Rich Schefren has done it again with The Uncertainty Syndrome: Entrepreneurial Emergency

I Feel Like A Total Idiot

That was my first reaction when I read Constraint #7 inside Rich Schefren's "The Uncertainty Syndrome: Entrepreneurial Emergency".

You got your free copy too, right?

Get your free copy of The Uncertainty Syndrome here (if you dare!)

Because in just 60 something pages, Rich basically rips the cover off your business and takes a long hard look inside.

And some of it ain't pretty.

For example, Rich list 7 constraints that most entrepreneurs face. And I was feeling pretty good about numbers one through six.

But when I hit number seven...well, let's just say it hit me back.

Like a sledgehammer upside the head.

Go ahead and click here to get your free copy of The Uncertainty Syndrome here (it's only sixty pages!)

I had no idea I was leaving so much on the table because of this one constraint. In fact, I didn't even know I HAD this stinkin' thing rolling around in my business.

But there it was, plain as day. Staring up at me like a dead fish washed up on the shores of Suttons Bay. And smelling like it too.

Yuck.

But here's the cool part...

Rich offers a Silver Bullet solution for each constraint, giving you practical answers you can implement right away. And that's what I intend on doing with Silver Bullet #7, right after I type this blog post.

But I had to pass this along immediately, because I know you suffer from constraints as well. And you're looking for answers.

Well, here they are..for FREE.

Jay Abraham, America's #1 authority on business has written an great introduction to it as well!

Talk again soon,

Cheryl C. Cigan
InternetReviewSites.com

P.S. One more thing that struck me when reading Rich's report...

He talks about something called Leisure Phobia, and how this deadly disease is plaguing the entrepreneurial community.

And as I was reading this, I found myself slinking further and further in my chair...

Yikes. Hope it's not affecting you too.

Go ahead and download the report, I know you want to!

Copywriter - Bob Bly

Need great copy? Need help with words? BOB BLY is an independent copywriter and consultant with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business, high-tech, industrial, and direct marketing.

Bob Bly. Hand's down one of my favorites. Learn something from every sentence this man writes! You'll be able to read the difference. Visit Bob Bly's website to read the difference.

Bob has written copy for over 100 clients including Network Solutions, ITT Fluid Technology, Medical Economics, Intuit, Business & Legal Reports, and Brooklyn Union Gas. Awards include a Gold Echo from the Direct Marketing Association, an IMMY from the Information Industry Association, two Southstar Awards, an American Corporate Identity Award of Excellence, the Standard of Excellence award from the Web Marketing Association, and AWAI's Copywriter of the Year.

Bob is the author of more than 70 books including The Complete Idiot's Guide To Direct Marketing (Alpha Books) and The Copywriter's Handbook (Henry Holt & Co.). His articles have appeared in numerous publications such as DM News, Writer's Digest, mtrak Express, Cosmopolitan, Inside Direct Mail,and Bits & Pieces for Salespeople.

Bob has presented marketing, sales, and writing seminars for such groups as the U.S. Army, Independent Laboratory Distributors Association, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Marketing Association. He also taught business-to-business copywriting and technical writing at New York University.

Bob writes sales letters, direct mail packages, ads, e-mail marketing campaigns, brochures, articles, press releases, white papers, Web sites, newsletters, scripts, and other marketing materials clients need to sell their products and services to businesses. He also consults with clients on marketing strategy, mail order selling, and lead generation programs.

Prior to becoming an independent copywriter and consultant, Bob was advertising manager for Koch Engineering, a manufacturer of process equipment. He has also worked as a marketing communications writer for Westinghouse Defense. Bob Bly holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Rochester and has been trained as a Certified Novell Administrator (CNA). He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Business Marketing Association.

Bob has appeared as a guest on dozens of TV and radio shows including MoneyTalk 1350, The Advertising Show, Bernard Meltzer, Bill Bresnan, CNBC, Winning in Business, The Small Business Advocate and CBS Hard Copy. He has been featured in major media ranging from the LA Times and Nation's Business to the New York Post and the National Enquirer. To learn more about Bob, and to read some of his thought-provoking and imagination stimulating articles be sure to visit his website - click here to read more about Bob Bly.

Email Increases as Top Branding Tool

Internet Marketing - Dynamic Logic Shows Email Increases as Top Branding Tool

The Inbox as a Branding Tool
Research Reveals Email Increases Brand Favorability and Awareness

Marketers know that email can be a great direct response channel, encouraging consumers to take immediate action and help boost sales, but few thought of email as a powerful branding medium.

