No business on this post. Instead I want to share the birthday wishes of a very unselfish little girl. I hope you will help me fulfill them for her!
I am writing this on behalf of Sami, the daughter of a friend. She is turning 7 next month and instead of personal birthday gifts, she has created a team to send 10,000 coloring books and crayons to the kids at St. Jude's Hospital. She has named her team "Colors Decorate the World."
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A note from Sami...We all know how exciting it is to look out our window and see the bright colors of a sunshine filled day. The red and yellow of the sun, the bright blue sky, the vibrant green of the grass, the brown of the trees and so much more! By working together we can help the kids at St. Jude's to bring these colors into their rooms while they receive treatment from the wonderful doctors.
The goal and promise of my "Colors Decorate the World" Team is to bring 10,000 coloring books and boxes of crayons (24+ size) to the kids of St. Jude by December 31, 2007.
Let's work together and make the world a better place for everyone!
Loads of love,Sami
How can you help?
It's easy! Simply send a new coloring book and a box of 24+ crayons to St. Jude with a note stating you are sending your gift as part of the "Colors Decorate the World" Tribute for Sami's 7th birthday.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Attention: Vilma Carnahan
595 N. Parkway
Memphis, TN 38105
Questions? Visit: www.stjude.org for more information
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Would you be so kind as to forward this request to those on your mailing list and of course make a donation as well?
Sami's promise and goal is to have 10,000 coloring books and matching boxes of 24 crayons to the kids of St. Jude's by December 31st. Although this is only 70 days away, we know by working together we can achieve this goal and bring smiles to the kids at St. Jude.
Thank you in advance for your support of Sami's "Colors Decorate the World" Team!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Something old, something new, something borrowed...
I know I've been so busy lately, I slipped behind a little on the blog. Don't worry! There are LOTS of brand new things coming up very soon for WealthTogether. In fact I hope to get to my good friend Ken McArthur's jvAlert event in Orlando or Atlanta. He hasn't decided on a location yet, but I am planning to be there either way to discuss some new ideas. I'll keep you updated and hopefully some of you will join us there. I'd love to meet you and introduce you to Ken.
In the middle of all the new and exciting things, it's easy to forget about all of the wonderful resources that we ALREADY have. I've been thinking about how many times we forget the basics when it comes to our on-line businesses, so I've included some old stuff and some new stuff and some stuff I borrowed from Ken.
First the old stuff. I don't understand why, but many of you sent me copies of your first ezines right after I posted that information. Most of them were pretty good and I asked to become a subscriber to several of them. And of that bunch - only two have followed up. Where are the rest of you? The number one reason people don't make money with affiliate marketing or an internet business is LACK OF ACTION! An ezine is a free and simple way to promote yourself and your products. So let's get back to work. I'll be waiting for my next issues from those of you who still owe me. You know who you are!
Now the new stuff. Recently a friend of mine who is starting her own business asked me about PayPerClick advertising. She understands how it works. But she wanted to know if I had any favorite PPC search engines. There are a multitude of them and the ad campaign that works on one may not work on the other. You'll also notice that certain keywords may be more affordable on one PPC over another. So do I have some favorites? Yes, I do. And here they are: http://www.7search.com/, http://www.enhance.com/, http://www.looksmart.com/, http://www.miva.com/, http://www.search123.com/, http://www.searchfeed.com/, and of course my absolute favorite, Google AdWords. There are several others, but these are the ones that have worked best for me. In a future post, I'll tell you how to get the most bang for your 50 cents (that's the most I've ever had to spend for a keyword) using PPC advertising.
Next new thing: There are two great events coming up that I hope you will all attend. Oh, and sorry guys but these events are just for the ladies in the crowd. First -
BAM Enterprises presents: The first-ever "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!" Baby Boomer Girlfriends' Retreat on April 18-20, 2008 in beautiful, sunny Daytona Beach, Florida. This fabulous weekend will feature Beverly Mahone's "I'm Still Hot…It just comes in Flashes now!" Girlfriends Pajama Party weekend and a Town Hall Meeting which will be taped by a local television station. We're gonna party like it's 1979!!! For more details, click here (and turn down your speakers if you don't want to hear the music):
Girlfriends Retreat
The second is actually another first - The first-ever WBO "Free to be ME" Convention" on October 10-12, 2008 in Houston, Texas. Women Business Owners from around the world will be coming together to meet at this annual event to share their stories, adventures, pictures, and dreams. We will be building bonds that will launch businesses and maintain those that are growing. To register or to find more information go to http://www.womenbizowners.org/ and click on WBO convention.
