Don't You Hate Those False Emails: "You Got an Affiliate Sale"

I get affiliate sales from a number of sources but rarely, if ever,
from the people who send me emails with the heading,
"You Got an Affiliate Sale".

I find these false emails manipulative, demeaning and
humiliating.  I wonder how it impacts on people
who have never had a sale or had limited affiliate sales?
Does it destroy their hope completely?

It was bad enough when inexperienced marketers used this
ploy to get us to open their emails - but now the top marketers
(who should know better) are engaging in this practice of falsely
building up their reader's hopes.

I find the practice dishonest and unethical and refuse to read
these emails.  I will also be unsubscribing from multiple lists
as a result.

The whole thing has become farsical in the extreme - we now
have a major launch underway with the leading email
having the heading, "You got an affiliate sale" - so we will
be inundated with these false assertions.

Are things on the affiliate marketing front becoming so desperate
that we have to manipulate people's hopes and emotions so
blatently?

To me all that these false emails do is confirm that there is a lot
of hype, hot air and falsity within the affiliate marketing
communications.  It is getting harder and harder to determine
the "truth".

I would be delighted if affiliate marketers would come to
their senses and desist from this inane and dishonest practice.

******************************************************

Ron Passfield is a Giant Squid100 and

social media consultant.

His 6 month social media training program 
is available at:
http://www.squidooroo.com

Sign up now for a FREE ecourse
in social media marketing:
Social Media Marketing Tips
 

Facebook Marketing in 2011

via AudioBoo

Posted via email from Ronpass posterous

Ron Passfield is a Giant Squid100 and social media consultant.  His 6 month social media training program is available at:
http://www.squidooroo.com

Sign up now for a FREE ecourse in social media marketing:
Social Media Marketing Tips

 

TweetChat: Create a Twitter conversation

One way to start a Twitter conversation about a particular topic or
niche, is to set up a TweetChat.

You can use this strategy to bring together your downline, membership
subscribers or members of your mailing list. Alternatively, you can
create a tweetchat for a wider audience, including those who are
not currently following you on Twitter.

 One of the easiest ways to create such a conversation is to use the
free TweetChat program.

Once you decide to hold a tweetchat, it's a simple matter of following
a couple of steps:

1. Create a conversation (or tweet room) by deciding the title of the
chat and placing a hashtag (#) in front of the chat title,
e.g. #socialmedia.

2. Announce the time and title of the tweetchat (to your subscribers
and/or more broadly on Twitter and other social media) - and provide
instructions where necessary.

3. At the designated time, log into TweetChat.com by using your
Twitter username and password and agreeing to allow access to
your Twitter account

4. Enter the chat title (room name), e.g. #socialmedia, and begin the
chat (employing Twitter's 140 character limit minus the room title).

5. People who want to join the conversation follow steps 3 & 4.

TweetChat effectively creates a discussion room, quaranteeing the
conversation.  Each tweet automatically gets the hastag added
and the room updates automatically. 

Various user controls allow you to block spammers (or people you
don't like) and to prevent the conversation refreshing as you scroll
(so you can keep track of who you want to respond to).

Tweets directed to you and your own tweets as part of the
conversation show up in your Twitter stream on conclusion of
the chat. 

I recently joined a tweetchat with Ann Sieg, Renegade Network
Marketer, which was announced to all participants and affiliates
of this program.

This particular chat was more of a getting-to-know-you chat
than a focused chat.  However, it was possible to create
connections and link to people you knew from other networks
such as Squidoo.

You can focus the conversation on a specific topic and develop
your profile as an expert in the area.

TweetChat is another way of creating connections and sharing
progress, resources and tactics.

*********************************************
Ron Passfield, PhD, is a Social Media Consultant, Top 100 Squidoo
Lensmaster and Giant Squid100.

He is the Creator of the SquidooRoo Training Progam, a 6 month
course in social media marketing:
Social Media Training Program

Sign up now for a FREE ecourse in social media marketing:
Social Media Marketing Tips

SquidooRoo Lesson on Facebook

The SquidooRoo Program offers 6 months training in
 social media marketing.

The social media training covers content creation, social networking
and promotion including social bookmarking.

Weekly PDF lessons and bonuses are focused on helping you
to take real action to achieve your online goals.

For example, the Facebook Marketing lesson covers Personal Pages,
Fan Pages and Facebook Ads.  The bonuses for this lesson
provide eBooks and videos designed to show you how to take action
to create each of these aspects of Facebook Markeing.  The cost of
the bonuses for this lesson alone exceeds the total cost of the course.

Why not try out this social media training to help you achieve
your online goals and realize the income you desire?

The training program helps you achieve focus, improve
your productiivity and overcome the problems of information
overload.

*********************************************
Ron Passfield, PhD, is a Social Media Consultant, Top 100 Squidoo
Lensmaster and Giant Squid100.