Until now.

A new study conducted by Dynamic Logic shows inbox advertising can provide significant branding benefits in addition to the acquisition strengths typically attributed to the media channel.

The study, conducted with Datran Media and eHarmony, reveals that inbox advertising made 37.7 percent of people aware of one of the tested campaigns. These people otherwise would not have been aware of it. In addition, unaided brand awareness increased 11.5 percentage points, and brand favorability increased 7.3 percentage points.

The results counter mainstream characterizations of inbox advertising as an acquisition-only vehicle. More than many other channels, inbox advertising gives companies the ability to deliver highly targeted messages to opt-in consumers. Because it significantly increases the chances of delivering the right message to the right consumer at the right time, inbox advertising can have the additional benefit of creating a more favorable impression of the company's brand.

"Until now, marketers hypothesized that the key role of inbox advertising was an acquisitive one, and there was no formal research to verify the branding benefits," said Jason Oates, vice president of media services for Datran Media. "This study makes it clear that inbox advertising provides significant brand impact across each of the key branding metrics, including brand favorability. This applies to both contextual ad inclusions and targeted stand-alone branded acquisition-focused email advertising."

eHarmony's CEO, Greg Waldorf, echoed Oates' remarks and added, "These results show that email campaigns are not only an effective customer acquisition vehicle, but also are supporting and enhancing consumer impressions of the eHarmony brand."

To view more specific results and to read more information about email branding visit Datran Media at http://www.datranmediabrandstudy.com.

Internet Review Sites Recommends Mind Capture

Book News from Suttons Bay:

MIND CAPTURE: How You Can Stand Out In The Age of Advertising Deficit Disorder


If Tony's book sounds interesting to you then we would like to recommend information about how we are all affected by the new Attention Age Deficit - take a look at the Attention Age Doctrine too!

Another way to own some of the mind of the consumer is through your blogging efforts. If you want to learn more about advertising and marketing your blog this is a good place to start to learn the process of maximizing your blog advertising and marketing words.

Gen X author Tony Rubleski skyrocketed to the top of the Amazon.com "Marketing Sales" charts last week with his new book Mind Capture: How You Can Stand Out In The Age of Advertising Deficit Disorder. This feat was accomplished within hours after the book launched on the popular retail site. MIND CAPTURE also topped the "Movers Shakers" list which identifies, by category, the biggest gainers in sales rank over a 24 hour period. The book was at the #2 slot for most of the day. When the book was first launched shortly after midnight on the 29th, it ranked #71,298 in terms of all titles online. By late afternoon, it had jumped as high as #140 – an increase of more than 46,000% according to Amazon.com reports.

"Our team sat perched at their computers watching the rankings get higher as the day progressed and I’m absolutely thrilled with our results for the opening day," Tony says. "Americans are starving for good, solid marketing advice and I think MIND CAPTURE delivers that to them. The fact that the books were flying off the shelves, so to speak, is a testament to that."

With MIND CAPTURE, Tony has written a fun, engaging and practical business book that shares real-world, specific strategies to help sales professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners wade through the confusing and changing advertising arena to stand out from the marketing clutter to produce ‘Mind Capture,’ sales and repeat business.

"With the economy continuing to be a daily talking point with the media and by the Presidential candidates and advertisers vying for our attention on social message boards, nearly everyone from our minister to our parents have become bottom-line salespeople, trying to capture our attention," says Tony – who is on a mission to perform a million marketing exorcisms before he hits 40. "And let’s face it, these days we have the attention span of a fly."

Rubleski says the amount of new media options being created creates even more and more confusion and argues that understanding ‘Mind Capture’ and taking a fresh look at your marketing and sales strategy will determine your success or demise in today’s sped up, web based world. Using "to- the-point" techniques and case studies, including the one about a former rock star who used ‘Mind Capture’ to raise money to fund a music CD release, Rubleski reveals:

Who are the best salespeople in the world (hint: many people have them);
How both Presidential parties are using Mind Capture to sway opinions and votes;
Why you must be Google-licous in the digital age;
The #1 mistake 99% of businesses and organizations make in their marketing;
How businesses and the non-profit community can join forces to accomplish their goals;

With resistance to advertising at an all-time high, Rubleski presents the societal forces all businesses and non-profits are up against when trying to communicate and what they must do if they are going to have any chance of being noticed, taken seriously, and believed.

