Lesson #1:  Use a simple, powerful image.  Google and others used a simple black box or screen blocking images.  As you can see from their examples, images don’t always need to be complicated or detailed to convey a very powerful message. You may want to ask yourself what powerful image can you include in your marketing message or your marketing materials?

Are you using arrows, underlining and other handwritten doodles that can spice up your marketing without changing a single word.  They can draw added attention to your products and services or point out benefits of your products.  You might even try using the same black box technique Google used to cover something you will be unveiling or an upcoming fun event.

Lesson #2:  Get others to join in.  Yes, someone led the charge with the Anti-Sopa Blackout and that was Reddit.  They quickly asked other sites to participate and created “buzz”.  Often info-marketers get their Affiliates to join in when they launch a new product. If you don’t have Affiliates or are an offline business, you could still use this same principal to bring more awareness and new customers to your own business.

How about teaming up with another company or marketer in your area or niche for an event where you each invite your own customers and then you both, cross-promote.  Pick companies that have similar target audiences and be sure that you feel a connection with their products and how they market.

Lesson #3:  Tell people what you want them to do.  While this might seem obvious, you’d be surprised how often people forget to do this.  Check out your website, your newsletter or whatever you may use to connect with your clients and let them know exactly what it is you are wanting them to do.  Do you want them to share with their social media tribe, contact you, sign up for your e-mail list or simply “like” you on Facebook.  Tell them exactly what it is that you want them to do and you will be doing both them and yourself a favor!

Lesson #4:  Options are okay.  Yes, there are times when you don’t want to give multiple options, because it creates confusion, however options are good.  Some people want to receive content by audio, others love video and then there are those that stick with html or they prefer text.  There is the debate of long vs. short copy. The fact is that we “learn” differently and we have preferences in how we want content presented to us.  Give options.

Lesson #5:  Share the goods!  You can add “share” buttons for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google +1 and other social media sites on your emails, web pages, blogs and just about everything on the web. You can share your “stuff” with your colleagues, friends, family or business associates.  People and organizations were going crazy sharing the “black-out”.  My assistant Jessi, said she was e-mailing her representative and asking others to do the same, as she was extremely passionate about the Anti-Sopa Blackout.  Don’t hesitate to ask others to share and you do the same. Share the goods…share the passion!

  Would you “LIKE” below! As always..I appreciate YOU!  

My friend Lewis Howes and James Wedmore have outdone themselves when it comes to the ever popular niche

“VIDEO MARKETING” and how to get fabulous RESULTS with YouTube.

Their video will show you how to DRIVE traffic on YouTube without spending a lot of time or money on your video marketing efforts.

It is a three step process that will give you the basics and not waste your time and effort in getting your video’s to convert for your business.

I love SIMPLE and here it is!  3 simple steps….Watch the Video here:

    CLICK HERE

You’ll discover exactly how to set up a profitable Video Marketing Campaign & leverage YouTube’s 3 Billion Daily Views to funnel your share of targeted traffic straight to your website.

This is an AWESOME way to start the New Year and move your business to a whole new level.

P.S.  Please do me a favor and share this post and leave a comment!

I LOVE this video. I have posted it before, but i am doing so again.

When we change the words, we change the world.

What words are you using today?

Becoming conscious of what you are saying, thinking, writing, and expressing is LIFE CHANGING.

Take a moment, to just be aware of the words you are using. Let me know if it makes a difference for you TODAY.

Happy Holidays to you!

Love to have YOUR comment and pass it on!  Join me on Facebook and Twitter……

Did you know that Facebook is looking to file for an IPO sometime in April 2012?

A public offering could reach, get this “up to $100 billion” and raise $10 billion, according to the latest news on-line.

Facebook’s revenue is predicted to climb to $4.3 billion for 2011, which is double from the $2 billion revenue from 1010, according to eMarketer.

Facebook’s advertising, which is a huge chunk of its revenue — $3.8 billion — surpassed its 2010 figure of $1.86 billion!

By 2013, Facebook is expected to earn $7 billion in advertising revenue, “according to eMarketer.”

Okay, so you get the big numbers…..but do you get how this could benefit YOU when it comes to your business, NO MATTER WHAT BUSINESS YOU ARE IN!!!!

