Internet Marketing Muscle Blog

How you doin'? (Joey from Friends reference) Shorts Have you tried “shorts?” No, I don't mean shorting the stock market, though that would not be a bad idea right about now. There's a new president, we've had a remarkable bull market , even in the face of horrible economic news (worst job losses EVER for nearly a year now), and there's no end in sight (yet–to me) of this crappy pandemic we call “The COVID.” In fact, since around January 2009, the stock market (DJIA) has done nothing but rise. We did have a drastic pullback in early 2020, but then the bull market took off again. But that's not why you're here. When I say “shorts,” I mean short content. It could be writing, speaking (podcasts), or video. YouTube seems to love short content. Amazon does, too. I'm giving short content a go with Amazon Kindle books. Instead of a 10-chapter book, I'm publishing 10 books of one chapter each. Each “short” will be a fully-containe

How you doin'? (Joey from Friends reference) Shorts Have you tried “shorts?” No, I don't mean shorting the stock market, though that would not be a bad idea right about now. There's a new president, we've had a remarkable bull market , even in the face of horrible economic news (worst job losses EVER for nearly a year now), and there's no end in sight (yet–to me) of this crappy pandemic we call “The COVID.” In fact, since around January 2009, the stock market (DJIA) has done nothing but rise. We did have a drastic pullback in early 2020, but then the bull market took off again. But that's not why you're here. When I say “shorts,” I mean short content. It could be writing, speaking (podcasts), or video. YouTube seems to love short content. Amazon does, too. I'm giving short content a go with Amazon Kindle books. Instead of a 10-chapter book, I'm publishing 10 books of one chapter each. Each “short” will be a fully-containe

Bruce Springsteen, productivity, blogroll, YouTube, and more! Welcome to another edition of the Once a Week Newsletter! This is Number 17. But before we get to this week's OWN, may I ask a question: Do you use a VA (virtual assistant)? Automation of any kind? Or are you a “one person wrecking machine?” Sorry, I guess that's three questions… The reason I ask is because I am the latter. I've soured on having anybody else work for or with me. Partnerships go south for a million reasons and managing people from afar (in a VA) is really hard. But I've seen people use VAs very successfully. I'd like to hear how you do it, if you do it. Tell me in the comments. Content Calendar: Low-Tech Tools for High-Quality Writing – Copyblogger Your first content calendar can be simple and easy to use consistently. Try these supplies you probably already have on hand. Bottom line: An editorial, or content, calendar doesn't have to be fancy. It has t

Bruce Springsteen, productivity, blogroll, YouTube, and more! Welcome to another edition of the Once a Week Newsletter! This is Number 17. But before we get to this week's OWN, may I ask a question: Do you use a VA (virtual assistant)? Automation of any kind? Or are you a “one person wrecking machine?” Sorry, I guess that's three questions… The reason I ask is because I am the latter. I've soured on having anybody else work for or with me. Partnerships go south for a million reasons and managing people from afar (in a VA) is really hard. But I've seen people use VAs very successfully. I'd like to hear how you do it, if you do it. Tell me in the comments. Content Calendar: Low-Tech Tools for High-Quality Writing – Copyblogger Your first content calendar can be simple and easy to use consistently. Try these supplies you probably already have on hand. Bottom line: An editorial, or content, calendar doesn't have to be fancy. It has t

If you’re still fairly new to running your online business, then you may still be in the process of choosing your tools and platforms. Here are six types of tools you want to be sure to include on your list. This is not a comprehensive list. But consider this the bare minimum you'll need in order to get started as an internet marketer. Email Service Provider (ESP) This is the most important marketing tool because it helps you build relationships and close sales with both prospects and customers alike. For best results, choose a well-known email service provider that gives you features such as: Good uptime reliability. Good customer service. Opt-in form templates. Newsletter templates. Built-in testing. Segmentation. I highly recommend these two ESPs: Aweber SendFox Payment Processor No matter what you’re selling, you need a reliable payment processor. You can choose options such as PayPal, Stripe, or 2Checkout.com. If you’re planning on se

January 21, 2021 Daily Blog Post – Busy or Productive? Both, Neither? Internet Marketers kind of fall into two general buckets: Busy or Productive. Which one are you? It's easy to be busy. You just do stuff. But being productive takes more thought: You have to be strategic with your time. Once a minute goes by, you can't get it back. This doesn't mean (at all) that you have to be productive all the time. Quite the opposite. You DO HAVE to learn to be productive–at least in short bursts–if you are to ever FINISH anything. Busy people start lots of things but rarely finish anything. Productive people finish. It's kind of a akin to the old saying about salesmen: Anybody can be a sales person, but only closers (finishers) are successful. That's how I see it. Agree or disagree? This post was inspired by a blog post I read by Seth Godin this morning. You can read it below. The trap of busy The article was originally publ

January 21, 2021 Daily Blog Post – Busy or Productive? Both, Neither? Internet Marketers kind of fall into two general buckets: Busy or Productive. Which one are you? It's easy to be busy. You just do stuff. But being productive takes more thought: You have to be strategic with your time. Once a minute goes by, you can't get it back. This doesn't mean (at all) that you have to be productive all the time. Quite the opposite. You DO HAVE to learn to be productive–at least in short bursts–if you are to ever FINISH anything. Busy people start lots of things but rarely finish anything. Productive people finish. It's kind of a akin to the old saying about salesmen: Anybody can be a sales person, but only closers (finishers) are successful. That's how I see it. Agree or disagree? This post was inspired by a blog post I read by Seth Godin this morning. You can read it below. The trap of busy The article was originally publ

