Willie Crawford's Marketing Insights

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June 29, 2005

Entrepreneurial Success Seminar For Home Schooling Parents And Their Kids - Phoenix Arizona, August 26th - 28th, 2005

If you are interested in attending an event that has already changed the mindset and lives of over 600 homeschoolers, then listen to this.

A veteran homeschool mom of 7 who has spent several years applying education to the principles of home business and traveling to professional conferences with her children is hosting a professional Business Conference that parents can attend with their young adults! There's nothing else like it in America!

It's called Rhea's Entrepreneur Days and will be held in Phoenix, Arizona on August 26-28, 2005. It offers:

* Dads - a way to come home to work

* Moms - a way to supplement your family's income

* Young adults - entrepreneurial vision and knowledge to begin a career working from home

Each week, Rhea interviews one of the guests on a bonus education call (at no charge except your long distance charges) so let me know if you are interested in hearing the next one. You can register on the site.

At this conference, professional experts and millionaires will share their expertise on several different home businesses.

Here is a list of the speakers and their topics:
Christian Principles of Financial Freedom by Pastor Ken Lawrence (homeschool dad)
How to Make Money on the Internet by Internet Millionaire Armand Morin
How I Became a Real Estate Investor When I Was 18 by Drew Perry (homeschooler)
The Stock Market in Terms Anyone Can Understand and The Philosophy Behind the Entrepreneurial by Stock
Market Expert Chris Verhaegh
Secrets No One Has Told You About Selling on eBay by Jim Cockrum
Speaking Your Way to Success by Speaker Trainer John Childers
Creating Your Own eBooks by Multi-media Expert Jim Edwards
Real Estate Investing Made Simple by Bryan Ellis
Designing a Web Site to Make Money by Frank Deardurff
Have Your Own Online Greeting Card Company by Willie Crawford

If you are interested in learning how to prepare your children to be financially free, don't miss this one-of-a-kind event!

http://williecrawford.com/rheas-days-phoenix.html

Let me know if you are interested in going!

Willie

P.S. If this is not for you, please pass this info along to a friend who might be interested in changing their life.

Posted by Willie Crawford at 09:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Is It Illegal For You To Make MP3's

I've received several emails over the past week warning me that everyone making and distributing MP3 were potentially violating some patent/licensing laws and that we should stop doing it.

I saw several different opinions in several ezine, and on discussion forums. Jim Edwards have a great write-up on the topic over at his blog. Check out: http://www.igottatellyou.com/blog/

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 01:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 26, 2005

4 New Free MP3 Audio Interviews - Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero,Scott Paton, Marty Foley, and Willie Crawford

4 Great Free Audio Interviews

Be sure to check out these free MP3 audio interviews:

++ Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero: Copywriting Secrets

++ Scott Paton: Getting Traffic with RSS and Blogs

++ Marty Foley: Testing and Marketing Tips

++ Willie Crawford: Niche Marketing and Sales Success Tips

These are all interviews of speakers at the upcoming MegaSeminar
and all of the interviews contain lots of tips/information you
CAN put to immediate use.

You can listen to or download the interviews from:
http://www.MegaSeminar.com/WillieCrawfordLive.htm
We don't even ask for you email address :-)

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 03:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 20, 2005

Willie Crawford And Mark Joyner at Gary Halbert's Fusion Seminar

Here's Mark Joyner and myself at Gary Halbert's seminar this weekend (June 17th -19th).

The photo makes you wonder what we were up to. Actually, Mark was getting ready to speak... but the photo does look a little fishy.

Mark gave a masterful presentation... and demonstration, on how to create masterful copy even if you're writing, grammar,and spelling are terrible. Not that Mark's copywriting is bad :-)

Make revealed a few trump card that simply force your reader to read all the way through you copy and really want your product.

More to come...

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 12:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 18, 2005

When And How Should You Use Graphics On Your Webpage

We've all heard anecdotial tales of webpages doing substantially better when distracting graphics were removed. The point of whether the help or hurt copy has been long debated.

Michel Fortin, has an excellent article on his site where he explains how, when, and why you should use graphics to better get your message into the minds of your salesletter/webpage readers.

Check out: http://www.michelfortin.com/
It's the article entitled, "It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It"

On the off chance that you don't know who Michel Fortin is, he's the one who wrote the salesletter for John Reese that sold $1,000,0000 worth of his Traffic Secrets Course in only 24 hours! He obviously has a clue :-)

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 05:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 17, 2005

John Carlton's Stuff :-)

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 10:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

7 Free Report You DON'T Want To Miss!

Here's something I wanted to pass along...
especially after personally meeting Mr. C :-)

Mr. C is the go to guy for many of

today's top internet gurus. He helps

them explode their sales with some

very unconventional methods you

most likely have never heard about.

Right now he's doing a project with

Rich Schefren and Stephen Pierce. When

you go to their website you can opt-in to

claim 7 insider reports that are bound

to open your eyes and fill your pockets.

Don't waste anytime.

Grab the free reports here. I've enjoyed
each one that I received.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 09:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Not Going To New York On June 24th Now, Maybe Vegas!

I was originally scheduled to speak at Kamau Austin's "Selling Online In Record Time" Seminar on the June 24th - 25th. For a number of reasons, we've decided to postpone this seminar until the Fall.

Since that weekend is also when Carl Galletti has his Internet Marketing Super Conference in Las Vegas, I may now attend that event. I need to decide soon. I may also just stay at home and relax (fishing and playing with my grand daughter).

There will be a lot of great speakers and lots of my old friends at the conference though.

I'll let you know later. If you're going to attend, feel free to post that here :-)

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 09:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

From Gary Halbert's Fusion Seminar

This weekend I drove from my house to Miami (11 hours) to attend Gary Halbert's Fusion Seminar. It would have even longer to fly since I would have had a 10 hour layover in St. Petersburgh, so I just elected to drive and listen to some of the many recorded seminars I have on cassette tape and CD on the way over.

I got in half an hour late because I forgot the Miami is actually an hour earlier than where I live. Florida is divided into 2 time zones and I don't always think about that.

As soon as I heard the first speaker, I now that it was going to be WELL worth the trouble and expense.

Mark Joyner did a great job of explaining how Internet marketers can easily sell their wares both online and offline. Most of us understand the online portion, but don't do much offline (direct mail, etc.) because of the much greater expense. Mark graphed out how to use an online campaign to easily finance an offline campaign.

I do sell using offline methods some, but will step this up substantially this fall. If you're not using direct mail, you're probably leaving 80% of the money on the table. I'll explain why I said that in another post.

Gary Halbert's presentations were incredibly insightful. He hardly opened his mouth where everyone in the room wasn't busily jotting down some idea that he triggered.

Michel Fortin also threw out a lot of gems.

John Carlton explained the very essence of writing great copy and how to get over your fear or need to write perfect copy.

After only the first day at this seminar, I found myself wanting to go rewrite a few of my webpages. However, since it's been nearly 40 hours since I last slept, I don't think that I will. Although, some copywriters write better when they're tired. It breaks down the mental resistance :-)

I'll check in again from the seminar tomorrow.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 09:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 15, 2005

John Carlton Explains Dave Thomas' Secret Advertising Weapon

John Carlton in one of his special reports explains that it
doesn't matter so much what you look like so much as what your
personality is like. He uses the example of Wendy's founder
Dave Thomas, whom he described as rather homely, but looking
somewhat like a father or uncle. These aren't John's exact
words.

The funny thing is that I didn't pay much attention to WHAT
Dave looked like. His commercials worked. In fact they worked
so well that when Wendy's stopped using them and tried to
substitute others, sales suffered. When they switched back to
the commercials using Dave, sales went back up :-)

Here's Dave's photo...

John's a brilliant copywriter who has mentored many of the
copywriters that I know. John Carlton, Mark Joyner, Michel
Fortin, and Gary Halbert are sponsoring a seminar in Miami,
Florida this weekend (June 17th - 19th). I'm already
registered to attend. I wouldn't miss a chance to miss learning
from this incredible group of copywriters.

You can check out this seminar... sponsored by Gary Halbert,
by clicking here.

All of these great copywriters show you what's working by
providing dozens of real world examples of what's working and
explaining WHY!

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 08:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 14, 2005

Free Transcript Of Google AdSense Teleseminar

I just wanted to let you know that the transcript from the
Google AdSense teleseminar I did with Joel Comm is available
for download at:
http://WillieCrawford.com/AdsenseTeleseminar.pdf

Click on the link above and open it in your browser window. Then
save it to your harddrive. Make a note of where you saved it.

