Ezine Publishing Information
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"What You Did Wrong With Your Domain Name(s)!"

Trying to improve search engine rankings is just like a rubics cube. A puzzle that can keep you occupied for hours. How many times have you heard "They keep changing the rules?,” and the frustrating part is...they don't even tell you what the rules are in the first place! It's a proven fact, in trying to improve search engine rankings, that growing your site thru link popularity, by slowly a. . .

Is RSS Here to Stay or Gone Tomorrow?

RSS is totally hot. We have seen it everywhere, from John-Doe blogsites to major news websites. If you haven't heard of RSS before, that's okay, because I hadn't either until a couple of months ago! RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, or whatever you want it to stand for. I have seen it also stand for RDF Site Summary, but it really doesn't matter. What's important is what it does. He. . .

The poetry contest that hunts for desperate writers

Many of you have likely seen the following contest “Free Amateur Poetry Contest $10,000 grand prize, Enter Now!”, and you have most likely sent off your poem and received a letter back stating that your poem will be published. You are just one of the many who have become the prey of poetry.com. I have had first hand experience with them. In 2000 I sent one of my poems “Angel in Heaven” to Poet. . .

Promoting Your Poetry Book

At long last your book is finished. As a self-publisher poet it is up to you to market your anthology or chapbook. Self-publishing requires you to self-market successfully. Marketing your book can become a full time job and it isn’t going to happen overnight. So you might be asking yourself, “Where do I begin to market my book?” Website Create a website to showcase your book. Did you kn. . .

Using Back Links to get Top Search Engine Ranking

Using Back Links to get Top Search Engine Ranking There are no hidden secrets on how to rank high with the major search engines. All that is needed is a basic understanding of how search engines work and a bit of know how. Perhaps the biggest contributing factor to a successful web site is incoming links or Back Links. Without links, your website will more than likely go unnoticed. So how sh. . .

Profiting With Blogs

How to Profit From a Blog Blogs permit you to quickly and easily communicate with your market at very low cost. A blog is a low cost tool that permits you to add, remove, and update online content without knowing anything about web programming or html. Blogs complement, rather than replace, your website, e-mail, and One-Page Newsletter. You can use your blog to promote your other communication. . .

Find Out How Microsoft's Plans Could Make Your Subscribers Beg You for RSS Content!

Microsoft recently announced that they will be releasing a new browser version sometime this summer. The new browser version was to be released with Longhorn, the code name for their next operating system to replace Windows XP, but they decided that they needed to release it sooner than that. Many think the reason is because Firefox, the new popular browser, has introduced some key features th. . .

The Five Deadly Fears of E-Newsletter Publishing

1. Fear Of Having Nothing To Say As a small business owner, you know a lot more than you may realize. And although running out of material is the number one reason cited by small business owners for not launching an E-Newsletter in the first place, I have never come across anyone who knew enough about a particular industry or topic to start a business in it, who didn't also have a nearly endle. . .

IT'S ALL A PACK OF LIES!! The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth

Get rich on the Internet in 40 days/40 nights and do it without spending a dime! (ha, ha, ha) IT'S ALL A PACK OF LIES!! The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth by Richard Moore FFA Links Banner Ads Search Engines Submittal Ezines Classified Ads Press Release and Articles FFA LINKS - FREE FOR ALL Some even have the nerve to ask you to pay them! What was it that P.T. Barnum. . .

Pennies From Heaven

The birds in my neighborhood like to poop on my car. I'm not saying this to impress you, I'm only telling you what happens. Each morning, when I come out to go to my office, my car is covered. No matter what part of the driveway I park in, and regardless of who else's truck, bicycle, baseball glove or Frisbee is lying next to it in plain sight, my car is the only thing that gets hit. I have t. . .

Choosing Your Air Filter: Navigating the Confusing World of Air Cleaners

Choosing Your Air Filter: Navigating the Confusing World of Air Cleaners We all want to do everything we can to ensure that the air we breathe in our homes and office environments is clean and healthy. Luckily, there are now dozens of consumer products now on the market that work to filter air and reduce the presence of indoor pollutants. These air cleaners may be purchased as portable units . . .