He is the Creator of the SquidooRoo Training Progam, a 6 month
course in social media marketing:
Social Media Training Program

Sign up now for a FREE ecourse in social media marketing:
Social Media Marketing Tips

Web Conferencing: GVO Conference Affiliate Marketing Opportunity

Joel Therien has just released GVO Conference at a GoDaddy
price point - $8.97 per month for a 50 seat
Online Conference Room:
http://demo-986.myprelaunchinvite.com/2/en/

I hosted my first sites with Joel's company 5 years ago
and he has come a long way since then.

GVO Conference is state-of-the-art in online conferencing -
Joel has picked a price that is in line with GoDaddy's onslaught
on the domain business. While others were offering domains at $100,
GoDaddy offered them at less than $9. Joel is using the same
strategy to price GVO Conference:
http://demo-986.myprelaunchinvite.com/2/en/

His original conference facility, Hot Conference, had over
7 Million users.

Online conferencing is a growth industry spurred on by the 9/11
terrorist attack (many US managers refused to travel by air for
work after that event).

Many small businesses are now using this approach to market
their goods and services...and you will have already experienced
the growth of online conferencing and webinars with
Internet marketers.

Families too are starting to use these facilities to keep
in contact across the globe.

Joel is offering a very generous affiliate program (with monthly
recurring income) for anyone who wants to get on board.
The launch will be massive and backed by TV and radio.

I have setup my GVO conference room because I have
priced and trialed four other online conference facilities
over the last 4 years and none match GVO in features or price.

I plan to use GVO to run public webinars and private conference
calls with my SquidooRoo Training Program participants.

I also plan to use it extensively for my offline HR consultancy
business.  We have face to face training courses for
job applicants that are currently oversubscribed. We will start
to run paid webinars soon and then sell the recordings as DVDs.
We will also run some freebies to promote our services.

This just gives you some idea of the potential of this
ground-floor opportunity.

This is an ideal product for affiliate marketers to promote
as the commission is very generous and offered over a number
of levels.

With GVO Conference, affiliate marketers have a product that is:

• in high demand
• highly consummable (and upgradable)
• easily demonstrable
• provides immediate satisfaction
• priced for a very wide market.

Get your own conference room and join GVO Conference as an affiliate:
http://demo-986.myprelaunchinvite.com/2/en/


*********************************************
Ron Passfield, PhD, is a Social Media Consultant, Top 100 Squidoo
Lensmaster and  Giant Squid100.

He is the Creator of the SquidooRoo Training Progam, a 6 month
course in social media marketing:
SquidooRoo Training Program

He provides free resources for Squidoo marketing on his
Squidoo authority site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/


*********************************************

 

SquidooRoo is a 6 month training program in social media marketing.

Anik Singal Releases his Online Empire Blueprint

My very first online mentor, Anik Singal, has just released his free
158 page report, The Empire Formula:
http://www.bit.ly/9qXxjF

I first came across Anik when I joined his Affiliate Classroom
in 2005.  I became a life member in 2007 and subsequently
joined Anik's PPC Classroom and his Article Directory, AffSphere.

Anik has created a $10 Million per year online empire.  His report
details step-by-step how you could build your own Empire.

The Empire Formula is actually 4 formulae - deciding your niche
market, product creation, marketing & traffic and list building.

He devotes 21 pages just to the first formula - deciding your niche.
It is very comprehensive and challenges a lot of established views.

My suggestion is if you download the report, you skim the
report first.  Then if you are stuck for a niche, read the first formula
in depth. If you are happy with your niche but want to develop
products, check out formula 2 - a very good discussion helping
you to decide what to create.

If you want to improve your marketing of products in your
chosen niche, focus in on Formula 3 - marketing and traffic.
If you are not building your list effectively, formula 4 on
list building will give you heaps of ideas.

So anyone can make use of this report whether you want to build
an online empire or just improve your online income.

This is an exceptional report and you will not find this level of
detail in any other report that does not have a price tag.

You can download Empire Formula here:
http://www.bit.ly/9qXxjF


*********************************************
Ron Passfield, PhD, is a Social Media Consultant, Top 100 Squidoo
Lensmaster and  Giant Squid100.

He is the Creator of the SquidooRoo Training Progam, a 6 month
course in social media marketing:
SquidooRoo Training Program

He provides free resources for Squidoo marketing on his
Squidoo authority site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************

 

SquidooRoo is a 6 month training program in social media marketing.

Blogger vs WordPress - Which Blogging Platform?

Should you use Blogger.com or WordPress for your blog?

 

It's a matter of preference.  Some experienced marketers dismiss

Blogger.com because it is not as sophisticated or as flexible as

WordPress. But there are other considerations.

 

The fact of the matter is that a number of the world's top bloggers

started out on Blogger.com (including Darren Rowse), partly

because not much was available then.

 

I created this blog on Blogger.com in 2005.  It has been

in the top ten results for a number of keywords for years.

At one stage, it had a PR5 rating from Google but dropped

in rank, partly because I did not maintain my blog posting (I

got diverted creating 100 + Squidoo lenses).

