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Every once in awhile…

something comes along that is a complete inspiration in one’s life.  The following video is one that struck a chord with me and inspired me to really step back and think about what being of service is really all about.

Take a moment to view the following video about Johnny, then join me on a journey of exploring . . .  ”Being of Service”.

“Every one of you can make a difference and create memories for your customers that will motivate them to come back.  How?  Put your personal signature on the job.  Think about something you can do for your cutomers to make them feel special; a memory that will make them come back.” ~ Barbara Glanz

Johnny’s act of taking the time to find or write his “thought for the day” and passing it on to the customers that he see’s in his everyday life without expecting anything in return, touched many people’s lives.  There is something to be learned from this lesson . . . Johnny ended up transforming the store.  He had a wonderful spirit of service that spread throughout the entire store and all because he chose to make a difference.

So let’s explore this idea of “being of service”. . .

“Being of Service” . . . What does this mean to you?

“Being of service will mean different things to different people, but hopefully we will all agree that being of service is an integral part of the journey towards finding fulfillment.  Selfless service should be offered and provided out of a genuine and deep desire to help and be of service to others.”  There are so many ways that you can touch someone’s life and be of service and sometimes we may not even think about it in those terms.  Sometimes we may even think that we have nothing to offer, no value, but think about this . . . today you may have…

• Assisted an elderly person across the street.
• Shared something with a friend or student that sparked her interest.
• Held your child through his tears to his smiles.
• Provided the support that helped someone through a tough time.
• Participated in providing a product or service that helped better people’s lives.
• Helped a team member break through a barrier.
• Opened a door for someone else.
• Offered a piece of advise that transformed someone’s life.

Don’t ever think that you don’t have anything to offer people like Johnny first thought.  Everyone has something of value to offer others whether it be in your personal life or your professional life.  Something as simple as sharing a smile can make someone’s day.

Are you expecting something in return?

Unfortunately there are many people today who will not consistently help others without anticipating something in return. We all know that people have busy lives . . .  committed to their own daily needs, families and friends and often helping each other whenever appropriate. This is of course as it should be between families and friends.  Being of service, however, should extend far beyond family and friends.  Being of service is to unconditionally provide assistance when apparent and appropriate, without expecting anything in return.

Relating “being of service” to your business . . .

“The internet has dramatically changed the way business is being done around the world, and many businesses and entrepreneurs are getting lost in the shuffle of change.  In today’s competitive world, finding a way to attract people to you is key and doing it in a way that is being of service by offering value will set you apart from the masses.”

How many times do you hear in this crazy online world of ours, “Offer Value to Others”.  To really stand out in the crowd of marketers, you must “put your personal signature on the job”, just like Johnny did for his customers.  His lane in the grocery store was long and noone wanted to switch lanes.  Why? Because they all wanted to hear what Johnny’s “thought” was for the day.  He brought a ton of value to these people with his simple “thought for the day” . . . it came from his heart without expecting a thing in return.

This, my friend, is what we ALL need to do to attract others to us and our businesses.  We are all unique and we all bring unique ideas and concepts to the table.  Imagine building a tribe of followers that have no desire to “switch lanes”.  They look forward to the value you give them . . . you are being of service to them without expecting anything in return.

Here are some ways to communicate the idea of giving value:

• Be a solutions-provider
• Be hungry to serve others’ needs
• Be a good listener

Of course, not everyone values the same thing.  In general, people are drawn to the person who helps them. Several things determine the attractive power of what you have to give.

• The attitude of the giver. The more genuine the offer to help, the more powerfully people are drawn to the giver.
• The relevance of the value. The more relevant to the receiver’s needs, the more powerfully people are drawn to the giver.
• The place and timing of the value offered. The value given at the right time and place will seem natural and confirm the receiver’s perception of the giver as positively attractive.

