MIBW
Archives
December
7, 2001
Please
note that these are archives so many links to ads and
old pages may not work.
Of
course any contests or special sales you may read about
are obsolete so please don't email me about any
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So
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MY IBIZ WEEKLY!
Starting a Business on the Internet isn't impossible if you have
the right help...
December 7, 2001 Vol.2, Issue 1
Proud Member of the Ezine Publishers Association
Join Free http://www.ezinepublishers.org
THIS WEEKS' ISSUE:
1. Top Sponsor
2. Note from the Publisher: Changes to the Newsletter PLEASE READ
3. Virus Alert Nice Free Email Security Testing Tool
4. What's New at http://MyIBizHelper.com
5. Guest Article: HOW TO WRITE TO PERSUADE By John Colanzi
6. Weekly Webmaster Tip: Organizing your Site with Folders
7. Guest Article: A Week in the Life of an Internet Marketer
By Rick Beneteau
8. Free Ads Section
9. Contact Information/Subscription Info
2. NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Welcome everyone to another issue of My IBiz Weekly. I just
wanted to let everyone know that I am no longer hosting this list with Topica. I am using a cgi mailing list script from Frank Bauer of
http://Add2it.com So now I have better control of my list. I will still keep the list open at Topica for a few more weeks in case anyone still has the old address.
I am still considering running a classified edition on possibly
Sunday? I am getting a lot of ads and I want to be sure that the
ads don't get buried and no one gets a chance to read them.
If I do send this out, then I will give everyone the option to opt out of a classified edition and/or solo ads.
This has been a busy week for me and I'm not talking about moving the list. It is the end of the year and there are a lot of things to wrap up. I know a lot of people are busy with the holidays but are you organizing yourself for the new year...?
Have you reached your financial goals this year, if not so you
have any strategies for better financial success next year? Tax
time is coming up. Do you have your receipts together? Copies of everything?
Have you improved the quality of your life and that of your
families'? Have any conflicts been resolved? Grudges settled?
Have you learned from your mistakes this year so next year will
be even better? Make a list and stick to it. Tape it next to your computer and let it be a reminder of your goals.
Today's issue focuses on how to write effectively to achieve your online success. From free ads to sales letters to articles, there has to be a basic knowledge of writing in order to have your ad/letter/article stand out. Learning how to write and how to sell is one of the key things to strive for. I have a guest article for you from John Colanzi about how to write persuasively. Last week I showed you the good bad and ugly about working at home, now here is an article from Rick Benetau about a day in the life of an Internet Marketer.
!!COMING NEXT WEEK!!
Why is everyone so Afraid of Affiliate Links?
Are your Ads working or are you just fed up!
Stay tuned...
3. VIRUS ALERT NICE FREE EMAIL SECURITY TESTING TOOL
Is your Computer really tested for viruses? Viruses are going
around like crazy this month and you always have to make sure you
are protected. Does your anti-virus software really do the trick?
I found out about a Free email security testing tool from Fred
Langa of the Langa List newsletter.
http://www.gfi.com/emailsecuritytest/
has a test that sends
you e-mails which test a different attack on the e-mail
system.... If you can open the attachments, you are in big
trouble. Don't worry, they only leave behind a .txt file as a
reminder of the danger!
Since I received the [test] e-mails.... However, I have Outlook
and Outlook Express set to not open anything automatically,
turned off the preview pane, practice safe e-mail ethics (never
open an e-mail attachment on the first date!), and scan all
attachments and disks for viruses. While I have a virus scanner,
I don't run it all the time. I do have Zone Alarm as a firewall,
and I have never (knock on a digitalized image of wood) been bit
by a virus. I find that Outlook and Outlook Express aren't
inherently less secure than others, only that the default
settings are.
Here is another tip that many people don't know about. In Outlook
Express you can right click on an unopened e-mail, select
"properties" then the "details" tab and then select "message
source" to read an e-mail in a safe manner. This has allowed me
to decide that the e-mail was spam, carried a nasty payload, or
was a complete waste of my time. I can then delete it safely.
--From Bill Grigg--
This item reprinted with permission from The LangaList (a free
email newsletter available at http://www.langa.com/newsletter.htm
),
Copyright (c) 2001 Langa Consulting."
5. Guest Article: HOW TO WRITE TO PERSUADE
By John Colanzi
I'm sure you've seen those ads that grab your attention and
have you ready to pull out your wallet or credit card. They
are literally making you an offer you can't refuse.
Don't you wish your ads were that persuasive?
