Randy Pausch Tribute - Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

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On Friday 25th July 2008 Randy Pausch passed away.

Randy Pausch became infamous for his Last Lecture” speech which was actually called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”, and went on to becoming a massive viral phenomenon. Randy was also invited as a guest on many TV shows, namely Oprah.

Make the time to do the things that matter the most. Love those around you and do not take them for granted. Get busy LIVING your life instead of just trying to survive life. Always strive to live your life with a sense of purpose and passion.

One of my favorite lines comes from the film The Shawshank Redemption

“Gotta get busy living or get busy dying.”

Do you live for the moment and cherish each breathing moment you have?

Take time out to enjoy your life, your existence and your loved ones. Don’t take your life for granted because we may not consciously think it but we are do have a fragile existence.

Live Life Abundantly!

Thank you Randy Pausch and family.

You can watch the Last Lecture, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” from Randy Pausch online at Youtube.

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Further Reading:

Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture, dies

Goodbye to Randy Pausch, a great teacher

Business Lessons from Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture

Stressed Out, No Computer Yet Kissed By An Angel!

I’ve been without a PC, sick, exhausted, busy as a bee and stuff that I don’t want to go into.

Now I’m back to business I wanted to share this special message below that helped to cheer me up!

Thanks for your kind messages and patience

__/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/

A Kiss for you.

make sure you read the words

Now
‘Share’ this post with 5 friends immediately

And
you will be kissed by an Angel !!!!!!

Feel free to link to this post from your own blog, ezine or website

Thanks for reading,

Nancy P Redford

P.S.
Thanks to Debbie Dolan for the above me message originally sent via email.
You’re an angel!

Developing Income with Affiliate Programs

Online BootCamp Gives Busy Professionals a Reduced Learning Curve and Clear Path to Developing Income with Affiliate Programs
By Kellie Fowler

James Martell Interview If you’re struggling to keep up with busy schedules, growing time constraints, escalating financial issues, and a family that you yearn to spend more time with, you’re not alone. Like you, more and more people are fed up with the 9-5 grind and with putting in overtime hours and efforts that go above and beyond only to receive disappointing paychecks.

But you don’t have to miss out on life! Instead, you can create financial freedom from home and you are about to learn, step-by-step, exactly how!

Whether looking for supplemental income or a legitimate business that you can “grow” to make your monthly income your weekly income, you’re in the right place.

It’s called affiliate marketing and you now have the opportunity to learn from the top expert in this field how he took his starting goal of making an additional $200 a month and turned it into an income that provides he and his family with the lifestyle they previously only dreamed about.

With little start-up costs and the only resources needed including just a computer and Internet access, this online publishing business is freeing people up to live their lives to the fullest, all the while finally achieving financial freedom, while simultaneously spending more quality time with family and friends.

It may sound too good to be true, but it’s not.

Better yet, you can learn the techniques and strategies used every day by James Martell, a successful affiliate marketer, in his online course, to be conducted one evening per week for eight weeks.

It’s called James Martell’s Affiliate Marketers BootCamp - Online “Night School” Edition and “seats” do fill up fast!

Why? Because Martell has been successfully teaching students how to create profitable affiliate marketing businesses for years.

See for yourself what one Martell student says about the BootCamp training: “In the past, I’ve attended several seminars with multiple speakers. None came close to James’ powerful, articulate, hands-on, gritty presentation. He’s by far the best Instructor I’ve been privy to hearing… and grasping.”

Martell BootCamp student Darryl Ruff agrees: “I’m a slow learner, but James makes things simple to understand. Would I attend another BootCamp as a refresher? In a heartbeat!”

Martell’s BootCamp students consistently give the training an enthusiastic thumbs-up, with BootCamp student Sheldon Smollan calling the BootCamp “a genius opportunity.”

Now offered online, Martell’s BootCamp students can save time, money and collapse the lengthy timeframes associated with mastering a new career, all the while receiving face-to-face instruction, the opportunity to ask questions as they go, and being provided a detailed step-by-step plan that takes you from start to finish in the race to achieve online success.

Truly, it’s like having Martell look over their shoulder every step of the way and available to your answer questions, clarify points, address concerns, and more.

So, even if you already have Martell’s top-selling Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook, or listen to his engaging weekly audio newsletter, the Affiliate Buzz, this online course curriculum may be just what you need to propel your online efforts to sure-fire success.