Enjoy the transcript, but be sure to put it to good use. During
the teleseminar, I offered a free copy of a personal checklist
that I use. I'll also extend that offer to you. Details are in
the transcript :-)

Joel is up to $26,000 per month in AdSense revenue now, which
isn't bad for some who started out making just a few dollars
per day.

You can check out Joel's ebook here!

Willie Crawford

Posted by Willie Crawford at 09:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

How to build an email list as an affiliate

How to build an email list as an affiliate

By: David Lake of http://www.affiliateanswers.com

You have probably heard “the money is in the list” at least a
thousand times. But it is true; the money is in the list.

There is no doubt about it, 99% of people making money online
have an email list. But you already knew that.

What you don't know is how they got those coveted lists of email
addresses that allow them to contact prospects over and over
again.

To be very honest with you, most people who have built a big
email list have their own product. But I know getting your own
successful product is very difficult.

So I want to talk about how you can begin building your email
list as an affiliate. With no product, and no website of your
own.

The first thing you need to do is understand the reason you are
not making as much money as you had hoped with affiliate
programs.

Lets look at a quick real world example. I think it will help you
see what the real problem is with the way most affiliates try
make money online.

Let's say you are promoting printers for a particular merchant.
And let's say that you referred 700 visitors, generated the
merchant 100 leads and made 5 sales this month. Not a bad month.

But what if you had that list of 100 leads of people that are
interested in buying a printer? Some of those 100 leads are going
to buy a printer soon, and since your merchant has the leads,
they are likely to buy it from them.

Imagine if you had that list of prospects. You could turn some of
those 100 leads into printer sales next month, and earn yourself
some more commission.

But as it stands right now, you have no way of capturing those
100 leads yourself. You can only send people to your affiliate
link, and those visitors really do business with your merchant.

And that's exactly the problem. Every prospect you refer to any
merchant you promote for really becomes their prospect, and not
yours.

But what if there was a way to capture the contact information
from many of the people who click on your affiliate links.

Now every time you advertise and get a lead or a sale for a
merchant, you would actually be building your email list.

So you are building your email list for the future, and not just
working for pennies giving away leads to your merchants.

This is just a much better way to promote products as an
affiliate. To find our more about how to do this you need to go
check out http://www.affiliate-wizard.com

Posted by Willie Crawford at 09:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

I Want YOU To Earn $132 Per Month, Per Referral - Just Like The Big Dogs Do!

It's hard to imagine that anyone in business hasn't heard of Jay Abraham.

Odds are high you've heard of him before because his reputation is almost mythical throughout the online & offline world.

If I took the time to list his credentials, to summarize the remarkable articles the press have written about him, well let's just say that we would be here for a long time. Jay is good ...

But ...

Jay is expensive.

He charges $5,000 an hour or $40,000 a day when he does it.
People line up to pay him $25,000 each to participate in his expensive seminars.

So ...

I want to help you make some great affiliate income off of Jay's latest project.

I want to introduce you to a brand new service Jay is launching, right now. Expressly for people like you who would benefit and profit from his help -- but wouldn't ordinarily be willing to pay his fees.

What's more, Jay has an affiliate program that will knock your socks off.

Imagine this ...

Affiliates earn $102 per new member, recurring each month.

As a Standard Affiliate, refer just 20 members, and you are earning $2,040 per month without having to refer another member!

Become a Platinum Affiliate and earn $132 for each member, recurring.

Affiliates can also refer other affiliates and receive $21 per new Insiders' Club member, recurring each month for as long as a member remains!

But ...

WARNING: In order to become an affiliate, you have to fill out a detailed (39 Question) application form. This took me 20 minutes, but also taught me a lot about my business.

Jay wants to know exactly what your goals are and plans to work with you to help you meet them.

Check out the following page:
http://www.abrahampublishing.net/app/?Clk=1111726

Down at the bottom of the page, you will find a link titled:

Click Here to Earn a Great Income as One of Jay's "Partner in Profits"

Click on that link to sign-up as an affiliate.

Here's a report from Jay that I'd like to share with you.

It's entitled "Windfall Profits Paradox." In one 32-page reading, you'll learn more ways to put a pot full of money in your bank account.

To get your copy of his report, go to:

http://WillieCrawford.com/windfallreport.pdf

It's my incentive to you to stimulate you to investigate the proposition that he's come up with for business owners, start-ups, entrepreneurs and self-employed people like you.

Isn't it time you earned some of the big commissions too?

Willie

http://www.abrahampublishing.net/app/?Clk=1111726

Posted by Willie Crawford at 04:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Free Website Critique

Submit Your Website For A Free Critique

Most Saturday mornings between 11AM and 12:30PM
Central Standard Time, I host a networking and
brainstorming call. The majority of the time on
the call is spent doing critiques of 2-3 websites.
Then we open the calls up to general discussion.

We have room on tomorrow's call for an additional
website. If you'd like for your website to be
considered, first you have to register for the
call. You do that by sending a blank email to
my autoresponder at

willie3-56875@autocontactor.com

The autoresponder message has the call details
and instructions on how to submit your site
for consideration.

Please do no submit your site through the blog.

Please click here to confirm what time the call is
held in your time zone.Thank you,
Willie Crawford

Posted by Willie Crawford at 04:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Never Throw Business Away

This article contains a great story...

Never Throw Business Away
By Debbie Allen

You have permission to publish this article electronically
or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are
included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be
appreciated - send to: info@DebbieAllen.com

Never Throw Business Away

While writing my book, Confessions of Shameless Internet
Promoters, I contacted dozens of Internet marketing experts from
around the world. During just one hour via e-mail I had written
to and received e-mails from all over the US, Canada, Mexico, the
UK and Australia. That is five countries around the globe in
just ONE HOUR. The power and the access to the world is now
available to all of us at lightening speed.

Here’s an example of how the amazing power of the Internet can
find endless opportunities:

A year ago I had a client in Australia that was in search of another
speaker like myself who is an expert in marketing and retail, but that
lived in Australia.

Since I live in Phoenix, Arizona US, I did not know a soul in
Australia, much less a great speaker in the same niche market and
the same topic of expertise my client was looking for. But,
following my motto to “Never Throw Business Away”, I set out to
find my Australian client a dynamic expert that lived in her
country.

First I did a search on Yahoo – Australia. Since my site comes
up very high on the search engines and directories when typing in
the keywords retail speaker, I was surprised that another speaker
appeared first on the list. John Stanley – who is this John
Stanley I thought. I clicked onto his site and viewed it in great
detail. I had discovered that I had some tough competition on the
other side of the world. Not only was John an expert in retail,
he was the perfect fit for my client. So I sent him an email with
the client’s contact information. Now you may be thinking, why
would you send your client to your competition?

Here are 5 BIG reasons why:

1. My client would have found this speaker on her own doing a
search on the Internet or by contacting a Speakers Bureau anyway.
So, why not be the hero and help out the client at the same time.

2. Servicing my clients is first and foremost on my list of
priorities. I take ordinary service and turn it into
extraordinary results. This is easy to do, just stop selling and
start servicing and you reap amazing results.

3. My clients are pleasantly surprised that I would not only
refer them to a competitor, but that I would take the time to
personally introduce them. My referrals are often sent in the
form of an email (first choice because it is quick, easy and
effective), personalized letters or one on one in person.

4. Business will comes back to you many times over when using
this method effectively. I have personally experienced this for
years in the many different businesses I have owned. Most people
are afraid of their competition and therefore avoid them. This
builds up a wall around you and a competitor who happens to have
the same core customer base as you do. Don’t’ fight ‘em – join
‘em! Build alliances and send them business. It is a win-win
for everyone involved!

You service your customer, help out your competition and they in
turn will most likely turn around and help you back. Note: If
after sending numerous referrals to my competition with no
reciprocating action, I simply stop sending the referrals and
find another expert competitor that is willing to trade referrals
fairly.

5. People like to do business with people that they like, and
they like people that treat them fair, honesty and who truly care
about making personal connections and offering supportive
service. That’s just good business!