Are the marketers who wrote these ads natural born writers,
or is there a formula that you can learn?
Writing to persuade is a skill that can be learned, like
any other skill. It's just a matter of breaking down the
process into four simple steps.
Step # 1.
The first step in writing your killer sales letter is to
identify your target market.
This seems simple enough, but how many marketers do it?
When reading some of the ads I get in my inbox, I have to
wonder.
I don't want to burst your bubble, but the truth is, not
everyone on the planet is a prospect. Concentrate on those
who are.
Before you begin your ad campaign identify your target
audience.
Step # 2.
Once you've identified your target market determine what
their major problems are.
* Do they need more money
* Do they need to save time
* Are they interested in improving their health
Sit down and determine every problem that your prospects
have and decide how your product or service can help solve
their problems.
There are no shortage of problems, but there is a shortage
of problem solvers. Start thinking in terms of becoming a
problem solver and you'll always be in demand.
OK, you've identified your market, you've determined what
problems they have, now you're ready for the next step.
(Article continues after a brief message)
Build Your Own Software Empire... Even If You Can't Write a Line
of Code. Details Revealed Here:
http://software.secrets-exposed.com/e/?31894
(Back to the article)
Step # 3.
The third step in writing your killer copy is to let your
prospects know that there is a solution to their problem.
Not only is there a solution to their problem, but you have
the solution.
Remember these three magic words, "I can help."
Identifying the problem is not enough. You have to show
the reader that there is a solution and you have it.
Tell them every benefit they will get when they order your
product or take advantage of your service.
Let them know you can help them make more money, save time,
or improve their health.
Step # 4.
The final step in creating killer ad copy is getting the
prospect to take action.
Identifying your market, determining their problems and
letting them know you have the solution, is not enough.
You have to make them act.
You have to create a sense of urgency.
There are many ways you can do this. You can offer a
special discount for fast action.
You can offer special fast action bonuses.
Ask for the order.
Let them know they don't have to put up with their problems
another day. You can solve them right now.
These four steps are a basic outline to get you started.
Start studying the sales letters you read and break them
down into the four basic steps. Determine how effective the
writer was in covering the bases.
Make notes on how you could improve on the sales letter.
Learning to write persuasive copy is a life long venture.
You can write persuasive copy. You have the basics, the
rest is up to you.
Wishing You Success,
John Colanzi
http://www.internet-profits4u.com
Copyright (c) 2001 John Colanzi.
John publishes the "Street Smart Marketing" newsletter.
Subscribe now and receive access to our Free Internet
Marketing Library: http://johncolanzi.com/freeware.html
If you enjoyed this article you can view more of John's
articles at:
http://www.internet-profits4u.com/content1.html
6. WEEKLY WEBMASTER TIPS ( BACK TO THE BASICS)
KEEP COPIES OF EVERYTHING
As a Webmaster and Ezine Publisher, you should always keep copies
of everything. Every:
subscription request
unsubscribe request
free ad
customer feedback
ads that you have used
copies of old issues
receipts of sales
any credit card disputes
emails from other webmasters
You never know when someone will complain that they never
subscribed, or that their credit card was charged incorrectly.
Trust me it may seem like a big hassle right now but keep these
copies, and not just in your email program. Keep copies on your
hard drive and ALWAYS, ALWAYS back up everything. Don't think
your computer can not crash. You want to see something depressing, try looking at that blue screen after you forgot to
save your work!!
7. Guest Article: A Week in the Life of an Internet Marketer
aka: Cyber-Sh#@ Happens!!
By Rick Beneteau
A Positive Preface
Before I begin, I want you to know that I am the eternal
optimist. Just ask anyone who knows me. So much so, I've become a
master of twisting and turning the negatives into positives.
I am writing this on Friday evening. Everyone knows though that
Netrepreneurs live in Internet Time and usually never know what
day of the week it is. Monday is like Thursday is like Sunday.
However I am going to assume for the sake of this article (and my
sanity) that this IS the last day of one of the worst weeks in
cyber-history. At least for me.
Now I'm not quite to the point of resurrecting all that has
happened these past five days because it's too soon, but let me
tell you about MY week.
Setting the (Trap Door on the) Stage
Having made the decision to venture out on my own with a brand
new company http://www.interniche.net
, this week was supposed to be the start of launching one of my new projects. And I was as
excited as a tyke in a toy store!
It involved my good friend, Marlon Sanders. He offered me a
generous lead time to promote a great, inexpensive new marketing
tutorial called "Discover the Amazing Formula That Sells Products
Like Crazy!" http://www.higherresponse.com/track/t.cgi/8030
.
