Friday, January 28, 2011

Facebook is Driving Ad Revenue, Are You?

In a recent eMarketer article about social network advertising to account for 10.8% of online market, this year U.S. marketers will spend $3.08 billion on social media advertising. To the average marketing analyst, that's not surprising. Social network advertising, especially on Facebook, has skyrocketed in the past year. More and more companies are jumping on the "social media bandwagon", and some brands on Facebook are doing a fantastic job at it.



Many brands want to know - what's in it for me? Let's take a look at the increasing growth in social network advertising over the years.



According to eMarketer, "Spending will be up 55% over the $1.99 billion advertisers devoted to social networks in 2010 and will rise by a further 27.7% next year to reach nearly $4 billion."

2011 and it's dramatic growth will bring social media advertising spend to 10% of the total U.S. dollars dished online. According to the eMarketer study, "Worldwide, where social network ad spending will rise 71.6% to $5.97 billion, that proportion will be somewhat lower, at 8.7%."

There is no doubt that 2010 was the year of Facebook. Did anyone hear of that little engine that could, The Social Network?

”2010 was the year that Facebook firmly established itself as a major force not only in social network advertising but all of online advertising,” said eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson, author of the upcoming report “Worldwide Social Network Ad Spending: 2011 Outlook.” “In 2011, its global presence is something multinational advertisers can’t ignore.”

Want more proof of how powerful social networks are driving ad revenue? Go to http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008180.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Technical SEO - More than just tags..

I often find it amusing when I hear some one speak of having completed all their necessary SEO tasks by saying that they've "Done their tags". There is apparently some mis-understanding out here as to what SEO may in fact entail.

Here is a brief, certainly not all inclusive list of things you must keep in mind when considering your total SEO presence and strategy:

  • Domain name
  • Length of time you've owned the domain
  • Was the domain owned before you owned it
  • What neighborhood is your domain in
  • What neighborhoods are the sites linking to your domain in
  • How many hops from a search engine data center is your hosting provider (little known indexing factor)
  • The length of time you have your TTL (Time to Live) set for
  • What type of web server you're using and its URI re-writing capacities
  • The type of coding performed on your pages (Clean code, spaghetti code)
  • Speed of your page loads - which now implores you to specify height and width attributes to all your images for faster downloads
  • Type of CMS (if any) and the types of URI strings it produces
  • Do you use session IDs
  • Etc.
There are generally considered to be over 200 different contributing factors to the ranking and placement in search results of any given web page, the vast majority of which have little or nothing to do with the Meta tags.

So next time your thinking of having some optimization done, remember that you can't just play "tag" and go. You have to get more technical than that.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Something special is going on with Team Utopia

Team Atlantis is a sub-group of Team OceanSwell and Team Utopia is a sub-group of Team Atlantis. Confused yet? (laughing) It can get confusing!  Anyway, I promised Didi (OceanSwell Team Leader) that I would put this email exchange on my blog about this new thing... and so here it is.

I hope you LIKE reading (smile):

Hi Rusty, This is fantastic news. People are already making big bucks. Here is my latest broadcast. You will notice that since I sent the first email to you, there was a new "step up" program added. Thanks so much,

~Didi

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Everybody,

What I am about to tell you in going to blow your mind.  But first, I would like to ask all of you who are not receiving the Team Utopia updates to please complete the squeeze page via the link below. If you haven't been receiving Team Utopia updates, you have missed the fact that we have had 32 members cycle from EZ-BizBuilder (EBB) intoEZ-Biz1000 (EB1000). And better yet, 5 of those members have cycled from EBB1000 and have received $500.00 deposited into the AlertPay accounts. This program is absolutely outstanding. I truly don't have the words to express how very exciting this is to myself and to our members.



Our most recent member to receive the $500.00 sent me the following email...


"Hi Didi Is this for real?? I am so excited. Thank you for telling me about EzBizBuilder. I joined at your suggestion and I just can't believe it!  I came home from a pretty ordinary day at work to find $500 in my AlertPay account... and all from cycling through EzBizBuilder. This is just amazing and so are you. Thank you so much for everything you do. I love Team Utopia and I can't wait to get my next $1000. Thank you, thank you, thank you...woooo hoooo. I am so happy..can'tyou tell? LOL


Take care,  Rae Collier"

And what did it cost her?... $39.95 plus AlertPay fees and time promoting Team Utopia. You gotta love it!!!  Don't miss another exciting update from Team Utopia. Please complete this squeeze page. :-) http://www.adkreator.com/squeezepagehit.php?bid=24439&sp=Y