And if you are not familiar with “Martell’s book, buzz and bootcamp” (as they are referred to throughout the industry), you can get everything you need now in the upcoming exciting and informative online BootCamp course.

“I believe my experience at BootCamp was the best investment I’ve ever made in myself, in my family, and in our dreams,” explains BootCamp attendee Denis Vaillancourt. “This opportunity has energized and motivated me to get to the next level of my affiliate marketing career. I’m confident in my future success now because of me BootCamp experience.”

Understanding from students like Vaillancourt the overwhelmingly positive impact the BootCamp has made on their personal, professional, and financial lives, Martell has searched for some time for a way to personally deliver his training “live” to his worldwide audience, but it wasn’t until recently that he found the robust technology he felt truly mirrored the personal training he painstakingly delivers through his off-line BootCamps.

So, just a few weeks back when Martell was exposed to an online conference room that would allow him to present the entire BootCamp using his PowerPoint presentation, live videos and live audio feeds, he knew he found the answer - and the first ever online affiliate marketer’s course curriculum was born.

Structured much like a night-school course, the curriculum will be delivered by Martell “live” in eight classes.

Martell will dedicate each class to covering one of the eight steps outlined in his recently refreshed Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook - “2006″ (THIRD EDITION).

Students can watch via the Internet as Martell personally delivers the powerful tutorials that allow students to watch him as goes step-by-step through all the stages of building a website, finding products to promote, determining which companies to partner with as affiliates, adding keyword-rich content to his site and submitting his site to the search engines.

What’s more, Martell’s online students will participate in live, interactive question and answer sessions, and be on track to complete weekly assignments all of which, when added together, make the online BootCamp experience as effective as the off-line BootCamp experience.

Martell’s online BootCamp attendees will also have unlimited access to 10 hours of professionally recorded LIVE video, which showcases Martell and his students in his hometown, going through an intensive step-by-step instruction, allowing you to review information at your convenience long after the online BootCamp has concluded. It’s like having a virtual library at your fingertips!

And because you’re learning from someone who uses these same eight steps day-in and day-out to maintain his own enviable success, you bypass the steep learning curve associated with affiliate marketing and can be up and running and making money in a matter of weeks, after implementing Martell’s proven eight steps - which have more than withstood the test of time, much like Martell himself.

What this means for you is that you can get your online business up and running faster and you can be assured that, once you implement the eight steps just as Martell details them, you’ll be on your way to making money – be it part-time or full-time – from the comfort of your own home.

Now, you really can take control of your future and your family’s future and steer it in the direction of financial freedom, allowing you to determine how much you work and even how much you make.

So, the big question is: What’s stopping you?

You and your family are worth it and this online training is, as Martell’s students have pointed out, the chance of a lifetime.

All you have to do is grab it.

For more information, and for ongoing class schedules, visit:

Affiliate-marketers-bootcamp.com

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About The Author

Kellie Fowler is a successful freelance writer and a seasoned professional providing valuable insight and advice to those wanting a home based business opportunity for themselves. Her numerous articles offer real-life tips and techniques to those looking for a way out of the rat race.

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7 Ways To Promote New Content On Your Website

7 Ways To Promote New Content On Your Website
by Steve M Nash

Welcome to the never-ending world of website promotion.

Never ending? Well, not only must you promote your site when you first create it, but then you must find ways to continue to promote it.
And you must find ways to promote the site’s new content too.
This article covers seven ways you can promote this new site content. It assumes that you understand the basics of website promotion.

It also assumes that you have already done the following to promote your new content:

* Linked to the new content from your home page, site map, newsletter confirmation page, newsletter welcome message etc.
* Created (and used) a new email signature file
* Written a press release.

You have? Okay, let’s begin.

1) Tell Your E-Mail Subscribers

Tell the subscribers (or customers) on your mailing list about your new site content. This is an easy first step to take to promote a site redesign (or to promote new pages on your site).

Your mailing list is your best opportunity to really go into detail about the new content, especially if this new content benefits your subscribers. (It should, by the way.) If you have built a good relationship with your subscribers they might even tell you how good (or bad) the new content is. Always respond positively to this feedback.

2) Tell Your Friends, Family… Anyone

Tell friends, family and others who are in your address book. Make your email personal, and friendly, and just talk about how the new site content now benefits or involves them.

