Stats Time - What the Heck?

I haven't done this on my blog in a while, but if you've been a long time reader, you'll know I like to go through my stats to see what pages on my site are popular, what keyword phrases people are entering into search engines to see where I might maximize my marketing. Well, I'm not sharing those revelations (those are my secret!), but I do love to share some of the more humorous keyword phrases people use to find my site.

Here's some for October:

- my humps stupidest song ever - I tend to agree, but I can't help singing along.
- alice seba is single - not anymore!
- john reese traffic secrets buy - Sure...go here.
- alice tech - Uh no...from the girl who just learned to burn CDs this year...no.
- alice seba birthday - It's not 'til next year, but feel free to send an expensive gift. :-)
- my humps what does it mean - Hmmm..."my lovely lady lumps...in the back and in the front."
- moms and a lack of social life - Okay, this isn't funny...but don't let it happen to you. Get out there and have fun. Moms deserve fun too!
- password alice - I can also give you my bank account number and PIN if you'd like.
- explanation of movie stay - Apparently, Roger Ebert has the answer, but I still feel that's a load of hooey.
- who wrote my humps - wasn't me.
- can you give me the toddler newsletter for november - Sorry, no.
- girls tight jeans pictures - Okay...weird.
- steps to admitting you have problem - What the heck is that supposed to mean?
- 80s rocker girl - Actually, I was!
- will you put me on google - Although it was rumored that I am dating one of the owners of Google, it is simply not true and I cannot help you with this.
- first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem - This again? I'm getting a complex.
- teach me bookkeping free - Never ever ask me to help you with math. You'll be in big trouble.
- alice s big mouth - Whatever! I can keep a secret.
- matt gallant pics - Wowee, you stud Matt!
- slouch socks gallery - That's just kind of sick.
- millionaire boy - I am neither a boy, nor a millionaire.
- admitting you have a problem - Okay, okay! I have a problem!
- john reese is alice seba - How many times do I have to say that I am just way better looking than that guy!
- seminar junkie - Am not!
- лучший компилятор ebook - Huh?

But Story Telling is Supposed to Make Sense

Storytelling, storytelling, storytelling. Everybody loves stories. We read books, we watch movies, we gossip with friends – we all love a good story. Good copywriters also know that stories are a powerful weapon to sell products.

But goodness gracious, our stories have to make sense!!

I just saw the movie Stay. This movie with Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor asked us to ask ourselves, “What is reality?” by presenting us with a story that made no sense, but had some pretty cool direction and decent acting. But the acting and direction couldn’t save this movie from being a total disgrace.

If you want some background on the story, read this review

Maybe as humans we like safety and we crave an explanation for everything. If these reviews written by movie-goers are any indication, I think that’s the case.

If we all have budgets with millions of dollars, I suppose we could alienate our audience like this. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have millions of dollars to throw around. I want to sell products, so when I tell a story it must make sense to my customer.

My husband is a big storytelling fan (a science fiction nut, in fact) and says the best stories allow you to temporarily suspend your disbelief (which Stay asks us to do), but it has to be based in some kind of logic and reality at the same time.

Truer words have never been spoken.

So, let’s relate this to your copywriting. Do your stories make sense? If you are selling a product in limited quantity, do you give a plausible reason why? If you tell your visitors that you’re a stay at home mom on your home page…is it actually important to selling your products? As we’ve learned in the past weeks, stories can provide a sort of social proof to our selling…but if we’re not making sense or aren’t relevant, we aren’t proving anything.

What makes a good story then? Well, every product is different, of course…so I can’t tell you what story to tell in your copy. But let’s take the stay at home mom example. If you sell candles, telling people you’re a stay at home mom trying to earn money to stay home with the kids probably isn’t going to help you much. But if you’re trying to get people to sign up for your candle-selling opportunity – then it would make great sense to talk about your being able to stay home with your kids.

If you sell an information product that teaches men how to pick up women, then it makes perfect sense to tell stories about your successes and failures in the dating world. And realize the successes are just as important as the failures – they allow your reader to relate to you and adds reality to your story. But if you’re selling an ebook on Forex trading…ummmm…don’t tell them about how you can pick a woman out of the crowd and then proceed to get her to give you her phone number. ;-)

And a final bit of advice, if you have an extra $10.95 to go see movie (that’s how much it costs around here)…don’t go see Stay. Argh!

