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Content Marketing More Prevalent Than Ever Creating Value With Content Is Key To Rise Above Internet Clamor

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Content Marketing More Prevalent Than Ever. Creating Value With Content Is Key To Rise Above Internet Clamor

Given the life-changing events over the past three years, we’ve entered 2023 much wiser and more enlightened. The global population has experienced a technocratic tyranny never seen before, and never before has critical information been so readily available to everyone that brings truth, putting the spotlight on the evil doers of the world, historically and empirically. 

Thanks to the internet and the proliferation of media circumventing the cancel culture, many topics have come to light through content creation. One thing is for sure, the online world has expanded, and for many, it’s the only option to stay in touch with their loved ones and community, bringing a sense of cohesion and strength to the stricken. 

It’s also the best option to facilitate their business to derive income, and companies of all sizes and niches are taking notice. Life goes on no matter what, and we must focus on staying afloat in this crazy world. The latest message is “get the word out,” and content creation, aggregation, or content curation is the best way to do that. If you’re running a business, content marketing is crucial.

According to the latest research, 7.5 million blog posts are published daily, with around 600 million blogs hosted on WordPress, Tumblr, and Google’s Blogger. Moreover, blogging is considered a popular content marketing strategy, with 81% of consumers trusting the information in blogs. Data also shows 61% of online consumers in the US have purchased products based on recommendations from a blog. 

It’s also reported that 75% of people never scroll past the first page of search results, and 80% ignore Google ads. With 82% of marketers reported to be actively using content marketing in 2021 (an increase of 70% from the previous year), the question is, how can you get your content to rise above the noise?
 
The usual scenario involves finding 'How To' manuals and trying to find 'hacks' or 'shortcuts' that will get your content noticed. A content creator’s post, video, or meme goes viral, and tons of copycats appear for the next few months. They never do better than the original.
 
For example, the original Old Spice campaign video resulted in over 55 million Youtube views and was copied thousands of times. Sesame Street was one of the copycats, resulting in five times fewer views than the original.
 
So if Sesame Street, with multi-millions of dollars for the best production resources, can't come close to topping the original video, how will you and your small business do it? There are better ways to produce content than copying. Below are five tips on delivering real value in your content.

The WIIFM Formula 

A marketing acronym that’s been around for years is WIIFM which means, "What's in it for me?" but we turn the formula over. Your content must focus on 'What's in it for THEM, not YOU. (WIIFT) That's when people will read your content. 

Too often, entrepreneurs write self-serving content. It's like going into a pub and shouting out how great you are, your latest accomplishment, and all the reasons you are God's gift to the world. But that is what many brands do when they only write about themselves and how excellent their products are on social media and their blog.

It is better to put yourself in your target customer’s shoes, focus on what they need and care about, and then write content that addresses that.

 
Image source: Markethive.com

Know Your Target Market 

To create WIIFT content, you must understand your target customers. Building customer personas will help with this. The main characteristics of a buyer persona that need to be identified are as follows: 

  • Their location(s)?
  • Their values?
  • Their key demographics (job title, age range, etc.)? 
  • The sort of content they are consuming currently?
  • Their pain points?
  • How will your offer resolve those pain points?

This blog will help you create a detailed buyer persona to ensure your marketing campaign is streamlined and customer-focused. 
 
Show Real Expertise 

One of the main reasons your content may not be resonating is when you are producing mirage content. Content that replicates what everyone else in your field is putting out. In most cases, this happens when the person writing the blog post has yet to gain real expertise in doing what they are writing.
 
If you sell race car parts, your website's blog posts should be written by someone that knows about race cars (Perhaps they build the cars and race them on the weekend?) It’s not a good idea to have some junior copywriter you hired paraphrase a bunch of content they saw from a basic Google search.  

The development of expertise takes time. Either you or whoever writes your content has to:

  • Do a lot of reading and researching.
  • Ask a lot of questions.
  • Invest time doing the thing that is being written. 
  • Be willing to experiment.
  • Fail often. 

You will need to find a way to resolve any lack of expertise in your subject matter. You could hire or interview writers who are subject matter experts. Or you could invest the time to become an expert yourself.
 
 
Image source: Motocms.com 

Be Focused on Customer Intent, not Traffic Volume.

Many companies go after the ‘Top of the Funnel’ (TOFU) keywords. These have tons of search volume and organic traffic but are less likely to convert sales. Additionally, these keywords are probably going to be competitive. It will be highly challenging and costly to rank on page one of Google.
 
The opposite approach converts much better. Begin with ‘Bottom of the Funnel’ (BOFU) long-tail keywords. They may have just a fraction of the traffic but are much easier to rank for, and the chances of them converting to customers are much more significant. 

For example, the most popular post on Hubspot’s site is “how to make an animated gif.” How many of those people are looking for complex CRM or marketing automation software? Probably not very many.
 
You will find Long-tail keywords to target using SEO tools like Ahrefs or SEMRush.
 
Also, some excellent keyword research tools are completely free and include:

  • Reddit 
  • Quora
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube
  • Twitter
  • Amazon 

Additionally, social media can reveal how your target customers feel and talk about your product and your competitor’s products. This will let you get ideas on what content to write next and how to present it in a way most likely to resonate with them. 

Don’t Try to Go Viral. 

When you try to go viral, you are taking part in the marketing equivalent of purchasing lotto tickets. You are basing your strategy on something out of your control, can’t be repeated, and most likely will not happen.
 
For example, if you sell garden shovels and rakes, the chances of your video about the best fertilizer to use in your tulip garden going viral will probably be low.

