How To Crank Out Killer Web Copy That Sucks In Mon

How To Crank Out Killer Web Copy That Sucks In Money Like Crazy! Part 1

by: Dan Lok

Do you have writer’s block?

Do you have trouble staring at a blank piece of paper and don’t know how to get started?

You’re NOT alone.

Believe me, I know how tough it is to sit down and create killer copy from scratch, especially if you’re green. There are times in my life when my mind is completely frozen and I can’t write squat.

Therefore, I’ve dug around in my Bags of Tricks and come up with 11 battletested ad themes that will help you blast through your writer’s block and crank out brilliant, cashproducing copy in no time flat!

Plus… I’ll give you suggestions on how to adapt these concepts to your own business for maximum effectiveness!

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KILLER CONCEPT #1

Problem, Magic Solve

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This is one of the marketing professionกs oldest and probably most widely used ad themes. It has three distinct sections: you state the problem (usually a pain your target market is experiencing), you stir up the problem, and then you offer your stuff as a solution for the problem.

Here’s a great example…

Case Study #1 Craig Proctor’s Real Estate Success System

กHow You Can Make Well Over $ 100,000.00 Per Year As A Real Estate Agent Working Less Than 40 Hours A Week…. Have A Top Income AND A Life….. And NEVER Have To Make A Call You Dread Or Waste Your Time With Unrealistic Sellers Or Insincere Buyers, Ever Again.ก

The Problem: Most real estate agents are frustrated with the income they’re taking home. They’re working their butts off and they’re totally burnt out. They hate cold calling. And they want to work less and make more.

The Solution: If you buy Craig’s stuff, you’ll never have to make a cold call again. You’ll have dozens of highly qualified prospects calling you. You’ll be able to take weekends off. You’ll be able to get out from under the ridiculous workload. Most importantly, you’ll finally be able to make a 6figure income as a real estate agent.

The Lesson: Most people are looking for a quick fix. John Carlton put it this way: กMost guys would like to eat a MAGIC pill, go to bed, and wakeup in the morning with a beautiful spouse and a million bucks in their bank account.ข

Always keep that in mind when you write. The quicker and easier you can make it for ‘em, the better. (And if you know where to find that magic pill, PLEASE give me a call!)

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KILLER CONCEPT #2

Tell Me A Good Story, and I’ll Give You My Money.

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Remember when you were a little kid? What was your favorite thing? That’s right. You asked your mom, ขRead me a bedtime story.ข

Stories sell. People love to hear a story. A story paints a picture in the mind of the reader/consumer. A GOOD story can communicate your message subliminally, by stimulating thoughts and emotions. And the BEST stories remove the skepticism and barriers that can prevent sales.

Here’s a fantastic ‘tell me a storyก headline example:

Case Study #2 – Grandma Ruby’s Magic Pain Relief Cream

How An 82YearOld Great Grandma From Iowa Accidentally Discovered An Amazing Secret That Will Almost Instantly Erase Your Back And Joint Pain!

The ad goes on talking about how a little grayhaired, 82yearold great grandma named Ruby Zimmerman from remote farming town in Iowa was mixing up a batch of moisturizing cream from her kitchen table… and how she accidentally stumbled upon a formula that ends chronic joint and back pain. And so on.

Does your product or service have an interesting story?

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KILLER CONCEPT #3

กIกve Got A Secretข

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Pssst. Hey, come here…closer. You wanna hear a really juicy secret?

Gotcha!

You’re probably leaning in to this newsletter right now, ready to กget the secret.ก The desire to know is a powerful force. Itกs led to the word กsecretsก being WAY over used, but that is why it is used.

People are nosy as hell and they love to feel กin the know.ก Everyone gets a kick out feeling like an insider and getting special treatment because of their กsecretก knowledge.

If youกve got something, don’t FLAUNT IT…TAUNT with it. Make it appealing, alluring, and most of all TOP SECRET…and youกll make the sale.

Check this out…

Case Study #3 GuyGetsGirl™ Guide

ขDiscover How To PickUp Beautiful Women So Easily, and So Fast, You’ll Have THREE Dates By The End Of This Weekend… And a Girlfriend (if YOU want one) Soon After!ข

Uncover Powerful Insider Secrets That Will Skyrocket Your Sex Life And Make Wonderful Women Beg You To Date Them – Even If You’re Bald, Fat Or Ugly!

Pretty intriguing, huh? Every Mr. Wrong has dreamed of being Mr. Right and has probably wondered กWhat do THEY have that I don’t?ก

If you can identify an information pocket and then create the กdesire to know,ก in your prospects, you won’t have to overcome any objections they may have…theyกll do that themselves!

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KILLER CONCEPT #4

Put Your BIG Money Where You BIG Mouth Is Guarantees

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If you’re selling stuff that delivers overthetop, measurable results that your customers can see, touch, smell, feel, or count… then you’re in a position to use this amazinglyeffective concept.

Case Study #4 – Marlon Sanders’ Amazing Formula

Your Products Sell Like Crazy Or TripleYourMoneyBack!

Discover the Amazing Formula that Sells Products Like Crazy!

ขOh no, Dan. I can’t offer a guarantee. What if people rip me off?ข

You chicken…or should I say กChicken Little.ก The sky isn’t falling!

Listen closely: People WILL rip you off no matter what you do. It’s part of the business. It doesn’t matter what the hell you do, some morons will use your product, return it, and ask for a refund. Period.

