How to Monetize Your Blog with Amazon Associates

Wading through the dozens and dozens of articles on my Google Reader this morning, I came across this news by ProBlogger,  Google and Amazon Partner Up to Integrate Amazon Associates on Blogger Blogs.  It's good news for those of you with Blogger accounts who also have an Amazon Associates account because it makes it easier for you to monetize your blog.

Be sure to read the comments on ProBlogger's post.  There's great comments about the same tool not being available for Wordpress and the reality of how much you must sell with Amazon Associates to make any money.

4 Simple Steps for Smart Women's Success - VIRTUAL WORKSHOP

4 Simple Steps For Smart Women's Success
4 Session Virtual Workshop

Begin your new year right!

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• Instant access to a Preview of 4 Simple Steps For Smart Women's Success.
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Benefits:

• Learn how to set achievable goals.
• Find out how to motivate yourself.
• Discover how to use the power of your imagination.
• Finally stop being a prisoner of your emotions.

A proven method to achievement that was used by the Navy Seal training program to increase the passing rate.  

When:  January 7, 14, 21, 28, 2010
Time:  7:30-8:30 p.m. EST
How:  Telephone, Internet

More Benefits:

• Access to an audio recording of each session to help you practice.
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The Secret of Success

Are you looking for the secret to success?   Here is an excerpt of an article on www.psychologytoday.com.   It is a very simple model for success in coping with any challenging situation.

Goal Setting - Mental Rehearsal - Self Talk - Arousal Control

"With goal setting the recruits were taught to set goals in extremely short chunks. For instance, one former Navy Seal discussed how he set goals such as making it to lunch, then dinner. With mental rehearsal they were taught to visualize themselves succeeding in their activities and going through the motions. As far as self talk is concerned, the experts in The Brain documentary made the claim that we say 300 to 1000 words to ourselves a minute. By instructing the recruits to speak positively to themselves they could learn how to "override fears" resulting from the amygdala, a primal part of the brain that helps us deal with anxiety. And finally, with arousal control the recruits were taught how to breathe to help mitigate the crippling emotions and fears that some of their tasks encouraged." (How Navy Seals Increased Passing Rates, Bakari, Akil, II, PhD, Nov. 9, 2009, Psychology Today.)

By using this simple process, the Navy Seals increased their passing rates from 25% to 33%! Add the dynamics of life recovery coaching - encouragement, validation, acknowledgment, accountability, & energy processes and you're sure to succeed!

The other day a young woman called complaining of feeling stressed-out.  After she explained the situations she thought were stressing her, we explored which of those situations really effected her. (They were obviously effecting her mental and emotional states.)  It turned out there was only one change to which she had to respond. 

When asked what she wanted, she said she just wanted to feel calmer, not so anxious.  We started to look at what was next (setting small achievable goals).  The next thing to do was drive home.  I asked if that was achievable.  The answer was “yes”.  What was next?  Eat a snack.  What will you eat?  An apple.  Can you see yourself going to the refrigerator, reaching in for an apple, and eating it?  Yes.  Is that achievable?  Yes.  Within moments the young woman was feeling calmer by setting simple goals that were easily achievable.

• How have you felt overwhelmed by looking to far into the future?
• How can you set achievable goals?
• What’s next?
• Is it achievable?

Photo by LarryZou@ on Flickr.com.

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The Thing About Facebook

I originally joined FaceBook to stalk my seven children who are spread out all over the world. Later I learned that it was a useful tool for social media and internet marketing. To tell you the truth, I'm not the best marketer on Facebook. If you want an expert, see Mari Smith. Even my friend, Deah Curry of the NoHypeMarketingMentor is probably using Facebook to market her services better than I am. Read more . . .

How Do You Change?

How do you change directions? Do you screech your brakes, throw your car in reverse, scare everyone along the way and make the turn? Or do you carefully pull into the correct lane, put on your turn signal and let everyone know a change is taking place?

Up until now, I've chosen to make sudden, quick changes that throw the people closest to me against the dashboard of my life. I warn them in advance, "fasten your seatbelt".

