Sample Content Preview We are limited by our training Your parents programmed you. A lot of your personal destiny has been set in stone by the people who raised you. It doesn’t matter whether you grew up in a traditional American nuclear family, or a variation of it. Whoever took care of you played a major role in setting the course of your life. This is a limitation on your conscious mind, because your conscious mind can process many other courses. It can process many other maps, but it’s stuck to the map that it first became aware of. Where’s the power there? The conscious mind is bound by habit It’s human nature to stick with what we know. We know that there are better things out there. There are better paths, but we are already familiar with our path. We are already comfortable with our programming, so we stick with it. We know we are capable of so much more, but because of the sheer force of habit, we stay on the course; we remain stuck. The conscious mind is bound by reputation Deep down inside, a lot of us live for other people’s validation. This is why we hang on to our programming. We know that it’s sub-optimal. We know that we could do better. We know that there are other forms of programming out there that may take us to a much higher level, but we stick to our programming because we want the people around us to approve. They stick to pretty much the same programming. We’re going to stick out like a sore thumb if we choose another path. So because we want to go along, to get along, we stick with the tried and proven. Sadly, a lot of the time, the collective mindset that we seek to preserve, as far as our conscious mind goes, does us a big disservice. We could be soaring high. We could be going so much better, but we stick to tradition, custom, and social expectations. The conscious mind is easily overruled by emotion It is no surprise that a lot of shoppers in the United States buy product after product when they don’t really need it. In fact, the vast majority of commercial decisions in the United States and elsewhere are actually impulsive by nature. The reason for this is our conscious mind is easily overridden by emotion. We let our emotions get the better of us. Instead of us responding to situations based on our highest values or priorities, we let our emotions take over and we feel helpless against it. So despite the fact that we know that we are going to be spending more money than we have, and we are going to regret it later on, we still go through with it. Your conscious mind is your most powerful possession Different people have different minds, and they have different lives. These differences all stand from the fact that they have different minds. Change your mind and you will end up with a different outcome. It is not easy, nor is it smooth, but changing your mind is the first step to fundamental change. You conscious mind impacts how you edit your personal reality Believe it or not, every single human being on this planet edits his/her own reality. Every single second, the outside world bombards you with thousands of stimuli. Thanks to your programming, you choose to become aware of only a tiny fraction of that stimuli. Thanks to your programming, you chose to remember only a tiny fraction of the stimuli you chose to perceive. Your mindset then kicks in and interprets what you chose to remember, and this can trigger an emotional state which leads to your saying and doing things that other people will notice. That’s how you change your reality and it all begins with your conscious mind tied into the mindset that you have. Your Life is the Product of Your Mindset It’s very easy to think of mindset as some sort of optional operating device. It's very tempting to dismiss it as something that just plays in the background with no real effect on how your life turns out. The problem is this is so far from the truth that it’s funny. Your life is the product of your mindset. The way you look, the way you talk, who you hang out with, your values, what you strive for, everything. That's how crucial your mindset is. Sadly, too many of us go about our day thinking that mindset doesn’t really matter. In fact, a lot of us carry on with the thinking that somehow, some way mindset is just one empty detail about us, not much different from having a favorite shirt color or preferring a certain haircut. That's too bad because if you take ownership of your mindset, you would quickly realize that you chose your mindset. It's a choice. It’s like choosing between the Apple operating system and the Windows operating system. We all pretty much have roughly the same type of hardware. We have two eyes, one nose, one head, two arms, you name it. However, the big difference between people is the mental software they choose to install. That is your mindset and it is chosen. Going with this central and fundamental fact, nothing ultimately is an accident. It all begins with the mindset you chose. When you choose a certain mindset, you start viewing reality a different way. It may start out as a small difference but it can lead to a completely different place. You make totally different decisions. You feel different emotions about different things. Sadly, too many people fail to realize this. They refuse to take ownership of this. Not surprisingly, their mindset often works against them instead of working for them. Instead of taking their lives to the next level and allowing them to live out their lives according to their fullest potential, they live small, defeated, and powerless lives. The worst part to all of this? They chose that existence. Your conscious mind is often enslaved by your mindset Your conscious mind is very powerful. Think of it like a powerful machine on a factory floor. But your mindset is the software that you install on that machine. Keep this in mind, because you can have the most powerful computer on the planet at your disposal, and program it to play only video games. Wouldn’t that be a waste? Well, guess what? People do it all the time. You have an awesome biochemical computing machine called you mind, and you fill it with junk. Your mindset chooses only to look at the negative, the limited, the depressing, the pathetic, and your reality is the outcome. Is that a good use of that powerful reality-bending and editing machine? You decide; I think you know the answer. Your often waste the power of your conscious mind When was the last time you read a novel? When was the last time you analyzed a work of art? When was the last time you thought about your life, and came up with deep insights that changed the way you look at certain things that happened in your past, or things that you normally worry about regarding the future? If you’re like most people, the answer is once in a while or never. Those activities are part of your conscious mind. Your conscious mind would love to do those, because those can help change your life. You can achieve tremendous breakthroughs. By reading novels, you can step into other people’s lives. And by doing so, makes sense of your own life, because we’re not all that different. A lot of the deep personal, philosophical, psychological, and spiritual issues discussed in the great literature of history resonate to your life, if you only choose to see it. The connection is there, but most people don’t want to do that. They’d rather fill their minds with junk; I’m talking about Twitter, Facebook timeline, and believe me, Facebook can have a lot of vital information, but the problem is the way we use it. It’s like we are filling our minds with intellectual and mental chewing gum. It’s garbage in, garbage out. So you have this powerful machine called your conscious mind, and it’s stuck in neutral. The more it processes, the more it overheats, and the more stuck you feel. You feel overwhelmed. You feel burned out. If you want to achieve a breakthrough, you have to rediscover your subconscious mind Everybody has a subconscious mind. It is one of the things that unite all humanity. The problem is most of us are unaware of it, and those who are aware of it, often go out of the way to deny it. They’re scared of it. They don’t want to take responsibility over it, and they struggle. What is the subconscious mind? It is very to understand the conscious mind, because we are aware of its operations. When we make judgment calls, when we make decisions, when we think about somebody, or we’re thinking about what to say while we are dealing with other people, our subconscious mind is at work. By the same toke, when we are reading something and we try to analyze what we just read, we can see our conscious mind at work. But the subconscious mind is harder to pin down. Here are some of its qualities. Your subconscious mind involves your collective non-conscious memory Remember earlier I said that every single second, the outside world is bombarding you with thousands of stimuli? Remember that I said that you choose to perceive only a tiny fraction of that, and of that fraction you choose to remember only a smaller fraction. That is willful remembrance, or willful memory. But there is a flip side to this; your subconscious is also picking up stuff, and it’s not bound by your conscious mind. It’s not bound by its biases, rules, or habits. It’s more random. It’s like a screenshot. There may be fuzzy details, but it’s still a screenshot. This can come in handy. It is no surprise that some people, when they find themselves in a certain situation, they remember certain details of what happened in the past, and this can lead them to a decision that is different from what they would’ve normally arrived at if they were to have relied only on their conscious mind. Your subconscious mind ties you to the rest of humanity There is such a thing as a lizard brain. This is the part of your brain that first evolved. Please understand that the newest part of your brain is your cerebral cortex, the front part. This is the reasoning part. This is what people get all excited a bout because this is the seat of logic, reason, and judgment. This is where wisdom comes from. But for that part to evolve and mature, it has to be supported by another part of your brain.