 

Blogger.com has these advantages:

1. automatically indexed by Google (goes in their blog directory)

2. simple to use

3. has become more sophisticated recently with its own plugins

(you can add scripts, affiliate products, etc.) and the plugin

options are built-in - you don't have to go searching for them on the

web

4. has some attractive templates

5. less choice (more built-in) means that it's faster to build your blog

6. you can easily create tags/labels (but not categories).

 

The downside is that Google owns Blogger.com and you don't

normally have your Blogger.com blog on your own domain

(although you have the option to host it on your own domain -

which makes it a bit more complicated to set up.)

 

The parallel of course is that you can have a WordPress

blog hosted on WordPress.com or on your own domain.

 

I did not bother with WordPress initially because my

Blogger.com blog was doing okay and I did not have the

time or inclination to invest in learning about WordPress

themes and plugins.

 

This changed recently when I teamed up with Anne Corcino

of SeoPraxis.com and developed a joint venture. I then

engaged Anne on a paid basis to convert the site for my

offline business (HR consultancy) to a WordPress platform.

Anne is a Master WordPress designer.

 

In working with Anne on the design, I learned a lot about

WordPress and I am now hooked. We are working on a

couple of WordPress sites together and I have created

one to back the SquidooRoo Training Program. This WordPress

blog is built on the marketing-orientated, Socrates Theme:

http://www.squidooroo.com/socialmediamarketing

 

This needs a bit of work at the moment (in terms of plugins)

but is basically self-generating as I use an auto-blogging facility 

developed by Brad Callen.

WordPress has the advantage of lots of plugins that can do

so many things automatically such as SEO and listing related articles,

etc.  You really are only limited by your imagination in how you use

the hundreds of plugins available. 

 

However, the range of themes (layouts) and plugins (action modules)

can be bewildering if you are new to WordPress or not technically

minded.  Even if you have some degree of technical skill, you

need time and patience to get across the numerous options available.

 

If I was starting out now:

 

1. I would engage someone like Anne from SEO Praxis to build my

SEO optimized, WordPress blog

 

or

 

2.  I would put a WordPress blog on my own domain

and use a simple theme that is designed for Internet

marketers such as the Socrates theme I used on

the social media marketing blog above.

 

If I was not technically minded I would start with Blogger.com

and master the art of writing blog posts and marketing first.

There is definitely a major time investment in setting up a

WordPress blog (even though the individual steps are relatively

easy).

 

As Darren Rowse points out, you can always start again with a

new blog (as he did three times). He now has 350,000 subscribers

to one of his blogs!

 

The blogging lesson (#6) of the SquidooRoo Training Program

takes this discussion further by exploring how to focus, write and

create your blog (on either platform) and how to make your

blog the foundation of your business.  There are also resources

with step-by-step instructions for setting up either a Blogger.com

blog or a WordPress blog.

Photo Credit: Choosing a Blogging Platform by edkohler

 

*********************************************
Ron Passfield, PhD, is a Social Media Consultant, Top 100 Squidoo
Lensmaster and  Giant Squid100.

He is the Creator of the SquidooRoo Training Progam, a 6 month
course in social media marketing:
SquidooRoo Training Program

He provides free resources for Squidoo marketing on his
Squidoo authority site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************

Jane's Pick of the Day: Social Learning : the video

Social Learning : the video

Thanks to Conrado Schlochauer of LAB SSJ in Brazil for sharing this video with me - and thanks for the mention!

via janeknight.typepad.com

Jane Knight recommends this video about the value of content creation and social networking for social learning. This is a fundamental theme of my training program on social media marketing:
http://www.squidooroo.com

Posted via email from Ronpass posterous

SquidooRoo Training Program - Social Media Marketing

SquidooRoo is a 6 month training program in social media marketing.

The SquidooRoo Program covers content creation, social networking
and promotion including social bookmarking.

Weekly lessons in PDF format are provided over 24 weeks and each
week's lesson includes bonuses designed to help you take action.

Lessons on content creation in SquidooRoo include aspects such as
article marketing, podcasts, video marketing and designing Squidoo
lenses (advanced strategies).

The social networking lessons include social networks such as
Facebook, Twitter, Redgage and Posterous.

SquidooRoo is in pre-launch phase at the moment and is available at
50% discount for the first 50 subscribers.  The price will double
when this target is reached.

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************

How to Add Audio to Your Squidoo Lens

 
Squidoo has implemented a new option that enables you to include a
Yahoo audio player on your Squidoo lenses.

You can see it in operation in the Introduction module to my latest
Squidoo lens:
http://www.squidoo.com/gull

You'll see a hyperlink titled, "CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO - Ron Talks
About Richard Teare - Founder of GULL".

Beside the link is an arrow which indicates an audio player.

The process to activate the audio player for your lens is simple:

In edit mode, click on SETTINGS (right-hand column), then click on
"Play mp3 files with Yahoo Media Player" (just below "maxed").
Then click "APPLY" and PUBLISH.

Then whenever, you enter an mp3 link, Squidoo automatically
activates the player link by putting a small arrow to the left of your
hyperlinked text (as on my Gull lens).

This is not visible until you re-publish the lens after you have
added the mp3 link (and it may take a few minutes after
that to appear).