Let's talk WordPress security, landing pages, and SEO (some of my favorite topics)! Welcome to another edition of the Once a Week Newsletter! We're on #16 now. But before we get to the chosen topics, let's talk mar-tech. What is mar-tech? It's the intersection of marketing and technology. Duh, Bill, I know that, but what is it? Well, it's two of the things that really get me jazzed. I love new technology and I love marketing (maybe even more). As I've said before, nearly everything you do is marketing . So always be aware of how your behavior influences others' perception of you. Even if you think you're “off work,” people will judge YOU based on your behavior and that judgement can carry over to your business, usually in a bad way. As Warren Buffett has famously said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” He's not wrong. So keep t

Let's talk WordPress security, landing pages, and SEO (some of my favorite topics)! Welcome to another edition of the Once a Week Newsletter! We're on #16 now. But before we get to the chosen topics, let's talk mar-tech. What is mar-tech? It's the intersection of marketing and technology. Duh, Bill, I know that, but what is it? Well, it's two of the things that really get me jazzed. I love new technology and I love marketing (maybe even more). As I've said before, nearly everything you do is marketing . So always be aware of how your behavior influences others' perception of you. Even if you think you're “off work,” people will judge YOU based on your behavior and that judgement can carry over to your business, usually in a bad way. As Warren Buffett has famously said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” He's not wrong. So keep t

January 15, 2021 is National Hat Day. Who knew? I know you may be getting tired of me continually posting “non marketing” stuff, but let me just tell you, there's a marketing lesson in everything I publish. YOU just have to dig for it sometimes. I have faith in you–you can do it. Just remember, nearly everything you do is marketing. I won't go into that diatribe today, but just know that you are in the business of selling you every single day. People generally don't buy from people they don't know, don't like, or don't trust. So you need to keep those three things in mind every single minute of every single day: Know Like Trust As Warren Buffett has famously said , “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” Warren Buffett How you behave in your “off hours,” what you post on your “personal timeline,” and even how you dress (what you wear) ca

January 15, 2021 is National Hat Day. Who knew? I know you may be getting tired of me continually posting “non marketing” stuff, but let me just tell you, there's a marketing lesson in everything I publish. YOU just have to dig for it sometimes. I have faith in you–you can do it. Just remember, nearly everything you do is marketing. I won't go into that diatribe today, but just know that you are in the business of selling you every single day. People generally don't buy from people they don't know, don't like, or don't trust. So you need to keep those three things in mind every single minute of every single day: Know Like Trust As Warren Buffett has famously said , “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” Warren Buffett How you behave in your “off hours,” what you post on your “personal timeline,” and even how you dress (what you wear) ca

In this edition of the Once a Week Newsletter, we talk about Clubhouse, podcasting, and WordPress vulnerabilities, among other assorted topics Can you believe we've hit the 15th edition of OWN? Me, either. I hope you're getting something out of them. I know I am! In this one, we talk about podcasting, reseller webhosting (I do it myself), more WordPress vulnerabilities (keep your sites updated ALWAYS), what to do when you're starting a new site, and–finally–a new app, Clubhouse. If you want an invitation, don't look at me. It's only open to iPhone users, and, well, I'm not one of them. But I hear it's great. It can also be a huge time suck. I've heard people spending 8 hours listening to “gurus”…I sure hope they put their newfound knowledge to good use! That's always the hazard: You know a lot but you don't ever act. Don't be that guy. Without further ado, let's go! Have a great week. Why a podcast is the perfect

In this edition of the Once a Week Newsletter, we talk about Clubhouse, podcasting, and WordPress vulnerabilities, among other assorted topics Can you believe we've hit the 15th edition of OWN? Me, either. I hope you're getting something out of them. I know I am! In this one, we talk about podcasting, reseller webhosting (I do it myself), more WordPress vulnerabilities (keep your sites updated ALWAYS), what to do when you're starting a new site, and–finally–a new app, Clubhouse. If you want an invitation, don't look at me. It's only open to iPhone users, and, well, I'm not one of them. But I hear it's great. It can also be a huge time suck. I've heard people spending 8 hours listening to “gurus”…I sure hope they put their newfound knowledge to good use! That's always the hazard: You know a lot but you don't ever act. Don't be that guy. Without further ado, let's go! Have a great week. Why a podcast is the perfect

January 13, 2021 Power Outage I fell asleep early last night, only to be awakened by a wind and rain storm that was crazy. Crazy is a relative term. I have never been in a hurricane or tornado, so this storm wasn't that big of a deal. It's kind of like saying, “Whew, that 4.0 earthquake was something else!” when I've been in ones 2 or 3 points higher. But still…power lines and trees are down everywhere in my sleepy little town. Luckily, our power never fully went out. There were frequent flickering lights though. And I made sure to check that the trampoline hadn't flown away. It's cinched down but with all the rain, the stakes are a bit loose at the moment. Time to re-do. School's Out for…Wind? Yes, schools are closed today due to wind. