Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics - Assignment Example The common form of genetic manipulation involves the insertion of new genetic material to a place that’s not specified in the host genome. This is done by isolating and copying the genetic material of interest by using molecular cloning methods in order to come up with a DNA sequence that contain the necessary genetic elements for expression. The construct is then inserted into the host organism. There exist other forms of genetic engineering such as gene targeting and knocking out of specific genes through engineered nucleases (Lemaux, 2006). Cloning though not considered genetic engineering or modification is closely related and genetic engineering has been seen to be used within it. Synthetic biology on the other hand is a discipline that is emerging where there is an introduction of artificially synthesized genetic material from raw materials into an organism. There are many resultants of genetic manipulations. When genetic materials from other species of organisms are add ed to a host the outcome is called a transgenic. When genes from same species that can interbreed are added to the result is a cisgenic. When genetic material is used to remove genetic material from another organism it results in a knockout organism (Lemaux, 2006). The process of genetic manipulation The first stage in genetic engineering is isolation of the gene. ... The third stage is called gene targeting where the gene is inserted in the host genome. The most common technique for doing his is random placement. Other techniques involve placing the gene in specific locations. Gene targeting uses is known to use homologous recombination to target desired changes to a specified endogenous gene (Beardmore & Porter, 2003). The fourth stage is called transformation and this is where the DNA is moved into an organism thereby altering its genotype or genetic makeup. There are various types of transformations but the most common is the Microinjection-injecting the DNA directly into the cell nucleus using an ultrafine needle. The fifth stage is called selection where the transformed cells are differentiated from the untransformed cells. If a given cell has been transformed successfully it usually contains a marker gene. The selection is done by growing the cell in a chemical that marks the cells that express that gene. The sixth stage is called regenerat ion where the organism is grown from the single transformed cell. In plants it is done through tissue culture while in animals it is done in embryonic cells. The last stage is confirmation and this is where the organism is analyzed to ensure that the genes will be expressed in an appropriate manner in the tissues of the organism. All the above seven steps are followed for successful genetic manipulation (Beardmore & Porter, 2003). Genetic safety There are many safety concerns that are brought about by genetically modified organisms. This has made studies be undertaken in this area to ascertain the extent to which the genetically modified organisms are safe in our environment or are safe for our consumption

Sustainability - Redland company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sustainability - Redland company - Essay Example nd comparative indices so as to compare the actual performance with desired objectives so as to ensure greater emphasis on sustainability concerns (Defra, n.d.). The internal and external drivers for generating a sustainable business model includes pressure from the investors and internal resources that act as internal factors that drive sustainability in business organizations. External drivers include consumer’s attitude, international benchmarks and standards as well as government regulations that make it mandatory for business organizations to include sustainability as a core business issue. Sustainability is also now becoming a matter for sustainable competitive advantage as firms are increasingly using this as a means to gain advantage over competitors. The heightened consumer awareness also acts as a pressure for business organizations to focus on generating greater sustainability in their business model (Business for Social Responsibility, 2007, p.4). Redland has a sustainability policy that seeks to address concerns beyond protecting the environment to include broader aspects like social and economic sustainability in its sustainability strategy. The sustainability strategy of the company seeks to not only comply with the legislative norms but to grow beyond these aspects to emerge as a sustainable organization. It seeks to use innovation as a mode to generate greater sustainability in its business (Redland, n.d.). The vision and mission statement of Monier Group that is the holding company of Redlands however does not include sustainability aspects but also shows its commitment towards betterment of lifestyles of individuals (Monier Group, n.d.). Challenges and barriers for maintaining sustainability include access to finance for supporting these activities as well as taking all the stakeholders including suppliers into confidence in the matter. Brining the suppliers on a common platform involves challenge in case of Redland as most of them are small

Alice Walkers Short Story Everyday Use English Literature Essay

Alice Walkers Short Story Everyday Use English Literature Essay In Alice Walkers short story Everyday Use, there are many different things that Walker conveys throughout the story all of which deal with the African Americans history and values. The one thing that sticks out the most in the short story is the character of Dee who is developed into a very important character throughout the story. Walker is able to express her essential idea of heritage through Dees attitude, her behavior, and her actions in Everyday Use. Dee is a very unthankful and unappreciative of her history, and in result the reader can develop an understanding of African Americans heritage. Through Dees characteristics shown by her attitude, personality, and actions, Walker in Everyday Use conveys the central idea of heritage in the short story. Dee is an individual that doesnt particularly stick to her true heritage and shows a feeling of embarrassment toward her ancestry, her mom, and her sister. Dee comes across as one that holds herself above her mother and sister especially since she received an education. Nancy Tuten understands Dee as one that wants so badly to go to school to become educated so that she is not seen as stupid, showing that she is not exactly proud of her past. She doesnt appreciate her mother and sister living in the same way they have for years, suggesting an idea of embarrassment toward her past (Tuten). Tuten points out that Dee always attempts to devalue their lifestyle, and seems to have a desire that Mama and Maggie be something that they are not (126). Tuten notes that Mama hates the selfishness that Dee brings to the table, but still wishes to get respect from her daughter. Tuten brings in a source from Lindsey Tucker who suggests that Dee basically carries a white middle-class identity (126). Another valuable piece of information brought in for Tutens article is Valerie Smiths thoughts interpreted by Marianne Hirsch explaining Maggies feelings of embarrassment in front of Dee. Smith points out the part of the story when Mama is interpreting how Maggie will react to Dee and her arrival. Mama supposes that Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eying her sister with a mixture of envy and awe (Walker 108). Hirsch views Maggie as one that seems powerless and pathetic (Tuten 127). All of these aspects that Dee has brought to the table make her appear to the reader that she is under-appreciative of what her heritage has really done for her which leads to the interpretation that she is embarrassed. Dee also goes far enough into her fairytale life and changes her name, attempting to disregard her familys identity, clearly showing her shame for it. Tutens article also points out Hirschs view regarding this change of name in Everyday Use. She understands Mama as one that hasnt shown any frustration toward Dee until this section when Dee cant even keep her name and a portion of her past. Hirsch notes that Walker changes the verb tense in that conversation over her identity change, creating a voice for Mama that has much more power (Tuten). This power is eventually used, says Tuten, to help Mama, affirm her allegiance to Maggie and to assert her emotional freedom from Dee (128). David Cowart also discusses the disloyalty of Dee by changing her name which was passed from generation to generation in their family all the way back and past the Civil War. Cowart views this disloyal action along with her clothes, her hair, her sunglasses, her patronizing speech, and her Black Muslim compa nion as Dee trying to declare a deplorable degree of alienation from her rural origins and family (172). Dee doesnt grasp the idea that her name connects her to her heritage, and by changing that she is seen as trying to disregard where she comes from. Cowart knows Dee as one that has basically detached herself from a nurturing tradition (172). Dee chooses to disengage herself from her ancient name which was passed down in her family for something classier such as Wangero. Her name was also her great-grandmothers name, and by changing it, Dee appears to not have much care for her family. She believes it is much classier, but Helga Hoel notes that the name is distorted from the original reference to a Kikuyu name. Hoel brings in a source from Barbara Christian clarifying that names are extremely important in African and African American culture as a means of indicating a persons spirit (Hoel 37). In conclusion to this remark, Dee can be seen as one that is trying to get rid of her name and heritage which links her to the rest of her family that is a supposed to be a very important part in her life. Hoel declares that Dees identity change of her first and middle name do not even represent one ethnic group, instead it relates to the entire East African area. Hoel notices this mistake and views it as something that shows Dees s uperficial knowledge of Africa and all it stands for (37). This point made contributes to the thought that Dee doesnt appreciate her heritage because she is trying to alter it and doesnt even understand what is truly behind her new one either. Dee wants to take several items in the house to represent her familys ancestry put on display at her house rather than putting them into everyday use. She disconnects herself from her family name, but still believes that she should be able to take many family items to be put on display. Cowart understands Dees desire for the quilts, the churn lid, and the photographs for purposes of display, reminders that she no longer has to live in such a house, care for such a cow, and have daily intercourse with such a mother and sister (175). Donna Haisty Winchell in Cowarts article implies that Dee makes the mistake of believing that ones heritage is something that one puts on display if and when such a display is fashionable (Cowart 175). Dee does not see the wrong to take these items from Mama and Maggie, failing to appreciate their heritage. Instead, Cowart proposes that she, who wants only to preserve that heritage as the negative index to her own sophistication (175). When Dee comes home to visit Mama and Maggie, she takes her share of photos. She takes several shots, those of the cows, Maggie, and of course the house. Whitsitt notes that she photographs everything and frames the image of Maggies and Mamas lifestyle, making it resemble a life she is not a component of. The source from the Bakers in this article says that they know this as Dees fashionably aesthetic distance from southern expediencies, and her framed experience of her heritage (Whitsitt 449). In addition to Dees desire for family items, she also brings along a characteristic of overlooking these possessions and devaluing items such as the quilts which should mean something to her and her heritage. Elaine Showalter notes in Cowarts article that the quilts, fought over by Wangero (Dee) and her mother indicate an ancestry that is much more personal and immediate than the intellectual and deracinated daughter can see (Cowart 179). Quilts are seen as the creative legacy that African Americans