Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday? Yes, I think so. Thanksgiving heralds the beginning of the Christmas season. I love to watch the Macy's parade and wait for Santa Clause to appear at the end.

I have a lot to be thankful for. My children are healthy and vibrant. Our new house in California is wonderful. We are able to visit our old friends and family in Chicago. In fact, I am sending this message from the Arlington Heights library in Illinois. Libraries are changing with the times. You ought to go visit your local library and you may be surprised if you have not done so in a long time.

Wishing you all warm and wonderful Thanksgiving.

Greg Cryns
http://www.allaboutpasorobles.com

Internet marketing and fitness issues

Recently I decided that I need to stay fit to stay happy.

My nine years of sitting on my butt looking at the monitor did not help my weight or my general fitness. It also ate into my supply of self esteem and well being.

About six months ago I started to walk every morning. Initially I walked a mere four blocks. Then , after about two weeks, I extended that to one mile. Confession: I like to measure my walks by driving my car. So, if I drive a half a mile in one direction then I know the total round trip will be one mile from that spot.

For a couple of months I walked a mile a day with my trusty dog, Brujita. I think she has some sled dog in her as she likes to pull me along. That is a walker's joke: are you walking your dog or is your dog walking you?

Then I escalated to one an a half miles. At that stage, I decided I was serious enough to invest in a good pair of Nike's and I did so. $40 on sale at JC Penny. Let me say, those shoes are simply wonderful. I felt an immediate difference in my walking speed and comfort.

About three weeks ago I paid a visit to Kennedy Fitness down the road from our house. I realized that I needed more than mere walking to make me physically fit again after so many years of inactivity. So I paid the $525 annual fee (I felt taking the monthly route was inviting disaster as it is way too easy to quit).

They offer 3 free training sessions that mainly get you familiar with how to use the weights for YOU. I learned that a lifting SET is made up of a number of REPs. As a swimmer in school we did not pay much attention to weight lifting (also known as resistance training - your muscles meet resistance, not necessarily your spirit).

I am up to 1/2 mile of swimming daily. Woohoo!

To make a long story short I have accomplished in 5 months my main goal: to feel better and think more clearly.

I know I have a long way to go. Think about it. If it took you 10 years to get into your present condition, it will take a lot of time and effort to get back in shape. I am not talking about growing huge biceps or even a six pack of abs. I just want to get down to a fighting weight, strengthen the cardio and enjoy life even more.

I recommend you consider doing something similar if you feel the need.

Greg Cryns
"been down so long it looks like up to me"

Photo credit: ghall

Chuck Seyler wants to own "motorsports" on the web

I met Chuck Seyler about five years ago. Chuck has a history of driving Top Fuel cars. You know, the dragsters you see on TV a lot these days. Chucks current site: http://www.chuckseyler.com

Chuck gained a respectable following driving in the circuit. Then he started and sold a business that helped people promote their own race car driving dream. He would help them pick up sponsors. In the race car business, sponsors are absolutely necessary to make the big time.

I have no clue why the dragsters are in the "top fuel" class. I'm not sure what a "funny car" is except I've owned quite a few that would fit that description.

Chuck called me yesterday. He wants me to help him set up a new motorsports promotions site. We spent an hour chatting about online and offline marketing for his new company. I told Chuck we should consider an attempt to make him THE MAN on the web for his business. I want him to dominate the field.

He was listening because he understands that the Internet is the place to be for the future. But Chuck balked a little when I told him he would need to do a blog as the center of his online plan for success. "A blog?" he said empahsizing the question mark.

We decided to set up the social marketing side for the next three months using his current website as home base.

Some questions I need your opinions for:

1. Is it easier to brand a blog with a real name or with an invented company name?
2. What three social networks would you recommend to start out?
3. If you had $2,000 to spend (I don't know how much Chuck has, but let's assume $2000) for the site and promotion at the beginning, where would you put your money?

I will keep you posted on our progress, but we would really appreciate your input.

Greg Cryns
“I wish life were more like a musical, so when I burst into song at the bus stop, people would stop staring at me. It might also make them more inclined to learn the chorus and the dance numbers.”
~P B Hill

Subscriber letter, "I forgot"

Since 1998, I am the webmaster for Compleat Mother magazine. This has been a true labor of love for me. I have enjoyed nearly every minute of my work here. I have a passion for the magazine's bold pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and circumcision topics.