The problem with “viral content” is that you are looking for a one-hit-wonder. If you were to get lucky and one of your videos takes off, the odds of it leading to a ton of sales and being repeatable over and over are very low.
 
A more proven strategy is to regularly create ‘How-To Videos’ week after week, showing your company’s expertise and helping your target customers solve real problems. These videos may only result in a few hundred views each, but they build your reputation and solve a real problem for your target customers. 

As an example, Minaal produces carry-on luggage for minimalist travelers. They aren’t focused on delivering viral pranks. Instead, they do an excellent job of making how-to videos related to packing light.

Below is a video presented by Thomas Prendergast, the CEO, and Marketing Director of Markethive, with some fundamental technical steps for creating a blog, specifically on the Markethive platform. 

Where Do You Start?

If you are just starting, check out this detailed beginner guide. It outlines how to start blogging in five easy steps. When you are ready to start your blog, Markethive is your next step. You can utilize the most comprehensive broadcasting platform with blogging tools, email auto-responders, etc.,  all under one umbrella, along with a built-in meritocratic community of entrepreneurs. 

With Markethive’s internal wallet activation imminent, the new dashboard integration with its multiple newsfeed interface is currently in development. This unprecedented concept is unique to Markethive and integral to the objectives of the content marketer/entrepreneur in broadening reach and building their sphere of influence. Be sure to stay tuned for updates and implementations going forward. 


Image source: Markethive.com

So apart from the conceptual technology integration of intuitive tools fundamental to disseminating information of any content marketing strategy, you need to create content that delivers real value and invest time in understanding your target market. It will require learning about your target customers, talking to them, and practicing humility and empathy. 

Moreover, creating quality content takes time and effort but will pay off in the long run. Make sure your content is well-written and contains accurate information. Using visuals such as images or videos can enhance the value of your content. Whatever your approach, make sure you keep your content interesting and relevant to your audience. If you do this, you'll be well on your way to success in the world of content marketing.

 

 

Editor and Chief Markethive: Deb Williams. (Australia) I thrive on progress and champion freedom of speech. I embrace "Change" with a passion, and my purpose in life is to enlighten people to accept and move forward with enthusiasm. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

 

Adapted from Markethive’s original article

 

Tim Moseley

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How can I get good traffic to my affiliate products and site?

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How can I get good traffic to my affiliate products and site?

traffic

Introduction

It's not hard to get traffic to a website if you have a good product or service to sell. However, if you're trying to promote an affiliate product through your site and you want more traffic than just word of mouth, there are some things that need to be considered before promoting the product through any one method. First and foremost is making sure that your site itself is ready for promotion through an affiliate program. Once that's done, you can promote it across multiple platforms (such as social media or email marketing) until it generates enough interest in people who want what you're selling so that they'll come back to your site again and again for more information about the product.

click eng

 

Find the best affiliate program for you.

There are a few things to look for when choosing an affiliate program.

Your niche: The first thing you want to do is make sure the program fits your niche. If you sell business coaching, don't choose a blog about how to lose weight as an affiliate partner. You want your readers to be able to relate with what they're reading and if they don't feel connected with the product, they won't buy it.

Payout percentage: You should also pay attention to their payouts and how much they offer in commissions per sale. Make sure there's enough of a return on investment (ROI) so that the time and effort spent promoting their products is worth it for yourself—and not just them!

Hooks: Look at how many hoops there are for someone looking for information on this particular topic; do they have to fill out forms? Do any surveys need completing before being allowed access? In general, this will depend on whether or not people prefer convenience over security/honesty when dealing online; if people are willing

to give up personal information (such as credit card numbers) easily then less work might be required by those who want their identities protected while buying products online…

Sign up for the affiliate program.

The first step to getting paid as an affiliate is signing up for the affiliate program. They’ll ask you to provide your website and bank account details, so they can deposit the money into your account when the product sells.

Make sure your site is ready to promote products through an affiliate program.

The first thing you have to do is make sure your site is ready to promote products. This means the following:

  • Good content. Your blog should be filled with interesting, helpful content that people want to read. Don't worry if it's not perfect—just let it grow organically and use tools like Grammarly to help improve your writing as you go along.

  • Easy navigation. Links should be easy to find on your page and the layout should be simple enough that readers don't get confused trying to find what they're looking for (especially when they know exactly what they're looking for). This can even include providing a table of contents or an FAQ section so readers know where all their options are located while staying within one place on your website before buying something from you directly instead of another store online somewhere else completely unrelated (which could end up costing you sales).

  • Mobile-friendly design/website speed optimization such as installing a CDN service provider such as Cloudflare which will boost performance by optimizing images prior loading onto customers device screens thus decreasing bandwidth usage per user visit meaning more visitors in less time without worrying about costs associated with running servers 24x7x365!

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

 

Promote your site organically by creating quality content that reflects the products you're selling.

When you're promoting your affiliate site, remember that quality content is essential. When people visit your site, they want to know that you are an expert and can help them in their endeavors. So it's important to build a strong brand identity by creating content that reflects the products or services you're selling.

Creating quality content for your blog is a great way to get traffic and build trust with potential customers. This will also help keep them coming back for more! Write blog posts on topics relevant to what it is that you do as an affiliate marketer (or whatever business model applies) so people searching for information related to this field will find them easily when they perform a search query on Google or another search engine service provider like Bing or Yahoo!. You can also use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as part of an overall strategy integrating both organic growth strategies such as blogging along with paid advertising options like Facebook ads or Google Adwords campaigns which allow marketers access

Promote through social media and email marketing.