And now for the rest of the story …

When I sent my newfound competitor, John Stanley my clients
contact information, I never knew if I would her back from him or
not. And I did not know that he would want to reach out
instantly and help me back. At the time I was just helping a
client in need. But, John returned with an email to me within 24
hours. John thanked me for the referral and mentioned that he
would be in Arizona, just 20 minutes from my home in two weeks.
He said he would give me a call when he arrived. Now what are the
chances of this happening with someone I just met via the
Internet from the other side of the world?

A couple of weeks went by and the phone call came. John was in
town and wanted me to stop by where he was presenting to meet
and chat up a bit.

We chatted up a bit all right – two hours later of not stop
chatting we had discovered more and more ways to refer one
another. During our conversation, John told me he had to confess
to something that he could not tell me via email or by phone.

“Just two days before I got your email, I did a search on Yahoo
and found Debbie Allen. I thought, who is this Debbie Allen and
why am I not coming up first on the search engines under retail
speaker? So I went onto your site and discovered your
expertise. I thought, this lady is some tough competition on the
other side of the world. They I printed out a couple pages from
your Web site. Those pages were sitting on my desk when I got
your email!”

Wow! Makes the hair on your arms stand up, doesn’t it? What are
the chances? The chances my friends, for this type of
opportunity to happen to you, are endless now with the World Wide
Web. Oh yes, and if that is not enough to convince you to do
more marketing via email and passing on referrals to your
competitors, let me share with you what happened with those
referral leads.

John and I have shared many contacts and created business
opportunities in many countries including the US, Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, Singapore, UK and Africa. We have even
presented together on the same platform in England and were
dubbed the “The Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire Of The Speaking
Business”. In addition, John has become one of my most successful
distributors and resellers of my books in his part of the world.

DON’T EVER THROW BUSINESS AWAY AGAIN! Seek out, connect and refer
your clients to another expert if you can’t take the business for
some reason. Become the resource for referrals and connections –
the Internet Rolodex. When passing business along make sure that
you keep yourself in the referral loop. Send an email
introduction to your client with a copy to the person you are
referring so that they can see the contact was made. Pass on all
the contact information for the referral. Then wait for it to
come back around to you with TONS of personalized referrals and
increased business.

- 30 -

Debbie Allen is one of the world’s top sales and marketing
experts. As an international speaker she has presented to
thousands of people in nine countries around the world. She is
the author of the best seller, Confessions of Shameless Self
Promoters. Download a free chapter and sign up for her free
newsletters on shameless marketing at http://www.DebbieAllen.com
Contact Debbie directly to learn more about her dynamic keynote
presentations at 800-359-4544.

Posted by Willie Crawford at 09:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Affiliate Marketing Training - Learn to Crawl Before You Enter the Race

Affiliate Marketing Training - Learn to Crawl Before You
Enter the Race!

The growth of the affiliate marketing industry has been
astounding as of late, and that means that many new people are making the plunge
every day. This has also lead to an increase in the amount of affiliate
marketing training materials permeating the market.

So what gives?

Affiliate marketing is simply redirecting traffic, isn't it?
Isn't that what makes it so easy to do and easy to be successful at?

In a word: No!

There is a lot more to affiliate marketing then just setting
up an affiliate account, dropping your website into cyberspace, and sitting back
as the cash rolls in. Yes, it can be easy, and it is definitely creative and
fun, but it is a business, like any other, and you need to be qualified for the
position and have a good handle on what you're doing in order to survive.

There are many affiliate marketers out there who simply aren't
making the grade, and the reason is that they don't have the proper training to
be successful at their jobs. Anyone who is absolutely serious about being a
success has three options: training, training, and more training!

But where to begin? Well, there are several ways to receive
this kind of training. First of all, trial and error may be one way to go, as
many affiliate marketers are self taught.

That is a time consuming affair though, with no guarantee of
success. A better way to go would be through the use of affiliate marketing
manuals, online tutorials, affiliate marketing training courses, and of course,
the great affiliate conferences held every year in different parts of the world.

Read a Book!

One of the best and easiest ways to retain the basic
fundamental principles of affiliate marketing is to go down to your bookstore
and grab up a couple books on the subject. Many affiliate marketers have found a
way to subsidize their income as instructors and novelists, since they are
spending a lot of time writing articles for their websites anyway.

There is little in the way of professional training in
affiliate marketing, for example, you can't go to university to become an expert
on it, but many of these authors have run the self-taught method explained above
and achieved a certain level of success.

Learn from their successes and mistakes! Read their books and
take notes. See how they have found success in some areas and how they relate to
the other books you have. Cross referencing is a great way to get a feel for the
fundamentals of affiliate marketing, as you will start to see specific patterns
emerge in the training methods of each book.

Also, you will be able to trim away the extra fat that may be
part of each authors affiliate style, and come up with your own goals and
direction based on the knowledge they have imparted to you.

If reading a book isn't getting you anywhere or you'd like to
see more, there is always the online tutorial route for affiliate marketing
training.

Getting Extra Help through Cyberspace

Another great way to get he affiliate marketing training you
need is to go through an online tutorial. In much the same way as a book will
help you learn the basics and get the information you really need, online
tutorials can show you how real affiliate marketing can be successful in a
dynamic web presence complete with working models and examples.

In addition, many of these tutorials will offer links to great
savings and deals on important affiliate products such as web site hosting,
template design, and domain name registration to get the eager affiliate
marketing student up and running.

Many of these affiliate marketing online tutorials are
designed and kept up by successful affiliate marketers (some of whom may have
written books that you should already be reading!) and you can learn from their
mistakes and successes. Also, since web copy is generally simpler than book
formats, expect the information you gather from an online tutorial to be brisk,
to the point, and perfect for taking notes.

Back to School, Affiliate Marketing Style!

If you feel that you haven’t learned enough from reading books
and checking out online tutorials, then you are in exactly the right frame of
mind for being an affiliate marketing success. It is time to move on to where
real success begins: the classroom.

Now, this classroom can be in a real class, as some successful
affiliate marketers hold actual marketing lessons for their students, and,
depending where you live, this may or may not be an option for you.

On the other hand, there are plenty of marketers out there who
offer their affiliate marketing training courses as downloadable e-courses,
something you can do at home in your spare time just like distance learning for
many universities!

One
fine example of this type of downloadable course is available through one of
Affiliate Marketing's shining stars
James Martell, a
man who has made his fortune several times over by becoming first successful as
an affiliate marketer, and then as both a teacher and student of the art of
affiliate marketing and the astounding growth of the industry.

This course has been a huge success and is wildly popular not
only because it is a fully comprehensive strategy that includes all of the great
secrets to success James Martell has learned over the years, but also because
James Martell will be there with you every step of the way to make sure you get
everything out of his course that you put into it.

Martell also provides updates and online help for his
students, and anyone serious about becoming a successful affiliate marketer
really needs to take a look at what James Martell has to offer.

In fact, not only has James Martell written a book on the
subject, he has also provided online tutorials with his training course,
covering just about every area of learning in the world of
affiliate marketing
training.

Finally, after all of the hard work and effort you have put
into your education, and you feel you can't possibly learn any more without
going into the world of affiliate marketing yourself, it's time to relax, have
some fun, and really get down to business: it's time to attend and affiliate
marketing event.

The Summit of the Affiliate Marketers

Once you are ready to become an affiliate marketer, you may be
tempted to just plunge in and start getting to work. But you'll be a lot better
off - and so will your marketing strategy - if you make a point to attend an
affiliate marketing event, such as
Affiliate Summit 2005 being held Las Vegas, Nevada and
Commission Junction University
being held in Santa Barbara, California in September.

Affiliate summits and conferences are places for industry
professionals to get together, share a few laughs, eat, drink, and introduce
themselves to other parts of the affiliate marketing industry.

This means that web designers, hosting companies, and
businesses looking to expand their affiliate marketing presence are all mingling
with affiliate marketers themselves, shaking hands and making friendships that
will be beneficial to all involved.

Affiliate marketers can also learn about changes to laws and
policies, new technologies, and better strategies for tackling affiliate
marketing problems. They will be exposed to the same people who they will be in
contact with when they start their affiliate marketing strategies, and this in
turn can improve their relationships and business prospects across the board.

Plus, it is a chance to become a member of an exciting and
dynamic close-knit group of people who have come together and formed an
environment of support in an industry that leaves many untrained victims by the
wayside. These are people that you want to get to know, not because it will help
your business but because their friendships will enrich your life in ways you
can’t begin to imagine.

Affiliate marketing training. If you are really serious about
getting into the race, take some time and learn to crawl first.