This magazine started out and continues to provide a quarterly hard copy. The website is an offspring. It is also my first attempt at establishing a website. I learned so much about all things Internet, including what makes a good, friendly website. We have never been very concerned about the design of the site that is admittedly not especially enticing to the eye. This does not deter its thousands of monthly visitors.

The owner of Compleat Mother, Jody McLaughlin, sent me an email letter she received yesterday from a subscriber. To me, the letter says volumes about how people feel about the magazine. It is up close and personal in so many ways.

Here is the email:

Hello,

I am writing because I have not received any issues of The Compleat Mother in a very long time. I had paid for a two year subscription when my son was a few months old (he is now two!). It just occurred to me that I haven't seen your publication in my mailbox since my original purchase which included several back issues. All I ever received were those back issues. Could you please look into this for me? I know you're wondering why it has taken me so long to report missing issues- well, I've had another baby in those two years (he is now 9 months old!) and quite simply, I forgot.

Thank you so much!

Peace,
Mary

Greg Cryns
http://www.compleatmother.com

Tom Peters - "we are all salesmen"

Quick. What does "marketing" mean? While you are thinking about that on the back burner, what does "salesman" mean? Is the picture getting clearer?

Tom Peters says, "Every single person on the marketing team is a salesman."

"If the MBA were wiped off the face of the earth we would live in a better world."

About China, "They are developing MBAs which means they are on the slippery slope to oblivion."

I agree with Tom Peters. Each person inside a company needs to be a salesman for the company. Ideally, as an owner you would like them to be an evangelist for the company, but you would be happy if the employee at least felt like a salesman.

Even the coders for the websites fit into the saleman designation.

See for yourself......


Tom Peters on Yes! You Are in Sales! from Tom Peters on Vimeo

Photo by Jens Peter


http://www.workathomeprofiles.com
Scentsy: http://www.scentsy.com/16684
http://www.wahmsearchengine.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/calgreg

Repurposing - Most Frequently Asked Questions and Making Them Available 24-7

When you do teleseminars in your area of expertise, you're going to hear the same questions over and over in various different forms. Take the answers to these frequently asked questions and do something unique with them... put them on your business card!

What's cool about that is it's on your business card so they're not wasting your time asking you the same few questions. Give your prospects a way to listen to the answers to those questions, the ones that are asked most often.

What's important to them?

Tell them, "I'll give you answers to five questions that are often asked. I want you to listen to each one so we don't waste each other's time, and when you call, if you want to talk to me and you fit the criteria I've laid out, when I talk to you I'm going to ask you which of the five is the most important question to you."

Ask Them

When they call you, ask them, "What was the most important question you wanted answered?" and answer it on a 24-hour recorded message. The second question to ask is, "Why is that so important to you?"

When they tell you why, you have now surgically extracted critical information about their belief system. You have taken out what their needs, hopes and wants are, because they've told you what's most important to them and they've told you why. "The bigger the why, the easier the how," says Jim Rohn.

Try repurposing your teleseminar, webinar or e-course content on your business card like this. Turn those common questions into a 24-hour recorded message and you've just leveraged your time and expertise to more prospects and future paying clients

And we'd like to invite you watch and listen to FREE additional online marketing tips and powerful strategies by going to http://www.SpectacularOnlineSecrets.com

To find out more about Pat and Lorna please visit our blog at http://www.ToPatAndLorna.com

Photo by darkestbird

Greg Cryns
http://www.workathomeprofiles.com
Scentsy: http://www.scentsy.com/16684
http://www.wahmsearchengine.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/calgreg

Get some SEO smarts to get targeted visitors

It's good to combine knowledge about SEO (search engine optimization) into your website content. Why not? It makes sense to use the knowledge you have earned by studying the topic.

SEO is a technique to learn what the search engines like to see on your blog/website and then apply what you learned to your site. For example, keyword research is an important aspect of SEO to help get your website into a high search engine position. But this is just one of many factors in SEO.

So learn some SEO. Yes, it will consume some of your time, but you will be well rewarded and pleased when your visitor counts starts to rise.