10 Ways Outsourcing Can Help Grow Your Business

Outsourcing is when you hire outside professionals or services to take on part of your business workload. You may want to outsource part of your work because you don't have the room, you need an expert, you have periodic busy periods, or you need more production to get orders out on time, etc. The following are ten ways outsourcing can save your business time and money. 1. You won't hav. . .

"The Real Secret To Finding Hot Niche Markets!"

Finding a niche market is simple. Finding a PROFITABLE niche market is a little harder, but it's still easy once you know what you are doing. Otherwise, you will end up like 90% of the other niche marketers out there who spend weeks or months on a niche market only to find out there is no money to be made there. Luckily I will reveal the secrets to finding a profitable niche market later in th. . .

12 Practical Uses of GPS for Everyday People

GPS or Global Positioning Systems is a term that most commonly conjures up images of vehicle navigation systems, space-age satellite technology, and interactive maps for outdoors-types and sportsmen. But the reality is that there are far more applications of Global Positioning Systems beyond GPS vehicle tracking or map navigation that everyday people like us can benefit from. All it takes is a. . .

Productivity at Home

Increased productivity, the ability to get more value for our time, our land, or our invested money, is as important at home as it is in the workplace. Let's consider the case of our imaginary friend Jane, and her grandmother. Jane's grandmother had just one occupation after marrying in her late teens: homemaker. She raised children, and she cleaned and maintained the family home. That was a . . .

Productivity on the Job: Phil's New Nailing Gun

Increased productivity means people like Jane and Phil earn effectively higher wages than their parents. Here's why: Every time a company makes an improvement, a productivity improvement, it increases its value and its income. Whether it reduces a cost or adds value for which consumers will pay more, it increases its earnings. Some of those increased earnings go to higher (real) wages for emp. . .

Better Internal Proposals

A colleague of mine has a problem. We belong to the same association and he's been trying for quite some time, without success, to get support for one of his proposals. His lack of results came to mind when a reader asked for ideas about making internal proposals more effective. As she noted in her message, it's necessary to make a business case for proposals, including costs and returns. She's. . .

The Top Twelve Threats No Computer User Should Ignore by Kai Chandler

The Top Twelve Threats No Computer User Should Ignore The internet is undoubtedly a fantastic resource for families and offers a rich vein of educational content. However, there are potential dangers - welcome to the seedy world of viruses, spam, trojans, pornography, spyware and other nasties. Here are the Top Twelve Threats No Computer User Should Ignore: 1. Viruses - A computer program . . .

Take Your Good Idea One Step Further

Whether you're an executive, manager, professional, or entrepreneur, you need to think ahead. When you do it in a formal sense, it's called it planning, when you do it informally it's something like speculating. Whether you're planning or speculating, the exercise represents just the tip of the iceberg. For the plans or scenarios to amount to something, they have to be implemented. In turn, tha. . .

5 Ways To Promote Your Affiliate Programs

After having chosen several programs to join, you probably realize that customers won't knock on your door - you have to come to them. By promoting your affiliate programs successfully, you build your own success! So what should you do to promote your affiliate programs? Here are five methods which have succeeded for millions and can succeed for you, if you choose to follow the same steps as th. . .

Self-Employment in the Age of the Computer

Self-Employment in the Age of the Computer, or: Using the computer to create your own income. I believe that there is a huge market that is not widely recognized but, available right now for people to create their own careers. I approached Human Resources, E.I., and Canada Manpower in Canada, and Government Unemployment and Employment agencies about advertising this particular avenue of self-em. . .

What is productivity? And, why does it matter?

What is productivity? And, why does it matter? By: Robert F. Abbott When Phil hires a new helper for one of his construction projects, he first watches to see whether or not the newcomer has the right attitudes and habits to keep him as an employee. And, if the newcomer meets expectations,' Phil introduces him to his philosophy about work by telling him the woodcutters story. Two woodcutters wh. . .