For more information, see

www.work-at-home-net-guides.com.

About The Author

Bill Schnarr is a single parent and freelance writer who works
from his home in Calgary, Alberta. As well as having dozens of online and print
publishing credits, you can also look for him in the upcoming "Chicken Soup for
the Single Parents Soul" due out in February 2005.

Posted by Willie Crawford at 08:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 13, 2005

MegaSeminar - Denver, Colorado, July 16th - 17th.

If you haven't registered yet, it's time to lock in your seat for the...

MEGASeminar July 16-17, 2005 in Denver, Colorado at the Marriott Cherry Creek.
with Super Marketers Bob Silber, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, Willlie Crawford, Mike Filsaime, Quentin Brown, Gary Ambrose, Travis Greenlee, Michael Port, Scott Paton, Marty Foley, Ray Edwards, Ken Calhoun and yours truly Dr. Mike Woo-Ming

Click here to register now.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 07:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Beware The Mytob Worm - Read About It Here!

This warning was just sent me and I thought that I'd pass it along.

The Mytob Worm is wreaking havoc. I'm sure most of you have figured it out, but - just in case you haven't, PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR (DON'T OPEN) any email with the following "Subjects:"

YOUR PASSWORD HAS BEEN SUCESSFULLY UPDATED
Your Email Account is Suspended For Security Reasons
Your Password has been Updated
Your Account is Suspended
*DETECTED* Online User Violation
Your Account is Suspended For Security Reasons
Warning Message: Your services near to be closed.
Important Notification
Members Support
Security measures
Email Account Suspension
Notice of account limitation
[random characters]

These emails will contain a virus - usually the attachment of a .zip file. However, I have received some that do not SHOW the attachment, even though it is there.

Here's the URL to read all about this virus:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.mytob.eh@mm.html

[You may have to copy and paste the entire URL]

Good Luck!

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 02:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 10, 2005

Submit Your Website For A Free Critique

Most Saturday mornings between 11AM and 12:30PM
Central Standard Time, I host a networking and
brainstorming call. The majority of the time on
the call is spent doing critiques of 2-3 websites.
Then we open the calls up to general discussion.

We have room on tomorrow's call for an additional
website. If you'd like for your website to be
considered, first you have to register for the
call. You do that by sending a blank email to
my autoresponder at

willie3-56875@autocontactor.com

The autoresponder message has the call details
and instructions on how to submit your site
for consideration.

Please do no submit your site through the forum.

Thank you,
Willie Crawford

Posted by Willie Crawford at 08:29 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 09, 2005

Internet Marketing Burnout

My friend Diane, explaining Internet marketing burnout.

Something we all need to watch out for.

Willie

Willie Crawford
Chitterlings.com
WillieCrawford.com
Asbestos Induced Mesothelioma

Posted by Willie Crawford at 10:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A Way To Instantly Increase Sales by 500%???

Check this product out!

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 01:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Person Who Taught Me More About Marketing Than Anyone On The Face of The Planet!

You know what a “Who’s Who” book is? It is one of those
monster-sized encyclopedias of the most influential
prestigious luminaries in different fields of endeavor.

Well, there’s one man who probably ranks at the top of
more who’s who in business-building than any other
single individual I know. His name is Jay Abraham.

Odds are high you’ve heard of him before because his
reputation is almost mythical throughout the online &
offline world. He’s engineered more impressive
financial breakthroughs for more people in more types
of businesses, in more ways, in more countries, and in
more industries than almost any other person out there.

If I took the time to list his credentials, to
summarize the remarkable articles the press have
written about him, to list the hundreds of prominent
people he’s personally helped or riches to super-riches
success stories he’s single-handedly engineered and
orchestrated, it would take literally a thousand pages.

In fact, there are two thousand pages of case studies
alone that have been written about this man’s near
miraculous feats. He’s so good at what he does, he
commands $5,000 an hour---$40,000 a day when he does
it. People line up to pay him $25,000 each to
participate in his expensive seminars.

I want to introduce you to a brand new service this man
is launching today, right now. Expressly for people
like you who would benefit monstrously and wildly
profit from his help---but wouldn’t ordinarily be able
(or willing) to pay his staggering fees.

If you think this is hyperbole, think again. There’s a
report I’ve gained access to that I’d first love to
share with you. This man wrote it and it’s entitled
“Windfall Profits Paradox.” In one 32-page reading,
you’ll learn more ways to put a pot full of money in
your bank account than you’ve probably learned in your
entire business career.

To get your copy of his report, go to:
http://WillieCrawford.com/windfallreport.pdf

It’s my incentive to you to stimulate you to
immediately investigate the impressive and enriching
proposition he’s come up with for business owners,
start-ups, entrepreneurs and self-employed people like
you. It’s exciting. It’s unparalleled, and frankly
it’s almost indescribable and indefinable.

I believe it’s the answer you’ve been searching for.
And with that, I will leave you purposely intrigued and
challenge you to trust me so that you can learn about
this all-important opportunity.

Yours truly,

Willie Crawford

PS: One more thing. It’s important.

Because this generous man wants to reward every
business owner and entrepreneur who’s decisive and
takes action today--the first day of the launch of his
brand new service, he’s offering to gift you a $400
book that 60,000 business owners have paid almost $400
apiece to get their hands on. It is his famous called
“Money-Making Secrets of Marketing Genius Jay Abraham
and Other Marketing Wizards”.

I recommend and urge you to move fast. If you would
prefer to just read his executive overview of his brand
new service, everything is spelled out at:

http://www.abrahampublishing.net/app/?Clk=1111726

Posted by Willie Crawford at 12:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Free Jay Abraham Report (in PDF) "The Windfall Profits Paradox: How You Can Build Tremendous Long Term Business Weath and Success - Using Short Term Windfall-Generateing Oportunity Thinking!

Jay Abraham has put together a nice little 35 page
PDF report called " The Windfall Profits Paradox:
How You Can Build Tremendous Long Term Business Wealth
and Success---- Using Short Term “Windfall--Generating
Opportunity” Thinking.

It's well worth downloading and reading. Grab a free
copy at: http://WillieCrawford.com/windfallreport.pdf

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 10:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 06, 2005

A Simple Internet Business Model That Works

A Simple Internet Business Model That Works
Copyright 2005 by Willie Crawford

I did a survey this week while applying to a program sponsored
by Jay Abraham. The very detailed survey/questionnaire got me to
thinking more about my business model. It's changed over the
years as on-line and email marketing have changed.

Since I test constantly, and adjust to my test results, I
thought I'd share parts of my business model... but not my
numbers... with you ;-) Maybe it will give you some ideas you
can use.

Like many "Internet marketers" I believe that the money is
in the list. The only problem is that it's getting harder and
harder to maintain contact with that list. Still, I publish
a number of ezines and courses as a way of building relationships
with my lists.

When I first started publishing in 1997, it was fairly easy
to get new subscribers just by asking them to join your list.
There are so many lists today... many of them nothing more
than advertising... that you have to really sell people on
the "value" of your list. That's the biggest change I've
noticed for people just starting to build a list.

Over the years, I went from leading with my free ezine, to
leading with my free Internet marketing course. This is a
20-lesson course, offered via email from my homepage at
http://williecrawford.com/ I lead with the course because it
has a higher perceived value and actually sells many people
on joining my ezine list later. They're prompted in the
lessons to sign up for the ezine :-)

I'll let you in on a secret here. About 2 years ago, one of
my mentors suggested that not everyone wanted to wait 10 weeks
to get all of the lessons in my course. He suggested also offering
the course in ebook format, and charging a nominal fee. I
implement that... and went one better, offering the deluxe and
super-deluxe versions of the course (on CD and in print format).
Naturally, I piled on a few bonuses with the upgrades. That
worked great creating a revenue stream from something I had
been GIVING away.

I still offer the free, email version of the course, but a
major percentage go for the upgrade. That has a secondary
benefit of not only providing name and email address but full
contact information on those clients since that's required
to verify the credit card purchase.

You can study how I implemented using a course as a list-building
tool, and lead generator, at http://williecrawford.com/

If you're familiar with the funnel system of marketing, you
understand that you use lots of different tools to attract
new prospects. Then over time, you develop a relationship
with them. They gradually go from prospects, to subscribers,
to customers/clients. Then, theoretically you just offer your
clients the products and services they want and they'll buy
from you forever. It's a little more complicated than that
but not too much more.