Beware of what you read about SEO, though. There are some very uninformed "experts" out there who simply don't have the experience to back up their research. Experience is a primary ingredient to success in any venture.


Here are a couple of good sources to bone up on SEO.

1. John Alexander's Search Engine Workshops . John knows how to outsource. He has the help of Robin Nobles and Martin, his webmaster, to keep things running smoothly. I am a very happy customer of John's as a paid subscriber. There is a whole lot of information on the website. Give it a look.

2. Jill Whalen's High Rankings blog is very valuable. I've been following Jill for years. She won me over when she told us to think about content more than SEO. Both are important, but I learned that when you try to influence the search engines, you tend to get burned.

When you put up a new blogpost, for example, it is valuable to think about a key phrase or two but, more important, is to concentrate on giving your reader lots of value. The search engines will reward you for your effort.

There are other good SEO sites out there. Please tell us who you love in the comments.

Photo by http://staticphotography.com

Greg Cryns
http://www.workathomeprofiles.com
Scentsy: http://www.scentsy.com/16684
http://www.wahmsearchengine.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/calgreg

Christmas shopping

Visit Coastal California

All About Paso Robles

All About Atascadero

All About San Luis Obispo

Interview with Kimberly Palmer - money editor at US News & World Report

20 Ways To Make $100 A Day Online

Introduction

Kimberly Palmer is a senior editor in Money & Business at US News & World Report. Kimberly writes the AlphaConsumer blog and personal finance stories Kimberly said, "My goal is to help people make smart money decisions. I especially love writing and learning about how money can affect key life decisions, such as when (and whether) to get married, to have kids, to buy a house, or to switch careers. I hope to provide tools to help people with those decisions."


Q & A

Q: How important to U.S. News & World Report is online social media networking?

A: Definitely a high priority. Our blogs are all connected to Facebook - friend me and Twitter -follow me. I love that social networking lets me find other people with similar interests -- there are so many great blogs and websites out there.

Q: Certainly not everyone is sold on social networking for your company. What are the concerns of those who are not on board with it?

A: The main concerns are how much time they can take up! Sometimes it feels hard to be a full-time reporter when you also want to blog, twitter, and log onto Facebook. Our priority still has to be reporting and uncovering interesting stories; that's the service we provide to people. My problem is that since twittering and blogging offer more instant gratification, it can be difficult to pull myself away. So I try to set aside chunks of time each day for reporting-only.

Q: Which social network sites do you have a presence in? Which of those are more important to you?

A: I'm most addicted to Twitter, and then Facebook. I think Twitter is so great because it's so simple -- you have a thought, and you share it. And you can keep track of what others are doing and thinking, too. With blogs, you have to put a bit more thought into it -- at least I try to.


Q: Please explain the US News situation. Will the company be sending out a print newsletter? Will it take paid subscriptions for the web magazine?

A: Our magazine will be coming out monthly starting in 2009, so subscribers will continue to get the magazine, just a bit less frequently. Our website has always been free, so no change there. So come visit us at www.usnews.com


Q: What are the demographics of your readers?

A: My readers are pretty diverse -- I hear from grad students as well as retirees -- but the people who visit most often seem just like me: Interesting in saving money, avoiding debt, and being a smart consumer, which isn't always easy. Marketing and company outreach has gotten so complicated -- even retailers twitter, so it can take some effort to understand what's going on. There's a big push right now among retailers to customize products for example, which can end up costing more, but sometimes it's worth it. That's just not aomething our parents' generation was faced with. All of the enticing offerings can make it easier to spend money and go into debt.


Q: Have you found any case studies that show how social networking improved the bottom line for a large company?

A: I think Starbucks is a great example of this. They are really plugged in and respond individually to consumers via their twitter feed. So if I had a complaint I could tweet the company directly and would probably get a response -- I don't know how that's affected their bottom line, but I am pretty impressed by it.


Q: If you had to sell your boss to lay out some money for social networking, what would say?

A: Luckily, I wouldn't need to, because my boss is all for social networking. He writes one of our most popular blogs But if I had a different kind of boss, I would make the point that social networking is really part of the future of journalism -- it helps us stay connected to our audience, which is essential for survival.


Q: How do you use videos in your networking? Do you like the results of videos?

