What is CommentLuv?

Well, it is a WordPress plugin that allows you to feature your commenters more and give them a little extra love.

There is a free version and an upgraded version, as well that you can see here:  Comment Luv Plugin

Show Me an Example of CommentLuv.

For instance, here is a comment made yesterday on my post about working from home for long periods of time (like weeks or months). Notice the red arrow. William got an extra link directly to his most recent blog post.

So, what does this mean to me if I'm using blog commenting as a traffic method?

If you are leaving blog comments in an effort to generate more traffic to your site, you can do two things.

1. Write really sexy headlines.

2. Comment on blogs that have CommentLuv enabled.

The combination of the two can attract more traffic from the efforts that you're already putting in.

How do you find blogs that have CommentLuv installed and enabled?

That's where I'm going to help. I started three lists on List.ly that can become valuable resources – with your help.

They are:

• Business Blogs
• Health Blogs
• Mom & Parenting Blogs
• Self Improvement Blogs
• Travel Blogs

THESE LISTS ARE INTERACTIVE! That means that you can click “Like” and add your favorite blogs, too!

How do you Add your Blog to these Lists?

Do you want to attract more commenters to your blog? If so, you'll want to add your blog to my lists.

Here's how…

First, you figure out which list is most relevant to you.

• If there is a list above where your blog fits, keep reading.
• If I haven't created a list for your genre, leave a comment and I just may do so and add it here if there's enough people in that niche/market.

Once you've figured out which list you want to add your blog to, it's simple.

1. Click on the “Add to List” button. It's big and pink. You can't miss it.

2. Choose “Item with Link” option.

3. Enter your URL and hit “Go”.

4. Fill in the blanks.

• Choose a picture. (If you don't have a good option, you can edit after you save.)
• Item Name – remember this is a link to your site for SEO, but you also want good copy.
• Item Note – a sexy little description to make people click (I recommend you enter one.)
• Tags – optional, but always nice.

5. Click “Add Item”.

Do you Like my List.ly Lists?

You can embed any of my lists on your blogs – free. Share great interactive content with your readers – and be the “go to” expert in your field.

Action Items.

1. Bookmark this page so that you can come back in the future and find blogs where you should comment.

2. Install CommentLuv and then add your blog to the List.ly lists if you wish.

3.  Leave a comment below to tell me if you use blog commenting as a strategy – and how it's working for you or if you have questions or tips.

That's all for today.

Yes, there will be more lists coming… I've got to learn how to use this thing if I'm going to be able to recommend it in the future.

Have a beautiful day. You deserve it.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Recommended Resource

Are you Ready to Learn More Tips to Make
Blogging Faster and More Productive?

Click here to check out Blog CPR!

Deceptive Advertising gets to me in a big way.

I personally hate it. That's not a big revelation there, though, I'm guessing.

Well, this morning, it downright P*SSED ME OFF! (Excuse my language, but I'm mad.)

Here is the story of how I got the FunMoods browser (download) this morning… and I'll share how I got rid of it, too.

Disclaimer: There is some debate over whether Funmoods is a virus or not. I'm not saying that it is. However, I say, that considering it cost me HOURS of my workday today, I am not a fan. And, considering they sent me a nasty letter over this blog post, I'm even more irritated than before.

I considered taking this blog post down, but since there are over 63,000 results when you search “Funmoods virus” and even more when you search “Funmoods malware” (50,000 + results) or “Funmoods spyware” (30,000 + results) – it's apparent to me that others are struggling with “ISSUES” regarding this download, just as I did. Plus, if you read the comments, there are others who have lost time due to this “download”.

The Story…

First, I woke up this morning (thank God for another day). I got the kids off to school and came into my office. I opened my inbox and found a cool new course that I wanted to check out about how to use the software Paint.net (do not go get it yet, please).

So, I buy the course (Yay!) and set off to download Paint.net (Yay again!).

Then I get to the download page for the free software…

Now, granted, this was before my second cup of coffee, so guess which link I clicked? (If you guessed the one I've marked with a big X – you are right!)

Guess what that big blue “Download” graphic (ie blatant advertisement) gave me? Yep. The FunMoods download. It was a crappy ad, and I clicked and downloaded it all on my own.

If I had read a little bit closer, I would have instead seen the download link hidden in the upper right side of the screen. But nooooooo… I was in a hurry.

Update: If you want to download Paint.net – this site appears more trustworthy. Although, if you look at the bottom of this post, I have the link to download GIMP, another free program, instead.

What is the FunMoods (Download)?

They call themselves a search engine but I disagree.

Within moments of clicking “Download” for what I believed to be Paint.net – a graphics program, I knew something was up. My gut said “This doesn't look right” but again… I blame the lack of coffee in my bloodstream so I ignored it.

All of a sudden both my Firefox and my Internet Explorer browsers “blurped” and came back up with “FunMoods.com” as the default browser set on the sites.

I also noticed that I had a whole bunch of other files downloaded in my “Programs” folder, too.

I also got a fun new “FunMoods” toolbar that I didn't want.

So, the fun began. And, I will share just how I began to get rid of the junk.

Note: Watch the videos and check your PC to make sure you don't have any hidden spyware on your PC, too.

Step One: Uninstall the FunMoods Program(s) from your Computer

Step one was to remove the FunMoods program from my computer.  That was easy enough and I figured that would be all that I'd need to do. (Wrong.)