Following are some great ideas that I found for you to ponder as to how you want to be of service to others and the value you bring to the table:

• e-information/tips/suggestions: e-book, webinar, e-course, e-zine (e-newsletter), podcast, video, articles, blog posts
• other information/tips/suggestions: conference ticket, brochure, live seminar
• product savings: samples, trial offers, service, repair, extended warranty
• prospects/customers/work: leads, referrals, introductions, job opportunity, business opportunity
• business help: consultation, coaching, training, feedback, mentoring, live demonstration, advertising space, software, web site
• personal support: listening ear, encouragement, inspiration, sports or concert ticket, babysitting, ride/transport, lunch, refreshments, upgrade

Use your imagination.  Everyone has value to offer.  People are always seeking advice and help in our industry.  You might have read an incredible book and pulled some golden nuggets out of it that might help someone else take their business to the next level.  Or maybe you just got off of a webinar that changed your thinking that might help someone else do the same.

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.  You might even be one day ahead of someone else in a training series.  Guess what?  You have value to offer and you can be of service to someone!  It doesn’t matter if you are brand new in this industry.

Every day, make it a point to learn something new, then blog about it, write an article, make a video, tweet about it . . . whatever you resonate with . . . just share it and and share it from your heart as Johnny did, and it will bring value into someone else’s life.

Be of service without expecting anything in return, enjoy the journey and see where your life takes you!

I love your comments . . . let me know what you have done today to be of service. 

Wishing you a lifetime of prosperity, abundance and freedom,

Sheri

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A landing page template is a “must have” in every marketer’s toolbox!  You, as a marketer, should be building a list and in order to do that, you must have a capture page (or a landing page template) to capture a visitor’s information.

In the past, I have paid monthly fees to companies who provide the software for a variety of landing page templates, which is great, but they were very confusing and you have a limited amount of templates.  I have also tried to build one on my own … not very duplicable!!! 

It wasn’t until recently that I stumbled upon Larry’s  ”The Squeeze Page”.   What he has put together is nothing short of phenomenal, in my opinion, but you need to decide for yourself . . .

Let’s take a look at the highlights of The Squeeze Page

First of all, what is it?  The Squeeze Page is brand new technology.  It allows you to turn any website into a capture page with zero coding, zero downloading requirements and zero HTML knowledge.   PLUS you don’t even need to own the site.  It is perfect for Clickbank products, Facebook profile, blogs, MLM replicated sites, Twitter and any other sites.

The Squeeze Page has some very unique features. 

• Use it to build your list with any website
• No coding or HTML required
• Pages can be set up in minutes
• Personalize the entire page with text, pictures, video, etc.
• Option to use your own autoresponder account; or use the The Squeeze Page system to capture the info and send you email notifications; or set it up to automatically build your Twitter list – this is cool and viral!
• Choose when you want your capture page to load – when someone visits your site or when someone tries to leave your site, or both!
• Option to have a “close” button on your capture page (perfect for Twitter and Facebook)
• Choose the number of seconds the system will wait before showing your capture page
• Option to collect the visitor’s phone number
• Option to create an “exit grabber” page (a page that pops up when a visitor tries to leave your sight) customized with a male or female audio message
• Gives you the long url to use for your Squeeze Page or automatically gives you a bitly url to use for tracking
• Stats at a glance
• Offers an affiliate program

Here are a couple of examples where I have used The Squeeze Page:

Example 1

Example 2

Now let’s have Larry explain how it works (only 5 minutes) . . .

It also has an Exit Grabber Page…  

If you would like to take a complete tour of the system or if you are ready to put this tool in your toolbox, then Click Here to get started.

So there you have it!  Another tool to help you succeed online . . . if this explanation of The Squeeze Page has enlighted you, and you care to share it, please feel free to do so! 

Wishing you a lifetime of prosperity, abundance and freedom,

Sheri

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Sitting in Café DeFrance

So…it all happened last Sunday on a beautiful day here in Colorado while sitting in the Café DeFrance.  Now one might think I was having a “romantic” lunch with my husband in a sweet little café on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, but . . .  not the case….

I was actually sitting in a business training where I had many of those little “ah ha” moments that came to me and the ole’ light bulb started to shine even brighter!  Let’s fast forward to the end of the training when I wrapped my arms around a golden nugget when one of the trainers said, “Oh by the way, this is what I am doing for my team and it is working very well.  I started a ’21 Day Challenge’ for my team and if you want the details, I will send you the information.” 

Ok, so my wheels started to turn…hmmmmm ’21 Day Challenge’….that might get everyone moving on my team, including myself!  My mind went into overdrive!  

First Things First!