A: I definitely need to do more of this. I have taken a flip camera with me on some assignments, including when I interviewed Sen. Wyden earlier this year; you can see the results here It adds a fun dimension to the reporting experience but I obviously need to improve my filming skills.

Thank you, Kimberly, for taking the time to help us understand how social networking can work for large companies.


Greg Cryns
http://www.workathomeprofiles.com
Scentsy: http://www.scentsy.com/16684
http://www.wahmsearchengine.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/calgreg

What is the ROI on the new marketing way?

What is the ROI on the new marketing way? If your boss asks you how to MEASURE the ROI on social marketing? First, we ought to be focused on creating great content to attract Google's attention.

Using the new marketing methods YOU CAN MEASURE things like

1. how many people are exposed to your ideas
2. how many people have downloaded something for free on your site
3. how many people have shared your content with someone else – measured by blog links
4. how many people are talking about your product or service on blogs or other social networks vs your competition
5. how many people are positive about the competition

But you can't measure everything in terms of ROI. Example, what is your ROI on spending thousands of dollars to keep the grass around your building in tip top shape? What is your ROI in hiring a cute receptionist?

Best Buy video interview with CEO Brad Anderson

20 Ways To Make $100 A Day Online

Best Buy CEO Interview on Use of Social Media


Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson in conversation with Peter Hirshberg at Google Zeitgeist from peter hirshberg on Vimeo

iPhone - should I get one?

I need to preface this post by telling you I don't even own a cell phone. My wife owns one we both use. My kids live and breathe for their cell phones.

Me? I don't like to be found sometimes. When I am doing my daily walk with Brujita (my dog), I don't need a phone to interrupt my blissful outside thoughts and my daily planning that goes so well on the trail.

I get enough phone work in my office. Here's a secret about me: I am so arrogant that if you call while we are having lunch or dinner, I won't answer the phone. I mean, how important could that call be. If it is important, they will leave a message, right? If it is a life insurance salesman, he will hang up.

So, now I am reading Chris Brogan tweet about the joys of iPhone. Humbug! I say. Or am I wrong? Is texting next for me? OMG.

Why should I buy an iPhone? Please comment.

Maybe I should simply listen to the advice of my iPhone consultant here....




Peace out!

Greg Cryns (getting younger every day)
Greg Cryns

Sentsy - Christmas gift idea: http://www.wahmsearchengine.com/specifics/scentsy.shtml
Work At Home Profiles: http://www.workathomeprofiles.com

Validation movie - SMILE!

20 Ways To Make $100 A Day Online

Watch it..... and smile!

Greg Cryns

Sentsy - Christmas gift idea: http://www.wahmsearchengine.com/specifics/scentsy.shtml
Work At Home Profiles: http://www.workathomeprofiles.com

Internet Marketing Blogs that Beg to be Bookmarked

Guest Post

Internet Marketing Blogs that Beg to be Bookmarked

By Merle

Let's face it, Blogs on the topic of Internet marketing
are a dime a dozen. Everyone and their dog seems to have
one. I'll be the first to admit it takes a lot to impress
me. Some blogs are just boring and uneventful. But then
there are some that make me want to come back again and
again.

So, what are the qualities of a great blog? Well, for me
it's one that offers me something of value, whether that
be in the form of valuable information, or points me in
the direction of free products or services. It's all about
me. By the same token, I do appreciate a blogger with a sense
of humor or strong personality. If you're stiff and mechanical
it's just not for me. Show me who you really are and what
makes you tick.

One final point. Don't forget about design. Blogs that
are easy on the eyes, uncluttered and simple get my vote
every time. If it has a black background and white text
I'm out of there in a big hurry.

So, who has some of the best blogs online today? So glad
you asked. Listen closely as I enlighten you and point
you in the right direction.

1) Willie Crawford: http://williecrawford.com/blog2/

An experienced online marketer, Willie is considered
one of the world's leading Internet marketing experts.
Listen to Willie, he "walks the talk" and can teach you
a lot about the world of online marketing.

