(Written by guest contributor Fletcher Groeneman) It can be said that consumers are persuaded to purchase by their perception of the product and not by the actual product itself. What promotes the idea that every need can be satisfied with the goods or services from a given company? Effective and creative advertising is a skill that every corporation desires yet few succeed in mastering. What makes some ads so successful and others just pathetic? A... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Fletcher Groeneman) Last time we discussed the first step in the process of branding, "know yourself." This time I would like to build on that foundation. If you feel you have a solid idea of what you or your product wants to become, it is time to learn how to best present it. While it's true you may have a great product, every product has its weaknesses. The good news is... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Andrew Albritton) Search engine marketing (SEM), sometimes referred to as paid search, is the practice of bidding on keyword strings to increase a website's visibility on the search engine results pages (SERPs). For Internet marketers SEM can be a highly effective means for promoting and driving traffic to a website or sales page. In fact, when optimized and managed effectively, a well-performing SEM campaign is one of the most sought-after and... Continue Reading

In this weekly update, you might find me trending a bit towards pop culture. There's just so much to talk about. The title of the entry sandwiches a very serious issue in between two entertaining, yet ultimately meaningless television programs for a reason. That's because the health care discussion (if you can call it that) that has taken place in the United States the past year has been largely void of substance. Instead, the current... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Andrew Krzysiak) Photographs and illustrations are elements of nearly every design. They have the power to add emotion, interest, and impact to the content of any layout. Getting the right image that will communicate your message to the desired demographic can be a challenge. This article will help you get the picture. Continue Reading

Apart from Twitter's own terms of service which prohibit obvious things like harassment, transmitting viruses and spamming other members, there really aren't many rules to the site. You can essentially use Twitter however you like. However, for people and businesses who want to use Twitter successfully (eg: build a following and grow their circle of influence), there are a number of best practices that can be observed. I cover many of these in my book... Continue Reading

Twitter has experienced massive growth in the past year, with the number of people signing up each month accelerating. It has also become the media darling of the day. It seems that everyone is Twittering. However, with only 10-12 million people on the site, its clear that everyone is NOT Twittering. Don't fret. They will be soon. So where is the media paying the most attention to Twitter? You guessed it. It's all about the... Continue Reading

Every time I go to a conference or take part in a seminar I meet a bunch of amazing people. I meet people who are experts at marketing. I chat to entrepreneurs who are wizards at search engine optimization. I swap ideas with other bloggers who are making six-figure incomes on the strength of their posts. Every one of those people is special. But they aren't successful because they're special. They're special because they're successful. Continue Reading

It's the day after election day and Barack Obama is President-Elect of the USA. On today's episode, we had a fun time discussing the election, Internet marketing,flying monkeys and more. Joined by Eric Farewell and Dan Nickerson, we fielded a number of questions and had some laughs. Watch for the official recount and a new top ten list. It's all here. Enjoy Continue Reading

Here's a campaign ad that goes directly to the heart of this election. Who knows better how to spend YOUR money and run YOUR life? You or Government? We're at a crossroads. I pray we make the right choice. Continue Reading

It was a one-of-a-kind show today, with special guest J.T. Foxx. Nationally-syndicated radio show host, J.T. has plenty of opinions on politics and business. With the election coming up, it was interesting to hear his point of view. Dan brought us a new Top Ten list, and the long-awaited destruction of our desk finally happened. It has all the components of a classic show. Watch the replay now! Continue Reading

Here's a cool find. Do the books your fellow countrymen are reading indicate which way their vote may be leaning? You'll be fascinated as you explore Amazon's Election 2008 Interactive map. Simply visit the site and you are presented with a United States map color-coded to the current political leanings, based on the titles that are being ordered by people living within each state. Red is for Republican. Blue is for Democrat. Continue Reading

With all the speculation that John McCain would select Mitt Romney to be his running mate in the 2008 election, I find it rewarding to see that he has chosen far wiser. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been thrust into the limelight as McCain has selected her to be his Vice President should he be elected in November. I am very pleased with this selection for a number of reasons. Continue Reading

I'm very excited about the first day that our new iPhone application has been live. We've had about 2000 people download and use the application already and it seems to be catching on very quickly! Here's a news release that is going to hit the wire on August 22nd in which we reveal who iPhone users would vote for if the election were held today. Check it out here --> Obama vs. McCain Want to... Continue Reading