Social media is a great way to promote affiliate products. You can use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as other social platforms that are popular with your target audience. If they're not already following you on Facebook or Twitter, they can still find you if they search for your name in Google (or whatever search engine they use).

It's important to remember that different platforms appeal to different demographics. For example, women tend to be more active on Pinterest than men; teenagers spend a lot of time on Snapchat while older people prefer LinkedIn; and Gen Xers might be more interested in Instagram than Millennials.

Use Google Analytics to track your success.

Google Analytics is a free tool that gives you access to a wealth of data about how people are using your website. If you’re just starting out, it can be a bit overwhelming at first. The good news is, this section will help you understand how to use Google Analytics to track your success and the success of your affiliate program.

We'll start by looking at what you can learn from Google Analytics, then we'll move on to showing how you can use it specifically for tracking affiliate revenue and sales.

Consider innovation when promoting products across different platforms and outlets.

When you're promoting a product through affiliate marketing, there are several ways to work with it. You can use the same outlet to promote different products. For example, if you have a website that promotes affiliate marketing opportunities and provides tips on how to succeed in this business, then you could also send out tweets about specific products that your followers might find useful or interesting.

When promoting your own site or products on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, it's important that every post has an eye-catching photo or graphic so that people will be more likely to click on it and hopefully purchase the item being promoted.

Keep working hard at creating a popular site that sells the affiliate product well and makes lots of sales for it.

The most important thing you can do is to continue working hard at creating a popular site that sells the affiliate product well and makes lots of sales for it. The more effort you put into your site, the better it will be. The more traffic it gets, the more people will buy through your links and give you commissions.

Keep in mind that there will be ups and downs along the way. So try not to get discouraged if things aren't going as smoothly as planned right now; instead keep plugging away at making improvements whenever possible so that soon enough things will start looking up again!

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

 

Through high-quality organic content, social media, or email marketing you can promote an affiliate product well enough to get traffic to your site, which will generate sales for you both as a site owner and an affiliate marketer.

If you want to get sales, then you need traffic. And if you want traffic, then you need a site that people will want to visit. To start getting traffic and increasing your sales, try creating high-quality organic content that's valuable for the readers of your website. This could be in the form of blog posts on topics relevant to your niche or even just articles that are written well enough that they attract links from other sites and ultimately search engines like Google rank these articles higher than others when someone searches for related terms (which means more eyes on them).

Another way is through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. These can help promote content about products or services on your own website so it gets seen by more people than just those who come directly via search engines like Bing or Yahoo!

Conclusion

If you're just getting into affiliate marketing, it can be a little intimidating to know how to get traffic from the start. But by creating quality content on your site and promoting your site through social media or email marketing, you can build up your audience and turn them into customers. It's all about finding the right product for yourself – one that fits into your niche well enough – and then working hard at sharing it with others so they too will come back again and again!

Tim Moseley

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Retail investors see silver prices rallying more than 50 in 2023 to 38 an ounce

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Retail investors see silver prices rallying more than 50% in 2023 to $38 an ounce

Welcome to Kitco News' 2023 Outlook Series. Uncertainty continues to dominate financial markets as central bank monetary policies push the global economy into a recession to cool down inflation. Stay tuned to Kitco News to learn from the experts on how to navigate turbulent financial markets in 2023.

(Kitco News) – The silver market is preparing to end 2022 on a strong note and bullish sentiment among retail investors indicates the rally is just getting started.

This past year has been fairly volatile for the silver market as rising inflation forced the Federal Reserve to aggressively raise interest rates, driving bond yields to a 10-year high and the U.S. dollar to a 20-year high.

During a lackluster summer, silver prices fell to a multi-year low below $18 an ounce; however, shifting expectations surrounding the Federal Reserve's monetary policy stance propelled the grey metal higher in the fourth quarter.

Silver has rallied nearly 38% from its August lows as it looks to end the year just below $24 an ounce. According to Kitco News' latest 2023 Outlook Survey, retail investors see even higher prices through 2023.

This past week 1,482 people participated in Kitco News' online survey, asking investors where they see silver prices by the end of the year. On average retail investors see silver prices rising to $38 an ounce.

Sentiment among retail investors is also significantly more bullish than indicated by the headline number. Only 85 participants, roughly 5% of the vote, said they saw silver prices ending 2023 below $23 an ounce.

Meanwhile, nearly 48% of participants expected silver prices to end the year higher than $38 an ounce.

Jeff Kresnak, Middleville, Michigan, said in an email to Kitco News that he sees silver prices double in 2023, which would put prices well above $40 an ounce by the end of the year.

"The industrial metal will also be used as a hedge against inflation and the stock market," Jeff said. "I personally believe silver had a boat anchor attached to it because crypto was weighing it down. I believe 90% of the people in 2022 that were over-optimistic on crypto have had enough bloodshed; they will not return to crpicypto and will now jump into silver."

Retail investors are significantly more bullish on silver compared to Wall Street analysts. While most analysts are looking for silver to rally, most are expecting prices to trade below $30 an ounce.

Jim Wyckoff, senior technical analyst at Kitco.com, said that he sees silver prices trading in a range between $22.00 to $27.31 an ounce.

Most analysts are bullish on silver as the green energy transition drives industrial demand for the industrial metal.

Bank of America analysts, who are extremely bullish on gold, see silver prices peaking around $25 an ounce.

"Investors usually look at silver both through a macro, but also a micro lens: On the macro side, a Fed pivot and stabilization of USD should make the precious metal more attractive; meanwhile, on the micro side, a stabilization of industrial offtake may help," wrote Michael Widmer, commodity strategist for Bank of America in his outlook report.