He also has a radio show here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/WillieCrawford

2) Michael Fortin Blog: http://www.michelfortin.com/

Copywriting and marketing tips from a man who is
too brilliant for words. Michael is an expert copywriter
who has done work for John Reese and many of the
other top marketers. Without good copy you can't
sell a thing, so learning all you can about persuasive
writing is a must for your to do list. Also see:

http://www.copywritersboard.com/


3) Skip Mcgrath: http://blog.skipmcgrath.com/

If Ebay is your thing then Skip's blog is a must.
An expert at selling items on Ebay, and an experienced
author of several books, Skip covers all of the ins and
outs of earning money with Ebay.

4) Jensense: http://www.jensense.com/

Jennifer helps you to make sense of contextual
advertising and helps publishers to earn more money.
Topics include Google Adsense and other similar
contextual ad programs.

5) Marketing Pilgrim: http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/

Originally launched by Internet marketer Andy Beal
way back in 2005. This blog covers the latest
marketing news, reviews and other items related
to online advertising.

6) Yahoo Publisher Network: http://www.ypnblog.com/blog/

Everything you ever wanted to know about Yahoo's
Publisher Network but were afraid to ask. All of
your questions are answered here.

7) Matt Cutts: http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/

A Google employee since 2000, Matt discusses all
things Google on his Blog. He also covers search
engine optimization and other interesting gadgets
he runs across online. If Google is your thing, all
is revealed here.

8) Bruce Clay: http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/

Since 1996 way before it was cool to be on the
net Bruce Clay has been teaching those about
search engine optimization and online marketing.
He really knows his "stuff" and you can tell that
by his concrete informative posts which go into
great detail.

9) Clickz: http://blog.clickz.com/

Clickz always has the latest dish on Internet
marketing. Serving news and expert advice
since 1997.

10) Jim Edwards: http://www.igottatellyou.com/blog/

Jim Edwards blog "I Gotta Tell You" is a multi-media
blog. Covering numerous topics related to making
money online, Jim always has a funny story to tell.
He has a strong personality, so if you like that you'll
enjoy Jim's blog.

11) Marnie Pehrson: http://marniep.typepad.com/ideamarketers/

Marnie is the creator of http://www.ideamarketers.com
and covers all things related to article marketing and
other online marketing strategies. Again, she's been
online for years and has much wisdom when it comes
to gaining traffic from your short articles.

12) Google Adsense: http://adsense.blogspot.com/

If you use Adsense by Google to generate an income you'll
want to subscribe to this blog. Tons of tips and tutorials
to increase your earnings.

13) Search Engine Diva: http://www.searchenginediva.com/

Ginette Degner has been providing search engine optimization
and Internet marketing consulting for over 16 years. She's
good and also has a great sense of humor.

14) Income.com: http://www.income.com/blog/

When you talk about Internet marketing you can't forget
about John Reese. The only online marketer I know of
who made a million dollars in one day when he launched
his Traffic Secrets course.

15) Joel Osborne: http://www.twentyten.com/

Joel has been making a living online for the past several
years and has numerous web sites and products. Another
expert when it comes to learning how to increase traffic
and sell online.

16) Jonathan Leger: http://www.jonathanleger.com/

Jonathan Leger has been earning a living online since 2004.
His blog discusses search engine optimization, Adsense and
online marketing.

17) Pay Per Click Journal: http://payperclickjournal.com/

This blog is written by the website marketing experts at
Brick Marketing. They cover all aspects of pay-per-click
search engine marketing.

When it comes to marketing online there are plenty of
blogs that can keep you up to date on the latest and
greatest trends. This is just a small sample of what's
out there. Make sure that no matter whose blog you're
reading, that they thoroughly know and understand the
topic they're discussing. If not you're just wasting your
time, and if that's the case you might as well be reading
your dog's blog. But who knows it just might be more
interesting.

-----------------------------------------
By Merle- The Pay-Per-Click Authority when it comes
to paid search engine advertising. With helpful articles,
how-to's and tips that will help you make the most from
your advertising investment. Download a FREE "How To"
ebook by subscribing to our ezine at
http://www.PayPerClickResearch.com

Photo by http://staticphotography.com

247 WEBSITE TRAFFIC TIPS: http://www.wahmsearchengine.com/traffic-tips-report/
Great advertising value: http://www.wahmsearchengine.com
Sentsy - Go Wickless! http://www.dad6.com/gowickless/

Interview Professional Life Coach Shann Vander Leek

If you ever wondered how someone gets to be a life or business coach, read this full article.

