While I like to get updates about what they’re doing, has anyone noticed the amount of marketing drivel they’ve ALL been sending out?

Here are a few headlines I’ve had over the last few days - this reminds me of my days when I was hunting for the get rich quick scheme and every friggin marketer and their dogs were glad to sell me crap:

• Mohamed You Have Less Than 24 Hours To Receive $1,000 Bonus
• A case study of a $10K/month membership site
• Who else wants to run a successful membership site from home?
• How To Get Membership Site Mastermind for Free!
• How I made $211,969 while traveling the world
• Step-By-Step Guide to Launching a Membership Site
• How I launched a 6-figure income membership site
• Mohamed, CLOSED (you are too late??)
• Brazilian blogger launches $10K/month membership site
• How I launched a 6-figure income membership site

You know, I expect stuff like this from some of the other marketers lists I subscribe to - but I don’t mind because I know I’m going to get spammed for products that are years old.  But to get this from people that I respect? 

Now I know what you’re saying - “but they ARE marketers… they are going to try and sell you something”.  Yes I know that, but I don’t expect to get one e-mail talking about a new post and the next e-mail spamming me about Membership Site Mastermind.  What a flipping waste of my time having to go through this and DEL/DEL/DEL the crap so that I can find the “good” stuff.

You know what the solution should be?  A warning when you subscribe to their lists or FREE stuff that says something to the effect:

• By signing up for this FREE E-BOOK you agree to allow us to SPAM YOU with anything and everything that is launched by any marketer out there.  You agree to let us e-mail you up to 50 times per day to try and convince you that what we’re flogging this week is the latest and greatest and that you simply must have it no matter how much it is.  In order to convince you to buy this from ME and nobody else I will throw in $100,000 worth of useless shit that I’ve been giving away for free anyways but for you we’ll pretend that you’re the first person to see it.  Oh, and while we e-mail you 50 times per day for whatever we’re flogging we’ll send you some random useful messages to prove to you that we really do care and want to help you succeed - but remember you can only succeed if you buy the package we are trying to sell you plus don’t forget you’ll get $100,000 worth of valuable e-books, MP3 audio recordings and VIDEO of my <insert seminar name here> sell out $10,000 per seat seminar.  Did we mention that you’ll get $100,000 worth of free products if you buy through my affiliate link?

Hmm… did I cover everything?

Time to unsubscribe from so many of these bloggers that I enjoyed so much…

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When you are signed in to your Twitter account, go to the search textbox in the upper right hand corner.
Lets say your blog is about iPhone apps. You can type in “iPhone app” in the search box. Then you will find other Tweeters (people on Twitter.com) that are also talking about iPhone apps. Click on their username to get to their Twitter page. When you are on their Twitter page, there is a Follow button right underneath their photo. Now you are following the person, and the person will have a notification in their Followers list that you are following that person. Not everyone will follow you back just because you are following them. Some Tweeters will follow you back regardless whether or not they know you.

If you have been on Twitter for awhile, but not getting many followers, there are a few things that you can do to improve the amount of followers. Are you following some Tweeters who seem to be bots? For example, Tweeters who make posts every 5 minutes about “Make thousands of dollars part-time with no experience necessary. Go to (link)”. You need to remove them. Most likely these bots are not following you back because they are not human. When you are following a lot more people than you have people following you, that does not look attractive at all to people who might decide to follow you. For example, you are following 30,000 Tweeters, but only 500 people are following you. It is time for you to remove some of the Tweeters you are following. Go on your Twitter main page, and you should see on the upper right hand corner: Following / Followers / Updates. Click on Following, and now you see bunch of Tweeter users that you are following. The ones that have a “Direct Message” are also following you. The ones that don’t have “Direct Message” means they are not following you. The list of people are organized based on most recently added to last. You don’t want to remove the recently added people who didn’t follow you because you have to give people time. Not everyone checks Twitter often. Down at the bottom is a Next button. Just keep hitting next. You will start to see people that you have added a while back. Start removing the people who have not contributed much to the community, spammers, or didn’t follow you back. Don’t remove professional bloggers. Even if they don’t follow you, they have very good informative posts that you should pay attention to. Learn from them!

