Headline Writing: 15 Hacks To Write Headlines That Will Send You More Traffic

Headline Writing: 15 Hacks To Write Headlines That Will Send You More Traffic



These hacks allow you to come up with great ideas within MINUTES. That way, you’ll be able to spend more time promoting your content and building backlinks rather than writing a headline.

Three rules of thumb for buying a home - CSMonitor.com

Three rules of thumb for buying a home - CSMonitor.com

Three rules of thumb for buying a home

A home is a major purchase. Use these three rules of thumb to ensure you're buying the right one.

By Forrest Baumhover, NerdWallet 

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The largest purchase most people will make in their lifetime is their home. It’s also the longest-lasting purchase most people will make. With that in mind, it is important that you buy a home that brings you joy instead of grief.

Too many people stretch their finances beyond the breaking point, buying a home they can’t afford and paying the price via financial strain, a decreased quality of life and even family strife. Following these basic rules of thumb can help ensure that you don’t overextend yourself in your search for the right home.

1. Avoid PMI

The first rule when buying a house is to make sure that you have enough saved for a down payment; 20% should suffice. A 20% down payment will allow a borrower with good credit to qualify for the best mortgage interest rates while avoiding private mortgage insurance (PMI).

PMI is required for some mortgages when a lender is afraid you might default on payments. In essence, PMI is a lender’s insurance policy that the borrower pays for. You get nothing out of it, and it costs you money. So, assuming you have good credit, having enough for a 20% down payment lets you avoid that losing game.

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2. Control your PITI

The second rule is that your PITI (mortgage principal, mortgage interest, property taxes and homeowner’s insurance) should be about one-fourth of your total living expenses. For example, if your total expenses are $4,000 per month, then your PITI should be about $1,000. (And, of course, your expenses should be covered by your income, after you’ve made sure to put away money for retirement savings, emergency funds and other safeguards.)

Mortgage lenders use a so-called 28% rule when considering your application; that is, no more than 28% of your total income should go toward housing. Budgeting around one-fourth of your total expenses toward PITI should assure you’re in good shape.

3. Remember maintenance costs

It’s smart to budget approximately 1% of your house’s total cost for annual maintenance. This is just the cost of maintaining the house and grounds; it doesn’t include upgrades or planned repairs. For a $300,000 house, this comes out to $3,000 per year, or $250 per month. Although that might sound like a lot of money to put aside, you’ll be thankful it’s there when you need to fix your air conditioning or a hole in your roof.

The bottom line

Following these rules might seem difficult, particularly saving 20% for a down payment. However, if you can do that, you’ll likely be able to afford mortgage payments, especially since they’ll be taking the place of rent and adding equity to your home. Also, if you’re able to save 20% for a house, you should have no problem maintaining an emergency fund, which it’s smart to have anyway.

Many people find that with consistent effort and a little planning, they can afford a home of their own. If you’re not sure whether you can, talk to a fee-only financial planner.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Saving-Money/2015/1209/Three-rules-of-thumb-for-buying-a-home?cmpid=FB

5 most incredible discoveries of the week

5 most incredible discoveries of the week

5 most incredible discoveries of the week


A major shipwreck find makes this week's list:

1. Beneath the Mona Lisa: Will the real Mona Lisa please stand up — or at least send us a signal from within the paint layers? The art world is buzzing over a French scientist's claims that he discovered a portrait lurking beneath the top layer of the world's most famous painting. After 10 years of research, here's how Pascal Cotte describes what is underneath the surface. 

2. The 'Holy Grail of Shipwrecks' Has Been Found: Off the coast of Colombia, the gold, silver, gems, and jewelry carried by the Spanish galleon—which was sunk by the British in 1708—are thought to be worth anywhere from $1.5 billion to $17 billion, making it one of the largest treasures ever lost at sea. Find out which Nobel-winning author documented the galleon in one of his books.

3. Stonehenge May Have Been Erected in Another Country: Stonehenge may reside in England, but it "was a Welsh monument from its very beginning." So says Professor Mike Parker Pearson in reference to what is a big step forward in our understanding of Stonehenge. Here's what bluestones, burnt hazelnuts, and charcoal have to do with the new finding.