Shann Vander Leek is the Founder of True
Balance LIfe Coaching and Co-founder of Seize True Success.

Shann is a certified professional coach and Yoga instructor. Shann teaches Luscious Living Playshops and Life Long Learning Classes at Northwestern MIchigan College. In 2008, Shann launched a new line of Organic tea as well as a new E-book and plan to roll out more life balance products, playshops and a new book in 2009.

Read the full interview here

Greg Cryns

247 WEBSITE TRAFFIC TIPS: http://www.wahmsearchengine.com/traffic-tips-report/
Great advertising value: http://www.wahmsearchengine.com
Sentsy - Go Wickless! http://www.dad6.com/gowickless/

Guerilla marketing - and other non- traditiional marketing techniques

Have you ever heard the term "Guerrilla Marketing"?

Wikipedia defines it this way: The term guerrilla marketing was coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book Guerrilla Marketing as an unconventional system of promotions on a very low budget, by relying on time, energy and imagination instead of big marketing budgets.

A LOT of people are using this technique now, especially on the web. A similar adventure would be "viral marketing." That is introducing an ad or product that attracts a lot of attention just for what it is.

More terms that reflect Guerrilla Marketing:

Buzz Marketing - this is word of mouth advertising - "What's the Buzz?"

Grassroots marketing - attract influential people and consumers in your target market to love what you do and to be cheerleaders for your business

Presence marketing - pulling in customers by being present at large events (does someone have a better definition?)

Ambient marketing - uses everyday objects and surroundings as communication platforms. (correct definition?)

Wild Posting Campaigns - posting pictures on the plywood surrounding construction sites article: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2001/feb01/feb19/2_tues/news5tuesday.html

Undercover marketing - from Wikipedia.com - (also known as buzz marketing, stealth marketing, or by its detractors roach baiting) is a subset of guerrilla marketing where consumers do not realize they are being marketed to. For example, a marketing company might pay an actor or socially adept person to use a certain product visibly and convincingly in locations where target consumers congregate.

Astroturfing -- releasing company news to imitate grassroots popularity - a form of propagand where a few people attempt that a lot of people advocate a cause


Experiential marketing -- interaction with product - experiential marketing presents experiences that attract people to be participants in after seeing that a product fits their needs


Tissue-pack marketing - a Japanese technique of putting ads on portable tissue packages - they distribute over 4 billion of these packages a year, mostly in subway stations. Results: about $75 billion in sales











Finally, here is an example of Extreme Guerrilla Marketing (by a Taxidermist):







Greg Cryns

Scentsy wickless candles- http://www.dad6.com/gowickless
http://www.workathomeprofiles.com

Tips on how to find ideas to write that article

So, you want to write an article. You get ready, sit down in front of your keyboard. "What do I want to write about," you ask. The ideas are not exactly filling up the noggin right away.

Here are a few tips to help you get that article going.

1. Write Down Your Interests. Certainly everybody has interests. I mean we don’t sit around all day staring at the walls do we? So take a pen a paper (yeah, get away from the darn computer) and write down what you like to do. You may very well find that some of your interests are very popular online.

How do you know?

Look ‘em up!

Go to Wordtracker and see how many times YOUR interest was searched for in a month. Go to Google and see how many sites come up with YOUR interest. You may find that YOUR interest may have too MUCH interest. That’s okay. You can always narrow it down. We’ll be covering that in a later chapter when we get to “Bum Marketing” your articles.

2. See What’s New. That’s right. Turn on the TV. Listen to the news. Go on the Internet and see what the latest headlines are. One of the most effective ways to get traffic to your web site is to see what the latest developments are that relate to your web site and write about them.

Most search engines will usually have a “search by category” feature or topics at one of their sidebars, like movies, music and so on. If you have a web site that relates to any of these topics, go to one of them and see what’s going on in the world. If there’s been a breaking story on something, write about it. Submit it to an article directory. You’ll probably be one of the first people to report on this event.

Timing is everything in this business.

He who hesitates is lost.

See what’s new!

3. Find An Angle. What I mean by this is try to find a way to attack a subject.

Remember our last article about the “3 ways to pick up your spirits?”

That’s an angle. It’s called the “how to” angle.

