Pat and Lorna's Blog » Electronic Marketing

Happy New Year!

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:00:55 +0000

It's a New Year, and as always it is associated with new beginnings and new possibilities. What a great feeling that is! It's like starting with a clean slate or a level playing field with endless opportunities.

And of course it is the time for resolutions, plans and the setting of goals. Not only do people set personal goals, they set business goals as well. Great! It is much easier to direct a business when there's a plan or "road map" to follow.

Along with all the "usual" plans for a business…

What products are we going to produce and offer?

What pricing are we going to set on these products?

What's our marketing plan?

… an essential question to ask is "What is the focus of our business?"

Believe it or not, there is one answer to that question that can apply to any and all businesses.

That answer is… "To provide value to our customers."

Business success would be much more prevalent if this simple motto was followed.

This motto has been and will continue to be the focus of our business at TheCoolestCouple.com.

So to all we wish a Happy and Prosperous New Year! May 2010 be all that you hope for and much, much more.

We would also like to thank all of our friends, clients and customers for the blessing of having you touch our lives. You are all very much appreciated.

To a Spectacular 2010!

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Pat and Lorna Shanks are "SPECTACULARIZERS" of great audio content. They teach entrepreneurs, independent professionals and small business owners how to attract more clients and make more money using Spectacular Presentations and Robotic Internet Marketing. For more "Spectacularizer Tips", go to www.PatAndLorna.com or follow us on Twitter.

Social Media Revolution Video

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:24:07 +0000

So is Social Media just a fad?

Are Twitter, Facebook and all the other social networks site going to stay?

Watch the video below to find out why and tell us your thoughts in the comments

(Running time 4 Mins 22 Secs)

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Did You Know…? Video

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:16:45 +0000

So how fast is everything moving at you today?

Did you ever wonder why some days you feel so overwhelmed?

Guess what, it's not you! Watch the video below to find out why.

(Running time 4 Mins 55 Secs)

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Spectacular Content Marketing Tips – The Many Forms of Context

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:29:56 +0000

Everyone has their favorite way of consuming information. Do you know what that is for each of your customers or clients? Obviously not, that would be impossible. So how do you ensure your content is purchased, consumed and put into action by as many people as possible? The fastest and easiest way is to have your content available in multiple formats or contexts.

Let’s look at the many forms of context:

There are an infinite number of contexts that the content can be formatted into. We’ll name the thirty-two most commonly thought of:

Spectacular Presentation
Blog Post or Page
Podcast
Article
Telesemina
PDF
Book
E-book
Binder
Booklet
Inner-Circle Call
Coaching
Consulting
Audio
MP3
Media Player
CD
DVD
Course
E-Course
Assessment
Certification
Ezine Series
Online Video
Email
Fax
Guide
Newsletter
Thumb Drive
Live Seminar/Workshop
Membership Site
Bonus Gift

What happens when all this is applied?

Wow! That’s a lot of formats. Originally created content can be converted into all those formats, and that’s just the beginning. There are more that you can probably think of on your own. There is no limit to the creativity that can be injected into the context arena. The only limit is your own imagination, so go crazy.

When you apply the four R’s (reuse, repurpose, repackage and recycle), actually all five R’s (add repeat to the previous four), to the original content thirty-two times, you could use that same content to produce each and every form of context listed above. Can you imagine how many people you can reach through that many different formats?

In addition, some of those in your market will not only consume one, but several formats of the same information. That means that their ability to comprehend the information and their likelihood of putting it into practice greatly increase. The power of words is tremendous and when it is increased exponentially through multiple forms of context it is out of this world.

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Spectacular Content Marketing Tips – The Four R's of Content Optimization

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:02:40 +0000

Creating content for your website and marketing threads is of utmost importance to the survival of your business. A lot of time and effort goes into creating that content, so it seems a shame to use it only once. That’s why it’s very important to optimize your content.

What is Content Optimization?

Content optimization is simply using or converting content for use in another format or product, also known as context. Context is the surroundings, circumstances, environment, background or settings that clarify or specify the content. It is different from content creation and much simpler. There are four basic principles of content optimization that we will take a look at.

Reuse – The first principle of content optimization is reusing the same content in different places. For example, you can serve the exact same content up in the form of an article, and ezine article, blog posts, directories, emails, and so on.
Repurpose – In this instance, you use the same content in different contexts or formats. The same content that is presented in a teleseminar could then be formatted to a spectacular presentation, multiple articles, or multiple blog posts.
Repackage – The same content basis can be revised and polished for different markets. An example of this would be using the same content from a course on teleseminars being revised into a course on book tours or internet optimization.
Recycle – The same content can be cycled through again. This would be illustrated in a 52 week autoresponder. It could be repeated at the end of the year.

If there were a fifth R to these principles it would be to Repeat. The first four steps can be done over and over and over again. Once you have quality content to work with, your optimization can be endless.

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The One Software Tool We Use Every Day – PersonalBrain™

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:15:30 +0000

There is one software tool that we use every day and it is called PersonalBrain™, but we just call it "The Brain".

PersonalBrain™, organizes the way you think. You can organize all your ideas and information the way you think. See new relationships. Discover connections. Go from the big picture to specific details in seconds.

Watch the video below to give you a high level overview of what The Brain can do for you.

