Sometimes you have to challenge yourself to do better.

This month, I’ve challenged myself to blog each and every day to my dating site at 101Date.com. The ‘challenge’ is due to the fact that I’m no longer too keen on the subject and have therefore been very remiss in posting to that blog.

Ya, I know… that’s how I made my first million — BUT, that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m still inspired by the topic.

Too, Valentine’s Day is a HUGE profit generator so getting traffic to the site through content will ultimately be worthwhile.

So, I’m using a few ‘tricks of the trade’ to succeed at this months challenge.

1. Re-posting old articles.
2. Working to finish posts that were drafted long ago.
3. Researching trade industry news.
4. Buying PLR.
5. Checking out some content spinners (yes, I know that’s against everything I’ve ever taught you, but if I can auto-spin an article and then do a little work to make it sound human – hey, why not? Besides, the 7-day trial is only $4.97.

Anyway, that’s MY challenge for February… the SHORTEST month of the year.

Anybody willing to join me?

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Want to work less and earn more?

I recently read a book that teaches you exactly how to do that.

Sam Carpenter’s “Work the System” has a higher percentage of 5 star ratings on Amazon than Michael Gerber’s 30 million selling ‘E-Myth’ AND Steven Covey’s legendary ’7 Habits of Highly Effective People’.

Sam is remarkable.

He worked a soul-destroying 80-100 work weeks running his business for 15 long consecutive years.

By that time, he was a physical and mental wreck, had lost all his friends, and had no life whatsoever outside of work. Then — just days before his business was about to collapse something happened which changed everything…

He now works 2 hours a week, is in the top 1% of income earners and wakes up every morning and chooses exactly how he wants to spend his day.

Better yet, though, is the fact that he documented what could well become the new global blueprint for working less and earning more, so that you can follow the exact system he created. If you think this won’t apply to your situation/business you NEED to look at this…

I’ve teamed up with the author to offer you a complimentary copy of his remarkable book as part of the launch of the 3rd edition. Share it with your friends and you’ll also get the Audiobook gratis.

Get the Work the System book by Sam Carpenter for free today.

Here’s great news on a Facebook event I’m actually happy to hear about… because it comes from a true leader in the social media space – Mari Smith.

If you’ve been trying to get social media to work for your business, you know that Mari Smith provides some of the best guidance there is for making sense of it all.

And as entrepreneurs and small businesses owners, we are all interested in getting better at Facebook marketing and relationship marketing in a big way!

So, I’m VERY excited to tell you what’s in store for you on Tuesday January 31st. Mari’s going to be leading one of her informative, FREE webinars — The New Relationship Marketing – FREE Webinar Series! — on Facebook Marketing for 2012 — and you’re invited!

This will be a lively and informative webinar about how to grow a raving fanbase on the world’s #1 social network — Facebook.

With all the recent changes over at Facebook, sometimes it’s tough to stay ahead and use the world’s largest social network to guarantee consistent visibility, engagement and growth for your business. That’s why Mari’s offering this free webinar, to get you up to speed on Facebook Marketing right at the start of the year. It’s all about the best ways to develop your Fanbase audience so that they REALLY connect with you. And when they join in and respond, they’re ready to buy from you, too!

Register right away to save your seat on Mari’s first big Facebook event of 2012 before it fills up (because if her previous webinars are any indication, I really think the seats on this one will be overflowing too!) I’ve already signed up, so let’s both start this year off with a big boost to our Facebook marketing for 2012!

The New Relationship Marketing – FREE Webinar Series!

I hope to see you on the webinar!

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

The latest issue of Revenue Performance Magazine includes a list of the Top 20 Affiliate Marketing Networks.

More than 5,000 people participated in the Blue Book survey including advertisers, agencies and affiliates.

If you didn’t make it to Affiliate Summit West 2012 and / or haven’t got a copy of the latest issue of Revenue Performance Magazine, you can check out the list here.

Have thoughts on the list? Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Do you sell a product online?

Would you be alarmed if you received a complaint notice via email from the Better Business Bureau?

I was… for a about a nano second until I got to the ‘bad English’ portion of the message. A quick Google Search confirmed my suspicions that this was indeed a spam message.

Here is the message that I received.

Attention: Owner/Manager

Here with the Better Business Bureau would like to inform you that we have been sent a complaint (ID 18537343) from a customer of yours related to their dealership with you.

