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Social Media Optimization is an internet marketing technique that includes a number of methods to promote your product, service, business, or website on social media.

Social Media Optimization is associated with search engine marketing, but differs in that the primary focus is on driving traffic from sources other than search engines, though improved search ranking is also a benefit of successful Social Media Optimization.

Social media optimization is similar to viral marketing where word of mouth is created through the use of networking in social bookmarking, video and photo sharing websites.

It is still very much in its infancy and is only one element of being everywhere online. Social Media Optimization is essentially based on quality, or how good is my content?

It presents businesses with a way to connect and interact with their customers and prospective customers that was never available to them before. It is interacting with consumers wherever they are online and in whatever format they want the interaction to take place.

Social media optimization is all about creativity, finding creative ways to get your message out there and using creative tools to have your content easily found, distributed and shared online. It is about improving the linking structure of your website to make it highly visible in social media searches.

Social media optimization is the latest buzzword that is capturing the attention of webmasters and is simply the practice of ensuring that a website, article, or video is primed to become a part of the social media network. Social media optimization is utilizing these social media sites and the social media networks to popularize a product, a service, an organization or a concept.

It’s an excellent technique for website promotion and gives your Website and business more visibility and instant results. It is the process of distributing your content across all available Social Media networks and enhances your internet presence by effectively using these media, including social networking, social book marking, blogs, wikis, groups, and other social sites.

Social media optimization is driven by the technology of Web 2 and is all about forming groups of like- minded people and sharing information. Social Media Optimization is more than just writing content for the purpose of garnering links to your website.

It’s about optimizing your pages to help them connect with online communities and is defined by Wikipedia as a way to optimize websites so they would be more easily connected or interlaced with online communities and community websites.

According to Wikipedia: Social media marketing (SMM) combines the goals of internet marketing with social media sites such as Digg, Flickr, MySpace, YouTube and many others.

Social media optimization (SMO) and Social Media Marketing strategies are employed by empowered Search Engine Optimization to promote the site through the use of networking in social bookmarking, social networks, video sharing sites and photo sharing sites.

Social media optimization is a set of methods for generating publicity through social media, online communities and community websites.

The evolution of social media optimization will take some time in coming and has yet to reach its full potential but has the opportunity to replace Search Engine Optimization as one of the top Internet Marketing strategies in use today.

We continue our discussion of social security issues that may affect your retirement decisions. Part of this discussion can be found in an earlier article.

Spousal benefits are calculated with little or no earnings history by the spouse becasue of marriage to a wage earner who has earned social security credits. The spousal benefit is equal to half the workign spouse’s PIA. As an example, ifthe working spouse benefi is $2,230 per month the spouse benefit would be half that, or $1,115. If the spouse has worked and is entitled to ther own benefit, social security will compare the two amounts and pay the higher benefit. The spouse can apply at age 62 as along as the husband is eligible for benefits even if he has not applied.

Divorce does not preclude receiving social security benefits if the following facts are available. Did the previous marriage last at least 10 years and is the non-woking spouse still single? Marrying again would change your ability to receive benefits unless you are at least age 60. If you and your spouse have been divorced for at least two years, he does not need to apply for his benefits in order for you to receive yours. He does to be eligible for benefits and be at least 62, though. All you need to do is present proof that you were married to him and give enough identifying information that the social security can look up his records.

If your spouse dies, you can apply for survivor benefits as early as age 60. The survivor benefits equals 100% of your spouse’s benefits and is subject to reduction if you apply before you turn 66. If your spouse dies when receiving social security, you can switch over to your survivor benefit if it is higher. There are some further limitations if this situation occurs so now is the time to plan for this potential shortfall of monthly income. Life insurance benefits are normally used to make up this shortfall since you are now eligible for only one social security monthly payment versus two previously when your spouse was alive.

If you are working and receiving social security without being at least age 65 some of your benefits may be withheld. The max you can earn before benefits are withheld is $14,160 per year or $1,180 per month. For every $2 you earn over the earning limit, $1 in benefits will be withheld. A long term planning issue relates to a reduction in your benefits after you reach full retirement age. You will end up with a lower benefit than if you had waited until full retirement age to apply.

After you reach your full retirement age (65,66,67), you can earn any amount from working and no benefits will be withheld. The earnings test amount increases as you near your 66th birthday. It’s $37,680 per year now but this amount will change every year due to inflation so don’t memorize the amount. Any earnings made prior to applications for benefits does not count toward the earning test. This earnings test applies to spousal and survivor benefits as well as earned benefits.

Pension income from former mployer does not affect social security benefits. Other retirement income, such as 401K or IRA distributions also do not affect social security benefits.