PersonalBrain: Accelerate Your Mind

See and do more with PersonalBrain’s award-winning user interface and advanced linking software. Organize ideas, projects, files, and Web pages associatively to capture your unique thinking and perspective.

Use PersonalBrain for business projects or as an “everything in your life manager" so you can get the big picture and find the right detail within seconds.

Benefits

See key relationships and ideas at a glance
Map out your thinking and complex business processes
Visualize folder structures, business relationships, contacts and ideas
Navigate across all key topics and information within your Brain's thought network and connections

Key features include:

Must see animated visual interface
Expanded Information Views
Easy Drag and Drop of files, folders and Web pages
Advanced search and editing features

We use PersonalBrain to keep track of almost every aspect of the information that crosses our desk everyday. It helps us to organize our information into "The Digital Home for Our Mind".

(Look for the FREE Download Button)

Versions:

Personal Brain – Free
Personal Brain – Core $149.95
Personal Brain – Pro $249.95

Download Personal Brain – Free Edition:

Windows
PersonalBrain Installer

Max OS X
PersonaBrain Installer

Linux/Unix
PersonalBrain Installer

Purchase PersonalBrain Now

We hope you like TheBrain as much as we do, it's the one tool that we have open all the time. And if you took our Brain away, we know for sure that we would be lost without it. Download the Free version above to get started using TheBrain today, it will be well worth your time and engery.

Stay tuned, we will be providing more in-depth reviews of PersonalBrain and WebBrain.

And let us know how The Brain works for you.

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Spectacular Content Marketing Tips: Maximizing Your Content Reach

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:10:53 +0000

Many people present their content in an audio format, some just in a written context. While these are definitely good ways to present information, they end up missing out on a large number of key factors that could increase the impact of the presentation.

If visuals are added to audio content, or if audio and graphics are added to written content, it will reach a larger percentage of the market. People learn differently… using their visual, auditory and kinesthetic senses. The more of these you reach, the more of your market you reach.

Then there is also the factor of scheduling… availability of the content. Live presentations are great… teleseminars, webinars… but they are held at a specific time. If the customer cannot be there at that time, they miss out. Yes, the recordings can be available to them afterwards, but then the content is again not reaching them in an optimal format or context.

So, what is the best way to present content?

We recommend presenting content in what we refer to as a Spectacular Presentation format. These are online presentations that include written content, graphics and audio. The user is in total control of when they view the presentation and at what speed… and can search it for specific information.

The top ten benefits of presenting content in this format are:

More effective than audio alone.
Multi-sensory content delivery.
Searchable.
Table of contents.
User playback controls
24 hour content delivery.
Easy to repurpose.
Branding.
Create once and sell many times.
Robotic internet marketing.

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), playwright and critic once wrote in a personal correspondence to a colleague

“The greatest problem of communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.”

That quote summarizes the responsibility of the content producer. It is up to the person that produces and presents the content to be absolutely certain that the user has every convenience and ability to comprehend the information that is being conveyed. By presenting your content in a way that involves more of the physical senses, is available to the user when they want it and gives them control of their learning, you will accomplish that goal.

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Spectacular Content Marketing Tips – Writing Content That Sells

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:13:21 +0000

The reason you put together your website was to make people aware of the products and services you offer. In other words, you have something to sell and you want to make money. Probably the hardest part of your task is coming up with the right content to make you successful at your endeavor. This article will help you create content that sells. We invite you to read on…

Working Online Equals Freedom

Going online opens a path to massive amounts of information at the click of a button or mouse. There is no end to the kinds of information you can find on any given day. Going online also gives you freedom of choice. For instance, you need to buy a birthday present, but you don’t have a car or your city is small with a limited choice of stores to shop. Online, the world literally becomes a giant shopping mall with an infinite number of stores. You choose where you want to shop and the best part of all, you don’t have leave your house to do it.

Convenience and Choice Power Online Sales

When filling a website with content, it is important to build these items into your homepage. Give your potential clients information as well as several different choices of products or services. Make your lists logical with built in links and buttons to click back, if the selection is not the correct one for this particular occasion. Keep the information short and concise and make maneuvering your site easy. Remember, reading online is slower than reading a book offline. So be kind to your clients once they’ve found you. You want them to come back.

Creating a Headline that Sells

A good headline will seduce your visitors. If crafted well, a good headline will grab their attention and convince them that your information is what they are searching for.

Here are some tips for creating a real attention-grabbing headline:

•    Use real facts within the headline, especially when the fact pertains to the whole consumer market
•    Use attention grabbing phrases like; “tips and resources”
•    Name one of your products as an example in the headline
•    Focus on the product’s uniqueness
•    Associate your product with a feeling or emotion

First Things First

Time is of the essence in surfing the net so place the most important items and information first on your website. People who land on your page will see that information and make a decision about whether to scroll down or stick around to investigate your offers. Be very specific in your content. The harder it is to decipher information the less likely you will get the sale.

Researching Your Niche

Choosing your niche is only the first obstacle. It is necessary to stay on top of changes and innovations within the niche, too. You will need to engage in ongoing research in order to keep your website at the top of everyone’s search. Periodically go back through your pages and eliminate outdated items and redundant items. Change your keywords to utilize the current buzz words in your slice of the market.

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The Easiest Product To Get Started Using Amazon S3

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:03:44 +0000

If You Use YouTube or An Audio-Video Hosting
Solution To Place Video On Your Websites and Blogs,
STOP RIGHT NOW!!
Watch & Listen to our Friend Mike Stewart and Learn Why Not!