You can create your own mp3 or add one that you have rights to.
In the SquidooRoo training program, I will be showing you how
to create your own podcasts (mp3s) from free resources...
and I'll even give you royalty-free music as well.

******************************************

Please note: the lens describes how the Global University for
Lifelong Learning (GULL) is bringing education and hope to the
youth and children in the tent camps of Haiti.

Please show the lens some TLC by commenting or Tweeting or
"Liking" or lensrolling or whatever will assist its promotion:
http://www.squidoo.com/gull

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************




SquidooRoo is coming - 6 month social media marketing course

GULL - Global University for Lifelong Learning (GULL)

The GULL Vision - Building Community Through Developing Leaders

GULL is a nonprofit public benefit corporation incorporated in California, USA. GULL is recognized by the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and endorsed by other Governments, Leaders & Institutions. GULL's aim is to equip everyone, particularly the disadvantaged and dislocated, to acquire practical knowledge and skills through lifelong learning. This approach to personal and professional development is designed to give access to practical education to people who would not normally be able to access formal education.

GULL - Enabling YOU to Make a Difference in OUR World

via squidoo.com

GULL, the Global University of Lifelong Learning, provides professional qualifications on a global basis to people who are unable to access education because they lack the funds or facilities. GULL, for example, is working in Haiti with World Vision to develop the young people as volunteer community workers who, in turn, are educating the young children in the tent camps. World Vision staff are acting as mentors for the volunteers. Both the community volunteers and the mentors can qualify for an action learning based GULL professional award.

Posted via email from Ronpass posterous

SEO for Squidoo Lenses

I was recently asked about the need to add
meta tags to Squidoo lenses for SEO purposes.

For one thing, Squidoo would not allow the
relevant coding. For html code that is allowable,
visit:
http://www.squidoo.com/basichtml

However, the main issue is that it is totally
unnecessary as the meta tags are auto-generated
by Squidoo (thanks to Seth's genius).

Meta tags are already embedded in the lens templates.
This is why Squidoo stresses the importance of
lens title, description, primary tag and other tags
- these are actually meta tag fields!

By way of example, here's some of the code
automatically created for one of my lenses:
http://www.squidoo.com/improve-personal-productivity

HTML code generated by Squidoo (an extract):

meta name="description" content="Personal
productivity is the antidote to stop procrastination.
This lens offers a range of strategies to improve
personal productivity online. It includes stop
procrastination tips... (full lens introduction)

meta name = "keywords" content="personal
productivity, audioboo, beat procrastination,
building focus and productivity, chakra energy,
chakra for productivity...(all tags)

property="og:title" content="Improve
Personal Productivity - Stop procrastination,
focus on productivity" (lens title)

So you can see how critical it is to get your
title, description and keywords right.

Also you need to remember that Google indexes
the whole of a Squidoo lens, including module
titles, module sub-headings, videos and even
comments. For more on this deep indexing
aspect visit my previous post:

Deep Indexing of Squidoo Lenses

If you want to check out some of these ideas for
your own lenses, here's some instructions:

Meta Tag Coding in Google

1. Enter your Squidoo lens URL in your browser.
2. Click "View" and then "Page Source" (HTML will appear)
3. Search for "meta" ("edit" and "find").

Check Google Indexing of Your Lens

This is a bit more difficult. You have to be
able to find a Google search result for the
keyword for your lens.

Take for example, when I search on - improve
personal productivity - my lens comes up on
page 2 (11th result). Here's the entry (note
the importance of lens title - shown in the
Google listing):

Improve Personal Productivity - Stop procrastination,
focus on ... - 7:27am
1 Mar 2010 ... Personal productivity is the antidote
to stop procrastination. This lens offers a range of
strategies to improve personal productivity ...
www.squidoo.com/improve-personal-productivity
- Cached

Now notice "cached" at the end of the listing
and click on this. You will see that Google highlights
in color any occurrence of the keywords - improve,
personal and productivity. Here's an example from
my lens description:
improve personal productivity

Now you can see what Squidoo indexes in your lenses
and what you can do to improve your ranking for your
keywords!

Google picked up productivity in the comments from
the guestbook.  Implications:
1. encourage quality comments (and reply to them
using your keywords or variants of them)

2. help out your fellow lensmasters by providing
quality comments on their lenses (using their keywords
or semantically related words).

If you want some way to regularly update your lenses, try
replying to the comments on your lenses.

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************




SquidooRoo is coming - 6 month social media marketing course.

Why Podcast - profit with your voice

The following podcast discusses the growth of
podcasting and encourages use of this medium.

The flexibility of podcasts, for access and use,
make them a very desirable marketing medium.

Also podcsts reveal a lot about you and
personalises you to the listener.

Podcasts are easy to create and very cheap (just
the cost of headphones with microphone).

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************




SquidooRoo is coming - 6 month social media marketing course.

Montville crush

via animoto.com

This brief video has been built with Animoto - you can make an unlimited number of 30 second videos at no cost. You can also make an unlimited number of videos of unrestricted length at a minimal annual fee.