Cutting Out the Chaos & Stress Reduction

As I was reviewing Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula course today (I'm busy writing up my notes and ideas as I'm sharing those notes with all those who buy from me), I was pleasantly surprised that Jeff dealt with the issue of "product launch stress". Whether you are launching a product or just working on your websites - when you work from home that stress can build and chaos can interrupt in your life. Perhaps you've experienced this once or twice before???

Anyway, as I read Jeff's tips, I was reminded of a report I had written specifically for my work at home mom subscribers a little while back. That report specifically deals with that issue and since I know many of my blog readers are not moms, I've rewritten it to help ANYONE with an online business that needs a little hand achieving balance.

You can download it here:
Top Nine Tips for Abandoning the Chaos of the Internet Marketer

I hope you like it and find it helpful. Feel free to pass onto your friends and colleagues.

Black Eyed Peas & Creating a Reaction

In the recent Social Proof Call, Jim Edwards told a story about the newspaper editor that he wrote for. It seemed that the newspaper had some readers that couldn’t stand Jim and what he had to say in his articles and these readers were sending in hate mail. Jim asked the editor if he wanted to fire Jim. The editor said it doesn’t matter if they hate you or love you, as long as they are reading the newspaper.

If I remember correctly, a study was released not to long ago that showed that the people who hate Howard Stern actually listen to him longer than the people that like him. Hatred and disgust can be powerful things, I’d say.

Now we have the Black Eyed Peas and their newish song, “My Humps.” This is the cheesiest song, set to an 80s hip-hop beat and has the most moronic lyrics you’ll probably ever hear in your life. But the thing is, it’s a catchy tune and people are just eating it up (it’s number 11 this week on AT40). But when you search around various music forums, you’ll find this song frequently listed as the “Worst Song Ever” and it even makes a forum member here want to vomit.

Apparently everyone hates it, but it’s climbing the charts. And I’m sure these people who “hate it” are secretly dancing around in their underwear singing, “What you gonna do with all the junk, all that junk, inside that trunk…”

(Side note…if you’re from the United States, you can watch the video and listen to the song by clicking here)

So, what’s my point? Well, many people start businesses because they want to be people pleasers. They want everybody to be happy and to buy from them. Well, it ain’t gonna happen. Even though I have a course called Internet Marketing Sweetie and it teaches people how to make more money by being giving in business --- that doesn’t mean I please everyone or that everyone likes me (trust me, from the email I get there are a large number that have a strong distaste for your resident Sweetie). It also doesn’t mean I don’t have a backbone and have strong opinion on topics – and those opinions often offend people. I just say it the way I see it…and that’s that.

The point is, I’ve created a reaction. Some people love me. Some people hate me. People are driven by emotion…and hate and love are strong emotions. That’s what brings repeat visitors to your website, builds a loyal reader base and gets people buying your products.

Dr. Phil Likes Me...He Really, Really Likes Me!

Thanks to Heather Reider and Mary Goulet of Moms Town Radio, I've landed myself a spot on Dr. Phil's website. Have a look here at Dr. Phil's picks for sites that help moms work from home.

Mary and Heather will be on the Dr. Phil show for the 2nd time today and will be talking about helping moms cut out the chaos in their lives (what chaos?! hee hee). Be sure to tune in!

Wanna Free Copy of Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula Course

Well, hurry up then...because time is running out. Enter here:
http://productlaunchformula.com/prelaunch/contest.html

EDITED TO ADD (October 20, 2005): Jeff was overwhelmed by the response to his contest and shares some thoughts on the struggle to make a successful Internet business. It's inspiring and powerful. Download it here:
http://productlaunchformula.com/prelaunch/intense.html

I Need Your Input Please

Hey there, yesterday I posted an offer to help people get the most out of the information on Jeff Walker's Social Proof Call. Because it was hidden in the comments area of one of my entries...you may have missed it.

Anyway, people are telling me, "The call was great, but how does it apply to my business?" Well, social proof applies to all marketing...and every day life. I want to show you how you can use it for your products, services or business opportunities.

If you'd like a hand in generating ideas...please go to this blog entry for details (read the entry and the comments area).

EDITED TO ADD (October 20, 2005): The report is now ready. Get 8 solid ideas to implement social proof into your business by clicking here. Enjoy! :-)

Who Cares What YOU Think?

"I hate pop-ups!"

"Audio that starts on a website without warning is annoying."

"What's with these 15-20 page sales letters that just go on and on? I would never buy anything from a site like that."