We use Amazon S3 for all of our customer Video hosting. – P & L

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Listing Of 250+ Social Network Sites

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:03:30 +0000

A listing of over 250 social network sites. We have also listed the top 10 social networking sites. We have attached the Wikidedia.org information to each site if there was a link.

Click here for larger version

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Strategic Partnerships to Grow your Blog

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:53:14 +0000

You’ve created a blog. You may have created it just to communicate with others; simply using it as a social networking site. However, did you know you can use it to engage people and then send them to your main website? You can… and very effectively as well. Now you may be wondering, what do I write and where can I get my content from? It can appear as though you will be spending a whole lot of time creating and writing content for your blog, with little time left over for the other important parts of your business. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many ways to find, create and write content for your blog, without having to do it all yourself.

Please read on to discover how to do that and so much more…

Creating Content to Capture Client Interest

One of the best tools to use for driving potential clients to your website is to incorporate a web log, or blog. Blogs originally came into existence so people could write about their life and share it with the world. Smart internet marketers quickly saw the potential for reaching out to the vast internet audience, and began utilizing blogs to increase sales. Carefully crafted blog content powered by SEO, or search engine optimization is a low cost way to market and to build sales.

How Do Blogs Work?

Content should be at the heart of your blog. Your goal is to connect with your readers on a friendly level, rather than a sales person-to-client level. So you should write or use content that is conversational rather than preachy or obviously sales driven. Our tendencies as human beings are to trust friends, but to dislike salespeople. When writing your blog, keep it light and caring, but informative and interesting. Cover topics that the other guys in your niche don't. Highlight what makes you different from the pack. Always be honest and sincere. It may be necessary to do some research about your chosen niche. Read other blogs and product service sites for new information that you can work into your website and blog.

Capturing Content if You Don't Write

So you still want to use a blog to market your website, however, you're not a writer. What do you do? Well, the internet is your answer, because there are hundreds, if not thousands, of content websites with millions of articles on all topics for use by people who are not necessarily the strongest or creative of copywriters. Many of these websites give away the articles for free. All you have to do is to sign up. Sometimes they offer a certain number of articles per month and if you want more, then you may have to pay a nominal fee.

Team Up

Another way to capture content for your blog is to team up with someone else and share your copy, your ideas and other resources. Many blogs are produced by teams of writers, rather than just one, who take turns posting. This takes away the burden from everyone on the team of individually having to come up with something new every single day. The quickest way to kill your blog is to let it stagnate without adding new information on a regular basis.

Utilize Search Engine Optimization

All of your content should be search engine optimized, meaning it should be sprinkled with the buzz words of your niche market throughout the copy. These buzz words are the words that people looking for your services and products load into a search engine in order to find relevant websites. The most successful SEO blogs routinely land their pages at the top of the search page, where the searchers will find it first, by keying on the buzz words and strategically placed keywords. Statistics have shown pages in the first five search engine spots usually are the ones making the most sales. Buzz words or keywords are good, however don't overload the copy. For instance, a 500 word article should have no more than 3 or 4 keywords. They should come at the top, the middle and at the end of the content. Anything more is spam or junk mail.

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Spectacular Content Marketing Tips – Persuasive Copy Content

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:30:36 +0000

Doing business online can be a successful, profitable venture. Getting visitors to your site and then to getting them to buy your product or services is the obvious key to this success. That sounds like a daunting task… and one that many find a huge challenge. However, it doesn’t have to be. With the help of a few tips and tricks, this can actually be a simple process with many interesting ways to approach it. What are these tips and tricks?

Persuasive Copy Content

Writing copy or content, is writing to persuade your clients to buy your services or products pictured on your website. It is not enough to place an item on your homepage with a “buy” button next to it. The purpose of the copy is to turn your readers into people willing to buy your wares. So before you sell the product or service, you have to sell them on why they should buy from you.

Search Engine Optimization Copy

SEO content is copy that is optimized with keywords which allow search engines to drive people to your website. The best keywords are the same ones used by people to search for products and services such as yours. Placing these words and phrases throughout your content will draw the search engines and propel the people to your site. However, sometimes what the people search for and what the search engine understands and returns, are two different things. The successful sites have figured out how to synchronize the search and the search engine, and make them land on their website more often than not.

Learning Through Trial and Error

Trial and error is the best teacher for learning how to walk the line between searching and selling with your writing. Visitors to your site want to think they’ve made the decision to buy all on their own, rather than to feel like they’ve been coerced into buying. Gaining this skill can take years to master. Some people give up and hire a professional copy writer. Investing in a content writer is a one-time investment that will pay dividends into the future.

Fresh Content Sells

It is a proven fact that sites which continuously freshen their content on a regular basis grow steadily in customer returns and search results status. By constantly renewing your content you attract people who want to link back to your site. Legitimate reference links are one of the factors required to boost page rank.

Ways to Get Content Quick

Rather than sit at the computer all day struggling to pound out copy content, here are some ideas for getting it quick.