Please open the COMPLAINT REPORT below to obtain more information on this problem and inform us about your opinion as soon as possible.

We hope to hear from you shortly.

Sincerely,

Fernando Grodhaus

Dispute Counselor
Better Business Bureau

Council of Better Business Bureaus
4200 Wilson Blvd, Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203-1838
Phone: 1 (703) 276.0100
Fax: 1 (703) 525.8277

If you get one of these, trash it. Do NOT open any links or attachments.

BTW, all I did was search for ‘Fernando Grodhaus’ and Google responded with a page full of complaints about this ‘complaint’.

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Here’s a heads up about what happens to your Akismet plugin once you install WordPress 3.3

First, ALL comments posted to my blogs were going into spam after I installed WordPress 3.3. Ergo, I wasn’t getting email messages about comments being held in moderation. Thought no one was enjoying my latests posts until I found nearly 100 ‘good’ comments in the Spam box.

Then the BBPress Forum on Affiliate Blogger PRO stopped working. I got a message from one of our members that they couldn’t post to the forum. I checked and it seemed to work, so I asked him to try again and never heard anything back. I received an email about the same problem from another member this morning and discovered that new posts to the forum were automatically being deleted.

Suddenly something in my tiny cranium clicked that the problem must have something to do with Akismet.

Sure enough, when you install WordPress 3.3 and do the Akismet upgrade, things go awry.

The fix?

Easy enough. Go into the Akismet configuration panel on your WordPress blog and you’ll discover that the API key is no longer there.

Once you re-enter and save it… all is well once more.

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Shawn Collins just announced that registrations are now open for both Affiliate Summit Central 2012 and Affiliate Summit East 2012.

Never heard of the Central version before? That’s because it is new for 2012 and is taking place in Austin, TX on May 15-16 at the Hilton Austin.

According to Shawn, the Central version “will be a different kind of Affiliate Summit – rather than several thousand attendees, it will be capped at a few hundred. The conference will be a day and a half long with two tracks of educational sessions, and a Meet Market with a couple dozen tables“.

Wow… sounds like a good one to me! What a great chance to get together and talk with industry specialists without all the hub bub of the larger shows in New York and Las Vegas.

Of course, if you want to see all the Who’s Who in affiliate marketing, Affiliate Summit East in New York would be the show for you. It takes place August 12-14, 2012 at the Hilton New York.

I strongly recommend registering early for either show. Not only will the Central version sell-out very quickly, but you’ll also save up to $370 on your pass. I suggest you go for the Platinum Pass which gets you into all of the educational sessions.

Wondering if you should go to Affiliate Summit? Watch this video to find out!

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

This might be the world’s longest checklist for bloggers and affiliate marketers.

Don’t let that stop you from becoming a blogger, as many items on the checklist need only be done once (i.e. install your blog), while a number of others are tongue-in-cheek, i.e. eat and sleep.

Most items on the checklist are linked to blog posts on this site where you’ll find more information about the topic.

Important list items WITHOUT links (i.e. choose your niche, assess affiliate programs, create an autoresponder series, etc.) are covered in detail in both my book and multi-media course.

I hope this helps and Happy Blogging!

1. Determine whether you really want to be a blogger
2. Learn and understand industry terminology, i.e. do NOT say ‘affiliate’ when you mean merchant!
3. Ask LOTS of questions!
4. Consider your interests (food, going green…)
5. Assess / research markets for profit potential
6. Confirm that there are products to sell in your niche
7. Consider the state of the economy
8. Choose your niche (be happy, stay out of BizOp)
9. Decide whether to use your real name or a pseudonym
10. Think up a good name for your business / blog

     

11. Protect your computer against spam and viruses
12. Arrange computer backups – backup power unit or at Carbonite (or both)
13. Register your domain name
14. Arrange web hosting
15. Familiarize yourself with host’s operating system, i.e. cPanel
16. Learn and exercise patience
17. Confused? Evaluate educational opportunities
18. Be careful to avoid scam artist ‘teachers’
19. Setup email forwarding addresses, i.e. me @ mydomain.com
20. Install WordPress
21. Install Akismet for blog spam protection
22. Install WP Firewall Plugin
23. Install Login Lockdown plugin

 

