Facebook can be very frustrating. Early on, I accepted every friend request that came my way. I was being social, right? Shortly after hitting my 5000 friend limit, my account was suspended. After creating a bit of a hullaballoo (don't get to use that word very often), my account was re-activated. Then came pages. Now I had a place to send people who wanted to follow me. The numbers quickly grew. But my Facebook stream... Continue Reading

When was the last time you read a press release? Let's face it. The majority of press releases issued by companies are totally boring and uninteresting. Why is that? Certainly Company X is excited about their new product and they can't wait to tell the world about it. But why should a blogger or media outlet care about Company X's new product or service? Unless your company's name is Apple, odds are you will have... Continue Reading

Remember the good old days? AM radio blaring the latest top forty hits. Televisions with dials on the set so you would have to get up to change the channel. And who can forget the typewriter? Simply put in a piece of paper and start typing! It was magical. That is, until you made a mistake. Get the White Out! The magical days of the typewriter have returned. Only now you don't really need paper... Continue Reading

I wasn't always a fan of roller coasters. When I was a little boy they terrified me. I think my mother took me on one and in my mind that would be the last time I would ever ride one. I remember seeing Space Mountain at Walt Disney World and thinking to myself "no way!" Sometime around fifteen years old that changed. I was at Marriott's Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, with my best friend... Continue Reading

The following email was sent to me by one of the creators of The Internet Marketing World Cup. I told them I would consider updating my previous blog entry based on what he shared with me. After further consideration, I thought I would just let IMWC's point-of-view speak for itself. With that said, here is the entire email sent to me. It is thoughtful and I admire the IMWC team for proactively contacting me and... Continue Reading

Sometimes email and direct marketing tactics can be somewhat akin to hitting your customer or prospect over the head with a hammer. Think of how you feel when you open your Inbox to find a slew of unwanted emails from companies that want your business: you probably feel slammed, bombarded, blasted, and yes, hammered. But though at times you are totally inundated and overwhelmed by all of these different communications and offers, there are... Continue Reading

Last week the FTC dropped a bomb on the marketing world. They released new guidelines for the use of testimonials and endorsements in marketing. I immediately contacted my attorney, Kevin Houchin, to get his take on the latest guidelines. With Kevin's permission, I am republishing the entire text of his interpretation. It is essential that all marketers, online and offline, pay attention to this content. And understand that if you have ANY questions, you should... Continue Reading

In my book, Twitter Power, I describe a number of different kinds of tweets that twitterers are posting on the site. I talk about news tweets and customer service tweets, random thoughts and feedback, and a whole lot more besides. I explain how businesses are using them, why they work and how to make them work for you. You don't have to use all -- or any -- of those tweet models if you don't... Continue Reading

As I'm sure you read on my blog or elsewhere on the web, Facebook had suspended my account. After sending a few emails and having some friends with contacts at Facebook work on my behalf, my account has been reinstated. Here is the email I received from them... Continue Reading

I said I was going to go into silent mode regarding our sales, but so many people have asked me what happened through Christmas Day that I have decided to release stats just one more time. We left off December 23rd with stats current from our release date on 12/12 through 12/22. Everyone is curious about what happened next. You may be shocked. I know I was when I saw the numbers. Continue Reading

You can have a great idea for a web site. And developing the site can be a very rewarding experience. But without one thing, it doesn't matter how nice your site is... That thing is traffic. Traffic is really the "life blood" of our business. Without traffic you can't make sales, you can't generate affiliate commissions, you can't build a list... (you get the picture). So today I want to focus on traffic, and tell... Continue Reading

I make no secret of it. I am a 43-year old man who loves playing computer and video games. And why not? I was a teenage when Space Invaders, Asteroids and Centipede took over the arcades. I was sixteen when I bought my first computer, a TRS-80. It was great for primitive gaming. And I've got a great collection of old computer software in a special room in my basement. Perhaps I'll do a video... Continue Reading

I did it. I bit the bullet and picked up an iPhone. I've been a faithful Treo 650 user for two years, but the buzz regarding Apple's new device won me over. So I ponied up $599 + shipping and tax to get one of these puppies in my hands, though I was unsure of what I would find once I actually got to try it out for myself. I may now render the verdict... Continue Reading

I had the pleasure of enjoying the company of my brother and his family this past weekend. They live in suburban Chicago, so it was a treat for them to come to the mountains and enjoy a little slower pace for a few days. By the way, you'll want to watch for my bro. He is a brilliant CPA with some keen insights into money management. I foresee a website and a book in the... Continue Reading