Email Interviews

Article may be used in free emags, newsletters, websites or print publications. Minor editing for grammar and punctuation is fine, just please keep most of article intact. Resource box at end of article MUST be included. Thanks. EMAIL INTERVIEWS by Pam White Reporters and writers know the value of face-to-face interviews. Follow-up questions are easy in real time allowing writers to chase a n. . .

Affiliate Programs...Why They Work and Why They Don't!

Here it is in Black and White: Don't make the same mistakes many new marketers do. Don’t give up! I've heard tons of discouraging stories about affiliate programs. And, quite honestly, I was one of them some years ago. It is a common story. You get into the Internet, surf a bit, find this website about how you can make money and say: "Baboooom, I can do it too". So you start TRYING to se. . .

Six Tips to Better Photos for Food Writers

Article may be used in free emags, newsletters, websites or print publications. Minor editing for grammar and punctuation is fine, just please keep most of article intact. Resource box at end of article MUST be included. Thanks. SIX TIPS TO BETTER PHOTOS FOR FOOD WRITERS by Pamela White Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of taking photographs of your culinary creations for publication? Here ar. . .

When a Publisher Asks for Photos

Article may be used in free emags, newsletters, websites or print publications. Minor editing for grammar and punctuation is fine, just please keep most of article intact. Resource box at end of article MUST be included. Thanks. WHEN A PUBLISHER ASKS FOR PHOTOS by Pamela White While requirements from various publishers will vary by their reproduction process and their mechanical setups, you wi. . .

Those Deadly Deadlines

Article may be used in free emags, newsletters, websites or print publications. Minor editing for grammar and punctuation is fine, just please keep most of article intact. Resource box at end of article MUST be included. Thanks. THOSE DEADLY DEADLINES by Pamela White My back hurts and head throbs. The lights are too bright; the temperature too cold. Is it the flu? Some as-yet unnamed dread di. . .

Productivity: So Many Small Things

We rarely see stories or articles about productivity in the newspaper or on TV. When we do, it’s usually just another story on the economy that defies understanding. Which is too bad. Our prosperous standard of living arrived, in large part, because of the ability of companies and organizations everywhere, and for the past several hundred years, to increase productivity. Productivity simply re. . .

Story Telling With a Purpose

For a brief time, I tried to sell life insurance. And, the operative word was 'tried' I can assure you. Although I thought I did a good job on the presentations and scripts provided by trainers, I did not make a single sale. On the other hand, the veteran who trained me didn’t spend much time with presentations or scripts. He simply told stories about clients who spared their loved ones great . . .

Making the Intangible Real

How do you make the intangible real? How do you take an idea or concept, something that can't be seen or touched, and convey its essence to others, quickly and easily? That challenge faces many of us in this age of information and knowledge marketing. In advertising and other marketing communications, we have to convince prospects to respond to words and ideas. Intangibility is a challenge I of. . .

The Significance of the Mundane

This article begins with a tip of the hat to a scholarly publication called the Journal of Mundane Behavior. Unlike other publications, which herald important issues, this one trumpets everyday, but rarely noticed, behaviors. It sees what the rest of us overlook because that stuff is so, well, mundane (my dictionary defines 'mundane' as being ordinary or common). For example, I just read an art. . .

Technology & Communication

A study a couple of years ago found that 63% of executives were making fewer business trips because of technology. Instead of a plane trip, face-to-face meetings and a plane trip back, they used email, videoconferencing, or online meetings, according to the Accountemps study. If you're a manager who's spending less time with a suitcase and more with a mouse, you'll want to pay attention to the . . .

Manage Communication to Add Value

Management guru Tom Peters says white collar workers and managers in functional departments need to protect their futures. They have to learn "the difference between doing totally acceptable work and creating very new value...." he notes, in an Industry Week article. In other words, people in departments like Human Resources and Finance need to become entrepreneurial. With that in mind, let's l. . .