24. Install a professional WordPress theme
25. Design or hire a professional to create a logo
26. Install multiple web browsers to review blog design
27. Configure your blog backup schedule
28. Setup comment moderation preferences
29. Write a Comments Policy
30. Add a ping list
31. Setup user registration preferences, subscriber vs. author, etc.
32. Get a Gravatar

     

33. Write your Author bio
34. Setup a PayPal account for commission payments
35. Get a Google account
36. Set up a Google Feedburner feed
37. Sign up for Google Adsense
38. Set up an autoresponder account to build your list
39. Create an autoresponder series
40. Install autoresponder code on blog
41. Setup Blog Broadcast functionality with Feedburner feed info
42. Setup a Facebook Profile (here’s mine)

     

43. Setup a Facebook Page
44. Install Facebook code on blog
45. Register at LinkedIn
46. Setup Twitter account
47. Install Sexy Bookmarks to allow readers to share your posts
48. Install the Contact Form 7 plugin
49. Create a Contact page
50. Create an AboutUs page
51. Add Disclaimer page
52. Add Disclosure page (to keep FTC happy)

     

53. Create blog categories
54. Write blog category descriptions
55. Get a text or HTML editor to write your posts offline
56. Write a series of ‘starter’ posts
57. Install multiple browsers to see how your blog appears in each
58. Tag posts with relevant keywords
59. Buy graphics / images to enhance posts
60. Use your own images with a Flickr account
61. Add Google Adsense code
62. Join Amazon affiliate program (if able)

     

63. Join Clickbank
64. Join other affiliate networks, e.g. CJ, ShareaSale
65. Supply networks with direct depost information
66. Apply to affiliate programs
67. Appeal to merchants directly if declined
68. Evaluate and compare affiliate offers
69. Choose best offers and products to promote
70. Organize your affiliate information
71. Learn how to cloak your affiliate links
72. Write product reviews

     

73. Get affiliate code from merchant
74. Install affiliate links in product reviews
75. Monitor sales statistics
76. Confirm commission checks and bank deposits are accurate
77. Set a goal to double earnings each and every month
78. Assess why commissions may not be as high as expected
79. Tweak posts to increase conversion rates
80. Review sales statistics again
81. Monitor list for unsubscribes after publishing posts
82. Assess best ratio of promotional to informational posts

     

83. Create a publishing plan to follow
84. Continue writing informative articles
85. Create a swipe file to prevent writer’s block
86. Buy and use PLR content when writing bores you
87. Respond to blog reader comments (good and bad)
88. Use reader comments to get ideas for content **
89. Build relationships – respond to Facebook friend comments
90. Setup a polling plugin
91. Create polls to get reader feedback
92. Send out a press release with poll results

     

93. Create an Android or iPhone app for your blog
94. Build trust – respond to email submitted via Contact form
95. Write standardized responses to frequently asked questions
96. Create a F.A.Q.
97. Check email regularly for new affiliate offers
98. Monitor website traffic with Google Analytics
99. Use Google Reader to stay abreast of industry news
100. Comment on relevant blogs to build traffic through backlinks
101. Comment on relevant forums for backlinks
102. Set up a Yahoo! account

      

103. Make video product reviews (you’ll Flip for this)
104. Upload videos to YouTube and post to blog
105. Connect your YouTube and Facebook accounts
106. Monitor and respond to YouTube user comments
107. Add monetization to YouTube videos
108. Assess popularity of blog posts
109. Create a list of popular blog posts
110. Create a list of your best blog posts in a single category
111. Sign up for Klout to check your ‘influence’
112. Check your ‘bounce rate’

      

113. Write additional articles for placement on article directories
114. Re-invest earnings in software and hardware upgrades
115. Buy PPC advertising on Google Adwords
116. Perform WordPress and plugin updates (but not TOO quickly)
117. Figure out which plugin is causing blog bloat
118. Fret over database errors and other traumas
119. Prepare for possible server outages
120. Clone your blog
121. Check site for broken links
122. Look for links that still work but do not go where intended

      

123. Link posts together with relevant keyword phrases for better SEO
124. Hold a contest to encourage reader feedback and additional traffic
125. Invite guest bloggers to write articles
126. Guest post on other peoples’ blogs
127. Write stellar responses to questions on Yahoo! Answers
128. Find out how much Klout you have
129. Take a course or buy software to improve your copywriting and writing skills
130. Tackle and take down copyright thieves
131. Attend an industry conference
132. Implement lessons learned at conference