I immediately requested the information.  Got it.  Reviewed it.  Then sat there and said “WOW” after reading number 8:  Treat this as a “job” for 21 days, no absentee, no excuses. Work when you say you’re going to work. And let’s not forget about number 6:  Have an accountability partner and talk to your partner daily.  “DAILY?” I repeated to myself…do ya think I would be motivated if I had to let someone else know what I did that day?!?!?

At this point in time, I’m thinking how this ’21 day challenge’ thing could work in every area of a person’s life.  Want to lose weight? Do a ’21 Day Challenge”.  Want to grow your business?  Do a ’21 Day Challenge”.  Want to push your endurance for running?  Do a “21 Day Challenge”.  Want a better relationship?  Do a ’21 Day Challenge’.  You get the picture.

So Off to Google I Went …

Yes, I did Google “21 Day Challenge” just to see what would come up.  I got a wealth of information . . . would you ever doubt Google for a moment?!?!?   I had always read and heard about how it takes 21 days to form a habit, and I wanted to learn more about that.  I kept running across references in Google about a book called  “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Dr. Maxwell Maltz.  I’m thinking, I’ve heard about that book….in fact, I think I HAVE that  book sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust.  You probably don’t have any of those, right?!  ;-)   YES!!!  I found it!  Now I just need to find this 21 day habit thing they were talking about on Google.

Found it!  So Here is the Quote from Dr. Maxwell Maltz himself . . .

“It usually requires a minimum of about 21 days to effect any perceptible change in a mental image.  Following plastic surgery it takes about 21 days for the average patient to get used to his new face.  When an arm or leg is amputated, the “phantom limb” persists for about 21 days.  People must live in a new house for about three weeks before it begins to “seem like home.”  These, and many other commonly observed phenomena tend to show that it requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to jell.” 

It was discovered through Maltz’s research that it takes around 21 days for new pathways and connections to form in our brains.

Other studies suggest the same thing . . . that doing anything for 21 days in a row forms a habit. This may or may not hold true (there are always skeptics on every subject, and this subject is no different) however, by committing to 21 days in a row of doing ANYTHING can only be good, so why not?

I believe, you create or eliminate a habit by making a decision to do or not to do something. Once you’ve truly made that decision and you believe that you CAN do it, it will happen. But as long as it’s something you believe you SHOULD do rather than something you are truly motivated to do, it may not become a habit in 21 days.  

So, let’s go with the flow and decide that you CAN do it and that a change of habit will help you align your actions and desire.  Too often we want something, but our actions don’t match up.  So let’s dive into areas that can only be helpful in this 21 day quest for a better “something” in your life!

Take The Challenge

The 21 day figure is not set in stone, but if you are going to take the challenge seriously, then you need to do it for at least 21 days, missing no days in between. It may seem like a long time, but what is 3 weeks of daily commitment to something that can potentially change your life for the better? 

Decide what area of your life you would like to work on, or a certain way you would like to ‘be’.

Some ideas to ponder:

• Lose weight
• Quit smoking or smoke less in a day
• Grow your business
• Establish a better relationship with your spouse or kids
• Drink more water each day
• Eath healthier
• Quit drinking
• Walk your dog more
• No complaining

In determining what it is that you want to change, it will help if you follow these guidelines . . .

• Achievable: If you set your mind to it, your chances of succeeding should be high. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting your target too high!
• Measurable: Your habits should be easily measurable, not general or vague.
• Daily: Your habit should be something that you’re going to repeat everyday.
• Impact: Your intentions should have a positive impact on your life and health.
• Habit: The whole purpose of this is to implement NEW habits into your life, so it is important to set targets that you can achieve.
• Challenge: Your habits should challenge you to go out of your comfort zone.
• Commitment: Don’t write anything down unless you absolutely commit to doing it. Once you decide to do it, there’s no quitting. There’s no sitting on the fence. Commit to it wholeheartedly.

Remember, focus, determination, commitment, persistency, and a plan of action is what it will take to get you through your 21 days.  Keep your eye on the goal and make sure you find a partner to hold you accountable, or maybe even start a blog about your progress for the world to see!  

A Real Life Example

In my journey through Google, I found this post made by Dr. Janet Starr Hull that I thought was very intriguing and inspiring.  Instead of rewriting the results of her Total Life Success 21 Day Challenge, I have posted it below.  You may find the full article here.   

