Sorry about the silly headline, but I'm in a weird mood. The foot fashions I'm referring to are shoes and boots… as in these two blogs: ShoeMoney and BootMoney.

ShoeMoney is a very popular "A-Lister" blog about affiliate marketing. Go there, read the posts, and you'll learn wonderful tips about various affiliate marketing strategies.

BootMoney is a new parody blog of ShoeMoney. Go there, read the posts, and you won't learn a damn thing about affiliate marketing… but you'll fall out of your chair laughing. This blog is seriously funny.

Visit both blogs and you'll laugh all the way to the bank. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself and that just slipped out… told you I was in a weird mood.)

affiliate marketing blog parodies

If you're new here and like what you see, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or sign up for my free email updates. Thanks for visiting!

Looking for interesting new blogs to read, or excellent blog examples to borrow ideas from?

One indication of a blog's success is the number of people who subscribe to its RSS feed.

Al over at Self Made Minds has created a Top 100 list of the sites with the most subscribers according to Feedburner. His list includes only Feedburner sites that have elected to publicize their subscriber counts, so some heavy hitters may not be on the list. Still, it's a great list!

The number-one site — with a whopping 577,000 subscribers — is Engadget. No big surprise there. But I bet you will find a few surprises among the 100.

View the entire list here: Blogs With the Most Feed Subscribers

blogs RSS feeds top 100 blogs

I don’t watch the show “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?” but I’ve caught a few minutes here and there. (I don’t have the patience to watch the contestant “struggle” with every question… I want to shout “Just answer the damn question!” at the TV).

But I know it's popular–and most people generally enjoy a good trivia game.

Hmmm… how can I incorporate this into my blog?

My idea:

“Are You Smarter Than a Newbie?”

No offense to newbies

Here are five questions… let's see how you do!

Read more

online marketing

I might be moving in the not-too-distant future. I'm wondering about the best way to backup my files… you know, in case my CPU falls off the truck or something.

I have some files backed up on CD and a USB-flash drive memory stick (or whatever those things are called), but that's only a tiny fraction of my digital inventory. I'd hate to lose the bazillion or so ebooks I've collected before I get a chance to read them!

I'm thinking maybe the safest way to go would be to use an online backup service.

I just checked one such service out. It's called IBackup - Online Storage and looks pretty easy to use.

Their online demo shows they use a drag-and-drop interface which looks similar to the ftp program I use. With prices starting at less than $10 per month, it seems like a reasonable expense.

I haven't checked out any other providers yet, though. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

archive back up files online data storage

I just received the following email from Blog Flux:

"As we ramp up our efforts for Blog Flux Local, our parent company,
BloggyNetwork, is also preparing to launch blogs for major US cities.

"If you live in a major US city (at least 500,000 people) and want to
blog about what is going on locally (and get paid to do it), please send
us an email to: local 'at' bloggynetwork.com

"We are especially excited about local and how it fits into blogging -
looking forward to launching our local-oriented sites."

I am not interested in this myself (I barely have time to write for this blog), but thought I'd share this in case any of you want to check it out.

I did look at both websites (Blog Flux and Bloggy Network) to see if there were more details available (such as how much they'll pay), but wasn't able to find anything.

So if you're interested, I suggest you send them an email inquiry to find out more.

blogging paid to blog

Do you like infomercials? Do you study them? As an online marketer, you should. Why? Because as dumb as they are (well, most of them; not all), they're also incredibly effective!

They all follow a tried-and-true formula:

* identify a problem
* offer a solution
* promote all the benefits of the solution
* throw in a sense of urgency
* add a bonus or two
* do a "compare at" justification for the price
* have a strong call to action (buy now!)
* and repeat.

I don't think I've ever seen one that didn't exclaim, "But wait! There's more!" I tried that in a sales letter once, but it didn't have quite the same impact in print.

Some may be downright silly, but infomercials have been selling millions of dollars of merchandise for decades. They've evolved into their own cable shopping channels. They're using the Internet to boost their sales.

Here's an example: As Seen on TV.

There's an item on that home page that my hubby recently bought for me… after seeing the infomercial.

Yep, the one-touch can opener. It works just like advertised. I don't know how I ever got along without it. And no, there's no hidden affiliate link here; I'm not pitching can openers!

Anyway, the next time you're channel surfing and come across an infomercial, don't click away… watch and learn, then apply those same techniques to your online marketing!

infomercials online marketing

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”

“Drive thy business or it will drive thee.”

Those are four of the seven remarkable quotes by my hero Benjamin Franklin that CopyBlogger Brian Clark transforms into valuable online marketing advice in his excellent article, The Benjamin Franklin Guide to Marketing Your Business Online.

The first quote, “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing,” is my personal favorite.