4. Researchers Discover How Not to Be a Jerk While Texting: Researchers showed 126 undergraduates a bunch of texts featuring an invitation and a reply. Participants rated replies that featured this certain piece of punctuation as less sincere; on the flip side, researchers found that adding another type of punctuation to a text reply bestows a higher degree of perceived sincerity on the message. 

5. Archaeologists Find Remnants of Caesar-Led Massacre: Scientists say they've confirmed that Julius Caesar stepped on what is now Dutch soil, claiming they've uncovered the remnants of a battle fought in 55 BC in the southern part of the country. Two Germanic tribes reportedly came to Caesar seeking his protection, and he went well beyond denying their request.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/12/12/5-most-incredible-discoveries-week-newser/77203138/

How to Be the Person Who *Never* Misses a Deadline ~ Levo League

How to Be the Person Who *Never* Misses a Deadline ~ Levo League

How to Be the Person Who *Never* Misses a Deadline

by Kelsey Manning

I’ll be the first one to admit that in certain areas of my life, I have fallen into a pattern of lateness. In fact as I type these very words, this piece is late and I can almost feel my editor’s fingers stretching toward her keyboard to send me an all-too-kind email, the heart of which will be, “Yo Kelsey, get your ish together!” Missing deadlines is upsetting, frustrating, moronic, inconsiderate…and all too easy. I remember the tipping point in college. It’s 4 am., you’re hustling to finish a paper for your 8 a.m. class, and as the effects of the 4-Hour Energy you took at midnight begin to fade, the thought creeps in: “What would actually happen if I didn’t turn this in on time?” Unfortunately, you quickly realize the answer is most likely nothing. At worse, you’re down half a letter grade, and we all know how vital grades are (HAHA).

But now that I feel those same bad habits slipping into my (semi-)real (semi-)adult life, it’s a huge problem. Being late doesn’t just hurt my own meaningless grades anymore, it inconveniences others and infringes upon their valuable time. I am furious when a friend shows up late to a planned meeting (a veritable epidemic of our generation), so why should turning an article in late be different? It shouldn’t. And since I am certain others suffer from this problem as well, here are some ways we can work to remedy our bad habits together.

1. Understand that you can’t do everything at once.

This is the alpha and omega of my punctuality problem: I want to say yes to everything, so I end up overcommitted. Professional organizer Christina Hideksees this all the time. “I’ve found that with professionals who are educated and smart, there’s a tendency to think that they can do it all, and this leads to people trying to do more than time can really allow for, causing lateness,” she says. Whenever you find yourself wanting to say yes to something you know you don’t have time for right now, think of this quote from Cosmo legend Kate White, “You don’t have to do everything at once. Think of yourself as a serial achiever—you’ve got time!”

2. Stop underestimating how long tasks will take.

If overcommitting is the alpha and omega of my lateness, underestimating is the entire remainder of the Greek alphabet. The problem is, I’m not lying through my teeth when I say, “I’ll have it done by 7 p.m.”—I genuinely believe that I will. This is because I consistently underestimate how long it will take me to do something (or in a less flattering version of events, overestimating my own ability). “Start keeping track of your time, looking at how long tasks actually took to complete versus how long you thought it would take,” Hidek says. “Once you see the time difference, make an adjustment where needed to allow for enough time.” Consider it done.

3. Be honest with yourself about why you’re late.

If these first two aren’t your particular problem, be honest about what is. Sue Cook, counselor at Family TLC, offered some possible explanations: “Are you in denial, thinking it is not a problem? Are you too busy? Do you work to deadlines that are unrealistic? Are you easily distracted? Do you break your promise to yourself? Once you know why you are late then you can implement the how to stop it.” For example, Hidek adds, if you’re late getting out the door in the morning because you’re rushing around, get more done the night before—shower, clothes, hair, breakfast, and so on.

4. Set a personal consequence for being late.

According to Steve Levinson, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and president ofBehavioral Dynamics, the habit of being late is cultivated by a lack of consequences. “The key to breaking a late habit is to take deliberate, specific, and creative action to make it really feel necessary to be on time,” he says. He gives a rather extreme example of someone who consistently puts off his tax returns until the last minute. To be more prompt, the guy writes an inflammatory letter to the IRS that would get him in trouble, seals and addresses it, and gives it to a friend with strict instruction to mail it on March 1—unless he replaces the envelope with his completed tax return. That’ll do, that’ll do. It doesn’t need to something that dramatic, of course, but find a way to hold yourself to the deadlines you set.

