Here's what I wrote…

If you took my www.OutsourceWeekly.com course, you know that I much prefer automation to delegation. Why pay a person to do a task that can be done by a computer, right?

Well, one of the things on my “I really dislike doing this and I dislike outsourcing it too” list is scheduling appointments to talk with…

1. my coaching clients (I, however, LOVE talking to my coaching clients once the appt is made),

2. setting time to meet weekly with my staff members, and

3. connecting with people for interviews (in fact, a lot of them get dropped because of the scheduling factor).

What I've been looking for is a program that will do that for me, easily.

Here's what I found. www.Tungle.com. Well, actually Tishia Lee suggested it to me. (Thanks Tish!)

So far, so good. Before I totally dive in with it, though, I wanted to see if anyone has found a better solution?

Well, the feedback so far has been that Tungle rocks. Paul Evans also uses it, which is endorsement enough for me. Plus, it's free.

Here's a video that I found to show you more – or just head on over to Tungle.com to check it out.

I hope it helps!

Warmly,
Nicole

This week, I have the amazing Willie Crawford, with me.

Yes, that Willie Crawford. The very same Willie Crawford who is an icon in the internet marketing world. I've admired Willie from afar for many years and have recently had the opportunity to get to know him and his beautiful wife better at live internet marketing events like his 50th Birthday Bash. We're actually neighbors and live only 30 minutes apart. (Lucky me!)

In the beginning of this interview, I was giggling like crazy because I was so nervous! But, then I got into my groove. I even got a scoop — Willie shared a tidbit that has never been shared in any interview – ever.  And, it's something handy to know in case you ever get lost in the woods with him.

The audio recording of our interview is at the end of this blog post. Just look for the “play” button and listen. It’s free! Also, be sure to check out all of the resources listed below.

If you're not familiar with Willie yet, here's more about him…

Willie Crawford was raised on a tobacco farm in North Carolina, living off welfare most of his youth. His family was so poor that he once wore his grandmother’s shoes to school while working to earn money to replace his only dilapidated pair. This built a burning desire in Willie to break away from the poverty and build his own business.

Obviously it worked. Now Willie Crawford is a corporate president, published author, seminar speaker and host, tele-seminar speaker and host, retired military officer, karate black belt, network marketing trainer, and lifetime student of marketing. In addition he has written and published a best-selling cookbook, Soul Food Recipes Learned On a North Carolina Tobacco Farm, and a best-selling inspirational biography, Git Off The Porch.

Willie is now one of the world’s leading internet marketing experts, having spoken at dozens of seminars in the United States, Malaysia, Singapore and the U.K.

Willie has created dozens of information products, written over 1300 articles and 50 ebooks on ecommerce. He’s hosted seminars, and now hosts his own radio show several times per week.

Willie also does a lot of group mentoring at The Internet Marketing Inner Circle.

When Willie is not busy teaching ecommerce online via The Internet Marketing Inner Circle, or teaching local businesses to use the internet to drive more business through their doors, he enjoys deep sea fishing in The Gulf of Mexico… not too far from his Florida home.

Here's a picture of me and Willie together that was taken a few weeks ago at the NAMS: Niche Affiliate Marketing System Conference in Atlanta right after we taught together on a panel about Affiliate Management. You'll notice that cute smiley face in the middle is my bud Lynn Terry who was also on the panel as an expert.

Me, Lynn Terry, Willie Crawford

Here's a sneak peek:

You can record in several different ways. If you opt to use a telephone, these are the options that you'd be presented with:

I pretty much always use option #3 as I record coaching calls and interviews. The service provides the mp3 version of the audio that I can email or post in on my blog (and submit to iTunes).

If you need an easy way to record interviews, this may be the right option for you. If you'd like to check it out, you can try it free here to see if you like it: Easy Phone Recording Software. Yes, of course, that's my affiliate link.

Have a fantastic day!
Nicole Dean

You know how it is when you go to a movie that you're really excited about? Then, you eat popcorn and drink a big ole soda to wash it down and start to think “Oh no! I have to PEE!”

You try to hold it for the rest of the movie so that you don't miss anything important, but…  as you start to sweat and do the potty dance, you realize there's no chance that'll happen.

What's a movie buff to do?

Well, a new niche website has been launched to save the day.

Just go to http://runpee.com before you go to the movie and find out exactly the best times to … run and pee during the movie you'll be watching. Coolness – they're working on an Iphone App in case you forget and need to check as you're buying that big soda at the theater. (Correction: iPhone app is under development right now and than other mobile versions will be out in the Fall which is as fast as the owner can get it done.)

I was fortunate to get the owner of RunPee.com to do a quick text interview with me. Here is some insight into the business side of things…

————  Begin Interview ————

1. Tell me about RunPee and how you came up with the idea.

Here are two pages that answer a lot of the questions about the site:
http://blog.runpee.com/about
http://blog.runpee.com/about-polygeek

2. How are you monetizing the site?

Right now I don't! So far I think I've made about $50 off the site and spent $500 on hosting – for the year. I'm a developer and not very knowledgeable about advertising but I'm working on it. I think if the site stays popular and people use it on a regular basis then I'll eventually find an effective means of monetizing it. I really need to get the iPhone app out there. It will sell for .99 so that should be a nice infusion of cash.