Let me share with you several more pieces of my funnel system:

Given the challenges of getting email through, I've now gone
to offering podcasts. With podcasts, your clients subscribe
to an RSS feed, and software such as iPodder downloads your
audio message to their computer or listening device. Tools
such as iPodder check for updates at a specified interval,
download the updates, and your subscribers listen to the
recorded broadcasts at their convenience.

I started out offering "Premium Podcasts." These are podcasts
that contain such useful information that subscribers will
actually pay you to listen to them. This takes more work
that just putting out a regular podcast since you really do
have to work at providing tremendous value, or you lose
your subscribers very quickly.

I use an old marketing tool (the free sample) to get
new subscribers to my paid podcasts. They get the first
2 weeks free. In that time I need to deliver enough value
that they'll want to stay subscribed. After the two week
period, I charge only $10 per month for the subscription.
The price is low enough that I should have a very high
retention rate. I've not been doing this long enough to
know what that rate will be long-term.

If you'd like to check out how I've implemented my
premium podcasting model, you can check it out at:
http://williecrawford.com/premium-podcast.html This very
simple webpage shows you how I've set it up.

If you'd like to know more about the premium podcasting
service I use to run the whole thing, check out:
http://williecrawford.com/profitable-podcasting.html

If you aren't listening to podcasts yet, you're missing a
lot of good stuff. You can download tons of recorded
broadcasts and then listen to the MP3 at your convenience.
I mentioned iPodder earlier because it's the free software
that I downloaded and installed on my laptop. It works
beautifully. You can grab it at:
http://ipodder.sourceforge.net

A big part of my business model is setting up things that
offer recurring income. That way, you do the work once
and get paid for a long time. That's the idea behind the
premium podcasting service... although I do have to
continuously create new recordings. However, I don't need
to constantly chase after new customers. The service that
I use will actually drive customers to me. Word of mouth
also generates a lot of new customers.

Other low-cost tools I use to build relationships with
my customers include my discussion board, and my blogs.
The blogs are an excellent way to get information out without
having to contend with email. The blog posts are syndicated
as RSS feeds. Lots of visitors have subscribed to my RSS
feed. Just as important, lots of websites have subscribed
to my RSS feeds and integrated my content right into their
websites. This is a great way of getting new customers by
having other webmasters indirectly endorse you. If you'd like
to see how I've implemented my blogs, you can check out the
"Internet marketing" one at http://williecrawford.com/blog/

While we're on getting endorsements from others, writing
articles and allowing them to be published on others
websites, in their ezines, and in their ebooks works great
at attracting customers. Getting your articles on others
websites is also a GREAT way to get one-way links pointing
to your website. That's why I've written over 350 articles
over the years. They can be as simple as this one, which
will undoubtedly appear on hundreds of websites eventually.

Back to the recurring income... another proven part of my
model is a membership site. Membership sites can be low
maintenance, and produce tremendous customer loyalty. Mine is
fairly simple. It's a collection of software, ebooks, and
MP3 recordings relevant to internet marketing. Many of the
recordings and ebooks are one of a kind, and that's my
edge over other membership sites. That's the secret... the
easiest way to distinguish your membership site is to make
it unique. The easiest way to do that is to produce, or have
produced, your own unique content.

So there's a quick "down and dirty" on the revenue model
that has proven to work for me. On the backend I do upsell
from inexpensive ebooks, to course, to video products, to
live seminars, to personal coaching and consulting. It's
really fairly simple.

I'll end by pointing out that one success factor most
struggling Internet marketers seem to miss is that
exclusivity or uniqueness is often what makes an item sell.
Even if you're marketing something sold by tens of thousands
of others, find a way to make it unique and you'll do well.

--------------------------------------------------

Willie Crawford is a veteran Internet marketer who's been
running successful online businesses since 1996. You
can learn from Willie in-person at numerous upcoming
seminars in London, New York, Miami, Denver, Orlando,
Atlanta, and Phoenix. Much of Willie's schedule is posted
at: http://internetmarketingseminarschedule.com/

Posted by Willie Crawford at 10:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Google AdSense For Feeds

Something else for you to check into if you use Feedburner to get your feed optimized and into as many places as practical.

Google Adsense for Feed ... maybe still in beta, can plug your adsense code right into the feed. You do need to be approved for the program separately from the regular Google AdSense program.

Read about it here.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 10:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Google Sandbox, Proper Reciprocal Linking, Duplicate Content And Other Important SEO Topics

Here a great articles that shares important insight into how to make your pages do well on Google longterm by understanding their reason for sandboxing new websites, etc.

Read it here. Then be sure to come back :-)

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 05:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Are You Overlooking Easy Internet Riches?

Are You Overlooking Easy Internet Riches?
Copyright 2005 By Willie Crawford

In Russell Conwell's classic, "Acres of Diamonds," he
tells the story of a man who left his farm to seek
riches. This man later loses his farm, and dies at
his own hands... broke and broken. The person who
bought the farm notices diamonds in the stream flowing
through the farm, and becomes very wealthy. Internet
marketers are often like the first man, unable to see
the acres of diamonds we already have while off chasing
after some fantasy.

Are you going broke in your Internet marketing business
while overlooking the small fortune staring you in the
face? Many of us have hidden assets that we could easily
build a profitable business from if we just slowed down
enough to notice them.

Here are some often overlooked assets you may have:

1) Your Internet marketing skills applied in other
markets. If you're a typical "Internet marketer," you
probably know more about marketing than 90% of all
webmasters out there. You could very easily dominate
a niche market currently inhabited by less savvy
marketers.

Go dominate a market other than Internet marketing.

Go teach hungry webmasters in another niche.

2) A product with a proven market that now sits dormant.
The Internet marketing crowd seems to always be looking
for the latest and greatest ebook that going to "reveal
all," BUT, there are those who've not seen the older,
already proven sellers. Let me give you two quick examples.

John Evans wrote an ebook called success Alert that I
had the pleasure of helping to introduce to the market
last year. With one joint venture that I brokered, we
sold nearly $60,000 worth of a $47 ebook in the first
30 days. That ebook contains lots of information that
is still needed by millions who've never heard of it. I
still sell copies regularly. The affiliate program for
that proven seller is open to anyone.

When we first released the ebook, it was the typical
"Internet marketing release." Dozens of top Internet
marketers sent special mailings to their list after
they had reviewed the ebook. I had given some of them
advanced copies to read and review. After the initial
push, many of these marketers went on to promote the
next latest product the following week. That was a
mistake because most of the ideal customers for that
ebook have never even heard of it. That was a mistake
because the site had a steady and very IMPRESSIVE
conversion rate of around 5%! VERY few sites have a
conversion rate anywhere near that high.

Instead of trying to market products that no one wants,
why not go to http://Success-Alert.com and sign up as
an affiliate now. Get a copy of the ebook so that you
really know what you're recommending to your readers
first.

John Reese's Traffic Secrets Course was the same way.
With a big push, he sold $1 million worth of this
course in a single day. Then, most of his affiliates
went off to promote some new "flavor of the day." I
quietly continued to promote the course in innovative
ways, and to entirely new audiences who had not heard
of it. I do make sales regularly. It's a $997 course
that offers a hefty commission and is a proven seller.
Perhaps you should review a copy, and apply to become
an affiliate. John has a closed affiliate program that
you do have to apply to. You can apply at:
http://TrafficSecretsByJohnReese.com

As a aside, the sales letter on that webpage is now being
"modeled" by thousands of Internet marketers. That makes
perfect sense because it's a salesletter with documented
results!

Those are just two quick examples. I could give you
dozens more :-) It's absolutely foolish to stop promoting
something that has a proven market and a very high-converting
website. That's like KNOWING that you have a river of diamonds
in your backyard and going off to search for diamonds elsewhere.

3) Some of the reprint rights packages that you're "sitting
on." Most of the Internet marketers that I know have reprint
and resale rights to dozens of quality products. They
ignore these valuable reprint rights in search of some new
set of reprint rights containing that magic bullet. "Stop
the Insanity!" Look at all of the reprint rights that you
already have, and use your marketing skills to profit from
them. You can do this by:

- Repackaging them in new combinations and then promoting
them using a fresh sales letter.

