Entries Tagged 'Blogging' ↓
February 29th, 2008 — Money, Social networks, Blogging, Affiliate marketing
After I posted about my regular style of ‘direct response blogging’
a few people emailed me to ask what exactly that meant.
Well, actually, it’s just a blog that evokes a response. Could be
clicking on a link. Or filling up a form. Or ordering a product.
An example might help. Here’s one of my recent projects. And as
the buzz is about to explode across the blogosphere, I don’t risk
much by letting you see how I’ve set it up to slipstream on to it.
Jeff Walker is about to release the next edition of his best-selling
PRODUCT LAUNCH FORMULA 2.0
I didn’t order the first version, but intend to buy the new one.
And because it is a high-ticket product, I will do some research.
This process was created to leverage that work I’m anyway going to
do for myself - which will be useful to anyone else who is thinking
about buying it.
I registered a few domain names. One of them is
http://www.Product-Launch-Formula2.com
On it, I mentioned what I’m going to do, and put up an opt-in form.
I then created a blog. On it, I will post snippets of information
related to Product Launch Formula. Each post will link back to
that opt-in form. Take a look:
Product Launch Formula 2.0 blog
Then, I took it a step further - by throwing in a mini-network of
Squidoo lenses on the topic of ‘Product Launch Formula 2.0′
The Squidoo lenses in turn point back to the
http://www.Product-Launch-Formula2.com page
with the opt-in form!
Landing Page -> Blog -> Squidoo -> Back to Landing Page
So wherever visitors enter this loop and click, they will get to the opt-in form where they can join my updates list - which is the ‘response’ I’m aiming at with this network.
What’s a Squidoo network?
This is:
I explain it further in my ‘Advanced Squidoo Profits’ report -
you can order a copy here (and get my ‘Squidoo Marketing Secrets’
report as a bonus for FREE!)
New here? Please pick up your three FREE gifts - click here. Hope you like them. And drop by often!
February 27th, 2008 — Blogging
In early December, I drew up a plan for this blog.
It was a bold departure from the style of blogging I had practiced until now - the style I’ll call ‘direct response blogging’. It’s like direct response marketing… the blog had a clear, specific purpose which could be measured and tracked.
The new ‘experiment’ was to try a different kind of blogging - without a very definite focus, to write on a general theme, and with a plan to try out ideas including lengthy content-rich posts, link-bait posts, lists, controversy, and stream of consciousness rambles.
I had charted out end-points for the experiment - to be reviewed at the end of February. These were the targets:
RSS feed subscribers: 1,000 (I actually got 192)
Email opt-ins: 300 (I only got 82)
Unique visits per day: 1,000 (My stats show barely 100)
Establish contact with A-list bloggers: 15 (I guess this one worked)
Post guest posts on blogs: 10 (I only managed 2 on Problogger)
Over the 2 month period, I posted to the blog ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE times! Whew!
All this wouldn’t matter as much as the shocking figure I pulled out from my various earnings sources.
Through the 3 month trial period, my monthly income has dropped sharply to 52% of my regular monthly average!
That shocked me really badly. I shouldn’t be surprised, because the time to blog came out of other profitable activities.
But I was.
So, to make up for this steep decline in earnings, I must regretfully call off this experiment - and go back to my regular style of ‘direct response blogging’.
It was fun trying something new. Now, to get back to doing what works! 
Already I’m swinging into action - with a Leap Day Firesale - check it out, it’s cool!
February 22nd, 2008 — Influence & Attention, Power, Blogging, Infopreneur
I’m amazed at how many authors still don’t have blogs. And when they do, how rarely they interact with their audience.
To the layperson, it’s a huge kick to be able to communicate with a well-known author, even one who has written a best-seller.
To the author, it is a never before available opportunity to engage in a dialog with the grassroots reader of his work, to get insight and ideas and feedback that can only help in structuring future work.
There are a few best-selling authors I am able to communicate with reliably. Among them are Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki and Tim Ferriss. But even in these cases, not through their blog.
And that’s strange - because a blog is such an easy and convenient way of asynchronous two-way communication, one that lets an author connect with his/her audience in a one-to-many style through blog posts, and then extend the conversation one-to-one via comments, or even off-blog.
In my free short report, “How To Write a Book the Smart Way”, I even outlined a plan where an author can use a blog to release a new book in installments. All along the way, you could be growing an eager reader base who will not only buy the finished book but also become one of a increasing crowd of evangelists who help spread the word.