3) Tell The Newsgroups/Forums

Tell the newsgroups and online forums about your new content.

This strategy works best if you are a regular contributor to the forum or newsgroup, and if you refer to the content as part of the forum post (rather than just in the signature file). However, as long as you demonstrate your expertise with your forum contributions, and the new content is relevant, you should get visitors curious to find out more.

Again, if you focus on benefits you have a much better chance of people visiting your site.

4) Tell The Social Networks

The major search engines will find your new content as long as you link to it via your site map, and you link to this site map from your home page. Do that, then ignore the search engines.

Instead, focus on building buzz at the so-called social networking sites like digg.com, del.icio.us and Myspace.

You can encourage social bookmarking by adding appropriate bookmarking links on your site. (You’ll find such ‘add to del.icio.us’ buttons etc. on various blogs or websites or by visiting http://www.AddThis.com .)

However, if your content is outrageous or funny or particularly informative then, chances are, your new content will find its way onto these high-traffic websites anyway. It doesn’t harm to encourage this process, though.

5) Find Other Promotion Sources

Social networking sites are not the only way to promote your site.

For example, webmaster resource sites, freebie sites, and even Britney Spears and Harry Potter fanclub sites may all quite like to know about your new site content, if relevant. Whatever your site is about, there’s a site resource dedicated to it.

Use your imagination, and do a search on Google.

6) Write An Article

Writing articles is a proven method of promoting new content. And there are so many sites willing to accept well-written articles.

You don’t think you know how to write an article? Just write about what you know or do. It isn’t that difficult, and writing articles can generate lots of website traffic. To learn more, either do a search for “how to write an article” at Google or at EzineArticles.com .

7) Don’t Forget Pay-Per-Click Search Engines

Using pay-per-click (PPC) search engines is an ideal way to promote new site content.

You can either add more keywords to a current PPC campaign, driving visitors to your new pages, or you can start a new PPC campaign.

Either way, you should have traffic visiting your new content in a matter of days (or immediately, if you use Google AdWords).

These are the most popular pay-per-click search engines:

- Google Adwords

- Yahoo! Search Marketing (formerly Overture)

- MSN Adcenter

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That’s it, seven ways to promote new content on your website.

As I say, website promotion is never-ending; there are always more ways of promoting your site’s new content. Just make sure you do something to get people to visit your new web pages, eh!

Steve M Nash is owner of several sites including http://www.textmefree.com - a directory of free sms text messaging sites, and guide to bulk sms marketing. He promotes all of them using the basic principles and tips detailed in his free website promotion guide, http://www.howipromotemywebsite.com

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Free Website Traffic and Earn Income From Daily Rebates!

How to Cope With Your Critics

“How to Cope With Your Critics”
by Alexandria K. Brown

Every week I publish my ezine, I get almost instantaneous feedback. Most of the time it’s wonderful comments like “Thank you for all you do, Ali!” and “I really appreciated this article. It gave me tips I could really use on that subject.” Or “Great teleseminar you’re offering - it’s just what I need to learn right now!” These emails make me all warm and fuzzy inside.

But I want to level with you that publishing and marketing isn’t all peaches and cream. In fact, here are a few excerpts of actual emails I’ve received in the past:

“Your promotions have gotten too snake oily for me.” (From a woman who complained I was hiding the price of one of my teleseminars on the sales page, when in fact it was listed three times, and in bold type.)

“I’m sad to see you’ve gone the way of the high falutin’ Internet marketers…. At least I can look myself in the mirror every day.” (From someone who apparently did not like to see me become so successful.)

“I’m sorry you want to leave your poor friends behind.” (Responding to my urging my readers to surround themselves with people who are as successful and wealthy as they want to be.)

“Your Ezine Queen logo is terrible — it looks like two b00bs and a crown!” (From a disgruntled designer who was upset I recommended some low-cost sources for fast logos.)

And, about a recent teleseminar I gave: “I’d avoid prolonged giggling at things that just aren’t funny.” (Here’s a tip folks… I have fun and I laugh at stuff I think is… funny! Oh, and this comment was from a professional speaker, whom I know makes no money from teleseminars, and barely pays the rent with her speaking business. Hmmm…)

And there are more!

For example, I took a recent survey of my list and got an amazing 1800+ responses. But at least 5 people wrote me upset that every question required an answer in order to get the free report that was the thank-you gift.