Posted via web from Ronpass posterous

Affiliate Marketing on Squidoo: A Different Approach

Squidoo is a superb platform for affiliate marketing.  Being
a multi-media platform with multiple modules and plugins,
Squidoo provides endless ways to present your affiliate offerings
- whether affiliate programs, products, services or software.

Recently, I was presenting a webinar about Squidoo affiliate
marketing for members of the 12 Second Commute Program
(integrated online marketing tools).

I decided to adopt a different strategy to promoting 12SC on
Squidoo to use as a way to illustrate the power of Squidoo for
affiliate marketing.

So I created a new Squidoo lens:
http://www.squidoo.com/12SC

In the following section, I discuss the key strategies behind
this lens design and how I accomplished them.


Lens Design: Key Strategies

1. Incorporating audio

I have added a link to an mp3 audio in the introduction.
When visitors click on the audio link, it activates a media
player right on the Squidoo lens.  This new feature is
setup on your lens by going to "Settings" when in edit
mode and clicking on the option,
"Play mp3 files with Yahoo Media Player"

2. Providing a personal audio testimonial

Instead of using some generic mp3 audio, I created
my own audio where I provide a personal testimonial
about the affiliate program (12 Second Commute) and
the program CEO and creator.  Nowadays, it seems
important to provide evidence of the genuineness not
only of an affiliate program but also the people behind
the program.

3. Using an integrated set of images reinforcing
module themes

I have used a group of images that feature "golden people"
as illustrated above - thus providing consistent imagery.
The images are not only attractive and eye-catching
but also are individually chosen to reinforce the
theme of the module that they are incorporated in.
For example, the above image is used in the module
where I describe the 12SC Autoresponder as
the "key to success".  The images were purchased through
BigStockPhoto.

4.  Using anchor text with images in text modules

The text module now has the ability to add images together
with a hyperlink and anchor text.  The hyperlink option
did not exist when I first started creating my Squidoo lenses,
so I am now making good use of this feature.
[If you are looking for some way to update an old lens,
revisit your text module images and add hyperlinks and
anchor text.]

5.  Illustrating how I am using the 12SC tools


I'm convinced that one of the best ways to promote an
affiliate program or product is to illustrate how you have
used it yourself.  In my case, I have incorporated
the RSS feed from my 12SC blog as a way of demonstrating
how I use one of the online marketing tools provided
with 12 Second Commute.  I have also provided a Squeeze
Page that I designed through the 12SC Capture Page Creator:
http://www.12scstart.com/YourMarketingTools.html

6. Focus on benefits before features

The first module immediately after the Introduction Module
focuses on the benefits of the 12SC program.  Copywriters
insist that sales pages should commence with a benefits statement
before the features of an affiliate product or program are explained.

So this new lens illustrates some important strategies for utilising
the marketing power of Squidoo's multi-media platform.

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************




SquidooRoo is coming - 6 month social media marketing course.

Squidoo Marketing Strategies Lens Awarded a Purple Star

My Squidoo Marketing Strategies lens
was awarded a Purple Star during the week.






According to Squidoo, Purple Stars are awarded for qualities of
excellence:
"...standout lenses, both new and old...Masterpiece lenses. Lenses
making a name for themselves. Lenses trying new things."

The Purple Star is a reflection of Seth Godin's theme in his book,
Purple Cow - be remarkable by being prepared to be different,
to stand-out from the crowd.

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************




SquidooRoo is coming - 6 month social media marketing course.

Joel Comm's Socrates WordPress Theme Makes Internet Marketing a Breeze

I have been blogging on this blog (Blogger.com)
for more than 5 years now.

Recently I started developing a WordPress blog for a social
media marketing site. I became very frustrated at times
trying to find the right themes that required minimum
effort on my part to customize the site to suit
my specific requirements.

Then there was the issue of finding the right plug-ins
to enable me to add monetization.

Joel Comm has now solved the problem for me with his
new Socrates WordPress theme (affiliate link):
http://socrates.squidooroo.com

Both my JV partner (a WordPress expert) and I have
just bought the Socrates Theme.

You can vary the headers, color & plug-ins
and it is designed to take Adsense and Clickbank
and other forms of advertising.

A really cool feature is the Social Media Slider
that makes it easy (and more likely) for readers
to promote your blog for you on the various social
media sites (that you nominate).

When you purchase Socrates you automatically get
the upgrades that are being designed for Socrates 2.

Joel Comm (Adsense expert and highly successful
Mobile Phone App creator) provides quality products
and software. The testimonials on the site
attest to this (as do those on the secret member's
blog where people rave about the support service).

The Socrates theme is purpose-built for Internet
marketers and was created by an elite marketer.

Check out the video now that explains how to
set-up an SEO optimized blog in minutes with
a point-and-click tchnology.

http://socrates.squidooroo.com

Here's some of the features:

- Custom Header Design System
- 160 + Niche Headers
- 1000’s of Design Combinations
- Built in Clickbank Monetization
- Built in Social Media Slider
- Wordpress Tutorials and Training
- Internet Marketing Training videos
- Integrated Affiliate Links for Theme earn 50%

With Socrates, not only can you control all the
links on the primary navigation bar, but there are
also three optional navigation bars -
at the top right, bottom left and bottom right.