Mark Joyner recently authored a new ebook. It’s called “The Rise of the Author”. It is available for free download… here.
The ebook reveals some interesting concepts that make you think. And there are some parts where you feel it would be nice to ask the author for more clarification.
What’s nice is that you can - through his blog.
Over the last week, Mark has been personally responding to EVERY comment left by readers of ROTA (Rise of the Author) - and the comments are quite interesting too. Take a look here, and then decide if you want to read the ebook itself (I recommend you try it out).
So, if you’re already an author, why aren’t you using your blog in a similar fashion?
Or if you are, please share how it’s working for you.
And if you aren’t yet an author, but have a blog (or want to) - well, what are you waiting for. As Mark Joyner says in ROTA, the window of opportunity for authors is wide open right now.
But who knows for how long it will stay open?
February 21st, 2008 — Money, Income.com Reviews, Blogging
John Reese just released another blog related program called Traffic Jam, an extension of the infamous BlogRush.
And apart from the hype (“Here’s Why You Should Definitely Visit TrafficJam.com, Bookmark It, And Visit Often…”) and hoopla (already the blogosphere is buzzing - like here, here, here, here, here and here) there’s little known about what it is, what it could be, and what it will become.
- Will it be a research tool?
- Or a traffic driving widget?
- Or a speed-reader for relevant blogs?
Who knows - yet?
There’s supposed to be some cool technology driving it. From the Income.com blog:
“It uses some unique technology to analyze millions of blog post title impressions, average click-rates, session times, and more to come up with its live ‘ranking’ system.”
From early looks, it seems this will become another tool for the already popular, powerful and heavy-traffic blogs to get even more visitors to flock to them - but I’ll be delighted if the smaller blogs get leverage from being on it.
February 1st, 2008 — Congenital Heart Defects, Influence & Attention, Power, Blogging, Blog
This post could have been titled: “Twitter Influence”
But I thought it looked more ‘interesting’ with this instead:
“How 280 Characters Exposed Me To 82,000 Readers”
The story is as fascinating as the heading suggests. It’s a blogger’s dream. Imagine typing a few words into a box, clicking a button - and as a result, having access to 82,000 readers.Well, that’s what happened.
The first part was in late December 2007. I had just noticed Darren ‘Problogger’ Rowse had joined Twitter, the micro-blogging service that’s oh-so-much more. And ‘followed’ him.
We had a few exchanges of messages on Twitter - and not really hoping for much, I showed him a short draft I had written about ‘The Influence of Death’. He liked it, and asked if I could modify it a bit to fit the theme of his blog. The result was:
Lessons for Bloggers From The ‘Death of 2007?
It was a thrill being featured on the busy Problogger blog’s homepage for close to a week, and getting 45 comments from the thousands of readers who saw the post.
And again, this week, I had a ‘repeat performance’ - almost identical to the first one.
I wrote a short list of “10 Reasons For Bloggers To Get Involved With a Non-Profit” - and showed it to Darren through a Twitter ‘direct message’. As you well know, Twitter limits each message to 140 characters (my message was even shorter!)
This time, Darren liked it and asked if I was happy to have him publish it ‘as is’.
I was. And yesterday the post was on Problogger’s homepage!
10 Reasons For Bloggers To Get Involved With a Non-Profit
Again, instant exposure to Problogger’s 41,000+ readers!
Better still, the context of the message is PERFECT to mention my own upcoming non-profit awareness building event, A DAY FOR HEARTS - Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day!
Why blog about this?
Because anyone can do what I did - without much work or stress. And not just with Problogger - there are many more bloggers, with busy blogs followed by thousands of readers, who will gladly post your guest content - if it is relevant, useful and fits the theme of their blogs.
How to do it?
* Get on Twitter.
* Type 140 characters into a box.
* Click on the UPDATE button.
And if the planets are in the right alignment, you too may get instant exposure to 82,000 readers - or more! 
That’s Twitter Influence - and still many people will miss this opportunity and go:
“Oh, Twitter!“
January 30th, 2008 — Congenital Heart Defects, Blogging, Blog
If you are a blogger who endorses a worthy charity, there are many ways you can integrate your support for your favorite non-profit into your blogging. Here are 11 ideas you may want to start using:
1. Theme. You could use a ‘theme’ for your blog that reflects the cause or mission of the non-profit you support.
2. Link. By prominently placing a link pointing to your favorite non-profit’s website, you could send some of your blog’s visitors there - and some of them may become donors or supporters.