"I hate those websites that make me give their email address before giving me any information. When I see those, I click away immediately."

And the list of complaints goes on.

If we hate these things, plus our website visitors and marketing peers tell us they hate these things, we should stop using them, right?

Hold it right there. Basing your marketing decision completely on opinions and preferences is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. It doesn't matter if it's your opinion or if 10 people emailed you to tell you that your website annoys them. NEVER make a judgment based on an opinion. What we think and prefer has nothing to do with the RESULTS of our marketing.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying to ignore your gut feelings or disregard your potential customers. I'm saying - test it out.

We know everyone hates pop-ups, but the fact is they work when used effectively.

Audio that starts when you visit a website can be highly irritating, but many website owners report increased conversions when they do just that.

Long sales letters can be very effective when selling an individual product...just ask world-class copywriter Michel Fortin who has helped people sell millions online.

I also know someone who runs a 7-figure yearly business and has switched all his websites to the name-squeeze (you know, those idiotic pages that ask for your name and email before giving you any info?)...and he makes more money now.

Does this mean you must blindly use these "irritating techniques"? Nah...your business is unique and you need to base your decisions on cold hard facts (i.e. your testing data) so you can make more cold hard cash.

Ladies...do you have a pen, or at least a keyboard?

We all know articles are all the rage these days in Internet Marketing Land (but don't mistake it for a "fad" because article marketing has been effective for years and will continue to be so for many more). Mom Masterminds member, Nicole Dean, has created a new resource just for articles written by women. Women are encouraged to submit articles to Lady Pens and all are welcome to find articles for republishing. Guys -- some topics need a woman's touch, so drop by and pick up some content. ;-)

Also, if you're looking for more places for content or to get your articles out there, here's a thread on my message board that has some good article directory resources. If you want to simplify the process of distributing your articles, check out Article Announcer...it will cut your distribution time immensely.

Until next time, check out Lady Pens and happy article marketing.

Did You Miss It?

I hope you had a chance to tune into Jeff Walker's "Social Proof" call last week. The lines were packed, so many people couldn't get on and there were some technical difficulties at the beginning of the call (go figure!)...but the content was superb.

You can go here and download the recording directly:
http://productlaunchformula.com/prelaunch/call.html

Feel free to leave your comments and questions on the call. It was great 100% content and I'd love to chat about it.

Free RSS Feed Reader

I don't think I've mentioned it on my blog before, but Lynette Chandler & Kelly McCausey offer a free RSS Feed Reader, so you can keep up with all your favorite blogs. The reader comes ready with several feeds installed, including this blog. Check it out. Download it. It's free. :-)

Download it here.

For the Ladies - Loral Langemeier

Earlier this year, I was conducting quite a few teleseminars. Although I enjoyed doing them...they were hard work. Now that I have other priorities in my life, I'm keeping my eye out for good calls for you to be on. You'll probably see me posting a number of calls here over the next few weeks and I hope you'll be able to check them out.

Tomorrow, there's a call just for the ladies (but if you're a guy and tune in, I don't think they'll call the cops on you). The call is with Loral Langemeier and it has nothing to do with Internet marketing - but everything to do with how you manage and invest your money. I saw Loral speak just over a year ago and was so inspired to reverse my history of poor money management. Like I've said many times - I know how to make money, knowing what to do with it when I get it, is a whole different ball game.

Anway, Loral is going to be speaking at the Women's Power Summit in November and tomorrow's call is a preview of the guerilla wealth tactics that are proven to get you where you want to be financially.

Here's the call details:

Date: Wednesday, October 5th
Time: 6:30pm PDT / 7:30pm CDT / 9:30pm EDT
Guest: Loral Langemeier
Dial: 1-512-225-3110
Code: 99311#

**You have to dial in about 5 minutes early because the call will be packed.**

You can grab a notes sheet here:

Click here for Notes (PDF format)

Enjoy the call. I'm sure you'll find it very helpful.

But It's For My Family

Warning – this is going to be a very personal blog entry, but one I think that will hit home for most who read it…so I do hope my sharing is helpful. I wrote this entry a little while ago, but never published it because I thought it was too personal. But now that my friend, Michel Fortin has shared what has been going on with him over the past while…I felt brave to actually publish this entry.