Tony Rubleski is currently the president of Mind Capture Group which focuses on direct marketing consulting, copywriting, advanced public relations and sales and marketing training for business groups and sales teams. He has advised many of the top sales and marketing minds in the world and his work has been featured in such outlets as Bottom Line Magazine, FOX TV news, the Detroit Free Press and Entrepreneur Radio.

On July 21st, Tony began an ambitious 50+ city, national tour.

For media inquiries, interview requests or schedule availability, contact publicist Dianna Stampfler with Promote Michigan, at 269-330-4228 or via email: Dianna@PromoteMichigan.com.

Order Today From Amazon!
MIND CAPTURE: How You Can Stand Out In The Age of Advertising Deficit Disorder
By Tony Rubleski
Paperback; $19.95; ISBN: 978-1-60037-457-9

www.MindCaptureBook.com

Add your name to our Advertising and Internet Marketing mailing list - it's free and no salesman will call (couldn't resist adding that!) - Cheryl!

If Tony's book sounds interesting to you then we would like to recommend information about how we are all affected by the new Attention Age Deficit - take a look at the Attention Age Doctrine too!

Internet Review Sites - The Hot New Internet Marketing Trend

Like you, we are all searching for a way to make money online. Do you feel like you have all the parts, but you're missing something?

Did you ever see the Saturday Night Live skits with "Stuart Smalley" where he is looking in the mirror repeating affirmations, ending with "And doggoneit I am smart enough (or was it good enough?)?" Or words similar to that (it has been awhile since I've seen a rerun). Remember the one he did with Michael Jordan? That was funny.

Every time I realize again that there is something missing, I think about that line, "and doggoneit I am smart enough" I go and start looking for the "Holy Grail" of Internet Marketing and Making Money Online. It is amazing what you can discover just by looking, exploring, and reading. I thought I had all the answers. I was definitely wrong. That's why "they" have all the money, and I'm still quoting old episodes of Saturday Night Live!

I did watch a promotional video yesterday produced by Mike Filsaime about his new software product "ReviewCrusher". Interesting concept. The impetus to develop this software program which creates review sites was when a friend made him aware of how people were bidding on his name as keywords for Google Ads. When he realized there were over forty of them, and that they were not nice, his plan was developed instantly. He soon discovered that there were a number of people bidding on all the names of all the key players in the internet marketing industry. I've seen these ads myself and have actually become a fan of the Masked Guru.

In essence what happens when you click on the Google ad the landing page of the advertiser begins pointing out the deficits of the advertised person's product, and then goes on to attempt to sell you their own product line, and at the very least, to get your name added to their opt-in mailing list and into their sales funnel.

In an effort to counter this negative advertising tactic, Mike is launching a new product to take advantage of the Web 2.0 environment where he pays to have reviews written and you more or less subscribe to the reviews, post them on your website and then list a product for sale at the end of the review. For any niche, for multiple categories.

Review sites are nothing new. Just about a year ago they were the buzzwords online. Social media, social marketing, Web 2.0, encourage user comments, create content to stimulate dialog, etc. And then of course, find a way to monetize it.

Here's one way:

10 Blog Traffic Tips

In every blogger's life comes a special day - the day they first launch a new blog. Now unless you went out and purchased someone else's blog chances are your blog launched with only one very loyal reader - you. Maybe a few days later you received a few hits when you told your sister, father, girlfriend and best friend about your new blog but that's about as far you went when it comes to finding readers.Here are the top 10 techniques new bloggers can use to find readers.

These are tips specifically for new bloggers, those people who have next-to-no audience at the moment and want to get the ball rolling.

It helps if you work on this list from top to bottom as each technique builds on the previous step to help you create momentum. Eventually once you establish enough momentum you gain what is called "traction", which is a large enough audience base (about 500 readers a day is good) that you no longer have to work too hard on finding new readers. Instead your current loyal readers do the work for you through word of mouth.

Top 10 Tips

10. Write at least five major "pillar" articles. A pillar article is usually a tutorial style article aimed to teach your audience something. Generally they are longer than 500 words and have lots of very practical tips or advice. This article you are currently reading could be considered a pillar article since it is very practical and a good "how-to" lesson. This style of article has long term appeal, stays current (it isn't news or time dependent) and offers real value and insight. The more pillars you have on your blog the better.

9. Write one new blog post per day minimum. Not every post has to be a pillar, but you should work on getting those five pillars done at the same time as you keep your blog fresh with a daily news or short article style post. The important thing here is to demonstrate to first time visitors that your blog is updated all the time so they feel that if they come back tomorrow they will likely find something new. This causes them to bookmark your site or subscribe to your blog feed.