      

133. Turn your blog into a membership site … I did
134. Translate your site
135. Get success tips to stay inspired, focused and motivated
136. Learn how to manage your money
137. Subscribe to industry trade magazines
138. File your taxes
139. Sign up for an affiliate marketing / blogging course
140. Celebrate and monetize the holidays
141. Eat
142. Sleep

      

143. Get some exercise
144. Have some fun
145. Make time for your family
146. Give to others
147. Enjoy your disposable income
148. Wash, rinse, repeat

Have I missed anything? Comments, questions or suggestions? PLEASE let me know by leaving a comment below!

Cheers,

I am willing to wager that one of your goals for 2012 is to make more money online than you did in 2011.

If so, great! I want to help you figure out whether you need to do more of what you did last year and/or add new business-building activities to your repertoire.

Read the recommendations below for ideas that will increase your bottom line.

1. Test Your Market and Commitment

   If the blog you started in 2008 has never made a dime and the thought of trying to write yet another blog post about contact lenses leaves you cold; it’s unlikely that the blog will start producing big fat commission checks this year either.

   Take a good hard look at your blog topic.

   Is there a market for its related products and services or did it decline with middle class disposable incomes during the recession? If the market has vaporized, it’s time to reassess your investment in that blog. You can let it age and return to it when the market improves — or sell it.

   You should also re-evaluate continuing your blog if the market remains strong, yet your interest in the topic has vanished. If you can find the spark that originally inspired you to start the blog, fuel that fire! Otherwise, let it go and spare yourself the pain of boredom. Let it go, try to sell it or find someone to write for you on a regular basis.

   If you decide to let your blog go, start another in a more profitable and interesting niche.

   At a bare minimum, start building your portfolio / business card site this year.

2. Use the Right Tools

   Bloggers have access to many awesome free tools such as:

   • YouTube
   • Facebook
   • Twitter
   • Google Analytics
   • Google Reader
   • Google Webmaster
   • and many more…

   Making good use of those tools can help you make piles of ‘extra’ cash in commissions.

   For example, you can decrease your blog’s load time by using Google’s Page Speed. When readers can access your content faster, your conversions will increase and you make more money.

   However, there are a few essential tools on which bloggers must not skimp — even if free options are available.

   Those who want a hobby site to entertain friends and family, can do so for free with Blogger or WordPress.com. Or, just stick with Facebook.

   However, to be a money-making blogger; you must invest in their own domain name and a web hosting service for that domain. (NOTE: Bluehost offers free domain registration with their hosting service).

   Need convincing that owning your own domain is an absolute necessity?

   OK, here’s one of the most compelling reasons — Merchants decline applications of affiliates who use third-party hosting providers, i.e. WordPress.com, as they are regarded as unprofessional.

   You also need an autoresponder service.

   If you rely on Feedburner for blog broadcast delivery, make this the year that you start building a real list of blog subscribers whom you contact, even when you don’t post to your blog.

   Every successful money-making blogger uses a professional autoresponder service to build their subscriber lists. I’ve been using Aweber for over a decade, and recommend them above all other services. If you’re a new customer, you can test out an Aweber account for just a $1.

   A list of people who are interested in your topic and what you have to say will always be your greatest business asset.

   Better yet, you might make some friends amongst those readers…

3. Start Connecting with People

   I’ve remained in this business for over a decade because I enjoy connecting with the people I meet online who share my interests.

   Feedback – positive or negative – helps me make my business better. Positive feedback tells me I’ve hit the mark and that I need to do more of the same. Negative feedback indicates that I need to review and revise my approach in one or more areas.

   Learning something new everyday encourages me to foster even more relationships and there are so many different ways to connect with people online.

   Responding to folks who comment on your blog is first and foremost. Not each and every one, but certainly to those who have asked a question or left a very thoughtful and detailed response. In doing so, you forge relationships and build credibility as a trusted authority in your niche.

   Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Flickr accounts increase your online presence. When those accounts are properly connected, posting to one will show up on others, i.e. with your YouTube and Facebook accounts connected, a video upload to YouTube will result in a notification on your Facebook page or profile. Each notification is an opportunity to bring visitors back to your blog or find new readers.