I am really excited about both of these events and I hope to see some of you there.
And now for the something borrowed. Ken McArthur, marketing wizard and founder of jvAlert, always keeps me updated on the latest "must have" resources for online and affiliate marketing. He recommended a book to me and I am so glad that he did. It's an absolute classic that I now always recommend to people involved in affiliate marketing -- That's YOU. It's called "Affiliate Mistakes" by Chuck McCollough. Chuck is a regular guy who lives in San Antonio with his wife Carol and his daughters Crystal, Ashley, Amber and son, Cody. Chuck claims that they are "the smartest and most beautiful youngsters you will ever meet" but he could be prejudiced. Chuck runs some of the most visited sites on the web today, but it wasn't always so. In fact for three years Chuck "busted his butt and still wasn't making money." Chuck didn't go from zero to thousands over night, but from the time he started working smart, avoiding the mistakes everyone else was making, the checks gradually increased. You can check out his book at: http://www.affiliateproblems.com/
More soon!
In the middle of all the new and exciting things, it's easy to forget about all of the wonderful resources that we ALREADY have. I've been thinking about how many times we forget the basics when it comes to our on-line businesses, so I've included some old stuff and some new stuff and some stuff I borrowed from Ken.
First the old stuff. I don't understand why, but many of you sent me copies of your first ezines right after I posted that information. Most of them were pretty good and I asked to become a subscriber to several of them. And of that bunch - only two have followed up. Where are the rest of you? The number one reason people don't make money with affiliate marketing or an internet business is LACK OF ACTION! An ezine is a free and simple way to promote yourself and your products. So let's get back to work. I'll be waiting for my next issues from those of you who still owe me. You know who you are!
Now the new stuff. Recently a friend of mine who is starting her own business asked me about PayPerClick advertising. She understands how it works. But she wanted to know if I had any favorite PPC search engines. There are a multitude of them and the ad campaign that works on one may not work on the other. You'll also notice that certain keywords may be more affordable on one PPC over another. So do I have some favorites? Yes, I do. And here they are: http://www.7search.com/, http://www.enhance.com/, http://www.looksmart.com/, http://www.miva.com/, http://www.search123.com/, http://www.searchfeed.com/, and of course my absolute favorite, Google AdWords. There are several others, but these are the ones that have worked best for me. In a future post, I'll tell you how to get the most bang for your 50 cents (that's the most I've ever had to spend for a keyword) using PPC advertising.
Next new thing: There are two great events coming up that I hope you will all attend. Oh, and sorry guys but these events are just for the ladies in the crowd. First -
BAM Enterprises presents: The first-ever "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!" Baby Boomer Girlfriends' Retreat on April 18-20, 2008 in beautiful, sunny Daytona Beach, Florida. This fabulous weekend will feature Beverly Mahone's "I'm Still Hot…It just comes in Flashes now!" Girlfriends Pajama Party weekend and a Town Hall Meeting which will be taped by a local television station. We're gonna party like it's 1979!!! For more details, click here (and turn down your speakers if you don't want to hear the music):
Girlfriends Retreat
The second is actually another first - The first-ever WBO "Free to be ME" Convention" on October 10-12, 2008 in Houston, Texas. Women Business Owners from around the world will be coming together to meet at this annual event to share their stories, adventures, pictures, and dreams. We will be building bonds that will launch businesses and maintain those that are growing. To register or to find more information go to http://www.womenbizowners.org/ and click on WBO convention.
I am really excited about both of these events and I hope to see some of you there.