Nicole says: Yes, the Iphone app should be a good burst of income for the site, definitely.

3. I see you're getting a lot of interviews. What have you learned so far about scheduling and getting results from interviews.

Just say yes to everyone that wants an interview! The funny thing is that I've only contacted one person for an interview on their show and they never got back to me. Fortunately lots of requests have come to me.

4. Any questions you may like to ask me for help marketing/monetizing your business.

I think the model I'll follow is going to be similar to RottenTomatoes.com. Since the site is Flash based I can work in some really nifty themes for movies. Plus I'd like to have a section at the bottom where users can browse for previews and such. Eventually the site will grow into much more than it is now but it will always stay focused on the core asset which is to be able to quickly get in and get the RunPeeTimes for the movie you want to watch.

Nicole says: I can envision a whole line of cool tee's similar to Threadless.com Also, as the site grows in popularity and page rank, you should be able to sell text-links and banner ads, as well, for a decent price. Plus, the Iphone App will certainly take off, if you market it well. Your branding is good and memorable, for sure.  Readers, do you have suggestions?

5. Anything my readers can do for you?

Firstly I would say use it and tell all your friends about it. I hope that lots of people just make it a regular part of their movie going experience.

Second, if anyone has any suggestions please throw them out there. The site will evolve largely based on user input. And it would be nice if people bought T-shirts. I need the $$$.

6. Anything you'd do differently if you were to begin again?

I might have set up monitization better. The site has been out since last August. Since it didn't get any traffic I didn't bother working on finding ways to make money from it. And I should have added features to moderate the publicly submitted RunPeeTimes. Some of them have been of the “Go pee and don't return” variety which doesn't help anyone. I'm working on moderation today. And letting users vote on which RunPeeTimes they like the best. I have received lots of great suggestions from users which will make the site better and better.

————  End Interview ————

Great innovative thinking, RunPee. I like the way you think.

Problem –> Solution –> Opportunity for Profit.

Go get 'em guys. Find problems that YOU can solve for profit!

Warmly,
Nicole

Here's the question…

I have purchased Affiliatenaire, Membernaire, and Homepreneur Habits, so I feel pretty confident in writing reviews about them.

However I really know nothing about Small Reports Fortune, List Profit System, or Outsource Weekly.

Do I need to purchase those to be able to write about and be an affiliate for those products?

My husband and I just went through a bankruptcy and our brick and mortar business has become very slow, so right now, buying those is not an option, although, I would like to some day. I am hoping that I can generate enough to be able to pay for my membership in Affiliatenaire and Membernaire because I am learning so much and feel like I am finally able to do something that will generate some income.

Thank you for all that you and Jimmy do for us. I for one certainly appreciate it.

Here's my response….

Regarding your questions of buying up all of the courses, take your time. Please. It seems like I've been talking people out of buying courses lately more than talking them into buying, but you need to keep your roof over your head and implement what you've already learned before buying more.

If money is tight, then hold off on writing your own affiliate product reviews and, instead, post the following to your blog.

• Set up text interviews with experts. (I'd be happy to do an interview if you email me a few questions.)
• Give away free reports, audios and videos from Brandable Stuff.
• Record short audios or videos on your PC and post them to your blog. You can do tutorials, video reviews, audio interviews, videos with a flip camera of your office or you, anything that you can imagine related to your blog topic.
• Review other courses that you've taken even free online courses.
• Post free reprint articles from FreeAffiliateArticles.com or Free Reprint Articles by Women – I always recommend that you write your own introduction though, when posting reprint articles.
• Review business books that you can get from the library.
• Buy some cheap business PLR here or grab this free PLR from my site.

That will keep you growing your blog (and keeping your focus) without breaking the bank, until you can afford to purchase more courses and review them properly.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. We do provide drafts of product reviews in Jimmy D. Brown's affiliate center, but of course recommend that you review the course personally for best results.

I've mentioned in the past that I'm happy to do interviews, especially written ones, since they are easy for me to fit into my schedule. (Want one? Just contact my helpers helper@justaddsweat.com and we'll get you set up.)

Here are two interviews that I did recently —

• Vonetta @ Small Business Sanity – Entrepreneur Spotlight: Nicole Dean, Multiple Income Stream Diva
• Affiliate Tips – Interview With Nicole Dean the Affiliate Success Coach

Why do I take the time to do these?

1. New Readers. As you can see, both interviews expose me to new readers. The Affiliate Tips interview has already been rated almost 200 times. Who knows how many eyeballs have seen that page. The interview is archived, so it has the potential to send me traffic for years to come.

2. Talking about ME. I also get the opportunity to talk about ME without feeling silly or braggadocios. That's kind of the point — to talk about myself and what I have to offer people. Unlike my a press release, an ecourse, or an article for article marketing, I can freely talk about how wonderful my products are. Of course you can do that to some extent in your articles and press releases, but that's the POINT of the interview so it comes naturally.