Commerzbank also sees silver prices pushing to $25 an ounce.

While most analysts are moderately bullish, there are some who expect to see prices double next year.

In an interview with Kitco news, Avi Gilburt, founder of ElliottWaveTrader.net, said that silver is embarking on a major bull rally that could see prices push back to its record highs of $50 an ounce.

"I'm looking for a pullback towards the $21, $22 region in silver to set up the next major rally," he said. "Long-term, I'm looking for silver to hit $50, but that might take a few years. Prices could easily double in 2023 and the first half of 2024."

 Silver price to beat gold in 2023? Precious metal plays catch-up on strong demand, ETFs remain missing puzzle piece

By Neils Christensen

For Kitco News

picTime to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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You have a lot of things to work out in your own life

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You have a lot of things to work out in your own life.

Introduction

You're probably reading this because you've just dealt with something that made you want to cry, scream, or throw your phone across the room. You're not alone in that. In fact, I can guarantee that everyone has had at least one moment where they wanted to do those things (or all three) over the past week. And maybe you feel like other people are moving forward while you're stuck in time? Everyone makes mistakes sometimes and feels lost at others. That's just life – we all have shit to work out! No one is perfect and no one will make it through without any difficulties along the way but here are some important things:

Everyone has struggles they are dealing with.

You have a lot of things to work out in your own life. Everyone has struggles they are dealing with, and we all need to figure out how to deal with them. We all need to learn, understand, and make sense of our lives. The best thing you can do is remember that everyone faces their own unique challenges and difficulties.

Everyone makes mistakes.

I want to make sure that you know that everyone makes mistakes. You’re not alone in your mistakes or regrets, and it’s okay for you to feel the way you do about them.

Everyone in this world has made a mistake at some point, and those who are lucky enough will usually have a few regrets along with their mistakes. But if we don't look back at our pasts, how can we learn from them? If we don't acknowledge our failures and learn from them (or even just accept them), then how can we ever improve ourselves?

Mistakes are learning experiences—they're opportunities for us to do better next time around! Regrets are reminders of those mistakes; they help us remember what went wrong so that maybe next time around things can go smoother without any red-hot pokers involved.

Everyone feels lost sometimes.

You are not alone! No one has it all figured out. We all have moments where we feel lost, confused and like our lives are completely out of control. But the good news is that these feelings are perfectly normal and healthy—they just come with the territory of being human.

It's important to talk about these feelings with a trusted friend or family member who will listen without judging you in any way. You can also try distracting yourself by doing something you enjoy, like going for a walk or watching your favorite movie on Netflix (or better yet, making it yourself!)

Everyone has regrets.

Everyone has regrets. Some are small and insignificant, while others loom large over our daily lives. Many people write these off as simply part of being human, but I disagree: you can't just accept that it's okay to live with regret. Regret doesn't have to be something you have to endure forever—you can learn from your mistakes and stop making the same ones over and over again.

First things first: it's important not to think of regrets in isolation from other factors in your life or from each other. One thing that I've learned is that regretting one decision often leads me down a path where I'll make another bad choice because I'm afraid of regretting my original choice if I don't act on it immediately (or ever). That fear keeps me stuck even though the course of action might cause more problems than doing nothing at all! As soon as we start seeing our regrets as part of an interconnected web in which everything impacts everything else, then we're able to work through them more effectively by seeing how they fit into a larger narrative

Everyone is going to make it in their own way with their own timing.

Everyone is going to make it in their own way with their own timing. You have a lot of things to work out in your own life. Your parents and the rest of your family may be able to help you, but they don't have all the answers. You have to figure out what you want and how you're going to get there on your own.

Everyone has shit to work out in their life, this is just how it is and how it will always be. All we can do is try to make ourselves better every day and hope for the best for everyone else around us.

And you know what? Everything is okay. Your life is your own and no one can take that away from you. Whether it’s a relationship, a job, or even just knowing who you are as a person—you have to figure it out on your own. That’s just how it goes. It’s like learning how to walk: You figure it out eventually, but man does it suck at first!

The good news is that everyone has shit to work out in their life, so don’t feel alone because of this fact (although the bad news is that everyone has shit to work out in their life). This means that all we can do is try our best every day and hope for the best for everyone else around us as well as ourselves.

Conclusion

We're all just trying to make it in this world, and we're all doing it on our own terms. We can't control how other people deal with their struggles, but we can choose to support them when they are going through a hard time and try not to judge them for it. The most important thing is that you keep yourself happy while helping others do the same!

Tim Moseley

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Steady-weak price action in gold silver as 2022 winds down

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Steady-weak price action in gold, silver as 2022 winds down

Gold and silver prices are not straying too far from unchanged levels in quieter early U.S. trading Friday. Many traders are on holiday this week, making for lighter trading volumes and thin conditions. Traders will hit the exit doors early today, ahead of the three-day New Year holiday weekend. February gold was last down $2.40 at $1,823.60 and March silver was down $0.21 at $24.035.