Is your employee newsletter management propaganda?

It should not be. If it is an effective newsletter, it will serve the needs of readers (employees) as much as it serves the needs of the publisher (management). Let me explain how to ensure it serves employees as well as management, by reviewing four key points I make in A Manager’s Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results. Objectives and reader responses: First, state your objectives i. . .

How To Stop Your Snoring - 2

As you can imagine, because of that seriousness, a number of people are desperate to end snoring; either their own snoring, or that of a partner. And as you can just as easily imagine, that desperation has inspired an array of so-called solutions; some of which are effective and safe, and others that are risky and exploratory. Unfortunately, because the problem of snoring is so acute its actu. . .

How To Stop Snoring - 1

Snoring is No Laughing Matter As innocent children armed with our trusty toolbox of crayons and markers, we often depicted a snoring person as someone lying in bed with a series of “Zs” casually emerging from a peacefully sleeping body. However, what we neglected to draw and again, rather innocently was the severe underlying damage that was occurring in that ordinary picture. The Damage is. . .

The Power of 'because...'

"Do it!", "Do it now!", or "Do it because..." Which of these commands is most likely to get the response you want? If you picked the third, the one that includes 'because', you'd be right. Of course, if you're a parent, aunt, or uncle you may know that already. The idea behind 'because...' is to provide an explanation or rationalization for the request you're making. In other words, the command. . .

One Persons Porn is My Erotica

Erotica is not something easily defined or easily accepted by society. There is most definitely a difference of opinion in people's minds between what porn is and what erotica is. Sex is one of the most difficult and controversial topics in society today. I often have been accused of writing porn. Many think that any kind of writing that examines the bounds of intimacy is dirty and something t. . .

Overcoming Obstacles: 7 Tips to Build Your Self-esteem

Overcoming Obstacles: 7 Tips to Build Your Self-esteem by Dr. Cynthia Barnett One of the most difficult things we face when trying to improve our self-esteem is overcoming obstacles. It's an unfortunate fact that obstacles are a part of life; they often show up when least expected and threaten to undermine our coping mechanisms. There is a way we can work with obstacles - to see them in a diff. . .

What Makes A Good Media Story?

Media relations can be difficult, but also rewarding. And the lessons we learn from working with newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and online publications should increase the effectiveness of all our communication initiatives. That's because dealing with the media parallels our dealings with other stakeholders. In media relations, the competition to be heard and get a response intensifi. . .

Natural Beauty: The Benefits of Holistic Skin Care

Natural Beauty: The Benefits of Holistic Skin Care What is holistic skin care? It’s a regimen that recognizes that your skin is not just the outermost layer of your body it’s also a reflection of your body’s internal state. Rather than just treating the surface symptoms, such as wrinkles, sallow skin, acne, dry flakes, and so on, holistic skin care aims to target the root problems in an effort . . .

Weak Dollar Is a Huge Draw for Foreign Investors in US Real Estate

The weak US dollar has been good news for real estate. Taking advantage of the favorable conversion rates, foreign investors are eagerly picking up real estate in major cities across the US. Who is buying and where are they investing? WHO IS INVESTING? In recent years the US real estate market has seen the highest amount of investing from foreign investors in Germany, Britain, Canada, Japan and. . .

Communicating CEOs

I see a PR firm has done a survey on the amount of time Canadian CEOs spend on communication, and found they spend almost half of their time on communication. I think we're supposed to be impressed that CEOs spend that much time on communication. But, quite frankly, what else does a CEO do? And, if you consider both direct and indirect communication, wouldn't that be more like 90%? So, what do . . .

Penis Size Paranoia

Hello Internet, How big does a man need to be to satisfy a woman? Read the surprising answer... Introduction Our contemporary world suggests that a man must have a penis that is between 10 and 20 inches or he is an inferior male who cannot really please a woman. As absurd as it may seem, the "media" is constantly suggesting that unless a man has a penis the size of his forearm or the size of a. . .