Got Critics? You’re Not Alone

Now, hear me out: I’m not writing this article just to bitch and moan. I’m writing this to let YOU know that if you get complaints like these, you’re surely not alone.

I learned fast and hard that the higher you climb your mountain of success, the easier a target you become for the people down below.

As the saying goes, “You can please some people all of the time, and you can please all people some of the time, but you can’t please all people all of the time!”

Whether you’re an ezine publisher, author, speaker, information marketer, coach, or consultant… you WILL be criticized. The more popular you get, the bigger your list gets, the more “out there” you are, the more criticism you’ll receive.

“Don’t Take It Personally” (Yah, Right)

Between you and me, some of these emails have brought me to tears. If I’m feeling the effects, I hop in my convertible, and take a long drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. It clears my head and reminds me why I chose to do what I do - because I LOVE sharing, teaching, and inspiring. Being the Ezine Queen earns me a great living while I help others at the same time. (And I’m sure that’s the same reason you do what you do, too!)

I used to think it was all me, but after talking with several of my colleagues who also publish ezines, they get the same type of emails all the time! And of course we remind each other not to “take anything personally”.

Honestly, I still have trouble with that one. Maybe I’m the sensitve type, but I always feel an “ouch” when someone takes an obvious jab that is not simply a suggestion or constructive criticism. Then I breathe deeply, and tell myself that the offending person may be having a terrible day, or their pet turtle just died, and it really has nothing to do with me.

Here’s What to Do

What I HAVE learned is that if any of these critics get nasty with you, don’t sink to their level. Remember that as a publisher you’re also in the business of customer service. I typically handle it via one of these three methods:

a) respond calmly and acknowledge their point (some people just want to be heard)
b) disregard or delete their message (if their comments are so inappropriate or hurtful that I can’t answer back calmly)
c) remove them from my list (if they are obviously just trying to make me feel bad)

Even better: Have someone else screen your email, like I do now. My assistants protect me in a wonderful way, and only pass on to me what I need to see. This does wonders for my mood and keeps me in a positive place and in good energy!

Through these petty annoyances, remember the big picture of why you started your e-zine or your current venture. It was likely to gain credibility and “expert” status while increasing your marketing reach and revenues. Your professional reputation is always on the line.

You may want to lash back, but in the long run, it ALWAYS pays to take the high road.

Encourage Useful Comments and Feedback!

Don’t forget to welcome constructive criticism with open arms! I’ve gotten many great ideas from my readers’ suggestions and comments, and I hope they keep coming in.

Just remember that Queens have feelings too.

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown publishes the award-winning ‘Highlights on Marketing & Success’ weekly ezine with 28,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at AlexandriaBrown.com

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I put up this guest article today because of some of the feedback I have received over time and from a recent discussion I had with a long term subscriber who took some messages from people who unsubscribe from his Aweber autoresponder too personally.

One message was “I am receiving too many sales blasts and you were the last straw. My email is full of this stuff and I’ve had enough”

There was some profanity in the email so I omitted the words and replaced it with ’stuff’. So how do you distance yourself from the onslaught of negative comments.

1. Use A Virtual Assistant To Answer Emails For You

This will cost you some money but once you set up how to handle email responses with them you can free your time and get on with other tasks. A good pointer from Alexandria Brown.

2. Improve Your Readers Experience

Take each message as is and maybe reconsider how you contact your mailing list.

3. Take It Like A Man!

Brace yourself for negative feedback and move on. Don’t take every word to heart so much that you become a nervous wreck. If that doesn’t help then DO NOT set up the feedback option in Aweber when people unsubscribe.

Final Thoughts

Just last week I had someone email me a message to let me know that they couldn’t open my HotConference download. So I tested my link once again and found no errors. But I didn’t stop there. I logged into HotConference support and they informed me that there is a “known issue” with Windows Vista users. They need to RIGHT CLICK on the icon saved to your Desktop and select “Run as administrator” to proceed with the installation and log into the webinar.

Why this is not clearly displayed on their website for all to see I just don’t know!

I would have placed this message on my information web page with the download and screenshot instructions as well as in my invitation emails. Goodness knows how many other people experienced the same problem but did not get back to me!

I have added this VERY IMPORTANT tip to the Teleseminar article.