There’s an optional “Ad Bar” which allows users
to insert a 728X90 Ad Unit above their content,
and lets them enter a Clickbank ID to rotate two
Clickbank products on the top right.

There is also a “custom html” section in the
upper right where more ad units, optin boxes,
or any html code can be added.

It's even better... in this same space there are
some social icons for Facebook, Twitter, and
your RSS Feed.

- Choose From 50+ Backgrounds or Upload Your Own

The Socrates Theme comes preloaded with
50+ backgrounds to suit your own personal style.

- Create Custom Headers On The Fly!

Over 160 Niche header designs which you can
instantly insert into your theme and brand with
your site title and description.

- Multiple Layout Design

You have the ability to choose left sidebar,
right sidebar, and split sidebar designs with
either 150px width or 300px width.

This is just the beginning of Socrates. There
are even more features coming in the next version.

Here's an example of how I have used the
Socrates WordPress Theme:

http://www.squidooroo.com/socialmediamarketing

Get it now at the special introductory price (half what
you would pay for similar, but not comparable, themes):

http://socrates.squidooroo.com


P.S. SquidooRoo - Social Media Marketing Training
- is coming soon at a special subscriber's price.

Ed Dale Reveals his Secrets for Creating Online Content

 

Ed Dale has done it again.  He has produced an online training
course that lets you in on his secrets for creating online content.

Ed is the creator of the free 30 Days Challenge which has
been completed by thousands of Internet marketers.

I have participated in the equivalent Master Class, 30 Days
Challenge Plus, and learned so much to help me with my
social media marketing.

Ed provides step-by-step instructions with time in between
each lesson for you to implement his teachings.

If you are experiencing blockages with content creation -
you just can't get started - now's the chance to learn from
a Master.

Learn and take action with Ed today with his Ed-ucation
Online:

Secrets to Creating Content Online

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************

SquidooRoo is coming - 6 month social media marketing course.

Facebook Explodes Marketing Potential

There are three very important trends you need to be
aware of with respect to Facebook.

1. Facebook traffic exceeded that of Google in March 2010

"Social networking website Facebook has capped a year
of phenomenal growth by overtaking Google’s popularity
among US internet users, with industry data showing
it has scored more visits on its home page than the
search engine."

from ft.com

2. Facebook ads - cheaper and more targeted than
Google Adwords

Google recently unilateraly dumped 1500 Google
Adwords advertiser, so there is a bit of a backlash
against Google. Many Internet marketers are swinging to
Facebook Ads because they are currently cheaper and
more targeted (e.g women aged between 30 and 40
interested in scrapbooking who live in Bristol).

Here's a free resource that gives you a
Facebook Ads 101 course.

3. Facebook Social Plug-Ins - Going Viral

There is a new series of social plugins that feed
Facebook's viral marketing. Now if Mary expresses a
liking for your blog post, Facebook tells her friends
and if one of them say they like it too, FB tells
their friends ...and so it goes on virally.

These social plugins feed off this new feature of
Facebook. Check them out here and explode your traffic:
http://developers.facebook.com/plugins

SquidooRoo is coming - 6 month social media marketing course.

7 Key Strategies for Effective Squidoo Lens Design

[06/03 05:23PM] 7 Key Strategies for Effective Squidoo Lens Design

Training Conference 1: Squidoo Lens Design Squidoo is a free multi-media hosting site that allows you to build as many lenses (websites) as you desire on any topic of your choice (at last count, I had 104 published Squidoo lenses). Lenses are developed by adding modules from an ever-growing module list. My first 12SC training conference was based on my Squidoo lens which covers the principles of lens design and module choice. It explains how to develop an integrated Squidoo lens that reinforces your lens purpose and concept. The lens also covers: how to add and edit Squidoo modules the photo gallery module the Google blog post/news module reordering Squidoo modules The Squidoo training lens illustrates these aspects and provides examples of Squidoo lenses using these modules. To access the trainingg lens, visit: SquidooRoo Training Program   For further resources on social media marketing, visit: Squidoo Marketing Strategies Affiliate Marketing with Social Media

via 12scblog.com

This post on my 12SecondCommute blog covers Squidoo lens design and identifies the resources I used to present a 12SC training conference, one of the daily conferences available to 12SC members.

To access all the marketing tools you will ever need together with video training for the tools, and daily training conferences on Internet marketing click the following site:
http://www.12path.com/art/yourmarketingtools/

Posted via web from Ronpass posterous

12 Second Commute | Autoresponder | List Building Tools

Gimmicks, Gadgets & Fads Don’t Work.

12 Second Commute is a superior collection of proven tools and training that should be required by law if you want to be in business on the Internet.

For those just starting out we have absolutely the best cutomer service you will find anywhere on the web. You may work alone but you will never have to be alone.