How to Connect Features and Values

"Buy this magazine or we'll shoot the dog," went a memorable cover for the satire magazine National Lampoon many years ago. On the cover, along with the threat, was the picture of an attractive dog with large sad eyes - and a pistol pointed at its head! Want a powerful way to make sure your message leaves an impression on the people who receive it? Talk about the consequences that will occur as. . .

Why Write Down Your Ideas?

Whether you're a manager, professional, or entrepreneur you need to think ahead. When you do it in a formal sense, it's called it planning, when you do it informally it's something like speculating. Whether you're planning or speculating, the exercise represents just the tip of the iceberg. For the plans or scenarios to amount to something, they have to be implemented. In turn, that usually inv. . .

Poetry is the universal language of our heart

I have always had my own ideas on what makes a good poem. But who are we really as critiques to start changing how poets should write a poem. When we read a book, do you read through the book pointing out areas, saying to ourselves; “I would have written it this way?” The same can be said about music. Do we start critiquing music and telling the artist I would have written it this way. Let's f. . .

A competitive and cutthroat look at writing

Let me start by saying, humor that is hurtful or at the expense of other writers has no place in the writing industry. Board fights and flame wars do not belong in the writing community. This should be about writing. Online writing communities have become a cutthroat, often uncaring part of cyber world. In order to succeed in writing, I've always believed that we must come together and help eac. . .

Two-Step Your Communication

Ever use someone else to get your message out? For example, big, multi-location companies sometimes make important announcements through local plant or office managers, rather than at head office. Another example: advocacy groups that ask their members to individually write or call politicians. Both examples illustrate what's called a two-step communication strategy - getting extra mileage out . . .

“I Finally Discovered A Secret To FREE Content No One Else Has!”

There are many tips and techniques to improve search engine rankings and increase link popularity. One of the most powerful, yet simple method is sharing content, as in, writing articles that you then feed to article directories. Done right, this technique will drive an enormous amount of targeted traffic to your offer. Article writing can become a tedious, mind-numbing experience, for a number. . .

Dump that Overhead Projector!

What is it about overhead projectors that causes us to become lousy communicators? Why do our speeches or presentations lose much of their steam when we use overheads? Well, for starters, we often give more attention to the overheads than the audience. It can't be helped. After all, we have to pick up the right overhead, separate it from the next one, get it on the projector properly, check it . . .

Communicating When A Crisis Strikes

How would you handle communication if your business or practice got into a crisis situation? I was pleasantly surprised when my Internet service provider responded competently and quickly to a technical crisis. And, we can learn to communicate more effectively by studying its response. The crisis occurred when hackers attacked its system at the same time that the company was upgrading its syste. . .

When Gifts Say More

What's a gift mean? If you're like me, you probably focus on the giving and the getting. But, have you thought of gifts as a medium, a channel, for communication? In a book called The Gift, French anthropologist Marcel Mauss argues that gifts are universally used to create and manage relationships. For those of us interested in business communication, the idea of managing work relationships wit. . .

Change, or Reinforce?

Do you know about the distinction - and it's a useful one - between communication that tries to reinforce and communication that tries to get change? If you follow politics you'll already be familiar with this idea: Incumbents send messages that reinforce existing voter behavior, while challengers call for changes. Any thoughtful marketing communication (and political communication is marketing. . .

Communicating Across Time Horizons

There was a time in my life when I sold life insurance. Well, to be frank, I tried to sell life insurance. With little success. And while I didn't sell any insurance, I did learn a thing or two, and I'd like to explore one of them with you today - time horizons. Some of the prospective policyholders I met could visualize themselves well into the future, say 20 or 30 years into the future. They . . .

Communicating In Chaotic Environments

How do you, or would you, communicate in a chaotic environment? That question was put to me by a reader who works in big, frantically-paced telecommunications company. Many projects operate at the same time, and many connections exist among the project teams. In this environment, teams work independently, but at the same time depend on each other for critical information. Without that informati. . .