Don’t get yourself in an emotional mess over negative comments. Take the rough with the smooth and use it as a learning curve.

“You can please people some of the time but not ALL of the time.”

Best wishes,

Nancy P Redford
P.S.
Comments and feedback are ALWAYS welcome!

How to Use Teleseminars to Promote Your Business and Generate Quick Cash

“How to Use Teleseminars to Promote Your Business and Generate Quick Cash”
by Alexandria K. Brown

Can I share a secret with you?

Teleseminars are some of the easiest money I’ve ever made.

Chances are you’ve attended a Teleseminar lately. Why not produce them yourself? These seminars by phone are fun and easy to do.

Giving FREE teleseminars is a fabulous way to promote your business, help your prospects get to know you better, increase your e-zine subscribers, and jack-up sales. For the first few years of my Ezine Queen business, I offered a free monthly teleseminar that gave people an introduction to what I teach (how to get business via an e-zine). These calls generated me tons of new e-zine subscribers and sales for my home study courses.

Giving PAID teleseminars promotes your business and generates revenues as well. I do one paid teleseminar at least every two months on a different marketing topic, and sometimes I invite a special guest. Even when I just started out, each of these events would gross me between $5,000 and $10,000.

You should also consider offering an “intensive” or “bootcamp” series of multi-week teleseminars. You can break up aspects of one topic or do a series on multiple, related topics. My former “4-Week E-zine Launch Telebootcamps” went for $497 and sold out every time.

To get started, you’ll need:

1. a bridge line. For less than 50 people, FreeConference.com has worked fine for me. (Yes, it’s FREE.) For more people or for paid events, I use a paid line such as from Black & White Communications, because they come with personal service and an operator if anything goes wrong.

2. an automated way for people to sign up. I use, LOVE, and wholeheartedly recommend 1ShoppingCart. It’s an online shopping cart program that comes complete with e-mail autoresponders and link tracking. It also lets you do coupon offers for special groups, and you can automatically track commissions for affiliates.

3. a way to record your teleseminars. You’ll want to provide the audio for people to listen to later online or you can make CDs. Record yourself with inexpensive software like Sony’s “Sound Forge Studio”, or hire someone to do it for you. I use both www.AudioStrategies.com and Audio Acrobat.

But there’s a LOT more to it…

How do you get signups, especially if you have a small list?
Where can you advertise your teleseminars?
What days and times will get you more people?
How much should you charge?
How can you get expert guests on your calls for free?
How should you prepare handouts and visuals?
Do people really want CDs, or are they happy with online audio?
WHERE do you start?

To learn MY step-by-step formula for producing teleseminars that REALLY make you money, come to my next Online Success Blueprint Workshop. Along with teaching my entire internet marketing strategy, I go through my personal teleseminar processes in detail!

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Looking into Teleseminar services can be a daunting process. My dilemma is whether to use a call in system via telephone, either telephone and Webinar presentation or web based Webinar.

As I am on several mailing lists I find that Teleseminars require phone charges and it is not uncommon for Teleseminars to run up to 1 hour or more. Being based in London, UK I tend to opt for Web based conferences that incur ZERO costs. I already have high speed broadband Internet access so I can easily participate and listen in using my headphones. The added benefits are with both hands free I can easily type notes whilst on the conference.

Amusing Story

Let me tell you a funny story about my first experience with my very first GoToMeeting conference. I registered for the call promptly via email and had the access telephone number and Webinar software link. Logged in and had my headphone on as usual but wondered why the heck I couldn’t hear the presentation. Now granted this was a long time ago now. I was totally unaware that I HAD TO CALL IN to hear the presentation. By the time I realized this I thought well is it really practical to ring now that the call was nearly over. With GoToWebinar, even the local UK number toll number which is a 0870 number costs a minimum of double my normal phone charges per minute.

Now I am a great lover of LIVE conferences but find the added inconvenience a nuance. So if offered I opt for the recorded call. Sometimes this has been the best choice as I have found the call isn’t something I would be interested in. Besides the late call times can be a a test of endurance as in the UK we are at least +5hrs US EST and a +7 hrs US CST. Even more trying for Australia/Malaysia where there is 12 hr time difference. Yet I have heard from people from these countries area attending calls. Now that’s dedication!

Top Tip

Take a nap during the day and avoid trying to stay up until the early hours of the morning because you know you’ll be light headed and much less attentive.