3. Banner or Button. You could display a graphic with a message supporting your charity’s work and purpose.
4. Post. From time to time, you may blog about the work your non-profit is engaged upon, giving the reasons you are so passionately supportive of it, and telling your readers why they should consider helping too.
5. Donations. You could host a ‘Donate Now’ button for your charity. Or a volunteer sign up form. Or create a more elaborate process to collect contributions from your blog visitors who share your support for the cause.
6. RSS Feeds. You could display an RSS feed from your non-profit’s own website or blog, displaying the latest news about their activities on your blog where your audience can see it and keep up to date.
7. Events. You could run seasonal or annual events to support your charity. Every year I hold a 24-hour blogging marathon, the ‘Heart Kids Blogathon’, to raise funds for my non-profit.
8. Photos. A picture is worth a thousand words. A captivating or emotion-kindling photograph related to your non-profit’s activities, with a caption including a call to action can work wonders.
9. Video. If photos work well, videos can work even better! By embedding a video about your non-profit, you can deliver a powerful message and evangelize the cause you are supporting.
10. Widgets. Many neat tools can be included in your blog’s sidebar or structure which promote audience engagement. If the widget ties in with your non-profit’s work, it can serve a dual purpose - educate while entertaining.
11. Games. Online games also involve visitors and hold their attention. If the game itself delivers a subtle message about your non-profit, you win big time.
Do you know of any others? Please share them by leaving a comment.
And if you’d like to support “A DAY FOR HEARTS : Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day”, you could use any of these ideas to spread awareness about heart birth defects - on your blog!
January 29th, 2008 — Congenital Heart Defects, Social networks, Blogging
“A Day for Hearts” is on February 14th - and I’m doing many things to help spread the word. This is one.
It’s an exciting little Wordpress theme - and it has a ‘Twitter-like’ interface by which YOU can post to my Congenital Heart Defects Awareness blog… saying how you are helping with the event.
Twitter? Wordpress Blog? Both?
Take a look - and post about what you’re doing to help.
It’s easy - just type into the box and click on ‘POST IT’ (and you can add a ‘tag’, if you like, saying what it is related to).
CHD Blog Built With Prologue Theme - Click here
January 28th, 2008 — Congenital Heart Defects, Blogging, Blog
In 2003, I wrote on of the first ebook about blogging for profits. Blog Profit Ideas Exposed went on to sell over 750 copies.
Since 2005, I have stopped teaching my power-blogging techniques. Yet, I’m still known as a top expert on blog marketing.
I distilled my best blogging practices into a short primer for beginners and created the “10 Day Blog Profits” challenge in 2006. Over 1,400 have taken it.
Of those who finished the 10-day challenge, 86% had made some money from their blogs - and most of them were absolute newbies!
More than half of the participants said this convinced them to keep blogging for profits and grow their blogs into bigger, more profitable assets.
NO ONE has had access to this 10-day program since last year… but now you can be one of the 100 people who can experience the revised version on February 1st.
And It Is FREEYes, you won’t pay a cent.
Why am I doing it?
To help spread Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) Awareness on ‘A DAY FOR HEARTS : CHD Awareness Day’ , February 14th, 2008.
All I ask in return for giving you this powerful blog training is that you follow the instructions and link back to the CHD Awareness homepage.
Nothing else. You’ll be helping a humane cause - and save a child’s life.
Hope you’ll participate in the “10 Day Blog Profits” Challenge.
Register here
January 28th, 2008 — Congenital Heart Defects, Influence & Attention, Wisdom, Blogging
Many bloggers dream of becoming influential. Because, they think, they’re going to change the world.
And they can - but not in every possible way.
Darren Rowse, “arguably Australia’s most famous blogger”, was recently interviewed on “Aussie Bloggers” and said:
“That’s why I don’t do memes; that’s why I rarely refer people to other sites which may be calling for donations for worthy causes. If I open that door, I will (and do) get flooded.“
I understand and empathize with what Darren is saying. Once you have ‘influence’, everyone wants a bit of you. And your network or connections.
When the clamor for ‘you’ gets overwhelming, it’s tempting to blank it all out - but that means your influence goes waste, stays under-utilized, lies dormant.