•    Public Domain Copy- This is copy not protected by copyright. This means it can be copied, revised, edited, reprinted, distributed or sold.
•    Famous Quotations-Create short pages that will suck in thousands of people every day. Visitors are likely to bookmark the site and return.
•    Definitions-Of current buzz words or weird words that have made it into the public lexicon can create short pages with heavy drawing power.
•    Hosting Directory Pages-Are a favorite of the search engines. Make sure your content is all around the directory to capture the eyes of your visitors.
•    Other People’s Content-There are literally millions of writers begging for websites to post their articles. They can be found in online article directories. Just make sure to credit the writer if you use the work.

Using other people’s content allows you to build big websites quickly. However, it is important to not get so big that you lose control. A little common sense, trial and error and patience will turn your website into a search engine success.

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Spectacular Content Marketing Tips – Creating Online Quality Content

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:00:36 +0000

All websites have some sort of content, and quite often that content is on the website to inform people and to get them to purchase a product or service. That means you want the content on your website to have the biggest impact possible on the visitors to your site, and to influence them to make that purchase. So, is there a way to make that happen? Yes, there are several tips and tricks to give your content more persuasive impact.

Creating Quality Online Content

Creating or capturing content for your marketing website is not difficult, but there are some basic rules that need to be followed. These rules will help clients maneuver through your pages, giving them a better understanding of what you are offering, leading to additional sales of your products and services

Style and Format

Reading online can be tough on the eyes, even for young people, so it is important to be precise. You want concise, not wordy blocks of text. Use short sentences as well as short paragraphs. Sentences should contain no more than 21 words, while paragraphs should have no more than 65 words maximum. Now there are no format police around, so you can go longer, however, the shorter the better, is the rule of thumb. Using the pronoun “I” is inappropriate in business; steer clear of it whenever possible. It is appropriate to use “you” or “we.”

Don’t underline text for emphasis. Underlining denotes a link. SOLID CAPS, Italics, or Bold, are no good either. Capital letters are to be used at the beginning of a sentence, or in acronyms, such as; K.I.S.S, or the first letter in the name of a person, place or thing. Other words should not be capitalized throughout the content.

Give it Structure

Every page should begin with a unique and explanatory headline
This headline should be followed by a summary or description
If you use subheadings-then write them like headlines
Restrict each page to one topic only
Purge all outdated or redundant material from pages
Don’t duplicate information, create a link to it
Shy away from vague references, be as precise as possible without being personal
Don’t use the future tense in anything other than news stories

Using Links in Content

Your link text should be self explanatory, so that the reader knows exactly what he or she will find when the link is clicked. Many people prefer making links stand alone rather than embedding them in sentences. The rule is not concrete. It is more a matter of personal taste, however.

Itemized Lists

A list should contain no more than 7 or 8 items. The items should be listed in logical order. A long list should be subdivided into smaller, shorter lists for easier reading and understanding. Descriptive subheadings will help your clients better understand your content.

Searchable Content

Use keywords within the content since these are the words that people used to find your page in the first place. It is wise to use the keywords in the headlines as well. Again it is important to be as specific as possible with these words or phrases.

Including Tables

Tables are better for presenting data in a crisp concise manner. They are not good for presenting text of any kind. You should keep tables short and narrow so that it fits the screen easily. Tables that can only be read by scrolling usually don’t get read. Avoid using a table if it causes the text to wrap to the next line. Remember, you want clients to find your page and then read or scan it for information. A page that is difficult to maneuver will not draw repeat clients nor hold on to new ones past the initial click.

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Practical Presentation Marketing Tips – Hub and Spoke Marketing Presentation

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:28:48 +0000

How does your message get to your market? What’s the center of your marketing model? Many people will say it’s their book, workshop or podcast series. Not so. There is an extremely effective marketing model that demonstrates what is really important in your business. It’s amazingly simple, yet so amazingly effective. Here’s the scoop…

Hub and Spoke Model

There is an interesting analogy for a very effective marketing model. It is known as the hub and spoke model.

Hub = You and Your Message

In hub and spoke marketing the center of it all, the hub, is you and your message. After all, that is what you have to offer the world.

Spokes = Are the Media between You and Your Market

The spokes of the wheel, the connectors between you and your market is the media. The media consists of all the many ways you can get your message out there. There are books, e-books, teleseminars, Spectacular Presentations, e-courses, podcasts, and the list goes on and on.

Wheel = Is Your Market

The wheel is your market. All those different mediums are designed to bridge you and your message with the wheel… your market. The idea is to use many different ways to get your message to your market. That way, if one or two of them cease to be effective, you have many more to fall back on.

Just think though… you could have a message, many different mediums, and still have a flat tire (market). You have to know what your market wants. If they don't want what you are offering, it won't matter how you get it to them, and they will be an uninterested or flat market.

An interesting model? Definitely.

There is also an interesting way to really learn how this works.

Check It Out For Yourself

To see the hub and spoke marketing video go to www.hubandspokevideo.com. It will allow you to see and hear how this marketing model works.

Remember, every business is an information marketing business. If you have a product you can create an information product out of it, a book, a CD, an online presentation, etc.

Understand how effective marketing works… study this model and you'll be way out ahead of your competition.

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Podcast Secrets TV 2.0

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:51:22 +0000

On April 9th, please join our colleagues Alex Mandossian and Paul Colligan when they reveal their closely-guarded "Podcast Monetization Roadmap" that they have been testing for the past 3 years.

