#I’ll link the chart in a bit it’s got auction links in it but it’s probably best to look individually

[99centmusecd]

Weeks ago I made a checklist of every Ryuki rider / monster for finger puppet collecting purposes, which would be 15+15+5, or ~35, but after making a new chart based on Buyee listings, there ARE over 30, but so many are just Ryuki variants 😭

[meandering-mind]

A Word About Events * Please read the disclaimer at the bottom.

Recently I have heard much talk about the Balmung Lock, what effects it might be having on the roleplay and so on. One of my own concerns has been about the event culture, if it was being hurt or not - I love the event culture on Balmung. My estimation was that it had probably suffered - But what one thinks and what is going on can be very different things. Therefore I decided to sit down with the Balmung Calendar, and so an attempt at an analysis of the events that have occurred since January 2017 and until (and including) November 2017.

As you study the charts, you should keep in mind two dates: The Balmung lock on the 17th of May The Stormblood Launch on the 20th of June.

In the past year (not counting December), we have had a staggering 1516 events scheduled up on the Balmung Calendar. When these are spread out, what I note is that for what it comes to creating events, there isn’t a notable effect until the launch of Stormblood, at which point it looks.. Rather dramatic. We are however fully bounced back from the Expansion Effect - Something I would consider not to be so notable had the Balmung Lock been a larger culprit. Does this mean that in the long run, the Balmung Lock wont cause a problem? No, but right now, things are fine. And we can help each other keep things like this. Here’s Top 3 of things I’d love for people to keep in mind for the future:  1. More event diversity.  There isn’t a month where bar & restaurant events aren’t thoroughly drowning out every other of the types that I managed to categorize. Whilst I personally adore going out to a bar with my character and it’s friends, I can’t help but wonder if having this many is truly needed. Bar events are typically recurring, either once a week or once every 2 weeks - and whilst some have been around literally all year, a lot have come and quickly gone again. This can also end up spreading the event-visiting population too thin- and that possibly has a bad effect on other types of events. 

2. One-time events are great, more please.  Through the year there has been 93 recurring events, of where around 31 are no longer active/ongoing. To compare, we have had “just” 86 one-time events. This is usually in the shape of festivals, balls and date auctions. Instead of more bars, it might be a better idea to focus on crafting one time, typically more memorable events. One-Time events also go up anytime there’s an in-game seasonal event, such as All Saints Wake.  3. Support your event creators  Not every roleplayer out there has the desire to make events, and I find that the amount of people creating content is vastly outnumbered by those who aren’t. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, but I would simply remind people to say thanks or give some constructive feedback on the events you attend. A little bit goes a long way, and an event creator may be kept from the ominous burnout simply because they feel appreciated. With Balmung being locked, the people we have are the people we’ve got. Perhaps consider giving creating an event a go, if not server-wide, then for your local linkshell or guild. Consider what it might take for you to make the leap - More support? A discord full of advice? Ideas?

I hope that this can contribute to the debate about the lockout, and otherwise give the community something to think about. I’ll be reading along in the reblogs.  If you would like to see the spreadsheet behind the charts, you can create your own (Google Drive) Copy with this link. I cannot assist you with anything, but there are many more things that could be done with this data, and I want to make sure you have the opportunity to use it.  Disclaimer:  The Balmung Calendar management has not been involved in this project, I have approached the calendar with that in mind that it is public information. That is also why I am freely sharing the spreadsheet. The data and it’s calculations may have some happy accidents on board - There’s no way to guarantee that a listed event had any attendance or even ran for that night, but I consider the BalCal to be the most reliable and approachable source. Please do not see this as a total of everything that has happened on Balmung - There are events who do not advertise via the calendar. I am not a mathematician in real life, and I am not especially trained to do statistics.  Huge thank you to @athilthorne for proof reading and nerd assistance. As well as all of those who were subjected by the somewhat deranged rabbles of this spreadsheet-loving human. Love y’all. 

[momscookingthebooks]

Excerpt Reveal

Title: Dirty Little Secret

Series: Forbidden Desires Book 1

Author: Kendall Ryan

Release Day – Sept 14, 2017

Synopsis:

The start to a sexy new series from New York Times bestselling author, Kendall Ryan...

She’s much too innocent for me, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting the sweet, young librarian. I’m dominating and possessive, and my control streak runs a mile wide. 