Imagine my surprise when I looked at my recent programs and saw that more than FIVE new programs had been added today in that one wrong “click” on a mouse.

If you have Windows and want to know how to see if you have any hidden programs and to Uninstall those Programs, here's a video to show you how.

Step Two: Remove New FunMoods Firefox Addons

I deleted the programs which was all well and good, but there was still major wonkiness.

So, step two was to figure out what FunMoods had added to Firefox that wasn't showing up in the general programs.

I searched my Firefox Addons and discovered (shockingly) that there were new Addons installed. Yay! (NOT!)

So, here's how you check your AddOns in Firefox and disable those that you do not want there.

The files also changed my Internet Explorer settings but I didn't record a video for how to fix that one. Let me know if you need help with it and I can.

Step Three: Reset your Default Page

The first two steps went pretty smoothly for me. But, no matter what I did, I could not get rid of that FunMoods page every time I reopened Firefox.

I was sorely tempted to pour myself a glass of wine, but it was only 10 am. (Sooooo tempted….)

Here's what I did next.

Again, I had to update my default page in both Firefox and Internet Explorer, but I only recorded a video for Firefox. I hope it helps.

Now, granted, I am not a security expert, and I fully intend to bug both my husband and my Virtual Assistant to do some more research on this spyware before feeling secure. But, these steps at least got me back on my feet for the time being.

Let me know what you think. Did I miss anything? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. Thankfully this could have been a lot worse. If you're being lackadaisical with your business security and online presence, be sure to check out my guide to protecting your online business.

Click here for simple ways to protect your Online Business.

Recommended Resource:

Get Gimp – a FREE Program to Edit Photos & Add Backgrounds

The good news is you can also do it all with GIMP which is a totally free program (and, in my opinion, safer to download).

Click here -> To learn How to Download Gimp for free.

Learn How to Use Gimp

If you want to skip some of the learning curve and have a Gimp resource you can refer back to I’d like to invite you to check out a gimp graphics video course that you can sign up for.

AND – because I am awesome I’ve got a $10 off coupon code for you: nicolerocks

Here’s where you go to order and get $10 off:

Click here to Learn to Use Gimp

Be sure to use coupon Code: nicolerocks

Why? Let me count the ways…

1. She is first and foremost, becoming one of my dearest friends, just because she's fun to be around. She makes me laugh.

2. Secondly, she is one of the people on this planet who just makes the world a better place on a regular basis through her local Rotary club.

3. She GRABS life by the cojones (sorry guys) and just lives her life with gusto. As I write this, she's in Finland. Tomorrow, she'll probably be riding a camel or something. She just goes and goes.

4. She's an animal lover and she donated money to an animal shelter in my Eddy-puppy's name after he passed.

5. She sent books to my kids as a gift last summer.

6. She's a survivor. I'm not even talking about the fact that she's had cancer several times and beat it – but that she has faced many many obstacles in her life that appear to be insurmountable. But, Connie just powers on. (Thank God!)

7. Having been a homeless kid, she donates backpacks and supplies to help kids who do not have a home.

8. She made a donation to support me when I decided to host an orphan, and then has continued to support me emotionally through my entire adoption process as it's unfolding.

9. And, she's just about the most thoughtful, genuine person I've ever met.

Shall I go on?

Actually if I had only two words to describe Connie, they would be LIVES and GIVES. (Connie – I hope you like that!)

And.. that's BEFORE I even start talking about how smart she is and how much I respect her as a businesswoman.

She also happens to be a darned smart marketer. Plus, on a much more selfish side of things… she's also ALWAYS one of my top affiliates, promoting my stuff consistently.

That's me on the left, our friend, Paul Taubman in the middle,
and Connie on the right.

So what's my point? When Connie sends me an email, I open it.

And, when Connie asks me for something, I do it.

Connie says “Hey Nik, will you write a Forward to my book?” I say “Of course!”

And, when Connie says “Hey Nik, will you be on my podcast?” I say “Most definitely!”

Well, we recorded that podcast awhile ago, and she published that podcast a few weeks ago, while I was still traveling through Europe. I promised her that I'd share it here, as well, so that you all wouldn't miss it.

So… here it is:

If you like what you hear, be sure to check out the resource at the end of this blog post. You can never go wrong learning from Connie.

Recommended Resource:

You can eavesdrop in while Connie coaches her friend to $10,000 per month. And, the best part? You don’t have to pay the big bucks for private coaching.

Listen in while someone else makes the mistakes – so you don’t have to.

Check that out here: Listen in on Connie’s Private Coaching Here

Resource Mentioned in this Call:

Easy PLR – Where you can get awesome content for a great price!

Want More Podcasts like this One?

I hope you enjoy this podcast. Remember, you can access all of my previous podcasts on iTunes:

If you want to hear Connie's story – check out this podcast where I interviewed her. Connie Green Spills the Beans.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

I wanted to share my experiences with content creation and repurposing with you so that you will be able to turn your ideas into content that will increase your visibility, credibility, and your bottom line…

When I came online in 2006 I quickly realized that I needed to start creating content if I was going to build a profitable business. The only problem was that I believed my writing was not very good, and that my ideas did not seem very original or innovative. Everyone else seemed to already have this content creation thing figured out.

Instead of giving up, I gave myself a needed boost of self-confidence by taking action and moving forward.

This served me in two ways; immediately I felt better about what I was working to achieve and my writing started to improve.