- Breaking out individual items within these packages and
offering them to markets who are actually looking for those
items. Often when you get these large packages, the sales
letter just glosses over the description of some of the
real "gems." Find those gems and hi-light them. Examples of
these gems could include ebooks on the basics such as
HTML, FTP'ing, and creating pop-ups. There are people who
don't know how to do these things.

- Repackaging them in different formats. Take the relevant
information contained in some of these ebooks and turn it
into audio, or perhaps produce a Camtasia video teaching the
same information. An ebook repackaged in this new format
would have a MUCH higher perceived value and would take
very little time to do. Depending upon how you present the
revised/reformatted information, you may need permission
from the original author.

As I've already emphasized, it's critical that you get over
searching for the "latest and greatest." Instead, market
products with a system already in place that's proven to
convert!

If you are looking for new markets, seek a market that you
can dominate... not markets already dominated by "black
belt marketing masters!" Look for niche markets where people
are already spending lots of money. If you're at a loss for
where these markets are, use my top-secret market research
tool that I call the W.I.F.E. system.

Watch what items your spouse, and his or her friends, are
buying over the Internet. Investigate these. Watch new items
your spouse or the media is raving over as the latest trend in
fashion, decorating, etc. Investigate these. You may be
pleasantly surprised to discover that not that many websites are
serving a very hot market. You might be surprise to discover
that many marketers in those niches don't have a good grasp of
the marketing concept that you do, so you can very quickly
dominate one of those markets.

Those niche markets don't have to be glamorous. I market items
as "boring" as printer cartridges and magazines. There are
affiliate program managers who will provide you with data feeds
of hundreds, thousands, even over 1 million product that you can
plug into a niche website. That's how I offer over 1200 magazines
from several niche sites. I use a tool called the Secret Money
Generator to integrate these data feeds into my sites and build
tens of thousands of very "search engine friendly" webpages. If
you're not familiar with Secret Money Generator, check it out
at: http://www.profitautomation.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=124400

Another "boring" product that could easily pay for the new
house and boat that I plan on getting later this year is
greeting cards. Everybody is already sending them out. I make
it very easy for customers to browse my online catalog of over
2500 cards, personalize them and then have a print on demand
company mail them... all for less than they'd pay at an
offline card shop. It's a multi-billion dollar industry
dominated by two major greeting card companies using a
worn-out marketing model. You can check that system out at:
http://www.profitautomation.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=124402
Some parts of this system require a number to access (use
2663).

Nutritional supplements are another hot niche. Baby boomers
such as myself are getting older and spending a fortune on
feeling and looking good. The health care industry is a
multi-trillion dollar industry for this very reason. Offer
your niche markets these products using proven systems
and you'll profit handsomely from something people are
already looking for. You can see a very innovative
PROVEN system, that harnesses the power, and automation,
of the Internet to do this at:
http://www.profitautomation.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=124403

As you can see, we Internet marketers often make this harder
than it has to be. We also often focus on too small a market,
while overlooking that river of diamonds flowing through our
lives.

I mentioned my secret W.I.F.E. research tool. A second secret
research tool that I use is the K.I.D.S. system. Your children
and other young people have an amazing amount of disposable
income, and they don't hesitate to spend it. The amount my
daughter is willing to "blow" on a designer t-shirt or other
name-brand items is mind-boggling! Many of these companies
have affiliate programs, and many do offer their entire
product line as a data feed that you can just integrate into
your site using a tool such as Secret Money Generator that I
mentioned earlier.

You don't have to be one of those Internet marketers banging
his head against the proverbial wall - unless you just enjoy the
pain. I've just shown you how easy it is to market products
and services that people are already looking for and happily
paying for. All you have to do wave at them, using the Internet
marketing skills that you already have, and they will purchase
from you. It literally IS that easy.

---------------------------
Willie Crawford is a corporate president, published author,
seminar speaker and host, tele-seminar speaker and host,
retired military officer, karate black belt, master network
marketing trainer, and lifetime student of marketing. He shows
people how to actually generate substantial income on-line
using very simple, easily modeled systems. An example of
such a system that you can study and duplicate is at:
http://ProfitMagician.com

================================================================

Willie Crawford
The Budget Decorator Workshop
Cure Embarrassing Nail Fungus Forever
Easy To Use, Powerful, Inexpensive HTML Editor
Cheap Airline Tickets
Make Money Selling Real Greeting Cards Over The Internet
Learn How To Write Your Own Cookbook
Learn The Secrets Of The Internet "Underworld"
Discover Health Facts Less Than 1% Of Americans Know
All About Karate Tournaments
Get completely Out Of Debt And Turn Your Life Around
Willie's Internationally Acclaimed Soul Food cookbook
The Internet Marketing Seminar Schedule
Great Internet Marketing Articles
More Website Traffic Than You Can Handle!
Articles About Website Traffic

Chitterlings.com

WillieCrawford.com

Posted by Willie Crawford at 03:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Coming Soon!

Tony Robbins Says This Man Can Make Any Business An Extra $10,000 To $10,000,000 Or More.

(How Much Money Will Jay Abraham’s Marketing Secrets Make You?)

Click Here

Posted by Willie Crawford at 12:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 05, 2005

Star Wars ROTS

Chris Pirillo, a brilliant internet marketer, seems to watch movies the same way that I do. When I watch movies it's always looking for technical foopah's. I expecially do that when watching military movies since I know what lots of pieces of military equipment can and can't do.

Anyway, it's a great distraction just to read all of the screwups and disconnects made in this last Star Wars movie. Check out Chris' blog.

Also, grab any of his works on website promotion. I was buying Chris's stuff before I realized how YOUNG he is :-)

Willie

http://chris.pirillo.com/blog/_trackback/902990

Posted by Willie Crawford at 09:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Nice Software Application That I Think You'll Like - Niche Modulator

Niche Modulator is a nice software application that I just purchased the resale rights to.

If you're a member of my membership site, I'll be adding it today.

This software allows you to easily customize what a visitor on your website sees based upon the keyword he entered at the searchengine in order to find your site.

Check it out.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 04:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Attention All Friends In The UK!

Next weekend, June 11th - 12th, 2005, I'll be speaking at a seminar in London. I'd love to meet up with you. Frank Garon, who's putting the seminar together planned it so that there's an incredible amount of group interaction and personal focus on your specific Internet marketing problems and concerns.

Get full details and sign up here. Since this is next weekend, please don't delay.
Willie Crawford

Posted by Willie Crawford at 03:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Why Blogs Are Beating Out Ezines ... And Matter So Much to Your Platform

Why Blogs Are Beating Out Ezines ... And Matter So Much to Your
Platform
by Suzanne Falter-Barns
www.getknownnow.com

I was all set this morning to write about something totally
different in this issue ... but thanks to the power of blogs,
I'm here to deliver a totally different message. Namely the
ascendance of blogs over ezines.

First of all, you may notice that you're not getting a whole lot
of issues of this ezine from me. Why? Because I've come to
understand that blogging is faster. It's more immediate. It's
got a wonderful airstream of energy that follows each post. And
because it's less formal, it's less work -- but still
communicates just as effectively as an ezine ... perhaps even
more so.

This point was made wonderfully clear for me just this morning
by Stacy Brice, who runs the noteworthy VA training program,
AssistU. Stacy sent up a very thoughtful comment to my 'Painless
Self Promo' blog, under the header 'The Future of the Ezine'.
Which led to an email, which led to a lengthy phöne call. Stacy
and I had a real heart to heart about this ezine vs. blog thing
... and here's what I've decided is the state of things at the
moment.

1. We're in a transitional shift from ezines to blogs. This has
mostly to do with people being reluctant to give up old comfy
ways for a few minutes of learning new technology, downloading
RSS desktop applications, etc.. It was like this just before we
traded in vinyl for CD's, telepathy for cell phones and to-do
lists for Palm Pilots. And some of us have nevër moved forward.
Those of us who did are pretty happy.

2. Blog technology has finally leapt up to the plate. It's
happening; it's here; it's on the cover of Business Week. Blogs
can no longer be dismissed as fringe techie territory. They've
gotten so easy to use, and read, that there is simply no denying
them. Blog creation software du jour is typepad and wordpress.
Typepad blogs exist on their website for a small monthly fee.
Wordpress blogs exist on your own site for frëe. Typepad's more
elegant. Wordpress is more basic and functional. I'm running a
test to see which will eventually work better for me.

