Site of the Day: Shutterbugsource.com
July 31, 2008
Want to see a beautiful site? Head over to Shutterbug Source and check out a well designed Wordpress blog.
Owner: Barbara House (SPL member)
Topic: Photography
URL: http://www.shutterbugsource.com/
Jack’s Review: Great content, excellent layout and navigation, beautiful photos everywhere, really pulls you in. Smacks of quality content right from the start and sets itself apart from the vast majority of sites on the same topic.
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Why Twitter Is Better Than Google
July 31, 2008
Guest post by Rick Butts
Since the late 1960’s very bright people have pushed their intellect and creativity to the limits in an attempt to create a machine that could actually think.
IBM’s Big Blue may have beaten Russia’s Kasparov in chess along the way - but as we find ourselves in the sunset months of the first decade of the 21st century computers are still computational devices based on math. They are incapable of reason despite incredible leaps in software and processor speed.
The closest source we’ve had to an “answer giver” has been Google.
Even with Google you have to finesse your “question” in the form of search syntax and it helps to know those advanced commands (which look like complicated physics formulas) to BEGIN the search to find what you are really looking for.
Of course, what you are really looking for needs to exist, and in a search friendly format - and have enough on-page factors to identify itself and plenty of inbound links. When was the last time you actually spent time on a web page that was 11 pages deep in Google search results?
But, wait!
There really IS a smart computer and it’s ALIVE I tell you! It’s ALIVE!
Just join Twitter and attract a group of followers and you’ll soon you’ll have created your own collection of living brain cells, capable of solving problems, reasoning, understanding fuzzy logic, and developing solutions, and pointing you directly to the answers you seek!
Yes, it’s true. Twitter is a sentient being…
How do I know? Today I was wondering how to find a resource for translating my marketing materials into Chinese and lo and behold, I got answers!
The living breathing thinking computer on my desktop used the Twitter Brain to even ask me clarifying questions that made sense. I told it that I wanted the Chinese translation to be done in a way that the average computer user in China would not suspect was written by a Western guy (me.)
Of the 21 answers and solutions I got back were killer ideas, strategies, individuals, websites, businesses, and connections.
Do you get the power of what has happened here? Can you imagine the potential for this kind of living, dynamic brain trust - that you can access in real time - one that you build by selecting the members?
Some marketers have dismissed Twitter as a toy or a timesuck. They frame it that way because they are comparing micro-blogging to SEO, or PPC, Email or Article marketing.
These other formats have fairly clear paramaters and can be manipulated to get “traffic” - with extremely low conversion rates. A good sales conversion off natural search is in the 1% - 2% range.
Twitter is much less difficult to manipulate - as some spammers have discovered - because it is the most human of new media models. Go ahead, send 3-4 offers to your followers and see how fast you are Tweeting to yourself!
In contrast, use it right and build trust and connection in a human way and you’ll find you’ve unleashed the power to get results - sales results - so far beyond standard rates - you’ll be stunned.
Last week I got to experience this by sending my followers a message to go to a standard name squeeze page at TwitterSqueeze.com (where all they could do was optin with email) that had practically no information on it at all. There wasn’t even a “bribe” or freebie. They were merely getting on an advance notification list.
Guess what happened?
While the very best squeeze page metrics yield a 25% - 30% conversion rate - I had a full blown 87% of the people who landed on that page - enter an email address and press submit. Of these, an astonishing 80% clicked the link in the double-optin confirmation link sent out by Aweber!
Twitter is not a toy.
It has grown from 1 million users to more than 2 million in a matter of weeks, and spawned scores of new open source applications, that go instantly viral through the busy network Twitter itself.
My advice is to get involved with this new medium now, and start slowly, learning as you go. While there is plenty of help for the thousands of newbies who join each day, if you leap in an puke on this extremely savvy crowd, you’ll be labeled hard and fast, and miss a tremendous opportunity.
Rick Butts blogs about marketing strategy, is the author of 8 books, multiple software programs, audio, and video training courses. He is the creator of TwitterSqueeze.com - a satirical name for the first “how to make money on Twitter guide.
Tags: make money with twitter, rick butts, setting up twitter, twitter, twitter guideBranding Your Twitter: Trick Your Tweet!
July 29, 2008
Making a custom background for my Twitter blog to stand out from the endless cloud background on Twitter has been a goal of mine for awhile.
I finally found a resource to teach even photoshop challenged, design flunkies like me how to do it.
I am getting more followers since I tweaked my Twitter because they know at a glance someone is really working here and not just spamming Twitter with automated messages (although I do send my RSS feeds there as well).
I actually used GIMP to make my background image. It was easy with the instructions included at CronCast, to make a killer background and customize my Twitter to be much different than the majority of Twitter blogs out there.
Like this tip? Did it make your life better today? Follow me!
Guest Author Rick Butts: Why Twitter is Better Than Google
Tags: custom twitter backgrounds, customizing twitter, twitter background, twitter tweaksReview Crusher - Mike Filsaime Will Take Your Questions Now
July 29, 2008
Review Crusher is making headlines lately and I wanted to post some Q & A from Mike. He’s getting lots of questions and he answers the big ones here.
The Review Crusher script is a genius idea. I am convinced Mike is onto something really big with this one and people are going to do very well with it. I’m just steamed because I didn’t think of it before Mike.
Questions for Mike Filsaime about Review Crusher…
QUESTION:
Why did you create Review Crusher Mike?
ANSWER:
I created it for myself. I started to notice that you can do reviews on the most popular people, products, and services in your niche and then promote that product at the end of the review or send the reader anywhere you like such as an optin page or another related product all together.
QUESTION:
How do you know it works?
ANSWER:
I have been talking to some top marketers in the Internet. Many of them use this exact same strategy to build lists and earn 6 figures per year. In the video, I mention how one marketer is making over $400,000 with this very same technique.
QUESTION:
If you developed it for you, why are you selling it?
ANSWER:
I knew when I developed it, I could use it to build huge lists. I already have a market funnel that is tested. I have hired a company to write reviews for me. I will be buying Pay Per Click traffic to every one of these reviews and then sending the reader to take a free offer at the end of the review.
I realized when designing the script that I wanted, that this technique CAN, and IS, being used in virtually ANY NICHE. I just knew that if I knew this idea was good enough for me, many would also want it. And since I am a software developer and marketer, I knew that putting this in to the hands a select group of people would not create any significant competition for any that owned the script since there are virtually unlimited products to review in unlimited niches.
Just as I developed my ButterflyMarketing script for ME, I went on to sell it while me and hundreds of others have used it to make 5 and 6 figures with it. I expect the same with Review Crusher.
QUESTION:
In the video, you show people that are bidding on things like:
PAY PER CLICK AD EXAMPLE
* Joe Doe is a Scam?
* Don’t buy from John Doe
* he is a Con Man
Do you condone this and do you recommend that users use this technique?
ANSWER:
NO! I think this is despicable and anyone doing it should be ashamed of themselves. I would never advise it or teach it. Period!
QUESTION:
Should we still bid of poplars names, products, and services? And if so, what would you recommend an ad look like.
ANSWER:
YES! This is a brilliant and popular strategy. I do however think if you are “buying” the traffic, you should only focus on positive reviews. Put good energy out in the world. If you do not have anything good to say about someone, do NOT say anything. The point here is to do an HONEST review and use that traffic to build a list or make affiliate income. I think it is pretty sleazy to “Bid” on someone’s name to write a bad review (even if true) for the sake of profit. - That is just me and that is what we will be teaching.
QUESTION:
The 50 reviews that you make for us, or any others you make for us in the future, will they have “Negative” reviews?
ANSWER:
NO! - The pre-made reviews we include to get you up and going contain no negative reviews. We are not looking to make any enemies and we do not want you or us to ever profit buy making someone else look bad, even if they deserve it. All of our reviews are positive energy and based on FACT. If there was a bad person we felt was not good to talk about, we did not review them.
QUESTION:
Are you hoping that so many people with Review Crusher “Bid” on your name with positive reviews to eliminate those “jerks” that are bidding on your name with the ugly and possibly illegal SCAM tactics ads?
ANSWER:
LOL - No! That would be silly. I am dealing with Google on that as well as all of the other good marketers out there that are being hurt by these people. In fact, I would suggest focusing on everyone other than me. There are thousands of products, people, and services in “Internet Marketing” to review and get traffic from and literally Millions in other niches.
QUESTION:
Aren’t there other scripts like this, or ones that I can get as a PLUGIN for word-press?
ANSWER:
Answer is simple. NO!
There is NOTHING like Review Crusher. Just like Butterfly Marketing, there are several affiliate scripts, and there are all types of services like 1shoppingcart and even my own paydotcom and vTribes. But ButterflyMarketing does a SPECIFIC style of marketing that when used can make your thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
That is why I DEVELOPED Review Crusher for ME - I wanted a custom software that was good at ***1 THING ***. Not some hacked up blog plugin that does “reviews”
Look, I ALREADY HAD THAT. I own MarketingProductReview- com . That is a “review” site, Right? It is a simple wordpress blog with a “Plugin” to handle reviews and make cute starts.
But at the end of the day, it is just a blog… with a plugin. It is NOT made for making profits with a SPECIFIC strategy.
When you want to make things work, you build it to do a SPECIFIC job. You do not build a “Football Player”, You build a Quarterback that wins 4 Superbowls and 3 of the are MVP’s like Joe Montana.
That is what Review Crusher is. There is no script out there “made by a marketer” to do one things and do it well.
QUESTION:
Will you teach me how to use it?
ANSWER:
Again, just like ButterflyMarketing (BFM), it is more than just the ’software’. What made BFM work so well for the people that had it, is that I wrote a Manuscript showing how I made it work for me for years before that. Many people tried to knock it off. But there are been very very few success stories from there customers. And the ones that did have success, many of them read my Manuscript when I sold it as a stand alone.
So the answer is YES. The reason why you will have a great chance at success is the following. You chose the niche, WE teach you how to get the traffic to your reviews.
You get free access to Job Crusher. In there, we are doing a 4 week crash course on how to use Google Adwords to design ads and get traffic to your review site.
We are also going to teach you how to monetize that traffic with your review site.
Plus there will be a whole video series released just on this.
So, some will go out and do a search on “review script” and get stuck with some 2nd rate 6 file script that is not even made for this kind of marketing.
The ones that have REAL SUCCESS with be Review Crusher members. I will bet my business on that.
Remember, I had it MADE CUSTOM FOR ME to use. Why wouldn’t I just use some 3rd rate silly script or plugin.
QUESTION:
What is the price?
ANSWER:
As I stated in the video… It cost me over $10,000 to have made. And more to continue to support. And yes, you can go to scriptlance-com and have one made. It will cost you MORE than what I am selling it for, and who will support you? Who will teach you how to use it? What id there are bugs? Do you even know who to spec out the project?
The price is $1234 -
It comes with a finance option. $497 today and $67 for 11 months. If you use it like we teach, you can make back your money 100 x in the first year.
If you do not like it, tell us in 30 days and get a FULL REFUND. - No Q’s asked. Period.
QUESTION:
Is there a REFUND.
ANSWER:
Yes. If you missed it above, simply tell us in 30 days and get a FULL REFUND. - No Q’s asked. Period - We will just sell your license.
QUESTION:
Did you make this script to capitalize on the opportunity of the recent “nemesis” review launch that spoke about ‘reviews.’
ANSWER:
LOL - That one makes me chuckle. If you think that a project can come out 1 week before mine and I can move that fast and come up with RC in 1 week, you are giving me way too much credit. My products are mapped out already for the net 6 months and beyond.
This one was so good I moved it up to the front of the line.
We registered the domain months ago:
Creation Date: 30-may-2008
QUESTION:
In your last email. You used “Fike Filsaime”. Were you trying to be cute or get past SPAM filters?
ANSWER:
No. I am not that calculated, LOL. I had 30 people from the warrior forum at my office on Fri/Sat for networking. I was so busy with them, I forgot to mail a follow up to my list. While networking and talking, I wrote an email to you. I wanted the subject to look personal. So I wrote: mike filsaime…. I used “no caps” because I wanted it to look like I was not concerned as I would to a personal buddy when I am not worried about things like that. (I am calculated about that. stuff.) At the last second, I decided, while many people were talking to me, to capitalize the Letters. I made the f into an F, and the m into an.. F - Thus I sent out… It’s Fike Filsaime. You can imagine how embarrassed I was - HA!
QUESTION:
What do I Need to Run this?
ANSWER:
You need your OWN DOMAIN NAME and hosting. We do not provide that. This is YOUR Site? Your hosting needs to allow PHP and MYSQL. 95% of web hosts provide this. If you need help, we can recommend dozens like kiosk hosting or hostgator.
Your license is yours to run on your domain for the rest of your life one you are paid. (If you need a 2nd or more licenses. Contact our help desk for discounts.
QUESTION:
Do we get reviews with this product when we buy it?
ANSWER:
Yes, there are 50 when you buy at no cost to you and included with the purchase.
QUESTION:
Mike, you mentioned that you are having reviews written. Do we get access to them.
ANSWER:
I will be spending thousands over the next few years to have hundreds and hundreds of reviews made for me. As I make them for me, I will sell packs of 25 to 50 for about $29.95 every month if you choose to get them. This is OPTIONAL.
QUESTION:
If I BUY IT NOW, do I get it NOW?
ANSWER:
Yes. It is ready to go and you can start to use it right NOW! (How exciting)
QUESTION:
When does the complimentary training start?
ANSWER:
Remember, you not only get the crash course on how to use this, but you also get 1 year of JobCrusher included as a bonus so you can learn all kinds of marketing stuff!
QUESTION:
How many are you selling?
ANSWER:
Less than 1000 and we are well over the half way point. When we sell out. We close the doors. Period. If it does even come back. It will be 2x to 3 x the price. (You know that to be true based on my last 4 launches.)
Hundreds have it already, why wait to see all of them have the success and then you can;t get it. We are closing the doors in a few days at the number or the deadline. One way or another. This may be your last invite. Next time you go, it may say “SORRY - SOLD OUT!”
If you do not like it, REFUND it. You have N O R I S K at all.
QUESTION:
Do you care if I buy this?
ANSWER:
Yes I do. I want you to have it. If you do not, I will never know. We will sell out anyway… And if you were to refund it, that is O.K. with us too. I want you to try it and be happy. If everyone did not like it, everyone would refund. That is why I know it is just a great product! And if you were to refund it, there will be a line of people that git here late that will buy your license spot. So it is cool if you refund.
THE BIG QUESTIONS
QUESTION:
Can I see it in action?
ANSWER:
Yes, click here to see a fast demo…
QUESTION:
Where do I buy it?
ANSWER:
To see the full video, go here
Webside Chat with Bryan Azorsky
July 29, 2008
Own an ecommerce site, Yahoo Store or other shopping cart store?
Then you really want to listen in as ecommerce expert Bryan Azorsky explains how to capture more buyers from the traffic you are already getting.
Check out Bryan’s “Gift Reminder Service!”
Does Your Copy Have Personality?
July 28, 2008
Guest Post by Michel Fortin
Some people like hypey copy, while others prefer newsy copy. Some people like long, others prefer short. Some people drama, stories and testimonials… Others data, statistics and facts.
Does it all matter? Absolutely.
What makes one style of copy more favorable than another? Why does one person buy from one type of copy and not from another? It really comes down to the buying behavior of your market. And in fact, there are four major personality types.
The style you choose will not appeal to everyone. It never will. Even some of the best ads miss the mark with at least half of their target audience.
You may have heard me say this before, and I’ll say it again: Trying to be all things to all people is a death knell for your business.
By trying to be all things to all people, you must paint your copy with broad brushstrokes in order to appeal to everyone. Thus, when your target market reads your copy, it will often shrug it off because they feel you are not catering to them specifically — even if what you’re selling does.
Similarly, ads crafted so as not to offend anyone will be counterproductive. It may even backfire.
Why? Because the more you try not to offend anyone, the more generic you become with your copy. And the more generic you are, the more your copy will be disconnected from your audience.
In other words, to your prospect, you appear as if you DON’T understand them, and that your copy DOESN’T cater to their specific, individual needs, goals, concerns, budget and unique set of circumstances.
As a result, you alienate most of your market that way.
Sure, you may avoid offending a minority. But now you inadvertently offend the majority — perhaps in a subtle, indirect or unconscious way — because you appear as if you simply don’t care.
You see, ads are distinctive. They’re alive. They’re like pieces of art.
Each one has a certain personality. And no matter what you do, that personality may attract some people and repulse others at the same time.
Try to be too general (or better said, “too generic”) with your copy, and the result will be copy that’s bland, anemic and unproductive.
Instead, appeal to the majority, even to the detriment of the minority. It’s not just because it will be conducive to the greatest results but also because your copy offers more than just information. It also presents that information in a way that is favored by the majority of your target audience.
Said differently, it’s best to cater to one predominant market, i.e., one predominant buyer personality. That way, your information is presented in a way that your market feels the copy is centered on them. And them alone.
Over the years, many psychologists and behavioral scientists have categorized personality styles. They may have labeled them differently, but the result is essentially the same.
Is this some kind of new science? Not at all.
Around 400 BC, Hippocrates, in “Air, Water And Places,” dubbed these 4 personality types as Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric and Melancholic. In more recent years, behavioral scientist and sales psychologist Dr. Tony Alessandra labels them Directors, Socializers, Relaters and Thinkers. Same thing.
(If you want to know what kind of personality style you have, you can take Dr. Alessandra’s quiz on his website “The Platinum Rule,” which Tony defines as “Do unto others as they would want to have done unto them.”)
But the most common labels given to them (and the ones Dan Kennedy, Brian Tracy, even marketing textbooks use) are: Driver, Expressive, Analytical and Amiable.
A personality style is defined by a person’s level of assertiveness and responsiveness. Responsiveness is how well they respond to other people. It is outwardly. Assertiveness, on the other hand, is inwardly. It’s how well they are willing to take a stand.
On one side of the scale, some people are ego-driven while others are known “people-pleasers.” Some care less about the people around them (or the relastionships they hold), while others focus much on how they get along with others — often, to their own detriment.
Some people are task-driven, others results-driven. Some dramatic, others factual.
Each level can be high or low, in varying degrees. The combination of the two is what defines a particular personality style. For example, a person can be:
- High assertive, low responsive
- High assertive, high responsive
- Low assertive, low responsive
- Low assertive, high responsive
Your market will predominantly fall into 1 or 2 personality styles. Of course, with all things being equal. (Unless you’re a large, brand-name retailer, department store or business.)
Your audience may not necessarily and precisely fit into a single, neat personality category, and your entire market may not fit one specific style. Keep in mind that the keyword here is “predominant.”
But depending on your product, your industry, and both demographics and psychographics of your target audience, it is safe to say that the majority of them will likely demonstrate one particular style more than any other.
To give you an idea, here’s a brief look at them:
Drivers are concerned with RESULTS.
They are practical, impatient and time-sensitive. A Driver is a person who usually is more concerned with the bottom-line. For example, they want to know how long will it take to get your product, what kind of results they can expect and, of course, how much does it cost.
Bankers, sales managers, purchasing agents, businesspeople, corporate executives and so on are typically Drivers. They don’t care how to get from point “A” to point “B.” They just want to know if you can get to point “B.”
Everything else is irrelevant. So be pithy and give them the bottom line.
Analyticals are preoccupied with DETAILS.
They don’t care much about results. They’re driven by facts and far more interested in the inner workings of your product. They might want to know what is its exact size, where and of what is it made, what are the ingredients, what features does it possess, what kind of guarantees do you offer with it, and what, precisely, makes it work.
Scientists, developers, mathematicians, engineers, computer programmers, doctors and so on are mainly Analyticals. They want specifications. They want facts. They want statistics. They want data. The more, the merrier.
They prefer cold, hard information rather than hyperbole and stories.
Expressives care most about FEELINGS.
Status and approval are important to Expressives. How they perceive things and how other people perceive them take precedence. They are mostly impulsive, colorful, ego-centric, undisciplined and spontaneous. They prefer to talk than to listen.
Actors, teachers, musicians, artists, art lovers, graphic designers, movie directors, comedians, etc fall in the Expressive category. As an example, they’re the ones who buy mostly for the sake of prestige of ownership, or to boost their standing in their communities, their organizations or their peer groups.
(For instance, Expressives are the types who intentionally park their brand new luxury car on the street so that the neighbors can see them.)
Ultimately, tell them how your product will make them look good.
Amiables are interested in RELATIONSHIPS.
They are emotional, caring and humanistic. They are normally those who deal with the public and care deeply about the relationships they hold. How your product will help others and strengthen the relationships they maintain with them will be of utmost importance to Amiables.
It’s not uncommon for Amiables to hold careers as salespeople, consultants, home-based business owners, entrepreneurs, social workers, human resource personnel and so on. If your product can solve a problem, that’s good. But if it can help your prospect help others to solve a problem, that’s even better.
With Amiables, use testimonials, stories and analogies. A lot.
The important question is:
How do you appeal to your buyer’s personality?
For instance, avoid lacing your copy with feelings and emotions when your audience, comprised mostly of Analyticals, wants specifics. Be objective and factual, and refrain from hyperbole or drama. Sure, you can — and must — be emotional. All humans are. But don’t do so at the expense of logic and facts.
While an Analytical will never have enough information, don’t drown your visitors with needless details when they consist of Drivers. Be quick, pithy and straight to the point when dealing with these practical buyers. If you use long copy, make sure it makes a point. Consistently.
However, be sensitive and friendly when pitching to Amiables. Use stories, case studies and testimonials. Take your time with them. Be warm and interactive. In fact, your relationship with them is just as important as the benefits of your product.
For Expressives, talk about how the product will make them feel, help their status and gain recognition, and how it will get others to notice and compliment them. Or focus on how the product will make others around them cringe in horror, turn green with envy or even be humiliated.
Here’s a real-life scenario.
A patient visits a dentist for an initial consultation.
During the meeting, the Analytical will be preoccupied mostly with the details of dental work. Knowing precisely how much freezing will be applied, which specific teeth (and parts thereof) will be repaired and what kind of filling will be used are of enormous interest to him.
On the other hand, a Driver will want to know how long the procedure takes, how fast can he return to work after the procedure and how much it costs. Everything else is unimportant and irrelevant.
But for the Amiable, they are mostly concerned with their ability to please their spouse, friends or boss with their improved appearance. They want to know if going ahead will make others happy, as well as secure others’ approval.
The Expressive, however, will be mostly interested with how good do their new teeth look, how much pain that such a procedure might incur, how their teeth changes their appearance, how natural-looking the result will be and how attractive the procedure is going to make them.
But what if your market consists of more than one?
Again, your market, if you target your market (or at least segment your market into groups), will fall into one (and sometimes two) categories. In other words, your market will fit into one predominant category, and one more than any other.
Depending on your type of industry and product, the style of your message should chiefly appeal to that one specific style. For example, if your product caters to expectant mothers, you will definitely speak to them differently than if you were to cater to entrepreneurs.
But what if your market consists of strong, identifiably different groups? In other words, what if you have more than one predominant personality type in your target audience? If so, I submit that you can have a different ad or salesletter directed at each different market.
It’s market segmentation, pure and simple. Even if it’s the same product.
Market segementation means that you split your target market into groups, and cater to each one individually. Large corporations and retailers have been doing this for years. Take Coke versus Diet Coke, or Levis’ Red Tabs sold in high-end stores, versus Wal-Mart’s Orange Tabs Levis.
Here’s an example: a clever entrepreneur can take a product, package it, price it and sell it in 2 different ways to 2 different audiences on 2 different websites, and thus maximize sales from all potential market segments. Oftentimes, even creating her own competition.
(Take, for instance, AudioGenerator.com versus InstantAudio.com. The former is geared for the individual, small business person, while the other is more corporate, B2B-oriented.)
The bottom line is, give your copy personality, and make sure it speaks to your audience at an intimate level, and your response will shoot through the roof.
Sure, you will aleniate a few. But what would you rather have: generic copy that pleases more but sells less? Or targeted copy that pleases less but sells more?
About Michel Fortin…
Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter, marketing strategy consultant, and instrumental in some of the most lucrative online businesses and wildly successful marketing campaigns to ever hit the web. For more articles like this one, please visit his blog at http://www.michelfortin.com/ and subscribe to his RSS feed.
Tags: copywriting tips, michel fortin, swipe files, writing copyWeb Media Tool Kit
July 28, 2008
Everyone needs graphics and other media for their sites and web designs. Bloggers have learned to break up their posts with photos and graphics for a more professional look and feel.
I have the bad habit of going to iStockPhoto.com and buying them for $1 or more each time I need one. That starts adding up compared to buying in bulk and building a library of stock media.
The big problem with stock media packages is they’re expensive. You have to lay down a couple hundred bucks right on the spot to get a decent package of icons, photos, and music tracks.
I Found A Media Package For A Stupid Low Price
I have found an impressive media package with over 24,000 media elements containing everything from royalty free music and “bumpers” for podcasts to photos, icons, clip art, fonts, and web graphics.
And it doesn’t cost $500. If you want your own library of media to enhance your publishing (and you do!) without paying $1 and up for each element, save yourself $24,000 and grab the Web Media Tool Kit for $47.
I checked, that’s not a typo! 47 bucks! Miguel is going to raise the price. I told him how nuts he was for pricing it like this. Even $97 would be far less than what comparable media packages go for elsewhere.
His bandwidth bill from everyone downloading all this stuff is going to be impressive.
WebMediaToolKit Contents
- 4,719 stock photos
- 7,048 clip art images
- 1,500 pen and ink illustrations
- 1,200 web-ready business icons
- 7,387 designer fonts
- 75 royalty-free music tracks
- 101 podcast intros and outros
- 2,500 professional sound effects
- 2,445 web graphics
Personal Branding Magazine
July 28, 2008
Personal Branding Magazine, by Dan Shawbel, is giving away a free issue today. I’ve written for this excellent mag a couple of times now and I am really impressed with the quality of information the experts share.
Dan is giving away a sample issue of “Millennials: Changing The Way We Do Business” which hits the streets August 1st.
Be sure to check it out and grab your free issue.
Also, check out…
Personal Branding Magazine (main site)
Video for this month’s issue
What Might Google Look Like If Results Were Social?
July 27, 2008
Google has backed off the Digg purchase. But I doubt they’ve given up on social voting and commenting in search results. There was a lot of buzz last week on a possible marriage between Google and Digg, along with posts on TechCrunch showing how Google is experimenting with social search.
If you want to experience what it might be like if Google were to implement voting and commenting features into their results, you don’t have to imagine it. You can just use Scour.
Scour is a meta search engine that uses Google, MSN and Yahoo results for their own search results and adds the very thing everyone has been talking about: voting and commenting.
It is “social search” in action. And it feels kind of good to be able to vote up worthy sites and comment, even though it has zero effect on the results on any of the engines.
Tags: digg, google, meta search, scour, social search, social search results, techcrunchMichel Fortin Shares Why Some Marketers are Psychic
July 27, 2008
Michel Fortin is a cool dude. He’s widely known as one of the most important copywriting experts to follow on the web. But he’s also got something going with his wife, Sylvie, that looks pretty cool. If you’ve ever wanted to learn about “viability research” as it pertains to market research, the Fortins have some great insights on the subject.
Michel’s recent post, “Why Some Marketers Are Psychics,” sheds light on why some of the people we envy for their ability to pick winners are able to do what they do. Developing your ESP for picking winning products and hot markets is a key to developing a profitable online business.
If the post above turns on some lights about viability research, you might want to check out Michel and Sylvie’s Success Chef recipe book on developing your “nose” for picking hot markets to go after.
Viability Research Concepts
Proper viability research also allows you to…
- Discover new, hungry and profitable markets.
- Locate your best, underserved markets for your products.
- Exploit profit opportunities hidden deep inside your market.
- Find or create new products you can sell them or monetize.
- Plug costly leaks that are sucking your business dry.
- Create new delivery systems to maximize your profits.
- Duplicate your efforts quickly, easily and economically.
- Save loads of time knowing you have the right market.
- Ensure each product you sell is successful from the start.
- Focus on what works, and dump what doesn’t.