YOU need to know how to monetize Facebook.

The past few years have been like kindergarten when it comes to learning about Facebook!

YOU need to know the how to use Facebook to YOUR advantage.

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Alfred Toffler

YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO IGNORE FACEBOOK

IT IS the….
• Largest Social Network with over 800 million members
• Every single day Facebook users “comment or press” the “LIKE” button more
than 2 billion times
• Facebook users are posting over 30 billion pieces of content every month
• Facebook is now the “most-visited web site in the world” hitting one trillion
page views this past June

I truly believe that continuing to learn is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. Social Media has been a challenge for many of my clients, but once they get started they love it and want to know more.

I believe Facebook IS the #1 Vehicle to connect and to grow your business, today!

Many of you have e-mailed or posted me asking, “How do I get started on Facebook or how do I learn to monetize my business?”

I must admit, I am still learning myself.

It takes a lot of “keeping up to keep up” with the changes on Facebook.

Since several of you have ask about a way to learn how to use Facebook in their business, I am excited to share this “resource” with YOU.

IF you are wanting to jump on board or you are on-board, but need to UPGRADE your skills my friend, Amy Porterfield has just released as AMAZING program that will take you from beginning to end on how to use and monetize Facebook! YEA….

   Check it out!

In the meantime, join me on Facebook and let me know what you are up to and let’s connect!

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in square holes. The ones that see things differently. Their not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them. You may disagree with them. Glorify or villify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.  Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Yes, I know I have used this quote before, but if you have something that you LOVE then you want to use it often and remember it every day!  This quote came from an old Apple ad and we are reminded with the passing of Steve Jobs that he was one of the crazy ones.  Crazy enough to think he could change the world and HE DID!

Thank you Steve for your inspiration!

Thank you Steve for your committment to excellence!

Thank you Steve for your brilliance!

Thank you Steve for your courage!

Thank you Steve for your inspiration!

Our world was changed by your presence and your genius……

Please leave your comments below and share with your friends on your favorite Social Media!

There was an interesting read recently from “Monumentus Media which said that on Facebook “asking users to “like” gets a 216 % higher interaction rate.” It seems odd to be asking people to “like” me or my blog or my products, however, calls to action are what is needed to get a response, aren’t they?

One of my mentors, Ali Brown, promotes her products  (i.e. tele-series, products, etc.) a lot. It doesn’t bother me because I know Ali and she provides a ton of content, and quiet frankly, I appreciate her good marketing sense. Over time, we have established a relationship and I look forward to receiving her information. Her call to action provides me with an opportunity to decide if what she is offering resonates with me and what I might be wanting at that particular moment in time. 

We buy ads-isn’t that asking people to like our stuff, also?  When is it okay to promote yourself?  Lots of people do it and get away with it.  Some do it and are labeled trolls.  Where is the balance?  Have you found it?  Mine stops at the guy that sends me a mobile message asking me to buy his “whatever” or join his class when I have NO idea who he is or how he got my cell number.  I know he is doing nothing but promoting and pushing a product….NO.  Period.

So the questions then becomes, “When is it okay to use Social Media to promote a product or yourself?”

Here are some quick tips…..

You’ve provided value and gained trust. How you might ask? You’ve been interacting over time and provided lots of great information. By then, your friends and followers know and trust you and can make a decision if they want to take the next step and learn more about what you have to offer.  So you add your call to action!

You’ve provided connection in several ways. People have started making comments, asking you about your services, or you have had comments on your posts or tweets asking when you might be offering a service tele-series, commenting on something you have written, or asking for additional information.

You FEEL like it is time to move to the next step by offering your product or services. Yes,you might decide yourself that ….it’s time!  You “know” it is time to move forward by offering your clients a way to take the next step with you! It may be via a private strategy session, a tele-seminar series or a video series. You will know, trust your gut.  The bottom line is that your business is about making money, as well as serving others. You are sharing your gifts and talents and are hopeful those that are learning from you will be able to move their own services and talents to the next level. A call to action says I have something that I want you to do next and here it is. They are probably waiting for it and you’ll never know until you take the chance and put it out there.

NOW…here is my CALL TO ACTION :  Click on the “LIKE” button and join me on Facebook!  (Thanks…YOU are awesome!)