Another way to increase your followers is to post useful messages in your main page. Post in the text box that says, “What are you doing?”. You should post on there often, but make sure it is informative. When people use the Search, people can find you with keywords that they typed into the search box if your posts have the relevant keywords. If people can learn from your posts, you will definitely see an increase in followers. Do not be a spammer just to advertise a link to your website. Be helpful, and people will thank you.

http://www.blogaboutnothingatall.com - How To Increase Blog Traffic - Learn SEO, social networking, traffic tips and tricks free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kai_Lo

http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Increase-Twitter-Followers-and-Make-You-More-Attractive-to-Follow&id=2068167

[tags]How, Increase, Twitter, Followers, Follow, Social, Network, Networking, Free, Bookmark, Bookmarking[/tags]

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Here are a few links to sites that have done a much better job on reviewing some Twitter tools…

TechTreak.com has a list of 10 awesome Twitter tools - you may want to check these tools out by visiting http://www.techtreak.com/2008/09/16/10-awesome-twitter-tools-as-wordpress-plugins/

ProfitBlogger has some great tools as well - in fact, they’ve got a list of 23 Twitter plugins for WordPress - pay them a visit at http://www.profitblogger.com/twitter-plugins-for-wordpress/

Of course, how could we miss Mashable?  Look right here… http://mashable.com/2009/01/12/tweetsuite/

If we get some time over the next few weeks, we may take a look at these tools and give you a better review of some of the better one.

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So you can find us on Twitter - did you know? Though Mohamed and I are not full-time bloggers, we may post … er, twit (?) from time to time.

So I just installed this plug-in called The Twitter Updater.  You can find it at http://blog.victoriac.net/blog/twitter-updater/ but the author deleted his blog.  Pretty stupid, huh?

Anyway thought we’d try this out - it will Twit every time Mo or I blog a post on this blog.  Much easier than trying to hit Twitter daily with an update - though we may try that also.

We are finding a few “bugs” (or is that BIRDS) with this plugin though… so we’ll keep you updated with our findings and whether we decide to keep it or let it go… jeez all the puns!

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First off - we booked our flight and hotel through Alaska Airways Vacations.  I spoke to two different people there, first to Diane (wish I had her last name)  and the help she gave was FANTASTIC!  I have never spoken with such a dedicated person before.  She answered all my questions, including the stupid ones.  She booked everything for us because there was an issue with their website.  She spent at leat ONE HOUR on the phone with me.  Alaska Airways we WILL use you again in the future!

Next - I had to call back due to an issue with my credit card; they (AA) had set it as a US card, but in fact it was a Canadian card.  The gentleman that helped me did a superb job. 

We stayed at the Knotts Berry Farm Hotel - not 4 or 5 star by any stretch, but a good, decent and clean place to stay.  I could complain about the beds and pillows - but you know what, the service was great.  The front staff was very friendly and they never once complained about having to recode my key (I had to have it recoded everyday, sometimes twice per day because I kept putting it near my cell phone).  They were great.  Even their cleaning staff was great - they would always smile and greet you with a good morning if you ran into them in the hallways. 

Next - Disney was superb!  Their CS rocks.  Plain and simple.  Talk about GOOD customer service.  Disney staff was great, friendly and ever so helpful.  They made the trip very enjoyable.  Even my wife was impressed by them!  You couldn’t walk more than 5 or 10 feet without seeing a Disney employee - and ALL of them knew their stuff or were equipped to help you out!

San Diego Aquarium - well, they have OK CS.  San Diego Wild Animal Park - well, they have OK CS.  In both places, their restrooms could use SERIOUS work.  And they certainly don’t have the number of people just walking around as Disney has. 

Universal Studios - well, they have OK CS. 

But definately, DISNEY would take the first place in Customer Service.  They know how to treat their visitors/guests.  They can be strict when needed, to ensure the safety of their visitors.

So the vacation was great, the food was OK; definately a big difference in how products are prepared from Canada to the US.  For example, we went into a Pizza Hut - in Canada, they do everything for you.  They refill your drinks, come by the table numerous times - but at the Pizza Hut we went to absolutely no service.  The taste of the food was also very different - a lot less salt and sauce on the pizza.

But enough of my complaining.

Although I had gone there with the intention of a holiday, I also went to make observations on the surroundings - meaning, what types of products and/or services could be successfully exported from Canada to the US and specifically to where we were.  In the week or so we were there, I found no less than 12 products/services that could be exported.

These could be bricks and mortar businesses, to virtual services that provide a physical presence as required.

While looking at what can be exported, I also take pains to look at what could be imported.  What is being done right by US companies that can be used in Canada to give businesses an edge - I wasn’t looking at big businesses, but your regular corner stores; you know the mom and pop stores.

Some do an exceptional job (like Gourmet Burges - just off of Orangethorpe - that we went to was EXTREMELY clean, and provided friendly yet prompt service).  Others need a lot of work (mostly the ethnic restaurants who don’t understand customer service or cleanliness).

So after all that, would I visit California again?  YES!  Anaheim was beautiful - the 6 lane highways were daunting at first since you can exit to the left AND right (whereas in Canada, most places exit to the right only).  Next time we probably won’t hit Disney since my son is still a little too young for 90% of the rides (he’s not a thrill seeker and doesn’t like the roller coasters) but will spend more time shopping, sight seeing without stepping into the theme parks, and spending time at the beaches and relaxing.

Happy to be back in Canada where I can have a Tim Hortons coffee and donut!

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When I go on a vacation, my cell phone and laptop are not far behind.  In fact we’re heading out to LA in a few weeks, and I’ve requested a US roaming plan for my cell phone, along with a wireless modem card for my laptop.  I’m prepared for everything!  I’ll have full access to all systems at work, and plan on enjoying every minute of it.

Mind you, my family has other plans.  I certainly won’t scuttle them, but I am ready!

For me an average work week is about 60 hours.  Less than that, and I feel lost.  My son tells me all the time “dad - can’t you stay home today?”.  Honestly, as much as I enjoy doing nothing - I can’t do nothing for long.  Mind you if I had a few million in the bank, I know I could find things to do - but until then, I love my job/work/career!

You’re probably thinking - this guy is nuts.  Perhaps I am, but I find that work relieves my stress.  By the time I get home, 8, 9 or 10 hours later - I’m ready to relax and not worry about work… unless of course my cell phone rings or signals an incoming message.

I work hard, but I like to relax harder. 

I was reading a local newspaper (via my BlackBerry, of course) and found this great article on what else?  Workaholics.  Here are a few snippets all copyright by The Vancouver Sun.  At the end of the snippets and post is a link to the full article.

Enjoy!

The ups and downs of being a workaholic

Joel Yanofsky, For Canwest News Service

Published: Saturday, April 04, 2009

Say what you will about compulsive overworkers, they’re self-motivated. And they’re not quitters. They’re also not especially popular these days. When did workaholic become a dirty word? I’m guessing when someone added the “aholic” part.

Of course, making light of this problem has always been a big part of the problem. When Toronto clinical psychologist Barbara Killinger started writing about workaholism almost 20 years ago, no one was taking the issue very seriously, a fact reflected in the subtitle of Killinger’s groundbreaking 1991 book, Workaholics: The Respectable Addicts.

“These people were considered bright, intelligent, ambitious and therefore successful,” Killinger told me recently. These same people also kept showing up in her private practice –overworked and stressed out. Still, back then, she said, “nobody even knew what workaholism was.”

Now, workaholism is, as one business consultant put it in a recent article in the WebMd newsletter, “the addiction du jour in American corporations.” In this country, a 2007 Statistics Canada study found that nearly one in three Canadians between the age 19 and 64 identify themselves as workaholics.

What may be more telling is the way hard work is starting to be stigmatized. The last few years have seen a proliferation of books like How to Be Idle, Doing Nothing, The Importance of Being Lazy, and In Praise of Slow.

There’s also Timothy Ferriss’s The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, a kind of bible for the burnt out. It made it to the top of the Wall Street Journal bestseller list in 2007.

According to Ferriss, a journalist, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and the 2008 winner of Wired Magazine’s Greatest Self-Promoter of All Time prize, it’s time to “define laziness anew” and “focus on being productive, not busy.”

Lazy, in other words, is the new busy.

…

“I know a guy who left his wedding reception and went back to the office for a couple of hours. Incredibly, the marriage is still together.”

So in How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying, MacInnis puts the emphasis on “anything” — home, family, school — and not just business. His chapter on workaholism is called Beware the Addiction.

FULL LINK TO ARTICLE - http://working.canada.com/vancouver/resources/story.html?id=613216ce-b432-43aa-9108-28c5b5edf582&p=1

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Great.  That really helps.

They have my e-mail address and phone number.  Is it so hard to provide GOOD customer service?  Apparently it is.

I recently went to visit a local call center, they deal in insurance products.  Can you guess what their customer satisfaction rate is?  I will give you a hint, it IS NOT less than 80%.

Can you believe that?  They won a local call center of the year award and the SQM award for customer satisfaction.

Now you may be thinking that there must be several different insurance companies and they just happen to provide the best service.  Wrong.  They are the ONLY insurance company in the area.  Does that tell you something?

I had the opportunity to sit down and listen in on calls with one of their agents.  They are very well trained, they have excellent soft-skills and they listen to the caller.  That’s why they rate so highly.  Being a monopoly they could easily abuse their position in the industry and do what they want - but they’ve put the customer first and it’s paying off.

They are saving money.  Their agents are happy.  The management is happy, and they get funding when they need it because their previous business case was compelling enough that they proved they could do it by winning awards and getting HIGH customer satisfaction results.

Regardless of the type of business you are in, customer service is the key.  You don’t want to give away the store, but you want to be fair.  You don’t need to antagonize or alienate the customer (as most retail operations do) but calmly explain.  But most of all you NEED TO HAVE a customer service “manifesto” (I like that word).  You need to ensure you have a solid customer service policy that you can explain to your staff, and to the customer when they come in.

It doesn’t need to be difficult.  Here are two examples:

1. Home Depot - 90 Days Return Policy With Receipt
2. Sears - for years used the slogan “Satisfaction Guaranteed, or Your Money Refunded”

Another local clothing store that I go to don’t even have a policy!  They say that you can return ANYTHING, provided it’s not been worn or altered at any time.  I returned a pair of pants that were one year old.  They took them back, and in fact offered me 50% off what I paid for them if I wanted to keep them. 

Now that’s service.

What’s your Customer Service Policy?

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If you can’t blog daily or even every few days, what should you do?

1. HIRE someone to write for you.  Might be easier than it sounds, but it can be done.  Look for solid companies that write content, give them a dozen topics and have them write 5-10 300-500 word posts about those topics.  Then schedule the posts on your blog - space them 2-3 days apart and you’ll have more than enough content to fill a book (hint).
2. Article Directories.  That’s what I’m going to start using now.  There are a lot of great articles out there, and you can legally make use of the articles for your blog posts.  Pick some very good articles - yes, it will take time but you will be rewarded in the end.Many of the articles that I find can be expanded upon, so what I tend to do is look for solid articles and as I go through them I make my own points and notes and then work those ideas into a new post.  In some cases from one article, I can work out an addition 3-5 posts.
3. Guest writers.  If you’ve got a popular blog, you can always ask for guest writers.  That’s another great way to get differing perspectives onto your blog.  Put out the word, but don’t sit back and expect entries to come to you - you need to do some legwork.  Be sure to visit sites that you like, comment on the posts (good comments, offering some value - not “yes I agree” type posts.  As you’re name gets around people will be more willing to guest write for your blog.Remember guest posting takes time away from those writers to write for their own blog.  You need to give them a good reason to write for yours.
4. PLR E-books.  Break down the e-book into bite-sized chunks.  You will probably need to rewrite the content.
5. Visit http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/01/23/blogging-tips-hundreds-of-resources-for-finding-content-for-your-blog/ she’s got a GREAT post on resources for finding content for your blog.
6. Also consider the type of blog post you want to make - there are many types of blog posts: instructional, informational, reviews, lists, interviews, case studies, profiles, link posts, problem posts, contrasting opinions, rants, inspirational, research, collation posts, predition posts, critique posts, debates, hypothetical posts, satirical posts, memes and projects.  Whew.  Just what are these?  Well, I’d love to explain but then they’d require their own post (hint) but why not get it from the source?  It’s a rather old post but still relavent: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/11/29/20-types-of-blog-posts-battling-bloggers-block/ as you’ll see since comments are still being made on the post.

Do YOU have any other ideas for blog content?  Why not share them with the rest of our readers by making a comment on this post?  Please, no SPAM though - if you have a blog we do link back to it.

P.S. As I posted this, I forgot another way to find content for your blog posts - READERS COMMENTS!  Many times you can use a readers comment as a basis or starting point for your blog post.  DON’T understimate your readers, they may or may not have blogs of their own but everyone brings their own perspectives which can be quite unique.

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Here is a list of the Top 10 Article Directories as based on Alexa and Google PR numbers:

1. http://ezinearticles.com - Alexa 214 - Google PR 6
2. http://articlesbase.com - Alexa 993 - Google PR 5
3. http://buzzle.com - Alexa 2,128 - Google PR 6
4. http://searchwarp.com - Alexa 7,379 - Google PR 4
5. http://goarticles.com - Alexa 16,589 - Google PR 6
6. http://articlealley.com - Alexa 16,655 - Google PR 5
7. http://articledashboard.com - Alexa 23,037 - Google PR 6
8. http://articlesnatch.com - Alexa 23,952 - Google PR 2
9. http://ideamarketers.com - Alexa 26,219 - Google PR 3
10. http://amazines.com - Alexa 28,429 - Google PR 4

There are of course dozens of other top article directory lists out there, along with hundreds of sites.  My favourites from this list are EzineArticles and GoArticles - I’ve used them for quite some time and am happy with the traffic they generate… now if I could only write an article per day ans submit them to the top article directories!

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When I first started with Internet Marketing, I subscribed to this site and learned a lot.

Now someone is doing something very similar but offering the advice for FREE.

Check out http://www.maxblogpress.com/maxblogger/ - You can now submit your blogging success stories and get FREE passive traffic, fame and popularity. Plus, advertise your name and get no-cost business exposure to a fresh audience…

Not a bad idea!

Here is the link to their first post - http://www.maxblogpress.com/maxblogger/26/product-directory-revenue/ - Chuck Frey talks about this website/blog The Mind Mapping Software Blog.

Enjoy!

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