Table of Contents Chapter 1: What is an Influencer? And Introducing the “Micro Influencer” ...... 6 What Makes You An Influencer? ..... 8 Do You Have to Be a Celebrity? ..... 9 Chapter 2: How to Become an Influencer – Knowing Your Strategy ...11 Creating Your Personal Brand .......12 Personal Brands Explained .......13 Why it Works .....14 The 3 C’s of Influencers .15 Content .....16 Community 16 Connection 17 Chapter 3: Step #1 - Choosing Your Niche – The Most Important Decision You Will Make .19 Example: Technology and Hardware .....20 The Solution To A Saturated Market ......21 Choosing a Niche You Love and Know ..22 Creating a Mission Statement and a Logo .....24 Chapter 4: Step #2 – Identify Your Content Style and Choose Your Platform ..27 Picking Your Platform ....29 Chapter 5: Step #3 – Create Content! ....34 How to Create “Addictive” Written Content for a Blog .....35 Be Personal and Direct......36 Tell a Story 37 Sell a Result ......38 Get Enthusiastic 39 How to Create Professional and Engaging YouTube Videos ..40 Looking and Sounding the Part .40 YouTube Content Strategy 43 Important YouTube Ranking Factors To Help Your Videos Get Found..45 How to Make Amazing Content for Instagram 46 Taking Great Photos ......47 Chapter 6: Step #4 – Engage Your Audience 49 Interactions ....50 Different Mediums .51 Engaging With The Community .....52 Chapter 7: Step #5 – Network and Collaborate .....53 How and Why to Network as an Influencer ....53 Closing Thoughts – The Road to Influencer .58 Sample Content Preview Chapter 2: How to Become an Influencer – Knowing Your Strategy So now you know what being an influencer entails, the next logical question is how you get there! How do you become an influencer and start making a big splash online? The simple answer is to create high quality content that has a consistent and honest “mission statement”, and then to promote that content online. Often this will mean also mean creating a “personal brand.” That means that instead of using a logo or company name, you are going to make yourself the brand. Creating Your Personal Brand Personal branding is an immensely fascinating concept when it comes to marketing and one that will be naturally interesting to many people. Essentially, personally branding means taking your name and your image and turning that into your brand. This is a way for people to potentially achieve a minor form of celebrity online (hence the mass appeal!) while also presenting an opportunity for businesses to reach a much larger audience in a far more personal and impactful way. At the same time, personal branding allows you to create more of a direct relationship with your audience – and to be more “human” and accessible. This in turn means you will be more likely to develop actual friends and fans, rather than just customers or clients. This is a FAR more powerful kind of relationship for any business. Personal Brands Explained The best way to explain a personal brand is to suggest a few examples you can learn from. Take Tim Ferriss for instance. Tim Ferriss is a prominent creator, an author, a podcaster and someone who has a massive online following. Part of Tim’s success comes down to his branding. Notice how you know his name rather than a company. The same goes for someone like Tony Robins, or perhaps Pat Flynn. These are people whose names come first. Elliot Hulse or the Hodge Twins are similar examples, as are many more YouTube personalities. If you choose to create a personal brand, then the name of your social media account is your name. The things you post are clips from your life. And the business name takes a back seat. Why it Works There are many reasons that personal branding works well and particularly when combined with social media. For starters, a personal brand makes your website and business feel much more personal and it makes people feel as though they know you and can relate to you. That means they’ll feel as though they can trust you and in turn, that means they’ll be willing to buy from you. The aim is to become a role model, and to become someone that others want to emulate. Most of us will base what we wear on what we see in magazines, and what we see celebrities and friends wearing. We are significantly less impressed by adverts telling us that we should wear a t-shirt. This is the power of “social influence.” And it’s massive! Having a more personal relationship with a brand also makes you more emotionally invested. It means that you’re going to want to see what they do next and you’re going to feel involved in their success. This makes you far more likely to engage with their posts and to be persuaded by what they have to say. Another reason it works is because people love living vicariously. People love getting an insight into the lives of others and this way, your social media will become much more interesting and addictive to follow. Finally, though, using yourself as your brand allows you to sell the “value proposition.” A value proposition drives most successful products. This is the “promise” for what your product can do for people. It is the lifestyle you’re promoting and the emotional hook. By having a personal social media account, you can show yourself living the lifestyle you’re selling. And when you do that, people will be inspired to buy your products. The 3 C’s of Influencers Are you ready to step up your game as an influencer? Do you want to join the big boys in your respective niche and attract the highest-paying sponsors? Then you need to focus on THREE golden rules: the three C’s... They are… Content Being an influencer is all about creating amazing content. Whether you’re on Instagram, YouTube or Vine… it really doesn’t matter. People tune in because they want to be inspired, informed or entertained and that’s what your content does. This is also important when it comes to networking, getting shout-outs from other influencers and finding sponsors. The better your content, the more other people are going to want to be associated with your brand. We’ll address how to do all of this later in the book. So how do you make amazing content? Again, it’s all about understanding your value proposition. You need to know why your audience responds to what you’re doing and what they hope to gain from following you. Once you can do that, you can tap into that emotional hook and keep bringing them back. Community Community engagement is absolutely critical for influencers working on Instagram and other networks. These are social networks and the operative word here is social. That is to say that these platforms are designed for communication. If you are putting out content but not responding to comments or messages, then you’re not really using the channels as they were intended. Start to actively respond to your audience and engage them and they will feel as though they actually know you. This gives them a greater sense of ownership over your brand and of belonging and ultimately, it’s what makes true “fans” as opposed to passive followers. Even friends! This is also the best way to sell something as an influencer: using what we call the “soft sell.” Imagine that you are selling life coaching for $1,000 per session. Instead of shoving that down people’s throats, you instead post images of you living your best life and mention casually that you offer life coaching. People will contact you to ask about it, at which point you spend time talking to them, getting to know them, and understanding if you can help them. Only then do you outline the program you offer and the price, at which point they’re hooked. This is how, as an influencer, you can successfully sell truly “big ticket” items. Connection Finally, you need to connect. Success as an influencer is as much about who you know as anything else and if you can work alongside the other big influencers in your niche then it will give you a leg up that helps you get to the top that much faster.