Anyway here are a few options for Teleseminars:-

1. GoToMeeting

Both telephone bridge call and web based
Standalone telephone conference calls with toll international telephone numbers via GoToMeeting
Cost $49 for GoToMeeting - $99 per month for both GotoMeeting and GoToWebinar

Offers a 30 day free trial where you can test run the system.

Up to 1000 participants for seminars
Meeting up to 15 attendees

Can be set up so that registrant receive full call details and 1 hour reminder for registered participants.

Visit GoToMeeting

2. Instant Teleseminar

$47.00 per month.
200 line Teleconference
200 Line Webinar
$1.00 trial offer

Other charges apply so you need to review them website to find out more.

Visit Instant Teleseminar

3. The Basement Ventures

Free Teleseminars with no up front fees or contracts. Host up to 200 people on a call.
Also offers free MP3 recordings for archiving calls with ease making it easy to redistribute your audio file.

Visit The Basement Ventures

4. VereConference

Offers free 3 seat room trial for 24 hours. You can sign up for an unlimited amount of free 3 seat conference rooms.
$11.95 per month up to 2000 seat room depending on your personal needs.
10 seat $29.95 per month
$219.95 per month for up to 100 seats
$25 one-time set up fee
Live audio and visual conferencing solutions.

Attendees must accept a Java Source file each time they log in.

Visit VereConference
5. HotConference

$44 per month
$1.00 30 day trial offer for the 5 room conference normally $54.95 per month.

Host up to 500 seats per room
Live audio and visual conferencing solutions

To use HotConference you need to share your download conference file with attendees and they can save to their desktop and log in with their name and password [if set] at the start of the Webinar.
Very easy to use and has the benefits of an attractive whiteboard, highlighter and many more features.

I personally use this software as I get a free room from my web host kiosk who also created HotConference can always upgrade to a 500 seated room as and when needed.
Unlike VereConference attendees just double click on the icon and log in.

Visit HotConference.

Free Teleseminars

Phone in conference calls appear to be highly popular. They are easy to set up and use and you can give an overview or conduct and interview with a guest whilst callers listen in.
Drawbacks are people will have phone to pay for the phone charges and may be calling from international location so for them long distance charges will apply. However most Teleseminar hosts will usually offer a recording of the call for convenience.

Attending a LIVE call is always beneficiary especially if there are special time sensitive announcements or offers valid during or just after the conference. You also have the added benefit of being able to ask questions or submit feedback whilst listening in on the call.

Some Alternatives

For alternatives to Teleseminars as listed above you could consider free online services like Blog Talk Radio and UStreme TV (as used by Russell Brunson). Blog Talk Radio is just one example of how you can run your very own LIVE online radio show. With UStreme TV you can connect to a webcam and broadcast yourself LIVE to your audience. Both services allow your guests to enter questions and feedback via text chat.

So there you are some free and paid services you can use to host a conference or meeting.

If you have tried any of these services or would like to share your own resources feel free to add your comments. You can also bookmark this article and show your appreciation on Digg and other services using the “ShareThis” and “Share and Bookmark” links below.

P.S.
Update 26th May 2008

Known Issues with Vista Operating Systems For HotConference Installation

After downloading the software and saving it ti your DESKTOP DO NOT double click on the icon. Instead RIGHT CLICK your mouse and select “INSTALL AS ADMINISTRATOR”. This should enable Windows Vista users to log in successfully.

Help Raise Funds For Petey’s Power Sale

Petey’s Power Sale

“100% of the proceeds will go to Petey and the purchase of a wheelchair accessible van”.

I received this link to an amazing fundraising event for a young boy who is in dire need of a wheelchair accessible van to give him and his family more freedom and a safe and convenient way to get around.

You’ll be touched at how many Internet marketers have stepped up and donated some top quality products you can actually use for your business.

There is a video on the sales page that will explain everything about Petey’s real life story and all of the products on offer. The presenter of the video is Jason Marshall who was a contestant on Joel Comm’s ‘The Next Internet Millionaire’. Jason is the best friend and full time aid for Petey, who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophyphy.

A few of the contributors committed to helping Petey include:

Mike Filsaime
Mark Joyner
David Cavanagh

1. You can purchase the products

2. You can make a donation

3. You can also purchase the product and make a separate donation too. Remember that your donation is tax deductible!

4. Help spread the word by sharing this story and link to the sale with your mailing list, blog and social networking sites like Facebook and others.