Writing articles and blog posts was an arduous process in the beginning. I would spend about two hours on each one, making sure that I was presenting my topic in a way that could be easily understood by my readers. The directories only required your articles to be two hundred fifty words at that time, but it was still a struggle for me to get my thoughts and ideas out of my head and on to the screen. I still type with only two fingers, so this probably seemed comical to anyone who saw me tapping away on my keyboard each day.

My blog posts were flat and uninteresting. The mechanics of getting them written and posted took all of my energy, leaving little time for creative ideas to flow. I was also trying to maintain ten different blogs during that first year, but that's a whole ‘nother conversation.

The ‘ten tips' style was the model I used for my articles back then, making a list of tips on my topic and then writing a couple of sentences about each one. I would then add a paragraph at the beginning and another one at the end to get to my two hundred fifty word minimum requirement to submit them to the article directories. Each day I would start with a new topic, so this process started all over again. The result was that my business grew very slowly as I worked to come up with new ideas. That all changed when I discovered how to repurpose my articles into a variety of different formats to create an ongoing stream of content.

Repurposing is simply the process of taking your idea and using it over and over in different ways. I think of this as being the ‘Life Cycle' of our original ideas. Going back to when I was starting out, I knew that I needed to have content to use as my foundation. So I challenged myself to write one hundred articles in one hundred days. This was a huge undertaking for me at that time, but I was willing to stretch myself in order to have an excellent chance at success. Those hundred articles (which only took me 78 days to write) became the basis for all of the content I created during the next six to twelve months. I will explain how this ‘life cycle' can work for you.

As an example, you can write three articles, submit them first to an article directory, and then turn them immediately into a short report. Even though the content is roughly the same, a whole new group of people will be able to learn from you when they receive your report. You can also rewrite these same articles and use them as blog posts. After the changes to Google's algorithm (the Panda, Penguin, and other updates since February, 2010) you'll want to make sure to rewrite them significantly before using them on your own sites.

The next step in the repurposing cycle is to use this new short report as a free giveaway for your existing site or new optin page. You may be thinking that your prospects and clients will recognize what they are receiving as something they have already read, but the truth is that everyone is at a different point in your autoresponder series and in their connection with your business, so they may not have even seen it the first time around. Over the past six years only two people have ever told me they had read my report before, and that was because I mentioned concepts that were innovative and original, something I had longed to be able to do since the beginning of my online career.

Publishing your report as a book for the Kindle or Nook can be the next step. You will attract and connect with an entirely new audience when you do this. It has never been easier to have your writing available in this way, and becoming a published author is a way to build your credibility as well. Because I give away my short reports, publishing your material in this way may also be the first step of the monetization of your content.

The next stop in this life cycle is to make an outline of your topic and turn it into an information product to sell online. Then you can further repurpose this content by teaching it as an online course. I have done this more than thirty times since coming online and it has been very lucrative.

At this point I like to take my content offline to use as presentations and handouts for when I speak to groups both locally and around the country. By explaining my original ideas to a live audience I receive feedback that is extremely valuable.

Don't forget about repurposing your content into audio and video as well as part of this process. I started hosting my own teleseminars in 2007 and used my articles, blog posts, and short reports to write my outlines and study guides to use during the calls. Even though many of the people have already read my material, they are anxious to hear me discuss it on a regular basis.

For video, remember that you do not have to make a personal appearance unless you want to. Create a short PowerPoint presentation that highlights the key points in your articles and blog posts and then post it to your YouTube channel to reach even more people who are interested in what you have to say on your topic.

Other ways to repurpose your content include e-courses, Internet radio (Blog Talk Radio is very good), podcasts, eBooks, and in your membership site.

We all have different learning styles and repurposing allows your prospects to take in your information in a way that suits their needs. It is also a huge time saver as you can use your same ideas to create many different final products. The life cycle of your content will continue to flow for years to come if you will think of it in this way.

About Connie Green:
Connie Ragen Green is a former classroom teacher and real estate broker/appraiser who left it all behind to come online. She works with new online entrepreneurs to help them get started online with a successful business based on their passions and life experiences. Her most popular program is the 10K Laser Coaching, where you can be a ‘fly on the wall' as she mentors her students as they build their own online empire.

Recommended Resource:

You can eavesdrop in while Connie coaches her friend to $10,000 per month. And, the best part? You don't have to pay the big bucks for private coaching.

Listen in while someone else makes the mistakes – so you don't have to.

Check that out here: Listen in on Connie's Private Coaching Here

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

She's in the PLR business as well, and specializes in -> Step-by-Step PLR Bundles with Photos and Screenshots that make awesome blog posts, small viral reports, bonuses for your infoproducts, or drafts to use to create your infoproducts.

Here she is.

How to Finish your InfoProduct-
a Guide for Chronically Stuck Internet Marketers

by Alice Seba

A couple of week's ago, Nicole posted her Quote of the week. It went like this:

It sounds pretty straightforward, right? It's a real no-brainer…or so it seems. I've talked to a lot online business owners over the years and they almost always have something unfinished. I've been guilty of it now and then as well.

The reasons for this incompleteness are manifold. Sometimes it's a lack of confidence in the product creator's ability to provide good information. Other times it's a matter of simply feeling it's unfinished and thinking there could always be more added before it's perfect. Often it's a lack of time and the project is something that gets put on the back burner to everything else. For you, there may be other reasons.