You can’t protect yourself from the กbad guys,ก but you can let the กgood guysก know that you’re a กwhite hat,ก too. When you offer a guarantee that you will reach into your own pocket to กmake things rightก… you will flip a lot more customers who would never otherwise consider trying your stuff. That’s because your guarantee has nudged them over the dividing line between ‘trustก and กNo Trust.ก

Think about it: do you seriously give a damn if making a handful of refunds will bring you an EXTRA onehundred more sales? Do the math. Calculate your numbers and you’ll know if this concept will work for you.

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KILLER CONCEPT #5

ขWhat’s New, Pussycat?ข

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Most of us are interested in news of some kind. Thatกs why weกve got newspapers, magazines, and 24hour news channels. And why do we buy ขnewsข papers and watch television ขnewsข everyday? Because new discoveries fascinate us…especially, news that is related to our individual preferences, biases, and personal interests.

Press releases are the most common application for the news headline, but they can also work in many other areas.

Case Study #5 – The AntiAging Super Serum

Amazing AntiWrinkle Breakthrough!

ขDoctors Are Shocked By New 30 Second FaceLiftInABottle That Turns Back The Clock 10 Years In Only 60 Daysข

ขRecent Discovery Reverses Aging Beats WrinkleReducing Retinol By 150% It Surpasses Botox (While Being Safer)… And You’ll Save A Small Fortune! Read The Astonishing Story Belowข

You get the idea?

If you have news to share a new product or a new use for an old product, for example be sure to ขinstallข that news into your headline in a big way.

See you in Part 2.

Dan Lok

Copyright 2005 Quick Turn Marketing International, Ltd.

About The Author

Dan Lok is known as ‘the Worldกs #1 Website Conversion Expertก, with a proven track record of selling over $25.7 million dollars of merchandise and services. Dan has resuscitated copy that was previously in กcritical conditionก and helped his clients to double and triple their conversion rates… some as much as 417%!!! More than 200 websites have been กLokedก and loaded for Internet action. Go to: http://www.WebsiteConversionExpert.com

This article was posted on April 20, 2005

by Dan Lok

Media Relations: How We Landed the Wall Street Jou

Media Relations: How We Landed the Wall Street Journalกs Front Page

by: Brad Phillips

Media relations is a great profession.

On good days, I earn my living speaking to and learning from knowledgeable experts who ask for help in raising the profile of their cause through the media. In the past few years, I’ve worked with billionaire philanthropists, a Pulitzer Prizewinning scientist and a world famous actor. Mostly, though, I work with unknown but equally impressive professionals regarded as experts in their fields.

When I speak to them, I’m always listening for ขthe story.ข Some of the time, the story is immediately apparent. But the most gratifying moments come when a story seemingly devoid of news value suddenly leaps out and surprises me.

Two years ago, for example, I was doing media work for a Washington DCbased environmental organization. Scientists from the group would regularly contact me regarding their latest field work, hoping I could convince a reporter to shine a spotlight on their project.

One day, I met with a charismatic field biologist to discuss his project while sipping coffee in a depressing restaurant. As he told me about his project, I quietly became more convinced that he didn’t have much of a story. I felt bad, but suspected no reporter would bite.

The West African forest elephant, he told me, was in trouble. The problem was largely one of capacity – no West Africans had been formally trained in protecting the 7,700pound mammals, which were being killed by the farmers who feared them.

To help correct the problem, he said, they had established a program three years earlier to train six West Africans to conserve the majestic beasts. In a month, they would end their training and begin working to protect the animals fulltime.

That’s when the idea hit.

I asked the scientist if we could call the group the firstever graduating class from Elephant University. When he agreed, I knew we were in business.

I drafted an email with a few highlights to a reporter I had recently met from The Wall Street Journal. The story pitch suggested that this story was the perfect fit for the quirky daily frontpage ขColumn Fourข feature. The reporter quickly wrote back. He agreed.

Two weeks later, the reporter was off to Ghana to report the story firsthand. When the story ran on November 27, 2002, the words ขElephant Universityข – the ones we had happily stumbled upon over coffee – were emblazoned on the frontpage.

This story worked because we didn’t pitch it ขhead on.ข Remember – the heart of this story was that West African scientists were receiving training – not exactly frontpage material. But by giving the reporter an unusual hook, he was able to convince his editors that the story deserved to be told.

If you’re speaking to an expert to assess a story’s newsworthiness and it doesn’t seem immediately obvious to you, keep talking. If they say something interesting, stop them. Ask them to slow it down and provide more detail. Paraphrase their response into something resembling a headline by asking, ขWould it be correct to say it this way?ข Finally, look for the nuggets. Ancillary parts of the story often jump out and become your lead.

About The Author

Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations. He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and also headed the media relations department for the second largest environmental group in the world. For more information and to sign up for free monthly media tips, visit www.PhillipsMediaRelations.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 10

by Brad Phillips

What You Know Can Work Just As Well As Who You Kno

What You Know Can Work Just As Well As Who You Know

by: Carolyn Moncel

We all know the saying in business, กItกs not what you know but who you knowก, right? This saying is definitely true when it comes to small business and on occasion, the same can be said in media relations. However, what you know can sometimes get you just as far especially if you’re trying to tell your story to the local press.

Some time ago, a smallbusiness client approached me about handling public relations for her firm. She had been writing her own press releases and submitting them to the press but all of her efforts had generated no press. She asked me to critique her work to discover what she might be doing wrong. Upon reviewing her press releases, I found that her writing skills were outstanding but the problem came when I began to investigate the methods by which she was submitting her releases. The five rules below illustrate the lessons that she learned about distributing press releases to the media.