3. It's no longer all about the list. I am still an advocate of
ezines, but I believe the list/email connection is rapidly
unraveling. My own lists have declined in size as have those of
every Net marketer I know. Ezines have peaked and crested in
their usefulness and appeal. Meanwhile, blogs are hot. AND you
can capture names on them. (See my blog for details on how to do
that.)

4. We're no longer happy with passive activities. Maybe as a
culture we've grown completely sick of sitting around doing
nothing ... all those hours of reality TV? We've nöw begun to
expect to participate in our entertainment, even when it comes
to reading websites. So blogs -- which allow comments from
readers -- are the perfect medium. (This is also why my current
theater project, at serenityhawkfire.com, is an entirely
interactive theater piece.)

5. We've become a less formal culture. These days, our world is
all untucked; clothing is big and slouchy, coffee is slurped in
paper cups on the run. Even TV has let down its defenses,
showing us as we 'really' are. So it makes sense that blogs,
which feature faster, less formal entries more in the style of a
diary, are becoming bigger than ezines. Blogs are casual. Ezines
take planning, layout, require regular entries and take a lot
more time.

6. Blogging is faster. How long does it take to make an entry?
Five to ten minutes, I'd say. My ezine, meanwhile, takes 1-2
hours. Yes, you need to do more blog entries, but they're hardly
brain surgery. Instead, they are quick insights you offer up
from your life on the go. And so they are read in the same
spirit.

7. Blogs are beloved by the media. This is where a majority of
all media research on who's who and what they're up to is nöw
done. It used to be that your credibility as a media subject was
evaluated strictly by your site; that's where the media looked
first to get a beat on you. Know they want to know what you're
posting on your blog -- even if it doesn't have a 'media room'
like your site (hopefully you'd have that linked somehow in your
margins.) And they want to know what kinds of posts and comments
your getting.

If you're still working on building up your ezine list, I
recommend you beef it up by including a blog in your offerings.
It will energize your website, attract Google and Yahoo ranking
and generally create more buzz.

If you have a blog but have not maximized it by setting up a
name capture tool, or do not post frequently, give that a whirl,
too. You'll be amäzed at who stops by!

And if you have thoughts on the tender blog-ezine dynamic, email
them to me -- or even better, drop by my blog and post them on
the most recent comment. Then we'll all be able to see them and
add comments of our own.

Here's to the continuing discussion. May your blog bring your
platform, and set people talking!


Suzanne Falter-Barns' website at getknownnow.com offers tips and
tools that help you build your platform and get known as an
expert in your field. Sign up for her fr.ee ezine, Expert
Status, and receive her frëe report, "25 Top Self Help Literary
Agents."

Posted by Willie Crawford at 03:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Are You Missing Out On Some Great Podcasts Because You Haven't Bothered To Download This Free Podcast Receiving Software Yet?

If you're not listening to podcasts yet, I want to fix that.
Let me suggest you grab a free copy of iPodder. Ipodder is
a cross-platform podcast receiver that you can download at:
http://ipodder.sourceforge.net/index.php

I did say that it's free.

You then install it, enter the url for your favorite podcasts,
set a few settings.... and it can automatically check for new
podcasts at whatever frequency you specify, and download these
right to your computer. So you can listen to the podcasts
whenever YOU want to.

Grab a copy today. Others who use a different podcast receiver
... and love it, feel free to recommend your favorite!

As a side not. You can get your own branded version of iPodder
and then distribute copies preloaded with your recommended
podcast urls. I haven't done this yet since the podcasts I
work on the most are premium/paid podcasts :-)

You can get free access to my premium podcasts for 2 weeks
by registering here.
Willie Crawford

Posted by Willie Crawford at 03:28 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 04, 2005

Google Payout Percentages Going Down?

Interesting post on Google AdSense payouts percentages
to "publishers" going down. Check it out at
MarketingBlog.com

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 11:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Google Sitemap and Sitemap Generator Tool... A Way To Tell The Google Spider When To Visit And Which Pages To Crawl

I first read about Google sitemaps here. They're a way to
notify Google of your sites updates and to get more
of your pages in their database.

Danny Sullivan goes into a lot more details on how to get
set up over at Search Engine Watch.

You can bet I've already set up an account :-)

Google even offers a sitemap generator tool.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 11:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

2004 Best Blog Award Winner

Here's a blog that won a 2004 Best Blog Award. Lots of good stuff.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 10:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Marketing Sherpa's Best Blog Award

There's a survey being conducted by Marketing Sherpa to identify some of the best blogs around in several categories. While I'm not silly enough to think my blog is that great. I thought I'd still see how many votes I could round up. So go over to this page and write vote for my blog as a write in :-)

You never know what you can accomplish just with grassroots votes.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 10:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Google Update - Answers Straight From The Horse's Mouth!

There's a nice thread on what the recent update at Google will mean to us, and a lot of insights provided by "Google Guy" over at the Webmaster World Forum.

Check it out!

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 10:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Join The Affiliate Joint Venture Notification List For Experienced Marketers

If your into joint ventures, and consider yourself a serious player, check out...

JV Notify Pro
The Affiliate Joint Venture
Marketing Notification List For
Experienced Internet Marketers

It's over at Mike Mertz's.

Willie
Chitterlings.com

WillieCrawford.com

Posted by Willie Crawford at 06:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 03, 2005

Super Affiliate Rosalind Gardner Reveals How You Can Become A Super Affiliate

Rosalind Gardner has an excellent article on how super
affiliates make more sales. She explains that they do
balanced and objective product reviews. The she goes o
to explain exactly how to do that. Check out Roz's
article today at: http://netprofitstoday.com/blog/

Willie Crawford

Posted by Willie Crawford at 02:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Google Tightens The AdWords Noose

Willie told me it was ok to share this excerpt from an ezine I got from Perry Marshall. I hope he doesn't mind, but it's pretty insightful.

Here it is...

Back in the 'old days' of Pay Per Click - say,
a couple of years ago, you could be smarter
than everyone else just by having 1000+ keywords
instead of a few dozen. Nobody else was bidding
on them and you could get all kinds of 5 cent
clicks.

Well now everyone has monster-power keyword
tools and it's not much of an advantage anymore -
in fact for many people it's a liability, as I shall
exaplain.

I'm sure that every time you do a search on
Google, you invoke more computing power than even
existed in the entire world just 30 years ago.
And... every single keyword that every Google advertiser
is bidding on slows down their system just a little bit.

And Google doesn't really like it when people
clog up their system with thousands and thousands
of keywords... especially if the ads aren't proven to get
good CTR's, it's a financial risk just for Google to display
them.

So now - especially in the last six months or so -
Google penalizes you for dumping hundreds of
keywords into a group all at once. Most of them
get put "on hold" immediately, which is enormously
frustrating. (Maybe it even causes you to raise
your bid price, which is exactly what they want
you to do.) They only let a few keywords out of
the gate at a time.

Having done literally hundreds of AdWords consultations,
I can tell you that the #1 mistake people make with
Google AdWords is dumping too many different kinds
of keywords in the same group for the same ad. It
ruins your click thru rates (because no single ad can
possibly be a good match for all those different kinds
of keywords) and it gets your keywords put on hold
or disabled.

The simplest cure for this is my "Peel and Stick"
method - you take high traffic keywords and one
at a time, peel them out of one group and stick
them into their own new group, then you write ads
JUST for that ONE keyword. Often that doubles or
triples your CTR literally overnight.

And your keyword doesn't get put on hold because
there's only one keyword in that ad group - it starts getting
shown right away instead of being put on hold.

Now considering that 95% of your traffic comes
from 5% of your keywords, doing "Peel and Stick"
on your top 20 keywords can do absolute wonders
for your Google campaigns. This, all by itself, has
transformed thousands of people's AdWords campaigns
from losers to winners. And it's pretty easy.

Don't forget that this takes a certain amount of patience.
I got this email from Sacha Luria-Smith the other day:

>> Before I was averaging 60+ clicks a day on my campaign, and now I am
>> averaging closer to 20 clicks per day - which was obviously not my
>> intent. I'm actually using more keywords, but for some reason I'm getting
>> a fewer number of impressions and a fewer number of clicks. Is this a
>> normal thing and I should wait a few weeks to see the numbers go up?

>> I found the book interesting and would prefer not to ask for a refund, but
>> it doesn't seem to be increasing my clicks. How long does it normally
>> take to work?