After your purchase you’ll be able to download your products and will also receive helpful tips of how to put them into practice PLUS a special 4 part Teleseminar aptly named ‘Petey’s Powernars’ which will proceed after the special Petey Power Sale. Just watch the video to get the full scoop.

P.S.
Petey will be 13 years old on April 18th so it would be fantastic for him to go to his most treasured seafood restaurant in his new wheelchair accessible van. ‘Petey’s Power Pack’ is a truly a super deal that you WILL NOT FIND anywhere else so what are you waiting for, buy, donate and spread the word!

Visit the site now => http://petey.heartheirstories.com

Are You Ready For WordPress 2.5?

So I wake up today and change all of my clocks to one hour forward for the official start of spring time here in London, UK. After switching on my PC and logging in to my WordPress blog I discover the inevitable upgrade for WordPress 2.5 is ready. Looks like the Beta testers have sorted through most bugs (hopefully).

So What’s New?

Well when you head off to WordPress you can see the revamped design. A much welcomed sleeker design by Matt Thomas that uses the entire width of the browser with less of those wasteful white spaces. Take a look at the “sneak peak” to see diagrams of the new Dashboard which has more significance in highlighting important news and is now “widget” based. See more details and examples in diagrams within the development area. I must admit I tend to ignore the dashboard and go straight to the “Write” section and the occasional check of the “Plugins” area for notifications of the any new versions I need to download and install. You must watch the video from Matthew Mullenweg as he goes inside his own WordPress admin interface to show you some of the functionalities of WordPress 2.5.

Top Tip

If you have a test server or domain where you can install WP 2.5 you can perform tests for plugin compatibility and decide whether you like the new features over your current installation. This is a good practical tip to installation success before jumping head first into upgrading all current blogs.

I always use a test domain first as I am very familiar with the hours lost tweaking and battling with little errors, usually related to my customized header file. However it is more than likely that I will wait for feedback from other WordPress users before I commit to the upgrade. Particularly any concerns with plugin compatibility issues.

From what I have read about WordPress 2.5 so far I particularly like the “Few click plugin updates” as described below:

“Few-click plugin upgrades — if the plugins you use are part of the plugin directory since 2.3 we’ve told you when they have an update available. Now we take that to the next logical step — downloading and installing the upgrade for you. This is dependent a little bit on your host set-up, and it may ask you for your FTP password much like OS X or Windows will ask you for a password, but it works well on majority of hosts we were able to test, your mileage may very, plugins in mirror may be larger than they appear.”

To all WordPress users, keep on submitting feedback for future features because at long last we are starting to see some excellent enhancements to the community software that I personally enjoy. Especially due to the fact that I need fewer addon plugins such as Redirection (changing Permalinks and not losing the old link structure in the search engine listing) and a few others because WordPress have integrated more functionality into the basic installation. There was a time when I refused to switch from version 1.5 to 2.0+ because I would lose too many important plugins. However in making that decision I found my blog became vulnerable to potential Phising robots so I had no choice but to go ahead and upgrade to the leastest version of WordPress. As a resulted I had to wave goodbye to some of my most treasured plugins. However as most of those lost plugins are built-in it has become a win-win situation.

Good luck to everyone who makes a success of the new upgrade to their blogs. I’ll be right with you very soon, maybe.

For now I will upgrade some of my plugins due, Sociable 2.6 and Google Sitemaps 3.0.3.1.

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eBay Sweden Stays With Commission Junction

Following the official announcement by eBay that they will be moving to their own in-house affiliate management system, eBay Partner Network. I received an email from eBay Sweden’s Publisher Development Manager with the following message:

“I would like to take the opportunity to promote the eBay Sweden program that will continue to have an affiliate program with Commission Junction, and evolve it! eBay bought their Swedish equivalence some time ago, and has closed down ebay.se.

Instead, all attention and effort are put on eBay/Tradera with the URL tradera.com. I wonder if you as a Commission Junction partner have some free capacity to enjoy the opportunity with the eBay Sweden program. Take this opportunity today!