Total Life Success 21-Day Challenge are in and are nothing less than spectacular! This Challenge, Total Life Success’ third, was the largest and most inspiring yet. In all, sixteen entrants participated, reaching for success in four life areas including Mind, Body, Spirit and Wealth. Participants worked towards success in everything from losing weight to publishing their writings; from rediscovering the joy of a life’s work to choosing serenity.

What It Takes To Succeed

The opening days of the Challenge were incredible with more than 2500 visitors flooding the forum a day, posting over 125 messages a day encouraging Challenge participants, offering suggestions, support and cheering their efforts. As with every new challenge every participant discovered that the status quo is never broken lightly. Each and every Challenge has found participants confronted by significant obstacles within days of beginning their efforts to improve their life.

Commitment and persistence were the name of the game. Participants who succeeded in remaining focused on success shared a number of common traits. Rather than extra- ordinary effort, superhuman resources and unworldly wisdom, successful Challenge participants:

Posted Daily. Regardless of whether the day held only success or temporary setbacks and obstacles successful Challenge participants made and kept a commitment to post their actions towards success, the day’s events, and the results of their actions daily. By bringing their Challenge efforts to the Forum every day these participants held themselves accountable and received daily encouragement, support and suggestions for success. Nearly every participant that completed the Challenge mentioned this factor as one of the factors that spelled success for them.

Saw Setbacks as Temporary Situations and Not Indications of Their Disposition. Although not every Challenge participant started with a clear vision of what temporary setbacks meant for them, ALL of the Challenge participants realized by the end of the Challenge that the setbacks that are inevitable in any effort to succeed. Successful participants realized that setbacks are temporary, overcomeable (no matter how large), and relevant only to today (and not their inevitable success). Successful Challenge participants realized that obstacles, no matter how large or frustrating, only indicated what was happening and had no bearing on who they were or what they could accomplish.

Worked for Progress, Not Perfection. Not every participant that started the Challenge finished the Challenge. Successful participants quickly realized that the ideal of “perfection” — in effort, in results or in the time and opportunity to begin working for success — simply does not exist. Rather than waiting until the stars were right or they “felt” like starting, successful participants took the words of Teddy Roosevelt to heart, starting where they were, with what they had, at that precise moment in life. By not waiting for perfection, they didn’t blindly insist that their efforts match the unrealistic ideal of perfection. They realized that insisting on perfect performance, perfect action and perfect thinking only burned themselves out, discouraged themselves and set up unrealistic barriers to success. The successful participants worked for progress towards their goal, realizing that, that is the only way to reach success.

Set Goals That Captured Their Imagination. The most successful Challenge participants set goals that mattered to them. By choosing a success that fired up their own passions Challenge participants used the power of their imagination and the power of a goal geared to their ultimate capabilities rather than boring themselves with someone else’s idea of success or of a level of success well below their capabilities. Rather than aiming too high and setting themselves up for failure; rather than aiming too low with an uninspiring and lackluster task, successful participants choose and began working on a success that stoked the fires of their potential – no matter how high they had to reach to achieve it.

So….What If?  What if . . . You Started a 21 Day Challenge and it Worked?!

Imagine the possibilities!  Only 3 weeks out of your life to really focus on something that could change your life for the better.  Would it be worth the time and effort?  Only you can decide that for sure.

If you decide to go forth with a 21 Day Challenge in any area of your life, please keep me updated with your progress and leave me a comment! 

Wishing you a lifetime of prosperity, abundance and freedom,

Sheri Helvey

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WOW!  Have you noticed how many Twitter tools are out there in Twitter space?  It seems like there is a new Twitter tool coming out everyday!

I was starting to get confused on all of the tools popping up, so in an effort to help you keep track of all of the Twitter tools and what they do, I have outlined some of them below…most of them are free to use.

Here we go . . .

Twitter – This is the home of Twitter which you should most definitely have an account with.  Try to get your name as this is the world of social marketing and you want to brand yourself.  If you can’t get your full name as the username, get creative . . . eg.  itsSheri or CreateWithSheri or AskSheri

TweetLater – Now called Social Oomph.  You will find lots of features with this and it is one you will want to use.  You can schedule future tweets, automatically follow those who follow you, automatically unfollow those who unfollow you, track keywords, automatically send “welcome” direct messages to those who follow you (hint:  make sure you don’t spam with your business – just put a friendly message and say “let’s connect on Facebook” and put your Facebook link in your message.)