This time, I'm making a wide slow turn. I'm changing direction, changing my "brand" and moving my blog back to my own site that, by the way, will be renamed shortly. Everything is coming into alignment. My creative life and ideas feel like a nova, brimming with anticipation, vibrating with life . . .

Quote

"Given the amount of time we spend working, failure
to find meaningful, significant work is not just a minor
misstep in living out God's plan; it is a deeper kind of
failure that can make each day feel like living death."
— Dan Miller: Inspirational speaker and author

from Nightengale-Conant

What to Do During the Recession

Tonight my friend, Frank Foft, told me he had the "best March" in thirteen years. You see while everyone else is whining, Frank is out talking to clients. Just like he has been for the past 13 years. He isn't just trying to sell his product. Frank is talking to his clients about how he cab help them improve their processes.

During the good times, no one could take the time to listen to him. Now that production has slowed, some companies are taking the opportunity improve the value of their processes and to take the suggestions that Frank makes to save them money.

What are you doing with your time?

Be Happy, Attract More Customers

If you're saying, "How can I be happy? My business is slow and I don't have enough customers", expect it to stay that way for awhile. Negativity, pessimism, unhappiness, a feeling of lack attracts more of the same. You can't act cheap when buying services & products for yourself and expect to attract anything other than "cheap" customers who don't want to pay for what you sell. It's the Golden Rule in action. Be good to those around you. Happily pay good money for good money & services and the same will flow back to you.

* * *

Being happy is the cornerstone of all that you are! Nothing is more important than that you feel good! And you have absolute and utter control about that because you can choose the thought that makes you worry or the thought that makes you happy; the things that thrill you, or the things that worry you. You have the choice in every moment.

Excerpted from the workshop in Sacramento, CA on Saturday, March 15th, 2003

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther

Tell a Different Story

There is no right or wrong way to tell your improved story. It can be about your past, present, or future experiences. The only criterion that is important is that you be conscious of your intent to tell a better-feeling, improved version of your story. Telling many good-feeling short stories throughout your day will change your point of attraction. Just remember that the story you tell is the basis of your life. So tell it the way you want it to be.

Excerpted from the book "Money and the Law of Attraction: Learning to Attract Health, Wealth & Happiness"

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther

Twitter-Creating Conversations with Customers

Chris Brogan is one of the micro celebrities in marketing that I follow on Twitter. Chris has 56,797 followers. He is following 53,593 and has made 36,920 updates.

Tweetdeck alerts me every time Chris puts an update on Twitter. If it's an interesting update, I comment.

Today he happened to mention that he was at Oakley HQ. I replied via Twitter questioning whether it was Oakley sunglasses HQ. Chris saw that reply. More importantly, Chris confirmed he was at the headquarters of Oakley sunglasses. From that point, I sent a customer message to Oakley through Chris that my son, Danny, a U.S. Marine stationed in Kandahar, Afghanistan requested that I send him a pair of "certified, shatter resistant, black Oakley shooting glasses". Chris said he would tell them from the stage during his presentation.

Chris was as good as his word.

I was able to thank Oakley and send them a photo of Danny wearing his Oakley shooting glasses and obviously geared for combat. Within moments, Oakley replied via Twitter and sent their thanks to Danny that I posted directly on Danny's Facebook wall. I became a follower of Oakley. Oakley became one of my followers.

It may not have been important to Chris Brogan.
It may not have been important to Oakley.
It was important to me, to say "thank you."

I became an even bigger fan of Chris Brogan and Oakley. See how important Twitter can be to creating conversations with your customers?

Look to the Present

"Look to the present. The great disease of 'I will be happy
when ...' is sweeping the world. You know the symptoms.
You start thinking: I'll be happy when I get that ... BMW ...
promotion ... status ... money. The only way to cure the
disease is to find happiness and meaning now."
— Marshall Goldsmith: a world authority in management

Nightengale-Conant

How Clients Search

"Most people don't do random searches on the internet. Most people look for a solution to their problem . . . " Ronnie Noize.

What Are You Planning?

"Whatever you're thinking about is literally like planning a future event. When you're worrying, you are planning. When you're appreciating you are planning...What are you planning?"

Excerpted from the workshop in Silver Spring, MD on Saturday, April 19th, 1997

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther

The Most Important Marketing Message

I believe that one of the most important marketing messages we promote is through our daily thoughts and conversations. More importantly, it's not just what we say in public, on the internet or social media, it's what we say in private. It's what we say silently in our hearts.

• If you're labeling your "customers as cheap", you'll attract cheap customers.
• If you're saying "no one is buying anything", you'll attract people who don't buy.
• If you're saying "I can't afford this", you'll attract people who can't afford your services either.
• If you take advantage of other people's good will, you'll attract those who take advantage of yours.

Our most powerful marketing message is often what we do when we think no one is looking or what we say when we think no one is listening.

Who Are Your Customers?

Yesterday I had a number of conversations with local business owners to try to find out more about their customers and what their most popular products or services are. I was trying to help them identify their target market or niche. The conversations went something like this:

"Who buys things in your shops the most?"

"It varies."

"How old are they?"

"All different ages."

"What products sell the best?"

"It varies."

"What are your top three or four products?"

"We sell a variety."

With a little more prodding, I found out that the customers were largely women. One shop's customers were mostly Baby Boomers until the summer when the customer base turned to children because school was out. Another shop sells fabulous Yankee Candles, Wilton Cake supplies and Watson food products.

Then in a moment of perfect synchronicity, this morning I read Seth Godin's blog and he wrote about the three things you must have to get more customers:

• A group of possible customers you can identify and reach.
• A group with a problem they want to solve using your solution.
• A group with the desire and ability to spend money to solve that problem.

Unfortunately, most of the people to whom I was talking don't know who Seth Godin is.

"Target Market" Makes Me Feel Like a Sniper

I have great resistance to the term "target market". It makes me feel like a sniper waiting in the trees with a rifle picking off helpless victims.

Admittedly, it's faster, easier and more cost effective to reach a target market (aka smaller chunk of the world) but how do you go about that?

The first place to start is to PAY ATTENTION. Pay attention to who uses your services the most. Who are these people? What do they have in common? What attracts them to your services or products? What questions do they ask you most?

It took me three years of practicing massage and hating marketing before I paid attention and heard myself singing, "Neck, Back & Shoulders, Knees & Toes, Knees & Toes." Voila! My target market became "people with neck-back-shoulder pain." It's been so much easier to offer a solution for a known problem than trying to convince people to get a massage because it's good for them.

That doesn't mean that I've stopped trying to convince people that a massage is good for them nor does it mean that I don't treat legs or arms or hips. It just means that I focus my marketing efforts toward people with neck, back & shoulder pain.

Motivational Quote

"Successful people are always looking for opportunities
to help others. Unsuccessful people are always
asking, 'What's in it for me?'"
— Brian Tracy: Personal and business training author, speaker, and consultant

from Nightingale-Conant

Marketing Plan - Creating a Vision

Nine times out of ten when I ask a helping professional if she has a marketing plan, the answer is "no". Often when I ask if she has a business plan, the answer is "no".

With all the New Age helping professionals believing in the Law of Attraction, creating a marketing or business plan may seem contrary to those principles when in reality it is in perfect alignment. The Universe answers the signals we send. What do you think John Assaraf was talking about in the hit movie, The Secret, when he talked about making a vision board? That's all a marketing plan is - a vision of how you send out a clear, strong message about your services or products.

If you need help in creating your vision, I just added the Enigma Marketing Plan template to my products & services to help you on your way.

Vision without action is a daydream. Action with without vision is a nightmare. ~Japanese Proverb

Why Helping Professionals Don't Like Marketing

More than once I tried to research the personality profile of a helping professional to understand why marketing is hard for helping professionals. I interviewed a psychologist. I took personality tests to try to discover the set of characteristics particular to helping professionals. All the personality tests I took recommended that I become a helping professional - counselor, healthcare professional, therapist . . . I am a helping professional.

This is as close as I can get to a set of personality traits for helping professionals:

• desire to serve others
• empathetic
• sympathetic
• compassionate
• intuitive
• strength
• altruistic
  

Why do helping professionals dislike business plans and marketing plans? Could it just be the language of the business world?

What I believe is that the same personality traits that lead us to be helping professionals are the same traits that make us resist marketing. Most of the traits listed above are right-brained, heart centered characteristics. Most marketing and business plans are presented as very left-brained activities in left-brained language with a lot of hype. I resist hype. The Super Bowl commercials were too violent for me.

I don't know about you but when someone is speaking in a language that I'm not in tune with it sounds like the teacher in the Peanuts comic strip - waaa, waa, waa . . .

What if it didn't have to be that hard?

*Photo from Flickr

by MAMJODH

Who Is a Helping Professional?

I tried to find an answer to that question and the closest I came was information on Yahoo Answers. A Google search for "helping profession" turned up even less based on that old cliche "more is less".

Wiktionary came close to defining helping profession. Someone had written that a "helping profession was a profession that solved a person's physical, psychical or . . . problems." I didn't like that either. Being the compulsive person that I am, I edited the Wiktionary definition of "helping profession - "A profession that nurtures the growth of or addresses the problems of a person's physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional or spiritual well-being, including medicine, psychotherapy, social work, psychology, education, life coaching and ministry."

Many, many professions fall within that definition, including yoga instructor, energy healer, massage therapist, nurse, respiratory therapist, surgeon, teacher, teacher's aide, audiologist, rabbie, priest, Reiki Master, life coach, marketing coach, spiritual guide . . . the list is endless.

Photo courtesy of batega / Josep Mª Rosell, Creative Common License, retrieved 1/30/09 from Flickr.

Honesty Sells in Social Media Marketing

Transparency is one of the buzz words in the social media marketing circles. Transparency is honesty and honesty sells.

Seth Godin in his blog today, Good guys finish . . . says that "spiritual business" is an interesting concept. He admits that there are a lot of crooks out there using dishonest strategies and scams to create more traffic and clicks for their websites but that generosity and fairness do pay off.

The good news is that the current trend in internet and social media marketing is transparency. Just be open and honest.

Marketing is about building relationships and relationships are built through connecting in an honest manner with the people you're trying to reach. Not everyone is tuned-in to your message. Not every one can speak your language.

If your message and marketing are open, honest and clear, people who are on the same wavelength as you will show up. With internet and social medial marketing, you may find out there are more people out there listening than you think.

Why a Photo Is Important in Marketing?

Chris Brogan, one of the social media and blogging gurus that I follow, made a post yesterday about Facial Recognition. Chris says that he realized the reason that he has so many faces on the first page of his site is because it humanizes information. His realization was affirmed by a flurry of comments.

Yes, Chris is right. Photos and faces humanize the information that we receive on the internet. It creates a connection.

For me it's also about reading a person's energy. Isn't that especially important to those in the "helping professions"? It's not about being attractive or unattractive. If you don't believe me, check out Seth Godin's blog. I follow Seth's blog and I love that cut-off, clickable image of his head. It tells me he has a sense of humor.

It's all about the energy.

Here's an example of how the energy of a photo works. I accidentally changed my profile photo on my Facebook page to the image shown above. My original photo was the photo to the right. When I asked a friend of mine what she thought of the new photos, she responded, "Do you want to look glamorous or accesible?" I changed the photo.

If you don't already have images and photos on your website, try to add a few. It humanizes your whole site and allows people to see who you are.

Introducing Enigma Marketing Coach

Through trial and error, I've learned the tips and tricks of marketing my own massage therapy business. I've learned what works best in print marketing and what works best in electronic marketing. Added to that I've learned how to use internet and social marketing tools for my life coaching business.

They say that any lesson learned of any redeemable value was learned the hard way. That's been true for me in learning about marketing. When you go to massage therapy school, they don't teach you much about real life as a massage therapist and almost nothing of value about how to market your business!

Fortunately for me, I have a knack for technology, software and marketing. It doesn't scare me like it does some of my fellow "helping professionals". I dive right in and test things out discovering what works and what doesn't.

I've consulted with friends who are counselors on what cell phone to buy or what computer has the best energy. They're attracted to the simple language I use to present simple solutions for their technology and marketing needs.

So here I am introducing The Enigma Marketing Coach. I provide marketing guidance for "helping professionals".

I don't work with big companies or even medium size companies. My ideal client is the "helping professional", mircobusiness or right-brained artist who isn't comfortable with technology.