Global stock markets were mixed to weaker overnight. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward slightly lower openings when the New York day session begins. The marketplace is quieter this week following the Christmas holiday and just ahead of the new year

The marketplace in the new year will continue to closely monitor China’s battle with Covid. Broker SP Angel this morning reports in an email dispatch:

“Chinese Covid rates are going to have a substantial impact on the ability of factories to produce, transporters to deliver, builders to build, and on finance companies to finance. This could stall the Chinese economy for a few months, though we suspect China’s authorities will do their best to keep the wheels on. The authorities are already telling Covid-positive people to go to work, a policy which is likely to spread the infection faster than in any other nation. The narrative seems to be that Omicron is milder than Delta and presents a lesser risk to nation. China is also asking families to sign Cremation forms saying: “I guarantee that the deceased XXX did not die of #COVID, and I will be fully responsible for any false claim.” (The Telegraph). Chinese covid deaths have risen to 9,000 a day, around double last week’s mortality rate, according to U.K. research firm Airfinity, the world's first dedicated COVID-19 health analytics and intelligence platform. (Reuters). Airfinity also reckons cumulative deaths reached 100,000 over the past 30 days with some 18.6 million infections using modelling based on data from Chinese provinces before recent changes on reporting cases. The research group expects China's Covid infections to reach their first peak on Jan. 13 with 3.7 million cases a day and for Covid deaths to peak on Jan. 23 around 25,000 a day with cumulative deaths reaching 1.7 million by end-April. China has officially reported just 10 COVID deaths since 7th December.”

With the lack of fresh, major business news this week, let’s look at some news headlines Friday morning from the Dow Jones Newswire.

“This was a terrible year for stocks; next year could surprise—positively”

“China’s Covid easing and policy pivots brighten outlook for stocks”

“Small businesses find some relief from hiring woes”

“Copper set for first annual decline in four years”

“What a crazy year: a bear market (stocks), oil’s pop, and those bond yields”

“Higher rates threaten U.S. renovation boom”

“(U.S.) mortgage rates log biggest yearly rise”

“Dollar rally loses some steam”

“Crypto went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson in 2022; now, Bitcoin whales are buying”

The key outside markets today see the U.S. dollar index weaker. Nymex crude oil prices are slightly lower and trading around $78.75 a barrel. Meantime, the yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury note is presently 3.854%.

U.S. economic data due for release Friday is light and includes the Chicago ISM business survey.

Technically, the gold futures bulls have the firm overall near-term technical advantage. Prices are in a seven-week-old uptrend on the daily bar chart. Bulls’ next upside price objective is to produce a close in February futures above solid resistance at $1,900.00. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at $1,775.00. First resistance is seen at $1,836.90 and then at this week’s high of $1,841.90. First support is seen at the overnight low of $1,819.80 and then at Thursday’s low of $1,811.20. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.0.

The silver bulls have the solid overall near-term technical advantage. A choppy, four-month-old uptrend is in place on the daily bar chart. Silver bulls' next upside price objective is closing March futures prices above solid technical resistance at $25.00. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $22.00. First resistance is seen at the December high of $24.525 and then at $25.00. Next support is seen at this week’s low of $23.645 and then at $23.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.5.

By Jim Wyckoff

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Gold silver boosted by weaker greenback bullish charts

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Gold, silver boosted by weaker greenback, bullish charts

Gold and silver prices are higher in midday trading Thursday, supported by a sell-off in the U.S. dollar index on this day. Bullish near-term chart postures for both metals continue to invite the technically based speculators to the long sides. February gold was last up $7.10 at $1,823.10 and March silver was up $0.36 at $24.20.

Global stock markets were flat to weaker overnight. U.S. stock indexes are solidly higher at midday. The marketplace has been quieter this week following the Christmas holiday and just ahead of the new year. There has also been a dearth of major fundamental news and economic data this week.

The World Gold Council reports central bank gold buying at the highest rate since 1967, with Russia and China likely the leaders. “Sanctions on Russia and strained relations between the West and China have led to both countries adopting a policy of ‘de-dollarization’ to rely less on the policies of the U.S. central bank and government,” said broker SP Angel in a morning email dispatch. According to the World Gold Council, central banks bought 399 metric tons of gold in the third quarter, compared to 186 metric tons in the first quarter and 88 metric tons in the first quarter of 2022. Officially, Turkey led buying with 29 metric tons in the third quarter, though many central banks including China and Russia do not always report gold holdings.

The other key outside market today sees Nymex crude oil prices lower and trading around $78.00 a barrel. Meantime, the yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury note is presently 3.83%.

Technically, February gold futures bulls have the firm overall near-term technical advantage. A seven-week-old uptrend is in place on the daily bar chart. Bulls’ next upside price objective is to produce a close above solid resistance at the $1,875.00. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at $1,782.00. First resistance is seen at today’s high of $1,825.00 and then at this week’s high of $1,841.90. First support is seen at today’s low of $1,811.20 and then at $1,800.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.0.

March silver futures bulls have the solid overall near-term technical advantage. Prices are in a four-month-old uptrend on the daily bar chart. Silver bulls' next upside price objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $25.00. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $22.735. First resistance is seen at the December high of $24.525 and then at $24.80. Next support is seen at $24.00 and then at this week’s low of $23.645. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.5.

March N.Y. copper closed down 140 points at 382.85 cents today. Prices closed near mid-range. The copper bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage. Prices are in a three-month-old uptrend on the daily bar chart. Copper bulls' next upside price objective is pushing and closing prices above solid technical resistance at the November high of 394.70 cents. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid technical support at 370.00 cents. First resistance is seen at Wednesday’s high of 387.30 cents and then at 394.70 cents. First support is seen at 380.00 cents and then at 375.00 cents. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 6.0.