As Brian says in his article:

"The key to online marketing is content, and the ability to write well provides any professional or business owner with an unfair advantage over others, both in terms of social media audiences and with search engines. Video and podcasting are also ways to effectively communicate, as long as you have something compelling to say.

"On the other hand, simply doing or providing something remarkable allows other media-empowered people to do the writing and spread the word for you. Either way, the lightening-fast viral nature of the Internet allows for unprecedented exposure—but only if you offer truly unique value."

Be sure to read the rest of Brian's (and Ben's) insights: The Benjamin Franklin Guide to Marketing Your Business Online

Benjamin Franklin brian clark copyblogger online marketing

According to a recent study sponsored by iProspect and conducted by Jupiter Research, about 25% of 2,000 people surveyed said they regularly visit social networking sites such as MySpace and YouTube.

Even more interesting for us online marketers, a third of them revealed that social networking sites influence their buying decisions.

In a press release about the study, iProspect President Robert Murray said:

"Sure, everyone knows that people are going to social networking sites, but this study demonstrates - unequivocally - that social networking sites are not just a cultural fad. We're talking about a potent marketing channel. In the end, that could translate into a lot of potential revenue or lost opportunity. If you're an online marketer and you haven't assessed the value of social networking sites, it's time you 'got religion'."

But that doesn't mean social networking sites are replacing traditional search engines… not by a long shot.

"While social networking sites are a growing and important online channel for marketers to leverage, they are still early stage," noted Murray. "When it comes to quantity and frequency of visits, these sites are not even in the same ballpark as the major search engines. Even MySpace — the most popular of the social networking sites included in this study - is dwarfed by the likes of Google or Yahoo!. Smart marketers will explore social networks, yet continue to invest in being found in the major search engines. The sheer numbers dictate as much."

The best thing you can do as an online marketer is employ a strategy that takes advantage of both social networking and search engine optimization–a very powerful combination that can have a tremendous impact on your bottom line!

If you haven't already done so, be sure to grab your free copy of the Authority Black Book–it explains exactly how to do this.

To find out more about the study (which I recommend), go read the entire press release.

online marketing search engine optimization seo social networking social networking sites

Damn Brad Fallon! Grrrrrr!!

How the hell does he expect me to maintain, update and promote this blog and all my other websites–plus get involved with his new FreeIQ site–when I have a full-time job, a husband, a cat and several tropical fish that also need my attention?

There are only so many hours in the day, dammit!

I used to think of Brad as one of the good guys in Internet Marketing. He's definitely one of the most successful. I've seen him live at three Internet Marketing seminars, and he impressed the hell out of me every time… whether his topic was SEO, selling wholesale products online, or Internet Marketing in general.

He's not only one of the top experts (I'd use the word "guru" but all the gurus seem to dislike that word), he's a really nice guy who genuinely wants to help others become successful online.

At least that's what I used to think.

Now I'm not so sure.

I know what you're thinking. It's not Brad's fault. He's not twisting my arm or forcing me to get sucked into his new FreeIQ site. I have free will. I can ignore it! Right?

Hah! Fat chance!

How can I possibly ignore a site for Internet Marketers that allows speakers, authors, consultants and experts of all kinds to host and stream an unlimited amount of audio and video, including complete presentations, seminars and demonstrations–for free?

Vast content… incredible exposure… fantastic income opportunities… It's an irresistible dream come true for people like me doing business online!

Brad should know this, dammit!

I absolutely do NOT jump on the bandwagon of the "latest and greatest" product being pitched by the gurus (there's that word again). I get sick and tired of all the promotions they do for each other's stuff.

But FreeIQ is free (my favorite kind of product/service!). And it's got incredible potential.

If you have about 45 minutes to spare, watch Joel Comm's video.

If you just want to go see for yourself what it's all about, go to the FreeIQ homepage. It's pretty bland. But you'll see a list of preferred tags under the search box. Click on one that interests you, and you'll be taken to a page full of content about that topic. The content is a mix of free and for-sale resources.

Lots of great stuff on this site already, and it's brand-spanking new.

And yes, you can easily add your own content.

But here's what's got me really excited… the potential to earn a lot of money! In addition to posting your own products for people to buy, you can become an affiliate and promote the site (as I'm doing). If anyone you refer buys anything, you get a commission. If anyone you refer becomes an affiliate and gets others to buy anything, you get a Tier-2 commission on that stuff, too.

Just go to the FreeIQ site and click on the Learn More link at the top to see what it's all about.

But be warned! After you do that, you won't be able to resist climbing onboard now, before everyone else beats you to it.

That's what happened to me.

Now I'm spending my limited, valuable time promoting this thing when I should be cleaning out the cat box.

Damn Brad Fallon!

affiliate marketing Brad Fallon FreeIQ internet marketing online marketing

Google Alerts is one of my favorite online marketing tools.

Google Alerts allows you to set up an automatic email notification system based on search terms (keywords). You specify the keywords you are interested in and the types of alerts. The five types of alerts are 'News', 'Web', 'Blogs', 'Groups', and 'Comprehensive.'

The 'Comprehensive' option, for example, will search all news releases, website posts, blog posts, and group discussions for the keywords you specify, and send you email notifications with links to the hits it discovers.

Here are just a few examples of how you might use Google Alerts:

* To get the latest information on a news story you are following.

* To see what's being posted online about your niche topic.

* To know whenever your websites, your products, or your name are mentioned online.

This cool tool enables you to spy on the Internet, with Google as your snitch.

Imagine that you've got a blog about stamp collecting and are trying to come up with a topic for your next post. You browse through your emails and discover a Google Alert pointing to a post on a competitor's blog that lists "the most desirable postage stamps for collectors." You read that list and disagree with the top choices. Bingo! You now have a great idea for your own blog post (a bit of controversy can be great for buzz!).

Here's another example, a real-life experience of my own. I'd set up a Google Alert for the name of one of my products. Thanks to that Alert, I discovered an affiliate who had set up his own website to sell my product (good), but he was claiming to be ME (bad). To make matters worse, he wrote some things on his site that I totally disagreed with and would never advise anyone to do. All while using my name and pretending to be me! I contacted him and he quickly agreed to change his site and start using his OWN name to promote my product. ("Gee, I'm sorry. I thought as an affiliate this was OK to do.") Yeah, right.

Anyway, if you're not using Google Alerts, you should be.

Go here to set up your own alerts: Google Alerts.

Google Alerts

Yikes, I've been tagged! Twice!

On April 14th, Mark at Me and My Drum tagged me. He then told me about the tag by leaving a message for me at MyBlogLog. Nice touch, Mark!

How cool! I'd never been tagged before. At least that's what I thought.

After doing a little research about blog memes (which is what this tagging game is), I found this cool site that is tracking this "Why Do You Blog?" meme: Blog Meme Tracker.

I read through the many, many names of bloggers being tagged, and found out that I had been tagged by Lynn Terry back in February! Oops! At the time I'd read Lynn's post, I had not been included among those she'd tagged (and yes, I whined a bit). I didn't go back to that thread later so didn't know she had succombed to my whining and tagged me–because I'd used my non-hyphenated domain name URL to leave comments on her blog… and I'd set up my Google Alerts only for my hyphenated version! "Doh!"

Anyway, here's how this blog meme tagging thing works. First, you have to get tagged by someone. Then you make a post linking back to the person who tagged you, and listing five reasons why you blog. Last, you tag five other bloggers (and let them know) so the fun continues.

Here are five reasons why I blog:

1. To learn all I can about blogging and online marketing. I love to learn new things. No matter how much I know (or think I know), there's always something new I can learn. I learn best by doing.

2. To share all I learn. To me, blogging is synonymous with sharing. So many amazing and generous people have helped me to learn during my years in the online marketing world! They did it by sharing. I'm happy to be doing the same. Really–it makes me happy! Blogging is one of the easiest ways to do this.

3. To be part of an amazing worldwide community and build exciting new relationships. Blogging involves much more than posting content on your own blog. That part is fun for me because I enjoy writing. But the real joy is participating in the community aspect of blogging. Reading (and learning from) what other bloggers are writing about, participating in their blogs by posting comments, discovering new blogs through their links, sharing sites and insights… these are the things that REALLY got me totally addicted to blogging.

4. To freely express myself. I have a job. I enjoy my job; it involves writing. But I can't write whatever I want, and most of the topics I get paid to write about are boring. I can't get too creative or express myself too freely. Managers are too damn sensitive about what they think might offend someone. Believe me, I'm not offensive. Here's a stupid example: I was writing a profile about a new employee based on information she freely volunteered. I mentioned the word "divorced." I also mentioned that she had three children. "Censorzilla" deleted the horrifying "d word" (as if being divorced was somehow negative). So readers were left to wonder if she'd had three kids out of wedlock, had killed her husband, or whatever. Silly, huh? On my blog, I write what I want, how I want, dammit!

5. To earn money. With a blog name like "Best Online Earning Strategies" that better be one of the reasons I blog, right? I'm earning money with this blog through various means (affiliate links, Adsense and other tactics I'll be blogging about). I'm also earning more money on my other websites because of this blog–it's helping me to send more traffic to them.

OK, those are my five reasons. Now to tag five other bloggers…

Jack Humphrey
David Olsen
Iszuddin Ismail aka Kidino
JohnFTM
Liz Strauss

I don't see any reason why we can't bend the rules… if you want to participate without waiting to be tagged, feel free to join in the fun!

