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Rainbow Farts

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… and Butterfly Dreams.

And as an added bonus, let’s throw in a couple of unicorns, a handful of lollipops, and some cotton candy.

Doesn’t that sound tempting?!

How many of these have you invested in so far in your business?  My hard drive is housing quite a collection (not easy to admit).

Especially when you’re first getting your entrepreneuial feet wet, it’s really difficult (nearly impossible) to distinguish between “fruit” and “fluff”.

Some business-building products and programs help your business bear fruit — really juicy, sweet-tasting fruit.

And others, well …

Let’s just say they have as much value as a big pile of dryer lint.

Not to imply lint is useless.

I saw an intriguing artist on television once who makes stunning pieces of art with various shades of dryer lint.  And she gets paid big bucks for her creations!  I guess you could say she’s turning lint into gold.

But back to fruit versus fluff …

Do you see that little tab at the top of the page that reads, “$7 Guides”?

I refer to the contents of that page, fondly, as my Michelle Shaeffer Collection.  Michelle produced every one of those guides (so that I didn’t have to go to the trouble).  ;-)

Have you guessed I’m an affiliate for Michelle? I figured as much.  My readers are super savvy.

Want to know WHY I promote those guides and have them proudly displayed here?  No, it’s not because I intend to make a fortune.  My affiliate commission is exactly $1.50.

I market those guides for Michelle because she’s not trying to sell people rainbow farts and butterfly dreams.

  • What’s the most useless product, service, or program you’ve every purchased?
  • How do YOU tell the difference between “fruit” and “fluff”?
  • If you’re an affiliate marketer – what’s your criterion for determining which products, programs, or services you’ll promote?

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Filed Under: Affiliate Marketing, Entrepreneurs Tagged With: , , , , ,

Blogging Causes Insomnia

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It’s true.  Blogging is the nasty culprit.  I can’t fall asleep at night because of blogging.

It’s not even MY blog that’s the problem — it’s everyone else’s!

And I’m going to name names because I’m DESPERATE for some sleep.

Alex Whalley kept me up till 3:00 A.M. on Tuesday (Well, by then, it was Wednesday).  He writes killer posts a mile long, he’s got a quick wit I admire, and he’s a genius at doing a play on words.  Just get your ‘ask’ over to his blog and you’ll know what I’m talking about!

I’m convinced.  Theresa Bradley-Banta of BigFishTopDogs never sleeps.  Never.  She cranks out so much content, I can’t keep up.  It’s all good and I want to read it ALL.  You know the Lay’s commercial that touts, “Bet ya can’t eat just one?”  Bet ya can’t make just ONE visit to Theresa’s blog!

Then there’s “Mr. Personality”, Keith Davis, of espeaking. He’s the guiltiest party of all.  He posts a comment on my blog.  I reply.  He comments back.  I reply again.  What’s wrong with that man?  What does he think a blog is?  A conversation?!

I.  Need.  Some.  Sleep.

And I can’t leave out Michelle Shaeffer.  I don’t know if her blogging engine gets revved up after the sun goes down or she gets a second wind after midnight — can’t figure it out.  But she ropes me in every time.  Michelle offers up (the likes of which you’ve never seen) loads of valuable resources and biz-building tips.  Her blog is a doggone magnet!

Ever heard of speedlinking?   Sheila Atwood is the quintessential pro!  But I’m warning you.  If you go over to her blog to see how she does it, you’ll be hooked.  You won’t want to miss those posts — even if you have to catch them in the middle of the night.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I could name about fifty more bloggers, but you get the picture.  These people are the reason I’m suffering from sleep deprivation.

I know what you’re thinking — it’s not their fault.  Yes it is!

*Note* to everyone whose blog I frequent and you know who you are (if you want to cure my insomnia) …

Can you lay low for a while?
Take a vacation, maybe?
Go out on your patio and read a book?
Try Vlogging for a change?
Loan your computer to a starving student?

NO?

Well, how about a compromise?

I’m begging you.
For a while (so I can catch up on my sleep), write SHORTER posts, would ya?!

Anyone else out there glued to your chair reading blog posts at the (butt) crack of dawn?

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Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Ultimate Blog Challenge Day 11 – Are You Still Going Strong or Running Out of Steam?

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We’ll soon be arriving at the halfway mark of this season’s Ultimate Blog Challenge.

If you’re a participant in this event, I wanted to check in with you to see how you’re doing.

This is not my first blogging challenge and I’m more than aware of the highs and lows of making the commitment to craft 31 posts in 31 days.

How are you holding up?

Are you still as excited as Day 1?

Do you have lots and lots of ideas and topics to blog about?

Are you staying on track or falling behind?

Are you feeling energized or overwhelmed?

If, by any chance, you feel as if you’re “pushing” yourself to get a post written or staying up late at night just to “get it done”, that’s not good.

If blogging every day is starting to feel more like a “chore” than an exhilarating challenge, it may be that you need to re-vamp your strategy or tap into some easy, creative ways to get a post on the page!

If you’re struggling along or feeling somewhat bogged down or in a blog fog, here’s what I’d suggest:

Filed Under: Blogging, Improving writing skills, Writing effective headlines Tagged With: , , , , ,

I Met The Fly Lady

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I got an email from Michelle Shaeffer the other day with her link to Help For Work At Home Moms.

I love being on Michelle’s list and if you haven’t experienced the joy yet, subscribe as fast as you can!  And I hope you’ll trust me when I tell you I don’t make that kind of remark about all the online marketers I meet.

You can stop reading right now and head on over there if you want … I’ll be here when you get back.  Blogland isn’t going anywhere.

Anyway, I clicked Michelle’s link and discovered the Fly Lady.  What a treat!

I also discovered a free e-course she’s offering called “10 Days of Crock Pot Tips and Recipes”. Yum.

This is the time of year when I pull my crock pot out from the back of the shelf and put that baby into action!

Fall is my favorite season (I like to call it “sweater weather”) and it’s the time of year when I like to make nice, warm, hearty meals.  Turkey chili, beef stew, and chicken soup are three of my favorites.

Back to the Fly Lady …

She’s got that magnetic southern charm and warmth everyone loves, a mile-long list of organizational tips, down-to-earth videos that are funny, too, and an easy, sensible approach to helping you tackle everything from paper clutter all over your house to how to have a shiny kitchen sink.

It’s great to have friends like Michelle Shaeffer who care enough to send a resource like the Fly Lady.  What are your friends and social media contacts sending you these days?

Filed Under: Blogging, Building relationships online, Moms in Business, Online Marketing Tagged With: , , , ,

Promoting Invisible People

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That’s what article writing challenges and blog challenges are designed to do – make you VISIBLE!

Do you ever feel like an invisible person whose talents, passion, and expertise are just floating around out in cyberspace and no one seems to know you even exist?

Would you describe your blog as looking more like a ghost town than a hot vacation spot?

Is your mom and your best friend the only two people supporting your success online?  Let’s face it.  They love you, but they’re probably not even in your target audience.

So what’s an invisible entrepreneur to do?!

You need “exposure” … and you need it NOW.

There are two events going on starting today that can get you out of hiding and bring you, your brand, and your business into the spotlight.

Don’t dilly-dally.

Sprint on over to check out the Ultimate Blog Challenge and the Article Marketing Success Weekend!

Sign up for one or both events and say goodbye to being invisible.

Filed Under: Aritcle Marketing, Blogging, Internet Marketing Tools Tagged With: , , , ,

Give Me One Good Reason To Link To You

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It’s Day 7 of the “31 Days to Build a Better Blog” challenge, hosted by Lisbeth Tanz and Michelle Shaeffer …

… and I’m still upright and taking solids.  That’s a good sign!

Today’s task was to write a “link” post to put someone else in the spotlight and give a fellow blogger a little blog-linking love.

Well, since I just did that in my first sentence, I guess I’m done with my homework.

But I’m not one who’s known for being lazy, taking shortcuts, or looking for the easy peasy way out.

I love a good, stimulating challenge!  It’s not only good for the soul, but it also helps you to S-T-R-E-T-C-H as a solo professional.

So I’ve decided to take today’s link-posting task to a whole new level. I’ve got a pretty cool proposal for the members of 31DBBB.

If you can give me one good reason to link to you and your blog, I’ll do it!

First off, look over this list of topics that I like to cover on my blog:

  • Shoestring Marketing Strategies
  • Social Media Savvy
  • Relationship Building
  • Blogging
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • List Building
  • Buzz and Branding
  • Single Mom Entrepreneurs
  • Outsourcing
  • Improving Your Writing Skills
  • Relaxation
  • Personal Development
  • Time Management

Have you written a blog post on any of these topics that would resonate with my target audience?  If so, then you’ve got a Great reason for me to link to you.

Just put your name and the title of your post in the comment box – no links, please – or your comment may end up in spam land.  Then head back over to the 31 DBBB “members blog” for Day 7, hit “reply” under my comment, post your link, and I’ll grab it there.

Happy to support the members of this challenge and I wonder who I’ll be linking to first?!

Filed Under: Blogging, Building relationships online, Buzz Tagged With: , , ,

Is Moss Growing On Your Blog?

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If your blog is feeling a little stale or stagnant lately, you can stop the moss from growing on it right away!

Listen to the Audio Boo below to find out how you can choose one, two, or all three ways to give your blog a makeover and a boost.

Need more eyes on your blog? Feeling like your posts are floating around out in never-never land? Let’s change that scenario!

Here are 3 great ways to get lots of eyes on your blog:

1. Continuity Blogging Community — Jane Lee

Free to join and ongoing

2. Ultimate Blog Challenge

Starts August 1st, 2010

Michele Scism & Michelle Shaeffer

3. 31 Days to Build a Better Blog — Lisbeth Tanz

Starts August 23rd, 2010


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Filed Under: Blogging, Building relationships online, Buzz, Improving writing skills, Social Media Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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