Rule #1: Do your homework on reporters. You can start with the Baconsก Media Directory, which serves as the public relations practionerกs Bible. If you don’t know what it is, basically it lists the name, address, phone number, fax number, email, beat (issue or specific type of story to cover), deadlines, and story preferences and angles for most every reporter and news producer anywhere in the world. There are five volumes of books: Newspapers, Magazines, TV/Cable, Radio and International. You can purchase the books or get the same information from Baconsก in CDRom format or through an online subscription. These books are invaluable but unfortunately are also very expensive. Hereกs a tip: You can access them for free usually at your local public library or a college library. Use these books to help you narrow down the reporters that you think would be helpful for launching your story. If Baconกs is completely out of your budget, just follow your favorite local newspaper to determine which reporters cover which stories.

Rule #2: Verify your sources. Just because you found information on reporters in Baconsก doesn’t mean that your work is done. Most reporters are assigned a beat but those beats change from time to time and as a result, reporters tend to move around a lot. Because the Baconsก books and their competitors are only published once per year with occasional updates, itกs very important that you call media outlets and verify that you can still reach the reporter you would like to talk to. More importantly, find out if the reporter still covers the beat that is important to your story. If for some reason there is a new reporter covering that beat, make note of those changes in a database or spreadsheet, and always call before sending out a new release.

Rules #3: Know where to call for information. Most people are afraid to just call up a reporter (they can be scary people) to find out this information, however if you want to avoid that aspect of the job, then simply call the News Assignment Desk the nerve center of news operation. It is here that you can verify the reporter information and also get a sense for the types of stories that an editor might find interesting enough to assign to an individual reporter.

Rules #4: Know how a reporter likes to receive information. When it comes to distributing press releases or letters, all reporters are different. Itกs your job to find out how a reporter wants to receive his or her information on a potential story. For example, some reporters only read faxes while others only look at releases sent by mail. Still others will only read email, and yet others will only accept a story idea over the phone. This is important because if you violate the reporterกs rule for receiving information, then your release likely will never be read. It will get a oneway trip to the trashcan.

Rules #5: Adhere to a reporterกs deadline. Just as you can find out the name and email address of a specific reporter, you can also find out their writing deadline. This is very important because the last thing anyone wants to experience is being on the line with a reporter when he or she is on deadline. Hereกs another tip: Most daily newspapers are put to bed at 5pm. Call the reporter between 8am and 9am because you might catch them before they go their morning editorial meeting. When calling up a reporter directly, always asks the reporter if he or she is currently on deadline as a courtesy. They will respect you for it and this will give you an indication as to how long you have to speak with that particular reporter on the phone. If you’re nervous about speaking with the reporter, then create a short script that you can state comfortably in 60 seconds.

While itกs always great to know a reporter personally, few smallbusiness owners will ever have that luxury. However, if you know what to do and whom to contact when the time comes to tell your story, your chances of coverage are just as good as anyone elseกs. After all when it comes to media relations, itกs not just who you know but what you know plus a little luck never hurts either.

About The Author

Carolyn DavenportMoncel is president and founder of Mondave Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her at [email protected] or by phone in the United States at 877.815.0167 or 011.331.4997.9059 in France.

This article was posted on May 07, 2003

by Carolyn Moncel

Natalia Nazarova Stars In Movie Postmark Paradise

Natalia Nazarova Stars In Movie Postmark Paradise

by: Keith กMuzikManก Hannaleck

Title: Postmark Paradise

Featuring: Natalia Nazarova and Tantoo Cardinal

Format: DVD

Genre: Human Interest

Release Date: June 29, 2004

Film Maker: Entertainment Paradise Group /A Thompson Clay Film/Distributed by

Vanguard Cinema

Websites: http://www.natalianazarova.com/index2.htm / http://www.postmarkparadise.com

http://www.vanguardcinema.com

Actress Natalia Nazarova plays a charming and heart warming role as Viktoria, an unsuspecting mail order bride from Russia, in an independent film titled Postmark Paradise. Nazarova has been very busy woman. Besides filmmaking, the world of music has been blessed with her many talents via some fine jazz and pop vocal albums. This is her first American film role.

Natalia is charming in this film and anyone that watches it will surely fall in love with her character. The classic underdog theme makes a good storyline and is a surefire hook for those that like movies full of the emotion and the story of people’s lives. For her American debut, this is a fabulous effort. This young lady is star material and I would hope that someone influential in Hollywood will have sense enough to give her a chance as a leading lady in a major motion picture, I am sure she could handle it quite well. I became very engrossed in this picture and enjoyed it entirely. There was fine acting in this film; all of the characters were true to life, which made it easy to become a part of the story, as if you were right there living it.

The story of the film begins with a TV newscaster explaining how gorgeous and eligible Russian girls are looking for an opportunity to come to America and marry any willing American man, then the scene changes to the bar The Dirty Shame located in Paradise Michigan. A group of local men are in the bar feeling good and decide to check into the mail order bride phenomena. Chick (Randall Godwin) masterminds the execution of the mail order bride for their friend Jake (Vincent Angelini), who is doing time in jail for drunk driving. The expectant bride Viktoria, is delivered at his homecoming party at the bar.

When the big moment arrives, Jake comes strolling into the bar and Viktoria stands up an introduces herself with a big beautiful smile and Jake takes one look at her and shrugs his shoulders, sits at the bar, and starts drinking and telling stories. Jake has no clue what this is all about, he is taken home later in the evening falling down drunk, thinking that the girl is a present for the night from his drinking buddies. That night Viktoria leaves in distress and Reenie (multiple award winning actress Tantoo Cardinal), the only barmaid at The Dirty Shame, sees her walking down the road crying. Many more life situations and drama develop thereafter.