But there is good news. You don't need to be a magician to turn unfinished products into finished ones and it's usually much easier than you might think.

Underlying Causes

If you lack confidence:

You don't have to be a world-renowned expert on a specific topic to provide value to your audience. Think of your role in your community and how you can put that into your product. You may not be the world's leading psychologist, but if you have some advice to give on getting over a break up, getting out of an abusive relationship or dealing with a traumatic event…share it. Many times our customers are looking for OUR experience and OUR opinions – it's the reason they read our blogs and sign up to our newsletters. They might also look to us for our humor, our encouragement or other things that are unique about us. Tap into what people ALREADY like about you and you'll have a winning product.

If you desire perfection:

Nothing in the world is perfect and even if perfection existed, it would be different for each and every person. Because your definition of perfect is unlikely to be anyone elses, the quest for perfection is a futile exercise. Add to that, keeping your work hidden because it's not “perfect” causes you to rob your audience of the help you can provide them. The need to be perfect is, really a shortsighted approach to serving one's audience.

If you are short on time:

If there never seems to be enough time to finish a project, it might be time to take a really close look at all you are doing. There is no sense in juggling a bunch of stuff you can't get done. Drop everything and focus on that one thing until it is complete.

If it's not a matter of multiple projects for you, but too many individual tasks keeping you busy, it's time to get help. Whether you outsource some tasks or take on a partner, something needs to be done. There is no sense running a business you don't have time for. It's a disservice to your audience because you aren't delivering all that you can. And even more importantly, it's a disservice to yourself because you're going burn yourself out quickly and have very little to show for it.

Action Steps to Get The Unfinished to Finished

When you're ready to just get ‘er done, here are some steps you can follow.

1. Make a product completion list.

Hopefully, you've already done this, but it may be one of the reasons you haven't finished yet. Make a list of all the topics you'd like to cover in your product and the other components you might need like videos, checklists, spreadsheets or other tools. Once you have this list, really scrutinize it. Does your product really need all of this? Sometimes the best products are the most succinct and to-the-point ones that teach your audience a specific thing. Or can you break up your plan into multiple products? In other words, how can you trim it so it's still valuable to your audience and you can get it done quickly?

You can also take advantage of hiring a ghostwriter or using PLR to fill in the blanks. (A great solution is-> Step-by-Step PLR Bundles with Photos and Screenshots) Or ask if a trusted fellow online business owner might be interested in contributing a specific component of your product. There are plenty of resources available to help you get things done.

2. Make a product publication and promotion list.

Of course, once the product is done, you have to get it out there. Make a list of what you need to get your product available to your customers and how you'll promote it. Again, look at this list with scrutiny and ensure it only contains the necessary items to get your product published and seen. Of course, promotion is an ongoing thing and something you will develop over time, but we're just talking about the initial launch of your product. Getting it out there is the first important step, so focus on that for now.

These types of tasks are often tasks that are easy to outsource to a Virtual Assistant or others with specific skills. Get someone on your team to help ensure you get things rolling.

3. Set a publication date goal.

Now's the time to put your money where your mouth is. Decide when you're launching and stick with it. If you have a set goal date, you're likely to follow through. Give yourself enough time to complete everything, but keep the date close enough so that you'll be motivated to keep working forward. Tell your blog readers and newsletter subscribers when it will be launching. Sharing it publicly will help ensure it gets done.

4. Make your schedule.

Plan the tasks you'll do (or others will do) to get things done by the completion date. It's okay if you find you run short on time in certain areas. When that happens, it's always time to reevaluate the to-do list and adjust it to meet your publication goal.  I'm not suggesting you do shoddy work, but the most successful entrepreneurs are able to roll with the punches and changes things as necessary. For example, if you find you can't complete a certain component of your product, consider offering it as an unadvertised bonus a few days or week after you launch. Your customers will LOVE the extra stuff you gave them and you still get to finish your product as you hoped.

Final Thoughts

The real key takeaways here are to have a plan, but being okay with changing it as necessary. Be confident in yourself because your audience already has confidence in you, so deliver what they want.

Wrap-up from Nicole:
This is a great how-to for those infoproduct creators who are stuck.

Let me throw in one more thought for you. Granted, I'm sick as a dog right now so hopefully this makes sense.

As Alice said there is no perfect. You will never reach perfection. It's impossible.

Think of the biggest and best in the business.

• Microsoft. They release products in BETA and then do updates.
• Apple. They have updates to their apps all the time.

What I normally do is release a product but state that the customers will get updates. Then, as I think of things I want to add to the product, I add it and then announce the update or extra info to my customers. That way I can make money while developing the best product that I possibly can, rather than waiting to release a perfect product.

Think you can do that, too? YES you can!

What you don't want to do…

There have been several times I've WAITED to release a “perfect” product and then the information became obsolete. So, rather than helping people when the problem existed, I missed the boat  – and missed the opportunity to help others.

One last thing.

As Alice mentioned, bigger is not always better. If you can focus in on a very specific problem and it's solution, you can quickly create small reports and sell that report over and over and over

Recommended Resources:
Be sure to check out Alice's Step-by-Step PLR Bundles with Photos and Screenshots to add more meat to your products – or create a laser focused solution to your audience's problems.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Actually, I'd stopped doing Weird Wednesdays awhile ago, because they were taking too much time to write. But, then I was getting all kinds of great suggestions from people. (This week's site is from Tracy Roberts of MomsInABlog.com – thanks Tracy!) So, I'm bringing them back, but simpler. I hope you still enjoy what I dig up for you.