have inherited from their maternal ancestors says Barbara Christian in Sam Whitsitts literary critique (Whitsitt 443). The quilts connect women and men and families to their later generations to their past by resembling the tradition and pieces of their past which will be passed to those in the current days (Whitsitt). Cowart says that the quilts illustrate the ancestry that Dee has already abandoned which she now doesnt even share her name with the people in her family whose lives were p ieced together from their old scraps of clothes into quilts (Cowart). Barbara Christian in Cowarts article remarks that the heritage in the eyes of Maggie and Mama is depended on by living a tradition. The quilting and butter churning along with their developed nags for it are passed down from each generation in their family. She believes that Mama and Maggie should continue to be put these items into everyday use as they continue to keep up the trend in doing everything and living the tradition. Maggie is the one that can quilt, and if Dee is the one that gets the quilt, then the tradition along with the learned skills will stop and discontinue throughout the family tree (Cowart). Whitsitt also notices a verb tense after Dee announces her identity change which he believes gives Mamas voice more power along with creating an invisible frame that sets apart Dee from Mama and Maggie and their lifestyle. When Mama changes tenses to gain more authority after Dee tells her of her identity change, Whitsitt believes that Mama is then starting to be framed with Mama outside with a different view on lifestyle and the familys heritage (Whitsitt). In the story the reader views Mamas excitement of Dee coming home as her ready to enjoy time being spent with her daughter. She understands that she has left to become educated and changed her lifestyle which partly results in their different views on everything. Whitsitt brings in a quote from Hirsch, who notices the discrepancy of the two but says that Mama does a great job of making her decisions by herself and not changing her values of her heritage like her daughter did. He says that she has an ability to maintain a distance from Dee without visibly rejecting her (Whitsitt 451). When Dee introduces her identity change, Whitsitt notices this verb shift as Tuten did and recognizes it as Mamas epiphany when something hit me in the top of my head and ran down the soles of my feet, leading Mama to take charge and do something that I never had done before: hugged Maggie to meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Walker 113). He understands the unframed to framed, present tense to past tense forms to represent the idea of alteration and Walkers attention paid toward it. Whitsitt concludes that the central characters in the story have changed throughout Everyday Use. He points out that Dee, whose insensitive intrusion, who in spite of herself brings Mama to claim a voice (Whitsitt 454). Dees change helps Mama develop and change in the story by eventually gaining voice and sticking up for herself along with Maggie and the quilts (Whitsitt). Dees actions of trying to take the quilts which were promised to Maggie, characterizes her as a thief. One who notices the cruel action is Whitsitt, who considers the attempted action as stealing from her innocent sister, Maggie. He notices that Dee wants to take the quilts along with other items of the house, but without any connection such as an obligation to them which Whitsitt views as denigrating the quilts, and then claiming they are priceless (456). Dee gets very angry and frustrated after Mama says that she promised the quilts to Maggie, and she blames Maggie noting that she is too backward to know the difference between things of value and of no value (Walker 112). Whitsitt believes this comment and finger-pointing is also done in an indirect way pointed not only at Maggie but also toward Mama and their standard of living (Whitsitt). Regardless of all of Dees disloyal actions, attitudes, and undermining, she still wants to use the quilts to put up on her wall to represent her ancestry. She is unappreciative of the material things such as the quilts, but she still believes that she deserves them even though she is embarrassed of her past. She mistakes her own heritage and changes her name to something that isnt even correct from her country. She takes her heritage for granted by changing into some would call a phony (Cowart172). Dee values her heritage for all the wrong reasons such as when she is said to use it as aesthetics to put on display in her house but really only to show that she is no longer a part of it anymore. She always puts down Maggie and Mama, hinting that they need to change and quit living in the past, but really Maggie and Mama feel that they should be living in tradition rather than changing their everyday life. Dee recognizes herself as confirming her African heritage especially by changing h er name to Wangero, by changing her way of life, and by changing her appearance, but she only seems to belittle her cultural background.

Open Campus Policy :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Students, you, as well as I, have always felt the strain of limitations brought upon you this and past school years. These past years, the school board has been closing students’ ability to do almost what they please to an oppressive detention in which you cannot even walk the hallways to get a sip of water. How many times have you or heard that someone has been given a detention for just walking around the halls? How many times have you been hassled for trying to go to your car and sent back into the school by a so called â€Å"rent-a-cop† and a new enforcer cop? All of these and more are related to the idea of a closed campus. I, on the other hand, am on the behalf of an open campus. An open campus gives the student more freedom and responsibility to make the right decisions. As opposition, the closed campus concept would argue that not all or any of the students should receive such trustworthiness from the school. I think that not all but a selec t group of students should have the open campus opportunity. Another matter with open campus is money issues in many areas in which I will discuss.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As time goes on, each class of students gains and loses freedoms. An open campus freedom would not only just let students go where they please; it would also give the students a responsibility to manage their time. Many administrators on the board of education do not think that a high school student should have such a responsibility. They would tell us that we are too immature to be able to manage time during the school day. I think that students are mature enough to have such a freedom placed within their grasps. I can anticipate that the opposition will be outraged by all students receiving this freedom and responsibility. If such a concept as open campus could be arranged, there surely would be rules and regulations placed in effect to ensure that the school will not have liability of the student once off school ground.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The group of students that can leave the school can be very easily simplified from the current thought of all students being able to leave. First of all, a freshman certainly cannot leave the school grounds. A sophomore, even though more mature than the freshman, should as well not be able to leave the grounds.

Good Communicator Hca

Are you a good communicator? HCA 230 Are you a good communicator? Effective communication is vital in the healthcare workplace. The welfare of others is the fundamental focus and effective communication between colleagues can make the difference  in the quality and consistency of care that is delivered to patients. Many people to consider themselves to be good communicators; Identifying what the effective communication process is helps to make that determination. According to Cheesebro, O'Conner, ; Rios,  2010, effective communication is â€Å"the process of sending and receiving messages. This means that a good communicator would be effective in both listening and responding appropriately. So, in order to establish a successful exchange of information is helpful to distinguish between the various types of communication. Focusing on verbal and non verbal communication we will examine communication and how it relates to the medical field. In the health care industry interpersonal relationships with patients and coworkers are essential in the quality of service that is provided.Communication is vital to the development as well as the maintenance of all interpersonal relationships. In health care, the constant interaction with the patients, their families and co-workers of different race, ethnic background, gender, and religious beliefs require diversity from its employees. Using communication to build interpersonal relationships builds a trust and understanding between co-workers and patients. Thus patients feel more at ease discussing their ailments and receiving professional feedback.Effective communication results in more positive outcomes,  such as increased productivity and proficiency,  better relationships, as well as improved workplace morale. On the other hand, poor and ineffective communication  causes conflict, takes up time and additional resources. Eventually, it will negatively  affect organization overall. Supportive communication is a ble to express further understanding and encourage communication with those around you. Defensive communication on he other hand, can cause the other person to be on edge, feeling threatened, and anxious. When the communication between two parties turn into a defensive situation they are less likely to see the value in the message. The use of empathy is a vital tool when attempting to establish rapport  with a patient or co-worker and building trust. The key to demonstrating empathy is to use active listening. In this method, the receiver checks message with the sender to make sure they understand what is begin said as a way to clarify the information given.In the medical filed assertiveness is expressed through communication by being expressive of thoughts,  feelings, and needs  without being aggressive and having presence on another person. The purpose is to improve the communication process  instead of allowing aggression to create conflict and a hostile environment. In t he medical field some of this can be avoided by refraining from using aggressive or sarcastic tones and body language which could give the receiver the wrong impression of the sender and the message being sent. The use of â€Å"I† statements and good body language can assist in the process.Films Media Group. (2007). Communicating with aged care colleagues [H. 264] By including yourself and explaining way that can be helpful, the environment for open dialog is developed. Upon a self assessment of my own interpersonal relationships and skills, I discovered I am in need of some improvement. One element that particularly stood out to me was the inconsistence of verbal and nonverbal communication. When speaking to new people or on a topic in which I may not be as well informed on I have the tendency to fidget and use little eye contact.Although I may be paying full attention or taking notes my nonverbal communication can be misinterpreted into lack of interest, boredom, or in some cultures just plain disrespect. As a result of knowing this I can make sure that I am prepared by doing some extra research on the topic if possible to increase my comfort lever when speaking on it. I can also make sure that my personal appearance,  posture, gestures, and mannerisms,  facial expression, eye contact and personal space is appropriate and consistent for the delivery of the message I am trying to send.Just as many others I considered self to be a good communicator and saw where I could make the improvements o that I can be more effective in my professional and personal life. References 1. Cheesebro, T. , O'Conner, L. , & Rios, F. (2010). Communicating in the Workplace  . : Prentice Hall. 2. Films Media Group. (2007). Communicating with aged care colleagues [H. 264] * Taken From: http://digital. films. com/PortalPlaylists. aspx? aid=7967&xtid=40257

Scm and Erp Software Implementation at Nike †from Failure to Success