The film tells a unique version of the American dream in small town America, following several twists and turns, the story ends unexpectedly, which I found most pleasant and satisfying. Natalia performs several of the songs in both Russian and English on the film’s soundtrack. Look for it about June 29, on DVD and Video. Rated PG13

© Keith กMuzikManก Hannaleck http://www.muzikreviews.com

April 6, 2004

The Cast for Postmark Paradise

Reenie…..Tantoo Cardinal

Viktoria…..Natalia Nazarova

Jake…..Vincent Angelini

Chick…..Randall Godwin

Matt…..Dale Inghram

Bud…..Donald Phelan

Sweeney…..Bill Selzer

Merle…..Todd Lewis

Red Dog…..Elmer Cardinal

About The Author

MuzikMan is an author of thousands of reviews, interviews and articles found all over the Internet.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 06, 2004

by Keith กMuzikManก Hannaleck

Make front page news by NOT inviting the media

Make front page news by NOT inviting the media

by: David Leonhardt

Not a single reporter showed up at our news event. And we were THRILLED!

Not a single photographer showed up to capture the moment. And we were pleased as punch!

Not a single newspaper knew about the event. And we received front page coverage in every one!

You can make front page news by keeping the media away. But how did we do it? Here is the media relations plan we used:

BACKGROUND: A few years ago, I was working for a politician. In fact, he was a Canadian Member of Parliament (MP). That was about the time that Canada Post decided not to deliver mail to homes in new developments. Instead, new homeowners had to pick up their mail at community กsuperboxesก near the end of their streets. After laying down big bucks for fancy new homes, people expected the same doortodoor service they were used to, and my MP took the heat . . . even though Canada Post was an armslength organization of the government.

GOAL: Our goal was to demonstrate that my MP cared, that he was on their side, that he was doing everything he could to help them.

IDEA: One of the complaints the new residents had was that they were not receiving their junk mail (Go figure!), including weekly grocery specials and, by coincidence, my MPกs mailing to constituents. This gave me an idea. Why not send my MP door to door to deliver his bulletin, explaining how he, too, was frustrated that Canada Post would not deliver his bulletin to them.

CHALLENGE NUMBER ONE: But what about the majority of people who would not be home to see how my MP shared their gripes? We needed media coverage, so that everyone would read about it in their local newspaper.

CHALLENGE NUMBER TWO: This is a juicy story for reporters. Imagine the headlines: ‘resident sock it to MPก. Imagine the photos of angry residents waving their fists in rage against Canada Post. My MP would not look good one bit. The media had to stay away. But how would we get media coverage?

METHOD: We would have to report to the media กafter the factก that my MP had just gone doortodoor. We would have to supply everything the newspapers would need so that they have no need to recreate the event, search for angry residents to interview or ignore the story altogether.

First I wrote a news release. OK, so it did not read quite like a typical news release. It read like a newspaper article. Actually, it read like five different newspaper articles, because I wrote a completely different story for each of the five newspapers in the area. To some degree, I was able to emulate each oneกs style.

Next, we decided to provide photographs. We dressed my MP in a postal cap and had him carrying a postal bag. I snapped shots of him at doorways chatting with residents. This was just too กhuman interestก for any newspaper to ignore. Off to the onehour photo developer, then we chose the five best shots and attached one to each of the news releases.

Zoom, zoom. We hand delivered an envelope to each newspaper. The entire process took us just five hours from knocking on the first door.

RESULT: Each newspaper had its own, unique, original story with its own, unique, original photo. This made the journalists happy. Four out of the five editors even used the headlines I provided! It also made readers, many of who received two or three of the newspapers, believe the media had been there in person . . . making the story all the more credible.

Can you repeat this success? Yes. If you want to get great media coverage, but you are afraid the media will pick up a negative angle, this is the recipe to use:

Position your business as you would like to be seen.

Find a way to demonstrate your position or characteristic.

Write the story for each newspaper as the newspaper would write it, but place it in the format of a news release.

Get some great visuals, going for action or something with a twist, and ensure each newspaper has a unique photo.

Let the newspapers know that no other media outlet has the same photograph.

Of course, it is always best to invite the media to your event and serve donuts, but sometimes NOT inviting them is a better way to get not just กaก story, but the กrightก story.

About The Author

David Leonhardt offers dozens more creative ways to make your business front page news in the media relations กhowtoก guide Get In The News! at http://TheHappyGuy.com/publicityselfpromotionreport.html . For basic media interview training, visit http://TheHappyGuy.com/mediarelationsvideo.html, or find out more about David Leonhardt at http://thehappyguy.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on June 06, 2003

by David Leonhardt

Are There Secrets to Gaining Media Coverage?

Are There Secrets to Gaining Media Coverage?

by: Carolyn Moncel

Are there secrets to gaining media coverage or is it pure luck? Itกs a question that I am asked often while meeting with smallbusiness owners who are seeking press attention for their companies or products. While luck certainly plays a part, the short answer to this question is กmaybe.ก However with a little practice and skill, a smallbusiness owner can significantly increase the chances of garnering coverage by following some basic journalistic rules.

I started my career in public relations the way many college students do as an intern. While working for a PR agency one summer, I learned the greatest lessons from a crusty, old newspaper editor with whom I had to have constant contact.

Each time that I called him to follow up on a story idea, I would learn something new by the time he stopped yelling at me. At summerกs end that editor had become a mentor for me and the rules introduced by him have served me well in placing news stories over the years. You see the greatest gift that he gave me was not a hypothetical example found in my college textbook. Rather, it was practical experience in pitching story ideas to ‘realก journalists.

What I learned from him about approaching journalists with story ideas can be summed up in one word relevancy and its multiple meanings. Allow me to share with you what I learned that summer. ·

Relevance to Beat Assignments: Only approach a journalist with story ideas that are relevant to his or her news beat assignment.

Relevance to Newsworthiness: Keep in mind that stories must be new, unusual or important, and informative.

Relevance to Time: Take stock in whatกs happening in your world and in the lives of others around you by paying attention to current events.

Relevance to Audience or Readership: Make sure that your story idea will matter to the specific group of people who comprise the media outletกs readership or viewers. For example, the story idea may only make sense in a magazine that targets working women, or menกs health newsletter, or the residents of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Fifteen years later, I still think about that editor and every PR mentor I have since encountered whenever it is time for me to pitch a story idea to another reporter. I still stand by my answer that กmaybeก there are secrets to gaining media coverage, but truly understanding the power of relevancy and how journalists regard it is a better bet. It could make the difference between whether a story idea makes it on the front page or lands in the trashcan.

About The Author

Carolyn DavenportMoncel is president and founder of Mondave Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her at [email protected] or by phone in the United States at 877.815.0167 or 011.331.4997.9059 in France.

This article was posted on May 07, 2003

by Carolyn Moncel

The Rush: A Newbieกs Internet Marketing Journey (P

The Rush: A Newbieกs Internet Marketing Journey (Part 1)

by: Stephen Robertson

This article is part 1 of an ongoing series following the adventures of an unemployed slob with a dream.

The trek into the world of internet marketing can be a bit daunting. I know because as I write this, Iกve just taken one of my first steps into this foray.

I assume Iกve done all of the typical things most newbies do on the road in. I also assume that my reason for doing these things is somewhat textbook. I was laid off a few months ago from a dotcom for the second time in 3 years and just couldn’t stand the thought of going through the whole thing again. So I entertained all kinds of thoughts of what I กshouldก do for work. Ideas whizzed into my mind as quickly as they raced out: กI should just bite the bullet and get a tech jobก, กMaybe I should do constructionก, กIกll hit the lotteryก, กInterior Design?ก, กHow about writing a book?ก, กMaybe I can get by as a consultantก, กMcDonaldกs?ก.

One day as I finished my breakfast of all the job and classified websites I could eat, I angrily pounded on my keyboard, กMAKE MONEYก. I laughed when I realized that my cursor was in the Google search box. I hit enter. My first thought was, กLook at all of these scams!ก Then for some reason which I don’t recall, I clicked one. Then another. After about page 10 in Googleกs results pages, I realized it was all very interesting to me. It wasn’t that I was actually buying it, I mean, I wasn’t a sucker. It was the fact that beyond the obvious scams, there was actually a story. I read the testimonials of hundreds of people. กI made $50,000 my first month!ก, กIกll retire in 4 years!ก, กIf my grandmother can do it, you can!ก They were as endless as the overthetop enthusiasm. It provided me with the same literary satisfaction as a Readerกs Digest short story. But there was something more. I couldn’t help but wonder, กIs there even a tiny bit of truth in here?ก I imagine this must be what it felt like for pioneers that pondered the journey west to search for gold. Sure they heard grand stories but what are the chances? Armed with the amazing knowledge that only 25 minutes of reading Google results can give you I considered myself much better equipped than the average joe. I went off to find the one goldmine that had yet been unpicked.

A week passed and Iกd read thousands of testimonials, ideas, free ebooks, and forums. The forums were particularly interesting to me because here were people that all seemed to have a general interest in helping one another to achieve financial freedom. Being a competitive person in business, sports, and life in general, I wondered what the point of that was. กWhy tip your hand?ก, I thought. As I continued to read threads in the forum, it hit me, relationships. All good businesses have one thing in common, great relationships. Whether itกs with a landlord, the mailman, a client, or an employee, successful businesses thrive on good relationships. I was now addicted to this thought.

About The Author

Stephen Robertson Jr. is a guy like many. He hasn’t made any money yet through mailing lists, affilliates, adsense, adwords, or any other internet marketing endeavors. This ongoing story is a playbyplay of his adventure. You can catch the latest weekly update of his tale at http://www.ForgetWork.com/rush/

Webmasters, feel free to republish this story. It must remain unedited and whole. All resource/footer copy including this statement must remain intact and unedited. All links must remain clickable. Stephen Robertson Jr. can be contacted by either visiting http://www.ForgetWork.com/ or by emailing him at [email protected].

This article was posted on August 08

by Stephen Robertson

Media Training 101 The Secrets Of Writing A Goo

Media Training 101 The Secrets Of Writing A Good Press Release

by: Sandra Stammberger

Does the thought of trying to get publicity for your business seem like something that you can’t do yourself, and would have to hire a professional for? Do you think that writing a press release is totally outside your ability to do? Does the thought of talking to the media about your business make your mouth go dry and your stomach clench? If so, take heart, because you’re about to learn how you can take care of your own publicity, simply and easily.

Getting publicity for your business can seem like an impossible task something that only happens for กbigก companies that can afford to hire publicists.

The reality is, getting free publicity for your business isn’t that difficult. Welcome to กMedia Training 101 The Secrets of Writing a Good Press Releaseก. By the time you finish reading this article, youกll not only understand the basics, youกll know what goes into the process, and what you have to do to get started writing your own press release.

First of all, letกs go over some basic terminology you need to be familiar with.

Press Release: A statement with useful and relevant information that is written for distribution to the media.

Hook: The information or larger story that you can use to attach your press release to. Using the right กhookก in the right way can help you to get more publicity for your business.

Spin: Telling your story your way.

The good news about learning to write a Press Release is that there is an established format that you need to follow. And once youกve learned the basics, writing a press release is a kind of กcookie cutterก process. Here are some basic ideas to keep in mind:

Make your news กnewsworthyก. A press release is not a sales advertisement. A good press release answers all of the กWก questions (who, what, where, when and why), and sometimes กhow.ก Your purpose in writing it is twofold: to provide the media with useful and relevant information about your organization, product, service or event and to get your name out to your target market.

Begin with a strong headline. Your headline and first paragraph need to grab the reader’s attention. Without being flowery or overly dramatic, you have only the first few seconds to grab your reader’s attention and get them to read your story, and decide if it’s worth running. So don’t blow it by being vague or weak. The rest of your press release can give them the nittygritty details.

Tailor your story to your Primary audience – the media. Your secondary audience is your target market, but if the media doesn’t decide that your story is newsworthy and runs it, your potential customers will never know about it!

Pay attention to your writing. Sometimes, especially in rural areas and online, the media will run your press release in their publications with little or no modification, so make sure you’ve used your spelling and grammar check before sending it, and keep to the facts. Most of the time, journalists will use your press release as a stepping off place for a larger feature story, especially if you can show larger relevance to other current events. Always develop your story as you want to have it told – put YOUR spin on it. Even if your story is not reprinted verbatim, always remember what YOUR purpose is in writing it – to provide exposure for you, and to help brand you as an expert in your field.

Not everything is news. Just because you are excited that you made your first big sale, or started a new product line, or wrote your first article, doesn’t necessarily mean that the press are going to think you have a newsworthy story. From the time you start your first draft, keep your audience in mind. Who will find your story interesting? Why are they going to find it interesting? How is it relevant to something else that’s going on right now?

Identify a problem, and show how you’re solving it. Use real life examples about how your company or organization solved or is solving a problem. Give examples of how your service or product fulfills needs or satisfies desires. What benefits can be expected? Use real life examples to powerfully communicate the benefits of using your product or service.

Stick to the facts. Always. Tell. The. Truth. Avoid fluff, embellishments and exaggerations. It is part of a journalist’s job to be skeptical. If you want to use publicity effectively, then you’re not looking for a one night stand. You want to gain the trust of the media, establish your credibility, and build an ongoing relationship with your local media, so that you become a resource for them within your industry.

Find your ขhookข. Try to make your press release timely. Keep informed about what’s going on in your community, in your state, region, the country or the world. Is there a local, regional or national news story that somehow ties in to your industry or your business? If you can hook your press release to current events or social issues, you increase your chances of having it picked up. If not, then make sure your story is relevant to the needs, wants or problems of your community or target audience.

Use an active, not passive, voice. Use strong verbs that will bring your press release to life. If there is controversy, describe it. There is an old adage in the news business: ขIf it cries it flies, and if it bleeds, it leads.ข (Not very nice, but it’s often true.) So, while you may not be crying or bleeding, make what you’re writing about stand out. Use active verbs. Write ขpartneredข rather than กentered into a partnershipก or ขengagedข rather than ขinterestedข, etc. Writing in this manner will help guarantee that your press release will be read.

Use only enough words to tell your story. Avoid using unnecessary adjectives, flowery language, or redundant expressions such as กadded bonusก or กfirst time everก. Paint a strong, vivid picture in the minds of your audience by making each word count.

Use jargon sparingly. There are times that some jargon is required if your goal is to optimize your news release for online search engines, but whenever possible, speak plainly, using everyday language. Avoid words like กcapacity planning techniquesก and กextrapolateข.

Avoid hype. The exclamation point (!) is your enemy. You will destroy your credibility by using hype. If you must use an exclamation point, use one. Never do this!!!!!!!!!!

Get Permission. Most people and companies are very protective about their reputations. Be sure that you have written permission before including information or quotes from employees or affiliates of other companies or organizations. If there is a hint of a dispute in this area, chances are your press release will be tossed aside, and never used. And you will lose your credibility.

If you follow those simple rules, youกll be able to put together a newsworthy story that will help you achieve your goals of getting the word out about your business.

About The Author

Sandra Stammberger is the owner of Insider Scripts. At Insider Script’s programmers are working around the clock to develop affordable, powerful money making scripts that will help you drive traffic to your business. http://www.insiderscripts.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 26

by Sandra Stammberger

Who Needs T.V. News, Newspapers and Radio News? ขN

Who Needs T.V. News, Newspapers and Radio News? ขNot I!ข Says The Happy Human Living In The New World

by: M6.net

T.V. and radio News got you down? Online current events and News blogs make being informed a much more enjoyable experience. For many the News on television has become a trying time of the day. Focused mainly on negative events, you may have to wait through the whole program just to hear the one story you were waiting for. If you miss the 6:00 p.m. show, waiting until the late night segment can be a real drag, especially if you’ve got a lot to do, or have to wake up early the next morning.

My friends, there is an answer to this problem: News blogs or online current events. You can find all of your favorite broadcasters (E.g.: CNN, BBC) on the Internet, getting uptodate information at any time of the day or night. You can even read personal journal entries written by multiple correspondents out in the field reporting on several different stories down to the current minute. Instead of hearing all News from one voice (often an irritating one), now you can read different human opinions straight from the scene of interest.

Often News online has a section called ขthemesข which allows the reader to only hear about the specific areas that interest them. No more waiting through several wars to get to the positive story about the current medical breakthrough that could mean a cure for disease, or the technological idea that might mean the end to extreme pollution levels. Like a newspaper, you can go straight to the ขjobsข theme and search through all the current employment vacancies available. If you are obsessed with the negative, themes such as ขDisaster and Tragedyข and ขCrime and Punishment are still readily accessible.

As the News is now on the Internet it has also become an interactive experience in numerous ways. First of all now you can send News stories straight to the News companies yourself! If the story is deemed worthwhile and verifiable, you may even be published. This is also the case with photographers who have pictures of important events. It really means anyone can become a part of the action as a freelance consultant. Some News online have ขwitnessข sections where you can tell your story if you happen to have been in the right place at the right time. This option means that we can hear many different views on contentious issues giving a wider perspective to the ‘big picture’.

Some News sites also have interactive sites within. For example, on the BBC News Blog there is a learning site (BBCi Learning) that involves interactive activities and over half a million pages of factual information and resources available for children, adolescents, and adults. There are competitions and all sorts of games to help educate people in any and every area of interest imaginable.

Another great aspect of these online News sites is the ability to access archival information. You can watch video and listen to audio recordings of famous historical stories right on the computer. If the day is Feb.3, you can read articles from Feb.3’s from fifty years ago. Looking up any date and year recorded is as easy as pushing a few buttons.

Some services have subscriptions where instead of looking up the website, the News you want is sent straight to your email. Being in the know, and being in the now, has never been such an objective, enjoyable, and simplistic experience as in the 21st century. Partaking in a new perspective on life is what online current events and News Blogs are all about.

About The Author

By Jesse S. Somer

M6.Net http://www.m6.net

Jesse S. Somer is a human hoping to help other novices like him see the magic of the world of the Internet.

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 09, 2004

by M6.net

Desperately Seeking the Truth

Desperately Seeking the Truth

by: John Jantsch

People today are bombarded by so much information that they have become numb to what feels like advertising or, during political cycles like we are in today, out and out fabrication.

Small business owners should resist the temptation to copy what passes for advertising today and focus on telling the truth. I don’t really mean to imply that companies are lying about what their product or service can do, I just mean that they aren’t giving us any reason to believe in or trust what they have to say.

So how do you do tell the truth? Tell me a story. Speak to me honestly about why you got into business, tell me your pain, show me how you struggle and, most of all, give me some reason to hope.

Create a marketing document that tells your story and you will find that you can use it in a variety of ways.

The marketing story is such an effective tool because it allows you to do several things that traditional marketing or advertising does not.

People learn through stories

Stories are an effective way to simplify a complicated issue.

Stories can create emotion. People buy on emotion and rationalize their decision with facts

Stories are easier to remember because people can more readily relate to a story

Most importantly…Stories build trust

The basic types of plots for your marketing story

Who I am stories – stories that allow the reader to connect with who you are or who the company is

What I do stories – Stories that communicate what your firm does in a way that gets at why it does it.

The vision stories – Stories that paint a picture of a dynamic future.

Values in action stories – Stories that illustrate slogan like ขwe try harderข

Lessons learned stories – Shared lessons that expose the human side – both the good and the bad.

I know you stories – Stories that demonstrate to the reader that you have walked in my shoes.

The link to your core marketing message or USP.

As you create your marketing story it is helpful to keep your USP in mind. The marketing story can be a very effective way to demonstrate the words in your most important marketing promise or core message.

Your story should be chosen partly based on its ability to directly link the reader to your USP.

A word about structure There are several items that go into a good story.

Your story should have personality. A good story is always a good story.

Your story should connect with the reader by revealing a simple truth.

Your story needs a caretaker. Someone in the firm needs to own the story and give it a passionate voice.

Your story should be so focused on the target market so that they can see themselves as characters in your story.

Several great uses for a good story

It can help you recruit employees who relate to the story.

It can and should be part of your marketing materials. Print it on the back of invoices. Hang it in the hall. Tell it in your newsletter. Put it on your web site.

Use it to help present your firm in an industry award competition

A couple of closing thoughts

The story must be true. I don’t think that I need to explain that one too much.

The story must be somewhat entertaining. Facts and figures can add credibility to a story but emotion and personality keep the interest.

A 13 year old should be able to understand and appreciate the story. If you have a teenager, then you know what a challenge this is. Pass this test and you know you have a winner.

Length. Your story should take no longer than 35 minutes to read or tell. Anything longer and you had better have some intriguing plot twists.

Looking for a great example of a marketing story? Visit http://www.noonshine.com/story.htm

Copyright 2004 John Jantsch

About The Author

John Jantsch is a marketing coach and creator of the Duct Tape Marketing System. You can get more information about the Duct Tape System and download your free copy of ขHow To Create the Ultimate Small Business Marketing System in 7 Simple Stepsข by visiting http://www.DuctTapeMarketing.com

This article was posted on October 25, 2004

by John Jantsch

Marketing

Marketing

by: Phil Basten

* Want to get more signups for your newsletter, ezine, downline club, optin list?
* Want to make more sales for that special product or service you are offering or, get more paying members for that new program you just joined?
Write an article and submit it…
กBut I can’t write a lickก, you say.
Well, read on because Iกm going to show you how you can write an article easily and quickly.
Pick a subject you know something about and research it…
Don’t try to copy what others are doing. The way you become wellknown on the net is to become an authority on a particular subject.
So choose a subject you know a lot about, read up all you can about that subject so you have the latest info at hand, and then start writing.
Make sure itกs a subject you’re passionate about.
Passion or enthusiasm is infectious. It has a way of drawing others into the story, capturing their imagination and igniting excitement in your readers.
Your article or story should be potent enough to motivate your readers to take action.
Keep it a la natural…
Write the way you talk. Imagine you are sitting next to your uncle or aunt and you are trying to explain to them what it is that excites you.
Try to use plain English minus the froth and bubble. People respond more easily and quickly to genuine feelings and thoughts than they do to hype and an over use of adjectives.
The more natural you are when you write, the more ordinary people will be able to identify themselves with you and your topic.
Weave the story…
Every subject or topic has a story woven into itกs fabric. Your task is to extract the story and then tell it in your own words.
Next construct the framework for telling the story clearly and concisely. To do this ask yourself these questions.

What does the story mean to me?
How does this story affect my life?
What does it make me think about?
What feelings rise up as I think about it?
Why do others need to hear this story?

What you are doing here is mining the essence of the story so you can impart its wisdom to your readers in way that will affect them positively.
Sub it…
Once you have the broad idea for your story. Write it down. Then go through it a number of times with a fine tooth comb and pick out 45 places where you can insert a subheading.
Sub heads grab the readers attention and draw them into the next part of the story.
This will also tell you whether your story has continuity. Does it make you want to read the next paragraph.
Publish it…
Once you have your story written, researched it so its factually accurate, told it in plain English, woven your enthusiasm throughout it and you’re happy with the finished product…
PUBLISH IT…
Get it out there. Send to ezine owners who are looking for good articles to use in their ezines. There are thousands of publishers on the web who constantly search for good articles to share with their readers.
Here are a few good places that may publish your finished work and they are free…

http://www.goarticles.com/
http://www.ideamarketers.com/writers.cfm
http://www.ezinearticles.com/
http://www.articlecity.com/index.shtml

And the point is…
Don’t be afraid to write an article or submit it. If itกs accepted and gets published you could see a sudden influx of new readers and buyers fast.

About The Author

Phil Basten is CoEditor of The WebPro Times. Phile and his partner, Jane Mark, have been helping marketers to succeed online for more than 7 years though their company JPE Advertising Get the latest tip, tools and tricks available. Subscribe to the WebPro Times now and get 5 fabulous free gifts just for signing up http://webprotimes.com/

[email protected]

This article was posted on June 27, 2004

by Phil Basten

How to Use Solo Ads to Make a Small Fortune

How to Use Solo Ads to Make a Small Fortune

by: Anik Singal

Newsletter advertising has been getting a bad rap lately. Around every corner you can find someone complaining about how it doesn’t work. But when you ask them if they’ve tried it, most say no. The others who have, had NO idea what they were doing.
Today we’re going to talk about exactly what kind of solo ads sell and what factors are important.
Let’s start by going through the process of publishing a solo ad.

Choose a newsletter/ezine to publish in.
Write the solo ad
Write an effective title
Design the website where your visitors will go…

1. Choose a newsletter/ezine
Extremely important. You must do your best to choose the most targeted group possible. You must choose a ขgoodsizedข list. Also, the group must be responsive.
The best searching technique is to go to the websites in your niche market that are popular and find the links that say ขadvertisingข or ขadvertise with us.ข It’s normally quite selfexplanatory from there…
I personally recommend going for no newsletter with less than 5,000 members – unless they are extremely targeted and very responsive.
To determine how responsive a group is – ALWAYS ask or look for testimonials from others who have advertised before. If the publisher is unwilling to provide these – don’t waste your time promoting there.
2. Write the Solo Ad
One word – story. That’s the BEST way to sell someone something – tell them a story. Most people are so skeptical now every time they receive an email that the only real way to warm up to them is to tell them a story.
Start talking about how you went from a ขnothingข to having this great success. Or, how you went from not knowing anything about ขsuch and suchข to now becoming an expert.
The next tip is to give them a ขfeelingข of what they are about to learn – *start* to teach them about the topic and then say ขO…to learn the rest, click here.ข
I’ve learned that the best solo ad never sells a thing, it only presells and warms up to the reader. I guess this is where the theory of ขPreSellข prevails.
3. Write an Effective Title
Quite possibly the MOST important part of your entire campaign. Don’t underestimate the readers of the ezine. They *know* when the regular issue comes and when the solo ads come. They’re already skeptical. If you want to catch their eye, you better have a title that really appeals to them.
Here are some good title tips:

Use Numbers ex/ How to Get 2000+ Targeted Visitors A Day instead of ขHow to Get Trafficข
Be Specific – Your title should reveal EXACTLY what you talk about…
Keep It Short – The shorter the title, the more it will be read…
Avoid SPAM words – Don’t use ขFREEข ขMONEYข – These words are turnoffs now…

If you can write an effective title, you’ve one half the battle already!
4. Design the website where your visitors go…
The BIGGEST mistake (in my opinion) is to simply send the traffic to your main site. I recommend you setup a SEPARATE website for THAT particular ezine. Make that visitor feel as if he/she is VIP for coming in from that newsletter.
Greet them with a ขHey! Glad you could make it from ขINSERT NAME HEREข to our site!
This makes your site more personal and the visitor feels more comfortable reading your message.
A quick tip for your website:
Always talk about the success YOU had with the program you are selling – tell a story and reveal how well YOU did with it. You will see a HUGE increase in sales.
Once again, people want stories and they want storied about YOU.
If you apply these four factors the ขrightข way, you’re bound to do extremely well with Solo Ads. Personally, I make thousands a month selling my consulting service using Solo Ads – so, no one can tell me they don’t work.
Till we meet again, thumbs up to ezine advertising!
Anik Singal

President

AffiliateUpsell.com

About The Author

Anik Singal is a very successful young internet business owner. He began marketing on the internet when he was only 18 and by the age of 20 he was making a full living on the internet.
Anik found great success easily promoting just one affiliate program. He earned over $10,466.62 with just one program using his Affiliate Upsell Secrets System.
Now, heกs teaching others how to do it…
Take advantage of Anikกs expertise by visiting www.AffiliateUpsell.com.
Anikกs TOP 5 Most Closely Guarded Search Engine Optimization Secrets FREE Guide Visit http://www.AffiliateUpsell.com/SEO_Secrets.pdf

[email protected]

This article was posted on May 16, 2004

by Anik Singal