The way she looks at me—like I’m one of the heroes in the books she loves, like I’m broken, and she wants to be the one to piece me back together—it only complicates things further. I’m nobody’s hero.

But there’s no denying my tragic past reads like one of her favorite literary classics. It’s raw. Visceral. Captivating. And together, we’re a perfect mess. 

How am I expected to resist when the sexual sparks zap between us and set me on fire? The need to control, and claim her force my walls to come tumbling down, but when she learns my dirty little secret, will my world come crashing down with it?

The story continues in Dirty Little Promise, releasing October 30th.

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2smkXw4

iBooks: https://goo.gl/E1dHDZ

Nook: https://goo.gl/h6Lgnq Kobo: https://goo.gl/sPTNVF

Add to Goodreads: https://goo.gl/RU3MSF

About the Author:

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she's appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras

Subscribe to Newsletter: http://kendallryanbooks.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=5e9b5a2c936361922bf216982&id=3e96c17e3d

Author Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kendallryanbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KendallRyan1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kendallryan1/

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6473923.Kendall_Ryan

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kendall-Ryan/e/B009FNTHMK/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1407617700&sr=8-2-ent

EXCERPT:

“Emma could be the perfect companion, don’t you think?” I turned to face his desk, where he still sat.

He rolled his eyes, and I swooped in for the kill. He’d had his chance. I’d given it to him on a silver platter. Which meant that the coast was clear. If he didn’t want her . . .

“So, you don’t mind if I take her to the Bennett Foundation gala?” I raised my eyebrows.

Gavin’s brow furrowed but his eyes went ice cold, his pause saying far more than his words. “Of course not. Why would I mind?”

Bullshit.

Maybe this little push was just what he needed to get his head out of his ass.

I nodded. “Good.”

His mouth turned down a notch, and I could tell he was thinking. Processing.

For a moment, I didn’t think he was going to take the bait. But then, I knew my brother. I’d laid down a challenge, questioned why he was so adamantly against the idea of hiring her, and although he didn’t want to open up and share, this topic was far from over. Our calendars were slammed, and we both knew it. His assistant had joked just that morning that it would make her job a hell of a lot easier if we each just found a girlfriend. Gavin had scoffed so hard, I thought he was going to bust an artery.

Gavin heaved out a sharp exhale. “What makes you so interested in her, anyway? I thought they were all a number on a paycheck to you?”

I shrugged. “They are until they’re not. You, of all people, should know—”

“Enough,” Gavin barked.

“Right.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Shame, though. Seems like there’s something . . . interesting between you two.” Briefly, I wondered if they had a history. “Anything you want to tell me?”

“No, but I have a question for you,” he snapped back with a lethal smile that didn’t reach his narrowed eyes. “What the fuck are you still doing in my office?”

“Trying to find out whether you’re going to let me have this one, or if we’re going to be fighting for the same prize,” I answered honestly.

Gavin looked up from his screen. “Are you high?” His mouth thinned into a firm, chiseled line. “If you want her, take her. I’m not playing with her like she’s a chew toy.”

“Okay. But that doesn’t change the fact that you need a date to the charity auction. A girl like her on your arm? Imagine the business we could do. She’s like a walking commercial. And when you’re done rubbing elbows with all the fancy people, I’ll take her off your hands for a couple of events of my own. Use your head, man, she’s perfect. The girl every guy wants to be seen with. Sweet enough to bring home to Mother, hot enough to imagine her on her knees, with that mouth—”

“Got it,” Gavin snapped. He stared at a point on the ceiling, then blew out an annoyed sigh. “If I take her to the fucking auction, will you stop, already?”

“Yup.”

“I’ll tell you right now, though, if this is business, neither of us are sleeping with her.”

I bit back a laugh but nodded anyway. If that was what Gavin wanted to tell himself, I wasn’t about to stop him. Fact was, though, if she would have either of us, we’d probably get our dicks caught in our zippers in the rush to get our pants off. Telling him that would only make him change his mind, and I’d gotten what I wanted.

If this girl had my big brother this riled up? She was something special. And no matter what he thought of himself, he deserved something special in his life again. If I had to agree to take her out as well just to get him to go along with it, so be it.

It wasn’t exactly a hardship, after all.              

[swelldomains]

5 Easy Ways to Sabotage Your AdWords Campaign

I'll be the first to confess AdWords could be aggravating. REALLY frustrating.

And with all the brand-new functions, settings and also updates Google's regularly rolling out, it ain't getting any easier!

Yet, time as well as time once again, I see AdWords marketers making the same relatively basic blunders in their campaigns that completely undermine their efforts.

It's a pity also due to the fact that a great deal of advertisers that might be extremely effective with AdWords surrender because they think AdWords doesn't function. As well as instead of bring in the dough while vocal singing AdWords' applauds, they wind up blowing a great deal of cash while cursing its failures.

So while AdWords does not help every business/situation ... often times the failures advertisers encounter are their own doing.

What are a few of the usual ways advertisers sabotage their AdWords accounts? Below are the top 5 I stumble upon ...

1. Mixing Browse and Show Networks in 1 Campaign

When you run an AdWords project, there are two main networks where your ads may be displayed.

The initially is the Look Network. This is just what the majority of people consider when they think about AdWords. Someone mosts likely to Google, enters a keyword phrase and also pertinent advertisements show up on the page.

The various other is the Show Network. This is a network of thousands of sites that present Google advertisements on them. It has a lot higher reach (in terms of readily available perceptions) than the Look Network, though the high quality of traffic has a tendency to be less than Search.

Search and Present are 2 completely different pets. Just how you select key phrases, create advertisements as well as established bids is really various for each.

Because of this and also since the mindset of someone seeing your ads on Look vs. Present is really different, you have to run them in SEPARATE campaigns.

Google's obtained a little sly lately and presented an option called "Search With Display Select". They bill it as the "Finest opportunity to reach the most consumers".

And, yes, technological it is just that. Is getting to the most clients actually your goal in AdWords?

For most marketers, the answer is no way!

A much better goal would be creating highly targeted projects that reach as several of the right prospects as possible with the best message while obtaining the finest return on the money you invest on clicks.

So if you want to attempt both Search as well as Display, by all methods do. Simply be certain to create one campaign targeting Browse and one targeting Show so you could enhance them separately.

2. Unloading all your search phrases in one Project and also Ad group

A couple of sentences earlier, we spoke concerning creating extremely targeting projects to reach your excellent potential customers with the right message. That applies to separating Search and also Present, as well as it also relates to exactly how you organize your keywords.

Let's state you run a site that markets sporting goods. A few of the search phrases you may bid on could consist of running footwears, bowling rounds and baseball bats.

Now, I'm very certain you 'd agree with me that the individual looking for running footwears is searching for something fairly different from the individual trying to find baseball bats.

So, if in AdWords, you have all these various keywords in the very same ad group (an ad group is a collection of search phrases that share the same advertisements), how can you compose extremely targeted advertisements that talk to the specific key words someone's inputting into Google?

Sure, you can compose a really generic ad like ...

Tom's Sporting Goods tomssportinggoods.com We've got all your sporting Good needs right here!

... but just how efficient is that going to be? Does it truly talk with the person browsing for running footwears or bowling rounds? Certainly not!

The far better strategy is to group very associated keyword phrases right into one ad group.

For instance, all your bowling round associated key phrases would be positioned in one ad group, and after that you would certainly write a minimum of 2 ads for that Advertisement team specifically stating bowling rounds. Those advertisements would certainly after that lead searchers to the bowling round web page on your website.

Using that framework in your campaigns will certainly aid you obtain more clicks as well as conversions versus the disposing all your key phrases together approach.

Oh, and also as an included benefit, structuring your projects into tightly themed advertisement teams must help you obtain greater Quality Scores which will cause lower click costs. (Quality Rating is the formula Google utilizes to establish the cost/rankings of ads in the auction. With a premium quality Rating you can place more than your competitors however pay much less compared to they do for clicks.).

Cha-ching!!

3. Using Only Broad Match Keywords

We still see a great deal of campaigns counting on Broad suit search phrases. Most of the times, that's a large no no.

See, with Broad match keyword phrases, you allow Google establish just what search terms trigger your advertisements to be presented for. The problem is Google's concept which search terms belong to the Broad match keyword phrases in your project may be WAAAYYY various from yours.