Perfect timing, as my new affiliate program was still a week away
from launching.
Monday: Unleashing the Beast
I prepare my newsletter supplement to offer this wonderful tool
and its 7 FREE BONUSES to my 4000 Mirror subscribers and mail it
out. A new article submission (with a soft-shoe pitch about this
product in the cover letter) to the ezine/newsletter editors is
readied and I press the send button. As expected, orders start
flooding in immediately. GREAT!!
Within 2 hours, my main site is down! Webhost is contacted and
although normally patient with this sort of thing, I'm not in
this situation. But they are SLOW with an answer let alone a
solution. Day turns to night and I'm receiving a range of emails
from people politely informing me that the site is unavailable to
the rather crude "why would send me a product I can't access?".
Webhost is still not offering a resolution.
Exhausted, I go to bed knowing I'm losing sales and my customers
are losing out on a great product. Not to mention I look a little
foolish!
Tuesday: The Law of that Renowned Irishman (that would be
"Murphy")
Up early and my site is back up!! What to do? Well, an apology is
certainly due even though I realize that most of my subscribers
won't give a cyber-care about my techno-excuse.
So I double-check my site and the order form and all is well. I
email everyone informing them everything is now functioning
properly. As the last email seeps out of my system, I visit both
pages again and guess what? The server the order form is on is
down!
Still morning but felt like pouring a steep drink, going back to
bed and re-reading "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People". This
secure server is 'free' and normally reliable but as with all
things free, something suffers and guess what? It's support!
Balance of the day is spent fielding email regarding "round 2" of
this fiasco. Some of it is nasty. Like I'm doing this on purpose
just to inconvenience people.
Sweet dreams are not a possibility this night either.
Wednesday: A Silver Lining?
The article submission from Monday has borne some great results.
Quite a few publications are going to feature my new article,
including one of the Internets largest. The very next day too!
Downside is the secure server is still down. And it remains so
all day and evening. Seems like I wasn't destined to sell this
particular product. Decision time. Get my programmer to set up a
new order form on another server. Might still salvage a few
sales. Of course, this is never a quick process so it's a waiting
game.
And I wait....and I wait....and I wait...
Thursday: The Cloud Bursts
Morning's email floods in and voila!...my article in fact appears
in this major zine. Super! My new company needs the hits this
will generate. But guess what? They published my old "bio" which
points the readers to the business I had sold my interest in a
few months ago. The silver lining was black-holed!
I, of course request a retraction in the next day's issue, which
is agreed to. At least there will be some salvage to this
blooper.
Just prior to knocking off for the night I notice that ticklish
little feeling in my throat. You know, the one that foreshadows
those terrible winter viruses we all seem to get just when we
figured we beat the cold and flu season. Nothing to do with my
marketing nightmare, but a little icing on the cake of my story.
TGIF
Remember I said I was the eternal optimist? Woke up with the
feeling that nothing was going to make this the Titanic of weeks
for me. No wind or sleet or cough or ezine owner who thinks I've
totally lost it. Nothing!
My attitude is positive! My new order form is ready! My regular
newsletter will go out in advance this weekend with the "vow"
that they can now "really" access my product. I will send
"another" article to the ezine owners with my tongue-in-cheek
version of this story. My correct information will appear in
today's issue of that major ezine. I was going to be exonerated!
Some of my reputation will be repaired!
This is the point where the subtitle of the article really comes
into play. I no sooner prepare all of the above elements than
into my inbox waltzes that ezine with the retraction. And then
some really ugly email follows from readers about how terrible my
article was. People were calling me Ernie (fictitious name)! Two
of them even sent me that nasty Happy99 virus. And I already had
a real one!
Well it turns out this zine goofed again and put my email address
where this author's belonged. And readers really didn't care for
what this person had written.
Now is this not the epitomy of the kind of luck that only Martin
Short could have?
Lessons and Other Things Learned
1. Cyber-Sh#@ really does happen!
2. Even the big guns goof a lot!
3. I will somehow make this all work for me!
4. People don't like Ernie's articles!
5. You never really beat the cold and flu season!
6. My product IS REALLY available right now!
Rick Beneteau is the highly acclaimed author of the new,
top-selling ebook, Branding YOU and Breaking the Bank.
Spend what he guarantees will be the most important few minutes
you'll spend on the Internet and Start Branding YOU and Breaking
the Bank:
http://www.brandingyourself.com
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