"Tag! You're It!"

blog meme blogging Why I blog

Are you reading Revenue Today magazine?

If not, you should be. Why? Here's an excerpt from their site:

"Revenue Today is the daily resource for online marketers on the Web. It informs affiliate marketers, search marketers, merchants, affiliate networks, industry watchers and market researchers on critical issues necessary to drive measurable results and profits online.

"By focusing on all aspects of online marketing including deciphering the latest trends, implementing the necessary technology, key business strategies, innovative marketing tips, effective online advertising methods and emerging trends, RevenueToday.com helps keep the online marketing community abreast of the most timely issues impacting their business right now."

Here's the best part: You can get it free–both print and email versions.

You do have to provide some information about your online business, but it won't take you more than a couple of minutes.

The content in this magazine is topnotch. I've been devouring it for the past six months. You should be, too.

Here's where to go to request a free subscription: Get Revenue Today Free

affiliate marketing Revenue magazine Revenue Today

According to a recent post by blogger Gary Lee, a great way to boost both rankings and traffic is to start a Technorati Faves Exchange with readers.

Gary got the idea from a very detailed and helpful article by Maki over at Dosh Dosh.

After reading both posts (as I suggest you do), I decided to jump into this myself.

The idea is to add the participating blogs to your list of Technorati Favorites, get some of them to return the favor, and all share the potential benefits of increased exposure and traffic.

So, to continue the promotion of DoshDosh’s exchange, perpetuated by Gary's post, this is how it works:

1. Click here to Add Me to your Technorati Favorites

2. Leave a comment that you have added me. Use your own Technorati Fave link in the comment so I know where to go (i.e. http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://www.yourdomain.com).

3. I will go through my comments and then add you to my Technorati Favorites list as well.

Here are the rules:

1) Write a short introduction about how you found the list and include a link to the blog that referred you to the list.

2) COPY the Rules and ENTIRE List below and post it to your blog. To avoid duplicate content and increase the amount of keywords your site can be accessible for, go ahead and change the titles of the blog. Just don’t change the links of the blog.

3) Take “My New Faves” and move them into the “The Original Faves” list.

4) Add 3 Blogs that you’ve just added to your Technorati Favorites to the “My New Faves” section. Remember to also add the “Fave the Site” link next to your new blogs (i.e. http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://www.yourfavesdomain.com)

5) Add everyone on this list to your Technorati Favorites List by clicking on “Fave the Site.” Those who want good kharma will fave you back. If not, you will for sure get the benefits of faves from the bloggers who continue this list after you.

My New Faves

Chris Garrett on New Media - Fave the Site

Finding the Money - Fave the Site

The Friday Traffic Report - Fave the Site

Original Faves

Stephen Fung - Fave the Site Add him to your favorites and he'll donate to charity!
Ed Lau - Fave the Site
QMusings - Fave the Site

Gary Lee - Fave the Site
Dosh Dosh - Fave the Site
Nate Whitehill - Fave the Site
Ms. Danielle - Fave the Site
Jeff Kee - Fave the Site
Scribble on the Wall - Fave the Site
Jimi Morrisons Head - Fave the Site
Jon Lee - Fave the Site
Samanathon - Fave the Site
Eat Drink & Be Merry - Fave the Site
The Man of Silver - Fave the Site
Hannes Johnson - Fave the Site
My Dandelion Patch - Fave the Site
Nathan Drach - Fave the Site
SiteLogic - Fave the Site
Julies Journal - Fave the Site

That's it! Hopefully this little exchange will give everyone participating a bit of exposure via Technorati, and maybe even some extra traffic.

boost traffic rankings Technorati Technorati Favorites traffic

Meet Reesie.

Isn't she cute? The story John Reese tells about her is cute, too:

Read more

John Reese Reesie Traffic Secrets

My friend Lynn Terry offers a great answer on her blog to one of the most common questions asked by new online marketers:

"What it the best way to monetize the traffic that you get to your sites?"

Lynn's response is detailed and informative.

But what makes her answer particularly helpful is that she includes a great example of something she did that was causing her to lose first-time visitors and their money, why it was happening, how she discovered it, and how she fixed it! Here's a brief excerpt:

"I get to the end of the page and… there is nothing. No call to action, no reason to click on anything. So I hit the back button on my browser and continue my search at Google. (Bad Lynn, no cookie!)

"Knowing what I know from this process, how would I monetize this page? I would add a call-to-action at the end of the short post. In fact, that’s what I did…"

How many of us look at our sites through our visitors' eyes, and really SEE what's missing from their perspective? If we can't do that, we can't implement fixes that will monetize traffic.

Lynn's post is excellent. Go read it and start making more money!

Here's the link: How to Monetize Website Traffic

Lynn Terry monetization monetizing web pages search engine traffic website traffic