Google AdWords 101 for Online Retailers | SaleHoo Google AdWords is the uncontested King of the Pay-per-Click (PPC) market as it currently stands. This is for good reason — more than 67 percent of people use Google for their search queries. This is, in fact, one of many reasons why AdWords is so popular. AdWords makes it so easy to pull targeted traffic to your online store. To use AdWords, you need to understand its ins and outs. Let’s get started! Step 1: Set up AdWords First, you'll need to setup your AdWords account. Step 2: Link Google Analytics with your campaign This step is essential. Step 3: Find the right keywords The importance of this step cannot be understated. Let’s use "skinny skinny jeans" as an example. It is specific: You cannot compete with the marketing budgets of the big boys. Using the keyword planner tool Find the Keyword Planner tool in Google AdWords and type "skinny skinny jeans" in the first drop-down box named "Search for New Keyword and Ad Group Ideas" and then click "Get Ideas." Step 4: Research the competition
Create icons in PowerPoint - Presentitude - a presentation and content design agency - Using icons is a great way to add visuals to your presentation. There are many ways to get icons online, some are even free. But if you need a specific icon that you can’t find or if you want a special spin to your icon (color, shadow etc) – you can use PowerPoint’s great (and somewhat hidden) “Merge Shapes” commands to create your own icons. Using these commands you can combine basic shapes into other shapes. It is just as fun as building with Lego blocks! Once you have created an icon you can change the color, filling and add shadows as needed. This is a guide in 15 steps showing you how you can use these commands to create your own icon – the example we are using is a calendar icon.
8 digital skills we must teach our children The social and economic impact of technology is widespread and accelerating. The speed and volume of information have increased exponentially. Experts are predicting that 90% of the entire population will be connected to the internet within 10 years. With the internet of things, the digital and physical worlds will soon be merged. Children are using digital technologies and media at increasingly younger ages and for longer periods of time. The digital world is a vast expanse of learning and entertainment. Moreover, there is the digital age gap. So how can we, as parents, educators and leaders, prepare our children for the digital age? Digital intelligence or “DQ” is the set of social, emotional and cognitive abilities that enable individuals to face the challenges and adapt to the demands of digital life. Digital identity: The ability to create and manage one’s online identity and reputation. Share Written by Yuhyun Park, Chair, infollutionZERO Foundation
27 Presentation Software & Powerpoint Alternatives For 2015 At CustomShow, we like to think that everyone can use our presentation software to create better looking presentations, thus serving as a great powerpoint alternative to people. But that won’t always be the case. We cater to businesses greater than 10 employees and organizations that need an all-in-one presentation program. We also don’t usually promote our competitors. Shout out to Clearslide on that one. But at the end of the day, we want you to have a pick from the full list of presentation tools that are on the market and that could fit your needs. Presentation software is great, but we know there are plenty of options to choose from. CustomShow – Business Presentation Software Summary – Customshow is a presentation software program used mainly for businesses and companies with more than 25 employees. Disadvantages – More data intelligence could be added to their analytics platform Perfect For – Sales Professionals, Marketing Professionals, CEO’s, Design Agencies Prezi Slideshark SnagIt
How To Teach Digital Citizenship Through Blogging There are many benefits to having a blogging program in your classroom. One advantage is that blogging can be the perfect avenue to teach digital citizenship. What is digital citizenship? Not so long ago “cyber safety” or “cyber bullying” were key terms associated with our “internet safety” programs. Digital citizenship is used as more of an umbrella term for our goals to help our students to be safe, happy, productive, and ethical online. Common Sense Media’s curriculum identifies eight topics under the umbrella of digital citizenship including: internet safety, cyberbullying, copyright and more. empowering your students with skills to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly online, allowing them to connect and collaborate in meaningful ways. All teachers know how important digital citizenship is. Students don’t always have the life experience or brain development to navigate technology safely and effectively. But how do we teach digital citizenship? 1) Netiquette
10 of the Best Places to Find Free Icons and Image Assets Online Like many creative types, I tend to get a bit giddy when I find art that inspires and captivates. However, as a web designer, I jump for joy when I stumble across websites and graphic design images that have been masterfully crafted (I’m a geek like that *wink*). No matter what type of designer you are, you will probably agree with me when I say that for as much as we love designing, there are days when you just don’t have the time to create certain elements from scratch. When we run into issues like that, we are left with one option: finding free design assets to work off of. Thankfully, the web is not short on free image assets for people to find and use in their designs and many of those free options are just as amazing at the premium ones out there. In this post, we have rounded up some of the best sites where you can go to find those free image assets and stock up on your design arsenal for those times when you just can’t create it from scratch. Now on to the good stuff! FlatIcon Pixeden
Teacher's Guide to Digital Citizenship The horror stories of young people not grasping the reach and influence of the content they put online are familiar to all of us. From the loss of job opportunities due to unprofessional pictures or comments on social media, to the more serious threats of abduction, and even the self-harm inspired by cyber bullying, the stakes are high. While students may often seem clueless to these dangers, some are starting to understand the risks. In a recent Rasmussen study on digital literacy, details of which you can see in the infographic below, 37% of millennials aged 18 – 34 said they consider the internet scary, which is more than any other demographic. Still, millennials know just as well as any other demographic just how important digital literacy is and will continue to be to their working lives. Image courtesy of Flickr and Thomas Galvez Why Digital Citizenship Matters Neither educators nor parents have the means to completely control how students use technology. Online Safety
World Digital Library 6 Storytelling Apps That Get English Language Learners Talking For English language learners (ELLs) in the classroom, speaking English in front of others — particularly native speakers — can cause tremendous anxiety. In fact, the dread of speaking can actually interfere with students’ ability to learn. Even with the most well-planned, immersive, real-world learning opportunities, the brains of students with high anxiety won’t be receptive to learning, according to Stephen Krashen’s “Affective Filter Hypothesis” (and the brain research that supports it). So how can we design speaking activities that don’t make our students’ hearts race and palms sweat? Digital storytelling can be an effective way for ELLs to practice speaking English without the stress of being “on stage.” Apps and tech tools allow students to practice in the comfort of their own home by themselves or with a caregiver. Here are a few digital storytelling tools to help get your ELLs talking.
Eight Free Photo Sites That Require No Attribution I'm a strong proponent of respecting copyright. I think artists deserve to be paid for the work that they do. I'm also a fan of using Creative Commons photography in my blog, on my visual writing ideas, and in my presentations. In general, I use the Creative Commons Photo Search to search through Flickr (though sometimes Photopin works great, too). However, I have also found that there are times when I want to use attribution-free photography. Typically, these are in moments when I want to know that I have complete permission to use the work in a commercial way (such as a keynote). 1. This site, developed by Ryan McGuire, has a distinctly quirky, weird style. 2. This is my go-to site. 3. Unlike Unsplash, Skitter Photo is organized by categories, which makes it easy to navigate. 4. Jay runs a Tumblr that has a Unsplash-like approach of adding seven new photos every Thursday. 5. Pixabay has a massive database of pictures and it's easy to search. 6. 7. 8. This site has a large variety.