Search.Twitter – This is an excellent search tool by entering a keyword to pull up the tweets that have that keyword in it.  A great way to find people to follow!  This tool deserves its own video!

TweetDeck –  This is a personal browser for staying in touch with what’s happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook and more.   TweetDeck shows you everything you want to see at once so you can stay organized and up to date.

Twellow – This is the Twitter “Yellow Pages”.  It is a directory of public Twitter accounts, with hundreds of categories and search features to help you find people.  This is a great resource to find people who you want to follow in your niche.

Twollow – This tool allows you to automatically follow people based on keywords.  Very useful for niche marketing.

BubbleTweet –  Say hello to your followers with a BubbleTweet – It pops up when someone goes to your Twitter page and looks like a bubble that surrounds your short video to say “hi”.

VidTweeter – Share videos with your Twitter followers the easy way!  VidTweeter enables you to play all types of videos “ON TOP” of your Twitter messages.

TweetGlide – Coming Soon.   Helps you to stay organized, allows you to post sponsored ads by earning credits, allows you to use more than 140 characters.  Watch the video for more information.

GroupTweet - Send private Twitter messages to specific groups of friends when you don’t want

TweetBacks – Customizable free Twitter backgrounds.

MyTweetSpace – More cutomizable free Twitter backgrounds.

If you become a Twitter maniac, here is a site that lists a ton of other Twitter tools – be careful, and don’t get too wrapped up in the tools.

More Twitter Tools

So, there you have it, a long list of Twitter tools!

Make sure you check back, as I will add any new ones that I come across …. And if you find any that are your favorites that I have missed, make sure you leave me a comment so that I can add it….

To your Twitter success!!! 

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You will often hear “The money is in the list”.  So what does that mean?  It simply means that you, as a marketer, should focus on building a list or a “tribe” of followers that you will be able to market to for the life of your Internet journey, no matter what company you are with. 

Companies come and go; programs come and go . . . and many times the lists you have built within a company can go too.  So, bottom line, you want to build a list or tribe that YOU own independent of any company, product or service.  This allows you to introduce new services, products concepts, ideas or whatever you want to YOUR list in the future.

Building a list and developing a relationship with the people on your list is a great way to add value for your customers, develop a strong reputation in your field and encourage sales. Many of the most successful Internet marketers make list building a top priority for those reasons. When done correctly, list marketing is extremely powerful and is so much easier with the internet at our fingertips.

Seth Godin’s book, “Tribes, We Need You To Lead Us” is a quick read and well worth it!  It is a book on leadership and talks about the importance of “tribes” or your “list”.  

“A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea.  Now the internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time.  All those blogs and social networking sites are helping existing tribes get bigger and enabling new tribes to be born — groups of ten or ten million who care about their….” ~ Seth Godin

How Do I Build A List?

There are several different ways to build a list depending on your purpose.  First and foremost, you need to decide what you want to offer someone in exchange for their contact details.   This is usually something that is free and offers some sort of value.  Following are some ideas of offers that might resonate with your style of marketing:

• Newsletter subscriptions
• Ebooks
• Articles
• Training
• Sample Products
• Audios
• Podcasts
• An Interview with an influential person
• Webinars

The offer that you make is done through an “opt in” box.  These can be easily created through an autoresponder service or you can hire someone to design one for you.  If you look to the righthand side of my blog, you will see my “opt in” box for my offer.  This is attached to my autoresponder service, but I had someone design the graphics for me.  You can put an “opt in” box on almost anything, including your Blog, Facebook, and Lead Capture Pages.

One of the most important tools for your business is a Capture Page . . .

Every serious marketer must have the ability to create lead capture pages so they can collect prospect information and conduct effective follow up marketing to make more sales. The problem with this up to now has been that new marketers simply don’t know how to create their own lead capture pages.  And other services are either too expensive or complicated for new marketers to use. 