And now for the something borrowed. Ken McArthur, marketing wizard and founder of jvAlert, always keeps me updated on the latest "must have" resources for online and affiliate marketing. He recommended a book to me and I am so glad that he did. It's an absolute classic that I now always recommend to people involved in affiliate marketing -- That's YOU. It's called "Affiliate Mistakes" by Chuck McCollough. Chuck is a regular guy who lives in San Antonio with his wife Carol and his daughters Crystal, Ashley, Amber and son, Cody. Chuck claims that they are "the smartest and most beautiful youngsters you will ever meet" but he could be prejudiced. Chuck runs some of the most visited sites on the web today, but it wasn't always so. In fact for three years Chuck "busted his butt and still wasn't making money." Chuck didn't go from zero to thousands over night, but from the time he started working smart, avoiding the mistakes everyone else was making, the checks gradually increased. You can check out his book at: http://www.affiliateproblems.com/
More soon!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Network, Network, Network
Today is the day I check in with all of the online networks I belong to. As it took the better part of my afternoon, I had to give some thought as to whether this was a valuable use of my time. And the answer was - definitely! I have gained quite a bit of business simply from social networking and you can too.
First, let me clarify one point. Networking is NOT going to every event in town and handing out your business card to 100 people whose name you won't remember 10 minutes from now. Nor is it joining every online networking site and blasting all of your friends with SPAM. Networking is all about building relationships. Anyone who can understand that concept can network their way to more business.
To get started, you have to create a network. Start by making a list of all the people you know. You'll be surprised at how many there are! This is your immediate circle of influence. If you maintain regular contact with some of the people on your list, great! Keep it up! For those you haven't had much contact with in a while, it's time to renew that connection. Send an email or give them a call. Invite them for coffee or lunch or just to chat. The idea here is to re-establish the connection between you, so do not spend your first get-together listing all that you have been doing and how they can help you. You want to find out what's been going on in their life. Let them do the talking. You'll make a much better impression that way.
Once you have rebuilt your initial network, be sure to check in with these people regularly. Whether it's a quick email or phone call, a note to say thanks for some small favor, - even a gift - make sure you keep in touch. If you find yourself in need - your network will already be in place.
Now that you have your initial network established you want to continue to expand it. There are many ways to do that. Get involved - in your church, your children's school, with community groups. Join any professional associations related to your field. When you go to parties, mingle and chat.
You can also network online. The internet has spawned a wide variety of social networking sites, each one offering access to literally millions of people. My personal favorites are Ryze, LinkedIn, and Xing. Each of these is a little different. Ryze is a site focused on business to consumer networking and provides a venue to create a community around your business and personal interests. You can check out my Ryze page at http://www.ryze.com/go/marguarite. LinkedIn is easy to use and has many features including providing a testimonial for someone you know, passing along requests for connections, job listings, and easy networking with those with similar interests. My LinkedIn profile is at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/melodieannwhiteley. Xing is sort of a cross between Ryze and LinkedIn. My Xing profile is can be found at
https://www.xing.com/profile/Melodieann_Whiteley. There are tons of other sites as well - MySpace, Facebook, Squidoo, Friendster. Each one is a little different but all give you the chance to expose yourself and your business to more people.
Now how do you use your network once you have it established? Simple. Keep in touch. Do favors for your contacts whenever possible. (Now they owe you one). Be genuinely grateful for any assistance they provide and be sure to acknowledge it with a card, a call, or even a gift. Make sure they all know what you do for a living - and make sure you understand their businesses. Otherwise, how will you send each other referrals? Participate - whether in person or by posting on the online networks. As I said when I started this post, it's all about building trust and relationships. Do that and the rest will fall into place. So I hope to see you on some of the networks. And for those of you living in NWA, contact me. I'll give you a list of local networking events. Hope to see you there!
First, let me clarify one point. Networking is NOT going to every event in town and handing out your business card to 100 people whose name you won't remember 10 minutes from now. Nor is it joining every online networking site and blasting all of your friends with SPAM. Networking is all about building relationships. Anyone who can understand that concept can network their way to more business.
To get started, you have to create a network. Start by making a list of all the people you know. You'll be surprised at how many there are! This is your immediate circle of influence. If you maintain regular contact with some of the people on your list, great! Keep it up! For those you haven't had much contact with in a while, it's time to renew that connection. Send an email or give them a call. Invite them for coffee or lunch or just to chat. The idea here is to re-establish the connection between you, so do not spend your first get-together listing all that you have been doing and how they can help you. You want to find out what's been going on in their life. Let them do the talking. You'll make a much better impression that way.