And now for the HUGE announcement. Whoooo Hooooo!! Most of you have received information regarding EBB in a previous broadcast, so I will start with the announcement of a great new program. For those of you who have not read about EBB yet, you will find full details near the end of this email and you will have two options to choose from. 1. Join EZ-Biz Builder directly or 2. Join EZ-Biz Builder Quick Cash (EBBQC) Now then, EBB has launched a pre-program to EBB. The pre-program is called EZ-Biz Builder Quick Cash. The cost for this program is only $22.00 and the first time you cycle, you will receive $10.00 back and a new position in EBB. So in essence, the cost is $12.00. Now then, the second time you cycle in EBBQC and every time thereafter, you will receive $50.00. Plus every time that someone you have sponsored cycles, you will receive a bonus of $10.00. This is beyond fantastic.


This new program allows those who are leery about spending $39.95 and for those who perhaps just don't have the funds available for entering EBB directly to start with EZ-BizQuickCash to join for half the cost and cycle into EBB. You can call this a "step up" program. This new program will not only put quick cash in your pocket, it will push all members already in EBB to cycle faster. So, if you already have an account with EBB, it would be very much in your best interest to go ahead and join this program also. You can believe that I did. Whoooo Hooooooo!!! If you are currently an EBB member, It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you add your affiliate ID number directly behind your last name when completing your info in EBBQC. I will also need you to send me your EBBQC ID number once you have received it. Please allow 24 hours to receive confirmation from EBBQC. Please use this link to join EBBQC. You may also choose to join EBB directly through the link provided near the end of this email. One time fee of $22.00 even.


I feel the need to explain EBB for those that are reading about it for the first time. Ez-BizBulder has a quick 2x3 matrix (which means you'll receive 2members, then they will receive 2, and then their two will receive 2 and you cycle). When you cycle, you get a free entry into "Ez-Biz1000" (a value of 350 dollars) which is based on an infinite number of personal 2x2 cyclers.  The cyclers that will fill your 2 x 2 will be your downline from EZ-BizBuilder. It is a follow your sponsor system. :-)


A 2x2 cycle requires only 6 members to complete. When cycling the first time from EZBiz1000, you will receive $500 cash, an auto re-entry of your original position into the next available spot and also a bonus position. And this is only the beginning, because each time your original position cycles again, you receive $1,000 cash and each time your bonus position cycles, you receive another $1,000 cash, an autore-entry of that bonus position, plus another bonus position. This will eventually create for you numerous positions and therefore numerous payments of $500 and $1,000 over and over again. And if you think that's something, keep reading because the best part hasn't even started yet. As we build the team and your original 2X3 matrix (the "Ez-Bizbuilder") cycles for the second time, you get a free entry into Sunrise Travel (a value of $325.00 dollars). This is where it really becomes exciting, as you can earn $10.00 dollars over and over again. Sunrise Travel also reward their members with laptops and even cars. The entire Sunrise Travel Compensation Plan can beviewed at the end of this email via a link to their site.


In a nutshell, with a one time fee of $39.95 (plus AlertPay processor fee) you will be on your way to earn $500, $1000 and $10.000 over and over again for life. You might be thinking that $39.95 is a lot to ask, but hold that thought and think of it this way. This is a one time fee, it is not a monthly fee program. You pay once. That's right, only one payment of $39.,95 and you're in for life. Let's put it this way, what Ez-Bizbuilder offers for that price is the most affordable one-timecost available program for this level of return.


This is going to be huge folks. And it's only just begun. Now then, as many of you know, I also lead up Team Utopia. Team Utopia is now promoting EBB. We have already had thirty two (32) members cycle from EBB into EBB1000. And it gets even better; five (5) of thethirty two (32) that have cycled from EBB into EBB1000 have cycled again and have received their first $500.00 payment. And what did it cost them? $39.95. You got it; just $39.95. Team Utopia will assign members to anybody (non TA members, free trial TA members and upgraded TA members) who join Team Utopia and Ez-BizBuilder. New members will be placed from top to bottom, left to right in the matrix. Each member will receive two (2) affiliates beneath them.  Remember, your first two will also be receiving signups from the team and their signups will be receiving signups from the team. This will fill your matrix so you only need 2 directs. :-)


To join EBB directly, please use this link. Also, be sure to send meyour affiliate link. http://www.ez-bizbuilder.com/index.php?spon=652

My Team Utopia email: ourteamutopia@gmail.com


Remember, once you cycle from EZ-BizBuilder, you will receive freeentry into EZ-Biz100o and then once you cycle from there, you will receive free entry into Sundrise Travel Club.