Introduction: Nike was founded under the name Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964. In 1972 the first pair of sports shoes was sold and experienced enormous growth and achieved a 50% market share within the sports shoe market in the US only eight years later. After sluggish focus and growth in the 1980ies, Nike experienced strong growth in the 1990ies and cemented the position as global recognizable brand. The increased international focus created strains on the supply chain, which was consider inadequate to cater efficiently to the organization and the rapid changes consumer demands .As a consequence of the afore mentioned supply chain problem Nike faced inefficient inventory management, problems in flow of goods and poor demand forecasting capabilities. In addition Nike was facing though competition in Asia, which as a region performed worse than expected. Given this it is clear that both external, internal and situational factors were the catalysts behind the Organizational Buying Behavior (OBB) of Nike catalyzing the mammoth project of implementing global supply chain management (SCM) software and an integrated ERP system.Question 1: What are the failure factors for the first NIKE-i2 ERP-SCM implementation? Using conventional project management measurements it is clear the implementation of i2 was a colossal failure . I analyze the failure using a combination for factors from the OBB and analysis based on the five phase implementation framework. Nike states a clear vision of what they want to achieve with the i2 implementation: â€Å"Achieving greater flexibility in planning execution and delivery processes†¦.. ooking for better forecasting and more profitable order fulfillment† . However, I believe Nike overall underestimated the SCM project as I see some indications that the main focus and resources were on the general ERP framework and implementation of the Single Instance Strategy (SIS). As a consequence the project management turned out to be weak. T he lack of prioritization of the SCM project is also visible in the lack of external consultancy services obtained.Both project management and appropriate usage of external consultants are evaluated as key critical success factors for successful implementation of large scale IT projects. (Appendix 3) So I see the project being initiated on the wrong foot, but would consider phase 2, 3 and 4 as the phases where the project fell apart. I strongly believe external consultants with expertise knowledge would have challenged a number of the technical issue and decisions made by the project management. The implementation of i2 on the legacy system is such example.SIS required a large degree of integration and data migrations, so deploying the SCM software on the legacy system instead of as part of the SAP ERP is a strategic mistake. This specific decision later proves unwise when Nike begins to experience large problems in data integration as formats and outline of i2 didn’t match t he other systems. Also in the data specification and parameterization external experts would have stepped in and limited the vast number of customization enquiries from Nike.I believe this specific problem has its roots in the inadequate blueprinting of Nike. The missing blueprinting –the realignment of the long term business strategy with capabilities of the software – is not uncommon as it is estimated that 51 percent of failing IT projects, fail due to lack of understanding between IT and business departments† I believe there is evidence of that happening in this case as well. The fundamental idea behind the SCM software in terms of demand planning did not fit well with the business strategy of Nike.Nike used a bottom-up demand process where the retailers committed to an order in advance before manufacturing. With i2 Nike changed this core process as the demand now was forecasted using a top-down approach. The combination of the changed process and lack of pro per data integration lead to duplicated orders and overproduction. As the original i2 software did not support the many SKUs of Nike, heavy customization was required, which in turn diluted the quality of the software as the specifications were unclear.McAfee of Harvard Business School has said: â€Å"What Nike and i2 Technologies Inc. began experiencing the problem actually is not the software itself†¦ The culprit there was misspecification† Further on the subject of customization, Nike had great difficulties balancing customization with speed-to-market. I believe the external factors of significant competition, changing market place and resulting disappointing financial performance in growth markets lead Nike to rush the implementation and interfered with normal OBB.The rushing meant that a guideline, templates and implementation methodology was discarded by Nike with the argument that the i2 provided material was too rigid. In general I would argue that Nike required technology that was not sufficiently available at the time. This pushed i2 to enter unknown software-territory and program-to-order disabling sufficient time for vendor/developer testing. The criticality of this was further boosted due to lack of testing from Nike, which clearly illustrates faults in phase 4 of the implementation as well. (Appendix 3)Lastly, I find evidence that a global ERP and SCM software potentially would be difficult to manage successfully at the time due to the structural issue of underdeveloped bandwidth infrastructure , which could indicate Nike required a technical solution which was not complete available in 1999. As the SCM software required a big-bang implementation , the mistakes mentioned above considerably increased the risk of failure. So due to urgency Nike selected to implement a highly customized solution discarding advice from the vendor, avoiding third party/external consultations, neglecting testing and proper training of end-users.As Steel say s â€Å"Could we have taken more time with the roll-out? Properly. Could we have done a better job with software quality? Sure. Could the planners have been better prepared to use the system be it went live? You can never train enough! † Question 2: How do you evaluate the role of i2 in this process? In believe both companies are to be blamed for the failed implementation. Looking isolated at i2’s role, I believe both tactical and strategic mistakes were made. As a vendor i2 had a responsibility to work together with Nike to create a common understanding of the capability of the software and the business management impact.If the client was not adequately knowledgeable about the product delivered i2 should have made a point of this in the RFP, by stating that a certain level of technical knowhow and expertise was expected and required from the client as well, to secure a smooth implementation. Such point – or clause – would have created the necessary aware ness at Nike and would have secured the necessary focus from Nike before engaging in the implementation. We learn from the case that Nike when they started working together with i2 already had tried several other solutions without being successful, which further underlines my point.Philip Kotler describes a common pitfall in B2B transactions as the B2B market is dominated by fewer buyers than on the consumer market, which can provide an undesired purchasing power to large corporations. In addition Nike was on the forefront of the technology required, which eventually meant i2 was pressured to provide significant more customization to the software. The fact that the customization widely exceeded the 10-15% maximum customization recommendation from i2 illustrates the negotiation and purchasing power Nike had over i2.I sincerely believe it was a tactical mistake from i2 to allow to the large degree of customization. i2 added further to the tactical mistakes by not highlighting potentia l issues with running the i2 on the legacy system hindering data integration effectually diminishing the usability – and in turn satisfaction – of the software. During the implementation phase i2 made another tactical mistake by not being close enough to Nike and co-manage the process or the rollout. To rollout without proper/any testing and training was a huge mistake committed by Nike, but i2 should have intervened.I believe project management on both sides was weak, which allowed for these mistakes caused by poor communication and lack of managing expectations. Unfortunately for i2 the number of tactical mistake converted in a strategic issue damaging the reputation of i2, when Nike publically assigned the blame of the failure to them. i2 had in the cooperation with Nike a unique opportunity to position itself as a world leading SCM software vendor as the project was groundbreaking in terms of size and complexity.However, instead of gaining this competitive advantag e the failed implementation, the public statements by Nike and the following class-action lawsuits from the Nike shareholders labeled i2 as incompetent. i2 severely miscalculated the tactical benefits of pleasing the client versus the strategic gains of completing the project successfully. I believe i2 was too focused on the short-term completion, which made them cut corners and discard own recommendations in order not to have a conflict with the client.Overall, I find it unfair to blame i2 entirely. After all, the vendor selection is always the responsibility of the buyer and proper evaluation and testing of the product for its functionality would have averted this kind of failure. â€Å"Implementing a supply-chain management solution is like crossing the street; High risk if you don't look both ways, but low risk if you do. † Question 3: Nike was one of the first companies to start using the SAP module Apparel and Footwear Solution (AFS). From NIKE viewpoint, do you think t hat is a good strategy?In my opinion Nike took a chance when start using AFS. Being one of the first users of the AFS software, could potentially have been a risky endeavor as software in the initial stages can be prone to bugs and other dis-functionalities. However, Nike implemented the AFS to perfection, which meant that the risk was very well handled. Especially the meticulous testing, seeking external consultancy service and skeleton roll-out stands out as key steps for the success of this specific project.To analyze if it was a good strategy we need to analyze Nike’s financial performance against the main competition . The aim is to analyze if Nike after the implementation of AFS was performing more efficiently – measured on key financial parameters – hence creating a competitive advantage. I find clear evidence that is the case. I believe Nike created a competitive advantage by being a first-mover in the usage of AFS. Nike had the key objective to manage a nd turn the inventory faster and more efficiently. In my research I find that in addition to turning the inventory 4. times versus 3. 5 of the competition, Nike has significant less cash tied up in inventory – $2. 7bln versus $3. 4bln – which is remarkable as Nike produces a larger revenue than Adidas. A final point showing great operational efficient at Nike, is the ability to create a cash flow from these activities, where Nike in 2011 generated $1. 8bln in cash versus the competitors $1. 6bln. The competitor’s gross profit margin only exceeds Nike’s in 2011 after Nike has clearly outperformed on this factor as well throughout the time period being analyzed.It could be an indication that the competitors are closing in on Nike’s competitive advantage in the areas of software implementation. I believe it was a good strategic decision to be an AFS first-mover. Nike handled the implementation very well and thereby managed to balance the risk and rewa rd to the benefit of Nike against the competition. We see that Nike has outperformed Adidas in terms of gross profit margin continuously with exception of the last year in the analysis. I argue that the outperformance is based on primarily the relative efficiency of the supply chain.The main indication of Nike’s superior supply chain is the inventory and inventory turn rate. We see below that Adidas has significantly higher holding of inventory relative to Nike and that Nike turns its inventory faster. In more efficient supply chain and hence business operation is reflected in the ability to generate cash from the operating activities. Nike evidently creates a larger cash flow than Adidas. The financial markets also recognize Nike’s competitive advantage as the stock shows a significant better performance than Adidas. (+171% vs. +86%, 2007-)