Hear what others are saying:

****************************************

Here's your private access link, click it now:
www.ToPodcastSecrets.com

Your VIP Discount Code is: "PC916"
(Save $79 from the normal $99 tuition)

****************************************

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Podcast Secrets Teleseminar – Boost Your Business with Podcasting

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:00:40 +0000

iPods are everywhere! And there is so much "stuff" that can be downloaded on to these wonderful devices. So how can your business benefit from this? Here's how to get started…

On April 9th, please join our colleagues Alex Mandossian and Paul Colligan when they reveal their closely-guarded "Podcast Monetization Roadmap" that they have been testing for the past 3 years.

If you're pressed for time, see below for your private registration link and VIP Code…

****************************************

Here's your private access link, click it now:
www.ToPodcastSecrets.com

Your VIP Discount Code is: "PC916"
(Save $79 from the normal $99 tuition)

****************************************

Information marketers, authors and publishers:

Because you're reading on, let us get more specific about WHO should attend this call.

If you're an information marketer, author or publisher and you’re frustrated about producing content or events that only a few people consume, then this training is for you.

Paul Colligan and Alex Mandossian have taken the Podcast concept to stratospheric new heights because their new and improved system for Podcast Monetization lets you connect directly with your students, clients and customers with nothing more than a telephone in your hand!

This means you can promote your business not just in a few cities, but world-wide…
… and all at once!!

What you'll learn in just 2 hours:

The "Podcast Monetization Roadmap" is a revolutionary concept for selling more content and information products through the power of a Podcast and the multi-million dollar buzz that the little iPod device has received.

****************************************

Here's your private access link, click it now:
www.ToPodcastSecrets.com

Your VIP Discount Code is: "PC916"
(Save $79 from the normal $99 tuition)

****************************************

In just two hours, Alex and Paul promise to teach you:

* 8 reasons why Podcasting brings them, and can bring you, a critical business (and profit) advantage.

* 7 secrets to producing profitable Podcasting content in the fastest possible time.

* 9 marketing channels for the Podcasters … and how to leverage each one.

* The 6-Step Podcast Monetization Roadmap

* How to part-the-curtain on the listening habits of your audience, and leverage that knowledge to produce profitable audience action.

* At least 5 things, you can implement today that will integrate your Podcast content into your business structure … and how to see results almost instantly.

* 7 steps to getting your Podcast audience to take the very actions you want them to take.

What If You Can't Attend?

We encourage you to register with your VIP Code, even if you can't attend this tele-training because you'll get access to the recordings by the following day. That means you can listen to the call over-and-over again so you don't miss a morsel of content!

They'll even make it available via Podcast so you can get first hand-experience at the process.

Click the private registration link now and remember to type-in your VIP Discount Code so you'll save $79 on your tuition cost.

****************************************

Here's your private access link, click it now:
www.ToPodcastSecrets.com

Your VIP Discount Code is: "PC916"
(Save $79 from the normal $99 tuition)

****************************************

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Busy? Set up Systems to Aleviate the Stress

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:56:51 +0000

In the past few days we've been extremely busy! Sometimes it's hard to believe that life can be THAT busy.

Check out this scenario… family time, important time-sensitive project, and day-to-day business activities… all at once! We don't believe we are alone in this predicament. Have you been there… or somewhere like that?

The cure for this situation? Systems!

While you are working to get your project completed, the other activities in your business start falling behind. But they don't have to. If you set up systems to handle your regular business activities they can happen almost automatically.

Write down the activities you do in one day, then do it again the next day, and the next, and so on. After a few days you should be able to discover which activities you do over and over again… on a regular basis. These are the activities that you can and should systematize.

If these activities can be completed automatically for you or if the time to do them can be cut to a fraction of the normal time, wouldn't that be beneficial? We believe it is.

Some activities that we've developed systems for:

Blog Posts – We write a few when we have time and then have them scheduled to come up in our blog on specific dates.
Spectacular Presentation Creation – We have a specific system and assigned duties when it comes to presentation creation.
Article Writing – Our system for writing articles at times also involves outsourcing, which is another way to get things done faster, better, and with the least amount of effort on your part.

These are our examples. Think about it… what can you systematize?

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Staying Warm with the Power of Social Networking

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:16:51 +0000

EzineArticles.com raised a challenge to its authors to have 5,000 followers on Twitter before the end of 2008. The reward? A very warm Ezine Articles fleece jacket!

With only about two weeks left in the year, we were about 590 followers short of that target. And… with the temperatures hanging around the -25 degree Celsius (-10 degree Farenheit) mark, those fleece jackets were looking very inviting!

So, feeling motivated (and cold), we sent out a few messages on Twitter asking others to help us reach the 5,000 follower mark.

Wow! We were blown away with the results! In a few short days we reached our goal. And now, with two days left in the year, we have a grand total of 5,584 followers.

Previous to sending those messages our followers list did not grow anywhere near that quickly. It was, in our opinion, a miracle… or at the very least, a huge learning.

It was solid proof to us that there is power in social networking. Think about it, if it worked this well to increase follower numbers, what else could be accomplished? Anything! There is power in numbers and in people working towards a common goal. All it takes is someone to ask for help or raise a challenge that others believe in.

To answer a much-asked question… can social networking help your business? We believe it can. There is a lot of help and support available through the social networking channels.

But one last word… karma. You can only get out of something what you put in. By being involved in social networking and by offering your help and support, you may be pleasantly surprised what will be available for you when you ask.