There are many other angles.


For example, you can write an article on what we just talked about in point number 2. That’s right, the “what’s new” angle. People are always interested in knowing what the latest developments are.

Another angle you can write on is to tell people about things they should avoid. We call this the “warnings” angle. My goodness, there are warnings on TV all the time. Don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t take drugs. It’s endless. So write an article warning people about certain dangers.

Maybe something like this…

“The 7 dangers of smoking”

Now I don’t know if there are 7 dangers, but you get the idea. Articles like these go over real big.

The opposite of dangers is of course to tell people when something is good for them. We call this the “benefits” angle.

A topic for this may look something like…

“The 4 benefits of herbs.”

Again, I don’t know if there are 4, but you get the point. There are probably more benefit and warning articles than any type of article on the Internet, with “how to” articles right up there with them.

Another angle you can use is to create curiosity. The easiest way to do this is with a topic like this.

“The Secret Sex Life Of Donald Trump”

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that Donald Trump has a secret sex life. But what if he did? What if you could convince somebody that he did? Think somebody who is reading that title isn’t going to want to know more?

Human beings are curious animals. If you give them a hot topic with a title that grabs them and makes them want to read, you’ve literally got a captive audience.

There are other “angles” you can use, but these should be sufficient enough for our purposes.


Greg Cryns

Work At Home Profiles: http://www.workathomeprofiles.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/calgreg

Barack Obama's email list

However you feel about Barack Obama, if you do business on the Internet you need to admire his marketing prowess and his understanding of the power of new technologies..

We hear the mantra: "The money is in the list."

Part of Barack O'Bama's victory last night can be attributed to his understanding of the power of Internet marketing.

Obama started building his list even before he announced his candidacy. Way back then, over two years ago, I received an email from a local pol in Illinois. This mayor of a very small town started stumping for Obama. He wrote and sent out about one email per week to eveyone he knew. The email pounded on the reason we should consider voting for Obama in the Illinois primaries.

Democratic technology strategist Andrew Rasiej called Obama’s email list a “nuclear weapon” for political outreach. In June, 2008,

The size of Obama’s email list is a well kept secret. But we do know that by June 2008 he had almost one million accounts registered at my.barackobama.com. Recent estimates claim the list had over 5 million people on it.

Obama exploded his list just before he picked Biden as his running mate. He put the word out on the social networks, especially Twitter where he had a strong presence for a long time, that list members would be the first to know who he picked.

Take a lesson, my friends. If you have not seriously attempted to build your email list, try to see the huge power contained in one and start building today. Here is a note I received from the Obama’s campaign team late last night immediately after it was obvious he had won the election….

Greg --

I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.

We just made history.

And I don't want you to forget how we did it.

You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.

I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.

We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.

But I want to be very clear about one thing...

All of this happened because of you.

Thank you,

Barack

Greg Cryns

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List Building Tips - 4 Best Places to Advertise Your Squeeze Page

Guest post by By David J Ogden

There is an old saying that goes something like, "What if you threw a party and nobody came?" The same thing could be true when it comes to building a list. We can ask you, what if you design the most beautiful squeeze page in the world and nobody ever saw?

The people that build the largest lists are the ones that know how to promote their squeeze page in ways that attract visitors to it.

There are many different ways you can promote your squeeze page and none of them are wrong if they get you subscribers. However, let's zero in on what could be the 4 best places to advertise your squeeze page right now.

1. Blog like crazy and put your squeeze page on every blog post. You could even post a banner at the top in your header that it goes to your squeeze page. Another thing you can do is have any sign up form on your sidebar that either leads to the squeeze page or directly to your mailing list autoresponder.

Blogging is very popular with search engines and readers alike. So you may as well benefit from it by getting more subscribers and figuring out ways to lead them to your squeeze page.

2. Put it at the bottom of your web pages. One mistake that seems to be very common is people build large websites with content and yet never have a sign up form on it. One technique that works extremely well is to actually put your squeeze page at the bottom of every web page you have. This works extremely well if you have a website that is big on content built around articles.

3. Use pay per click advertising and drive the visitors to your squeeze page. This may or may not be for you depending on your budget right now. It definitely is an actual way to build a large list quickly because you will only be paying for traffic that actually clicks on the link leading to your squeeze page.