Benefit reductions occur becasue of several bills passed by Congress. If you worked in a job not covered by social security you may not be eligible for any social security benfits. This reductions may also affect spousal benefits. Terms like Government Pension Offset,  Windfall Elimination Provisions need to be reviewed by going to the social security website, www.socialsecurity.gov, for more information. If you or your spouse are eligible for any type of government pension benefit (Federal, State, Local) and you have paid some into social security you still will not be eligible to receive any benefit due to your government pension. Get some professional help before you give up on getting any of your social security benefits because the law has a few loopholes that you may be eligible for. Don’t rely on the Social Security office to counsel you in this matter.

As you’ve now figured out this is a very complex and difficult topice to write about since the law is difficult, and confusing, and there are just too many expectations to all of these rules. Get professional help – don’t try this on your own!

For more information please visit: http://www.hargrave-lyons.com

ght (c) 2009 Sharon A Christie

Getting Social Security disability benefits can be a long and complicated process. You will work closely with your lawyer and her staff. Before you hire a lawyer you must do your homework. The following steps will help you find a lawyer who can best meet your needs.

1. Get as much information as you can before you talk to a lawyer. First, go to her website. Is there helpful information on the website about the process you will go through to get Social Security disability benefits? Or is the website just about the lawyer and her law firm? You want a lawyer who will share helpful information and teach you about the Social Security disability process.

2. When you call the lawyer’s office, how are you treated? Is this staff rushed or do they treat you like a welcomed visitor? Are they helpful? Are they empathetic? The lawyer sets the tone for the office. How her staff treats you is a good indication of how the lawyer will treat you.

3. You should meet with the lawyer, either in person or in a telephone consult if it is too difficult for you to get to the office. Were you given a choice? You should be!

4. When you talk to the lawyer, ask about her experience handling Social Security disability cases. How long has she been handling these cases? What percent of her practice involves Social Security disability cases? Some lawyers only devote a small percentage of their time to these cases, making it difficult for them to keep up with changes in the rules and regulations. In addition, they may not be as familiar with the judges who hear, and ultimately decide, these cases. You should look for a lawyer who devotes 50% or more of her time to Social Security disability cases.

5. Ask the lawyer what her success rate is for Social Security disability cases. No lawyer wins every case and no lawyer can guarantee a specific result in your case. Each case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts. You want to ask this question to get an idea of how carefully the lawyer evaluates these cases throughout the process. Social Security disability cases are won or lost on the medical evidence. Your disability lawyer should continually evaluate the evidence to determine if she can prove that you are disabled. If the evidence does not support the claim, a good disability lawyer will tell you so and not take the case further unless additional evidence is available. You should look for an attorney with an 85% + success rate.

6. Ask the lawyer if she has any trial experience. Trial lawyers are trained to develop evidence, present it in the court room and argue the case to a judge or jury. Social Security disability cases may go to a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. It is beneficial to have a lawyer with trial experience representing you in these cases.

7. Ask the lawyer if she has any medical or nursing training. Social Security disability cases are won or lost on the medical evidence and the evidence of physical or psychological limitations. A lawyer with medical knowledge will understand your disabling condition and be in a better position to develop the evidence and present it to the judge.

8. Ask the attorney how she will develop your case. You want to know that your lawyer will gather your pertinent medical records throughout the process, not just before your hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. In addition, your lawyer should collect specific information from your treating doctors about the limitations that prevent you from working. Your lawyer will do this through the use of special disability reports and disease questionnaires. These reports will help to strengthen your case. If the lawyer you interview is not going to take these additional steps to gather evidence, you should keep looking.

9. Ask the lawyer why she chose to work on Social Security disability cases. The answer to this question is very telling. For me, helping clients get their disability benefits is one of the greatest joys in practicing law. I know that my staff and I can make a difference in our clients’ lives. Clients come into my office troubled, frustrated, worried and in pain. We work through the process together and there is no better feeling than calling a client to report that they have been approved for Social Security disability benefits.

10. Ask the lawyer who will be working on your case. The lawyer should have staff to help gather your medical records and develop the evidence. Social Security disability cases are document intensive. It is important that there is sufficient staff to obtain, maintain and file all of the necessary documents.

11. How are you treated by the lawyer? Do you feel welcomed or do you feel like a number? Ask who you can talk to if you have questions as the case develops. When can you expect a return phone call? Phone calls should be answered within 24 hours. While the attorney will not be able to return every phone call herself there should be sufficient staff available to answer your questions.

12. Do you feel comfortable with the lawyer and her staff? You are entering a long-term relationship so you must feel comfortable. During the initial consultation, were your questions answered? Were you treated with respect? Was the Social Security disability process described and explained to your satisfaction? Were the office procedures explained? If the answer to any of these questions is no, you should keep looking.

13. What do the lawyer’s clients say about her? Go to her website. Are there testimonials from former clients? Is she willing to let you contact other clients for a reference? The best way to understand how you will be treated is to talk to other clients.

For most people trying to get Social Security disability benefits, hiring a lawyer is the best thing they can do to improve their chances of winning. However, you need to have the lawyer who is right for you. Taking the time to gather the information outlined above will help you to make the right decision.