Sunrise Travel link: https://www.sunrisetravelclub.com/MarketingPlan/


Truly EZ-Biz Quick Cash and/or Ez-BizBuilder are the way to go. A onetime fee for a lifetime of cycling members beneath you. You owe it to yourself to make 2011 a very prosperous new year. If you have any questions at all, please ask away. Looking forward to hearing from you. Didi Wargo, Atlantis Team Leader & Utopia Team Leader


oceanswellatlantis@gmail.com


ourteamutopia@gmail.com




On 1/19/11, Rusty Shelton wrote:  I signed up and paid my money. My link is:  http://www.ez-bizbuilder.com/index.php?spon=1112


Go ahead and send me your broadcasts. I'll make them into blog posts and put whatever link (or links) you want. My blogs are starting to get more and more traffic - and that's good!  I really don't have time for another Team-Build. NO way. But I can certainly help bring in new referrals. When they join, I'll just send them to you so that you can interact with them. ~Rusty


Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:07:46 -0600; Subject: Re: Team Atlantis - EZBizBuilder; From: oceanswellatlantis@gmail.com  To: twoceanswell@hotmail.com


Hi Rusty; Thank you for requesting to join EZBizBuilder (EBB). It's true, you do not have to personally sponsor anybody to either of these two programs. :-)  This link is a generic link to join and upgrade through. You will be placed> in the correct position and receive your EBB ID once you have joined and upgraded. Please allow up to 24 hours to receive confirmation from Cathrine Feehley, owner of EBB.  Also, please join with an email address other than Yahoo. If you do not,  there's a good chance that you will not receive the email wherein your link will be provided. It is highly recommended that you use a gmail address.


Once you have joined, please send me your EBB affiliate link.


If you would like to have the broadcasts that I have sent to my people please just let me know. It would probably be easier for you to copy and & paste than to write it yourself. Also, I need to know if you will be doing a team build with it or if you will be sending your folks to me. This is really really taking off.


Didi Wargo, Utopia Team Leader


ourteamutopia@gmail.com On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 9:15 AM, Rusty Shelton; Hey Didi, I have been SUPER busy at my job and we're also in the middle of moving to a new house. Anyway, give me the link you want me to enroll through and I'll do it today for you ~Me


Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:56:18 -0600> Subject: Team Atlantis - EZBizBuilder From: oceanswellatlantis@gmail.com> To: stshirey65@gmail.com; twoceanswell@hotmail.com


Hi Guys, Recently, Team Utopia has switched from AD6 to EZBizBuilder. I have shared it with my members and the response has been overwhelming. I am sharing it with you today because I really think that you ought to consider EZBizBuilder.  You can either share this with your contacts and have them contact me or you can start your own team build. Obviously, I would like you to start by joining under one of our Team Utopia members. This is excellent. I'm not kidding either of you. I joined just over three weeks ago and have made $1,000.00 and the money is in my AP account.  Please get back with me after reading the details below. Obviously, the sooner folks get in, the better. Below is an email that I sent to our  members. 


All the best, ~Didi

Thursday, January 20, 2011

InternetMarketingClub.org Presents 7 Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design

Join Author and Landing Page Guru Extraordinaire Tim Ash, CEO of SiteTuners.com and the Founder and Chairperson of ConversionConference.com, as he presents the highly-regarded,“7 Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design.”

Changes in landing page efficiency can dramatically improve the profitability of your online marketing programs. This Wednesday Webinar will provide you with a crash course in successful landing page optimization. Learn to identify the common Seven Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design that are present on almost every landing page, and how to avoid them.

Tim is a highly sought after presenter and keynote speaker at SES, eMetrics, PPC Summit, Affiliate Summit, PubCon, SMX, OMS, AffCon, LeadsCon, Internet Retailer, and eComXpo.

This free webinar will take place Wednesday, January 26, 2011 12:30pmEST – 1:30pmEST. To register and for more information please visit: 7 Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design

Florida Politics Turn To Twitter

Florida’s newly elected Governor will be turning to Twitter tonight for his first Town Hall meeting. Starting at 7pm, Rick Scott will answer as many questions as he can from people using the hashtag #FLgov. I think this is great, however, are people really going to get their answers in 140 characters? What hardball topics can you answer in that amount of space? I think it’s great he’s using social media, but why not use a more interactive platform where people could hear real answers? I’ll be watching tonight and seeing how much of a success or fail this is. If you live in Florida, check it out. I’m curious to know your thoughts.

Trying to get your pages indexed by the Search Engines?

I've been on the internet since 1994, surfing blazingly fast on a dual-banded 64kb digital ISDN connection for a total speed of 128kb/sec in my apartment. Yes, I was doing this in 1994. And one of the oldest issues I've run across on the internet is the perennial question, "How do I get my site/pages indexed by Google?"

Well, I'm going to reveal the massive secret to getting your pages indexed by any search engine. Drum roll please...BAM!

Well, it's not THAT dramatic, but the answer may hit you in the head like Bam!, given its simplicity. The secret to indexing any page in any search engine is to drive spiders to the page.

Sounds simple? The concept is pretty simple; however the execution is the difficult part. I'm sure your next question is probably "Ok, so how do I drive spiders to a page?" Guess what? You already know the answer to this as well; back links. Preferably back links from high page rank, do-follow sites.

Of course, that's the hard part. Finding and compiling an excellent list of do-follow, high page rank sites is and/or will be a time consuming, labor intensive effort. But one well worth the time and energy should you persist and succeed. For you will then be sitting on a gold mine; a list of ways to quickly and painlessly index sites or pages when you want them indexed, not when the search engines get around to it.

Keep checking back to get excellent insights from Ten Golden Rules on how to continuously improve your internet marketing.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Scribd: A Hub for Written Content


San Francisco based Scribd first launched in 2007, and is now preparing to further ramp up their product development as they have just closed a round of funding with investors. Scribd functions as a hub for written content where you can upload, organize, embed, and distribute work on mobile devices and the web.

Scribd explains, “Now, anyone can instantly upload and transform any file -- including PDF, Word and PowerPoint -- into a web document that’s discoverable through search engines, shared on social networks and read on billions of mobile devices.” With over 60 million readers every month and millions of readcasts every month, are you taking advantage of the site? By uploading business presentations, articles, books etc you have the potential to put your brand in front of millions of site visitors.

With this new round of funding, Scribd plans to focus on expanding their mobile reach. Sulu Mamdani, SVB Capital Managing Director, also said, “Smartphones are the next computer for billions of consumers, and Scribd’s aggressive expansion plans in the mobile space could bring social reading into the hands of every one of those users.”

So, it sounds like Scribd is definitely worth testing for your business. It has a focus on SEO and affords you the ability to reach their many site visitors. Have you found value for your business with the site?

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Geo-target Your Facebook Status Updates



Did you know you can geo-target your Facebook status updates? Let's say you have a Company Profile Page (aka Fan Page) and you have lots of members from all over the United States. Heck, maybe you have fans all over the entire world. Now let's say you are hosting an event in Miami, Florida and you'd like to tell only your fans that live in Miami. I mean, who's going to attend a Miami event all the way from Las Vegas on short notice?

Just post your message in your status update and click on the little lock icon.










Next just select the country you want to target and the dialog box will give you even more options. Target by country, state or city. Is your business multilingual? You can even send status updates in Spanish to just your Spanish speaking fans. Cool, huh?


Can you think of any creative ways to use geo-targeted status updates on your company profile page? Please share your ideas!

Monday, January 17, 2011

InternetMarketingClub.org Presents Finding a Job in a $ocial Economy

Join Jay Berkowitz, Founder of InternetMarketingClub.org, and Marsha Belinson, Online Marketing Agent for Aquent.us, as they present, “Finding a Job in a $ocial Economy.” This webinar will teach you successful methods for seeking out a job in our social world.

This presentation will explain the following topics:

• Understanding how to effectively position yourself in the job market
• Tips for starting the job search process
• Tactics for utilizing Social Media in your job search
• How to efficiently search in niches

This free webinar will take place Wednesday, January 19, 2011 12:30pmEST – 1:30pmEST. To register and for more information please visit: Finding a Job in a $ocial Economy

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Two MORE ways to promote your TrafficWave affiliate link

Besides the flat-rate pricing, good deliverability and other features, the #1 reason to use TrafficWave is (of course) the affiliate pay plan. That's what Team OceanSwell is all about and that's why you're reading this. TrafficWave's famous affiliate plan is well-known throughout the industry and there are numerous other programs and systems designed to help build your TrafficWave affiliate downline as well.

Team OceanSwell isn't the only one, and there will no doubt be more in the future.

The purpose of this blog post is to briefly make you aware of two that I use. These two are for advanced marketers who have the time, resources and dedication to devote to them. What I mean to say is that they're not for everybody. There are numerous, labor-intensive steps involved in getting them set up and they're just a lot of work in general. I am involved with both of these because some people like one better than the other one, and visa versa.

However, the creators of both of these systems understand the potential of TrafficWave's comp plan and you can use your existing account with either one. In addition to that, these are both complete and self-contained businesses.

As I said, I'm not telling you to join one of them (or even suggesting it). But you should at least be aware that they exist - as one of the two may or may not interest you as your Email Marketing business continues to evolve.

If you care to take a glance at these, here are the links:

Secret Stash Factory  and  Infinity Cash Formula


All the best,

Rusty L. Shelton (OceanSwell Team Leader and Founder)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Using Dropbox for File Sharing & Online Backup


For those of us who tend to use more than one computer or use multiple computers at various locations, occasionally syncing your files becomes a bit of a challenge. I’ve turned to a website, Dropbox.com, to answer this problem for me. Dropbox allows you to sync your files online and across multiple computers automatically. I’m currently using the site for a project that includes the transfer of large files on a frequent basis, and the service has been a pleasure to use.

Dropbox provides the ability to use the service as an online backup, the ability to access your files via the web, mobile device access and most importantly, military grade encryption methods to both transfer and store your data. The basic package is free for up to 2GB. You can pay for additional space of up to 50GB at $9.99/month or up to 100GB at $19.99/month.

Dropbox has won awards from MacWorld Eddy Awards, the Crunchies for Best Internet App and PC Magazine Editors’ Choice.

Check out this video for more information:



The service has proven to be an important business tool for me. Have you used Dropbox or a similar service?

You Can Make Money From Twitter!!!

That's what 50 cent's fans did if they got read the tweet and got in early enough. After tweeting about a stock that he is heavily invested in, it rose 240%, which was enough to allow him to sell some of his shares and make over $8.5 million. He wrote, ""You can double your money right now, just get what you can afford." It only took a day for the penny stock to climb up $0.39 which allowed him to sell. If any of these followers did any research, they would have found the company reported less than $300,000 in revenue last year while losing over $1 million, according to MSN. Also, Bloomberg has published reports showing how unclear it is as to what the company does, from selling handbags to sunglasses and distributing headphones. I guess with over 3.5 million followers he has some influence in the Twittersphere and people just listen. Did you buy any shares?

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

2011 - A New Year with New Tweets

It's a new year, bringing a lot of new things. New gadgets and gizmos that are gifted from the holidays, new resolutions, and in the social media world - new tweets. Lately, I ventured over to blog.twitter.com to see what's new on Twitter. Low and behold - a Twitter tracker for New Years Eve!

Less than one minute after midnight January 1st in Japan, Twitterers set an all-time record in how many Tweets they sent per second (TPS). There were 6,939 TPS wishing friends a Happy New Year, or “Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu”! That beats the previous TPS record on Twitter, sent during the World Cup Finals in June 2010. According to @JennaDawn, "In fact, on New Year’s Eve, that all-time TPS record was shattered more than 68 separate times within a single 3-minute period. " That's insane!

Check out this video showing New Year's Eve Twitter data from all over the world:




Here is the data explained straight from Twitter:

"The video above visualizes New Year's Eve Tweet data across the world. The circles get bigger as more Tweets are being sent at that moment, which means it's probably midnight in that timezone. Notice that the circle over Tokyo gets so big it nearly swallows Japan.

Needless to say, we‘re looking forward to seeing what the Year of the Rabbit has in store. And, we’re humbled by moments like this that show how people around the world are connecting and celebrating on Twitter."

What's next from Twitter? A desktop application for Mac, of course!

What are your thoughts on how Twitter is quickly breaking records? Share it in the comments here!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Visual Search with Google Goggles


Google released an update(v1.3) to the Google Goggles app for iPhone and Android on Monday. The latest update brings us fully into the virtual reality world of the future via visual search capability. Just hold your phone up to an object and BAM.... online content and search options are at your fingertips. What are some of the things you can search visually with Goggles?

QR Codes/Bar Code Scanner: Google Goggles makes interpreting a QR code or product barcode even easier...and faster (claiming under 2 seconds to process). Codes in Entertainment Weekly movie trailer ads. Codes on major ads in print media. You no longer need to take a photo in a reader app to launch the embedded content. You don't even have to press a button! With Goggles, just hold up the camera phone to the object so Goggles can recognize it using it's nifty visual recognition and watch the magic happen. Read product reviews, check availability and search competitor pricing in an instant.
Ad Recognition: Goggles will recognize print ads and launch enhanced online content on any ad published in a major magazine or newspaper published since August 2010. Google tested the advertising image recognition ability with some big brands before launch - . Holy cow Batman...Is this the integration we've been talking about? A traditional print ad that launches digital content? Why... what will this mean for the traditional marketer vs online marketer war?

Now the goofy part is that Goggles can also solve a Sudoku puzzle. Of course the tech community is truly geeked about this one. Check out the Google Labs video to see the app beat Sudoku champion Tammy McLeod. It IS geeky cool, isn't it?

Google and SEO - Do they really like it?

As we all know, the majority of the online world tends to optimize their sites for Google. And why not? Everyone wishes to be found inside the 900 pound gorilla of global search engines. It usually means a cash machine opening up for your business.

So how do you get to the position were this cash machine is active? Usually this take place via Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on a web page/web site. Long gone are the days where "If you build it, they will come". The truth is now and has been for years "If you build it, you must make them come". This is in fact the whole point of SEO.

With this in mind, what's really being said here is that it's next to impossible to create a web page and just naturally have it brought back in search results based on your simply adding content to it. Back in 2002 - 2003, this may have still been the case, but definitely not the case since then. Needless to say, this is the fact that makes SEO so very critical for those wishing to take advantage of all the traffic and potential monetary benefits of showing up high on a page for a popular search.

What this also means is that SEO is properly seen by the search engines as an "artificial manipulation" of their search results. If there were no SEO, web sites would have to "naturally bubble up" and search engines would have more control over this process. Given this, do search engines (read Google) actually "Like" SEO? For these very reasons, I don't personally think so.

My impression is that search engines "Tolerate" SEO and it's practitioners, nothing more. Their appetite for tolerance is based on the fact that SEOs cut down the time and errors that surely would be the case if people were blindly putting up websites with no strategic direction. Other than that, the artificial manipulation of results that SEO invariably engenders the search engines would most likely prefer to do without.

What's your impression of the search engine's take on SEO? Let us know.

Monday, January 10, 2011

InternetMarketingClub.org Presents Ten Leading Strategies for Online Corporate Reputation Management

Join Jay Berkowitz, CEO of TenGoldenRules.com, for this Wednesday Webinar, “Ten Leading Strategies for Online Corporate Reputation Management.” The Webinar will teach the fundamentals and overarching strategy of Online Corporate Reputation Management and will provide actionable tactics.

This presentation will explain the following topics:

• Efficient Methods for Monitoring Brands in Social Media
• What is Online ‘Reputation Management’?
• Effective Tactics for managing your CEO’s Personal Brand
• Successful Strategies for Social Media Marketing

This free webinar will take place Wednesday, January 12, 2011 12:30pmEST – 1:30pmEST. To register and for more information please visit: Ten Leading Strategies for Online Corporate Reputation Management

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Using Twitter to Find a Job


With the New Year upon us, perhaps you are looking for new opportunities in your business career but need new ways to proceed in your job hunt. Ever think of using Twitter to see what opportunities are out there? We may not think of using tools such as Twitter for seeking out a job, but with the job market becoming more and more competitive, you really need to get creative in not only finding the jobs, but also standing out amongst the vast competition. Need help getting started?

Below is an effective example on how to use Advanced Twitter Search from Jehangir Irani of Mashable.com:



Have you found success in using social media in your job search?

Image credit: aimeeplesa

Thursday, January 6, 2011

TrafficWave - OceanSwell TEAM Update (#68)

What's the magic 'secret' to earning money online?  80% of it is showing up. Everything else is the other 20%. That much, I can assure you is true. By the way, this applies to anything - be it going to a college class, taking guitar lessons, or starting an online business. That is where the overwhelming vast majority of people 'fail'. By fail, what I really mean is quit. They get all excited about something they want to do or achieve, but then when it comes time to actually work for it, they never even get started. They plan, think, talk, dream, and fantasize about all the success they are going to have (and all the money they are going to make!), but that's about all that they'll ever do. They just talk about doing it.

In fact, most people fail at everything because most people quit at everything.

After taking that first step (i.e. showing up to work), which 80% of people fail to do regardless of how badly they say they want something, it then becomes an issue of consistence, persistence and continuous adjustment. What do I mean by this? Well, obviously persistence is continuing to do something until you succeed and being consistent means doing it on a schedule.  But is this in itself enough? Of course not. If you're doing something and it's not working at all, you need to change your approach - maybe not even all that much! You must study and analyze why what you're doing is failing and modify your game plan. This is called learning and it's how you succeed.

There is no magic potion, formula or secret.  Sorry.  That's just an illusion. There is no fast, easy shortcut to success.  Nor is there a replacement for hard work and intelligent thought. There is no other way to succeed than to throw yourself into something, stick with it, learn while you go, and continually modify your approach until you reach your desired results. That's about all there is to it.

Think it over, and then ask yourself where what you're doing right now will get you. The choice is yours, but just remember that you don't "fail" in life, you quit. As long as you learn from not achieving a goal you set out to accomplish and use what you've learned to properly modify your game plan and keep going, there is no such thing as failure. The only time you will ever "fail" in life is when you either never get started, or you say, "I quit."

In my own 'Internet Marketing Journey', I've come to believe that using systems that others can duplicate is the best method for building MLM affiliate downlines. Team Oceanswell is one such system, as it applies to TrafficWave and Global NPN.

I also use a system for promoting TW Power Revolution and for Infinity Downline as well. Why promote more than one thing? Because some people will like one system but won't like another, that's why. That's sales. If you can't get 'em with one, them get 'em with the other one. I am telling you this because it's something that I've learned over time... because I didn't quit. And because I didn't quit, I began to learn what works and what doesn't - and also to accept how long it really takes to get anywhere with online business. As a result, I've developed patterns I repeat over and over to get results. I call this having a plan and a system. If you've got a plan and a system that been proven to work (even if it's just a little!), then your job is to amplify those results in every way that you can.

For example, if your website or blog is beginning to pick up a little web traffic everyday, then your job is to: A) Increase that traffic B) Get more out of the traffic when visitors come to your site C) Create more websites!

By now, I'm sure that many of you have made something called a 'New Year's Resolution' (such as losing weight or quitting smoking). Those resolutions typically don't last for more than a week and I never make them. In fact, I made my resolution a long time ago - and that's to earn a full-time living online and be Free as a result. I'm on my way! So or a lot of you... I know you are!  So what are my goals for 2011, with regard to my online business and (of course) Team OceanSwell?  I've decided that my personal goal for 2011 is to create one new money-making website a day.  You read that right:  365 websites!  And most of these will links to our Team URL's.  You can look at one of them here.  (new window) Why am I doing this?  Because I never quit and I never stop LEARNING.  One of the things I have learned is that it takes a truly massive amount of advertising to get anywhere in this business.  That's what spawned the idea of the original Oceanswell Team Ads and the process of collective advertising and recruiting.  It's still a great idea and that's why everybody and his brother has a Team like ours now.  That's fine, but we have to keep growing and expanding and I know that I have to keep doing more to drive huge amounts of web traffic to our Team links.

I WILL...

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Trednspotting - 100 Things to Watch for in 2011 in 2011



The Trendspotting team at JWT has just released a great slideshare presentation called: 100 Things to Watch in 2011

Here are my digital-related highlights from the presentation:

F-Commerce - Facebook Commerce. Brands such as Victoria's Secret, 1-800 Flowers and Delta allow you to buy/book on Facebook (we've been calling this 'S-Commerce' or Social Media Commerce for months)

Group Pricing - with Groupon.com reportedly turning down a $6 Billion offer from Google we knew group pricing was hot. JWT suggests we check out Uniqlo's Lucky Counter pricing.

Community Meet-ups from Mashable, Huff Post and Tech Crunch.

Transmedia - story lines crossing into multiple platforms

Micro-Businesses - turn a skill into a bit of revenue Airbnb, Zilok and Neighborhood goods.

Smartphone Cameras - up to 12 megapixels (I can't wait for my Verizon iPhone 5!)

QR Codes - scanning barcodes with software installed on a smart phone link directly to websites

Personal Taste Graphs from Hunch or Gravity look at what your friends like on Facebook or Twitter and make recommendations

mHealth - mobile apps to monitor wellness and medical histories.

Amazon is looking for 'Kindle Singles'. Content longer than a magazine article and shorter than a book. Also look for eBook loans and library eBook access.

3D printing will allow you instantly produce items such as mugs and items out of resin and silver. (The world's first gold dispenser is located in the Mall across the street from our offices).