How to Get Into MIT 5 Expert Admissions Tips

How to Get Into MIT 5 Expert Admissions Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is one of the best schools in the world. If you want to be one of the few students accepted into MIT every year, you’ll need to make sure your application is up to snuff. In this article, we’ll break down exactly how to get into MIT, from the test scores you need to the tips and tricks that’ll help your application stand out. How Hard Is It to Get Into MIT? MIT is one of the most selective schools in the world. Currently, MIT’s acceptance rate is 6.7%, which means it only accepts around 7 applicants for every 100 people that apply. A 6.7% acceptance rate means that MIT is extremely competitive to get into. You’ll need excellent grades, test scores, essays, and letters of recommendation to even be considered. What Is MIT Looking for in Its Students? You can learn a lot about what MIT is looking for in its students from the university’s website: "The MIT community is driven by a shared purpose: to make a better world through education, research, and innovation. We are fun and quirky, elite but not elitist, inventive and artistic, obsessed with numbers, and welcoming to talented people regardless of where they come from." This statement, while not MIT’s formal mission statement (which is worth reading, too), tells a lot about what MIT is looking for in its applicants. MIT want students who break molds- they’re incredibly intelligent, but they also think outside of the box. Don’t follow everyone else’s path- create your own. MIT students are genuinely excited to learn and innovate. They’re not interested in accolades (though they certainly earn them)- they’re motivated by discovery and intellectual stimulation more than recognition. MIT students don’t fit into any particular profile, except that they’re all highly, highly talented. Can You Apply to MIT Early? MIT allows students to apply early action. That means that you can apply to MIT and receive notification of your acceptance months before other students, but you don’t have to commit to MIT if you’re accepted. MIT’s early application deadline is November 1 and students are notified on December 20. According to the MIT admissions statistics for the Class of 2022, applicants who applied early didn’t have any significant advantage over students who applied at the regular deadline. For both admissions deadlines, students were accepted at a rate of a little less than 7%. That being said, there are other ways to get a leg up on your fellow applicants. MIT admitted around % of applicants who participated in an interview (or had their interview waived) vs 1% of applicants who did not participate in an interview. MIT Application Deadlines and Requirements MIT has its own application. It doesn’t accept the Common Application, Coalition Application or Universal Application. Here are the complete MIT application requirements: MIT requires that all students submit SAT, ACT, or TOEFL scores Freshman applicants must also submit two SAT II Subject Tests: math and science. MIT requires all students submit five short essays as part of their application. MIT requires that all students submit two letters of recommendation. There are no specific coursework requirements for MIT applicants. The MIT Early Action deadline is November 1. Applicants are notified of their status on December 20. The MIT regular admission deadline is January 1. Applicants are notified of their status on March 20. What GPA Do I Need to Get Into MIT? MIT has a 6.7% acceptance rate, so it’s important that your application is as strong as possible to be considered. One of the most important parts of your MIT application is your high school coursework. MIT doesn’t specify a minimum GPA requirement and doesn’t release the average GPA of admitted applicants. That being said, due to the caliber of students accepted at MIT, we can assume that the average GPA is quite high. You should look to get mainly A’s, with a few A-’s or B+’s on your transcript. MIT will also be paying attention to your course load- are you challenging yourself, or are you coasting on easy classes? You should take the most rigorous classes your school offers- whether that’s honors, AP, or IB courses- or even look into taking courses at the local community college to show that you’re not afraid of an academic challenge†¦ and that you can succeed at one, too! What Test Scores Do I Need to Get Into MIT? You don’t just need great grades to get into MIT- you need great test scores, too. What SAT Test Scores Do I Need to Get Into MIT? The average admitted applicant at MIT has a 1520 composite score on the 1600 SAT scale. The average math score is 780. The average reading/writing score is 740. You’ll need to have extremely high SAT scores to be able to get into MIT. Fortunately, MIT uses â€Å"Highest Section† scoring (also known as â€Å"superscoring†). Basically, superscoring means that MIT will consider your highest section scores across all the SAT test dates you submit. MIT’s superscoring policy is good news for applicants- it means that you can prep and retake the score without worrying about hurting your previous scores. What ACT Test Scores Do I Need to Get Into MIT? The average admitted applicant at MIT scores a 34 on the ACT. With so many applicants scoring 34 and above, a lower score won’t be very impressive. Fortunately, MIT also superscores ACT scores for applicants. That means that, if you take the ACT multiple times, MIT will consider the highest score achieved in each section. MIT Application Essays MIT requires that you answer five short essay questions. You’ll need to answer 5 short prompts (none more than 250 words) on various aspects of your life: what you do for fun, what department you’re interested in at MIT, a way that you contribute to your community, a description of your background, and a challenge that you have faced in your life. The MIT essay prompts are designed specifically to get to the heart of what makes you you. Remember, MIT wants applicants that are interesting as people. MIT places a high value on having students with quirks and unique passions, not just high test scores. You’ll submit your five MIT application essays along with an activities list and a self-reported coursework form as Part 2 of your MIT application, regardless of whether you’re applying for the early action deadline or the regular admission deadline. Here are the 2018-19 MIT essay prompts: We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. (100 words or fewer) Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? (100 words or fewer) At MIT, we bring people together to better the lives of others. MIT students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc. (200-250 words) Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations? (200-250 words) Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? (200-250 words) You can learn more about how to ace your MIT essays in our in-depth article on the topic. 5 Tips for Getting Into MIT It’s very difficult to get into MIT, but it’s not impossible. Follow these tips for how to get into MIT by making sure your application stands out from the crowd. #1: Highlight the Unique Aspects of Your Identity We’ve said it already and we’ll say it again: MIT likes unique applicants. They say so on their website! Your essays are an opportunity to highlight the special facets of your personality. If you built a video game about pickles for fun, this is the time to share it! The more unique you are, the better! Your application will stand out even more if you take those interests and apply them to academic pursuits. Show that your academic curiosity intersects with your passions. #2: Put a Lot of Effort Into Your Academics MIT students are high-achievers. To be accepted, you need to be one, too. You should have a strong plan for studying for the SAT or ACT so that you achieve the best score possible. If you’re still in your freshman, sophomore, or junior year of high school, plan to take some advanced classes to up your GPA. You’ll need to be disciplined and work hard to compete with the other applicants. MIT wants students who will succeed on their campus- you need to demonstrate that you’re up to MIT’s academic challenge. #3: Ace Your Essays Your essays are the best opportunity to show off your skills and your unique interests. You should put a lot of effort into every one of the five MIT essays. Don’t wait until the last minute to write your MIT essays- start them with plenty of time so that you can revise and receive feedback. #4: Convince MIT That You’ll Do Something Great With Your Education MIT doesn’t want to admit students who will be content to take their expensive diploma and sit at home doing nothing with it. MIT wants to accept students who are going to accomplish world-changing things, who contribute positively to their communities while in college and help other students accomplish great things as well. The best way to convince MIT that you’ll do this while there? Contribute positively to your community while you’re in high school. Past behavior is a predictor of future behavior. If you show that positive contributions are a part of your modus operandi as a student, MIT will feel confident that you’ll bring that attitude to its campus, too. #5: Hyper-Focus You don’t need to be captain of the football team, the co-chair of the debate team, and the first chair violinist in the school orchestra to get into MIT. Don’t try to be great at every- pick one (or two) activities and pursue it relentlessly. This is called having a spike and helps you stand out more. Don’t aim to be generically good at a lot of things- be hugely, amazingly good at one thing. Instead of trying to lead twenty different committees, pick the one that’s the most special to you and give it everything you have. Put down the football and the debate notecards and focus on violin if that’s what you love. Audition for world-class ensembles, enter competitions, basically just stand out. Don't strive for above average at a lot of things- be excellent at one. Recap: How to Get Into MIT It’s difficult to get into MIT- but not impossible! With hard work and planning, you can hone your application so it stands out from the other thousands of MIT applicants. What’s Next? Starting your MIT application? Check out our in-depth guide on how to apply to MIT. Your MIT essays will help your application stand out. Read our in-depth guide on these five short answer questions to know exactly what to do. (Link coming soon!) Wondering what your chances of getting into an Ivy Leave or Ivy League caliber school is? Check out our complete guide to Ivy League acceptance rates. Want to get into Harvard or your personal top choice college? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

How to Create a Killer Content Strategy for Your New Blog - CoSchedule