Sample Content Preview WORK ON YOUR PROFILE Your profile should be interesting and entertaining. It should be as targeted to what you want to sell as to the image you want to present. It should be attractive, well laid out, and interesting. One of the biggest features that MySpace offers is a variety of ways to “pimp” your profile to create excitement and buzz about your online presence. It can serve to project an image of confidence and fun, or you can customize it to suit your personality. As long as it attracts the right target market, it's doing its job. MYSPACE LAYOUTS Unlike Facebook, which has a very business-like interface, MySpace layouts are known for being garish and loud. They can include bright colors, your choice of music, and even animations. While this is in line with the demographic of young people who are still in high school, some people want to tone their layouts down to give them a more professional look. Depending on whom you intend to attract, you can make the choice to include any number of features on your profile to make it interesting and attractive to your market segment. Many people on MySpace appreciate innovate and different types of profiles that might not work well on other social networking sites. Give it a go and see if you can differentiate yourself enough to draw attention to your profile without having to do as much work to market yourself. SHINE YOUR PERSONALITY The more people can get to know you and trust you, the better it will be for converting those people to customers. Make sure you create a profile that is genuine and that helps people to get to know you better. Sometimes, a life story is appropriate; other times, you can differentiate yourself by exposing some part of your character that suits you. It can be done by sharing hobbies of interest, like skateboarding, or it can be done via just the choice of colors and the look and feel of your profile. TOO DIFFICULT? HIRE SOMEONE. If you do take the time to really understand how to create interesting profiles and layouts, you will have started on your first potential for making money on MySpace. Many people find it just too difficult to create their own snazzy design, so they are willing to hire and pay someone else to do it for them. If you've taken the time to learn it by doing your own, odds are that you can get proficient enough to do it for others. In that case, the more innovative and attractive your profile is, the more it will sell your services for you. SELLING SCRIPTS OR TEMPLATES Here's a niche that can make you good money on MySpace, and it's perfectly legit. In fact, people will love you for it because it makes their lives easier and it helps them to promote themselves on social networks more effectively. If you have a penchant for graphic design, understand social networking, and have a little programming experience, you can take advantage of this niche to create a side income for yourself. SELLINGCOOKIE-CUTTER TEMPLATES ANDSCRIPTS Even if you only hire others to create templates for you, you can offer them online as an info product to people looking to update their profiles. Some come with scripts; others make you buy the script separately. A cookie-cutter script or template can be sold and used multiple times by many different people. For that reason, they are cheaper than getting a custom design, but the downside is that someone else will undoubtedly have the same design at some point. In that respect, you don't differentiate yourself as much as a custom design, but it can help you to start developing a profile that looks more put-together and fun. The plus side of this way to make money with MySpace is that it doesn't require as much customer interaction as a consulting site. You can easily post your templates on a website, in links to forums, and in groups, and even give some away free to generate interest. People can download them automatically, pay for them online, and you can have a turnkey system that generates money even when you're sleeping. CONSULTING TO CREATEPROFILES AND SCRIPTS Another way to generate money by creating flashy profiles and scripts is to create a consulting company for it. This is for customers who want something completely different than anyone else and are willing to pay for it. You will need a team of designers and programmers to get this type of business up off the ground, and it generally takes more time and energy to resolve a customer's vision into a working profile. However, you can also charge them a higher rate, since it will be a one-of-a-kind profile; as long as you keep getting orders, you can make money by outsourcing the programming and just acting as a intermediary facilitator to manage the project. The downside is that you don't get to keep the rights to the template or to the script. Once it's complete, all rights will probably go the customer unless you negotiate for them ahead of time. That's why this type of business is more costly for customers, but can be really profitable for people who are willing to take the time to get this up and running. INCOME FROM ADVERTISING A classic model of income generation online is through advertising. The most popular way to advertise on websites in the past was using Google AdWords campaigns; however, it's not the only way to make money advertising online. On social networks, you can't advertise too publicly if it is against the terms of the service agreement, but it's still possible to use different features on MySpace to promote affiliate offers and your own sponsored products. SPONSORED LINKS Once you've generated a large friends list and traffic is coming back to your profile, you are in a good position to sell sponsored links. If you've taken care to create a genuine and organic list that is well targeted, there are numerous advertisers that will want to use that traffic to help them create exposure for their products and services. You can contact them directly, or they may even end up contacting you. You can get monthly income from just offering one sponsored link to an advertiser who is willing to pay for it.

Sample Content Preview Keep in mind that you can offer your customers a number of membership options. For example, some sites charge a monthly rate and also a yearly rate. If you do the math, the yearly rate is usually a better bargain if you can find the cash. RUNNING THE NUMBERS –HOW MUCH CAN YOU REALLY MAKE? Once you decide on a pricing schedule, the next step is to run the numbers. Figure out exactly how many sign ups you need to meet your financial goals. For example, if you know you want to charge $19.95 a month and want to make around $2000 dollars, you’ll need to entice around 100 people to sign up. If you want to charge around $10 a month, you’ll need 200 people, etc. In the beginning, it will be easier to keep track if you just choose one pricing structure and stick with it. So, choose a monthly pricing structure or a yearly one. Once your site is more established, you can be creative with the pricing. GETTING PEOPLE TOSIGN UP Once you have the site up and running and decide on a pricing schedule, your next task is to entice people to sign up. There are several ways you can do this and it is a good idea to try each of these methods to maximize your signup rate. • Sell to your list If you have a list, hopefully they are already accustomed to buying things from you. That’s because the list is a very powerful thing when it comes to selling your own products. • Create a list If you don’t have a list set up yet – work to create one. You can offer a free teaser membership to the site by having people sign up for the list. Or, you can give something else away such as an ebook in your niche. • Sales page You’ll definitely need to create a sales page (also called a landing page) to direct traffic to. If the sales page is highly effective then all you need to do is direct more traffic to the page to get signups. To determine if it’s effective, you’ll need to test it. • Market the sales page This may seem obvious but once the sales page is up and running, you’ll want to market it using any means you can think of. You can put a link for it on your blog or website, use social networking, do article marketing, create Hubpages, etc. Basically, employ any means you’d use to market a standard website. • Start an affiliate program This one is really fun. Once you get the affiliate program up and running, just start an affiliate program. That means that other people will promote your landing page to their lists and you’ll reach a wider range of people. Granted, it will cut out into your profits but this is an easy way to get people coming to your site. This list of ways to get people to sign up for the site is by no means complete. If you can think of other methods, by all means use them. Especially since each niche may require a different tactic. TIPS FOR MAKING THE MEMBERSHIP SITE EVENMORE LUCRATIVE In the previous section we talked about getting people to sign up for the member site. While this is an important step, it should not be done at the expense of running a great site. In other words, you want to make your customers happy. If you do, they’ll keep coming back. Having a successful site means that you will provide great content and also find ways to increase your earnings. Here are some ideas. • Promote affiliate programs Are there certain products or services that you use all the time and recommend in your site? If this is the case, there’s nothing wrong with promoting the affiliate link. If customers trust that you won’t just promote anything and respect your opinion, this will increase your sales. • Don’t get overwhelmed This is as much a tip for making more money as it is a case for simplicity. Customers don’t necessarily want a site that has a lot on it. They just want content that serves to teach them about the topic they are interested in. A membership site is a good way to boost your income. However, it won’t be worth your energy if you make it too complicated. The easier it is to run, the better off you’ll be. • Make them want more At the point when your site debuts, you’ll want to have enough content on there to satisfy your new customers. However, you also shouldn’t put all the content up there at first. Making them want more is a great way to give them a reason to come back which means they’ll be willing to renew their membership. • Get feedback A great way to get your customers coming back for more is to have them give you feedback. This is an easy way to make sure all of their needs are being met as well. If you ask them their opinion and then implement their suggestions, they’ll feel as if they are a valued customer. • Great customer service As with any business, providing your customers with excellent customer service is a big part of making your site successful. If you have great content and your rates are more than affordable but you don’t have excellent customer service, you may find that you don’t convert the one time customers into constant, paying members. Answer people’s emails. Try to help them solve their problems. If you don’t have the time to take care of this yourself, at least hire someone who does. Starting a membership site is easy. However, to keep it running, you need to focus on things like customer service in order to make it successful. • Don’t give up This may sound obvious but if you aren’t seeing the results you want at first, don’t give up. There may be a part of your strategy that needs honing, but giving up may not be the best option. Sometimes, membership sites can take a little while to get going. If you give up too quickly you may never see the success you want. JUST TAKE THE PLUNGE! Maybe you’ve been thinking about starting a membership site for a while but are waiting for the right time. At some point, it’s time to stop thinking about it and just take action. Yes, it is true that you can make a considerable amount of money with a membership site. However, it’s important to take action instead of wait. The sooner you get started, the less competition you have – especially if your niche is very popular.

Sample Content Preview Fill In The Blanks Once you have a good outline, you'll know what topics you need to research more and can spend a little time doing just that. You should become familiar with quick ways to research any topic so that it can speed up the writing process. If you're a walking library of information on your topic, you won't have to spend much time researching anything. However, for those that want to spend a bit more time getting into their subject more, there are a few options before they set pen to paper. GOOGLE IT Use keywords that define your niche topic for each chapter to Google new information across the Internet. Almost everyone is familiar with Google's search engine. You can even use the advanced search to limit yourself to recent postings on the Web too to make your information more current. Just be sure not to plagiarize information and to use it solely for research purposes. Be careful about the information on Google, as sources may not be accurate, so it does take some good ability to discern good and bad information via the references offered in each article. Even Wikipedia, a great source for research, is not 100% accurate, since it is updated by everyday people who can and do make mistakes. Consider the source when doing research. This way, you'll be more accurate if you use any facts or figures that are quoted within an article by checking the source too. ASK AN EXPERT A great way to put together some valuable information for your readers that you don't know without necessarily doing heavy-duty research is to ask an expert to contribute to your ebook. Of course, there has to be something in it for him/her, but you can do an entire ebook with chapters devoted to him/her discussing a particular topic of interest to your readers. If you promise to let him/her link to his/her products and services within the ebook, and you have a wide enough audience who will be offered the ebook for free, it can be a win-win for everyone. Write it up in an interview format that’s very easy to read and nicely segmented. In some cases, the ebook might be a promotional item to help you prod a person into buying something else that you and/or your expert sponsors, so it's not going to be sold, but is going to be given away instead. With so much exposure available to experts trying to sell their products, it will be something that will interest them to help you with it because it will help them sell their products to a new audience. How To Format Everything Quickly If you're using Word, you can format your headings and subheadings so that they can be used easily at the end of the creation of your ebook to generate a table of contents (TOC). Depending on the word processing package you are using, there will be different menus that allow you to format the headings. If you start with the idea that your chapter and section headings are going to make up the table of contents, you will know ahead of time to format them as you go along. For now, let's just quickly go over how it's done in Microsoft Word, as this is the most popular word processing program out there. HEADING STYLES You will have the option to format text that you highlight in different styles. You can do this from the menu or from the Style box on the formatting tool bar if it's showing. Heading 1 is the style that is used for major chapter headings, while Heading 2 is used for subheadings. To apply a Heading 1 Style, you can do one of the following after selecting the text: 1. Click the Style box and choose Heading 1 as your style to apply. 2. Using the menu, you might try using the Format menu, and under Styles, you will be able to click Apply. Whatever way your word processing program does this, it's still the same in most word processing programs. In OpenOffice, you will even have Chapter Headings that you can use, which are much larger and which appear like the page headings in this report. TO INSERT THE TOC Once you have a few heading styles applied, try to see how they look in a shortened TOC. In a new page near the top of your ebook, before your headings and subheadings, you will place your cursor to insert your TOC. This is done by choosing the Insert command on the main menu of Word. In earlier versions of Word, the submenu you want is “Index and Tables” or “Reference/Index and Tables.” Click OK, and it will take your headings, add the page numbers, and put in a TOC for you. If you want to change the look of the TOC, choose to modify it within this command, not from within the ebook. The Easy Way To Write Your First Ebook - Page 6 Adding Pictures Adding pictures breaks up the monotony of an ebook, although they're not entirely necessary. It is nice to include a photo with your ebook cover when you market it, but it's not entirely necessary to add them within the ebook itself. Although they can be very helpful when it comes to certain things, like explaining how to do a particular operation on a computer. Just be sure that the pictures you use are either your own or are licensed to you for the proper usage. Otherwise, you can end up in legal trouble for infringing on someone else's copyright. SCREEN SHOTS If you're trying to depict how a certain operation is done on the personal computer, you're in luck! It's a very easy thing to take a screen shot off of any personal computer and embed the picture into your ebook. All you have to do is to hit the button at the same time as the button on your keyboard. The button is next to the space bar on the left and the button is on the top right hand side of your keyboard. Pressing the two together takes a picture of whatever is on your screen and saves it to memory. You will then want to open any photo processing program or even Paintbrush and paste it into the front screen so that you can edit it there. The way to do that in Paintbrush is to simply choose to edit/paste the information into it after you've opened it. Then, you can crop it and resize it if you need to for use in your ebook. To paste it within your ebook, either copy and paste it or insert it via the word processing program after saving it onto your hard disk. USING STOCK PHOTO BANKS There are a number of great stock photo banks out there that allow anyone with a few bucks to download some great photos that they can use for free on their personal sites and for a few bucks in their commercial ventures. The terms of the usage will depend on the photo and the site itself. A good place to investigate is Dreamstime.com. You sign up as a member and are able to browse photos by categories and by a number of different keywords. Next time you want a photo of a red sports car, it's as simple as logging in and seeing what's available. The selection is tremendous, and the prices are reasonable. You may be able to use a photo for free if you give credit to the site and photographer, but if you want it just as a photo, you will probably have to pay to use it. However, when you factor in the amount of time it will take you to get the perfect shot of just the right image, it is well worth any investment to get a license and just pay for the privilege of using the photos in your ebook. For Those That Talk Better Than They Write Some people can go on for hours talking about a subject that they are passionate about, but ask them to write about the same thing, and they freeze. If you're one of those people, don't fret. There are tools available to make it easier for you to take advantage of your immense oral knowledge in such a way that it even lessens the amount of time it takes to create an ebook. They may cost a bit more than just using a computer and keyboard, but it can be a Godsend for those who find themselves literally challenged. OLD-FASHIONED AUDIO TAPES You can go out and buy yourself an old-fashioned audio tape recorder. This might be helpful if you're doing interviews that are to be typed up later. However, it's not the most ideal tool for just putting down your own thoughts to later write out in format. It still will take time to transcribe that information to the keyboard. That will take more time than if you just started using software that allows you to record what you're saying and types it into your computer for you. DRAGON NATURALLY SPEAKING The software that is most used by people to create ebooks orally instead of manually is Dragon Naturally Speaking. It is a Nuance product that is available at https://www.nuance.com/dragon.html You can probably get it for less if it's not a physical shipment and is downloaded off of the Internet. Some places offer it for $49.99, but it may be an earlier version. Decide what you need and then order it online.

Sample Content Preview GO TO YOUR AUDIENCE In order for this to work, you need to know where to go – and one of the best places to start is to look for forums on the relevant subject. Incidentally if you are completely stuck for ideas for products but you have a niche in mind that you want to approach, look for a forum on that subject and see what the members are talking about. It’s a great way to get in touch with that niche and what makes it tick! Now you need to be extremely careful when you are introducing a product to your audience in this way, because if you don’t do it right you can get accused of spam and banned from that forum – plus it will obviously get you a bad name. That’s obviously not what we’re after here, so the first step is to read through the terms and conditions laid down by each individual forum you come across to see how it works. Another good idea is to spend some time just browsing through the posts that other people have already started, so that you can get a feel for how the forum operates and the type of subjects that are covered. You will usually find that you can link to an outside site via your signature link at the end of each post you make (this is put on automatically once you have set it up to appear), but not all forums allow this to be promotional. Again, make sure you check the rules before doing it. Quite often it is more the issue of promoting products or services during the post itself rather than in your signature that causes problems, especially if you continually do it when there is clearly no real cause (other than a promotional one) to do so. You can also reach your audience in other ways, and with the interactive ways that many websites are operating in these days you will find this extremely easy to do. Take MySpace for example. It doesn’t take long to set up a user profile on this site and you can search for other people on the site who have the same interests as you. The same thing applies to other similar sites such as Facebook. These sites do take time to develop a presence on of course, so if you are looking for a faster way to attract the attention of people who are going to be interested in your product, give Twitter a go. The benefit of this is that you only have a few words in which to get your message across – and it takes very little effort to start building up a body of fans who will be interested in what you have to say. Just remember that to get the best effect you should do more than just advertise. People will get bored very quickly if you do nothing other than point them to the product (or products) that you are advertising. Give them something worthwhile and tell them of your own interest in the subject area; if you can tell them something they don’t already know that relates to the product in question then you will certainly have their attention. You can also connect with your audience in other ways; remember that the more methods you can find for reaching the people who are likely to buy your product, the more sales you will make. Think about using classified adverts on various websites for example. You can easily find these by searching for classified ad sites on the big search engines; some of them will be free whereas others may require a payment, but you can start with all the free methods to begin with. One other way to connect with the people you want to sell to is by writing articles on subjects that they will be looking for. By finding out as much as you can about their interests, you will be able to get plenty of ideas on topics to write about that will attract their attention. Your goal here is to think about what these people will be searching for online. You can then write some articles that are carefully enhanced with selected keywords and submit them to a range of article directories online. Each article will have its own unique URL, and if you write it well and make good use of the keywords without overdoing it, you will find that your articles will come up ranked quite highly in the search results your potential customers are coming up with. That means there is a great chance of them finding your article, reading it, and then going through to the website which has details of the product you want to sell. The key to success is to remember not to promote anything in the article. This sounds bizarre, I know, but that’s how it works. And it really does work. What happens is that you get a small box at the foot of every article you write which allows you to link to a website that you have an interest in. This doesn’t need to be your own website – it could just as easily be a website that you are an affiliate for. But just as you did with the forums, make sure here too that you read all the terms and conditions about the sites that you can link to, as some won’t let you link up with affiliate links. It’s easy to get around though, because all you would have to do is set up your own website or blog and link to that instead. The trick that you must remember with all of these methods is that you won’t be able to turn a product into a best seller unless you push it and promote it as hard as you can. The internet is a huge place, so not only do you have to have the right audience and the right product, you also have to have the determination to get that product out there and promote it as hard and as much as you can. You won’t get very far with half a dozen ads and a couple of posts on Twitter, so make sure you are ready for the long haul. LET YOUR AUDIENCE COME TO YOUME TO YOU This is very much like setting up shop in a prime location and waiting for people to come flooding through the doors. There are two main options available to you here, and we’ll look at each one in turn. Although of course, if you really want to push for that best seller, you should be doing both together! Aim big and keep aiming if you want that best selling product to be known all over the internet. The first option is to set up a dedicated website on the subject your niche product is concerned with. This will work especially well if you manage to track down several products in the same niche that are presently unknown, and you want to turn them all into best sellers. Now obviously this will again work best if you don’t go directly for the big sale. It’s almost like a reverse psychology – people don’t like a hard sell and if you try and talk them into buying something before they are ready you will lose potential customers. The best bet is to think about developing a useful website that will provide people with plenty of information on the relevant subject. You can then almost casually recommend the product you have in mind to sell to them. Let’s look at an example of how this works. Let’s suppose you have found a ‘green’ product of some kind that has a benefit for the environment as well as for the consumer. Now this could really take off because of the way that the news and the world as a whole has picked up on this topic. But instead of just saying, “Hey look, I’ve found this great new product that will do this and that and save on energy every time you use it,” you should instead build up a website that virtually pre-sells this and other green products to the consumer. Think of it like this. When someone goes onto a search engine and looks for information on something they may not necessarily be looking to buy something. So if you try and sell them something the minute they arrive on your website, they are probably going to go elsewhere. But consider this. Let’s say they want to find out more about green issues and about how they can improve their lives by doing more things that will benefit the environment instead of polluting it. They aren’t looking for anything in particular to buy, but they might just be persuaded if they find out about something that could help them.

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION TO DOMAIN FLIPPING ... 4 CHOOSING WINNING DOMAINS ... 6 THE VALUE IN AGED DOMAINS .. 14 DOMAIN PARKING 101 ..... 19 DROPPED DOMAINS DISSECTED 23 BACKORDERING DOMAIN NAMES.... 25 SELLING YOUR DOMAIN NAMES 25 DOMAIN TASTING REVEALED .... 34 CONCLUSION: FINAL WORDS ..... 36 TOOLS & RESOURCES 39 Sample Content Preview For other extensions, you will be required to do more in depth keyword and traffic research so let’s stick to .com’s for now. Once Moniker is done searching for the domain names you have entered in, you will see a results window where you can choose to register them with Moniker. Note that you are not required to register them there, you can use whatever domain registration provider you wish, we are simply using Monikers bulk domain checker to sort through our lengthy list to determine availability of each domain name. For me, I typically register a handful of domain names a day; I never go overboard unless I happen to stumble upon a great list or a good deal. When you are first starting out, you should set aside $50.00 and try to register 5 domain names to start. Once you have begun to generate a profit and have a feel for how domain flipping works, you can begin to take a portion of your profits and invest it back into registering domain names. It will not take long before you have the business paying for itself entirely, including higher priced domain names that you will eventually register and flip. You can also find tons of expired domain lists on domain forums and blogs. I have included quite a few within the Resources section at the end of this guide, so be sure to check those out. Whenever you download an expired list of domains, you should begin to weed through it taking notes of the ones that appeal to you either because they are short, memorable or based on keywords that you have found to be in demand. The only problem with expired domain listings are that if you don’t move quickly, a lot of the better domain names will be snatched up as these lists tend to get distributed all over the Internet rather quickly. Another obstacle when browsing through expired domain lists is the fact that often times domain registrars such as GoDaddy.com, will snag any domains that have existing traffic. This means that some of the domain names on the lists will not become available after they have expired, but instead, held by the domain registrars for a period of 5-7 days before potentially being dropped and made available again. The best way to address this is to go over each lists (and as many different lists as you can), taking notes of any domain names that are appealing. Write them down in a text file and every day, take a few minutes to check whether the domains have become available to the public. Before you do this however, you should know that there are many domain registrars online that will literally steal your domain research. What this means is that when you type the domain name into your browser to see if it’s available, or if you visit a domain registrar’s website and enter in a domain to see its status, these companies analyze this data and may snap up a domain you are considering. This has been happening for many years and has recently caused quite a stir amongst the domain community when some well-known registrars were caught doing this. To avoid domain snatching, I recommend using a trusted provider, such as www.DomainTools.com managed by Jay Westerdal. Jay has a strict policy against domain research stealing, so you can rest assured that if you use his service to check for domains, you will not be exposing your considerations to someone waiting to snatch it up. www.Verisign.com is also another trusted provider, and despite allegations regarding NameCheap from time to time, I have used them for many years without any problems in having my potential domains gobbled up or squatted on by their team. They are also my chosen registrar due to their lower prices and included WHO privacy protection guard that comes free with every domain registratration. The Value in Aged Domains Domains that have been registered and never dropped are called “Aged Domains”. These domains typically sell for more than a new one does because it has been around for awhile, it’s usually out of the Google Sandbox and for those who are looking for aged domains, it can help them develop an existence online, a history, or credibility in their niche markets simply because if the domain has been around for years, it appears that they have as well. Aged domains can also be found on forums like DNForum.com and simply by typing in the keywords “Aged Domains” into the search bar you can easily locate domain auctions that include these older domain names. I have purchased dozens of domain names for $40 or less that were anywhere from 5 – 10 years old. Just based on the age alone I was able to flip these domain names for over 5x what I paid. For instance, one domain name I purchased was never used, meaning it had never featured a website on it, it just sat parked in the users account for over six years. I purchased the domain for only $30.00 and because of its age, I was able to flip it for $379.00. That’s quite a boost in profit from a domain I paid so little for. While there is no exact science as to what type of domain names will ultimately be worth the most, apart from the obvious short and memorable domain names, there are a few things to keep in mind: 1) Development Potential When you analyze the available domains in your list, consider what each domain name could represent and be used for when creating a website presence. An example of which is whether the domain name is one that could represent a product title, or better served as a personal portfolio, a social community, a directory or perhaps a forum. While the purpose of the domain name will unlikely match your ideas when it is sold, by thinking of a clear purpose for each domain name will not only help you make sound choices during the selection process, but can also be included in the domain auction, as a way of passing on the ideas to prospective buyers who are considering purchase.

Table of Contents Introduction 04 Chapter 1: What Is Facebook Remarketing all about In 2019-20? 07 Chapter 2: What Do You Need Right Before Using Facebook For Remarketing By Using Your Sources? 12 Chapter 3: What Do You Need Right Before Using Facebook For Remarketing By Using Facebook Sources? 17 Chapter 4: Creating A Custom Audience By Using Your Sources 22 Chapter 5: Creating A Custom Audience By Using Facebook Sources 26 Chapter 6: Reaching New People Who Matter To Your Business With Lookalike Audiences. 31 Chapter 7: Using Saved Audience To Save Your Commonly Used Targeting Options 34 Chapter 8: Creating A Facebook Remarketing Campaign By Using Your Sources 37 Chapter 9: Creating A Facebook Remarketing Campaign By Using Facebook Sources 42 Chapter 10: Creating A “Lookalike Audience” Facebook Remarketing Campaign 48 Chapter 11: Creating A “Saved Audience” Facebook Remarketing Campaign 50 Chapter 12: Skyrocket Conversion Rates By Retargeting Specific URL Visits 52 Chapter 13: Dramatically Increase Lead Generation Rates By Using Page Engagement 57 Chapter 14: Considerably Grow ROI By Upselling To Your Past Customers 63 Chapter 15: Remarket To Those Who Almost Completed Their Purchase 68 Chapter 16: Convert Free Trial Users To Customers By Remarketing To Them 73 Chapter 17: Facebook Remarketing Do's And Don’ts In 2019-20 78 Chapter 18: Facebook Remarketing Premium Tools And Services To Consider In 2019-20 84 Chapter 19: Facebook Remarketing Success Stories 89 Chapter 20: Facebook Remarketing Frequently Asked Questions In 2019-20 95 Conclusion 100 Top Resources 101 Special Offer 102 Sample Content Preview Chapter 4: Creating A Custom Audience By Using Your Sources Hello there everyone! Let’s take this training one step further. In this lesson, we are going to show you how to create custom audiences using your sources. To create any type of custom audience, you have to click on the menu icon from the ads manager dashboard. Next, you have to click on “audiences”. On the next page, you’ll simply have to click on the “custom audiences” button. This will open the menu from where you’ll select the type of custom audience that you want to set up. Ready to get started? Website Traffic Ok, let’s first create a custom audience using website traffic. First, click on the “website traffic” option. Now let’s “add people to your audience”. Start by selecting an inclusion criteria. Select “any” if you want to add people who meet the criteria that you select, or select “all” if you want to add people that meet all of the criteria that you select. Now click on the drop-down menu below to select the pixel that you edited to track the users that you’ll add to this audience. Now start selecting the criteria. Here you can select: “all website visitors” and the number of days since they were last active on your site. “People who visited specific web pages”, and enter the exact page they visited. And “visitors by time spent”, and select time spent on site as a percentile. You can include more criteria by clicking on “include more people” and applying the same steps. You can also exclude criteria by clicking on “exclude people” and applying the same steps. Now enter the name of your new audience in the “name your audience” field and click on “create audience”. App Activity To create a custom audience from app activity, select “app activity” from this menu. Now select an inclusion criteria. Now select the app from where you want to get users to your custom audience. Next, select your criteria. Here you can select: “anyone who opened the app”, and then select the number of days that have passed since they last opened your app. “Most active users”, and then select top active users by percentile. “Users by purchase amount”, and then top purchasers by percentile. And “users by segment”. Pleas be aware that to select “users by segment” you will need to define segments in Facebook Analytics first! Next, include or exclude more criteria. Then enter the name of this new audience into the “name your audience” field, and click on “create audience”. Customer File To create a custom audience from a customer file, select “customer file” from this menu. Next you have to select what type of customer file you are going to import. Select “use a file that includes customer lifetime value” if you added “customer lifetime value” as a customer attribute to your file. Select “use a file that doesn’t include lifetime value” if you didn’t include this as a customer attribute to your file. Or select “import from MailChimp” if you want to import your customer file from your MailChimp contacts. For this example, we are going to select “use a file that doesn’t include lifetime value”. Next up, select your “original data source”. Then click on “upload file” to upload the file from your computer. Now enter the name of your new audience and click on “next”. Now review the information that will be mapped to your audience and click on “upload and create”. Offline Activity To create a custom audience from offline activity, you have to select “offline activity” from this menu. Next, select an inclusion criteria. Then select an offline event from the list. Now select your criteria. Here you can select “people who interacted offline”, and the number of days that have passed since they last interacted with your business offline. This criteria incudes any or all people in your custom offline event that matches a Facebook profile. You can include or exclude people using a different offline event. After this, enter the name of your new audience, and then click on “create audience”. And this is it my friends! Chapter 5: Creating A Custom Audience By Using Facebook Sources Hey there everyone! Let’s now create custom audiences using Facebook sources. Video To create a custom audience from video views, select “video” from this menu. Now click on the “engagement” field to select how engaged the users ARE that you’ll add to this audience. Here you can select “people who viewed at least three seconds of your video”, “people who viewed at least ten seconds of your video”, or “people who watched” a certain percentage of your video, from 25%, 50%, 75%, or 95%. After selecting this criteria, click on “choose videos” to select the videos from where you’ll obtain your audience. You can add additional criteria and videos by clicking on the “choose a content type” field and repeating the previous steps. Now select the number of days that have elapsed since users last engaged with your videos, enter the name of our audience, and click on “create audience”. Lead form To create a custom audience from a lead generation form, select “lead form”. Now select an inclusion criteria. Then select your criteria. Here you can select: “anyone who opened this form”, “people who opened but didn’t submit”, or “people who opened and submitted form”. Then select the number of days that have elapsed since any of these actions took place. Now select the page that represented the lead gen form in the ad, and then click on “select specific forms” to select a lead gen form. You can then include or exclude other criteria and lead gen forms. Now enter a name for your new audience and click on “create audience”. Instant Experience To create a custom audience from an Instant Experience on your page, select “Instant Experience”. Now select an inclusion criteria. Now select a criteria. Here you can select: “anyone who opened this instant experience”, or “people who clicked any links in this instant experience”. Then select the number of days that have elapsed since any of these actions took place. Now select the page where you posted your instant experience post, and then click on “select specific instant experience” to select an Instant Experience. You can then include or exclude additional criteria and Instant Experiences. Now enter a name for your new audience and click on “create audience”.

Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Getting Started 5 Top Poses to Reduce Stress 6 Improving Flexibility 10 Instant Energy Boost 14 Fat Burning Poses 20 Your Daily Routine 24 Final Words 29 Resources 31 Sample Content Preview Improving Flexibility Increasing flexibility goes hand in hand with enhancing your range of motion and improving the overall health of your joints, which in turn will work towards eliminating back and shoulder pain.  Improving your flexibility will also help you get more out of your workouts. In fact, flexibility is a core component to proper physical fitness because it plays a major role in your ability to increase range of motion and being able to complete a high-intensity workout routine effectively. The key is to start off slow and steady. Instead of rushing into advanced poses that you may not be ready for, you’ll want to start off with a series of simple poses that supports muscle-building while helping you learn correct posture and safe alignment during your routine. Here are a couple of poses to help you get started: Eye of the Needle This is a great pose for stretching out your hips and building your flexibility in a smooth and gentle way.  Step 1:  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet flat on the floor. Step 2:  Next, place your right ankle on top of your left thigh while opening your right knee. Step 3:  Lift your left foot from the floor slowing and start to bring your left thigh towards your chest. Step 4:  Reach your right hand through the space between your legs in order to clasp your hands around the back of your left thigh. Step 5: Bring your left knee towards your chest as close as you feel comfortable with. Step 6: After 5-6 breaths, switch legs and repeat. Another great pose for improving flexibility is one of the most popular foundational poses: The Downward Facing Dog Here’s the right way to complete this pose: Step 1:  Start with your hands and knees on the floor in a comfortable position with your buttocks pointed out and slightly up.   Step 2: Next, place your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward (towards your shoulders).  Spread the palms of your hands out on the floor and turn your toes under.  Step 3: Lift your knees up by curling your toes under as you move. Straighten your knees, draw your thighs back and lift your legs higher. Reach your heels down.  Step 4:  Hold this position ensuring that your arms are straight and your thighs are pressed back, elongating your spine. Breathe in deeply and smoothly. Step 5: Lower your knees to the floor to release the position. Instant Energy Boost Are you often finding it hard to stay focused and alert throughout the day?  Need a quick pick-me-up without the caffeine? Just a few minutes of yoga each day can give you that instant energy boost that gets you through the day.  Here are a few of our top energy-boosting yoga poses: Tree Pose This pose helps energy circulate throughout your body while opening your chest. The tree pose also works to stretch your shoulders, torso and thighs while building strength in your calves and legs.  And when it comes to boosting your energy, the tree pose will do that and more, including improving your focus and concentration. Here’s how to do this foundational pose: Step 1: Begin by standing with your feet together, inner ankles and knees touching.  Step 2: Bring your hands together at the center of your chest.  Exhale deeply, focusing on the pose. Step 3: Shift your weight onto your right foot, then bend your left knee and move it upwards. Keep your spine stretched, reach down and clasp your left ankle. Place the sole of your left foot on your inner right thigh. Step 4:  Stand tall, keeping your focus on the wall in front of you in a straight line. Step 5:  Press your left foot into your inner right thigh while pressing your right thigh into your foot to strength your core and improve your balance. Step 6:  If you feel balanced, raise your arms above your head with your palms together. Breathe and hold for 5-8 breaths. Step 7:  Release, slowing exhaling while bring your arms down. Release your legs. Step 8: Repeat on the other side. “Like a tree, extend your roots down and blossom your arms up towards the sun.  The stronger the roots, the taller the tree.” - Baron Baptiste Tip: If you struggle with the tree pose, consider bringing your arms out to the sides for additional stability. You can also use a wall to practice, placing one free hand on the wall for support.

Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 5 Mistake #1: Failing to Plan 6 Mistake #2: Outdated Information 12 Mistake #3: Unsecured Valuables 14 Mistake #4: Overpacking 16 Mistake #4: Currency 19 Mistake #5: Insurance 22 Mistake #6: On The Go 25 Mistake #7: Failing to Set a Budget 26 Mistake #8: Comfort Zone 28 Mistake #9: Overdoing It 30 Mistake #10: Not Confirming 32 Final Words 34 Resources 36 Sample Content Preview Mistake #7: Failing to Set a Budget If one of the top mistakes new travelers make is failing to plan early, a close second is not setting a reasonable budget. Once you have decided on your destination and a rough timeline as to when you plan to travel, it’s time to set a budget. You’ll want to start by writing down all the current expenses associated with your upcoming travel. This includes estimations for hotel charges, rental cars, flights, attractions, travel and food. That way, not only will you be able to create an overview of what to expect (and therefore, fewer surprises when it comes time to pay up!), but you’ll be able to divide that budget by the number of months you have from now until the time you travel so you can set aside money each money that can go towards your trip. For example, if you estimate that you will need $2,000 for your trip that takes place in about 6 months, you’d only need to save about $11 a day to be able to afford that trip! Setting a budget well in advance makes it easier for you to strategize ways to cut costs, save money and get prepared. For example, you could get a travels reward credit card and plan to use it regularly in the months prior to your trip so that you can then cash those points in towards free flights or hotel stays. Most hotel chains also offer free reward cards through loyalty programs that offer free perks, early check-in options and more. Mistake #8: Comfort Zone If you’re the type of person who likes to stick to a schedule as well as stay within a set region or area during your travels, you’ll miss out on some great opportunities to learn about culture and how the locals really live. Most travel experts will tell you to “get lost on purpose”. They explain that if you want to learn about how real people live and work, you need to venture outside of your comfort zones (and the busier tourist areas/traps). Not only will you broaden your horizons, but you’ll save money as most venues and restaurants outside of the bustling tourist areas will offer better pricing. So, try to set aside a day where all you do is explore! Keep an open mind and let yourself get lost in the culture and customs of the places you’re visiting! Mistake #9: Overdoing It It’s easy to get carried away with everything you plan to see and do, especially if this is one of your first major trips. Chances are, you’ll also want to plan every detail of your trip down to the minute in the hopes of cramming everything in while staying on schedule. The truth is, even the best laid plans can fall apart, especially when traveling to new countries. While we always recommend creating an itinerary (see page 6), it’s also important to remember to slow down and enjoy the experience. Don’t think of this as the one and only trip you’ll ever take. Instead, stay in the moment and minimize stress by not trying to do too much on one trip. Getting yourself stressed out defeats the purpose of a relaxing and memorable vacation. Instead, leave enough room in your schedule for off-the-beaten-track adventures! You never know what you may encounter during your travels and you wouldn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to experience something new just because you overbooked yourself and are short on time.  You also want to make sure you have extra time for when things go wrong, such as traffic jams, delayed flights, or other issues out of your control. Mistake #10: Not Confirming You may think you’ve done everything possible to plan the perfect trip. You’ve outlined an itinerary, you’ve set a budget, you’ve saved for your trip and you’ve spent time carefully packing. You’re ready to go! Yet one huge mistake that new travelers often make is failing to confirm reservations. This includes flights, hotels and even attractions, in case weather has caused changes to occur, or flights have been delayed. Double-check that if any of your flights have been delayed or rescheduled, that they still align with any connecting flights you have booked. You also want to double-check any travel documents, including your passport, visa (if required), and other identification. And finally, make sure your credit cards aren’t set to expire shortly before or during your trip! Tip: Make sure you also check in before your flight! This will not only save you time but you’ll be able to confirm that your flight is scheduled to depart on time. It will also give you the opportunity to select your seats, often free of charge.