If you design your own, you will need to know html, be familiar with FTP, etc., etc.  Way too hard for most people.  The simplest way to create a capture page is to find a company that provide “ready made” templates for you to choose from.  You will want to have the option to customize it as much as possible.  In my journey in the “Capture Page” world, I have found, what I believe is the best software for the industry.  It’s simple.    It is called “Instant Capture Page“, created by Jeff Long and he gives a wonderful overview with examples on his video . . .  

It really is that simple. 

Here is a guideline as to what should be included on your lead capture page . . .

1. Attention grabbing “Pre-Headline”
2. Headline – Presents a compelling and powerful benefit, targeted to what the prospect is searching for.
3. Description –  Explains the specifics of your offer and how it will help your prospect get what they want, fix their problem, or avoid what they don’t want.  Usually bullet points are used here.  Video and audio are great to add to increase conversions.
4. The offer and opt-in box – Offer something of value here, like free training or an e-book.
5. Call to action — Specific instructions on what to do next.

Have fun and enjoy making a variety of different capture pages!  Get Creative!!!

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What is “Twitter” anyway?  Twitter is a place where you can share and discover what’s happening in your life at any given moment, anywhere in the world.   It is a short message service or SMS where people from around the world type in explanations for what they are doing at the moment. These statuses are known as “tweets” and have to be 140 characters or less.

People can post tweets about anything – you can carry on conversations, share information, quotes, jokes and recommendations quickly and easily.

Twitter also allows you the chance to read other people’s tweets by becoming a “follower” of friends, random people, or celebrities. You can also send messages to people and edit your profile page by adding a photo and a short biography.

Watch this fun video about Twitter . . .

Ok, so now you have a pretty good idea about what Twitter is, now you might be asking . . .

How can it help MY business?

With Social Networking growing exponentially and going mainstream so quickly, Twitter has become THE place to instantly find millions of people in every single niche imaginable.  It’s a powerful way to quickly and easily build a targeted following.  It’s also a simple tool to use to building relationships and brand yourself with easy communication and invites. 

The whole object of Twitter is to follow and be followed so people are very open to following you and many people in our niche use automated tools that will automatically follow you as you follow them.  This equals a fast, free way to build a targeted list.

You will want to find and follow influential people in your niche.  Why?  That’s usually where the biggest lists of targetd people are already hanging out.  Leaders have already done a lot of research and list building for you.  So following them leads you to more like-minded people to follow. 

Following influential people also puts you in their followers list and it makes it super easy for others to also follow you as they’re looking for like-mind people to follow.  As your follower list grows, you’ll happily learn how viral Twitter is.  You’ll start getting followers on autopilot as you start showing up and more and more people’s follower lists. 

One very important rule to keep in mind . . .

So many people use Twitter in the wrong way when marketing their business.  You will see the same people “pitching” and “selling” their business in every tweet.  This is a “social network” and many people do not want to be “pitched”.  So what should you do?  A good strategy to use is this formula:

• 70% Value with NO promotion (quotes, training tips, valuable and relevant blog post links, jokes, etc)
• 20% Tips with links to your own articles, blog posts, videos (tips, reviews, training info)
• 10% Invites to your webinars, and promo invites to affiliate products, lead capture page or business opportunity

You will want to spend some time in Twitter everyday so that you can brand yourself as you establish “Top of Mind Consciousness” with your followers . . . when they think of ‘Internet Marketing Valuable Information and Training’, they will think of YOU! 

Have FUN!!!!  Twitter can be addictive! 

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Is Social Media here to stay or is it a fad?  “Word of Mouth Goes World of Mouth”!  Erik Qualman speaks about the importance of Social Media in his book,  ”Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms The Way We Live and Do Business” and how things are rapidly changing in our social world.

Here is a great excerpt from his book: 

“Why is there a need for social media?  Why has it become the most popular activity on the Web in a span shorter than three years?  Despite fragmenation caused by the Web, people still desire an understanding of what the majority of people are doing.  Social media is that mechanism.  In the future we will no longer look for the news; rather, the news will find us, or we will create it.  That future is now.”

It seems like everyday you hear of corporations, television programs, authors, radio and tv stations and even schools say, “Follow us on Twitter” or “Join us on Facebook”.   These sites are rapidly becoming the way we communicate.  People are finding it easier and easier to reconnect with friends and schoolmates, create new friendships, keep abreast of the news among many other things.   The Twitter and Facebook logos are popping up everywhere!