How to Create a Killer Content Strategy for Your New Blog Creating a solid content strategy for your new blog is such an important task. We all know how important these first impressions are. We stare at our beautiful blog that we have just setup with a blank expression, asking, What should I write about? You want to get traffic, you want to blow people away and you want to get people addicted to you. If you do all three of these from the word go, the rest of your journey will be a breeze. The trouble is, it isn’t easy! Picking a niche for your blog is one thing, but creating your initial content is where the real work begins. I am going to show you the exact steps I take to create content  that my audience wants to read. You will also learn how to find an army of influencers that want to help you. That is all you need at this stage! You have content that people want to read and you have influencers that you can share your content with. How To Create A Killer Content Strategy For Your New BlogBuild a Better Blog Content Strategy With Five Free Templates Apply what youll learn in this post with these free templates: Blog Content Strategy Template SEO Content Strategy Guide Skyscraper Technique Checklist How to Start a Blog Infographic Blog Schedule Template Who Is Your Ideal Audience? When you plan your content strategy  to launch your new blog you have to do your research. This will ensure your content appeals to your readers. At this stage, you don’t have an audience but you should have an idea of what your blog is going to be about. If you have an idea of who your audience is you can create a content schedule that appeals to them. This will help improve the engagement of the content and make it a lot easier to promote the content. The first step when analyzing your audience is to work out what they are trying to achieve. A reader that visits a blog about strength training could be looking to build muscle. [Tweet "The first step when analyzing your audience is to work out what they are trying to achieve." People want to build muscle for different reasons though. Some may want to build core strength to help with daily living activities. Others might want to train in natural body building! These are all related to strength training but are two very different audiences. When you start your blog it is key to focus on one audience, smash it and then add another similar audience on top. â€Å"Traffic that doesn’t convert to subscribers usually means something you’ve written connects with people, but they don’t understand how it fits into your blog as a whole.† - Amy Dunn Moscoso, Smart Blogger Recommended Reading: How to Find Your Target Audience and Create the Best Content That Connects Understand Your Readers Journey If you know your audience is looking for a strength training program to improve their posture then this is their end goal. When they land on your blog they are at the start of their journey. Your content needs to show the reader that you can help them improve their posture. It should provide actionable tips that encourage the reader to take action. If I write an article about getting big arms, do you think that will hook people interested in correcting their posture? It will appeal to some but not everyone. What if I was to write an article showing my audience how strengthening their glutes can improve their posture. This is exactly what they are looking for. My next article is about how correcting your posture can alleviate knee pain. The reader may not know that their posture is to blame for this pain. They might not even have knee pain but most people would want to prevent it. You need to sell them the benefits of fixing their posture and mix in tips that they can apply. When they apply these tips and start to get results they will start to trust you more! Your blog is a tool to show awareness of the problem and highlight the benefits of fixing this problem. Your job is to create content that builds trust by providing that quick win feeling. Your blog is a tool to show awareness of the problem and highlight the benefits of fixing this...Look at , they know exactly who their target audience is. Content marketers that want to improve their strategy. The tool they offer will do this, but a new visitor might not understand how. On their blog, they create content that appeals to content marketers. Along the way, they show them how their tool can help. By providing epic value they build trust by giving their readers that quick win feeling. now has an email list of over 150,000 people who are interested in what they offer! Recommended Reading: 21+ Easy Ways to Build an Email List That Will Skyrocket By 140% in 1 Year This is all because they provide content that moves their readers from point A to point B. Look at Guerilla Zen Fitness! Blake offers products that will improve posture. He knows the problems his audience face. He creates YouTube Videos  and blog posts that highlight these as well as showing some quick tips to help. From doing this he now has over 60,000 subscribers on YouTube because his content takes people from point A to B. I want you to think of what goal your blog accomplishes for your reader. Here are a couple examples: Dog training: I help first-time dog owners raise their pups. Point A know nothing about training pups. Point B has a well-behaved dog. Fat Loss: I help overweight individuals get in shape so they feel better and more confident. Point A overweight person who may have some health risks. Point B healthy weight, in better health and feeling a lot more confident. Do this for your reader's journey  and then we can look at the actual content that we need to publish on our blog. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Blog Post: Your 5-Point Checklist to Write a Perfect Post Design Your Content To Take Your Readers From A To B Now it is time to start generating some ideas for your first 12 blog posts. Having ideas for your first few months will help you be more organized and stop the blinking cursor syndrome! In a world where there are so many blogs competing for attention! To stand out you have to make sure that your blog posts are the best there is on the topic. You can do this by focusing on a certain topic, being more thorough, having a beautiful design and a clutter-free blog. Having a great post that also looks good is one thing, but if no one cares about the topic, it’s pointless. Let’s start generating some ideas so that we can launch your new blog with a bang! Here's a quote from Talia Wolf: The road to a successful blog post (and choosing its topic) is divided into 3 steps: 1 - Start with keyword research. Not the typical keyword research where you enter the phrase you think is relevant and find similar words, a more strategic one. Here's how:Your goal is to find the best ranking subjects, those your subscribers would be interested in reading and would attract more visitors to your site so, in the Google keyword planner enter the link to a competing blog, one that's popular and trustworthy. This will show you all their top ranked keywords on their blog and give you an indication to what people search for and read. 2 - Then search for those keywords on Google, find the top ranked articles for those keywords and identify what makes them successful (e.g - are they all lists, examples, videos or perhaps complete guides?). 3 - Then, read the articles and the comments to see what people were missing in the article - what's missing? Then, and only then, sit down to write the article. Buzzsumo The best way to find content that your readers will respond to is to find content that has already performed well. You can find this type of content by checking out Buzzsumo. This tool will show you similar content based on how many people have shared it on social media. If a post has produced a lot of shares then you can be sure the topic is one that your audience will like. Go over to Buzzsumo  and enter your niche or broad topic. For example, let's try the keyword "fix posture†: This is broad and will return the competition on the field! Create a spreadsheet with the following columns: Headline Topic URL Blog And a column for every social network that is applicable. Start filling it up with the content that appeals to you. This will become your swipe file for content ideas. Search for a few broad keywords on Buzzsumo  to get a decent amount of content ideas. Quora When you start a blog you don’t have any audience to reach out to ask what they want to read. On Quora, you have a network of people asking questions about hundreds of topics daily. Simply search for your broad topic and you will see a list of questions that include your keyphrase. This should generate some great questions for you to answer in your posts. Another way to use this QA site is to visit the topic pages and look at the Top Questions bit. These are the most popular questions related to the topic. Type in a good few keywords that' are related to your niche and start to add your ideas to your spreadsheet. Recommended Reading: The Ultimate Content Marketer's Guide to Keyword Research How to Improve Your Keyword Research With Latent Semantic Indexing Look At What Your Competitors Do Now we are going to put our broad keyword into Google. This will return the best content for that phrase. The Google algorithm is a strange beast! One thing we know is that Google want to show the best and most relevant content to their readers. So search for your keyword ... Now at the bottom, you will see related keyphrases. Add these to your spreadsheet as they are content ideas that Google  deems as relevant. Now take the homepage URL of each result. Head back over to Buzzsumo  and enter each URL, this will show you the best content from this website. As you do this you will start to see topics come up time and time again. These are hot topics and should definitely be on your list to create first. By now you should have a pretty big list of ideas (I would say no less than 50). If you have less, repeat the process, try different phrases or even go to page two of Google. These don’t rank as high but it doesn’t mean they are useless! I have seen some pretty great content ideas off the first page too. Recommended Reading:  This is the Best 30-Minute Content Marketing Brainstorming Process Creating An Editorial Calendar It is time to put those content ideas to good use. You need to create a posting schedule that suits your lifestyle so that you can stay consistent. It might sound awesome to post a new article every day. At this stage, you have no audience to feed your creative juices with awesome content ideas. Plus posting daily makes it harder to promote each post properly. I would say start with 2-4 posts per month, but these must be high quality. Your absolute best work. That means your twelve posts will last you 3-6 months, this is plenty time to build a decent sized audience. Whatever schedule you choose, stay consistent and make sure it is doable for you! Once you have your ideas you can use an editorial calendar like to plan their launch. I find adding post ideas into an editorial calendar helps to keep me accountable the majority of the time. If I didn’t do this I would be scrambling the night before and the quality of my article would slip! Recommended Reading:  How to Get Crazy Organized With a Comprehensive Content Calendar (Free Template) The 3-Post Strategy Overview When I launch any new blog I like to follow a certain content system! I will create my foundational content (the content before your launch). This method stems from three posts that are all based on proven topics. So what three post types do you need: Massive List Post Expert Roundup Post A Tutorial Post Let’s look at how we create each of these posts. Recommended Reading: This is the Ultimate Blog Writing Process to Create Killer Posts Your Massive List Post Your first piece of foundational content is your massive list post. Everybody loves a list post because they are so easy to read and they are very shareable! Brian Dean over at Backlinko.com  developed a framework for creating epic list posts that drive shares, links and huge traffic. Perfect for your first post on your new blog. Introducing the Skyscraper Technique! This technique is based on finding a topic that has done well before, you would then check out other articles on the topic and lastly, you will create an epic piece that beats all other articles. When you do this your article becomes the best on the topic. The second part of this strategy is to promote but we will look at that in a bit later. Let’s begin by taking a look at out topics list we created above. Choose the most popular topic you found! Start by entering it into Google. If a website is on the first page, this means that Google classes this article as the best on the web. They strive to show the best content to their customers. Go through each of the posts on the first page and look at ways you could improve. What is the biggest list out there? If the highest number on the first page is 20 can you create a list of 40-50? A lot of list posts are not very in depth. I have seen some with literally 20-50 words per list item! Ask yourself some questions: Can you make a more thorough post that provides step-by-step instructions for each point? This would make your article better. How does the actual page look? Can you make the post easier to navigate? Some list posts can get pretty long so providing a table of contents can really improve the user experience. When was the post created? If the post was created a few years back some of the points may be out of date, so you could improve upon this by creating a fresher list. You want to go all out here to make your new blog post stand out from the rest! Mediocre content will not cut it. You have to kick your competitors right off the playing field! Once you write up your awesome skyscraper article it is time to insert some traffic generating nuggets. These come in the form of expert quotes! Reach out to influencers that have written about the topic before and simply ask them for a couple of sentences. Now if you struggle to get a reply from the influencer you can simply head to their blog and take a quote. Add these into your article to give it more value. Okay Joe, how does this generate traffic? When it comes to promoting our blog posts we can reach out to each of the experts that we have linked to and let them know! This is the perfect way to spark a relationship with an influencer, everybody loves to see their work being referenced no matter how big they are! â€Å"If I were to start a brand new blog tomorrow, my first article would be on a topic that supports my main business goals - anything Marketing related. The article would have two main focuses. 