But then a few days later, we heard back from her again:

"Patience was the key. For the first 5 days using your new
method, my total clicks did go down. . . then something funny
happened, and everything started working like magic. My
total click through rate has increased by 500% and my
cost per click has decreased by 25%. In the last week
we have received a more than one order worth over
$1000! This size of an internet order had never happened
before using your method of driving traffic to the website.
That alone is a huge ROI for buying your book.

"Not buying the book would have be like purposefully
blindfolding yourself while trying to walk across a freeway!"

Sacha Luria-Smith
Sales Representative, Funnix Beginning Reading

....And if you've been putting off buying the Definitive Guide,
you'll be glad to know that our Summer 2005 update is out
now at www.perrymarshall.com/adwords and it covers
all the latest strategies in detail. We've added about 50
pages of new content and updates, so you can play this
game with passion and precision.

Also, my personal AdWords coaching intensive begins
on Tuesday June 7 - I've got a waiting list for GOLD seats
but there's still some room on the BLUE team. Apply at

http://www.perrymarshall.com/adwords/personalcoaching.htm

To your success,

Perry Marshall

Shelley

Posted by Willie Crawford at 11:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Internet Marketing Pioneer Corey Rudl Dies In Car Crash

Here are links to news stories about the death of IMC founder Cory Rudl. Corey was one of those mentors I learned an aweful lot from. He will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.

Here are links to news stories...

http://www.sbcounty.gov/coroner/PressRelease.asp

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-speedway3jun03,1,3734695.story?coll=la-news-state

Photo's of the car!
http://www.nbc4.tv/slideshow/news/4562709/detail.html

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4562562/detail.html

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 09:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Meet Neil Stafford, An Internet Marketing Success Story I'm Proud To Know

On June 11th and 12th, I'm speaking at Frank Garon's UK Seminar in London, England. One of his speakers is "underground" Internet marketer Neil Stafford.

I don't know when I first encountered Neil. Several years ago, I sold him the reprint rights to some Internet marketing videos that I shot. In very short order, Neil was selling these videos through his offline newsletter. When I chatted with him he shared that he was making about $25,000 per month from that one product. He gave me permission to share that back then... so I hope he doesn't mind now.

Here's a guy who really understands both online and offline marketing. If at all possible, just coming out to meet him would be worth attending the seminar. I hope to see you there. You can register here.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 07:56 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Always Nice To See Other Sites Picking Up My Feed

Surfing around the net, I come across dozens of sites built to a large extent around my blog RSS feed and a few others. It's very gratifying AND does a great job at boosting my traffic :-)

Here's one such site: http://internetmarketingblog.net

It's actually a great model that they're using since their site should be very low maintenance and at the same time generate AdSense revenue.

Be sure not to miss the recordings of the AdSense telesemianar I did with Joel Comm incidentially. To get the recordings, just register here.
Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 07:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 02, 2005

Free MP3 Recording Of Google AdSense Teleseminar

I did a teleseminar with Joel Comm earlier today. Joel is the author of "What Google Never Told You About Making Money With AdSense."

Joel is your typical Internet entrepreneur except that he figured out how to take his AdSense revenue from just $30 per day to over $500 per day... then he revealed how he did it in an ebook. I grilled Joel on his secrets and what it takes to really be successful with AdSense on the teleseminar.

If you missed the teleseminar, I'm going to make the MP3 recordings available to those who registered for the call. If you didn't register for the call... maybe it didn't fit into your schedule, you can still register and get notified when the MP3 is ready. Hopefully within 24 hours.

Register at the link below.

I use Joel's methods on many of my sites, and my AdSense revenue is enough where I could actually live on it if I wanted to. The only reason that I don't is that I don't like putting all of my eggs in one basket :-)

Click here to sign up for the MP3 now while it's still available ;-)
Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 10:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

If They Say No To Your Request...

Jason Cain over at GoldBlogger.com shared a technique from the MLM industry that you can use when you get turned down when requesting a JV, etc. The fact is that most people don't really like saying no to a request for help/cooperation.

If you've read Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion, you know that it's easier to get them to say YES if you make a request that they say NO to first. Ask for something BIG and when they say no, then asked for something smaller :-)

That strategy will work on many people who don't understand the inviolate rules which guide our interactions.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 02:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 01, 2005

Is Your Payment Strategy Killing Your Sales?

Is Your Payment Strategy Killing Your Sales?

MAN!

You've worked hard on building a site that appeals to your market. You've done your research and know that this is THE product for this niche. You've sweated bullets over each and every word of the sales copy. You've painstakingly optimized your page for Search Engine placement. You're using all of the essentials of Internet Marketing on your site…you know, the name squeeze page, viral techniques, writing articles about the subject, making forum posts, a blog, a couple of good JVs…everything!

You've learned your lessons well and are bringing them all to bear on your new project…

BUT…it STILL isn't making you the money you think it should!

WHY?

Well, take a look at this example and maybe you'll see what I'm going to talk about.

I recently went into a local electronics store to buy a new USB jump drive. I had done my homework, knew exactly what I wanted and was ready to buy. The drive cost $69.95. I had my credit card in my wallet, my checkbook in my hip pocket and was anxious to whip them out!

I went back through the aisles, rummaged around and finally found it about 3 shelves over from where the signs said it should be. A little frustrated, but STILL ready to buy!

I strolled up to the checkout counter and stood in line for 3 minutes and 16 seconds until it was my turn. Just a little foot-tapping going on. I presented the item for checkout, the cashier rang it up and said,

"That'll be 74 dollars and 15 cents."

The credit card leapt out of my wallet and into her hand.

"Uhhhmm…we don't accept credit cards sir."

Okay, I've got my checkbook in my back pocket, so I pulled it out and flipped it open to write her a check. I had the pen pressed to the paper when she said,

"Sorry, we don't accept checks either."

A quick check of my pants pockets shows that I have exactly $2.13 on me. I left the item right there on the counter and left, but not before I heard,

"Uhhhmm,…Sir did you want to buy this?"

The door slammed quickly behind me. Circuit City, here I come!
Are you doing the same thing to your customers as that store did to me? You have the product they want…your sales copy helped them see that…at a price they think is fair…and they're ready to buy!

You're acting exactly like that storeowner if you don't have many ways for many different types of customers to pay you for your product.

There are people that will NEVER use PayPal…they just HATE it! If you only use PayPal to collect your payments, you've just lost that customer you worked so hard to get.

There are people who would love to buy from you, but they can't get a PayPal account because of where they live. Are you going to ignore them? Or are you going to put a StormPay button on your site?

There are people out there that will only use 2CheckOut to pay you…do you have a 2CheckOut button on your site?

And, finally, there are people who will NEVER put their credit card numbers into any website, no matter what it is. Are you doing anything about them? How about people without a credit card?

See what I mean?

You can have the greatest, A#1 site on the entire "Net and you STILL won't get the sales that great site deserves…

UNTIL…

You learn the fact that:

The more payment options you offer your customers, the more sales you'll get!

Now, isn't that just common sense?

If you don't have a
PayPal account, get one today! NO StormPay account... click here.
Merchant Account, click here!

You are free to distribute this article in its entirety, PROVIDED, that you make no changes to it, include the author and this rights statement and that you keep all links intact.

Dennis Lively is the well-known and best-selling author of many business start-up and business strategy books, E-books, reports and articles. His latest blockbuster is "Why Didn't I Think Of That?" You can reach him at http://www.whydidnti.com/

Posted by Willie Crawford at 07:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

This Has Already Increased My Sales!

Why Didn't I Think Of That!
I gotta tell you, I just had a chance to read an advance copy of Dennis
Lively's newest E-Book, "Why Didn't I Think Of That?", and it left me asking
myself that very same question…Why Didn't I Think Of That?

It all makes such common sense…I should've seen it a long time ago.

I won't give you the whole scoop…sworn to secrecy and all that…but
Dennis does make you think of just how little attention everyone has paid to an
extremely important part of our businesses…getting paid!

I can see myself adding a bunch of new customers almost immediately
after using his new method on my sites. And that's a good thing.

Dennis agreed to write an article that will get your grey cells working on
this problem right away. If you'd like a copy, just go get it here.

The report will definitely open your eyes and get you thinking about
something that you generally take for granted.

But, the only way to get the whole method and the steps to take to put it
into use is to get yourself a copy right now! I can definitely say that once you
get the book and put the method into action, you'll see a big difference in your
bottom line.

You can pick up a copy by clicking here.

Willie

Posted by Willie Crawford at 06:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack