Pinterest Tips for Freelance Writers

Pinterest Tips for Freelance Writers Like many people, I used to see the social-networking site Pinterest as merely a place to show pictures of pretty clothes and yummy food. Yet the more I learned about the marketing possibilities of Pinterest, the more I realize that I (and you) can use Pinterest to boost freelancing income. First, understand the demographics. Youll reach lots of women. In fact, 80 percent of Pinterest users are women, according to Digital Marketing Ramblings. That means that if you write stuff popular with women, such as romance novels and health articles, you stand first in line. Then, use the boards to show facets of your career and life. For example, even though I have a board for my freelancing, I also pin pictures of food, fashion, cute male celebrities. If you head to my Pinterest account, youll see that I adore the actor Justin Theroux. I also like cupcakes. Pinterest Analytics, like Google Analytics, generates comprehensive statistics on a specific websites traffic, helping marketers in their campaigns. It collects data on the percentage of change within a specific time, determining whether a product becomes more or less popular, and it guides marketing agencies towards changing strategies to gain more popularity. Oftentimes, marketing agencies change the visual content of their pins to appeal to the Pinterest community. While only certain companies such as Salesforce and Hootsuite are given access to Pinterest Analytics data, you can use a rough version of analytics to figure out the popularity of your content. So if you start a board showing pins of your published writing, create pins that show writing that appeal to the mostly-female community. Youll become more popular pinning about a traditional recipe for chocolate-chip cookies than pinning about sports or other stuff that appeals mostly to men. Like Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest uses â€Å"following† and messaging to connect users to each other. In 2014, Pinterest introduced instant messaging, a faster way to share content. When one of your followers repins or like your pin, contact them directly. Your follower will appreciate your personal response and will potentially make your boards more popular among her own followers. Youll also find boards of fellow freelance writers. For example, I went to Google and typed in â€Å"Pinterest freelance writing boards.† One of the many results was a board for breaking into regional parenting magazines. I studied the content of this board and gained potential markets for my parenting articles. I also found boards on freelance writing tips, resources. To attract more traffic to your Pinterest platform, start a board full of your own tips. Repin and like the freelancing pins that you especially connect to. In 2015, Pinterest celebrates its fifth anniversary. Its grown from a home business with 5,000 users to a valuable resource for companies such as The Gap and political wives such as Ann Romney and Michelle Obama. Use some tactics from content strategists to take your freelancing to another level. Enclosed are several resources for freelance writers who also use Pinterest: Time names Pinterest.com one of the best websites of 2011 time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2087815_2088159_2088155,00.html Pinterest more popular than LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+ http://mashable.com/2012/02/01/pinterest-traffic-study/ Pinterest drums up more business that Facebook washingtonpost.com/business/technology/pinterest-vs-facebook-whose-users-spend-more/2012/05/09/gIQATXkoCU_story.html 140 Amazing Pinterest Stats http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/pinterest-stats/#.U5E-wpRdWzd The official website pinterest.com/

Pregnancy and Humans in Space

Pregnancy and Humans in Space No matter where they live, many people eventually end up having kids, even in some of the most out-of-the-way spots on the planet. But, will they be able to live and work in space and have children? Or on the Moon? Or on Mars? Humans being humans, they will very likely try. Whether they succeed or not depends on a lot of factors. One vision of Mars habitats that will provide shelter for astronauts as they learn to explore the planet. Eventually, they could be raising families on the Red Planet, in more extensive habitats that may well be underground. What will those children be like?. NASA As humans prepare for a future off Earth, mission planners are finding answers to a number of questions about long-term space residency. One of the most perplexing is Can women get pregnant in space? Its a fair one to ask since the future of humans in space depends on our ability to reproduce out there. Is Pregnancy Possible in Space? The technical answer to that question is: yes, its possible to become pregnant in space. Theres nothing known about being in space that would prevent egg and sperm from uniting to make a baby. Of course, a woman and her partner need to be able to actually have  sex in space  in order to for those cells to get together in the first place. Additionally,  both she and her partner must  be fertile. Cycles infertility can be checked, and the mom and dad could then choose the right time to make that space baby. However, theres more required than doing the deed. It turns out there are significant other hurdles that stand in the way of having what it takes to make a baby and then  remaining pregnant once fertilization takes place. Barriers to Child-bearing in Space The primary problems with becoming and remaining pregnant in space are radiation and low-gravity environments. Its important to understand both.  Ã‚   The Moon has practically no atmosphere and no way to filter out harmful radiation. Humans living there would face some radiation danger from solar particles and cosmic rays. This could have a profound effect on a couples ability to start a family.   NASA Radiation can affect a mans sperm count, rendering him infertile, possibly permanently. It can also harm a developing fetus. Radiation hazards exist here on Earth, too, as anyone who has taken a medical x-ray or who works in a high-radiation environment knows. Its why both men and women are usually supplied with protective aprons when they get x-rays or other diagnostic work. The idea is to keep stray radiation from interfering with egg and sperm production. Once an embryo is created, its subject to the same radiation dangers as the mother. Conditions that Could Interfere with Pregnancy Lets say that conception happens after a couple gets together on the space station or during a trip to Mars or even after they land on the Red Planet. The radiation environment in space (or on Mars) is severe enough that it would prevent cells in the fetus from replicating. Thus, no baby would be brought to term.   Mars has a thicker atmosphere than the Moon, but it still is not enough to shield humans from radiation. This is another place where humans could face difficulties conceiving and birthing children. Credit:NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS In addition to the high radiation, astronauts live and work in very low-gravity environments. The exact effects are still being studied in detail on lab animals (such as rats). However, its very clear that a gravity environment is needed for proper bone development and growth. When astronaut Scott Kelly (and others) spent long periods on the International Space Station,  they showed significant changes in their health. Similar issues could affect a developing fetus. Such atrophy is why astronauts have to exercise in space regularly in order to prevent muscle atrophy and loss of bone mass. A growing embryo or fetus could be permanently altered, right down to the DNA. Solutions to the Radiation Problem Clearly, if people are to venture out into space on a more permanent basis (like extended trips to Mars) radiation hazards need to be minimized, not just for the adults but for any possible children born on the trips.  But how to do that? Astronauts taking extended trips into space will be on ships that are likely not to provide the heaviest radiation shielding. Once they get to Mars, for example, theyll be subjected to a lot of radiation on the surface that is not stopped by the thin atmosphere. Also, the lower gravity on Mars (and on the Moon, for those who migrate there), will be an issue.   The Orion crew capsule (shown here in water recovery testing) is a typical crew-carrying spacecraft that is shielded to protect astronauts from most radiation. Special precautions and materials must be used to protect crew members. Future spacecraft will need similar protective environments. NASA   So if permanent residencies are ever going to exist on Mars or the Moon, like those proposed by Dr. Mae Jemison for the  Hundred-year Starship, then better shielding technology would have to be developed. Since NASA is already thinking of solutions to these problems, its likely that radiation will cease to become as big a threat as it is now. Overcoming the Gravity Problem The problem of a lower gravity environment may be more difficult to overcome if humans are to successfully reproduce in space. Life in low gravity affects a number of body systems, including muscular development and eyesight. So, it may be necessary to supply an artificial gravity environment in space to mimic what humans evolved to expect here on Earth. The good news is there are some spacecraft designs in the pipeline, like the Nautilus-X, that employ artificial gravity designs. These use centrifuges that would allow for at least a partial gravity environment on part of the ship. Anyone who has ridden a ride such as the Mission Space experience at Disney Worlds EPCOT center has felt the gravitational effects that a centrifuge can supply.   The problem with such designs is that they cant yet replicate a full gravity environment, and even then occupants would be constrained to one part of the ship located in the centrifuge. This would be difficult to manage. Further exacerbating the problem is fact that the spacecraft needs to land. So what do people do once on the ground in a low-gravity environment on a place like Mars? The Future in Space: No Kids in Space Yet Ultimately, the long-term solution to the problem is the development of anti-gravity technology. Such devices are still a long way off. However, if spaceship technology could somehow manipulate gravity then it would create an environment where a woman could carry a fetus to term. Until that is a possibility, humans going to space currently are very likely using birth control to prevent stillbirths and miscarriages. If they are having sex, its a well-kept secret. But there have been no known pregnancies in space.   Nonetheless, humans will have to face a future that includes space-born and Mars- or Moon-born children. These people will be perfectly adapted to their homes, and oddly enough- the Earth environment will be alien to them. It will certainly be a very brave and interesting new period in human history!   Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.