4. Create a resource box and do article marketing in a big way. When we say a big way we are talking about writing and submitting 10 to 20 articles per day. If you have a resource box include a link to your squeeze page and you are bound to build a large list.

These are four of the best places to advertise your squeeze page. Do not limit yourself just to these 4 and do whatever it takes to get your squeeze page out in front of people.

Want to make money online now? Sign up for our FREE Internet Business Training Program and start receiving all the home business training, resources, tools and advice you need to become a successful work at home professional!

Greg Cryns
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Sales negotiations online and offline

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Sales Negotiations Online and Offline

On or offline you are always going to have people who are going to want to haggle with you, whether it be over price or the amount of product for the price. In other words, they are going to want to get more out of you than you are willing to give for the money. And what many people will try to do is tell you that if they can't get it from YOU at that price then they can get it from somebody else.

What you want to do, instead of giving them an outright no to their request, is to use the power of the higher authority approach. This is where you tell the person that you don't personally have a problem with doing this but you have to check with, whoever first. This way you are telling the person that you don't have the authority to make such a decision.

For example, let's say you are promoting an affiliate program and the person is interested in signing up but wants more than the 14 day trial period. They are asking for 30 days. In this case, you really must have a higher authority, the program owner. You can tell the person that you'll put in the request to the program owner but you really can't promise anything. One of two things will happen. Either the program owner will agree, in which case your problem is solved and you have a sign up, or the owner will say no and you simply relay this info to the potential sign up.

But this doesn't mean you have to lose the sale. Why? Because if this person wasn't really interested in the opportunity they wouldn't have gone as far as to ask for the extended trial period. This tells you that they are a real prospect. In this case, what you tell them is that you feel it would be foolish for them to pass up such a great opportunity for a couple of weeks and show this person how much you've made with this great opportunity. Ultimately, in most cases, they will give in and sign up anyway.

But what if you are the highest authority? Well, they don't have to know that. For example, if you are selling your book or program through a third party vendor like Clickbank or PayPal and somebody asks if they can pay less for your service, you simply tell them that all sales have to go through the third party source and even though it is your product you still have to abide by their rules since they are handling all payment processing.

With a little imagination, and a lot of plain honesty, you can always get out of committing to any request personally.

Aspects of how to close a sale.

This information applies to both online sales as they do offline sales. By being able to master each of these techniques, you'll find that your sales closing ratio will increase greatly.

The first step in sales negotiations is to develop options. What this means is that whenever you are in negotiations with anyone about your product or service, you want to make the other person aware of the fact that you DO have options, that they are not the only game in town. The best way to illustrate this tactic is with some examples.

Let's say that you have written an ebook and you're looking for a joint venture with an established heavy hitter to help you sell the book. You realize that in order to do this, you're going to have to offer him something. Perhaps you will let him place some of his personal links in your book or even grant him master resale rights exclusively. Of course, if he really is a heavy hitter, it's going to take a lot to win him over. If he hedges and tells you that the offer isn't good enough, you can simply tell him that you've made the same offer to another person and they are ready to jump all over it. If the person you are negotiating with is a shrewd businessman and recognizes that your offer really is a good one and that he'd be foolish to lose out to somebody else, he will probably take you up on your offer. At the very least he'll make you a counter offer that you can discuss.

The point of this is to put fear into the mind of the person you are negotiating with. This is the fear that they may lose out on a good thing because others are already interested. Of course in order for this to work, you have to have a really solid product that the heavy hitter will know in his heart is going to make a lot of money. If you present him with something that is pure hype and no substance, he is going to laugh at your offer and at your claims that you have others interested. So in order to at least give the appearance that you have other options, you have to have a product that seems believable that others would find and have interest in it.

This tactic also works when you are negotiating sales on the other end. You're looking to buy something from somebody else for your business but you feel the price is too high. Again, you develop options. You tell the person that you can get a similar and comparable product from somebody else for a lot less money. If they don't want to lose your business, they may negotiate the price with you. In this case though, you better have another option because if you don't and they refuse to come down in price you will have to eat the price and your credibility as a negotiator goes right down the tube.

By developing options, you give yourself the best chance on getting the best price on items you want, and the best sales on items you are selling.

Greg Cryns
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