Communicating with Offsite Workers

How do you, or would you, communicate with employees who work offsite? Perhaps you have telecommuters reporting to you, or sales reps who work out of offices in other cities. How do you communicate with them? Let's start with the strategic issues: what do you want to accomplish by communicating with them? And, why would they want to communicate with you? Strategic means you'll probably want to . . .

Contrarian Marketing at Benetton's

Perhaps, with apologies to Dale Carnegie, we should call this article: "How to make enemies AND influence people." The subject: United Colors of Benetton's campaign to promote its clothing, using photos and stories about death row prisoners in the U.S. It's what journalist James Bone of the Times of London called the "latest in a string of deliberately provocative campaigns". In an age when mos. . .

Amazing Information About Blogging

A few months back, at the ITEA conference I saw this guy sitting next to me typing constantly into his wireless laptop. He was making notes on what the speakers had to say, was finding relevant links and then hitting the send key - instantly updating his Web site. No sooner the site was updated; he would get responses back from readers around the globe. He was a Blogger. About Blogs Several ye. . .

Getting to Consensus

The need to get people in an organization to pull together comes out often in discussions about communication. Let's think of it as getting to consensus, to roll a bunch of similar issues into one ball. Further, let's think of getting to consensus as a process. That is, something that happens as the result of a series of deliberate actions on our part. We start the process by analyzing the curr. . .

20 Amazing Ways To Jump Start Your Sales

1. Find a strategic business partner. Look for ones that have the same objective. You can trade leads, share marketing info, sell package deals, etc. 2. Brand your name and business. You can easily do this by just writing articles and submitting them to e-zines or web sites for republishing. 3. Start an auction on your web site. The type of auction could be related to the theme of your site. Yo. . .

Get Speaking

On a recent Sunday evening, I watched a friend ‘graduate' from a beginner's class for stand-up comedians. Needless to say, I saw many levels of competence and talent as the nine students gave their 10 minute ‘commencement speeches' before an audience of perhaps 250, mostly friends and family. Some, obviously, would never make it to prime time. Others have a good chance, given determination and . . .

Linking Features & Benefits

I'm sure that you've had those Eureka! moments, too. When a piece of information suddenly helped you see or understand something that hadn't been apparent before. For me, one came when I discovered means-end analysis, a marketing concept that helps us understand why listeners or readers might respond -- or not respond -- to our messages. It does this by clarifying the relationship between produ. . .

Pitching to Employees

The senior flight attendant on the WestJet flight was starting the routine safety talk: the bit about flotation vests and emergency exits that we ignore at the beginning of every flight. "If we could have your attention, please, we would appreciate it - in fact we'd be downright shocked," she said. The passengers and the rest of the crew laughed along with her and then, having captured our atte. . .

Listening Strategically

Usually, we're most interested in communicating outwardly; getting our messages out to others. But finding ways to hear what's going on around us can be just as important. Let's start by identifying three different types of listening we do. The first type - informal listening - comes naturally, as in listening to another person. I take in what you have to say, and how you say it. A second type,. . .

Does my life make a difference?

Thank you to painter Phil Roberts for the inspiration to write my following article. "Does my life make a difference?” “Does anyone ever notice me?” "What purpose does my writing have?" These are questions that we have asked ourselves, at one point in our lives. Are you uncertain about your impact on others? Do you feel that your time of usefulness is over? You never know who may be appreciatin. . .

Critique the Poem not the Poet

The act of writing poetry is something that is very personal to us poets and sharing it for the first time can be a very frightening experience. The first experience of having your work criticized can boggle our mind and set us back a step in our writing. However critique is essential in any writer’s career. Accepting criticism is something that we all must face even if we don't like it. When . . .

