Success vs. failure with social media

That’s right. Don Crowther — the Big Kahuna of social media… and the guy who created the breakthrough social media training program SMARTS — just posted a free, new video called “Social Media Doesn’t Work.”

Check out “Social Media Doesn’t Work” here
Social Profit Formula

Now, I must admit, when I first heard about this video, I was flabbergasted. I mean, what in the heck is the world’s #1 expert on social media doing bashing social media? Has he lost his marbles… or has he just seen the light?

Turns out it’s neither. You see, Don readily admits that for most people social media doesn’t work. And the reason is simple: it’s because of a costly mistake that most social media marketers are making right now.

…a mistake that will doom your social media efforts to failure.

And a mistake that explains why so many are saying, “social media doesn’t work.”

Watch “Social Media Doesn’t Work” here
Social Profit Formula

The good news is, on this eye-opening video, Don shows you the deceptively simple, but highly effective secrets that can turn it all around and let you finally start making money with social media.

These are the same secrets Don, his clients and his students have been using to rake in millions of dollars using social media to market their products and services.

And here’s something else: Don is also going to give you a downloadable worksheet that shows you in just 5 minutes precisely how well you’re doing with social media. You’ll quickly discover whether you’re wasting your time, or are on your way to making serious money.

Believe me, this video and worksheet are crucial if you want to find success with social media.

Check out “Social Media Doesn’t Work” here
Social Profit Formula

Last thing: the video has been specially formatted so you can watch it on your iPhone, iPad or iTouch without any hassles or delays.

I urge you to check out the video right away — and then start putting Don’s ideas to work in your business right away.

Enjoy,

Michael

P.S. By the way, Don also shares some remarkable social media success stories on the video — from companies that are doing social media right. And he names names.

Watch the “Social Media Doesn’t Work” video here
Social Profit Formula

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A little while ago, I purchased Ryan Deiss’ Facebook Ad Power. What a refreshing change to all the other BS that I have seen in other “training” courses of so called guru’s of Internet Marketing. Straightforward, to the point, and information that you can actually use!

Ryan’s Facebook Ad Power is one ot the best traffic training courses I have seen. He has already updated the info to make it even more current!

I know as a marketer we are supposed to put some kind of “urgency” in a post like this but the only urgency I see you need with this product is “It’s great info” and a real value for what the course costs. He has however taken it off the market once and may do it again. Why?

Ryan says that he simply doesn’t want too many people to ruin his best traffic honey hole.

Here is a link to his video (if it’s still up)

Facebook Ad Power video

The free video alone is nothing short of eye opening and a great lesson in video marketing.

Ryan explains SO many ways Facebook is better than Google, you’ll be shocked.

Click the link below to watch now!

Facebook Ad Power Video
Do in NOW and get started driving traffic from one of the largest websites in the world!

- Michael Lindsay

Go watch Ryan’s video now

Facebook Ad Power Video

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The Right Mindset Makes It Easy To Make Blogs Work For Your Business

Blogging is taking off like a wildfire. People are blogging about just about anything you can think of. From the daily routine of their cat, to technology reviews, to politics.

Until the blogosphere sorts itself out and matures a bit more, it may be difficult to tell exactly how this new frontier of instant publishing can help you and your business grow. But don’t worry – you’ll start getting a flood of new ideas in
the coming months.

For now, the most important thing you can do is develop the right mindset about business blogging. What you think about something, and how you strategize applying it in your business very often has more to do with success than the
technology, tool, or resource itself.

With that in mind, here is the most important thing you can do. Keep your eye on people.

DO NOT get stuck on the “technology.” That’s what drove all the pie-in-the-sky dot.com dreamers into the financial abyss. It’s people and personal communication that matter most, and should always be a the center of all your thoughts, strategies, and actions. A managed site lite QuanSite can help you stay focused on content instead of technology!

Blogging is just a tool. But it’s a tool that can and should become a major support arm of your business. Why?