Once you have rebuilt your initial network, be sure to check in with these people regularly. Whether it's a quick email or phone call, a note to say thanks for some small favor, - even a gift - make sure you keep in touch. If you find yourself in need - your network will already be in place.
Now that you have your initial network established you want to continue to expand it. There are many ways to do that. Get involved - in your church, your children's school, with community groups. Join any professional associations related to your field. When you go to parties, mingle and chat.
You can also network online. The internet has spawned a wide variety of social networking sites, each one offering access to literally millions of people. My personal favorites are Ryze, LinkedIn, and Xing. Each of these is a little different. Ryze is a site focused on business to consumer networking and provides a venue to create a community around your business and personal interests. You can check out my Ryze page at http://www.ryze.com/go/marguarite. LinkedIn is easy to use and has many features including providing a testimonial for someone you know, passing along requests for connections, job listings, and easy networking with those with similar interests. My LinkedIn profile is at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/melodieannwhiteley. Xing is sort of a cross between Ryze and LinkedIn. My Xing profile is can be found at
https://www.xing.com/profile/Melodieann_Whiteley. There are tons of other sites as well - MySpace, Facebook, Squidoo, Friendster. Each one is a little different but all give you the chance to expose yourself and your business to more people.
Now how do you use your network once you have it established? Simple. Keep in touch. Do favors for your contacts whenever possible. (Now they owe you one). Be genuinely grateful for any assistance they provide and be sure to acknowledge it with a card, a call, or even a gift. Make sure they all know what you do for a living - and make sure you understand their businesses. Otherwise, how will you send each other referrals? Participate - whether in person or by posting on the online networks. As I said when I started this post, it's all about building trust and relationships. Do that and the rest will fall into place. So I hope to see you on some of the networks. And for those of you living in NWA, contact me. I'll give you a list of local networking events. Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
One Person CAN Make a Difference
Do You Believe That One Person Can Make A Difference? My good friend Cheryl Antier does. And she need you to help prove it. If you don't believe it's possible then skip this post. If you do - read on. #
1. Think about what issue you're passionate about. Is it helping kids? The environment? Literacy? The elderly? Reducing violence? The Experiment and What You Can Do: On 10/2, Cheryl is giving a free teleconference for VISTA Volunteers. VISTA is like the domestic branch of the Peace Corps. Volunteers spend a year working some of the poorest neighborhoods in the USA working on poverty issues - like those mentioned above. They're thrown into their projects without resources, skills or training and have 12 months to create a sustainable project. That's why she's doing the conference - she served 3 terms of service. She was a VISTA during 9/11. This is her way of giving back. 150 VISTA Volunteers signed up. They’re all working on worthy projects and want to make a difference in their communities - maybe even yours. But if not, they're working on issues that you care about. I'm asking you to reach out and help. As a former VISTA volunteer myself, I can tell you these young people need your support. You could help build a playground, see to it that a child has a home, or enough food to eat tonight. It doesn't take much to make a difference. If you don't have the time, then write a check - and know that you're changing a life. Maybe you have an old computer - one of Cheryl's VISTAs needs computers. Another needs formula and diapers for parents who have more month than money... If you're a business owner, what about donating a case of printer paper, or postage stamps? Or donate a product or service or an hour of your time? #2: Ask someone who is in your circle of influence to help too. It doesn't have to be Cheryl's VISTAs - help a cause you support. Say it’s part of the "Activist's Guide" experiment & post on the blog, so she can track results. Deadline: 10/1. Go here: http://www.activistguide.blogspot.com
1. Think about what issue you're passionate about. Is it helping kids? The environment? Literacy? The elderly? Reducing violence? The Experiment and What You Can Do: On 10/2, Cheryl is giving a free teleconference for VISTA Volunteers. VISTA is like the domestic branch of the Peace Corps. Volunteers spend a year working some of the poorest neighborhoods in the USA working on poverty issues - like those mentioned above. They're thrown into their projects without resources, skills or training and have 12 months to create a sustainable project. That's why she's doing the conference - she served 3 terms of service. She was a VISTA during 9/11. This is her way of giving back. 150 VISTA Volunteers signed up. They’re all working on worthy projects and want to make a difference in their communities - maybe even yours. But if not, they're working on issues that you care about. I'm asking you to reach out and help. As a former VISTA volunteer myself, I can tell you these young people need your support. You could help build a playground, see to it that a child has a home, or enough food to eat tonight. It doesn't take much to make a difference. If you don't have the time, then write a check - and know that you're changing a life. Maybe you have an old computer - one of Cheryl's VISTAs needs computers. Another needs formula and diapers for parents who have more month than money... If you're a business owner, what about donating a case of printer paper, or postage stamps? Or donate a product or service or an hour of your time? #2: Ask someone who is in your circle of influence to help too. It doesn't have to be Cheryl's VISTAs - help a cause you support. Say it’s part of the "Activist's Guide" experiment & post on the blog, so she can track results. Deadline: 10/1. Go here: http://www.activistguide.blogspot.com
Monday, August 27, 2007
To do list
You absolutely must accomplish two things this week. First, if you haven't submitted your site (whether it's a website, a blog, a feed, or all three), you need to get that done. Second, you must register for Ken McArthur's jvAlert event.
