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Need fresh Ideas?
Many ideas just seem to “Come” to you. They usually happen when you are
driving, working, walking the dog, or doing almost anything. Continue reading
health
Most people worry about their financial health. Work, make more money.
Get more stressed – make more money. I have just one question? If your health gets so bad
that you can’t enjoy living, then what good is all of that money going to do you? Not much. Continue reading
Why people buy and why they don’t – the marketer’s conundrum
To buy or not to buy, that is the question.
Inside The Buyers Brain
Have you ever wondered why people buy, or why they don’t buy? Also, what causes,
or stops you from reaching for your wallet or credit card when you see an
ad or product that grabs your interest?
In many of my past emails and posts I have mentioned many of the reasons why you
might buy on impulse. More importantly, in this writing I will to delve into more of
the Psychological detail that your mind works through when your “Interest” in
something is sparked.
The following could be one of a million scenarios.
You walk through a store and something catches your eye. It’s a clock that
reminds you of your sister, who you haven’t seen in over 6 years.
It seems like she lives on the other side of the universe.
You say to yourself  “My sister had a clock just like this in her bedroom
when we were both growing up. For some reason it was very special to her,
and here is one just like it. Hers got knocked on the floor and was found in pieces.
This would make a wonderful gift for her.”
“Well, let’s see how much it will cost.
$369 + tax. WOW! It seems a bit high,
but my sister would really like it.”
“I will remember this place, and come back
in a few days to get it. I get paid again
tomorrow so that will work out just fine.”
(Excuses not to buy)
“Oh my, I just noticed this is a closeout sale,
and this is the very last one that they have.”
(Sense of urgency)
“Well, no one will be buying it in the next couple
of days. Although, it is the last one, so it must
be somewhat popular.”
(Decision time)
“Maybe I should get it now?”
“Ooohhhh, what should I do? I’m going to get it. My sister will love it.”
This first example illustrates a “Knock em’ dead, must have” example, and deals with
the similar emotional struggles that many of us have when we buy.
In the following examples, you will see the “No questions asked” emotional buy.
“Oh, my god!” “Look at that”. “I’ve been searching for that necklace for 3 years,
and here it is. I’ve got to have it!”
Or the “Clueless” marketer
“Oh, wow”. “This says that I can use this software for 180 days for free.”
“Let’s see, what it does”
“This is crazy. This program will find customers for me, drive them to my
sales offers, show them my Youtube videos, create on-the-spot sales copy
as it interprets the reader’s mood, and it even collects the money.”
“How can I go wrong!”
“I’ve GOT to have this s#it”
And that’s probably exactly what it is!
Well, I never was very good at making up stories, however that is one illustration
of why you, as a Marketer/Buyer, may be very disappointed as some purchases.
Nothing works like that – yet.
re-visiting the clock example, what mades this person buy was that the enjoyment was
not only personal, but the enjoyment was also directed toward someone else.
However, what if the sister who had the broken clock was hated?
Do you think the outcome would have been the same?
Chances are the sister would probably have bought the clock
just so she could take a hammer to it and smash it,
all the while imagining that face on the clock was her sisters.
Your feelings as a buyer
Why do you do things for someone else for a “Just Because” reason?
Yes, you know it will make them feel good, but what else?
You also know that it will reflect favorably on you. Giving makes most of us
feel good – about what WE have done. Â We made someone happy. I’m not
suggesting that there is anything wrong with that, but the there is that element
of “Me” that creeps in, and is used in marketing. Think about the ads during
the holidays.
At an unconscious level, you may even be using this “Kind Gesture” as a
bribe for something, and not even realize it.Â
There is very little that we do that is not somehow directed back at ourselves.
Do you do nice things for someone that you don’t like? Only if you want something
from them, or don’t want them to think they are disliked.
In this second example, (180 day free software) you can see how good
a copywriter can be. This person is convinced about this product. Â I’m not.
In order to have established this strong of an emotion response, you must
already have a desire to do something, and also want very badly
to find something that will fulfill that desire.
Why people buy is not always the issue. More importantly, your question should be
“What feelings do people use when they buy something”. Â Your answer may
be different depending on the product (and person) in question.
As a marketer, it is essential to realize that most (if not all) people cannot
separate their brain from their heart (emotion) when they are
considering a purchase.
Secondly, you also must be willing to ignore logic. Emotionally you want
that “Something to make things better” so much that even a grain of hope (for a positive outcome) will do.
This is usually the trap into which the novice internet marketer falls.
As a new marketer you may get a website, set up a blog and landing page,
find or create something to sell, attempt to drive traffic, and yet still get no
traction at all. This makes you really want, even a tiny bit of success all the more.
“I want”. “Nothing happens”.
“I now want it more”. “Still nothing happening”
“Now, I really want it”. “Nothing!”
“God, even an 8 year-old can do it – now I’m desperate”. Â
So you buy, buy, buy until your pockets are empty, or until you realize
that either everything is a scam, you never have all the pieces, or you
are running out of the money.
Of course, not everything is a scam, but you sometimes realize that there
is something missing in what you are doing, or how you are thinking.
One the other hand, you may blame the product, not realizing that you
have more learning to do, and that you are not putting in enough effort
and time to make things work.
The “Must Haves”
Your car gets totaled , you have to get another car. You know it’s expensive, yet
it’s a “Must Have”. This is a no choice buy, like a broken window that must be fixed, or
our heating unit goes down in the middle of zero degrees outside.
What about clothes? You are fortunate enough to have more clothing items just
sitting in our closet than you ever use. Yet, you see something you like, and you
buy (or order these days) your newest fashion statement.
The selling process is simple if you, the buyer, MUST have the item, like that totaled car.
Or, if you absolutely love what you see such as that “Fashion Statement”.
With rare exceptions, why people buy is not just black or white, but falls somewhere
in between.  Therefore, understanding your readers (prospective buyers) wants,
needs, and desires becomes important.Â
Knowing the basic emotion stirring words that most people respond to is one of the
major keys to the selling process. Putting words together correctly can increase
your sales, or drastically lower them.
When you write your sales copy be sure to convey precisely what you mean. It’s easy to make
writing mistakes that leaves the reader confused, wanting to club you over the head,
or has lost interest and stops reading.
And so, your brain may be telling you one thing, while your emotions may be saying something else regarding your purchase.
For your buying insight, don’t just ask “Why do people buy”,
but more importantly, ask “What makes ME buy”?
You may surprise yourself.
Guest Post or Blog Commenting For Targeted Traffic?
I have received questions about commenting on articles, and placing
a guest post on sites.  Which is better for driving traffic?
We are not speaking here of just “Traffic”.
We are wanting the coveted “TARGETED TRAFFIC”!
1. Commenting
should be done on sites that are related in some way to your niche.
Don’t comment on any blog just because they let you comment.
Your comments should also be relevant to the topic. I have seen many comments
where it is obvious that the person who is commenting has never read the article.
Some bloggers do not read the comments that are posted, resulting in
spam comments that have been posted by someone getting paid 2 cents a comment.
The end result is the comments are generic such as: “Great article – very informative”.
What does that say or mean? It means it’s some spammer looking for a cheap backlink.
I get these all of the time on this site, but we are talking about someone else’s site,
so hopefully, they are keeping up with their spam comments.
It is important to comment on higher ranking sites when possible. It will give your
comment a better chance to be seen and read. Some sites will let you
comment, but will not allow a link. You want that backlink!
Finally, the only way that anyone will click on that link to your site is
if your comment is extremely good, and adds something to the article.
If you don’t know enough about a topic to create a comment
that will “Blow” people away, then find another article that you DO
know something about.
Commenting has almost become a writing art form of sorts.
If you are a site owner (many are now), and are attempting
to get a backlink to your site, as well as gaining credibility
in your niche, then you must be able to be informative,
creative, and somehow impress the blog administrator
with your comment. And, you must do it in just a
few hundred words!
You can’t post photos, but you can sometimes show a URL
to a site if it is okayed by the blog administrator.
Most commenting is limited to a paragraph or two
for obvious reasons. There are exceptions, but to not be
rude and greedy with time, space, and also to stay out
of the “Spammy Universe”, it is always a wise idea to choose
your words (and wording) carefully.
What will your readers be looking at?
2. Guest posting
is a different animal. ALWAYS read the submission guidelines.
Similar to doing commenting, you want to guest post with sites that rank
as high as possible. You can find out a lot of information about
how a site is ranking with alexa.com
No matter where you post your article, it should be well-written, and should
follow SEO guidelines. Many sites will tell you what they want, but some
don’t. So alt tags for graphics, keywords, etc. are important to keep in mind
when writing the article.
If you can’t write very well, and still want to guest post, find someone
to edit your material. Quality and good information is the main thing
that sites want for submitted articles. Why not put out great content?
It is your name on the article after all, no matter where it is posted.
Remember the “1st Impression” theory? Your article may be the first
time that the reader has heard of you. Therefore, if your article really helps them,
then they are very likely to click to your site to check you out.
If you do submit a post, and it is accepted, you are still not done.
ALWAYS check back to your post and check your comments. Some sites will
alert you when you have a comment, but not all do so you must keep
on top of the comments that come in.
Whether you comment an an article, or guest post, each is time consuming.
You will spend a lot of time either way looking for appropriate sites to work with,
and then you need to read articles to see what has already been written,
and what the main focus of most articles is about.
It is a slow process, but many people get good results. It is only one way
to drive traffic, and I personally don’t recommend it being your only way.
TIP: Focus on only a few sites to post for, and a handful more for commenting.
Once you get known in those circles, people will remember your name
and expertise. This will often produce traffic, and targeted traffic at that.
3. Linking
Linking is the main reason why people post on other sites.
This is not new to anyone, and many site owners also post on other
people’s sites for the same reason – to get links back.
The problem is finding that “Golden Link”
That is the link on that one guest posting site that begins to generate your targeted traffic.
Both guest posting and commenting on blog articles should, and will, bring in targeted traffic to your
website regardless of what niche you are in. Considering this, if you
are persistent, and follow the rules of posting, you should see a traffic increase.
Guest Post Protocol
A guest post should follow ALL guidelines of the blog, or
website to which you are submitting.
Unless otherwise stated, put up a lengthy article.
a 1200 to 2000 word article is an excellent start.
Be certain to include images, keywords, and
appropriate headings in your guest post so that
the search engines can find your article.
Not only does this help bring people to your article,
but it will also bring folks to the website, and site
owners just Loooove extra traffic. You are more than
likely to get another gig writing for your host.
Blog Commenting
Unlike doing a guest post, commenting on articles that others
have written can get you noticed, and actually do not
drive much traffic unless you can be ultra-informative about
the subject matter discussed in the article.
Considering that many blog articles discuss different topics, you really
need to be on your toes, and will probably need to do a little
extra research before making your blog comment. No one
is an expert at everything!
Once again, especially with article or blog commenting, the
more well traveled (highest traffic) web sites should be your
targets for commenting.
Pros and Cons of a guest post and blog comment
The biggest “Cons” of both the guest post and blog comment
scenario is that they are both time consuming.
Each will take up your time when trying to decide which site
to post, or create a guest post for, and then you have to
As mentioned, you may have to research the subject of
the article when you comment on a blog, but it is always
best to know what you are talking about before you
start typing your way into feeling like an idiot.
A guest post require more time to write. Most often
there is research to be done in order to make the
guest post interesting and worthwhile to a reader,
which therefore can be time consuming.
You also must find the right images to fit your
article topic headings. Also, use the “H1”, “H2”,
format and not just the a larger paragraph size
such as 16px, or 14px. Search engines, it seems,
tend to like the “H” factor.
So, you know that one of the negatives of both a guest post,
or a blog comment is the devouring of your time.
You can always hire someone to write for you, but if you can write fairly well,
it is better to write your own information at first in
order to gain the necessary knowledge to teach the process,
or at least to know how to format your information for your articles.
The good thing is that both methods will drive traffic.
Creating a presence is important, and both blog commenting, and writing a guest post for a blog are powerful tools for
The guest post route is the most effective, but there are many more blogs that are accepting comments than there
are blogs that are willing to accept a guest post from you.
Formatting issues with WordPress editing
WordPress formatting issues and problems
on posts and pages can often be a challenge – because. . .
These WordPress formatting issues drove me so crazy that I ended up
buying expensive software just so I could make posts and pages without
a lot of hassle.
I tried the major plugins that were suppose to fix these
Wordpress formatting problems that keep occurring editing
content on a post or a page. Even they were unreliable.
WordPress Upgrades
Along came several upgrades on WordPress themes, and with
them came fixes to the WordPress text editor. GREAT!
But where did my formatting go?
What happened to my formatting when I needed to add
and make a few tweaks using the text (html) editor?
Things got dropped, code got added, everything was screwed up.
Yeah, real great.
The problems always occur when you make a change in the Text Editor,
and then switch to the Visual editor to see the changes.
You see changes okay, but what you don’t see
are the changes that YOU made, just the
changes that the WordPress editor made.
Well, here is what often happens (at least to me).
Maybe I want to change the size of several words in a sentence to make them larger.
I do not want (or need) to make the entire post “H” tags. The way that WordPress
is presently set up, you can’t just change the font size or style
unless you use the text editing that WordPress provides, or a plugin.
In a nutshell, when you switch between editors, depending upon what
you change, you can lose a lot of your formatting.
Here is what WordPress has to say on the subject:
“Switching Editors
Switching between the Visual and Text editing modes is easy.
Just use the tabs directly above the right side of the editing area.
A Word Of Caution
Switching between Visual and Text view can cause some of your HTML entities to be lost.
This is due, in part, to the manner in which TinyMCE handles your HTML.
If formatting is very important, do not switch between views.
If you’re writing a lot of code, we suggest you remain in the text editor.”
Hopefully, you will never need to use any code.
Okay, if that’s how it is, that’s how it is, but how do you check
all of your work, and formatting changes
without using the visual editor?
It is very convenient to just click on the “Visual” tab to check
on your changes, but that causes WordPress formatting issues when you
go back to the html (text) editor. So what do you do?
Well, here’s what you have to do. Drop everything, and go to the
“Preview” button in the right column. Click it and wait for the
page to load. If you page is optimized then it shouldn’t take long.
Then click over to the page and look at your changes.
Now you have to start over for any more changes that you need to make.
HINT:
Leave your “Preview” post page open in a new tab.
After more changes, simply refresh the page
or hit the Preview button again to see your changes.
Usually, you need to make a lot of changes, especially if you have
a decently long post or page. So much for ease of use.
The Plugin Problem
So why not a plugin? They seem to work for a lot of people.
One of the difficulties that I have had with some of the
text editing plugins is that they often interfere with other
plugins, or operations of the website.
This is when I gave up and bought this expensive software so
I did not have to deal with all of the problems that kept occurring.
I could also start letting the hair on my head grow back!
This turned out to be fine for building pages, but for
posts, the look turned out to be slightly different.
I realized that I now had to go back and figure this thing out.
I am not plugging software, or telling you to go an buy anything.
What I am going to tell you is how to deal with these WordPress issues
that seem to continue to creep up and bite when you don’t expect it.
There is no reason to have to buy more software. WordPress gives you
what you need. You just have to know how to work with it effectively.
First, let me tell you that it appears that some things seem
to change depending on what theme you are using.
I thought that I had the editor thing all figured out, until I went
to my other websites that used different themes. The WordPress editor
produced different results when I used the other themes.
This maybe due to certain defaults in the theme itself, but I
don’t know for certain. I do know that I had to revise my thinking
when writing and editing content using these different themes.
Your Easy Formatting Workaround
Here is what I do now. It saves a lot of time, grief, and effort.
Not only that, it is a really simple fix. This is what I do.
Your Format Fix
The fix is as simple as doing a lot offline.
SAY WHAT?!
You take a text edit program that most computers have already
installed, and you create a basic formatted template of sorts
and start filling in the blanks, and making changes as you need them.
For instance . . .
Here is how I began this post. I set up the font, size, and color,
by using a basic html code, and added or deleted as I went.
Here is the code:
<span style=”font-family:arial; font-size: 16px; color: black;”></span>
You need to have the brackets(<) and (>) at the start and finish.
Use browser friendly fonts, but just substitute the name of the font, size, and/or
color if you need to change them.
You put your text in between the <span style=”the code you use:e.g.font;”> and the </span>
Then you copy and paste that basic code 10 to 15 times (you will need more)
and change the font, size, or whatever to suit your content.
Then just write. When you need another paragraph,
use then next code set (you should have at least 10).
you can always copy and past more.
Don’t forget to occasionally check to see how things look.
If you are online you can copy and paste the entire file (all of the copy w/code) into your
Wordpress editor to make certain things are formatted correctly.
If you are not online, no problem.
All you need to do is copy the file and save it as a .html file (file.html).
Then open it up in your browser window. It will give you an idea of how things will look.
Clicking on it as you would open any file should bring it up in your browser window.
There are a few differences that you should know about.
1.The <span> does not “Span”, or create a space as it does in the WordPress editor.
What this means is that you will need to use an extra <br> or “Break” code.
2.This then poses more WordPress editing issues and problems
as the WordPress editor does not recognize the “Break” <br> code symbol, but your browser will.
Which means that if you don’t delete the “Break”codes before you format in WordPress,
you will have double spacing between lines.
And what if you are online?.
This makes it easier. Even though your browser shows a good representation of the formatting,
it will not show exactly what you will get with your WordPress editor.
Here are several WordPress formatting issues that can cause you problems.
The DO’s and Don’ts.
DO #1: Only use your browser to check the general look of your post or page
if you want to check your work offline.
Different browsers will generate different looks, but should give you a good idea of your general formatting.
If you want to check your work with your browser,
then remember that the <br> will give you an extra line.
Always remove those tags before you copy and paste them into your post.
when you use the WordPress editor to create a new line, you simply hit “Return”, or use the <span> </span> coding.
The span tags will automatically create a new line./span>
DO #2: Use the WordPress Visual Editor if you don’t need the paragraphing code (i.e. <p>),
are okay the the default font, don’t need to change the font sizes, or
won’t be making any straightforward changes in the post.
DO #3:This is something that I highly recommend,
and that is keeping a file of your posts and pages.
When you have your copy formatted, and your content looks
the way you want it to, then copy and paste it into the respective file.
DO #4: if you do need to go to the WordPress Visual Editor for formatting,
then copy and paste your code into a text document so that
you can re-install the code if you lose formatting.
HOLY WOW! Can this get more simple – MAYBE?
This method is really easy, if you have a compatible word processor.
You can do your entire page or post in a word processor and simply
copy and paste it into the WordPress VISUAL Editor. Supposedly there
will be no WordPress formatting problems and issues.
I will believe it when I see it.
Nothing I have is compatible. BUMMER!
Ebay for extra cash – in 7 steps
Ebay For Extra Cash – It Works!
Using Ebay for extra cash is a great way to pay an unexpected bill, or to just put a few extra dollars in your pocket.
It is unfortunate that so many people either overlook Ebay, consider it too much work, or just think that they can make more money by doing other things online.
But what about in the meantime? Where is your extra money going to come from?
There is nothing more frustrating than running out of money before your month is over.
Trying to stretch your money is something that you don’t want to do, but is all too often a real problem. A serious problem to which you find yourself spinning your wheels, and beating your head against things trying to figure out where you’re going to get that extra money for gas to get to work.
“Ive got to do something” you tell yourself.
Well, you decide that you will try the online thing. After all, almost everyone is making money online these days. Just how hard can it be?
With that, you go out and get your free website, get an affiliate offer (everyone says that’s the way to go), and you set everything up (you hope) and WOW . . .
But wait a minute, now what? Nothing is happening, no visitors, no money, and now I have spent a truckload of time, effort, and even more money with this online stuff.
“So what’s the deal?”
Talk about a “Rude Awakening“, but you know that there is more to the internet money gig than you are led to believe by all of the hype and B.S. that makes its way to your inbox.
Back to Ebay
While selling anything online is no longer just a “Walk in the park” Using Ebay for extra cash is one of the easier things that you can do to grab a few extra dollars when you find yourself short at the end of the month.
There are a few things to consider before launching into any new gig. Ebay is no exception. Here are a few things you need to know.
1. Signing up for Ebay
Before you sign up, be certain to read their rules, guidelines, and policies.
2. What is selling
Take a look at what is selling, check to see you you have anything similar that you no longer have a use for.
3. Make it easy
At first you will likely have a few things that you can part with, but these only go so far.
you go out to stores, or see a thrift shop, flea market, or yard sale, take a quick look to see if there is something that is under-priced.
4. Writing your ads
When writing out your advertising copy (explaining what you are selling), unless you have experience in sales or marketing, it is best not to get too fancy.
Most often the best copy is simple and to the point. Take good photos and let them sell what you are offering on Ebay.
5. Shipping Charges
Make certain that you check out how much it is going to cost to ship your item.
Depending on where you are shipping to, your shipping costs can vary by quite a bit.
Know the weight and size of the box, or container(with the item in it) that is being shipped.
6. I’m Sending Where?
Ebay allows you to send anywhere in the world (almost).
This may or may not be something that you wish to do.
Make sure that you check everything out before you make this decision.
7. Honesty is your best policy
Whatever you do, don’t falsify what you are selling, or what condition it is in.
Some people do whatever it takes to get the sale, but when your customer
gets his package, and the item is not as you stated in your ad, then your
customer will likely give you a bad rating (yes, Ebay rates both sellers and buyers).
Ebay may not be for everyone, but using ebay for extra cash is still a great way
for most people to put a little extra change into your pocket.
Many people are using Ebay to make a pretty good living.
Sean-Bruce Original
time is money, so make the most of your time
Everyone has heard the phrase “Time is Money”.
Wasting time is also wasting part of your precious life.
If you are young this means little to you, but if you are getting older,
then you are certainly aware of how quickly time passes.
Even if you are a younger person who is working hard to get ahead
cash in with these internet strategies
We have all received emails telling us of new cash in internet strategies, and so have found
ourselves clicking on links that take us to websites that tell us that we can make a “Gazillion”
dollars in only a few hours IF we would only buy this person’s, or company’s, latest and
greatest product. Continue reading
Quick and easy goals and how to set them
Quick and easy goals – make them and reach them.
Are you setting goals for yourself or your organization?
If you are looking for a quick and easy way to set, and reach your goals, then
this may just be the ticket that you have been looking for, in fact, this method will
likely take you the rest of the way to your goal.
Way back in the 1960’s two psychologists studied the effect of goal setting.
Locke and Latham found that goal setting can increase performance
in 90% of those who set goals.