5. Start working on a project as soon as you receive it.

Time management consultant Rashelle Isip advises her clients to start working on an assignment the very day it’s received. “This might sound a bit excessive, but it eliminates the possibility of you procrastinating,” Isip says. “You can start the momentum for your project by working on a small, actionable task: conduct basic online research, set up a file folder or notes section on your computer, brainstorm project ideas, or thoroughly review the details of the assignment.” You don’t have to make a major dent on day one, but even a small jump start can pay huge dividends. As for small tasks, *do them immediately.* If someone sends an email that requires a brief response, just do it. “Things that take 5 minutes shouldn’t be flagged for a later time,” says Kali Rogers, CEO and founder of Blush. “They should be put away now so that you have time to do your bigger projects later.”

6. Trick yourself into an earlier deadline.

Many experts advise setting “personal due dates” which are a few days earlier than the true due date. It’s a great way to allow yourself a buffer period should the project take longer than you expected (as always) or something else go wrong. “Deadlines need to be seen as an internal motive, not an external motive,” says Rogers. “The second we stop relying on others to give us boundaries for when things need to be done is the moment we start getting things done at the right time for us. External motives can always be justified—’they don’t really need it’ or ‘maybe they won’t notice that it hasn’t been turned in.’ But internal motivators don’t have qualifiers—we set them ourselves and we have decided we are going to get it done regardless of other’s timelines.”

7. Break assignments into smaller tasks.

“One of the main reasons people are late with their work is that they try to finish a project in one sitting,” says Isip. “Break up that enormous project into smaller, more manageable projects, and things won’t seem as overwhelming. Then, assign specific chunks of time in your calendar to complete the above tasks.” Isip advises setting a timer and working on the project for a specific amount of time every day, whether that is 5, 30, or 60 minutes. You’ll be finished before you know it (and if you’ve planned appropriately, well before your deadline).

8. Build your timeliness toolbox.

Thankfully, we live in a world in which there are thousands of tools to help you keep track of your sh*t. “With the right toolbox, you can surprise your colleagues with your ability to constantly stay on top of everything,” says Sara Kyle, founder and managing director at Vault Collective. Kyle suggests using your Gmail calendar as much as possible, setting up reminders leading up to meetings, calls, and events. For unexpected bottlenecks, she recommends Asana, and for efficient emailing, Boomerang. If you’re keeping track of a lot of people or a lot of content, try a content management system like Streak. “No one has to know about all of your secret weapons, but you’ll make yourself indispensable by being the one that remembers everything and nudges them along,” she says. Put the time in to find whatever tools work best for you. Just make sure you aren’t using so many programs that it complicates your life and exacerbates the problem.

I’ll leave you with this final thought from Kyle: “Don’t view timeliness as a burden—think of it as an opportunity to stand out from your competition. Remember that time is everyone’s most valuable asset, not just yours. Being respectful of other people’s time will help you gain respect…and your reputation is everything.” Let’s fix this guys, before it gets any worse.

http://www.levo.com/articles/career-advice/how-to-be-the-person-who-never-misses-a-deadline

7 Ways to Build an Unstoppable Personal Brand in 2016 ~ Levo League

7 Ways to Build an Unstoppable Personal Brand in 2016 ~ Levo League

7 Ways to Build an Unstoppable Personal Brand in 2016

by Krista Blair

What’s the impression that others have after an interaction with you? That’s personal branding. Think of it as your own personal calling card, your trademark. In an ever-evolving workplace where competition is fierce, it’s why people will want to work with you, hire you, hear your ideas, support you. So before the ball drops and the champagne pops for the new year, try these seven expert-approved tips for branding yourself in 2016.

1. Put pen to paper.

Now is the time to sit down and figure out what exactly it is you want to achieve over the next 12+ months. Get clear about your goals, and about what you want for your business, your brand, and your own personal success. Write these intentions down. You don’t need to know exactly how you’re going to get there, just that you want to. Whether it’s an intention to score a promotion, get a batch of new clients, or launch a side business, clarity is key. When big decisions come up, or you get overwhelmed, the intentions you have for your brand are what will keep you on track.