To follow Pat and Lorna on Twitter, go to PatAndLornaOnTwitter.com.
To follow Pat and Lorna on Facebook, go to PatAndLornaOnFacebook.com.

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Why “Progress” Exceeds “Perfection” – The Reason Behind It

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:03:20 +0000

Alex Mandossian of AlexMandossian.com posted an entry on his blog Here's Why "Progress" Exceed Perfection which included the Spectacular Presentation that we've created below.

Well, what is really interesting is that Alex also sent an email to one of his lists called the Wednesday Minute, and we are asking for your help…

Here is a copy of the email that he sent out…

WEDNESDAY ~ December 17th, 2008

It's time for the Wednesday Minute — the weekly audio/video magazine for electronic marketers.

The topic of this week's edition is:

"Why 'Progress' Exceeds Perfection"
http://AlexMandossian.com <— See Dec. 17th video post

In today's edition, I'm conducting a little experiment and I hope you participate with candid feedback.

Here's the thing:

I'm tinkering with changing the Wednesday Minute format from just "audio" to "Online Video."

It's a special type of Online Video called "Spectacular Presentations" and I think it adds more value to
learning than traditional "talking head" video presentations.

But I want YOU to be the judge…

Watch this video on my 12/17 blog post and leave a comment to tell me what you think. OK?

http://AlexMandossian.com <— See Dec. 17th video post

If I get positive feedback on the the new format, I'll continue to utilize it on other Wed. Minutes.

Good Sales,

Alex Mandossian
CEO & Founder
http://HeritageHousePublishing.com

If you like the Spectacular Presentation (a copy can be viewed further down on this post), we are asking that you please make a comment on Alex's blog telling him that you enjoy this format. Here is that blog entry again => Here's Why "Progress" Exceed Perfection

Thanks for your help, we look forward to creating more of these.

– Pat & Lorna

Below is the presentation that he posted on his blog.

Please click the image below to start that presentation.
(Opens in a new window, duration: 10 min, 12 sec)

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Question #28: How Do I Repurpose Into Online Video?

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:43:14 +0000

Answer: Start with audio from a Teleseminar, put it to pictures and you have a online video. Let us explain.

Please click the image below to start that presentation.
(Opens in a new window, duration: 9 min, 26 sec)

Repurpose Into A Online Video

With a teleseminar, first you can do it without any editing. All you do is take the audio from the teleseminar, put pictures to it, which becomes an online video that’s one way.

Another way is you can have different pictures to it dynamically and there could be a video tutorial, which is called a Spectacular Presentation.

That’s what Pat and Lorna Shanks do, so if you go to SpectacularPresentations.com you can see what that looks like utilizing the Articulate software or any other type of flash software where you have someone creating the presentation for you. It’s somewhat like Camtasia, but it’s a bit different.

There’s video, where there’s a video movie video then there’s video where you take the spoken word and put a spectacular presentation to it and the spectacular presentation becomes the video that’s not even touched. The spoken word remains the same it’s the presenter that’s making all the difference in creating that video.

It’s an online video you’re watching, but it’s not a video like a movie video it’s like a screen capture video and you’re seeing things on the screen.

You can capture all kinds of things from it. Pictures from the net, but the audio is running the voice, which hasn’t been changed and you’re adding power by adding the video. How do you use something like that such as a Spectacular Presentation, which is one form of online video?

There are many forms to this question. Question #28, is how do I repurpose into online video? One of the ways is by taking the audio and putting a still picture on it, which you can put on YouTube that’s a video. If it changes pictures now you have a video of dynamic and you just have audio playing to it and it’s the same audio.

Another type is constantly changing screen capture and that is what Spectacular Presentations are. How do you use a spectacular presentation? I like using it for a quick start program. If I have audio I traditionally only use audio with my quick start program, but some people may misinterpret what I’m saying verbally.

What if they lose me along the way?
What if they stop following me auditorily?

They can veg out that’s one of the challenges with audio is that you can veg out with audio. It’s a lot more difficult to veg out with video, so you have to pay attention even if you’re vegging out in front of the TV to understand what’s happening.

You can veg out with audio though, because it’s passive; not as active.

If you turn into a semi-vegetable, because you’re zoning out and not paying attention then a video with changing pictures isn’t as powerful or an audio without pictures is nowhere near as powerful as a spectacular presentation where you have changing pictures, which are screen capture and it’s a video visual tutorial of your audio portion of it.

It’s very powerful for quick start, because with quick starts you have children. A quick start is getting started with a certain information product. Every information product, every book, every how-to course and every business that has information as a selling means should have a quick start.

How do I get started?
How do I get started with this consulting firm?
How do I get started with this contest?
How do I get started with this coach?
How do I get started reading this book?
How do I get started listening to this audio program?
How do I get started reading this how-to course?
What about this eBook…how do I get started?
Or the mini eCourse… how do I get started?

Getting started is critical. And if you get someone started, something that’s in motion stays in motion it’s the laws of physics. Therefore, you want to get people started and the fastest way to do that is with a quick start that’s why they call it a quick start.

When you have a quick start, the best quick start is having audio you’ve already uttered in a teleseminar then adding video to it that’s in the form of a flash video, a spectacular presentation, not a digital video of things and things on the screen, talking heads, but actual screen shots like Camtasia only you can bring new things into it.