I didn't know whether to put this one in Marketing Monday or Weird Niche Wednesday because it's brilliant but wacky.  (My favorite combination of marketing.)

You gotta watch this video advertisement… It's awesome!

Their Story.

“I'm really lonely but I’m too busy to date during harvest season”
Thousands of singles sow the seeds of love on FarmersOnly.com

FarmersOnly.com launched just over five years ago and quickly became THE place for farmers and ranchers to meet like-minded people.  In the last five years, membership went from 2,000 to well over 100,000 members. Despite the name, FarmersOnly isn't limited to only farmers. The rapid growth is also coming from just good old fashioned, down-to-earth people who live in small towns and rural areas.

“There have been countless successful matches and friendships made on the site. I get thank you emails and phone calls almost daily. In fact, there have been hundreds of marriages since FarmersOnly.com began,” said Jerry Miller, Founder.

FarmersOnly.com is the brainchild of Jerry Miller who has done marketing and public relations for thousands of farms and ranches across the country.  While talking to one farmer, Jerry made quite a discovery.

“Recently divorced, she expressed her frustration of how difficult it was to meet someone new,” Jerry recalled.

“I'm ready to give up!”  She said.  “How am I going to meet someone working on a farm all day? I already know everybody who lives around here… which isn't many people!  Maybe I'll try online dating.”

She signed up on one of the biggest national dating sites soon after their conversation.

A month later, Jerry asked her how her luck was with online dating. She replied, even more frustrated, “The men who have been contacting me don't understand the lifestyle of a farmer,” she told Jerry.  “They don't have a clue!”  This would later lead to the site's slogan. “City Folks Just Don't Get It!”

Being in marketing, he wanted to see if there was a need for a new site specifically for single farmers. “I talked to farmers and ranchers all over the country and discovered they all had the same problems.  They already knew everybody in their immediate areas.  They didn't have enough time to socialize. When they did find time, they didn't want to hang out at a bar.  They wanted to find someone who understood their lifestyle,” he said.  “The need for this new online dating service became very clear and six months later, I launched FarmersOnly.com.”

What lessons can we learn from this weird website and their success?

1. KNOW your market. These guys obviously nailed that one.

2. Humor can be a great thing in marketing. You don't have to take yourself too seriously.

3. If you niche down in a proven market (like dating sites) – you can get attention. These guys have been featured or mentioned on –

• CNN
• USA Today
• Trumped (The Donald Trump Radio Show)
• Newsweek
• Smart Money
• NPR (National Public Radio)
• Here! (of course the coolest of all) 

You can see proof here: Farmers Only in the News

So, talk to me. What do you think about their story? I'd love to read your comments.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Are You Still Trying to Find a Hot Niche Market?

Recommended Resource #1

My friend, Susanne creates Niche Research Packs and can help you to determine if you’re entering a profitable niche or not. She’s done the research for you.

In each pack, you get…

• Detailed niche description
• Who your target market for this niche is
• List of affiliate products available
• 100 domain name ideas (plus list of modifiers for hundreds more)
• Detailed keyword report for over 1000 keywords
• 100 article and blog post ideas
• 15 different author resource boxes
• 2 different detailed marketing plans (beginner and advanced) with action steps to get you up and running right away.
• List of available PLR products for this niche
• Recommended tools and resources

Here’s the link: Niche Research Packs

Recommended Resource #2: Free Webinar by Kevin Riley

Click on the arrow to go to the page where you can listen.

(You’ll find this hour long webinar free to listen to on that page.)

If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

This week I asked our panel of experts …

“What's your biggest tip to make money selling your content on the Kindle?”

Let's see what they had to say…

Connie Ragen Green of Huge Profits Tiny List says:

My best tip for selling my content on the Kindle is to always have a professionally designed cover created for your book. I've tried it both ways – with a quickly put together and a professional one – and have been able to sell four times as many books with the one that looks better. It turns out we really do judge a book by its cover!

I have also chosen titles and content that fit my brand online. For example, I am an expert in the areas of affiliate marketing and article marketing, so it just made sense for me to offer books on Kindle that discuss those topics in detail. It also makes sense for someone who has just met me to start out by reading my books and then decide if they want to go further with me.

-> Check out Connie's books on the Kindle: Connie Green on the Kindle

Rachel Rofe of Kinstant Formatter (Fast Kindle Ebook Formatting Software) says:

I am not sure about “biggest tip” as there are so many variables, but one thing I would say is  to make sure to put content on there that's actually in demand.

You can check sales rankings for similar books. I like to go with books that have a sales ranking of 20,000 or better. Those usually let me know that something will sell well.

Also, make sure to format your book correctly! I have sadly gotten too many negative reviews in my life because I unknowingly formatted poorly.

-> Check out Rachel's software for formatting your Kindle books here.

Mike Michalowicz, author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur and The Pumpkin Plan says:

If you self-publish a book or other content for Kindle, price test to find your sweet spot.

If you have high enough volume (e.g. move 20 to 50 units or more a day), you can get good information on how well your product sells within a week.

Every week try a new price point to find what gets the most sales at the highest price. You may be surprised by what you find.