1) Educate 2) Entertain. In order to establish myself as an authority, I want to make sure I use my expertise to educate the reader and provide MASSIVE value! In order to keep the reader coming back, I would entertain the reader by using my personal style, showcasing examples where appropriate, and keeping the reader in mind throughout the article." - Katherine Sullivan Marketing Solved An Expert Roundup Post For the next post, it is time to let the experts that you want to connect with shine. I always say for your first roundup post  try and include people that you want to connect with, that way you are starting to get on their radar. Once you have your initial hit list it is time to look for more experts. I would always try to get about 100 experts because a lot won’t reply but 100 should still give you enough for your post! Take your popular topic and let’s turn it into a question! Now think who was your target audience. Simply add the topic and the audience together to create a killer question. Here are some examples: Topic: Puppy training Audience: New dog owners Question: What is your number one tip for new dog owners to train their new puppies?Topic: Improving core strength Audience: people with knee pain Question: What is your number one tip to strengthen your core to help combat knee pain?Topic: Content marketing Audience: advanced marketers Question: What is your number one tip for experienced marketers to improve their content marketing strategy? These kind of questions are brief and will not take the blogger that long to answer. Busy influencers will be happier to contribute if the question doesn’t take long to answer. Start by warming up the big dog influencers on your hit list first because they will take the longest to win over. If you can get them to contribute everybody else will be a lot easier because you have some social proof! When you reach out, keep your email personal and let them know why you think they would be a good fit for the roundup. Ask your question and then tell them the names of the big influencers. This is how I have managed to get bloggers such as Neil Patel, Jon Morrow, Adam Connell and Sue Anne Dunlevie to contribute to my post! Keep it brief and to the point! Once you have collected all your responses you can enter them into the blog post. Add a killer headline and conclusion that thanks all the influencers for their hard work. For your intro you want the first sentence to hook your reader and then you want to give your own piece of value. You need to put some effort into this by doing this you get the readers excited and it will motivate them to keep reading. By now you should have a nice list of experts, this is perfect to launch your blog with a bang! A Tutorial Post This is the last piece of foundational content in the X method. Tutorial posts work really well because you are going to solve one of your readers biggest pain points to give them that quick win feeling! Choose another topic from the list but this time you need to make sure that you can solve it with a tutorial style post. Here are some examples: Niche: SEO Tutorial Post: How To Build Links Using Broken Link Building Niche: Blogging Tutorial: How To Get 100 Visitors To Your Blog From Reddit Niche: Weight Loss Tutorial: How To Boost Your Metabolism Speed Up Weight loss Niche: Dog Training Tutorial: How To Train Your Dog To Walk By Your Side Niche: Freelance Writing Tutorial: How To Set Up Your Upwork Profile Get Your First Job What makes a good tutorial? Small actionable step-by-step chunks that provide images to document every action. If you think there will be too many images then maybe consider using a video. What makes a good tutorial? Small, actionable step-by-step chunks that provide images to document...Video style tutorials do really well because your reader will feel like they are following along looking over your shoulder. You still want to reach out to influencers to get their input just to give it that traffic fuel. If you do something a particular way look for experts that do it that way and feature a quote. This adds social proof to your article. It also backs up what you are saying with some proof! Recommended Reading: How to Use Social Media Analytics to Create the Best Content Launch Your Blog If you have got this far you have done the ground work and your blog is ready to fly! You can’t stop yet though because it is your job to make it fly. So many people think that you can publish your post and others will find it while you sit back and watch it. This is total rubbish! You should spend 20% of your time creating your content and then 80% of the time actually promoting it. Tell Your Nearest and Dearest It really does surprise me how many people leave this out. Your family is your life line whether they are interested in what you write or not! They can give you that much needed social proof and kick off your engagement. I always ask my mom to share my posts! Why? Because I know it’s a certainty, she will share because she wants to help me! Now my mom struggles with all things computer related so blogging is definitely not something she would be  interested in, but I still get traffic when she shares. She has friends that are interested! If you struggle to get comments you can ask your friends to leave some. This will boost the engagement on your blog. People are more likely to leave a valuable comment if they see others doing so. This can lead to questions that you can add to your content ideas spreadsheet. Recommended Reading: How to 10X Your Content Ideas With Sujan Patel from Web Profits Tell Communities You're Involved With Are you a member of any social media groups, niche communities or forums? If you are a credible member you can tell them about your new article. You just need to do it in a valuable way. Start a thread post and give an actionable tip! For example, if your post is about guest blogging  you could say how important it is to get to know the editor. Give benefits that will encourage the group to act upon your tip! Then just give the link to encourage people to click through. I have never been banned or blocked for doing this. Tell The Influencers You Have Mentioned Now if you have been following along my foundational content strategy you should have a list of influencers that you have featured in your posts. This is your chance to let them know it’s live, by doing all the sharing with your existing connections you should have some social proof on your articles. This will increase the value for the influencer and could be the thing that encourages the connection! That is why I leave this step till I have done my preliminary shares! When you reach out, be very brief. Here's a sample template: Hi Name, I just wanted to let you know that I have featured a quote from your article about TOPIC. This was great and I think my audience would love it because REASON. If you want to check it out here is the link: [INSERT URL] If you have any feedback or you would like me to edit it please let me know! Thanks Your NAME This is brief, you are not asking for anything, and it is personal. Most bloggers will share without asking just because you have featured them. If the influencer has contributed a quote or is part of your roundup, just reach out and tell them that the post is live. Again do not ask for anything, most will share without your asking! Lastly, reach out to everyone that never replied to you and let them know it’s live. Be friendly and polite and offer them the chance to be added onto the roundup. Now that you are showing them your results they know a bit more about you and this might give them that little push to connect with you. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Pitch Email That Will Get Your Guest Post Accepted Now Go Launch Your Blog! Well done for getting this far! You now have a new blog that has some traction but this is only the beginning. Creating foundational content that get’s influencers involved is a great way to get your name about but you still have a lot of work to do. Fill out your content schedule for 3 months, try and keep the content based around one main topic. So if your blog is about dog training maybe just focus on training a new pup. This lets you establish yourself as an expert because of the value you are giving on that one topic! Now it is over to you, let me know in the comments what you do to give your blog the best start in life. How to Create a Killer Content Strategy for Your New Blog Creating a solid content strategy for your new blog is such an important task. We all know how important these first impressions are. We stare at our beautiful blog that we have just setup with a blank expression, asking, What should I write about? You want to get traffic, you want to blow people away and you want to get people addicted to you. If you do all three of these from the word go, the rest of your journey will be a breeze. The trouble is, it isn’t easy! Picking a niche for your blog is one thing, but creating your initial content is where the real work begins. I am going to show you the exact steps I take to create content  that my audience wants to read. You will also learn how to find an army of influencers that want to help you. That is all you need at this stage! You have content that people want to read and you have influencers that you can share your content with. How To Create A Killer Content Strategy For Your New BlogBuild a Better Blog Content Strategy With Five Free Templates Apply what youll learn in this post with these free templates: Blog Content Strategy Template SEO Content Strategy Guide Skyscraper Technique Checklist How to Start a Blog Infographic Blog Schedule Template Who Is Your Ideal Audience? When you plan your content strategy  to launch your new blog you have to do your research. This will ensure your content appeals to your readers. At this stage, you don’t have an audience but you should have an idea of what your blog is going to be about. If you have an idea of who your audience is you can create a content schedule that appeals to them. This will help improve the engagement of the content and make it a lot easier to promote the content. The first step when analyzing your audience is to work out what they are trying to achieve. A reader that visits a blog about strength training could be looking to build muscle. [Tweet "The first step when analyzing your audience is to work out what they are trying to achieve." People want to build muscle for different reasons though. Some may want to build core strength to help with daily living activities. Others might want to train in natural body building! These are all related to strength training but are two very different audiences. When you start your blog it is key to focus on one audience, smash it and then add another similar audience on top. â€Å"Traffic that doesn’t convert to subscribers usually means something you’ve written connects with people, but they don’t understand how it fits into your blog as a whole.