Alexa.com, which is a resource to discover information about websites, lists the “Top 500 Sites on the Web”.  At the time of this post, five out of first 13 sites are Social Media sites:

• Facebook is number 3
• YouTube is number 4
• Blogger is number 7
• MySpace is number 11
• Twitter is number 13

The following video is an excellent overview of where we are headed with social media . . . Watch and absorb!

So, is social media a fad?  hmmmmm . . . . looks like it is here to stay to me.  What do you think?  Don’t get left behind! 

• Tweet This!
• Share this on Facebook
• Post on Google Buzz
• Digg this!
• Ping this on Ping.fm
• Share this on del.icio.us
• Share this on LinkedIn
• Sphinn this on Sphinn
• Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon

In short, a Lead Capture System is comprised of two things, a lead capture page (also known as a Squeeze Page or a Landing Page) and follow-up emails (autoresponders). 

A ”Lead Capture Page“ is a simple one page web site that consists of the following components: 

1. Attention grabbing “Pre-Headline”
2. Headline – Presents a compelling and powerful benefit, targeted to what the prospect is searching for.
3. Description –  Explains the specifics of your offer and how it will help your prospect get what they want, fix their problem, or avoid what they don’t want.  Usually bullet points are used here.  Video and audio are great to add to increase conversions.
4. The offer and opt-in box – Offer something of value here, like free training or an e-book.
5. Call to action — Specific instructions on what to do next.

The “Follow-up” part of a Lead Capture System is done through an autoresponder service and is one of the most vital components of your business.  An autoresponder service simply allows you to load up a series of email letters that are sent out at pre-scheduled times for automatic follow-up to the people who opted in through your lead capture page.   

What is the purpose of a Lead Capture Page?

The ONLY purpose of a Lead Capture Page is to convert traffic to leads that you can follow up with at a later date, also known as “list building” or “building your tribe”.  A lead capture page is NOT the place or tool for making a sale of anything other than selling the prospect on opting into your list to gain more information later.  PLEASE understand this — the only objective of a lead capture page is to compel your target prospect to fill out the form and “opt in” to your list.  Once this happens, your “Lead Capture Page” has done it’s job!  And you have started to Build Your List!  And this, my friend, is what your focus should be on — Building YOUR list. 

The easiest software I have found to design a lead capture page is through Instant Capture Page.   Simple, affordable, and you can use it for any program, product or service.

 How does this “Follow-up” thing work?

The ability to control the flow of communication to your followers list is THE most valuable tool you have in internet marketing.  Your autoresponder (emails) is the heart and soul of your business.  It will generate front end sales quickly and efficiently, but even more powerful, it has the ability to continue to generate sales on the back end of your marketing funnel for years and years to come.  Repeat sales come at no cost to you when you know how to fully leverage the power of your autoresponder and email marketing.

The key to using an autoresponder effectively is to not abuse your list with sales pitches void of valuable content.  You should use the 90/10 approach . . . write your follow up emails to contain 90% valuable content (training tips, personal development info, etc.) and 10% sales messages. 

So, first and foremost, you need to find a company that offers an autoreponder service.  Two of the most popular services out there are Aweber and Get Response.  They both have tutorials to walk you through on how to set up your autoresponders.  Your autoresponder service will be connected to your lead capture opt in box, so when a person opts in, this will trigger your emails that you have set up in your autoresponder service….and now your emails (follow-up) are on auto-pilot!!! 

Always remember . . .  ”the fortune is in the follow-up”!!! 

Alright, this sounds good, but how does this help me build my primary program? 

Simple . . .  in your autoresponders where you offer valuable content (remember the 90/10 rule?), you break up your messages/training with short and sweet recommendations or invitations to review some affiliate product, tool, resource or your business.  Then continue with more content in the email and in the “P.S.” at the very end of the email, include another invitaton or recommendation and call to action that directly links the reader to an offer or promotion.

Now, you can always write your emails about your primary business which is fine, but so many people are getting “blasted” with business opportunities nowadays that it is refreshing to offer people valuable content and THEN once that relationship is established and they trust you, you can introduce them to your primary program. 

Build and cultivate those relationships!!!