-> Check out Mike's books on the Kindle: Mike Michalowicz on the Kindle

Marnie Pehrson of Amazon Best-Seller Book Launch says:

My most consistently bestselling book on Kindle is a Civil War romance entitled “Angel and the Enemy.” I believe one thing that plays a major role in the success of this book over my 20 other titles is that I mentioned it in the signature line of all my Amazon reviews.

By going to https://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp you can see your Amazon reviews and edit your profile. When you go to the Edit Your Profile link, you can edit the signature spot to mention your book. For example, I have mine set to “Bestselling author of Angel and the Enemy.” As a result, any time I review a book or product it attributes it to “Marnie Pehrson, bestselling author of Angel and The Enemy.” My name links over to the profile which I've filled out fully with my web site for my books and a bio.

As I review other people's books that are in the same genre as mine, this helps build links and traffic back to my books. Also be sure to set up your author profile in Author Central and add all of your titles to it. You can even feed your blogs and videos into this profile.

Another factor that contributes to Kindle sales of “Angel and the Enemy” is the price. I did an initial promo on the ebook several months ago, offering it for 99 cents. This spurred initial sales and rankings. Then I raised the price to $2.99 which is still on the economical side. At this price I'm able to clear the 70% revenue share.

-> If you want to learn Marnie's methods for becoming a Best Seller, be sure to check out Amazon Best-Seller Book Launch here.

Kristen Eckstein of Finish Writing Your Book Fast: Book Writing for Procrastinators says:

My biggest tip would be to protect yourself from negative reviews. Whether you use Kindle books for lead generation or an additional stream of income, you're at risk for negative reviews if you don't treat your Kindle books with some special care:

Editing – make sure your content is readable. If it's transcribed from an interview, state that early on in the introduction or first few pages of the eBook. We read differently than we speak, so this tells the brain it's OK to read a “messy” conversation. If your eBook is written material, editing is just as important as in print format.

Formatting – if your eBook contains any bullet points or graphics, hire a professional eBook programmer. I've seen many negative reviews simply because the content – however great it was – could not be easily read. If you want your eBook to read clean and clear and reflect on your status as an expert, don't skimp on the programming.

Cover design – a cover image is the first thing people will see in search results online. It's the last thing they'll notice. If you skimp and throw up trash for your cover, you're saying to the world you're not a quality service or product provider. It doesn't matter how good the content inside is, if the cover is crappy it's a direct reflection on your quality as an expert.

Remember that you can't easily get rid of negative reviews on Amazon. One review on such a highly trafficked site as Amazon can damage your reputation as an expert. If you don't manage a few things right up front, you will have a lot of damage control to do later. And you probably won't be attracting the quality customers you want. Kindle books are “easy,” but it's not easy to do them right and get high level results!

-> Check out Kristen's books on the Kindle: Kristen Eckstein on the Kindle

Kathleen Gage of Secrets to Making your Kindle Book a Best Seller Overnight says:

“Bestselling author.”

It has a nice ring to it, but unfortunately many authors will never know what it feels like to be a bestseller.

In years past becoming a bestseller was much more complex and unlikely than it is today.

In today’s world of online books stores and digital delivery, becoming an online bestseller is much easier than many people realize.

The benefits of being a bestseller are market reach, visibility, expert status position and revenue generating opportunities both directly and indirectly.

Directly is obviously from the sale of the book. Indirectly is anything you do on the backend. The backend can generate hundreds, thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars in revenue.

I have coordinated dozens upon dozens of book launches that were very time consuming, costly and enough to at times, make me want to pull my hair out.

Enter Kindle. With the Kindle platform you can take your book to bestseller status in record time. The first time I tried the process my book hit #1 in several categories within eight hours.

Basically what you do is offer the book for a low price and when people buy within a specified period of time they get a super bonus. It can be another ebook, a teleseminar or a webinar.

Offer a bonus that has extremely high perceived value and is easy for you to deliver. Also consider something that positions you as an expert.

With my book, 101 Ways to Get Your Foot in the Door, I offered a one hour teleseminar to anyone who purchased the book within a 48 hour period.

Not only did I have hundreds of buyers, I made 75% of each book that was sold. In addition, I was able to introduce buyers to my other products and services when they attended the teleseminar.

Here are the steps:

• Publish your book on Kindle
• Give it 72 hours to propagate
• Set up a simple landing page announcing the bonus you are offering
• Add the direct link to your Kindle book on the landing page
• Give buyers 24 – 48 hours to purchase your book in order to receive the bonus
• Once they buy they return to the landing page to input their name, email address and order number
• Market your launch
• Rinse and repeat with other books

Of course, you do have to have some idea of how to market. There are ample ways you can do this including a solo message to your opt-in subscribers, postings in social networks, video, media releases, and timely interviews.

As I mentioned, there are many ways to make money on the backend. This is a completely different conversation. But with what I have outlined above, not only do you position your book, you generate revenue from sales and you build your opt-in subscriber list.

How’s that for a fun way to grow your business?

-> If you want to learn to become an Amazon Best Seller from Kathleen, be sure to check out Kathleen’s “Secrets to Becoming a Kindle Bestseller” program here.

Susanne Myers of Daily Affiliate Tasks says:

You can pull both your twitter feed and your blog feed into your author page and thus share all that content with people browsing the Amazon Website.

As people come across your book and your author page, they may or may not end up buying one of your books or reports, but even if they don’t, they may end up reading your blog (and hopefully signing up for your list). The best part… once you have one book up on kindle and take a few minutes to set up your author page, there’s no extra work involved in capturing that extra traffic.