By Jim Wyckoff

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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FREE Traffic Sources For Websites

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FREE Traffic Sources For Websites

TRAFFIC

Introduction

Are you looking to increase the amount of traffic your website receives? There are many ways to accomplish this, but one of the best is by getting other sites to link back to yours. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for smaller websites and blogs to attract this kind of attention from established brands or companies. However, there are plenty of other ways that you can get free traffic without relying on others' help. Here are FREE sources that will send visitors right over to your site:

Guest posting

Guest posting is a great way to get the word out about your business. You can find guest posting opportunities by using Google or other search engines, by asking friends who have websites and blogs, and by using sites like ProBlogger to find guest posting opportunities. Once you've found an opportunity, make sure you meet their requirements before submitting your article. In general, they'll want:

  • A catchy headline that will get people to click on it

  • An interesting topic that relates back to their audience's interests

  • An introduction paragraph that explains what your article is about and why people should care

Forums and Q&A sites

Forums and Q&A sites are a great way to get some targeted traffic. These sites have their own communities, which means they can help you find users that are interested in the same thing as you.

If you’re not sure where to start, try using Google Keyword Planner (or other keyword research tools) to see what people are searching for online about your niche. Then use that list of search terms as a starting point for forum and Q&A site searches.

  • Find forums related to your niche

  • Create an account with an email address that is relevant to your niche (e.g., if you sell running shoes, then having an email like “@runnersworldmagazine” would make sense). You can also add social media accounts such as Facebook or Twitter here if it makes sense for the type of content you share on those channels too!

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

YouTube

YouTube is a great place to get your content in front of people who are looking for it. You can use YouTube to help build your brand. You can also use YouTube to promote your website. You can also use YouTube to promote your products and services. You can also use YouTube to promote your business.

YouTube has over a billion users, so it’s one of the most popular websites on the internet. You can use it to create content and then share it with others in order to get more views, likes and comments. This is a great way for you to build an audience and increase sales without having to spend money on advertising or marketing campaigns.

Image sharing sites

Image sharing sites are another effective way to get traffic. These sites have a huge user base, and many of them have included social features that allow users to share content with their followers. Here are some of the most popular image sharing sites:

  • Pinterest

  • Instagram (owned by Facebook)

  • Tumblr (owned by Yahoo!)

  • deviantART

  • WeHeartIt

  • StumbleUpon *

Email signature links

Email signature links are a great way to get free traffic for your website. They can be used on any website and can be used to promote your website, social media profiles, ebooks, etc.

To create an email signature link:

  • Go to Mailinator and enter the email address you want to use as your signature link (e.g., [email protected]).

  • Copy the public link provided by Mailinator and paste it into another email account (or simply open another tab). This will generate a unique temporary email address for you for that session only.

Quora and Yahoo Answers

Quora and Yahoo Answers are two of the best places to get traffic for your website. They are both free, easy to use and have a large audience. Both will help you build your authority in your niche as well.

Asking questions on Quora is an excellent way to get links back to your site, while answering questions on Yahoo Answers can generate traffic too.

Social Media Groups

Social Media Groups

As the name suggests, social media groups are forums for people to gather and discuss topics of interest. You will find many different types of communities including Facebook groups, Linkedin groups and even Reddit forums. With so many options available it can be hard to know where to start your search for a group that suits your needs.

To find a good fit for you, think about what niche you want your content to target or who you want to reach with it? For example if you are looking at marketing automation software then there may well be an active LinkedIn group full of professionals in this industry which would be an ideal place fo share some helpful tips on how they use their tools!

Infographics and Slideshare posts

  • Infographics and Slideshare posts are a great way to get traffic.

  • Infographics are visual representations of information, like the one below:

[Image of an infographic]

  • Infographics can be created from scratch or you can use free templates to make your own infographics. Sites like Canva and Piktochart allow you to create beautiful infographics in minutes.

  • Slideshare is a community for sharing presentations online. It's owned by LinkedIn, so it's also good for getting likes on your profile if you're looking for job opportunities (this is especially useful if you're an expert in something). When someone downloads your presentation, they'll see a link back to your website as well as links within the presentation itself (if applicable).

PDF Submission Sites

PDF submission sites are a great way to get traffic to your website that is not dependent on Google or other search engines. The advantage of these sites is that they often have a lot of people who visit them on a daily basis. Here’s how you can find PDF submission sites:

  • Use Ahrefs to find relevant links (for example, “PDF submission sites”)

  • Use Google and Bing searches as well

SlideShare presentations

  • SlideShare presentations are a great way to promote your content, especially if you're using them for SEO purposes. SlideShare is a site where users can upload their PowerPoint presentations, and other people can view them. Although there aren't many people on this network yet, it's still a good one to be on since it's new and growing quickly.

  • Along with SlideShare, which allows users to share their PowerPoint or Keynote presentations publicly via the web, there are several other presentation-sharing sites such as Slideshare (https://slideshare.net), Slidebean (https://www.slidebean.com), Slideshare (https://www.slideshare.com), Slideserve (https://www/slideserve) and Slideboom (https://www/presentationhero).

Twitter chats and Facebook groups

Twitter chats and Facebook groups are a great way to get traffic. They're also free! Here's what you need to know:

  • How to find Twitter chats: Simply type "twitter chat" into Google and you'll find plenty of results. Once you've found one that interests you, check out who the host is and see if they have an archive or summary of past events. If they do, go back through those archives and pick out posts that got the most engagement from participants (e.g., retweets). Then write some similar tweets for your next event!

  • How to find Facebook groups: This can be done through Facebook search or by searching for hashtags related specifically towards businesses in your niche (e.g., #smallbusiness). Once you find a group worth joining (the more active members means more potential customers), introduce yourself as someone who has something valuable/interesting/funny/etc. to share with them!