We will even help you get started... regardless of your skill level. What more could you ask for? You will learn more on the inside.

via 12secondcommute.com

12SecondCommute provides all the marketing tools you will ever need - lead capture page creator, autoresponders, adtracker, contact manager, blog platform & program builder. 12SC provides video training for the tools as well as daily training conferences on Internet marketing and social networking. You can even get a free 30 day trial (no credit card required):
http://www.12path.com/art/yourmarketingtools/

Posted via web from Ronpass posterous

Ken McArthur Talks to Seth Godin About Small Actions That Make a Difference | Ken McArthur's Marketing Thoughts

Today I had the honor of interviewing Seth for his next book and I wanted to share two stories that he told for my new book to help me illustrate how small actions can make a big difference.  It was a gift Seth gave me without any expectation it would ever pay off for him.

Now I’d like to pass this gift onto you.

Enjoy Seth’s amazing stories!

Ken McArthur Talks To Seth Godin

0:00 / 0:00DownloadRight-click and save as to download.

And grab your copy of Linchpin!

All the best,

Ken McArthur

via learningfolder.net

Ken McArthur gets to interview Seth Godin re how small actions can have great effects. When I listen to this interview I am reminded of Seth's book, Tribes, and Richard Teare, the leader of a new tribe, GULL (Global University of Lifelong Learning), that is having far reaching effects for people who are disadvantaged in the world. Read about GULL's amazing work here:
http://www.gullonline.org

Posted via web from Ronpass posterous

How To Improve Your Online Income

,







There are many barriers that create a ceiling on your online income
whether you are earning $100 a month or $1,000 (or more) per
month.

In the following 5 minute podcast I address some of these
personal barriers and identify strategies to overcome them.



To play the mp3 click on the the image or on the link below:
How To Improve Your Online Income

To download, use "right click" and "save as" on the link above.


********************************************

This podcast is one of many 4-5 minute podcasts that will be
available in my SquidooRoo.com site - a Learning Center
for Social Media Marketing.  These brief podcasts are
highly focused, motivational and actionable.

The membership site will also have other longer podcasts,
videos, articles and e-books - all designed to help you
to become more effective with social media marketing.

SquidooRoo.com will be action learning based - learning
through taking action and reflecting on the outcomes, intended
and unintended.  Another feature will be ongoing encouragement
to share what worked and what did not work with others
in the learning community.

I plan to publish the site in late May 2010 and anticipate
that the price for my existing Squidoo Marketing Strategies
(SMS) ezine subscribers will be around the price
of a Cappuccino per month ($5 per month).

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************

Noosa Heads - Noosa Beach and surrounds on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Featured Lenses: Sunshine Coast 

Maroochydore through the photographic lens of Barbara J H

This is a Squidoo lens with a difference. Its sole purpose is enable you to see Maroochydore through the camera lens of Barbara J H, a local photographer. This unique perspective is designed to showcase not only Maroochydore but also Barbara's photog...

Mooloolaba: take a beachside holiday at Mooloolaba Beach, Sunshine Coast , Queensland

Mooloolaba has been our favorite family holiday location for many years. Located on the Sunshine Coast Queensland, it has many features to attract holiday visitors. Mooloolaba Beach is the location for many State and Interstate surfing carnivals and...

Noosa Biosphere: action to conserve the Noosa Biosphere Reserve and limit human impact

Noosa is 170 kilometres north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Noosa Biosphere was added by UNESCO to the global biosphere reserves on 20 July 2007. Noosa Biosphere includes everglades, beaches, rainforests, national parks, rivers, colored san...

Maroochydore: beach holiday location on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Maroochydore boasts the Maroochy River estuary, sandy beaches, shopping, quality restaurants and many natural local attractions. It is a favorite holiday place for young families and energetic surfers alike. Camping at Cotton Tree is popular as is ki...

Noosaville : Noosa River playground

Noosaville does not share the glamor and tourist-attracting power of its neighbor, Noosa Heads. However, it is a haven for young families and couples wanting a quiet, romantic getaway. Noosaville, on the banks of the Noosa River, is nestled between T...

via squidoo.com

Here's my set of Squidoo lenses highlighting the natural beauty of the Sunshine Coast. All these locations are within 1-2 hours drive from Brisbane where I live. Mooloolaba is our favorite holiday location.

Posted via web from Ronpass posterous

Image Marketing (1): How To Use Flickr Effectivley

There are two key tactics you can use with Flickr to increase
the exposure of your website, blog or Squidoo lens.

1. Add the URL of the target website to
your image description on Flickr

The desired URL should be placed at the start of your description
and a related URL can be added at the end.  Just make sure that
there is some obvious connection between the URL and the
image description.

Here's an example from my Flickr account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronpass/4315655082/

 2. Add your photos/images to relevant Flickr groups

This action should be taken after you have completed
the photo/image description as above.  Do a search for
groups that are relevant to the subjects of your
photos/images (e.g. location, sport, hobby, niche
area).

For example, I joined a number of groups related to
Queensland and the Sunshine Coast.  You can also
start your own group and submit to it regularly.

