Hubpages - A Powerful Tool Part II

As the title says this part II of a hub about Hubpages and the way it can be used as a tool. Please don't forget to check out part I where I looked at how Hubpages can be used as a tool for communication, therapy, increasing self-confidence, making money, motivation and changing your life.

In this second part I'm going to share some ways I think Hubpages can be used that I found through reading other Hubbers hubs. This is a work in progress as I've only scratched the surface of the treasures contained in the vaults of Hubpages. Each time I visit I discover something or someone new and I guess that is one of the most powerful features of Hubpages.

  I really don't know why it hadn't dawned on me before but what a wonderful tool hubs are for homeschoolers or state schoolers. It was whilst I was reading this hub by James A. Watkins that I had a light bulb moment. James' passion for art and history have enabled me to enhance my homeschooling lessons for my ASD/Asperger's youngest son. His descriptions and pictures are wonderful.

  For those of you interested in mythology, a new hubber is compiling an alphabetical series of hubs covering mythology from all cultures. A great tool for history, literacy and social studies.

  Why a tool for exploration? Well because if like me you are constricted in your activities due to caring for someone who has needs that prevent you roaming far from home for whatever reason, then reading a hub such as the one on the city of Rome by James A. Watkins can be almost as good as being there yourself. It allows you to leave the confines of your own four walls and to step outside the ordinary and mundane.

  I haven't checked yet whether anyone takes us on a tour of any museums, art galleries or other historical or architectural places of interest. If you know of any hubs please let me know so that I can visit them and include them here. It will also be great for my son to be able to visit other places virtually even though he doesn't feel able to leave the house.

  "Hope?" I hear you ask questioningly. "Why hope!?"

  Through reading the 'about me' sections of other hubbers, their hubs and comments left, through seeing who others are following as fans I have increased my knowledge of other hubbers and their hubs. I am widening my both my acquaintances and my friends. Through all of this I have read some truly inspiring stories that have touched my heart, made me laugh, cry and smile.

  Whilst I sit at home waiting for a meeting in the next week to decide whether I am going to be dismissed due to the fact that I'm diabetic and can't promise that I will never be off sick again, I have gone through all sorts of emotions (many of which I hope to never experience again). I have been allowed to leave the house by my son to start counselling with a therapist. She is very proud of me. Why? Due to the fact that although at times I feel great despair and huge amounts of stress and anxiety, I am trying to achieve something positive. I have started to write here on Hubpages. I have started to communicate with others outside of my normal circle of friends and got in contact with my dearest friend who I've hidden away from in shame at my present situation. Hubpages and all of the people I am meeting through it has given me strength, courage and hope. Hope for me and hope for the human race in general.

  The list below is not even a scratch on the surface. Those of you whose fan clubs I have joined all give me hope in some form or other. If you have others who you feel should or could join this category please share a link to the hub or hubber. I've so many more to discover and it's through your fan clubs and links that I am able to find them.

 If you are looking for gigs as a freelance writer then writing hubs can be an effective way of getting your name and your writing known.  Sites such as Guru.com have places where you can link to examples of your work.  Why not add links to some of your more high profile hubs that would be perfect to show off your writing style to a would-be employer.

 Writing hubs does get you noticed by Google - it's a fact.  I did a search on 'Tigermadstanley' expecting that if I was lucky I might appear somewhere in the first couple of pages.  However, I dominated the first page of my Google search with my hubs.  What an amazing feeling!  I searched on my real self and featured nowhere in the first page - how depressing.  There are many other people with my name in the world who feature much higher than me.

  Tigermadstanley is a fictional children's character.  He even has a tv series.  Stanley has been sharkmad, tigermad and other animal mad.  However, even though he is a hero to me for encouraging my youngest son to read and to want to write, my online persona features much higher in Google's eyes.

  This recognition by Google can help drive traffic to your hubs and to any blogs or websites that are associated with you.  This is especially important if you are trying to set up your own business as a freelance writer, blogger or even, internet guru.  As many people are writing here on Hubpages as a way to make money traffic is a really important factor.  Hubpages due to its constantly changing content is highly favoured by Google and other search engines.

 I'm not entirely sure why I hadn't realised that hubs could you be used as a tool for marketing but I hadn't until I read someone's hub reviewing/advertising his new book.  I'm sorry but I can't remember the exact hub now but I remember that I thought what a great idea.  Write a review about your book, service or product or somebody else's.

  Now of course this can work in two ways.  One is positive and gives a beneficial showcase for something worthwhile.  You can review independently and that is great.  I personally don't mind too much if someone reviews something for which they are an affiliate as long as it is a balanced and well written hub that contains facts and information to help people decide whether the service or item is something worth looking into or considering.

  However, I am concerned that in the past week I have read more than one hub that is obviously an affiliate marketing something from which they wish to make money.  The hub itself did not contain any useful information whatsoever and (forgive me for sounding snooty) was written in appalling English.  I have even read incomplete hubs - something I thought was not allowed.  I know my spelling and grammar are not perfect but I do try and hope that my hubs contain enough information that is useful or interesting to the reader that they will be able to forgive any minor lapses that I may make.  A hub that is incomplete or just a blatant push to encourage people to sign up using your affiliate link is, in my opinion, a waste of our time.  To make people want to sign up for whatever you are trying to sell then please use your hub space wisely.  Give us information, facts, figures and reasons (pros and cons) to allow us to get a complete and more rounded picture.  I, for one, am more likely to click on  a link if I have a good understanding of the product or service being offered and a connection (empathy) with the hubber.

All of us have our own individual preferences for humour. What I find funny someone else might find offensive. However, there are many hubbers who bring humour to their writing even when it is not perhaps meant to be a humorous hub. Some hubbers can bring a smile to your face with seeming effortlessness.

Other hubbers may just make you smile or feel happy through their writing. Below are some (there are so many more that I haven't mentioned) hubbers who bring a smile to my face when I read their writing, or who make me laugh.

  I hope that I've shown you the various uses that Hubpages and hubs can be put to.

  If nothing else it is a meeting place of the world where anyone can voice their opinion, share their ideas and ideals, provoke thoughts and expand minds.

  I hope to meet many more people on my journey through the hubs. It's amazing how I've met people who are very like me in terms of lives or interests. I am thankful that I found this community and hope that I shall be able to contribute something worthwhile that will help others.

  If you can think of any other ways that Hubpages could be considered a tool that I may have missed and I am sure I will have missed at least one, then please share.