Bills Gates wishes to share his fortune

Guess what I received a letter in my inbox from Bill Gates and if I forward the letter on to everyone I know he is going to send me money. Sounds to good to be true doesn't it? Well likely because it is. Am I the only one who hates chain letters? Those things have to be one of my biggest pet peeves and what I can't understand is why anyone bothers sending them. Chain letters are as bad as hoax. . .

Killer Tips To Succeed with ebay Auction

For just a moment, try to comprehend the power of the Internet. Every day, there are millions of people from around the globe “surfing the web.” People run their business from the Internet, search for love, research succulent recipes, plan vacations, and best of all they SHOP! People that shop are always looking for a bargain, not just any bargain, but something spectacular. The most popular. . .

Speakers Learn How to Define Your Niche

Speakers Learn How to Define Your Niche Position yourself to become the speaker of choice. If someone is already doing it - do something else! This is one of the hardest things speakers have to do - defining their niche, and in most cases, it can stop them dead in their tracks. Inexperienced speakers have a tendency to generalize themselves and that won’t lead to those successful paid speaking . . .

How to Format Your Email Newsletter

When subscribers’ email readers (programs) receive your text newsletter, they will display it in all kinds of ways. Not only are there different programs, but each one has several customization options. One of the problems arising out of this diversity is line length. In extreme cases, recipients will get one extremely long line for each paragraph, because their email programs have not wrapped. . .

Mind Mapping

Ever been on a project where you had trouble keeping all the 'if' questions straight? "If this happens," you say, "we'll do one thing. But, if that happens, we'll do something else instead, but only on a Wednesday." In cases like these, especially with high stakes, you may have drawn a diagram on a piece of paper. That way you could visualize the forks in the path ahead, while still seeing the . . .

Strategic Clarity for Communication Management

Over the past few weeks I've been developing plans for a communication project, a media relations campaign. That's prompted me to reflect again on the communication management process by which we transform communication ideas into operational activities. For me, the communication management process has four phases: conception (strategy); development (tactics); operations (execution); and review. . .

Creating More Effective Proposals

The need for good proposals - the business kind, not the marriage kind - struck me again a couple of days ago, when I received a poor proposal. I had talked on the phone with a sales rep, and then she followed up with a proposal. You know what? Her proposal was even worse than her live sales pitch. It was a completely canned message, which wasted her time and mine. With that, some thoughts on c. . .

Generating More Traffic

Traffic-generation is a hot topic for marketers. In particular, “free traffic” seems to be the desire of most. But many sources of “free” traffic are not really free—they take your time, which can often be more valuable than spending a few dollars on your marketing. The best idea is to combine the better sources of free traffic with some paid advertising. I propose three methods that will boost. . .

Email Newsletter Software

What software do I need? Should I create my newsletter in a word processor or email program? Which email program should I use? Those questions came from a visitor to the Manager’s Guide to Newsletters website. She planned to start an email newsletter that would go to parents of students at her school and wanted to know about the software she would need. In response, we’ll look at these two imp. . .

Stress - How To Manage Effectively

Stress is very common in all walks of life and in all occupations. There are different kinds of stress, such as acute, episodic and chronic. Each one has its own list of symptoms and triggers that set it off. Chronic stress is the most dangerous one because it can affect a persons health and welfare and lead to depression if he/she cannot develop methods of stress relief. This is the gnawing fe. . .

Email Newsletters: The Header

Managing Subscriber addresses: At the top of your email message you see the header, where you insert addresses and a subject heading. It all looks simple enough, but there are some tricks and tips you should know, and one very important warning. Let’s start with that warning: In addressing your newsletter, do not put subscriber names or email addresses in the TO or the CC (Carbon Copy) field. A. . .

Email Newsletters: Privacy and Unsubscribing

As you likely know from personal experience, the value of email has been greatly tarnished by spam, unsolicited messages, online junk mail. So, many subscribers and would-be subscribers care very much about the exposure of their email addresses. Since this issue is so important, articulate a privacy policy for your newsletter. Will you rent, sell, or exchange the names of your subscribers to ot. . .