Brazil is an e-Leader with 23% of Brazilians on Twitter and 86% mobile penetration Captcha ads - the crazy text you enter online to prove you are a real person now has images and ads

Digital indoor maps - cool I'll be able to find my way out of the mall.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

To Groupon or Not to Groupon, That Is the Question


Many merchants are contemplating whether to take the dive and offer a "deal of the day" on Groupon. There has been talk lately on whether Groupon is valuable (price and service wise) for merchants to post deep discounts on their services and not know how many penny-pinching Americans will buy that deal.

The lure of Groupon is two-fold: it helps businesses gain new customers and it is the 'guilty pleasure' email that consumers like to open daily. I know I get surprised every morning when a different restaurant offers an enticing meal at a very low price--40 or 50 percent off the original mark-up. It is the largest daily deal site and, according to Forbes, is the fastest growing company ever. People enjoy the social media aspect of Groupon by sharing the deals with their friends and colleagues on Twitter, Facebook, and by email. The question lies--is it feasible and profit-worthy for a business to offer their "deal of the day" on Groupon?

Let's take a look at the numbers. First off, Groupon has a lot of power. With more than 23 million total US subscribers in over 150 US cities and 22 countries, Groupon reaches a lot of deal hungry people. Groupon not only offers steep discounts on spa services, hotel stays, and outdoor adventures; but also keeps part of the revenue raised by these coupons. In 2011, Groupon's sales may reach more than $500 million. If that's not enough, their witty copy and call to action to buy now entices users to click the purchase button.


Groupon Founder Andrew Mason has struck gold with this easy-to-use platform.

There has been some flack from companies using the Groupon platform. Most, though, are user error when the merchant did not staff enough employees to handle the influx of coupon purchases. Want to know the good, bad, and the ugly of Groupon? Go to the source at grouponworks.com.

What's next for Groupon? Groupon Stores and the Deal Feed! See more here.

How has your experience been with Groupon? Share it in the comments here!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Creating Relevant Content in Twitter


Anyone who is an avid user of Twitter (or Facebook lately) knows there is a LOT of chatter going on. If you follow a lot of people who tweet content several times a day, then keeping up with them all can be challenging. Add to that the pressure of entertaining, engaging and communicating with your own followers and you might just want to throw in the Twitter towel.

Enter paper.li. This daily content aggregator is a great way to pull relevant content from the people you follow and publish to your followers in a newspaper format. Select content criteria from your Twitter feed, Facebook search terms, account names and other feeds to create a newspaper-like webpage complete with headlines, links, blog posts, photos, and video feeds including author bylines. Now I'm assuming you have already developed social media goals, a strategy and a tactical execution plan, right? Part of that strategy is developing interesting content that drives relevant traffic to your website, right? You know... topics that tie back to your business model and target audience. If so, then Paper.li can help you publish that content to your feed on a daily basis. Some service benefits:

Easy to Set Up: You can set up your paper in just a few minutes at paper.li. If you don't have a lot of time, the automated custom content tweet will provide your followers with an easy-to-read daily news format of topics that are important to your business.

Lots of Good Content: Content is published based on the criteria you provide. You can pull content based on a hashtag, account name or list you have created in Twitter.

Encourages Follower Interaction: Each day the paper.li will automatically publish a link to your custom newspaper including mentions of several followers who provided content. Why is this good? First of all, they will most likely click on the link themselves. Secondly, they will probably be inclined to share it with their followers.

Of course, there are many more bells and whistles in this nifty little app. Take it for a test drive and let us know what you think.

InternetMarketingClub.org Presents SEO Lab – Search Engine Optimization Website Analysis

Join Jay Berkowitz, CEO of TenGoldenRules.com, for this premiere Wednesday Webinar, “SEO Lab – Search Engine Optimization Website Analysis.” Submit your website for a free SEO analysis by Jay and the TenGoldenRules.com Expert Team.

This presentation will explain the following topics:

• Learn the ABC’s of Search Engine Optimization
• Adhering to Search Engine Optimization Best Practices
• Advanced Tactics for Quality and Successful Link Building for SEO
• Recommendations for Search Engine Optimization Friendly Website Code

How does your site stack up? Submit your website for a Free SEO Content Analysis, Website Search Engine Optimization Code Review, Link Quantity, Quality and Relevance Analysis and more. To submit your website, send your submission via ‘Send a Message’ to Jay Berkowitz by clicking this link.

This free webinar will take place Wednesday, January 5, 2011 12:30pmEST – 1:30pmEST. To register and for more information please visit: SEO Lab – Search Engine Optimization Website Analysis