I told you last post that Ken's next event was being planned. Well, I just got word that he has opened registration. I know there are dozens of seminars and workshops and conferences - all supposedly to help you make money on the internet. The difference between those events and Ken's - Ken's really works. It's not him ... It's not the speakers ... It's not the place or the time ...
It's just the perfect mix of people that have good hearts and generous, brilliant minds, all in one place in a setting that is small enough to be able to build the friendships that real partnerships and real profits are based on.
Imagine brilliant marketers helping people who have never made a dime on the Internet -- at the same time that they build their own businesses by working with some of the best marketers in the world.
Check it out at http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?WFx.ny_0fnD4IwWseWCq5A and if there is any way you can make it, I highly recommend it. And when you see Ken, tell him Melodieann sent you! I don't get any kind of referral fee or anything, but I want Ken to know that I think jvAlert is valuable enough that I recommend it to everyone I know.
I also told you last post I would teach you how to submit to search engines. I had to learn how to do this myself and it wasn't that hard. Previously, I just let my websites take their time and hopefully pop up one day on the search engines by gaining hits. The problem with that is it takes FOREVER! And I don't want to wait that long anymore. I'm guessing you don't either. So let's speed things up a bit.
I learned there are two ways to do this - manually and or using a program like Web CEO. For the big guns like Google and Yahoo, manually is the only way to do it. Then use Web CEO or a similar program to submit to the smaller search engines.
Submitting to Yahoo and Google is very straightforward. Let's start with Yahoo. Got to their website (http://www.yahoo.com/). At the very bottom of the page is look for "suggest a site." Click on it. You will go to Yahoo's Submit your Site page. Here you can choose either the free listing or the premium listing which has a nonrefundable annual fee of $49 per URL. Click on the one you want and follow the instructions. It's a snap!
Submitting to Google is similar. Simply go to their submission page at http://www.google.com/addurl and add your site. It's even easier than Yahoo.
Now that you have the hang of search engine submittals, you can do more on your own. Simply go to more search engines such as MSN, Dogpile, and Lycos and keep submitting your URL .
Well, it's 3:00am and I'm tired. I have some more exciting news to share but I think I will let it wait until next time. Meanwhile, don't forget your to do list!
I told you last post that Ken's next event was being planned. Well, I just got word that he has opened registration. I know there are dozens of seminars and workshops and conferences - all supposedly to help you make money on the internet. The difference between those events and Ken's - Ken's really works. It's not him ... It's not the speakers ... It's not the place or the time ...
It's just the perfect mix of people that have good hearts and generous, brilliant minds, all in one place in a setting that is small enough to be able to build the friendships that real partnerships and real profits are based on.
Imagine brilliant marketers helping people who have never made a dime on the Internet -- at the same time that they build their own businesses by working with some of the best marketers in the world.
Check it out at http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?WFx.ny_0fnD4IwWseWCq5A and if there is any way you can make it, I highly recommend it. And when you see Ken, tell him Melodieann sent you! I don't get any kind of referral fee or anything, but I want Ken to know that I think jvAlert is valuable enough that I recommend it to everyone I know.
