may slightly increase in the future.) Best of all, the widget was purposely created with no follow tags to make it Google friendly. What does that mean for those that have been penalized by Google? A blogger or webmaster can request tips to be the same prices they charged textlinkads or other text link advertisinf companies, without the Google backlash. Makes you think? Here's how it all works.

How can I use Scratchback.com on my blog or site?
Visit the site and register. Confirm your registration by email and enter your site's information. You can register as many blogs as you want. All of your blogs/sites will be displayed on one dashboard. It shows you how many impressions the widget had, the amount of links you are displaying and how many have been sold.

How is the Scratchback widget created?
The widget is created within minutes. You simply answer the questions they present and a code is created that you place on your site/blog.

What kinds of questions does Scratchback ask?
1. They ask what type of links do you want displayed: text links only, links to images or both.
2. You choose how many spots you want displayed, anywhere from 5-20.
3. You choose how long the links will be displayed. This is the fun part. You can have the link auto bumped by others as they purchase links. You can have the link displayed for 24 hours, 7 days or 1 month.
4. You choose the amount of the tip you would accept for a link. The minimum is $1.00. The maximum...well that depends on what your readers are willing to tip you for your info!
5. You select if you want the link to be automatically displayed or approved by you first.
6. You choose the layout of your widget. They currently don't have a very large selection of formats. They come in different colors, but they are all in a tower format.

How do you get paid?
You must have a paypal account. If you live in a country that doesn't allow paypal, don't apply. Why? You won't get paid. Their blog states they are exploring different payment methods for the future, so you might want to subscribe to their feed for updates. The payment threshhold is $25.00. Remember, they keep 10% of that.

Does Scratchback offer an affiliate program?
No. It doesn't hurt to spread the word to your readers, you may be able to get a link on one of your favorite sites/blogs (that may send you lots of traffic).

I've placed widgets on several of my sites. Here are a what they look like:
Snow White, 7 Dwarves and PDD
FreefabStuff

I'm currently experimenting with the different features they offer. Originally, the links on my sites were $10.00 each. After doing some research on the net, it seems that putting an auto bump feature with a minimum tip of $1.00 may be more profitable. Why? Let's say a person or company tips you for a link. Their link will be displayed at the top. (If they want to keep track of their link, they may subscribe to your feed which is an added bonus). If others come along and tip you for a link too, their link may eventually move off and they may come back and tip you again.

I've enabled the auto bump feature on my Scratchback widget and have given it a prominent spot at the top right hand corner of this blog. WHY? To give my tippers the added benefit of being seen every time my posts are stumbled!

Take a look at Scratchback and see if it works for you. It may just become one of your biggest sources of income. Oh and if you liked this entry, think about leaving a $1.00 tip (and leaving your link!)

How Doing My Own Simple Car Repair Saved Me $115.00

Would you do your own simple car repair to save some money?
The week before last, I got a ticket right in front of my driveway. The trooper was driving on the opposite side of the road and noticed that my sticker was damaged (it was a little torn.) He had excellent sight which was unfortunate for me. See, my 12yr old had broken the lock on the trunk door and I didn't have the funds to repair it. My inspection had to be done, but I didn't think I would pass. Instead of trying to test my theory, I decided to wait until I had the funds. Yes, I know...wrong choice.

The trooper gave me a ticket for an expired NYS inspection. That put me in a position where I had to take it to the mechanic. Instead of failing me for the door, the mechanic failed me for a cracked headlight (thank you deers). He charged me $21.00 anyway and told me I had 10 days to remedy the situation. I also had to pay him an additional $10.00 for another inspection before he would give me the sticker. I asked how much the headlight would cost me. The answer? A used headlight would cost $75.00, labor is extra plus tax. A new one would cost me over $200.00.

Two things I did to decrease the cost of the car repairs:
1. I called the local salvage yard. They gave me a better price: $45.00.
2. I made the decision to replace the headlight myself.

When I went to pick up the headlight, the salvage yard realized it was slightly cracked on the bottom. It wouldn't alter it's performance in any way. They made some phone calls and told me the other salvage yards had them in stock. The problem was they were also scratched or cracked. They were also asking for $150.00, even though it was slightly damaged. A new one would cost me $150.00 in the Bronx and upwards of $200.00 locally. I decided to take the first one. Surprisingly, the owner gave it to me for $20.00!

Did I dare to install the headlight?
Of course! How difficult could it be? All I had to do was lift up the hood and unscrew the boltsand the lights to replace the old one with the new one. Guess how much he wanted to charge me...(because I did ask)? He was going to charge me $60.00 for such a simple task.

What was the outcome?
If I had purchased the headlight through him, the total cost would have been $75.00 + $60.00 which totals $135.00. I spent $20.00!

I took the receipt for the inspection and the ticket to the court today. They told me I would get a reply in the mail.

The next time you have a similar car repair needed, try to do it yourslef. You'll be sure to save some money! I saved at least $115.00!

Here are two great sites that provide FREE instructional videos for car repairs and maintenance.
DIYNetwork: Auto and Boat
ExpertVillage: DIY Auto Repair & Maintenance Tips