Marketing With Assessments

How to Use Assessments to Attract New Clients and Increase the Size of Your Opt-In E-mail List Assessments are challenging traditional website registration incentives, such as e-books,special reports, and tip sheets. Why assessments? Assessments are questionnaires visitors fill out on your website. Instead of immediately providing scores on your site, however, autoresponders deliver scores by. . .

Permission Marketing With Tip Sheets

Permission Marketing with Tip Sheets Use tip sheets to encourage clients and prospects to sign up for your e-mail Newsletter. Permission Marketing, a marketing concept popularized by Seth Godin, is based on obtaining your client’s, prospect’s, and web site visitor’s permission to communicate with them via e-mail. Often, the hardest part of a Permission Marketing program is developing an incent. . .

Don’t Let Dandruff Stop You Wearing Black Dress

Dandruff is one of those conditions that is infinitely more threatening to your self-confidence than it is to your health, but, for the 50,000,000 people who suffer from it,it is an upsetting problem nonetheless. Those apparently harmless white flakes that drift on to the shoulders of that gorgeous black dress, or that perfectly tailored suit, can have a huge impact upon the confidence of the . . .

Top 3 Reasons Why RSS Is Better Than Email

Everyone is talking about RSS. Blogs, newsites and the like are putting those little orange RSS link thingies all over their sites. What's all the hype about? Okay, email will always have its purpose in life. But many people are realizing that RSS is an excellent alternative to email for newsletters or other mass-distribution lists. Here are three HUGE advantages of RSS over Email: 1) RSS . . .

Image Conversion In Computers

JPEG, GIFF/JIFF, BMP, and TIFF are the most commonly used formats for storing still image files such as photographs, graphics, and drawings. JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group and is a standard for image compression. However, some amount of data/detail is lost in the process. JPEG therefore is characterized by a glossy compression technique for still color images, just as MPEG is . . .

Managing Internet Addresses in Your Email Newsletter

Web and email addresses pose a special challenge for writers and publishers of email newsletters and ezines. I don’t know about you, but I find it frustrating when I have to copy and paste an address into a browser, or into a separate email window. Especially when I know how easy it is for the writer or publisher to put in ‘live’ links that allow readers to reach a destination or to create a n. . .

A Good Joke Can Lighten the Mood

A joke is a way of getting people to laugh. It is a great opener for a speech or in a social gathering to break the ice. Laughter is the best medicine and very often telling someone who is sick a funny joke gets them laughing and for a minute or two they forget about their illness. Children love jokes, especially Knock, Knock jokes and once they find one they like, they tell it all the time. Th. . .

10 Effective Ways To Reduce Your Business Costs

1. Barter If you have a business you should be bartering goods and services with other businesses. You should try to trade for something before you buy it. Barter deals usually require little or no money. 2. Network Try networking your business with other businesses. You could trade leads or mailing lists. This will cut down on your marketing and advertising costs. You may also try bartering go. . .

Is Your Web Site Too Hard?

Is your website too hard? Take the “Easy Test” to see if your website is as visitor friendly as it should be! Websites often fail to produce the desired results. This can be because visitors find them too hard to understand or navigate. Here are some potential usability problems to avoid. 1. Hard to find Is your website easy to locate? Do you promote it everywhere, (i.e. business cards, invoi. . .

Proofreading for Profits

How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibility You’re probably already familiar with the spell checker built into your software. Some work automatically as you type, others only run when you activate them. Spell checking is just the start of your proofreading tasks. Don’t let simple grammatical errors, or text omissions, sabotage your message. Here are some things to check for that go . . .

You Market As You Believe

You Market As You Believe by John Botscharow This is an except from Basic Training, the recently released first volume of my Web Guerrilla Journal. It explains why I am so strongly comitted to getting all of you to look at the philosophical, sociological and psychological assumptions you use in your marketing. Today I want to talk a little about a "philosophical" concept that I mentioned in my . . .