Because it exponentially multiplies the world’s oldest, most favored, and trusted form of information sharing — word of mouth.

Just ask yourself, whom do you trust the most to give you advice, recommendations, and information about opportunities, purchases, or choices? Someone you know and trust, right? Someone who you feel is just like you.

That type of trust comes from personal communication, social interaction, and the joining together of like-minded individuals. Blogging simply magnifies and expands that sense of community and more personalized communication, and then expands the reach across the entire world!

Link trust; with respect, positioning, and word-of-mouth and you have the makings of a powerful marketing arm that can initiate an ever-growing stream of highly targeted prospects.

Remember, it’s the relationships that matter most. Keep your eye on that fact, and you’ll always have the right mindset for business blogging that’s a benefit for you and your readers.

Michael

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Well, it is finally upon us! The Secret Society of the Quan began yesterday with a live streaming web-cast. WOW, we have got a tremendous amount to look forward to. What was Blogi360 has metamorphosized into QuanSite! There will be so many more options for getting your small business put on the map so to speak in the Internet world, that it is really difficult to comprehend.

While there is always a learning curve with any project, QuanSite is so automated once you get it set up that all you really have to do is put up your blog pages, upload your video and or audio files and watch the Quan go to work for you!

A lot of information on the QuanSite will be forthcoming in the next few days so make sure that you click on one of the links on this page to get on the list. Join the “Secret Society of the Quan”!

Michael

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I don’t really have a clue where this list actually originated but it is attributed to the Anthony Robbins Organization. Regardless, here are 20 little notes that make a LOT of sense to me. Each one of these should probably be a separate blog post. (think I’ll start on that) Hope you enjoy.

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

 
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.. 

THREE. Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want. 

FOUR. When you say, ‘I love you,’ mean it. 

FIVE. When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye. 

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married. 

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight. 

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much. 

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely. 

TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling. 

ELEVEN. Don’t judge people by their relatives. 

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. …. When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’ 

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 

FIFTEEN. Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze. 

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson. 

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions. 

EIGHTEEN. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 

NINETEEN. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 

TWENTY.Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice. 

Until next time,

Michael

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Ready To Unleash The Power Of Blogs in Your Business?

It’s been simmering below the surface for
years and now this power shift has finally boiled over into simultaneous national recognition. 

Like
Goliath being slain with a lowly slingshot, the mainstream media (in the form
of Dan Rather) came to the undeniable realization that they were no longer in
control of information.

Within 30-minutes of that
now infamous TV special on “60-Minutes II” broadcast bloggers were digging into
the facts and questioning the validity of what had just been presented by the
42-year broadcast veteran. In less than one week, CBS admitted it could
“no longer vouch” for the memos. And just weeks after the election,
Rather announced his retirement and the blogosphere won another victory.

No matter what your
political affiliation is, this incident is one very public example of the power
of blogging. Blogging is quickly accelerating into a steeping, sloping growth
curve of popularity and application. ABC News selected Bloggers as “People of
the Year”, and Merriam-Webster declared “blog” its “word of the year.”

Putting the power of blogs to work for your business can have more an impact than you can imagine… and it’s easier than you might think.

It puts the power of
information and the impact of influence in the hands of the “average Joe”. It
makes instant publishing a reality regardless of your technical skill level.
And it’s a business growth tool that the savvy small business owner can no
longer afford to ignore.

The world’s oldest, most effective form of communication
and marketing on steroids!

So why is blogging gaining
popularity so quickly?  What’s the
attraction?  And why is it so darn
powerful?

The answer is quite simple
when you consider history and human nature.

Blogging is an unstoppable
technological force that exponentially multiplies the world’s oldest, most
favorite, and most trusted form of information sharing — word of mouth.

Think about it.  Who do you trust the most to give you advice,
recommendations, and information about opportunities, purchases, or choices?

If you’re like the vast
majority of people, it’s the opinion of someone you know and trust. Someone who
you feel is just like you. That type of trust comes from personal
communication, social interaction, and the joining together of like-minded
individuals.

Blogs and the blogging
community deliver all that — and more.

Now is the time to master
business blogging and put it to use for you! Do it before other proactive
business owners step into your ideal niche and muscle you out of this primetime
opportunity.

You
can learn more about blogs and business blogging in particular at http://endurefort.com/Blogi360.php

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As marketers, we sometimes just simply forget the basics! Not long ago, while visiting a new local business, the manager asked me to put some of their flyers in our business. I am sure that the first time they asked this question, it may have been quite difficult, however, this young lady had apparently asked the question many times before and was quite good at it. What impressed me more than anything else was the preface to the question. It was simply, “If I don’t ask, the answer is always no”. They must have successfully placed them in many places because now, they have a thriving business.

On a recent trip to Disney World, my stepdaughter, wanted something from one of the candy stores. After making our selections, I noticed that she was intently watching one of the ladies behind the counter make chocolate covered strawberries. Wow, did they look delicious. We were however, in quite a hurry to leave. I would have liked to buy some of those strawberries, but simply did not want to take the time to locate them in the store, take them to the counter and wait in line again to purchase them. Katelyn however, simply asked the clerk behind the counter “Do you have any free samples?” Then, she simply waited. Initially, the clerks response was negative, but after a few moments of waiting, she simply slid a chocolate covered strawberry across the counter into the waiting hands of a young teenager that was bold enough to “ask”. A couple of great lessons here.

First, she asked. How many times have you been in a situation where you thought someone around you might be a good candidate for your business opportunity, or really needed a nutritional product that your company has, and thought, “oh, they won’t be interested” or “this is not the right time, I’ll call them later”.  “Ask and you will receive”. We are commanded to take action before getting results. “Knock, and the door will be opened.” The saying is not, think about asking and you will receive, or the door will open before you knock! Don’t forget to ASK!

Second, she waited. If we had rushed out of the store, guess what, NO strawberry! No results because we were in too much of a hurry. When you do get to the point of asking, you have to wait for the answer. Do not rush your prospects or customers. In this world of instant gratification, no one wants to wait anymore. Many times, we need to give our prospects and customers time to process the information that we have given them. Give them the chance to say “yes”.

Don’t forget to ask! because “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no!”

Thanks for your time!

Michael

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With the current economic situation here in the US, it seems like an appropriate time to help as many people as we can to be able to build an online business.  In order to help everyone, we have to have a way to generate leads as quickly as possible and as inexpensively as we can.

The big question is, if you have an extremely limited budget, how can you build an online business? The old saying “it takes money to make money” is somewhat true.  So, especially in these tough economic times how can we maximize the effectiveness of our expenditure? Fortunately, there are lots of success stories out there.

Russell Brunson of dotcomsecrets.com tells his story of turning $20 into a multi-million dollar enterprise in just a few years. Russell recently started a contest whereby he is teaching contestants how he accomplished this feat by giving a free course. If you have not signed up, you can do so by clicking here. He is even helping your earn your first dollar online by giving you a dollar for everyone you refer to the sight (up to $100,000). As a relatively newcomer to the online business world, I can tell you that what he teaches makes a lot of sense and put into action will work. Part of the success in this contest is that you have to complete homework assignments. This forces you to actually DO something instead of thinking about it. I have been amazed at the progress I have made in just a few weeks. It’s not too late to get started so give it a try!

Mike Dillard is another successful online marketer. I have purchased some of his stuff and it is really top notch also. One of Mike’s products is even called “Building on a budget“. This course is full of ideas on how to generate traffic and sales in whatever business that you have. Mike has included a set of 5 videos you can get for free just by clicking on the link. “Building on a budget” can get you started on the right track by showing you the ropes on what to spend your money on and what to avoid. Excellent information (and it’s inexpensive). At least why not get the free videos, the information is priceless.

If, like me, you have a network marketing business, definitely try out Betternetworker. This site has a HUGE number of articles and online helpful hints to help you build your business. There are tons of people that will help answer your questions. Spam is not allowed there so don’t let “Karl the Cop” catch you trying that.  Betternetworker is a place to meet others and network with them in a noncompetitive place. It’s kind of like the Facebook of networker marketers. You can network there just as you can on Facebook or MySpace. Social Marketing for the networker.

So, is it possible to build an online business for nothing? absolutely not. At the very least you must have internet access and a computer. Beyond that, it is possible to get the training you need inexpensively or free. It’s also possible, if you know where to go and what to do, to generate traffic to your website and or blog. We don’t have to have all the bells and whistles and a huge budget to get a huge website up. It’s a lot of work and there is a learning curve, but the internet is making it possible to make a substantial income online while starting out on a shoestring.

It’s the American Dream – Rekindled! Anyone, with the determination to learn and do (this is the key) can be successful online!

Please leave me some comments! (Trackbacks and pings are appreciated also!)

Michael

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As one of the owners of a “brick and mortar” business as well as a budding Internet Entrepreneur, its interesting to see all the “different” ways the “Guru’s” in the Internet business come up with to get new customers.

I have been lucky enough to be able to work with my Father in our business for the last 25 years. Undoubtedly, one of the BEST marketers that I have ever met.  Nothing, and I mean NOTHING has ever been to “over the top” for him.  He even rode a bull during a Rodeo event that we sponsored as a fund raiser for the local Fire Dept. People still talk about that years later! I have come to the conclusion that marketing is marketing is marketing.  It doesn’t mater if you are creating blogs, capture pages, videos, writing tweets, posting on MySpace or running newspaper ads, having giveaway promotions, running specials, or even riding bulls. It is ALL the same! It’s building relationships! While certainly there are many many differences, when it gets down to the bottom line, it’s “what kind of impact” can we have on others, that will make them want them to do business with US!

There is a tremendous amount of competition in the Internet world as well as in the brick and mortar world. We happen to be in the grocery industry. If you think you have a lot of competition in cyberspace (and we all do) try being a small independent grocery retailer going up against WalMart or other regional or national chains. Competition is good. It makes you better. Online marketers need a way to differentiate themselves.  To stand out from the others. Make yourself a leaders. How do we do that. We have to find a way to serve. We serve in the retail world by having products that our customers want at a competitive price. We (our company) serves by still taking groceries to our customers cars. Yes, it’s a little old fashioned and costs us a considerable amount in extra wages, however it also “differentiates us from the Mega stores. We give better customer service. We have to in order to survive.

Online, we have to serve as well. Become a giver instead of a taker. Take the time to answer that question someone posts, give them a URL to a site that will help them, help them learn a new skill. All with NO AGENDA! I have been involved in the network marketing business for many years. I’ve always had some moderate success but never become a “heavy hitter”. One may ask why I still love network marketing if I’ve never made a huge amount of money in it. The MAIN reason? I have friends all over the country. Some going back nearly 20 years, that I would have never met, if not for network marketing.  I’ve built groups the old fashioned way and online.  For me all this social marketing, Web 2.0 stuff is simply networking. It’s just relationship building taken to the next logical step.

Learn your craft (and there is a learning curve). Don’t jump in and oversell every contact you get in your inbox. That would be like me following customers around in our stores and putting an extra rib eye in their cart. I don’t think they would appreciate that. Help them, learn from them, establish a relationship. Let them know what you do of course, but let them decide how they want to do business with you.  I love to show our customers how much better our rib eyes are and we will cut them just like they want. Establish your niche, show how you do it better, and they WILL buy. Then, they are your customer for life! I’m still doing what I did 20 years ago. Building relationships. The ONLY difference is, we now call it Web 2.0 or Social Media Marketing, and we do it online.

Michael Lindsay

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