And that is NOT what being influential is about. You try and leverage your influence to get the MOST benefit, make the GREATEST impact, help the WORTHIEST causes within the scope or agenda of your own plan and dream.
I focus most of my fund-raising and awareness building efforts on Congenital Heart Disease - children with heart birth defects. But that doesn’t mean I don’t support or vociferously endorse other worthy charities.
And I also turn down requests to support other worthy efforts.
The hardest thing to do when you have influence is to say “No”.
The most important thing to learn is also how to say “No”.
Then, you can maximize your influence - and really change the world, in every way you want to.
January 26th, 2008 — Congenital Heart Defects, Social networks, Blogging
I’m a heart surgeon. Heart operations take a long time. Sometimes 8 hours, or maybe longer.
So working long, hard stints isn’t strange or unusual for me.
Yesterday, I spent a marathon 8 hour session, working fast and furious with focus and concentration. Not in the operating room… but in my office.
The work was in preparation for a huge promotion involving partners from around the world for an annual event called
“A DAY FOR HEARTS : Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day” A DAY FOR HEARTS gives our vibrant networked online community the chance to take on a humane cause: Promoting Awareness of Congenital Heart Defects.
Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) are a lethal constellation of birth defects of the heart that affect millions of newborn infants and children worldwide; a killer that claims thousands of lives every year. Eight of every 1000 children born alive (0.8%) will have some form of congenital heart defect.
On this special day, February 14th, A DAY FOR HEARTS, a concerted global effort is being made to heighten awareness of this deadly group of diseases.
What was I working on?
A series of short ‘challenges’ - to get you involved, so you’ll learn something from the process, while at the same time you will help a child live.
There are 4 parts to this CHD SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGE… and they are all FREE.
(All programs begin on February 1st, right here on this blog)
# 10 Day Blog Profits Challenge
An intensive, fast-paced program where you’ll spend 1 to 2 hours a day for 10 days… and end up with a blog which already gets traffic, has links pointing to it, and even make some money! Over 1,400 people have taken the blog challenge in previous years - see what they say and register here
# 5 Day Squidoo Success Challenge
Squidoo is a powerful ‘do it yourself’ service to EASILY build a web presence and showcase your passions, interests and expertise. In 5 hectic, action-packed days, you will build 5 ‘lenses’ on Squidoo (we’ll show you how, even if you’ve never done it before) and then rocket it to the top of the charts… while helping spread CHD awareness as you do. See how you can join the fun!
# 7 Days To StumbleUpon Supremacy
A social media ‘traffic power-pump’, StumbleUpon has the potential to drown your website or blog in a deluge of targeted traffic… and that’s the skill you’ll master in 6 days in this challenge. Even use it to spread congenital heart defects awareness. Free traffic anyone? Come and get it! Click here for details.
# 6 Day Twitter Traffic
This million-member ‘presence stream’ social media service is a strange beat. But micro-blogging on Twitter can deliver traffic, sales, JV deals, contacts and more. 6 days from now, you’ll be dipping into this vast network of people - to enrich your business and your life. Oh, and you’ll also be helping spread CHD awareness by ‘tweeting’. Learn how and sign up here.
It’s all available to you - for free.
Take one, or take them all. The more time you have, the harder you are willing to work, the more you’ll get from this experience. And the more you’ll be able to help with the Congenital Heart Defects Awareness effort.
Clear your calendar from February 1st to 14th. Subscribe to the Money.Power.Wisdom blog by RSS feed or email. Or just remember to drop by and collect the daily lessons.
At the end of this period, you’ll be reasonably skilled at social media marketing - and have a warm glow within from being involved in helping little children.
But that’s not all.
If you’d like to make a cash donation to help sponsor a heart operation (each surgery costs around $3,000), look at the HEART KIDS FIRESALE - a special discount sale that will go on until the end of February… and 100% of the money will go to sponsor a child’s operation, through the Dr.Mani Children Heart Foundation.
And for making a donation, you get to pick up $1004.87 worth of business expanding training and techniques in the all areas of modern business including social media marketing!
For more details about the Heart Kids Firesale and to make a donation, click hereThe “CHD Social Media Challenge” is a project to spread Congenital Heart Defects awareness. There are 4 mini-tutorials and 1 firesale making up the ‘challenge’. You can join in and help too - click here to see how.