-> Check out Susanne's books on the Kindle: Susanne Myers on the Kindle

Willie Crawford of 20 Ways To Make $100 Per Day Online says:

My biggest Kindle tip is to choose your title very carefully, making  sure that you target your most important keyword phrases. If you want to target more than one related keyword phrase, consider writing more than one short ebook on the topic, each targeting different keywords.

It is important that you produce a top quality ebook but I don't think that length matters much. People prefer short ebooks that give them the information they are seeking quickly.

-> Check out Willie's books on the Kindle: Willie Crawford on the Kindle

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Well GEEZ. My friends are good!!! Aren't they?!

ok. What's left that hasn't been said?

Four things come to mind.

1. Never Use PLR.
I don't believe that anyone mentioned this, but be sure to never use PLR to create your Kindle books – unless you're simply using it as an idea-generation method. Amazon is not interested (at all) in having duplicate content on their site, so be sure to only include content that is original to you when uploading your books.

2. It's your FIRST book.
Don't put all of your eggs in one basket, all your hopes and dreams on one book. Publishing on the Kindle is easy and fun. Upload multiple books to see what happens. You never know what will sell. So, try not to obsess over one book and pin your success on that. Plan for it to be your “first” book, instead.

3. You Don't Need to Start from Scratch.
Look around at the content that you've already created. Don't think of this as “another” thing to do and start from scratch. If you've written popular blog posts, bundle them up by topic and voila! You're published without doing much work at all.

4. Remember that Marketing is Important, Too!
While, of course, you want to publish helpful, valuable, rockin' content… remember also that your Kindle book is a marketing piece for you. Don't forget to include information about you and your website in your book so that people can find out where they can get MORE of you!

-> Check out my books on the Kindle: Nicole Dean on the Kindle

Recommended Resources for ALL Levels.

Beginners –

Already tried to format your ebooks, but just need some software to make it easy?

• Check out Rachel's software: Kinstant Formatter (Fast Kindle Ebook Formatting Software)

Intermediate and Advanced –

You're on the Kindle, but don't know how to increase sales? Check out –

• Kathleen Gage's “Secrets to Making your Kindle Book a Best Seller Overnight” course
• Marnie Pehrson's “Amazon Best-Seller Book Launch” course

All right, guys and gals. We have a stellar panel today. Got questions? Ask them. Got comments? Share them. We're all ears.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Well, one of the easiest ways that I've found is in planning yearly blog posts.

Here are two videos that will show you EXACTLY how I do it.

I hope you like them.

Case Study #1: Blog Calendar Example

In this video, you'll see the following blog post used as an example:
Free Weekly Blogging Calendar

You can see that I've used the same blog post draft for two years in a row.

Case Study #2: Letter to Santa Example

In this video, you'll see the following blog post used as an example:
An Entrepreneur's Letter to Santa

Again, you'll see that I've used the same blog post draft since 2005.

Recommended Resource:

If you'd like to make blogging more fun, check out Blog CPR to Breathe New Life into your Blog.

Thanks!

Warmly,
Nicole

PS. Of course, if you're an affiliate of Blog CPR – you are welcome to use the videos above to promote.

This week’s Weird Wednesday Website was suggested by one of the girls in our neighborhood about a year ago and I promptly forgot. Well, last week we took her out to dinner with us and she said “Miss Nicole, did you ever blog about the giant gummy bears?”

oops! I grabbed my iPad and emailed myself a reminder.  So Brooke, this one is for you!

Presenting the World's Largest Gummy Bears.

www.giantgummybears.com

At GiantGummyBears.com – you can get what is called the “World's Largest Gummy Bear” – which is roughly 1000 times (yes, one THOUSAND times)  the size of a regular gummy bear.

For you dentists and health nuts out there, that is five POUNDS of pure sugar and gelatin and is bigger than a football. Yikes! I think I gained a pound just thinking about eating one.

The 2 foot long, 3 lb. gummy worm is pretty impressive, too.

Their Story.

in 2003 Derek Lawson had an idea.  While continuing to carve out a niche’ in the multi-billion dollar candy industry, he decided create his own candy – one that would be unique and only he would manufacture and sell.  In a time where the prevailing attitude was that of big-box stores carrying cheaply made imported goods and discounted merchandise, he would move to create a specialty item that emphasized grandeur and audacity – yet with eye-appeal and irresistible charm!  He would create the WORLD’S LARGEST GUMMY BEARS!

Truth is the advent of the candy was part of a joke he played on his older brother, and born out of frustration over many other failed candy-product ideas!  Nonetheless, the idea was born, and the impact was immediate!

Notoriety ensued!  Friends and customers were awestruck and began to demand more of the gargantuan gummies. Their store was prominently placed in the local tourism guide’s list of “Things to Do and See”.  The brothers were asked to become part of a popular call-in radio show and the Giant Gummy Bears achieved a local celebrity of sorts.

You can read the entire story at: http://giantgummybears.com/about-us.aspx

What lessons can we learn from this weird website and their huge success?

1. Go big or go home.

These guys didn't just make a “big” gummy bear. They went for the biggest and then went all out for it.  Sometimes the answer is simply right in front of you. Go bigger. Is there anywhere in your business where you can be the biggest? Strive to make your business different and know what your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is. What makes you special? If you don't know… ask someone else!