You could bring in reports, executive summaries, action guides, websites, glossary of terms or any other learning assets you have to teach people. Maybe you can have a P & L statement. It’s a lot easier explaining a P & L statement when you have arrows pointing to certain line items.

That’s called a Spectacular Presentation or Camtasia presentation versus just having a regular presentation that’s audio and giving them a screen capture that’s not dynamic, but is static and they have to follow your voice.

It’s easier if you show and tell and involve them, with a grab their mouse to go to the next stage that’s how I would teach versus just giving them audio content. At the lowest level as far as getting them involved there’s audio, tell me. If you just tell them they’ll forget.

Then show me; show me and I may remember that’s where you show them with the video and auditory combined. Then involve me, which is where you involve them with the mouse and they have to keep clicking to move on. Now as they’re involved they have the visual, auditory, kinesthetic and digital-audio working for them.

You have that working in your favor neuro-linguistically, because if you tell me something I will forget it, if you just tell me. If you show it to me like a video tutorial I may remember it, but if you involve me with it I will learn.

You want to get your students, consulting clients, coaching clients and readers involved. The more involved you get with the senses the better. That’s why lots of people love physical books; because they’re kinesthetic you can hold them. You can’t hold a digital PDF unless you hold your flat screen computer or keyboard.

You can’t hold it. That’s why this new thing called the Kindle is so cool, because it’s a physical book. It’s more powerful than an eBook, you can download it and you kinesthetically can push buttons and take a look at things.

How do you repurpose online videos? You repurpose them by starting with a teleseminar and taking your voice and adding video and motion to it. And then another way that you can repurpose, it’s a lot more work, take your audio content and turn that into a video.

Examples of this are at AlexYouTube.com. Examples of this are at VirtualBookTourSecrets.com/blog . These are actual videos taken with a high definition digital recorder, and they’re tips that are given as a result of getting great feedback on audio content, specifically audio teleseminars, one of which is called repurposing.

When you get good feedback on a topic then you can turn that into a video. However, it’s more work. What I prefer is to have my voice, put a video flash presentation in front of that, and I’ve just done all the work I needed to do.

Less work, more money that’s better.

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Teleseminar Secrets Affiliate Tools Quick Start Training

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 13:00:39 +0000

In our last post we talked about about What is the #1 question of any student, client and customer — taking a new course, or buying a new product or service?

"What's the Fastest Way to Get Started?"

We also talked about that as an information marketer the easiest and most economical way to answer that question is to create a "Quick Start" video tutorial training.

The same goes for your affiliates who are your virtual marketing team. They also want to know "What's the Fastest Way to Get Started?"

This is the actual TSS Affiliate Tools Quick Start Training that we created for Alex Mandossian's Teleseminar Secrets course this year. It is available to all affiliates that are promoting Teleseminar Secrets.

We are giving you an insider's view of this "Quick Start" video training.

Please click the image below to start the "Quick Start" training.
(Opens in a new window, duration: 9 min, 40 sec)

Now here’s a sweet deal… go to ToPreviewCall.com and register for this $20 preview call and if you check the link below, we'll tell you how we'll rebate this call back to you.

Details of this Preview Call offer can be found here

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Teleseminar Secrets Quick Start Training

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:43:36 +0000

What is the #1 question of any student, client and customer — taking a new course, or buying a new product or service?

"What's the Fastest Way to Get Started?"

As an information marketer (every business is an information marketing business) the easiest and most economical way to answer that question is to create a "Quick Start" video tutorial training.

We are proud to have created the following Quick Start for our good friend and mentor Alex Mandossian for his Teleseminar Secrets (TSS) course.

This is the actual TSS Quick Start Video that we created for Alex Mandossian's Teleseminar Secrets course this year. It is available to all TSS students and Alumni that are taking Teleseminar Secrets.

We are giving you an insider's view of this "Quick Start" video training.

Please click the image below to start the "Quick Start" training.
(Opens in a new window, duration: 26 min, 19 sec)

Now here’s a sweet deal… go to ToPreviewCall.com and register for this $20 preview call and if you check the link below, we'll tell you how we'll rebate this call back to you.

Details of this Preview Call offer can be found here

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Insider Teleseminar Secrets Sales Process Tips

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:00:18 +0000

If you’ve read our blog for any amount of time, you know of our appreciation and fascination with Alex Mandossian and his “Secrets Courses”. Well it’s the time of year where Alex has his biggest course, and that is Teleseminar Secrets which begins in December.

We first took Teleseminar Secrets in 2005 and it has been the best investment of our time and money than any other course we have taken.

How would you like us to give you a couple of insider tips and also deconstruct his sales process/model for you here?

If you are looking to sell any product… you could learn from it.

So let’s triangulate the 3 part process…

Part 1 – Electronic Marketing Analysis

It starts with a free custom “Electronic Marketing Analysis. ” The first part of the process starts with something very low; something of value for just a name and email address.

With Alex, you can rest assured that your email address isn’t abused. Besides, would you ever buy a product from someone who abuses your email address? Alex knows that you wouldn’t.

Part 2 – $20 Preview call

Why would anybody charge for a preview call? Well if you aren’t willing to pay $20 for a preview call, you mostly like would not take the full Teleseminar Secrets course. Alex has pre-qualified his prospects in order to get only people that are interested on that call. It’s one of the tactics he teaches in his course.

