Writing on the Web from Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Alex Mandossian, Tom Antion, Yanik Silver, Mark Victor Hansen: What do They Have in Common?

They are all members of the Internet Association of Information Marketers (IAIM).

Time sensitive offer, deadline Midnight -ET, June 30th

(Forgive me, but I forgot to announce this important membership offer to readers of this blog! Here is something you should join, and if you decide to join before midnight tonight, you'll get some amazing bonuses from The Blog Squad.)

You're a smart and savvy professional, and that's why we're making this recommendation - it could save you, and make you, a ton of money.

Please bear with this lengthy post, we know you are busy, but this is REALLY a smart thing for you to join, and we don't want you to miss this chance.

We are so convinced you will get value out of joining this insider's group of smart professionals, that we are giving away a lifetime membership in our Conversations Club (interviews with 50+ business experts valued at $126), if you join at the Advanced (Level 3) or Outer Circle level by June 30th.

AND, even if you join as Beginner (Level 1) or Intermediate (Level 2), we'll give you a free copy of our List Building Super package being created this week! That's an $87 package of audio, interviews, and the latest list building tips from the experts.

So here's the skinny:

Here is a smart way for you to stay on top of the complex world of Internet marketing, and get access to successful marketers who will tell you their insider secrets to how they earn millions of dollars online.

Last month Patsi and I were invited to become Board members for the Internet Association of Information Marketers (IAIM).  Being Board members, we're also members of the Association and in a few short weeks, we have already experienced a ton of value.

You definitely should join this group!

And here's why:

They are all members of the Internet Association of Information Marketers (IAIM).

Time sensitive offer, deadline Midnight -ET, June 30th

(Forgive me, but I forgot to announce this important membership offer to readers of this blog! Here is something you should join, and if you decide to join before midnight tonight, you'll get some amazing bonuses from The Blog Squad.)

You're a smart and savvy professional, and that's why we're making this recommendation - it could save you, and make you, a ton of money.

Please bear with this lengthy post, we know you are busy, but this is REALLY a smart thing for you to join, and we don't want you to miss this chance.

We are so convinced you will get value out of joining this insider's group of smart professionals, that we are giving away a lifetime membership in our Conversations Club (interviews with 50+ business experts valued at $126), if you join at the Advanced (Level 3) or Outer Circle level by June 30th.

AND, even if you join as Beginner (Level 1) or Intermediate (Level 2), we'll give you a free copy of our List Building Super package being created this week! That's an $87 package of audio, interviews, and the latest list building tips from the experts.

So here's the skinny:

Here is a smart way for you to stay on top of the complex world of Internet marketing, and get access to successful marketers who will tell you their insider secrets to how they earn millions of dollars online.

Last month Patsi and I were invited to become Board members for the Internet Association of Information Marketers (IAIM).  Being Board members, we're also members of the Association and in a few short weeks, we have already experienced a ton of value.

You definitely should join this group!

And here's why:

NonProfits: List Building for Email Donations

Nonprofit organizations also struggle with building their email lists. We had a person on our call last night who works for a Breast Cancer charity. They have the additional challenge of avoiding spam filters when they put their name in their email subject lines.

Here is a recent report from M+R Strategic Services and the Advocacy Institute, as reported by the Getting Attention blog.

• More Donations Online - Nonprofits raised 40% more money online in 2005 than the year before, likely driven by the cataclysmic Asian tsunami.
• Email Overload - The rates at which online constituents open their emails declined from 30% in 2003-2004 to 26% in 2004-2005 as supporters became overwhelmed with email.
• Budgets Matter - Nonprofits with larger online budgets had better online programs, building larger email lists, generating more online activism, and raising more money online.
• Email Lists Growing - On average, the nonprofits studied more than doubled their existing email lists over a 12-month period.
• Lots of Bad Email Addresses - For most nonprofits, over a quarter of email addresses on their list go bad each year.
• Activism More Popular Than Donations - Not surprisingly, more email subscribers took online political action than made an online donation — 47% vs. 6%.

List Building: What's Your Favorite?

There were a lot of listeners on last night's List Building teleclass to learn "25 Proven Ways to Grow Your List of Raving Fans and Clients." I think I forgot to post about the class on this blog...and hope you had a chance to make the call anyway.

We'll be packaging it into an informational product that contains the audio, the transcripts, and an Insider Secrets from Successful Online Experts on how to grow your list, in the next few weeks.

I've had some great contributions from people on their favorite list building tips, from Tom Antion, Joan Stewart, Paulette Ensign, Martin Wales, and many of the experts who have been on our Conversations teleseries and who have lists in the 100,000's.

I'm still accepting contributions to the special report. If your favorite list building tip makes it into the report, we'll publish your photo, URL, and 25 words about you and your business. Just email me, or hit the comment link below and write about how you've grown your list. 200-400 words is fine.

P.S. Even if you've grown your list only into the hundreds, your tips can be significant. In list building, it's not always size that matters. What matters is that you reach the right people who want to hear from you, and who will become your clients. I'd love to hear from you.

Blogging: Fame, Fortune or Fans? Don't Be a Cameron Diaz

Brian Clark writes about celebs and their attitude towards their public, and how this relates to you as a blogger in his post, "Don't be a Cameron Diaz."