You don't have to produce one post per day all the time but it is important you do when your blog is brand new. Once you get traction you still need to keep the fresh content coming but your loyal audience will be more forgiving if you slow down to a few per week instead. The first few months are critical so the more content you can produce at this time the better.

8. Use a proper domain name. If you are serious about blogging be serious about what you call your blog. In order for people to easily spread the word about your blog you need an easily "rememberable" domain name. People often talk about blogs they like when they are speaking to friends in the real world (that's the offline world, you remember that place right?) so you need to make it easy for them to spread the word and pass on your URL. Try and get a .com if you can and focus on small easy to remember domains rather than worry about having the correct keywords (of course if you can get great keywords and easy to remember then you've done a good job!). To learn more about the power of domain names, read The Domain Game by David Kesmodel. Just click on the book title to read more about the book and the domain name industry.

7. Start commenting on other blogs. Once you have your pillar articles and your daily fresh smaller articles your blog is ready to be exposed to the world. One of the best ways to find the right type of reader for your blog is to comment on other people's blogs. You should aim to comment on blogs focused on a similar niche topic to yours since the readers there will be more likely to be interested in your blog.

Most blog commenting systems allow you to have your name/title linked to your blog when you leave a comment. This is how people find your blog. If you are a prolific "comment-or" and always have something valuable to say then people will be interested to read more of your work and hence click through to visit your blog.

6. Trackback and link to other blogs in your blog posts. A trackback is sort of like a blog conversation. When you write a new article to your blog and it links or references another blogger's article you can do a trackback to their entry. What this does is leave a truncated summary of your blog post on their blog entry - it's sort of like your blog telling someone else's blog that you wrote an article mentioning them. Trackbacks often appear like comments.

This is a good technique because like leaving comments a trackback leaves a link from another blog back to yours for readers to follow, but it also does something very important - it gets the attention of another blogger. The other blogger will come and read your post eager to see what you wrote about them. They may then become a loyal reader of yours or at least monitor you and if you are lucky some time down the road they may do a post linking to your blog bringing in more new readers.

5. Encourage comments on your own blog. One of the most powerful ways to convince someone to become a loyal reader is to show there are other loyal readers already following your work. If they see people commenting on your blog then they infer that your content must be good since you have readers so they should stick around and see what all the fuss is about. To encourage comments you can simply pose a question in a blog post. Be sure to always respond to comments as well so you can keep the conversation going.

4. Submit your latest pillar article to a blog carnival. A blog carnival is a post in a blog that summarizes a collection of articles from many different blogs on a specific topic. The idea is to collect some of the best content on a topic in a given week. Often many other blogs link back to a carnival host and as such the people that have articles featured in the carnival enjoy a spike in new readers.

To find the right blog carnival for your blog, do a search at http://blogcarnival.com/.

3. Submit your blog to blogtopsites.com. To be honest this tip is not going to bring in a flood of new readers but it's so easy to do and only takes five minutes so it's worth the effort. Go to Blog Top Sites, find the appropriate category for your blog and submit it. You have to copy and paste a couple of lines of code on to your blog so you can rank and then sit back and watch the traffic come in. You will probably only get 1-10 incoming readers per day with this technique but over time it can build up as you climb the rankings. It all helps!

2. Submit your articles to EzineArticles.com. This is another tip that doesn't bring in hundreds of new visitors immediately (although it can if you keep doing it) but it's worthwhile because you simply leverage what you already have - your pillar articles. Once a week or so take one of your pillar articles and submit it to Ezine Articles. Your article then becomes available to other people who can republish your article on their website or in their newsletter.

How you benefit is through what is called your "Resource Box". You create your own resource box which is like a signature file where you include one to two sentences and link back to your website (or blog in this case). Anyone who publishes your article has to include your resource box so you get incoming links. If someone with a large newsletter publishes your article you can get a lot of new readers at once.

1. Write more pillar articles. Everything you do above will help you to find blog readers however all of the techniques I've listed only work when you have strong pillars in place. Without them if you do everything above you may bring in readers but they won't stay or bother to come back. Aim for one solid pillar article per week and by the end of the year you will have a database of over 50 fantastic feature articles that will work hard for you to bring in more and more readers.

This article was by Yaro Starak, a professional blogger and my blog mentor. He is the leader of the Blog Mastermind mentoring program designed to teach bloggers how to earn a full time income blogging part time. To get more information about Blog Mastermind click this link:

To get more information about Blog Mastermind simply click this link!

Cheryl C. Cigan
Internet Review Sites