This year’s $20 preview call is December 4th. The product comes with a year-long money back guarantee, but that’s not all. He also offers a free bonus (valued at $97) for the first 200 registrants… his “Insider’s Guide to Teleseminar Profits for Independent Professionals”.

But there’s more at stake here… Alex has to deliver a lot of content for $20 to convince you to pick up his full Teleseminar Secrets training program.

Now here’s a sweet deal… go to ToPreviewCall.com and register for this $20 preview call and if you are on our mailing list we'll send you information on how we'll rebate this call back to you.

Details of this Preview Call offer can be found here

Part 3 – Teleseminar Secrets full course

The final step is the Teleseminar Secrets full course. The first class session begins on December 8 and the registration “doors close” at 5:00 pm PST on December 6.

It kind of makes one wonder… why would anyone close the doors on a cash-cow like this?

For anyone to spend the kind of money Alex is asking them to spend, people need to be assured they are spending their money on someone who can be trusted. You’d be surprised how many people are taking the class this year because they didn’t believe Alex last year.

It is true … at 5:00 pm PST on December 6, the doors will close and you’ll have to wait until next year. And Alex doesn’t let anybody in… rest assured.

Here is The Hidden “SECRET”

You would think that a course that’s called “Teleseminar Secrets” would be all about teleseminars. But think again… it’s not. It’s all about “smuggling donkeys”. And now you’ll have to take Alex’s Teleseminar Secrets course to find out what we mean.

So learn from this model, study it, use it… give people good free content to show them the value, show them that money spent on this path is money well spent, over-deliver and stay true to your word.

P.S. We’ll be attending again this year, that’s how much value we get from Alex’s course. Hope we hear you on the calls!

P.S.S. And – We are very honored to be on the Teleseminar Secrets faculty so when you register for the course, you will get an hour + training from us teaching you how to use Spectacular Presentations with your teleseminars.

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7 Questions Can Make A Difference – Get Your FREE Custom Electronic Marketing Analysis

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:43:17 +0000

Our friend and mentor Alex Mandossian has created a FREE Custom Electronic Marketing Analysis tool that will give you a custom roadmap for future Internet and electronic marketing strategies that you can use in your business.

We would recommend that you answer the 7 questions and get your FREE Custom Electronic Marketing Analysis.

And here's why:

One, It's FREE
Two, It's only 7 questions long (And it will only take you 2 minutes)
Three, We've used this roadmap to help us grow our business. So we know it works

Click the image below or CLICK HERE to get your FREE Custom Electronic Marketing Analysis. Do It Now!

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A BIG Seminar? It Most Definitely Was…

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:16:46 +0000

A seminar that is BIG on ideas of how to develop and grow your Internet marketing business into a huge success and is BIG on networking opportunities… is this for real?

Oh yes! We’ve just returned from Armand Morin’s Big Seminar 12 in Atlanta (Oct. 3-5), where we got all that and much, much more.

You should have been there… and if you were, you know exactly what we’re talking about…

Throughout the seminar, the speakers shared many extraordinary ideas on the systems and tools of successful Internet marketing. And each one of the speakers had the essential prerequisite for speaking on such a topic… they’ve done it themselves. Add to that the half-hour breaks designed to create an incredible networking environment, and it adds up to one amazing seminar event.

The range of expertise delivered by the speakers was incredible… Alan Forrest Smith on copywriting, Joe Polish on easy, lucrative and fun businesses, Mark Victor Hansen with his positive attitude, David Hancock on entrepreneurial publishing, Stephen Pierce with his success secrets, Jose Espana on membership sites, Michel and Sylvie Fortin on the “back end”, Eben Pagen with his Personal Success Ritual and hiring tips, Brendon Burchard on non-profit and corporate sponsorships, Kirt Christensen on adwords, and of course the insightful teachings of Armand Morin himself.

Still, the biggest benefit of the seminar was the opportunity to network with and meet some amazing people. We’re sure that great relationships and joint ventures were a big part of the weekend for everyone… they definitely were for us. The quality of this seminar shows with the calibre of the audience in attendance, including Jay Conrad Levinson, Christina Hills, Jeff Herring, Paul Colligan, DJ Dave Bernstein, Connie Ragen Green, Brett Ridgway, Warren Whitlock, Heather Kirk, and many, many more.

A major bonus from this seminar are the meals that are provided… giving everyone even more opportunities to network. Take it from us… it truly is a treat. Remember, it’s all about connecting.

We would definitely recommend attending this seminar next year in Las Vegas… totally worth it!!

And… we would like to say hello to all the wonderful people we met last weekend… we appreciate you all.

Alex Mandossian's Rave Review of Spectacular Presentations

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:08:20 +0000

Alex Mandossian has created hundreds of millions of dollars in sales for his clients and partners through "electronic marketing" media, such as TV infomercials, 24-hour recorded messages, voice/fax broadcasting, teleseminars, webinars, podcasts and internet marketing. He is truly an electronic marketer extrodinaire.

He is also the CEO of Heritage House Publishing, an electronic marketing and publishing company, and founder of the Electronic Marketing Institute.

Safe to say that when it comes to electronic marketing, online and offline, Alex Mandossian is a thought leader.

So… does Alex use Spectacular Presentations in his business? Yes! And what does he think about Spectacular Presentations and how they've impacted his business?

We invite you to watch and listen to Alex's review of Spectacular Presentations by visiting our Testimonials Page.

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