LinkedIn and other professional networks

The professional networks like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ are the best places for you to find traffic. They are the social media sites where businesses are most active in sharing content and doing networking activities with other professionals from their industry. These sites can help you build your brand as an expert in your area of expertise by staying actively engaged in these communities. You can also use these networks for link building purposes as well as getting backlinks from high authority websites like Forbes, Inc., Huffington Post etc..

LinkedIn is a professional network where millions of professionals from all over the world interact with each other on a daily basis. If you have an active LinkedIn profile then you should be able to get thousands of visitors to your website every month through organic search results or social shares that come along with posts shared on this platform.

Twitter is another great source of free traffic if used correctly because people share all sorts of things related to their business or personal life on Twitter which means there's always something interesting happening here 24/7!

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

Webinars

Webinars are an excellent way to get traffic. They can be used to build your email list, social media following, and brand.

When you teach something that people want or need to know they will pay attention and want to join your list in order to not miss out on future events and news related to the topic of the webinar.

Presentations at conferences, meetups and industry events.

Presentations at conferences, meetups and industry events are a great way to get your name out there. You can present in person or online, depending on your comfort level and the event format. Whether you're presenting about your business or someone else's business, this is an excellent opportunity to promote yourself as an expert in your field and build relationships with potential partners.

Collaborating with other sites in your niche to create something that's bigger than either of you. (Like an infographic, slideshow or white paper.) This could involve guest posts on their site, interviews for your site, or cross-promotion.

This is a great way to get your name out there and build relationships with people in the same industry as you. You'll also be able to create something bigger than either of you. For example, if you publish an infographic together, then it will be seen on both of your sites and all of the links back to each site will boost your rankings.

This is especially useful for getting backlinks from high authority websites (like Forbes or Huffington Post), but also makes sense because if someone sees information from one source that they like, they are more likely to visit other sources by those authors too! This can increase traffic for both parties involved!

Free traffic can be had if you know the right places to look.

Free traffic sources can be found in many places. Here are some of the most popular:

  • Guest posting

  • Affiliates

  • Social media

  • Forum marketing and SEO

Conclusion

In this post, we've covered 20 different sources of free traffic for your website. The key is to remember that you don't need to be "the best" at any one thing—just good enough to get the job done. And when it comes down to it, every single source on this list can help you do just that. You don't have to choose just one or two; these tips will work together (and even with sites not listed here) so long as each one has a legitimate audience who wants content like yours but isn't getting enough of it from other sources right now. So go ahead: pick some of these up today!

Tim Moseley

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Gold prices are holding support above 1800 an ounce as US pending home sales fall 4 in November

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Gold prices are holding support above $1,800 an ounce as U.S. pending home sales fall 4% in November

Rising U.S. mortgage rates, due to the Federal Reserve’s aggressive monetary policy stance continues to take its toll on the U.S. housing sector as fewer consumers start the process of buying a new home in November.

The U.S. pending home sales fell 4% in last month following a drop of 4.6% in October, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) said on Wednesday. The data was weaker than expected as consensus forecast called for a decline of around 1%.

The gold market has seen technical selling pressure Wednesday and has not been able to attract any bullish traction following the disappointing home sales data. February gold futures last traded at $1,812.20 an ounce, down 0.60% on the day.

This is the sixth consecutive month of falling pending home sales. The report noted that the index has fallen to second lowest monthly reading in 20 years.

However, the association added that it hopes sales will pick up as 2022 comes to a close.

“With mortgage rates falling throughout December, home-buying activity should inevitably rebound in the coming months and help economic growth,” the report said.

Economists pay close attention to the pending home sales numbers because the index is seen as a forward-looking barometer for the housing market. A lag of a month or two usually exists between a contract and a completed sale.

The U.S. housing sector, which is a significant contributor to GDP growth, has been hard hit this past year as the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates by 425 basis points, its most aggressive monetary policy stance in 40 years.

Along with rising mortgage rates, rising home prices due to a lack of supply has also priced many potential new home owners out of the market.

Although the Federal Reserve is expected to continue to raise interest rates in 2023, many economists see the tightening cycle closer to peak rates. A light at the end of the tunnel could ease some pressure in the housing market, according to economists.

By Neils Christensen

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Gold rallies to 6-mo high on bullish technicals outside markets

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Gold rallies to 6-mo. high on bullish technicals, outside markets

Gold and silver prices are sharply higher in midday U.S. trading Tuesday, boosted by chart-based buying and by two key outside markets are in a daily bullish posture for the precious metals–the U.S. dollar index is weaker and crude oil prices firmer. Gold prices hit a six-month high today. February gold was last up $25.50 at $1,829.70 and March silver was up $0.395 at $24.31.

Bullish near-term charts fueled the solid gains in gold and silver today. Many bullish speculators are reckoning the bigger hedge funds will be more active on the long sides of the two precious metals markets in early 2023, and wanted to buy in before the funds do.

Global stock markets were mixed to firmer overnight. U.S. stock indexes are mixed at midday. The general marketplace is quieter following the Christmas holiday weekend that saw markets closed Monday.

China’s relaxation of its strict Covid policies remains in focus, with the marketplace wondering if the pivot by Chinese authorities will prompt faster growth in the world’s second-largest economy. Or, will the pivot prompt such a surge in Covid infections that China’s economy will be further damaged in the near term?

The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury note is presently 3.849%, which is higher. However, the gold and silver bulls chose to ignore that bearish outside element on this day.

Technically, February gold futures prices hit a six-month high today. Bulls have the firm overall near-term technical advantage. A seven-week-old uptrend is in place on the daily bar chart. Bulls’ next upside price objective is to produce a close above solid resistance at the $1,875.00. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at $1,782.00. First resistance is seen at today’s high of $1,841.90 and then at $1,850.00. First support is seen at today’s low of $1,808.00 and then at $1,800.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.0.

March silver futures prices hit an eight-month-high last week. The silver bulls have the firm overall near-term technical advantage. Prices are in a four-month-old uptrend on the daily bar chart. Silver bulls' next upside price objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $25.00. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $22.735. First resistance is seen at the December high of $24.525 and then at $25.00. Next support is seen at $24.00 and then at $23.55. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.0.

March N.Y. copper closed up 815 points at 389.05 cents today. Prices closed near mid-range and hit a six-week high today. The copper bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage. Prices are in a three-month-old uptrend on the daily bar chart. Copper bulls' next upside price objective is pushing and closing prices above solid technical resistance at the November high of 394.70 cents. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid technical support at 370.00 cents. First resistance is seen at 394.70 cents and then at 400.00 cents. First support is seen at today’s low of 383.80 cents and then at 380.00 cents. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 6.0.

 This is what investors face in 2023

By Jim Wyckoff

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Change your perspective to take pleasure in your life

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Change your perspective to take pleasure in your life.

life
 

"Two men look out through the same bars; one sees the muck, and the other sees the stars," the proverb goes.

– From "A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts" written by Frederick Langbridge

If you came in second place in a writing competition, how would you react? Would you be ecstatic and work harder to get even better results the next time, or would you be disheartened and look for reasons not to enter the competition again?

You will never be at a loss for options when it comes to life. You have the choice to adopt a pessimistic point of view and lead a life of self-defeat, or you may choose to adopt an optimistic point of view and live a life that is both hard and gratifying.

Therefore, why bother cultivating an optimistic point of view? And why at this time?

Optimism, on the other hand, has been shown to be associated with a variety of positive outcomes, including elevated mood and morale; academic, athletic, military, occupational, and political success; popularity; good health; and even a longer life and a reduced risk of experiencing traumatic events.

On the other side, there has never been a time when the rates of sadness and pessimism were so high. It has the same impact on adults of middle age as it does on persons of younger ages. The average age at which symptoms first appear has dropped from 30 to 15. It is no longer just a disorder that affects middle-aged housewives; today, adolescents also suffer from this condition.

The following is an example of an optimist in action, along with research that demonstrates why it is beneficial to have an optimistic outlook:

Optimists anticipate favorable outcomes.

Pessimists are characterized by the fact that they have a propensity to assume that they are to blame for unfavorable outcomes, which they think will continue for a long time and will undermine everything they accomplish.

The reality is that optimists have to deal with the same challenges as everyone else in this world. What is different about how they describe their misfortune is that it is being explained in the opposite direction. They have a propensity to believe that failure is merely a momentary setback and that the causes of it are limited to this one instance.

Optimists have a tendency to concentrate on the "issue" at hand and devise solutions for it. They employ a strategy known as "positive reinterpretation." In other words, they likely reframe a negative event in a manner that enables them to learn and develop as a result of the reinterpretation. People with this mindset are undeterred by negative circumstances; rather, they view them as a challenge and work even harder to overcome them.

They won't tell me that things will never get better, that if I fail once, I will fail again, or that if I encounter misfortune in one aspect of my life, it will happen in all aspects of my life. They won't say that.

Optimists' positive expectations also predict better reactions during transitions to new environments, sudden catastrophes, and unlikely turn of events. Optimists are more likely to view the world in a positive light. Even if they are knocked down, they will get back up. They view challenges as possibilities rather than roadblocks.

Optimists tend to receive favorable responses from others.

Optimists are more likely to take initiative and are less reliant on the pleasure of others. They do not see the need to exert any form of control or manipulation over other individuals. They almost always attract a crowd to themselves. Their upbeat perspective on life has the potential to rub off on those around them and inspire positive behavior.

It seems that optimism is a feature that is socially acceptable in all communities. People who spread pessimism, fear, or hysteria are often looked down upon, but those who promote optimism are generally well received.

These people tend to be successful in life, as evidenced by their ability to win elections, be voted most agreeable, and be sought out for advice.

When things get difficult, optimists tend to become even more resilient.

People who are more optimistic have a tendency to retain higher levels of subjective well-being, even in the face of adversity, than those who are less optimistic. Pessimists, on the other hand, are more prone to respond to stressful circumstances by either denying that the problems even exist or avoiding having to deal with them. People who are pessimistic are more prone to give up trying when they encounter problems.

They are able to persist. They are recognized not only for their unwillingness to give up easily but also for their patience. They are inching their way closer to achieving that goal or fulfilling that unattainable ideal.

Optimists have a lower risk of disease and a longer lifespan.

Research in the field of medicine has shown that a happy outlook and an appreciation for life's little joys can lead to a discernible improvement in the body's resistance to illness.

The health of optimists is exceptionally good. They don't suffer nearly as much as most people do from the typical aches and pains that come with middle age physically. And they get to outlast people who are more likely to have pessimistic sentiments.

So why not try looking on the bright side today? And keep a positive attitude toward living a life that is more fulfilling.

Why not anticipate fulfillment in whatever you set out to achieve? Why not try to tough it out? You, just like everyone else, are going to have lows from time to time, but you can't just wallow in them. Lift yourself up and out of the muck to increase your chances of finding your way back to the path that leads to success. And why not encourage others to take off their pessimistic outlook on life and look at it through a more optimistic lens?

markethive

Tim Moseley

The Artist that came out of the Winter