- Advertiser: eBay / Tradera
- Category: Auction
- Website: tradera.com
- Commission: 50 - 85 SEK per CRU (~4,3 – 6,8 GBP / 5,4 – 8,6 EUR)
- Market: SE
- Paid search bidding: no brand bidding
- Product catalogue: yes (API)

The Swedish eBay has got a big group of people as clients from nearby countries too such as Norway and Finland, since no other Nordic country than Sweden has got a localized eBay (Nordic country = Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland).

If there is anything I can do regarding the eBay Swedish program called eBay/Tradera, would you like to contact me?

All the best,

Lina Malm
Publisher Development Manager, Nordic.”

7 Formulas for Articles That GET READ!

7 Formulas for Articles That GET READ!

Many of us have been asked to write an article at one time or another. Maybe it’s a contribution to the company newsletter. Or a promotional article to gain publicity for ourselves or our companies. Some of us write articles regularly for clients.

No matter why you’re writing an article, it’s your responsibility to make it be interesting - otherwise no one will read it. (Except you.)

So how can you make your article interesting and engage your reader? It’s all about the ANGLE. First pick your topic. For example, let’s say your topic is something boring … “car wax.” Now, here’s where many people start writing.

Stop! You need an angle! What aspect of car wax do you want to write about? Is there anything new or sexy in the world of car wax that people are interested in? Some ideas: how the new generation of car waxes helps protect your paint job for twice as long, OR, an overview of the best five brands of car wax on the market, OR what the best type of wax is for your particular car. Get it? These are all angles. (By the way, I’ve never even waxed my car, so please take these ideas with a grain of salt!).

Ready to brainstorm your angles? Here are seven article “formulas” to get you started and get your juices flowing! Some elements of each may overlap with each other, but each formula is truly a distinct animal.

1. The How-To

People love how-to articles! They lead the reader step-by-step through how to reach an objective. They also sometimes offer resources the reader can contact for more information.

What expertise do *you* have to share? Turn that subject into an interesting how-to for readers. Examples: “How to Make Your Employees Stick Around Forever,” “How to Find the Best Dress for Your Figure,” and “How to Promote Your Business for Free.”

2. The List

This is one of the most basic formulas and the easiest to write. Give a short one or two paragraph intro, then launch right into your list. Keep each item to a few sentences max. People love numbers, so number your list and give your total number in the title! Examples: “31 Ways to Organize Your Office,” “15 Tips for Pain-Free Feet,” Five Reasons Management Won’t Be the Same in 2001″

3. The “Straw Man”

Here you set up a premise and knock it down, showing the benefits of your alternative view or approach. This is ideal to use when you’re discussing the drawbacks of a new practice or method that’s controversial right now. Here’s a great example we often see on the covers of health magazines: “Are High Protein Diets the Key to Fast Weight Loss?” You get all excited, thinking you’ve discovered an amazing dieting revelation. But the article reveals, point by point, that high protein diets are unsafe for the long term, and that of course the only reliable way to lose weight is through diet and exercise. Oh well! Back to the treadmill….

4. The Mini Case Study

Raise a provocative question and then answer it with three or four real-life examples. example: For an article titled, “Should You Quit Your Job and Go Freelance?” you could begin with a few stats on how today’s workforce is leaving the corporate world in search of solo bliss. Then you could feature a few real cases, each with different outcomes to show all sides of the issue.

5. The Interview

Choose a credible expert to interview for your article. For example, if your topic is the latest trends in banking, you could interview a top banking industry analyst. Present it in either a traditional article format or do a Q&A format.

6. The Trend

Trends aren’t just for fashion! Whenever a trend sweeps a certain profession, you’ll suddenly see dozens of articles covering the topic. From the latest hairstyle to the latest tax shelter, people want to know all about these trends - their origins, benefits, and drawbacks.

7. The Study Finding

These articles report the results of a study or survey. If you do a bit of research, you can probably dig up a recent study on which you can base your article. Examples:

“Blue Chip Companies Cutting Marketing Budgets Across the Board,” “Armadillos Now Deemed America’s Favorite Pet,” and “More 20-Somethings Finding Love Online.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at EzineQueenTutorial.com

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What I like best about Alexandria’s teachings is that she doesn’t conclude that your must send out an email every day. In fact she suggests as little as once a week or even monthly. Want to earn more out of your mailing list and keep them happy and long term subscribers. Get a copy of Alexandria’s K. Brown’s tutorial risk free.