"Can blogging really build you a fan club? In other words, can it make you a celebrity?

"The answer, of course, is yes. And you don’t need to be anywhere near the so-called blogging A-List for it to happen."

...But the more important message in his post, is that as a blogger, you must remain respectful of your readers and why they read your blog. Stay on target with your core message to them. Do not get distracted by ego, and desires to get high web traffic by diluting your message.

Brian concludes:

"I don’t care if you’re an actor, singer, blogger (or all three) — building a fan club is hard. You’ve got to figure out what you possess that has value to others, and then never forget the fact that unless you’re continuing to give people something that’s important to them, you’re destined for the “where are they now” category."

5 Time Robbers: Ruth Klein, the De-Stress Diva

We had a great conversation with Ruth Klein, author and time management expert last Wednesday, on our Converstations with Experts teleseries. Here are some important highlights:

Ruth gave some smart tips about the 5 biggest time robbers:

1. Checking email first thing in the morning. If you want to stay on track, do not check for at least the first hour. Do your more important and creative work before getting distracted by email.
2. Work from a priority list to help keep you focused on what matters most. (See below for the “Rule of Two.”)
3. Keep your phone on answering mode. Only make calls during set business development times. Use email instead of calling people when you only want to ask a question to get information.
4. If you are stuck, walk away. Taking a walk, and breathing deeply, will get the blood flowing to your brain. Do not work against your natural energy flow. If you are at your creative peak during the morning, do not use that time for meetings. Use it to create.
5. Do not get lost web surfing. File newsletters for reading during set reading times.

Time Management with Ruth Klein

Time Management: Learn productivity tips from Ruth Klein
Conversations with Experts presents...

How to Make Time to Get your Work Done Without Going In Circles or Insane
Wednesday, June 21, 2006, 8:30 p.m. ET
Guest Expert:  Ruth Klein, www.ruthklein.com

What do you, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Katy Couric have in common?  You all have 24 hours in one day.  Ruth Klein will share with you how to turn insanity into clarity, overwhelm into focus, and energy into productivity.  What you will hear in this interview:

• The five biggest time robbers in your work day
• Three ways to increase your daily energy for more accurate and focused productivity
• The most effective way to prioritize calls, emails, tasks and errands
• Finding the time to blog, create products, market your business and still have a life
• How to identify your lifestyle motivation to exceed your business goals

Ruth Klein is a results-oriented Performance Strategist and "Action" Coach for small business owners, entrepreneurs, authors, speakers and consultants in the areas of Time Management and Productivity; Personality-Based Online/Offline Marketing and National Publicity.

Ruth has penned five books, the most recent can be found in bookstores and will be a PBS special in Spring 2007 - Time Management Secrets for Working Women (Sourcebooks).  The Everything Sales Rep book (Adams) will be coming out in the Fall 2006.

Ruth as well as several of her clients have been in the Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, Larry King Live and other top publicity venues.

Register:  www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

If you cannot attend the Conversation, you can pre-order the audio program for only $4.95.  The audio will be $9.95 after the Conversation.  Save 50% and pre-order now.

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff.

Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

Tips Booklets: The Smart Way to Get Your Message Out to Clients

Three things I love about Paulette Ensign, the Booklet Queen:

1. She found a niche for her talents and filled it, then carved it to make it unique
2. She gives practical, no nonsense steps for how you can easily create your own tips booklet
3. She has a great sense of humor, coupled with wisdom - a great combination

If you missed Paulette on our Conversations with Experts last Wednesday, get the audio recording. Learn how to do a short tips booklet. This makes sense for all you consultants, speakers, and authors who are working on a book. Go ahead and get a tips booklet out to your prospects while you are working on that book. It will do the marketing job for you while you are doing other things.

Some points covered:

1. Booklets are typically 3.5" x 8.5", fit in a #10 envelope, are 16-24 interior pages, saddle stitched, have minimal graphics with a cover printed on glossy cover stock.

2. Tips booklets should run 3000 to 5000 words. There's no magic formula for the number of tips to include. Best to go by word count.

Seth Godin: Learning at the foot of the Great Bald One

I can't resist posting, as I just sat down for the Seth Godin viral marketing seminar in NYC. Looking forward to learning from one of the "horse's mouths" in effective buzz....More later!

Email Marketing: The Money Is in Your List!

How many times have you heard that? Every time someone complains about the time necessary to do a newsletter or a blog, we repeat the List Mantra: "The Money Is in the List..."

We've heard horror stories about $20,000 websites that have no way to capture email addresses and build a list. What's your list building horror story?

How many ways are there to build a list? Let me count them....Ali Brown says there are 101 ways. You can buy her downloadable report for $97 or so...

Or you can start reading about the importance of list building every where on the Web. Here's a good post by Brian Clark at Copyblogger.com, in response to Where's the Money in Blogging?...

Blog Squad Teleclass Tuesday June 13th

The next blogging teleclass in the "Small Business Website Development" series is tomorrow:

Tuesday June 13, 1pm EST: Introduction to Blogging, with Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff of the Blog Squad

- Why every business needs a blog (or, why blogs are taking the business world by storm)
- Best blogging tools, and how to get started
- Blog-to-book projects
- And more...