To steal a quote from Bob Dylan, the times they are a-changing, in the boardroom and the little black book alike. In fact, in a recent study conducted by the New York Daily News, an estimated 25% of the US population uses online dating sites, and those were just the ones who owned up to it. Match.com also collected data suggesting that as many as 1 in 5 relationships start online, that’s more than the number of relationships started in bars, clubs and social events combined! And with companies steadily allocating more time and money to their social media strategies, are you getting with the times or just getting left in the dust? All may be fair in love and business, but with the trending progression towards our corporate and social lives happening online, are you making the most of your Facebook fan page?

The first thing you have to realize is that both in social media marketing as well as online dating, the initial amount of information and content at your disposal may seem overwhelming. But using the new set of tools and tactics at your disposal (not unlike falling in love) takes energy and effort, but also like love, the rewards make up for it twofold. So with that in mind, how can you apply this clearly successful method to your company’s Facebook fan page?

1. The Object of Both Pursuits is to Get Found.

By participating in either of these activities, you are taking an active position in the molding of your own Internet-fueled destiny. This is a fantastic jumping-off point; romance just like business plans must learn to evolve alongside humanity and technology alike. I’m sure I don’t need to reiterate that before this point in time there were never as many ways to communicate with your potential consumer/love interest, and inbound marketing is the most succinct business strategy to reinforce that.

2. Standing Out in the Crowd is Imperative.

Just like the need for fresh conversation in those first, awkward online encounters, no one begins their business plan with the intention to do what’s been done. But naturally, with any good business, like the most attractive person in your pool of contenders, comes competition. Here’s where your social media strategy comes into play, even if your product is widely known, using new tools, like your Facebook fan page, to maximize your reach blazes a trail for you, by using current and noninvasive strategies and giving you a killer head start from your competitors.

Make sure the content of your fan page is engaging and conversational. It’s a less formal medium and you shouldn’t shy away from the lack of limitations this entails. Always bear in mind that this is the best way to establish casual and approachable reflection of your brand.

3. Being Too Self Promotional is a Huge Turn-Off.

Remember when I said be conversational? I’m going to take this chance to reiterate it, I cannot stress enough that your Facebook fan page is not the place for a hard-sell. Like other inbound marketing platforms, it is simply another way to engage (marriage pun anyone?) with your prospects. Don’t lose sight of the main reason why people are visiting your fan page in the first place, to size up and get to know your company; In dating terms: you wouldn’t consciously overwhelm someone you’ve just been emailing back and forth with.

4. Show Don’t Tell the Benefits You Could Offer.

Yes, I realize this might seem to totally contradict the advice above, but social media marketing is a strange beast  that must be completely understood to fully reap the benefits. So when creating content to update your company’s fan page, instead of begging for their patronage, play a little hard to get. By providing your leads with the resources and information they need to generate organic interested, you’re page will evoke the sense that investing your product or service was their idea. Which, by the way, is idyllic.

5. Link To And Incorporate External, Relevant Content. 

A great way to establish credibility with your demographic is by demonstrating your level of involvement within your field. Like the all-important stories you tell about your mutual friends to wrack up cool-points on a first date, linking to related articles or tying your industry to a current event is a great way to capitalize on buzz that’s already happening.

The best part of this strategy is the fact that most of the work has already been done. The information is all there, all that’s left up to you is to repackage the article/YouTube video/case-study to bolster your brand’s Facebook page reach, and in turn your general industry presence. You wouldn’t strike up a conversation on a date about the current events in the stone ages, so what good would it do to run your company’s Facebook page that way?

6. Be Current, Be Consistent: Update, Update, Update.

If you only choose to pay attention to one section, let this be the section. Online dating (and love of all forms) as well as social media marketing techniques, requires constant care and attention to see the full extent of their benefits. Just like the intuition to get to know someone before you Blackberry message him or her exclusively, your customer base wants to get to you before they commit.

Regular and topical updates to your fan page will keep things fresh, and engaging, it will also demonstrate your company’s value over time. But furthermore, inbound marketing, like online dating, should be a pleasant experience for both company and consumer, so by following these intuitive steps, you should set the tone for a lasting love affair.

Article by Gagy Skok from Hubspot

My daughter, Ashley , left on fourth of July for New York to attend NYU for a month. She is taking a certification program to get her Antiques and Fine Arts Appraisal Certification, a five-year certification process. (Check her site at http://www.thevintagegirls.com)

I am really excited for her.  As you know, I really believe in investing in the future through learning as much as you can about your niche, your gifts, what it is that you are here to share with the world.  Ashley is following that path. (Go…Ashley!)

Here’s the time warp…

Ashley has been on her own for over fifteen years. She is very capable, smart and savvy! Mom, however has reverted to the “Ashley is going off to camp” mentality. I know, it is ridiculous, but I still feel like my little girl is heading to the “big city.” I am having to do some of my own “mindset work” on knowing what’s the truth and what’s not.

Well, the truth is she is an “entrepreneur” doing her thing, on her journey and she will be fine. The other side of that is I am the Mom, she is my only child and the Mom role never ends.(My Mom is 92 and I still feel on some level that I am her little “grown-up” girl.) It’s all part of this thing we call the life journey.

Speaking of journeys…as you read this I know that YOU are on your own “Entrepreneur Journey”…and the thing about being an entrepreneur is that we create our on time-frames, work schedules, play schedules and creative time.

I have been working with several clients that have decided to take the leap and start creating their on-line businesses this summer. One is writing an e-book and the other is producing a new audio program that she can get up on her website within only two or three days! The great thing about being an “on-line” entrepreneur is that you can make a decision in the afternoon and tomorrow be well on your way to a new product. (I think that is more than amazing!)

I have been working on a new product myself and having a “creative” blast. “S.O.S. Secrets to On-Line Success System” which is a 5-set CD “How To” system taking your business idea “your gift” on-line. A step-by-step system starting from how to get a url, website, branding, marketing, audio, video, e-mail marking to finding resources for graphics, logo’s, editing, writing an e-book, and much much more.

This product came from a place of total frustration. I NEEDED a “system” that was really easy to follow that even a novice could follow and get up and running in short order. I am knee deep in audio’s and rewrites, but I am enjoying the moment,  because I know this system will catapult your learning curve!

SO…were back to learning curve.

Don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t stop learning. Ask yourself if you were to look back on your life based on what you know today, what would you do differently?  It’s never too late to make changes, plan something new, rewrite the blueprint that you are currently living? Live your life to the fullest as you jump out into the abyss with a new idea, an old idea made new, or whatever you need to do to be what you are….an Entrepreneur. (and maybe a Mom too!)

Join me on Facebook and Twitter!

As you probably know, there are tons of historical people that have used the form of a journal in multilple ways. Some early on were called diaries and today are called journals. In fact, you probably see all kinds of blank journals for sale at Barnes and Noble or other retailers, that indicate the popularity of such. Here are some reasons to use a journal or diary that my friend Glen Stansberry has recently written about. Since I am an avid “journal-er” and have done so for over 15 years, I really relate to this topic and hope you do too.

Richard Branson has written bestsellers based largely off of his years of recording his daytime thoughts and working experiences into journals. Reading Branson’s thoughts motivated me to keep a loose log of work and life experiences as well. The ritual has helped me immensely, probably more than any other work or time management “hack.”

My process is pretty simple: At the end of each day I’ll recount what worked, what didn’t, and some other random things that happened during the day. There isn’t a lot of structure, just merely stream of thought that lasts about fifteen minutes. Sometimes I’ll vent in wordy prose, other times I’ll just make a quick list. I’ve found that it’s not so much what or how I write, but rather that I do it. The results have been profound for me. I’d recommend this practice to anyone. Here’s why:

1. The Release

If anything, it feels good to unwind and recount the bits of the day. There’s something about the finality in writing something down on paper that makes it more real, and makes the memories stronger. I doubt I’d be able to remember half of what I did throughout the day if I didn’t recount them. It also helps with answering that recurring question of “Where did the day go?!”

2. An Honest Overview

If you’re like me, you keep lists of stuff that needs to be done throughout the day. I’ve had days where the morning started with 15 things on the list, and ended with 13 left undone. Ouch. Yet being able to recall the day allows me to see some of the other things I did get done that weren’t on the list.

3. See The Wins

We often forget the things that we got done during the day for lots of reasons. We’re taught at an early age that what we do isn’t as important as what we didn’t do. After all, what we don’t get done often impacts us more in work and other social settings. This causes us to automatically shove the stuff we did accomplish into the back of our minds, and fret about the undone. However, focusing on what we have done—the wins—in our day rejuvenates. Going to bed looking at what was accomplished can be a massive motivator to help start the next day, and can keep us from closing the day on a sour note.

4. Minimize Your Mistakes

One definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over again, while expecting a different outcome. Similarly, it’s easy to plow through each work day like the last, without giving a second thought to the events of the day. This is especially true for our bad days. On our worst days, we simply want to unwind and not have to relive the nightmare that was the previous working day. But it turns out the worst parts of our days are important to remember as well (even though it stings). Reverse engineering what went wrong is helpful to ensure it doesn’t happen again, and work journals are perfect for this.

5. A New Perspective On Your Day

The most helpful part of this exercise for me is getting perspective on what my days end up looking like. After a particularly bad day last month I reflected, stiff drink in hand, on all the events of the day. This helped me to see that my day wasn’t as bad as I had remembered it. In fact, it was a really decent day, minus a couple setbacks towards the end. In my mind I had made these setbacks out to be more important than they were. The day wasn’t a total loss after all! Perspective is everything.

As our days move by us faster and faster, it becomes that much more important to take a breath, and reflect on what happened during the day. Without the perspective of our days, we can’t really take satisfaction in our big wins, nor can we learn from our mistakes.

This article was written by Glen Stansbury Creative Marker at http://www.wisebread.com

Okay, we are learning everyday more about the impact of the great social tool “Twitter” and how it can inform us quickly of world events, as well as give us valuable business connections. Twitter can even introduce us to great new friends with mutual interests. At the same time, this powerful medium can take down a Congressman, as well as create an overnight success of a teen idol. Below is an excerpt from a recent article in the New York Times. Take HEED!

Congressman Anthony Weiner’s resignation on Thursday was triggered by a Twitter mistake last month that he admitted making.

The New York Democrat tweeted a rather unstatesmanlike photo of himself to an admirer. But instead of sending the link to the photo in a private “direct message” to the woman on Twitter, he published it on his main Twitter feed. He’s far from the first to do so – Twitter’s direct message and public post input fields do look a lot alike.

The only sure way to keep electronic communications from falling into the wrong hands is not to send them at all. For most people today, that’s not a practical option. But you should always consider the risks of sending a message meant for private viewing over the world’s biggest instant-publishing medium.

1. Don’t send anything by direct message you wouldn’t want public. It’s simply too easy to type into the wrong box on Twitter, posting a public tweet that others can see in seconds. Some reporters avoid the risk by asking people who “DM” them — Twitter slang for a direct message — to switch to e-mail instead. Sure, you can also send an e-mail to the wrong address, but it’s harder to do by accident.

2. Don’t presume protected tweets will stay private. Twitter gives you the option to protect your main Twitter feed, so that only your approved followers can see what you tweet. But because tweets are short, and contain only text instead of images and video, it’s easy for someone to manually retweet your message by cutting and pasting it into a new, and public, tweet of their own. They may not mean you harm, but an offhand joke meant for a few close friends can become an inexcusable offense if seen by others. And if you’ve got enemies, it’s possible they were already following you before you turned on the Protected Tweets option.

3. Turn on Twitter’s secure connection option. Mr. Weiner claimed early on that his Twitter account had been hijacked by a hacker. He later recanted, but it can happen. By default, Twitter sessions aren’t encrypted the way online shopping purchases are, which leaves them vulnerable on unencrypted Wi-Fi networks in particular. You can enable encryption for everything by going to your Twitter account’s settings and turning on the option to “Always use HTTPS.”

But again, that won’t save you if you type into the wrong box.

ANITA SAYS THE MORAL OF THE STORY: Don’t write, e-mail, twitter, facebook….ANYTHING on Social Media that you don’t want published.

It’s been said that “Any publicity is better than no publicity.” Sometimes it’s not so!

Please join me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/millionairemindsetcoach