3. Talking about my products and freebies. I'm also given the opportunity to showcase my projects when the interviewer asks what I'm up to, or where people can learn more.

4. Link love. For search engines, I'm given some link love, which is always nice.

5. It's fun! I get to meet new friends.

6. Credibility/Endorsement. The interviews also lend an air of credibility. The fact that I was asked and am featured on these sites acts as an endorsement by the readers.

So… when the last time you thought about doing interviews? Got anything to talk about? If you've got a blog, the answer is “yes”!

Get started.

Here are a few places where you can learn more.

1. In my Web Traffic Basics course, I share tips for being a Guest on an Online Radio Show.
2. Of course, Kelly McCausey has a great course about Press Releases.
3. I recommend you stop by Shelancers.com to see how affordably you can get help with your press release writing. (I have a press writer who I found through Shelancers.)
4. Many of my interviews are found through networking. People chat with me at places like www.MomsMastermind.com and find that I am a real person who is willing to grant interviews when it's a win-win situation. So, I highly recommend that you find a group of successful marketers to hang with. It's amazing the deals that go down when you're chatting with people who can get things done. (Check out www.MomsMastermind.com if you're a mom. It's great!)
5. HARO. These are reporters looking for people to interview. Join the list. It's free.

You've GOT to market your business if you want to keep growing. Whether you're doing that with article marketing, guest blogging, or search engine optimization, it's all good.

Interviews are another avenue of marketing. Give it a try.

Have a wonderful week.
Nicole

If you can come up with a scenario that will benefit both parties, and you make it silly for the other person to say “no”, usually you end up with a profitable JV in the end.

However, if you just go to another person and say “Do this for me…” — GOOD LUCK!

You will absolutely not believe this latest one…

I was asked to do a written interview. No biggie. I do those all the time. Oh shoot. That reminds me that I haven't sent one back yet to my buddy Tracy. Tracy, if you're reading this, I haven't forgotten!

I have to say that I do a pretty good written interview, too. I take my time and put together a nice resource for the person — and in trade, I normally get a few links back to my website. Fair enough, right?

WELL… an editor for a website contacted me for an interview and I wrote it up. I then went to their website to see what it'll look like. (Yes, I should have gone there first, but I didn't…) There were no links to the author. None at all.

So, I'm thinking that maybe these were unique situations and the people didn't have websites? I asked and the response I got was …

Our focus is on the content, keeping it interesting and helpful for our affiliate readers. That is the main and only reason we publish interviews and articles. This is hence not a way for us to get free content and backlinks, why I had not considered offering that when we contacted you for an interview. I apologize if I was not clear on this and I hope that we can work this out. I contacted you because I think your experience in the business can teach our readers a lot.

Huh?! Of course, I replied very kindly saying “Yes, I'm very glad to share information, BUT… I normally don't donate my time to other webmasters with nothing in return.”

I donate my time to my church and my kids' school and to my friends who need it and to organizations that I believe in. I'll give products of mine to online events that donate their proceeds to charities.

However, I'm not writing a 3 page interview and giving it to someone without even a link to my website in reference. Hello?!

ok. End of rant.

Has anyone else run into this type of situation before? I mean, I do anywhere from 3-5 interviews per week and I always have been given something in return. I'm feeling a little taken advantage of right now. Can you tell? Glad I haven't sent the interview back yet!

Thanks for listening!
Nicole

Now, yes, one of the benefits of article marketing IS an increase in incoming links. I don't debate that.

HOWEVER (Yes, here's my big BUT) …

Here is my reply.

I do think that one of the things that isn't being discussed enough is quality vs. quantity. I'd much rather have my article picked up and published on popular sites and/or in an ezine sent to 50,000 people than to write junk articles to trick the search engines.

Therefore, I think those who spend the extra time to write quality will see more benefits than those who are trying to game the system. Five *really* good articles can get you more leverage on big-time sites and ezines than 50 junk ones sent just to the directories. Really good articles can also get you interviews and open doors to JVs. Junk will not.

I think it comes back to the question whether you're building a business for the long haul or not.

Please share your thoughts. Are you writing for quantity or quality?

Nicole

PS. www.EasyArticleMarketing.com is still a great course for learning the benefits of writing QUALITY articles as a method of marketing your website.

You're getting to know me better, but I also would like to get to know YOU better, so I can make sure I'm providing you with the information you need.

Will you please bare YOUR guts for me?

If you have 2 minutes, could you please complete this survey for me? I'd really appreciate it. All answers are confidential and your name will not be used if I answer your questions on my blog to ensure your privacy.

click here for the GETTING TO KNOW YOU SURVEY

If you think the survey tool I used to set that up that survey is cool, here's the service I used to set it up. It only took a few minutes…

click here to make EASY SURVEYS IN MINUTES

Well, I think that's it for today. I hope you're having a wonderful week, and have a relaxing weekend.

Looking forward to getting to know each other better.

Warmly,
Nicole