I also told you last post I would teach you how to submit to search engines. I had to learn how to do this myself and it wasn't that hard. Previously, I just let my websites take their time and hopefully pop up one day on the search engines by gaining hits. The problem with that is it takes FOREVER! And I don't want to wait that long anymore. I'm guessing you don't either. So let's speed things up a bit.
I learned there are two ways to do this - manually and or using a program like Web CEO. For the big guns like Google and Yahoo, manually is the only way to do it. Then use Web CEO or a similar program to submit to the smaller search engines.
Submitting to Yahoo and Google is very straightforward. Let's start with Yahoo. Got to their website (http://www.yahoo.com/). At the very bottom of the page is look for "suggest a site." Click on it. You will go to Yahoo's Submit your Site page. Here you can choose either the free listing or the premium listing which has a nonrefundable annual fee of $49 per URL. Click on the one you want and follow the instructions. It's a snap!
Submitting to Google is similar. Simply go to their submission page at http://www.google.com/addurl and add your site. It's even easier than Yahoo.
Now that you have the hang of search engine submittals, you can do more on your own. Simply go to more search engines such as MSN, Dogpile, and Lycos and keep submitting your URL .
Well, it's 3:00am and I'm tired. I have some more exciting news to share but I think I will let it wait until next time. Meanwhile, don't forget your to do list!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Divas, Feeds, and Updates on Some of My Favorite Programs
I know, I know...it's been awhile. Would you believe me if I said I've been terribly busy? But I'm back now and before I do anything else I want to share some fun news. I have been inducted into the Baby Boomer Diva Web of Fame! How cool is that?! The idea to establish a Baby Boomer Diva Web of Fame is the brainchild of my friend and baby boomer author Beverly Mahone. She says it's her way to recognize baby boomer women who are on the move and making a difference. I'm not sure what I did to join the ranks of such women as Diane Keaton and Natalie Cole, but who am I to argue with Beverly!? To see all of us Divas check out http://www.enjoyyourmenopause.com.
I have also been busily learning about feeds. Until now I knew they existed, but had no clue what they were or how to use them. Well, I'm happy to say that as of today, I am a card-carrying member of Feedburner. So now you can subscribe to my feed by simply clicking the chicklet at the top of my page - right above my photo. See - even a diva can learn some new tricks! What a great way to get people to come to your site. If you haven't set up a feed of your own, it's really very easy. If your blogging, most blog sites already generate a feed for you. Otherwise, you can set one up very quickly using a service such as Feedburner. There are many feed generator sites available, but all my friends recommended Feedburner so that's the one I used. I just signed up for my FREE account, followed the easily understood directions, and in no time at all I had a feed. You can sign up at http://www.feedburner.com.
I have some exciting updates to tell everyone about some of my favorite programs. First, Fortune Hi-Tech marketing just had their FortuneFest in Lexington, KY. Two big announcements - 1) Travelocity has partnered with FHTM so now all Fortune reps can have their very own travel site; 2) FHTM is announcing a HUGE pay raise for their reps. Can't wait to see how much mine is going to be!
Second, my good friend Ken McArthur is getting ready to announce his latest jvAlert event. I can't tell you all the details until he makes the official announcement, but it's going to be in California and it will be absolutely the best event you have ever attended. I'll keep everyone updated as Ken gives me more details.
And last, SBI! has just relaunched Priority Build It! Priority Build It! used to be a wonderful function that enabled SBIers to jump the queue for individual page submission. With the advent of Sitemaps, however,WorldSubmitter essentially submits all SBI! pages all the time, and it auto-pings the engines whenever a new page is built or an existing one is edited. So how can it get better than that? Priority Build It! has been completely changed. It now works right inside each site's Sitemaps XML file to tell the engines that a certain TIER 2 or TIER 3 is more important than the others. No need for an SBI! owner to understand or do anything geeky! If you're as non-tech, as I am, that's important! Bottom line for SBI! owners? Priority Build It! will be very helpful at getting IMPORTANT pages into the Search Engines' indexes and getting IMPORTANT dropped ones BACK into the indexes.
Well, now that I have my feed up and running, it's time to submit it to the search engines. I'll tell you all about THAT next time.