Here are a couple of real world instances of search terms we've seen trigger advertisements for Broad suit key words:

Broad match keyword phrase: ear surgery

Search inquiries ads were shown for: listening to implants, ear implants, otoplasty cost

Broad suit key phrase: mathematics tutor

Search questions advertisements were revealed for: math teacher, risk-free personal tutor, mathematics tutorial

Broad suit keyword: solar panels

Search questions ads were revealed for: solar system, solar batteries, solar energy

Not the kind of searchers these marketers had in mind when they established their campaigns!

A whole lot of advertisers end up blowing a whole lotta dough in AdWords since of an overreliance on Broad match keywords.

For new marketers especially, we 'd suggest sticking with Precise and Expression match key phrases as well as, once you're a little bit much more comfortable with AdWords, use some Broad Suit Modifier too.

But, unless you're a seasoned pro and have excellent need to use Broad suit, I 'd suggest you avoid it in your campaigns.

Here's a cool chart that reveals you the difference in between all of the different suit kind options Google has available.

4. Ignoring Your Landing Pages

When running an AdWords campaign, it's very easy to obtain captured up in all the advertisement groups, key words, positionings, advertisements, as well as the linked metrics and also forget regarding your website.

However, the success of your AdWords project is extremely reliant on the effectiveness of the landing web pages you send your traffic to. As well as, at the end of the day, it's the conversions that happen on your website that put cash in your checking account-- not impressions, clicks, clickthrough prices, etc.

Just a few percentage point distinctions in the conversions of your touchdown web pages could make a HUGE distinction in the performance of your AdWords campaign. Actually, if you can double your conversion rate, your price per purchase will quickly be reduced in fifty percent which suggests you could either make even more cash otherwise you have more cash to spend to obtain new customers.

One of our customers was undergoing a harsh spot with AdWords recently. A few new competitors came into their particular niche which had an unfavorable influence on their account's efficiency. It specified where points were nearly recover cost for them.

How'd we fix it?

It was by creating new landing web pages that enhanced their conversion rate a few percent points that made the most significant distinction. That increase substantially improved the earnings of the account as well as additionally enabled us to bid greater for a few of their top keyword phrases (since the better you are at converting web traffic right into dollars, the much more you can profitably bid for keyword phrases).

One various other thing to remember when it involves landing pages. The present web pages you have on your website that work well for SEO might not be preferably matched for AdWords traffic.

Another client of ours used the very same touchdown web pages for both Search Engine Optimization as well as PPC. With a few of the recent changes in Google's natural algorithm, we ended up with the following issue ...

If we enhanced the pages for SEO, the web pages placed greater organically yet the conversion price for our Pay Per Click traffic took a hit. If we went back the various other means as well as maximized a lot more for Pay Per Click, the conversion prices returned up however the natural rankings dropped off.

The remedy? We produced separate landing web pages for SEO and also PPC. That gave us the most effective of both worlds.

You could find a similar method is excellent for your website as well.

Landing web page optimization really isn't really optional any longer when it pertains to PPC.

Ignore it at your own peril.

5. Not Split Testing

Every ad group in your AdWords campaign should have at the very least 2 advertisements running in it. Google will certainly revolve the ads for you so, if you have 2 ads-- one will certainly be displayed about half the time as well as the other will be shown the various other half.

Over time, you'll likely see one ad outperform the various other. When that happens, you intend to eliminate the losing ad and also change it with another.

This technique is referred to as split testing and also has been a vital component of successful direct feedback marketing for decades (and, by the way, AdWords is really straight feedback advertising on steroids!).

Split screening your ads (as well as your landing pages too) on a regular basis has to do with one of the most reliable means to boost the performance of your AdWords campaign.

It aids elevate the clickthrough prices (CTR), Top quality Ratings (and better Ratings indicate reduced expenses each click), as well as conversion rates in your campaign.

And split screening touchdown web pages can result in large boosts in conversion rates (we already talked about just what a large effect that could carry the success of your project).

The first ads/landing pages you utilize in your project probably typically aren't mosting likely to be one of the most reliable ones for your campaign. By consistently split testing with time, you'll weed out the inadequate performers as well as allow your victors drive you to better efficiency and also profitability.

How a number of the errors detailed above have you made? What other errors have you made (or seen others make) that have messes up AdWords projects? Share them in the comment area below.