2. Craft your narrative.

Building a brand, especially one that truly resonates with people, is all about the story you tell. Who you are in the world, and who you want to be. That message needs to be clear and consistent. But most of all, authentic. It needs to be your own unique brand of whatever it is you are about. Maybe you are ridiculously stylish, or fantastically funny, or maybe your invention is going to change the world. Whatever it is, own that story. Talk about it with reverence, passion, and love. That enthusiasm, that uniqueness—that is what differentiates you and it’s what people are going to notice.

3. Tap your circle of colleagues and friends.

The old adage about it’s not what you know, but who you know…it’s a total cliché, yes, but it’s also true. Relationships matter and brand building, personal or otherwise, is all about the connections you forge. Strong, meaningful, heartfelt connections. Great business relationships are built on mutual respect and authenticity. But also by being gracious and generous with your time, resources, knowledge, and connections. Helping others get where they want to go is the most sure-fire way to have people help you in return. No one has ever done it alone.

4. Be great to work with.

To be the person who makes someone else’s job easier because you are buttoned up, responsive, and “on it”—there is no better way to garner respect and drive home your worth. Adding value to the work others do means adding value to your own brand. Every email you respond to, every call you take, do it with pride and do it well.

5. Post with a purpose.

So much of brand building today is done via social media. It’s such a powerful tool, but you need to know how to use it, and use it wisely. Everything you post should reflect who you are, and the ethos of your own personal brand. Play to your strengths and take time to curate your online presence. You can’t be all things to everyone, but when it comes to an Instagram post or Twitter (anything on social media!) ask yourself first: Is this what I want to be saying? Is this post telling my story in the right way? Think of it as an opportunity to show the best version of yourself.

6. Show off your expertise.

Go to networking events, get involved in organizations related to your industry, talk on panels. Mentor young, upcoming talent, and write articles for your favorite sites. You want to become a go-to person in your field—be it for a quote about holiday décor, or why an ad campaign is successful, or how to market yourself online. Whatever it is, empower others and establish your brand by sharing what you know.

7. Run in successful circles.

You really do become who you spend time with, whether personally or professionally. So, surround yourself at all times with people who inspire you, with people who are out there doing their thing in the best possible way. If you’re around powerful people who are pursuing their dreams, chances are you’ll want to do the same. As you grow up together and build successful careers, these are also the people you’ll likely end up working with, and forming partnerships with.

Best Places to Work | Glassdoor

Best Places to Work | Glassdoor



Glassdoor's annual Employees' Choice Awards honor the Best Places to Work across North America and parts of Europe. Winners are determined by the people who know these companies best—their employees.

The Best Places to Work in 2016 ~ Levo League

The Best Places to Work in 2016 ~ Levo League





The Best Places to Work in 2016





by Madeline Buxton



Get your resume ready: Yesterday, job and recruiting marketplace Glassdoor released its coveted annual list of the top 50 places to work in the country. For 2016, first place honors go to Airbnb, with Bain & Company, Guidewire, Hubspot, and Facebook rounding out the top five.



What factors determine whether a company makes the cut? The rankings are based on data that actual employees submit to Glassdoor. “We look at the quantity, quality, and consistency of the reviews for each company,” says Scott Dubroski, Glassdoor career trends analyst. While company perks certainly play a role—Airbnb gives each employee a yearly $2,000 travel stipend—the top fifty companies share other commonalities that weigh more heavily on where they rank.



“The number one quality is a mission-driven company culture, where a great mission is in place and is practiced day and and day out,” Dubroski says. “Employees wake up in the morning and know that their work matters and that it impacts the company’s bottom line.” It’s no surprise that a sense of purpose plays a role in determining how happy you are at work: Deloitte’s 2015 Millennial survey found that for six in 10 Millennials, the “sense of purpose” led them to pick their current roles.



Other similar qualities among companies in the top fifty (which also includes last year’s first place winner, Google, in eighth place) are strong career advancement opportunities and great benefits.



While the list is a good place to start your job search, don’t rule out places you don’t see there. “What I’m going to look for in a job varies greatly from someone else—it’s subjective,” Dubroski says. “Identify the top three to five things you want in a company culture and job. Then, start doing your research.”



Check out the full list of best places to work here and polish your professional portfolio so that you’re good to go when applications are due.