† - Amy Dunn Moscoso, Smart Blogger Recommended Reading: How to Find Your Target Audience and Create the Best Content That Connects Understand Your Readers Journey If you know your audience is looking for a strength training program to improve their posture then this is their end goal. When they land on your blog they are at the start of their journey. Your content needs to show the reader that you can help them improve their posture. It should provide actionable tips that encourage the reader to take action. If I write an article about getting big arms, do you think that will hook people interested in correcting their posture? It will appeal to some but not everyone. What if I was to write an article showing my audience how strengthening their glutes can improve their posture. This is exactly what they are looking for. My next article is about how correcting your posture can alleviate knee pain. The reader may not know that their posture is to blame for this pain. They might not even have knee pain but most people would want to prevent it. You need to sell them the benefits of fixing their posture and mix in tips that they can apply. When they apply these tips and start to get results they will start to trust you more! Your blog is a tool to show awareness of the problem and highlight the benefits of fixing this problem. Your job is to create content that builds trust by providing that quick win feeling. Your blog is a tool to show awareness of the problem and highlight the benefits of fixing this...Look at , they know exactly who their target audience is. Content marketers that want to improve their strategy. The tool they offer will do this, but a new visitor might not understand how. On their blog, they create content that appeals to content marketers. Along the way, they show them how their tool can help. By providing epic value they build trust by giving their readers that quick win feeling. now has an email list of over 150,000 people who are interested in what they offer! Recommended Reading: 21+ Easy Ways to Build an Email List That Will Skyrocket By 140% in 1 Year This is all because they provide content that moves their readers from point A to point B. Look at Guerilla Zen Fitness! Blake offers products that will improve posture. He knows the problems his audience face. He creates YouTube Videos  and blog posts that highlight these as well as showing some quick tips to help. From doing this he now has over 60,000 subscribers on YouTube because his content takes people from point A to B. I want you to think of what goal your blog accomplishes for your reader. Here are a couple examples: Dog training: I help first-time dog owners raise their pups. Point A know nothing about training pups. Point B has a well-behaved dog. Fat Loss: I help overweight individuals get in shape so they feel better and more confident. Point A overweight person who may have some health risks. Point B healthy weight, in better health and feeling a lot more confident. Do this for your reader's journey  and then we can look at the actual content that we need to publish on our blog. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Blog Post: Your 5-Point Checklist to Write a Perfect Post Design Your Content To Take Your Readers From A To B Now it is time to start generating some ideas for your first 12 blog posts. Having ideas for your first few months will help you be more organized and stop the blinking cursor syndrome! In a world where there are so many blogs competing for attention! To stand out you have to make sure that your blog posts are the best there is on the topic. You can do this by focusing on a certain topic, being more thorough, having a beautiful design and a clutter-free blog. Having a great post that also looks good is one thing, but if no one cares about the topic, it’s pointless. Let’s start generating some ideas so that we can launch your new blog with a bang! Here's a quote from Talia Wolf: The road to a successful blog post (and choosing its topic) is divided into 3 steps: 1 - Start with keyword research. Not the typical keyword research where you enter the phrase you think is relevant and find similar words, a more strategic one. Here's how:Your goal is to find the best ranking subjects, those your subscribers would be interested in reading and would attract more visitors to your site so, in the Google keyword planner enter the link to a competing blog, one that's popular and trustworthy. This will show you all their top ranked keywords on their blog and give you an indication to what people search for and read. 2 - Then search for those keywords on Google, find the top ranked articles for those keywords and identify what makes them successful (e.g - are they all lists, examples, videos or perhaps complete guides?). 3 - Then, read the articles and the comments to see what people were missing in the article - what's missing? Then, and only then, sit down to write the article. Buzzsumo The best way to find content that your readers will respond to is to find content that has already performed well. You can find this type of content by checking out Buzzsumo. This tool will show you similar content based on how many people have shared it on social media. If a post has produced a lot of shares then you can be sure the topic is one that your audience will like. Go over to Buzzsumo  and enter your niche or broad topic. For example, let's try the keyword "fix posture†: This is broad and will return the competition on the field! Create a spreadsheet with the following columns: Headline Topic URL Blog And a column for every social network that is applicable. Start filling it up with the content that appeals to you. This will become your swipe file for content ideas. Search for a few broad keywords on Buzzsumo  to get a decent amount of content ideas. Quora When you start a blog you don’t have any audience to reach out to ask what they want to read. On Quora, you have a network of people asking questions about hundreds of topics daily. Simply search for your broad topic and you will see a list of questions that include your keyphrase. This should generate some great questions for you to answer in your posts. Another way to use this QA site is to visit the topic pages and look at the Top Questions bit. These are the most popular questions related to the topic. Type in a good few keywords that' are related to your niche and start to add your ideas to your spreadsheet. Recommended Reading: The Ultimate Content Marketer's Guide to Keyword Research How to Improve Your Keyword Research With Latent Semantic Indexing Look At What Your Competitors Do Now we are going to put our broad keyword into Google. This will return the best content for that phrase. The Google algorithm is a strange beast! One thing we know is that Google want to show the best and most relevant content to their readers. So search for your keyword ... Now at the bottom, you will see related keyphrases. Add these to your spreadsheet as they are content ideas that Google  deems as relevant. Now take the homepage URL of each result. Head back over to Buzzsumo  and enter each URL, this will show you the best content from this website. As you do this you will start to see topics come up time and time again. These are hot topics and should definitely be on your list to create first. By now you should have a pretty big list of ideas (I would say no less than 50). If you have less, repeat the process, try different phrases or even go to page two of Google. These don’t rank as high but it doesn’t mean they are useless! I have seen some pretty great content ideas off the first page too. Recommended Reading:  This is the Best 30-Minute Content Marketing Brainstorming Process Creating An Editorial Calendar It is time to put those content ideas to good use. You need to create a posting schedule that suits your lifestyle so that you can stay consistent. It might sound awesome to post a new article every day. At this stage, you have no audience to feed your creative juices with awesome content ideas. Plus posting daily makes it harder to promote each post properly. I would say start with 2-4 posts per month, but these must be high quality. Your absolute best work. That means your twelve posts will last you 3-6 months, this is plenty time to build a decent sized audience. Whatever schedule you choose, stay consistent and make sure it is doable for you! Once you have your ideas you can use an editorial calendar like to plan their launch. I find adding post ideas into an editorial calendar helps to keep me accountable the majority of the time. If I didn’t do this I would be scrambling the night before and the quality of my article would slip! Recommended Reading:  How to Get Crazy Organized With a Comprehensive Content Calendar (Free Template) The 3-Post Strategy Overview When I launch any new blog I like to follow a certain content system! I will create my foundational content (the content before your launch). This method stems from three posts that are all based on proven topics. So what three post types do you need: Massive List Post Expert Roundup Post A Tutorial Post Let’s look at how we create each of these posts. Recommended Reading: This is the Ultimate Blog Writing Process to Create Killer Posts Your Massive List Post Your first piece of foundational content is your massive list post. Everybody loves a list post because they are so easy to read and they are very shareable! Brian Dean over at Backlinko.com  developed a framework for creating epic list posts that drive shares, links and huge traffic. Perfect for your first post on your new blog. Introducing the Skyscraper Technique! This technique is based on finding a topic that has done well before, you would then check out other articles on the topic and lastly, you will create an epic piece that beats all other articles. When you do this your article becomes the best on the topic. The second part of this strategy is to promote but we will look at that in a bit later. Let’s begin by taking a look at out topics list we created above. Choose the most popular topic you found! Start by entering it into Google. If a website is on the first page, this means that Google classes this article as the best on the web. They strive to show the best content to their customers. Go through each of the posts on the first page and look at ways you could improve. What is the biggest list out there? If the highest number on the first page is 20 can you create a list of 40-50? A lot of list posts are not very in depth. I have seen some with literally 20-50 words per list item! Ask yourself some questions: Can you make a more thorough post that provides step-by-step instructions for each point? This would make your article better. How does the actual page look? Can you make the post easier to navigate? Some list posts can get pretty long so providing a table of contents can really improve the user experience. When was the post created? If the post was created a few years back some of the points may be out of date, so you could improve upon this by creating a fresher list. You want to go all out here to make your new blog post stand out from the rest! Mediocre content will not cut it. You have to kick your competitors right off the playing field! Once you write up your awesome skyscraper article it is time to insert some traffic generating nuggets. These come in the form of expert quotes! Reach out to influencers that have written about the topic before and simply ask them for a couple of sentences. Now if you struggle to get a reply from the influencer you can simply head to their blog and take a quote. Add these into your article to give it more value. Okay Joe, how does this generate traffic? When it comes to promoting our blog posts we can reach out to each of the experts that we have linked to and let them know! This is the perfect way to spark a relationship with an influencer, everybody loves to see their work being referenced no matter how big they are! â€Å"If I were to start a brand new blog tomorrow, my first article would be on a topic that supports my main business goals - anything Marketing related. The article would have two main focuses. 