2. You may need to come up with a clever way to state that you are (or that your business is) unique.

Rather than being another seller of Gummy Bears or candy in general, they focused in on being the biggest. In your business, find what makes you special and then put it into words that are undeniable. I could not comfortably state that I'm the “Best Affiliate Management Expert in the World” as others would (and should) come to mind before I do.

However, I probably could say that I'm the “Top Female Affiliate Management Expert in the World” and have that be pretty hard to argue.

3. Sometimes trial and error is taking you to right where you are meant to be.

If you read the story of how these two gentlemen came to success, you'll see that they helped to start a chain of candy stores and had to close nearly all of them in the 1990s. The candy stores apparently just weren't unique enough and were trying to compete with Walmart.

Through sheer determination, they got through it and are now the talk of this blog.

4.  Don't lose your focus. It confuses your customers.

The website is all about Gummy Bears, but they didn't expand into teddy bears or gum. They stuck with gummy things. Now, they've expanded slightly to include gummy skulls, gummy worms and a few other cool things like gummy tongues. (Yes, really!)

Are you a lover of all things gummy bear?

I knew nothing about gummy bears before starting this blog post. I started to explore this niche of gummy bears and I found some interesting things when I ran my keyword research.

Who knew? While the gummy bear niche isn't huge and it may not a good niche for you, I did discover that the gummy bear niche showcases a lot of *other* niches.

See the words in bold below.

• gummy bear song
• gummy bear recipe
• gummy bear implants (Yes, these are breast implants that are apparently tough like gummy bears. I have NO idea!)
• who invented gummy bears
• worlds largest gummy bear
• gummy bear cake
• gummy bear mold
• gummy bear birthday party
• sugar free gummy bears
• gummy bear lamp
• gummy bear bracelet
• how to soften stale gummy bears
• flaming gummy bear experiment
• gummy bears mini golf instructions (for Wii)
• gummy bears soaked in vodka
• gummy bear costume

You could create a website based around any of the bolded terms above. Pretty cool, eh?

So, talk to me. Have you ever ordered a giant gummy bear or would you? What do you think about their story? I'd love to read your comments.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Where Can You Learn More about Finding a Hot Niche Market?

Recommended Resource #1

My friend, Susanne creates Niche Research Packs and can help you to determine if you’re entering a profitable niche or not. She’s done the research for you.

In each pack, you get…

• Detailed niche description
• Who your target market for this niche is
• List of affiliate products available
• 100 domain name ideas (plus list of modifiers for hundreds more)
• Detailed keyword report for over 1000 keywords
• 100 article and blog post ideas
• 15 different author resource boxes
• 2 different detailed marketing plans (beginner and advanced) with action steps to get you up and running right away.
• List of available PLR products for this niche
• Recommended tools and resources

Here’s the link: Niche Research Packs

Recommended Resource #2: Free Webinar by Kevin Riley

Click on the arrow to go to the page where you can listen.

(You’ll find this hour long webinar free to listen to on that page.)

If you're new to Weird Niche Wednesday, you're in for a treat. I find weird niches and websites and we get to discuss whether it may be a viable niche and also have some fun.

Today's Weird Niche Wednesday is all about Hello Kitty – a trend that I know nothing about, nor do I wish to. However, I did enjoy researching it!

You can find anything with Hello Kitty's face plastered on it – from Hello Kitty Wedding Dresses to Hello Kitty Hand Grenades to a Hello Kitty Bee Hive. (Unfortunately, I'm not kidding…)

The best part of my research is in finding this site:

www.KittyHell.com
(Note – not G rated.)

Yes, one man got totally sick of his wife's Hello Kitty stuff, so he set up an entire website just to bash “Hello Kitty” — and, honestly, I kind of admire him for it.

The weird part? His “Kitty-bashing” attracts Hello Kitty fans.  And, they get REALLY frustrated because he does NOT post where they can get the items he posts on the blog.

Like the  Water Dispener and the Lawnmower and the Urinal Cakes and the Dentures.

He even gets emails that tell him to die. (And, here I was under the impression that Hello Kitty was peaceful and loving. GEESH.)

Yet, his site is a PR5 and he's getting free press from bloggers like me.

So, my question for your today is this:

If you have the “guts” to do it… (I personally don't.)

Is there an “anti” to a niche you're considering?

Or is there a niche or trend that kind of makes you gag that you'd love nothing more than to rip on it for profit? For instance, I really hated BRATZ – those slutty little dolls for young girls. (hint, hint)

I'm curious about your thoughts both for choosing a niche you love and one where you choose a niche that you can't stand. Talk to me.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Where Can You Learn More about Finding a Hot Niche Market?

Recommended Resource #1

My friend, Susanne creates Niche Research Packs and can help you to determine if you’re entering a profitable niche or not. She’s done the research for you.

In each pack, you get…

• Detailed niche description
• Who your target market for this niche is
• List of affiliate products available
• 100 domain name ideas (plus list of modifiers for hundreds more)
• Detailed keyword report for over 1000 keywords
• 100 article and blog post ideas
• 15 different author resource boxes
• 2 different detailed marketing plans (beginner and advanced) with action steps to get you up and running right away.
• List of available PLR products for this niche
• Recommended tools and resources

Here’s the link: Niche Research Packs

Recommended Resource #2: Free Webinar by Kevin Riley

Click on the arrow to go to the page where you can listen.

(You’ll find this hour long webinar free to listen to on that page.)