I have also been busily learning about feeds. Until now I knew they existed, but had no clue what they were or how to use them. Well, I'm happy to say that as of today, I am a card-carrying member of Feedburner. So now you can subscribe to my feed by simply clicking the chicklet at the top of my page - right above my photo. See - even a diva can learn some new tricks! What a great way to get people to come to your site. If you haven't set up a feed of your own, it's really very easy. If your blogging, most blog sites already generate a feed for you. Otherwise, you can set one up very quickly using a service such as Feedburner. There are many feed generator sites available, but all my friends recommended Feedburner so that's the one I used. I just signed up for my FREE account, followed the easily understood directions, and in no time at all I had a feed. You can sign up at http://www.feedburner.com.
I have some exciting updates to tell everyone about some of my favorite programs. First, Fortune Hi-Tech marketing just had their FortuneFest in Lexington, KY. Two big announcements - 1) Travelocity has partnered with FHTM so now all Fortune reps can have their very own travel site; 2) FHTM is announcing a HUGE pay raise for their reps. Can't wait to see how much mine is going to be!
Second, my good friend Ken McArthur is getting ready to announce his latest jvAlert event. I can't tell you all the details until he makes the official announcement, but it's going to be in California and it will be absolutely the best event you have ever attended. I'll keep everyone updated as Ken gives me more details.
And last, SBI! has just relaunched Priority Build It! Priority Build It! used to be a wonderful function that enabled SBIers to jump the queue for individual page submission. With the advent of Sitemaps, however,WorldSubmitter essentially submits all SBI! pages all the time, and it auto-pings the engines whenever a new page is built or an existing one is edited. So how can it get better than that? Priority Build It! has been completely changed. It now works right inside each site's Sitemaps XML file to tell the engines that a certain TIER 2 or TIER 3 is more important than the others. No need for an SBI! owner to understand or do anything geeky! If you're as non-tech, as I am, that's important! Bottom line for SBI! owners? Priority Build It! will be very helpful at getting IMPORTANT pages into the Search Engines' indexes and getting IMPORTANT dropped ones BACK into the indexes.
Well, now that I have my feed up and running, it's time to submit it to the search engines. I'll tell you all about THAT next time.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
My First Ezine!
All of my marketing guru friends tell me I need to start an ezine. I have put it off for as long as possible, thinking it would be too difficult and time consuming. But after listening to them tell me I REALLY needed to do it, it was such a great marketing tool, etc, etc - well, I finally gave in and published my first issue. And you know what? It was much easier than I expected.
First I chose my listserve. My more experienced ezine buddies all suggested Constant Contact. I did look at a few others, but Constant Contact suited my needs so I signed up with them (www.constantcontact.com).
Next I had to decide on content. I wasn't sure exactly what my ezine should look like, other than the fact that it shouldn't be too long. Who has time to read these days? But I solved that problem fairly easily. First I found an ezine template at HomeBiz Tools (www.HomeBizTools.com). And then I got promises from some of my marketing friends to supply some guest articles. So all I had to do was fill in the blanks with a little content of my own and we were off and running.
So, how did it turn out? See for yourself. Simply send an email to wealthtogether@hotmail.com and request to become a subscriber. It's free. Then tell me what you think.
If you are running a home business, you really should consider an ezine of your own. It really is easy and a great way to generate extra revenue. When you do, be sure to add me to your subscriber list!
First I chose my listserve. My more experienced ezine buddies all suggested Constant Contact. I did look at a few others, but Constant Contact suited my needs so I signed up with them (www.constantcontact.com).
Next I had to decide on content. I wasn't sure exactly what my ezine should look like, other than the fact that it shouldn't be too long. Who has time to read these days? But I solved that problem fairly easily. First I found an ezine template at HomeBiz Tools (www.HomeBizTools.com). And then I got promises from some of my marketing friends to supply some guest articles. So all I had to do was fill in the blanks with a little content of my own and we were off and running.
So, how did it turn out? See for yourself. Simply send an email to wealthtogether@hotmail.com and request to become a subscriber. It's free. Then tell me what you think.
If you are running a home business, you really should consider an ezine of your own. It really is easy and a great way to generate extra revenue. When you do, be sure to add me to your subscriber list!
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