Flickr makes it so easy to add a photo to a group that
you have joined - you can do this immediately after
completing the description or go back and do it later.
It is a good thing to get into the habit of doing this
with each upload.  What you have to watch is that
each group has its own individual posting limits
(e.g. two or three photos per day).  So you could
get into the habit of uploading 2 or 3 photos per
day to Flickr and add them to your relevant groups.

We can all learn a lesson from Ed Dale. Within his
30 Day Challenge Plus Masterclass he taught participants
two simple rules for taking quality digital shots (among a
heap of other tactics and strategies).  He then set up his
own Flickr Group for participants to display their photos
taken using his principles of good photography:
30 Day Challenge Plus Photoholics

This is a clever marketing strategy.

Related Links:

Create Animated Music Videos From Your Holiday Photos
Promote Your Squidoo Lens on RedGage

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************

Stop Procrastination, Increase Personal Productivity

My latest Squidoo lens discusses how to improve your content
creation by removing the barriers to personal productivity.
The barriers are identified as:

• procrastination
• information overload
• activity focus
• lack of clear goals

The three building blocks of personal productivity
online are identified as:

1. focus
2. discipline
3. leverage

The Squidoo lens identifies strategies in each of these
three areas to help you build personal productivity through
creating content online:
http://www.squidoo.com/improve-personal-productivity


Related Posts:

Building Social Equity 2.0 - the road to success
Internet Marketing Success - the road less travelled
Branding: how are your perceived in the marketplace?
Just Do IT!...Take some targeted action

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************       

Success Strategies for Job Applicants and the Leadership Capability Framework - Cairns, North Queensland

Merit Solutions Australia is bringing job application
training and management coaching to Cairns,
North Queensland.

Merit HR Consultants have worked with over 5,000
Government selection panels over 13 years.

They will be sharing their knowledge and experience
in two workshops in Cairns:

1. Winning Government Jobs
Success Strategies for Job Applicants
Breakfast Presentation
Friday 26 March -
7am to 8.30pm

The world of public sector recruitment and selection
is changing. Job applicants need to be able to
present themselves confidently and professionally
at all stages of the selection process.

This short information session gives you the
strategies to succeed.

$25 per person, including continental breakfast.

Register Now! Download flyer with registration


2. Queensland Government Capability Leadership Framework
Information Session for Job Applicants
Friday 26 March - 10.00am to 11.30am

With the new Queensland Government Directive
on Recruitment and Selection, the Capability
Leadership Framework is now entrenched as the
cornerstone of Queensland Government
recruitment and selections. Both job applicants
and selection panels need to adapt and make
the most of the new approach.

This short information session presents expert
advice for job applicants wanting to understand
and use the Capability Framework.

Register Now! Download flyer with registration

Bread Making Tips | Dough Temperature | Mixing The Dough | Bread Healthy

Bread Making Tips | Dough Temperatures | Mixing The Dough

Dough Temperatures

In a bakery, maintaining the correct temperatures for preferments—generally cool—and proof boxes for dough rising are critical for consistency of flavor and an efficient daily baking routine. The ideal dough temperature is around 75 degrees, and to keep it at this temperature requires an ambient temperature of the same. However, our own house is generally cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer. In the winter I rest the dough on top of the refrigerator where there is more heat. And I always cover with a large trash bag to prevent air from blowing on the dough and drying out the surface. Unless the house or kitchen is extremely cold or drafty, I wouldn’t worry about temperature too much. Colder dough requires more patience.

via breadhealthy.com

George Eckrich, co-founder of Dr. Kracker, shares his bread making tips. George emphasizes dough temperature and mixing dough bread. He is a strong advocate of healthy eating for a healthy mind.

Posted via web from Ronpass posterous

 

NOTE: This is an example of the use of Posterous to promote a small business.  The post is derived via the screen capture bookmarklet provided by Posterous.

Related post:
How to Use Posterous for Leverage

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************      

World Acupuncture Membership for Acupuncture Practitioners

Membership HERE has its advantages

A subscription WorldAcupuncture Members Only Program gets you instant access to:

• Every item in the World Acupuncture Catalogue

• Every issue of Alan’s WorldAcupuncturBlog

• Tips and Marketing articles on Growing your Business from altMD

• Downloadable videos, DVDs, Seminar Discounts, and helpful hints by Alan Jansson

• Downloadable practice development guides

• Acupuncture Discussion Group membership

• Clinical skills and practice development tutorials.

• Red Hot Special: FREE Marketing Guidance from altMD

• Valuable Online Business Tutorials

• And much more!

Subscribe today and get all this and more.

Join now using our secure online order form.

via worldacupuncture.com

A site dedicated to upskilling acupuncture practitioners - videos, articles, workshops and practice guides from leading practitioners in Japanese Acupuncture. Educators include Alan Jansson, internationally recognized for successfully treating elite athletes using Japanese Acupuncture.

Posted via web from Ronpass posterous

NOTE: This is an example of the use of Posterous to promote a small business.  The post is derived via the screen capture bookmarklet provided by Posterous.

Related post:
How to Use Posterous for Leverage

*********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************