   Posting thoughtful comments on others’ blogs not only builds backlinks, but your reputation as well. Make sure the blogs on which you post comments are in a niche relevant to your own — and don’t pull any ‘cheap shoes‘ tricks.

   Meeting with merchants at an industry conference is another fine way to build relationships and increase your commissions as many will offer higher payouts to affiliate marketers whom they meet in person. Trading war stories with fellow bloggers is also fun, highly educational and bound to increase your bottom line.

4. Blog Early, Blog Often

   If you blogged once a week last year, try to double or triple your output in 2012.

   Increasing the amount of unique content that you publish is a sure way to get Google to reward you with more free traffic. More visitors always means better earnings.

   Don’t have the time to blog more often? Consider partnering with a writer, hiring a freelancer or buying PLR.

   Review, revise and re-use your existing blog content.

   Frustrating readers with out-dated content or broken links is a sure way to make LESS money, so review your blog for posts that are out-dated or no longer relevant… but do NOT delete them.

   Old posts that still attract traffic can be used to redirect visitors to newer, more relevant material. Simply add a bolded notice to the top of the post with a link to the new material. Make the sentence highly noticeable by using a color not used elsewhere on your site.

   Check your blog regularly for broken links – I use the Broken Link Checker plugin.

   Check for links that DO work, but which do not link to the site or product that you intended! Sad, but true – I’ve come across a small percentage of merchants that will change the landing page in such a way that you will no longer be compensated for referred sales.

   Another option is to update and re-post articles. For example, if you promote a particular event every year (such as I do with Yanik Silver’s Underground Seminar), simply put the post back into Draft mode, enter the new information and re-publish it.

   Too, review posts for opportunities to link to other relevant posts on your blog. Consider creating a new post that lists 5 – 7 articles and call it a ‘series’.

5. Make a Plan and Work Your Plan

   Read the Affiliate Marketing: Month-by-Month series of articles which highlights holidays and events.

   Use it to create a publishing schedule for your blog and get suggestions for products and services you might consider promoting throughout the year.

   To help you create a plan and stay on track with your plan without getting overwhelmed, here are some helpful articles.

   1. Wash on a Monday
   2. End Procrastination: Eat that Frog
   3. Feeling Overwhelmed? Here’s My Cure

I wish you all the very best of blogging success in 2012!

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Back in 2005, Yanik Silver brought together a group of real-word online success stories to share exactly how they are raking it in.

(I was one of the speakers).

Appropriately enough, he called his little experiment the Underground Online Marketing Seminar. And because of the unique concept it totally SOLD-OUT 5 weeks early (while most other events are still trying to sell tickets up until the very day of the seminar).

In fact, it was so successful that the crowd demanded another one…and another one! In fact, every single
Underground has sold-out even faster because of the buzz and reputation of this event being THE place for networking and learning.

Let me tell you this event was so informative and entertaining that I’ve attended several others as well (see picture below of me and ‘the boys’ at the Underground in 2006).

I thought I knew a lot when it came to online marketing. I’ve attended a lot of seminars but these speakers really blew me away!

Yanik has done it yet again and managed to uncover an *ALL-NEW* group of “under-the-radar” six-figure, seven-figure…and even 8-figure earners for the Underground 8.

It’s all going on March 1-3rd 2012 in an undisclosed location in Washington, DC. March of next year might seem too far away to even think about but there’s an important reason not to delay.

Actually, there are *3* reasons to pay attention now:

Reason #1: You get the lowest discounts, bonuses and surprises (including a private VIP networking and actual SPY mission).

Reason #2: Like I mentioned, last year this unique event sold-out weeks early. And from the buzz, build-up and new success stories – I have reason to believe this year may sell out even quicker.

Reason #3: It’s a LOT of fun! Every year Yanik does a new spy theme and it’s a true experience. Not some stodgy seminar where you sit in a windowless room every day listening to boring Powerpoints. This year’s theme is “Spy vs Spy” and you don’t want to miss it!

It would be a huge mistake not to go to the Underground Seminar at least once!

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

P.S. Listen, this is definitely NOT the same “Usual Suspects” you see speaking anywhere else. In fact, you’ve
probably never heard of this unusual bunch of “doers” who are coming to break their silence (I can’t mention their names here but you’ll find out their true identities and stories on the site):