1) Educate 2) Entertain. In order to establish myself as an authority, I want to make sure I use my expertise to educate the reader and provide MASSIVE value! In order to keep the reader coming back, I would entertain the reader by using my personal style, showcasing examples where appropriate, and keeping the reader in mind throughout the article." - Katherine Sullivan Marketing Solved An Expert Roundup Post For the next post, it is time to let the experts that you want to connect with shine. I always say for your first roundup post  try and include people that you want to connect with, that way you are starting to get on their radar. Once you have your initial hit list it is time to look for more experts. I would always try to get about 100 experts because a lot won’t reply but 100 should still give you enough for your post! Take your popular topic and let’s turn it into a question! Now think who was your target audience. Simply add the topic and the audience together to create a killer question. Here are some examples: Topic: Puppy training Audience: New dog owners Question: What is your number one tip for new dog owners to train their new puppies?Topic: Improving core strength Audience: people with knee pain Question: What is your number one tip to strengthen your core to help combat knee pain?Topic: Content marketing Audience: advanced marketers Question: What is your number one tip for experienced marketers to improve their content marketing strategy? These kind of questions are brief and will not take the blogger that long to answer. Busy influencers will be happier to contribute if the question doesn’t take long to answer. Start by warming up the big dog influencers on your hit list first because they will take the longest to win over. If you can get them to contribute everybody else will be a lot easier because you have some social proof! When you reach out, keep your email personal and let them know why you think they would be a good fit for the roundup. Ask your question and then tell them the names of the big influencers. This is how I have managed to get bloggers such as Neil Patel, Jon Morrow, Adam Connell and Sue Anne Dunlevie to contribute to my post! Keep it brief and to the point! Once you have collected all your responses you can enter them into the blog post. Add a killer headline and conclusion that thanks all the influencers for their hard work. For your intro you want the first sentence to hook your reader and then you want to give your own piece of value. You need to put some effort into this by doing this you get the readers excited and it will motivate them to keep reading. By now you should have a nice list of experts, this is perfect to launch your blog with a bang! A Tutorial Post This is the last piece of foundational content in the X method. Tutorial posts work really well because you are going to solve one of your readers biggest pain points to give them that quick win feeling! Choose another topic from the list but this time you need to make sure that you can solve it with a tutorial style post. Here are some examples: Niche: SEO Tutorial Post: How To Build Links Using Broken Link Building Niche: Blogging Tutorial: How To Get 100 Visitors To Your Blog From Reddit Niche: Weight Loss Tutorial: How To Boost Your Metabolism Speed Up Weight loss Niche: Dog Training Tutorial: How To Train Your Dog To Walk By Your Side Niche: Freelance Writing Tutorial: How To Set Up Your Upwork Profile Get Your First Job What makes a good tutorial? Small actionable step-by-step chunks that provide images to document every action. If you think there will be too many images then maybe consider using a video. What makes a good tutorial? Small, actionable step-by-step chunks that provide images to document...Video style tutorials do really well because your reader will feel like they are following along looking over your shoulder. You still want to reach out to influencers to get their input just to give it that traffic fuel. If you do something a particular way look for experts that do it that way and feature a quote. This adds social proof to your article. It also backs up what you are saying with some proof! Recommended Reading: How to Use Social Media Analytics to Create the Best Content Launch Your Blog If you have got this far you have done the ground work and your blog is ready to fly! You can’t stop yet though because it is your job to make it fly. So many people think that you can publish your post and others will find it while you sit back and watch it. This is total rubbish! You should spend 20% of your time creating your content and then 80% of the time actually promoting it. Tell Your Nearest and Dearest It really does surprise me how many people leave this out. Your family is your life line whether they are interested in what you write or not! They can give you that much needed social proof and kick off your engagement. I always ask my mom to share my posts! Why? Because I know it’s a certainty, she will share because she wants to help me! Now my mom struggles with all things computer related so blogging is definitely not something she would be  interested in, but I still get traffic when she shares. She has friends that are interested! If you struggle to get comments you can ask your friends to leave some. This will boost the engagement on your blog. People are more likely to leave a valuable comment if they see others doing so. This can lead to questions that you can add to your content ideas spreadsheet. Recommended Reading: How to 10X Your Content Ideas With Sujan Patel from Web Profits Tell Communities You're Involved With Are you a member of any social media groups, niche communities or forums? If you are a credible member you can tell them about your new article. You just need to do it in a valuable way. Start a thread post and give an actionable tip! For example, if your post is about guest blogging  you could say how important it is to get to know the editor. Give benefits that will encourage the group to act upon your tip! Then just give the link to encourage people to click through. I have never been banned or blocked for doing this. Tell The Influencers You Have Mentioned Now if you have been following along my foundational content strategy you should have a list of influencers that you have featured in your posts. This is your chance to let them know it’s live, by doing all the sharing with your existing connections you should have some social proof on your articles. This will increase the value for the influencer and could be the thing that encourages the connection! That is why I leave this step till I have done my preliminary shares! When you reach out, be very brief. Here's a sample template: Hi Name, I just wanted to let you know that I have featured a quote from your article about TOPIC. This was great and I think my audience would love it because REASON. If you want to check it out here is the link: [INSERT URL] If you have any feedback or you would like me to edit it please let me know! Thanks Your NAME This is brief, you are not asking for anything, and it is personal. Most bloggers will share without asking just because you have featured them. If the influencer has contributed a quote or is part of your roundup, just reach out and tell them that the post is live. Again do not ask for anything, most will share without your asking! Lastly, reach out to everyone that never replied to you and let them know it’s live. Be friendly and polite and offer them the chance to be added onto the roundup. Now that you are showing them your results they know a bit more about you and this might give them that little push to connect with you. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Pitch Email That Will Get Your Guest Post Accepted Now Go Launch Your Blog! Well done for getting this far! You now have a new blog that has some traction but this is only the beginning. Creating foundational content that get’s influencers involved is a great way to get your name about but you still have a lot of work to do. Fill out your content schedule for 3 months, try and keep the content based around one main topic. So if your blog is about dog training maybe just focus on training a new pup. This lets you establish yourself as an expert because of the value you are giving on that one topic! Now it is over to you, let me know in the comments what you do to give your blog the best start in life.

Muselmann in Nazi Concentration Camps

Muselmann in Nazi Concentration Camps During the Holocaust, Muselmann, sometimes called â€Å"Moslem,† was a slang term that referred to a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp that was in very poor physical condition and had given up the will to live. A Muselmann was seen as the â€Å"walking dead† or a â€Å"wandering corpse† whose remaining time on Earth was very short.   How a Prisoner Became a Muselmann It was not difficult for concentration camp prisoners to slip into this condition. Rations in even the harshest labor camps were very limited and clothing did not adequately protect prisoners from the elements. These poor conditions plus long hours of forced labor caused prisoners to burn essential calories just to regulate body temperature.  Weight loss occurred rapidly and the metabolic systems of many prisoners were not strong enough to sustain a body on such limited caloric intake.   Additionally, daily humiliations and torture transformed even the banalest tasks into difficult chores. Shaving had to be done with a piece of glass. Shoelaces broke and were not replaced. A lack of toilet paper, no winter clothes to wear in the snow, and no water to clean oneself were just a few of the everyday hygiene problems suffered by camp inmates. Just as important as these harsh conditions was the lack of hope. Concentration camp prisoners had no idea how long their ordeal would last. Since each day felt like a week, the years felt like decades. For many, the lack of hope destroyed their will to live. It was when a prisoner was ill, starving, and without hope that they would fall into the Muselmann state. This condition was both physical and psychological, making a Muselmann lose all desire to live.  Survivors speak of a strong desire to avoid slipping into this category, as chances of survival once one reached that point were almost non-existent.   Once one became a Muselmann, one simply died shortly thereafter. Sometimes they died during the daily routine or the prisoner might be placed in the camp hospital to silently expire. Since a Muselmann was lethargic and could no longer work, the Nazis found them unuseful. Thus, especially at some of the larger camps, a Muselmann would be chosen during a Selektion to be gassed, even if gassing was not part of the primary purpose of the camp establishment. Where the Muselmann Term Came From The term â€Å"Muselmann† is a frequently occurring word in Holocaust testimony, but it is one whose origins are highly unclear.  The German and Yiddish translations of the term â€Å"Muselmann† corresponds with the term â€Å"Muslim.† Several pieces of survivor literature, including that of Primo Levi, also relay this translation.   The word is also commonly misspelled as Musselman, Musselmann, or Muselman.  Some believe that the term originated from the crouched, almost prayer-like stance that individuals in this condition took on; thus bringing forth the image of a Muslim in prayer.   The term spread throughout the Nazi camp system and is found in survivor reflections of experiences in a large number of camps throughout occupied Europe. Although the use of the term was widespread, the largest numbers of known recollections that use the term include a stop in Auschwitz.  Since the Auschwitz complex often acted as a clearinghouse for laborers to other camps, it is not unthinkable that it the term originated there.   A Muselmann Song Muselmnner (the plural of â€Å"Muselmann†) were prisoners that were both pitied and avoided. In the dark humor of the camps, some prisoners even parodied them. For instance, in Sachsenhausen, the term inspired a song among Polish inmates, with credit for the composition going to a political prisoner named Aleksander Kulisiewicz.   Kulisiewicz is said to have created the song (and a subsequent dance) after his own experience with a Muselmann in his barracks in July 1940.  In 1943, finding a further audience in newly-arrived Italian prisoners, he added additional lyrics and gestures. In the song, Kulisiewicz sings about the horrible conditions within the camp. All of this takes its toll on a prisoner, singing, â€Å"I’m so light, so slight, so empty-headed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then the prisoner loses his grip on reality, contrasting a strange giddiness with his poor state of health, singing, â€Å"Yippee! Yahoo! Look, I’m dancing! / I’m retching warm blood.† The song ends with the Muselmann singing, â€Å"Mama, my mama, let me gently die.†