Michel was a great friend to me during my separation from my husband. We supported each other and we really needed each other while I made the decision to leave my husband and Michel was suffering in an unhappy marriage. Michel and I don’t chit-chat as much as we used to, but he was so important to me in a time when I really needed him. I think we needed each other to make it through the rough spots. I’m so happy for him and Sylvie – they make an incredible pair. I have only known Michel for 1 year and this is the first-time that I can see pictures of him truly and completely happy and satisfied with his life.

I decided to leave my husband last year because I decided I wasn’t happy and hadn’t been happy for a long time. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I felt certain about my decision to go it alone.

Months went by and I became a much better and happier person. I “found myself” again. Over the years of having children and an Internet business, I let myself go. We mothers know what it’s like. We gain some weight, we stop doing our hair and well…we just stop taking care of ourselves. I started to reverse that and I reclaimed my social life again. Business was great and I was no longer a slave to my computer. I was like a real person again and I was so happy.

And then it hit me.

Why was I unhappy at this time last year? What did it really have to do with my marriage? The not taking care of myself, lack of social life and working too much were all my own doing. They were completely separate from my marriage. No, my marriage wasn’t perfect…but was I such a fool that I thought the imperfections couldn’t be fixed and some I could just let slide? After all, nobody is perfect and why should we strive to be in anything we do.

Well, the end result was that I made the stupidest decision I’d ever made. I was so unhappy last year and something had to give. I just assumed it was my marriage. I was working hard on a business, being the best mom I could be and I just gave up on a vow I’d made 8 years earlier.

So, when I decided to leave last October and I began my journey in rediscovering myself and finding out that I can be happy. And really, I discovered that I can have everything I wanted in life. But something was missing. Once I cleared all the “clutter” and unhappiness in my life, I realized that I was still in love with my husband and that had I run away like a coward. And here’s the part that I want you to reflect on:

I blame my business, in large part, for my poor judgment.

I’m only 3 ½ years into running my business and it’s going incredibly well, but it has been extremely hard work. What started out as my attempt to help my family, consumed me and that left time for me to be mom and business owner – not much else. It truly became a focal point in my life and it killed everything else about my life that I once loved.

I know I’m not the only one who has been consumed by their businesses and let their relationships suffer. I saw a thread on a forum where a bunch of guys were complaining that their wives were nagging them about being on the computer too much. The guys didn’t understand what their wives' problems were when they were “doing it for the family.”

I’ve seen threads on a forum where a bunch of women were talking about their work hours. Most of them said they work after the kids go to sleep and they continue to work long after their husbands go to bed. Yet, they also say they are doing it for their families…but really, it’s tearing their families apart. Our spouses have the right to feel “connected” too us and when we’re too busy “doing it for the family” and ignoring their needs, our families suffer.

I was guilty of this too, but I will no longer be controlled by my business and I will not allow my family to suffer because I work from home. That is large part of why I created my semi-retirement plan that guides my business now.

Last October, I made a really stupid decision that I will regret for the rest of my life. Please don’t make the same mistake as me. If you see yourself on the path of letting your business overshadow your marriage and ultimately, your entire family - just stop right now. Turn of that computer and go hug and kiss your spouse…and please, never let go.

Z…you are the love of my life and I’m so thankful every day that you had the courage to give me another chance. Here’s to a beautiful lifetime together.

The Real Dirt on Autoresponders

I always see questions on forums like this:

"Anyone know of any free or cheap autoresponder?"

Now, I have no problem with saving money, but when looking for an autoresponder...that is the WRONG question to ask. How much it's going to cost you should be of secondary importance. Email delivery is a huge issue and should be one of the first things on your mind when seeking out an autoresponder system or service. If many of your subscribers can't receive your email...what's the point?

Certainly, I'm not an expert on this topic because it's kind of "techy stuff". And we all know that I am one of the biggest Internet marketing technophobes you'll ever meet. However, I did find out that Gary Ambrose (of Email Aces - an A/R service I use) is going to be speaking on that very topic on a free online conference next Monday, October 10 .

The online conference is a promo for the "No Limits" seminar (and if you can you make it to North Carolina in November...I recommend checking it out). But rest-assured, it's completely free and you're under no obligation if you choose to listen in. Just go to the "No Limits" website and scroll down to the text that reads:

"Register right now to participate in this special Pre-Event training"

You'll find a sign-up box there, so you can get a reminder about the online conference. Not all autoresponders are created equal and whether you choose to use a service like Gary's or find your own solution - educating yourself on email delivery can add plenty of cash to your bottom line.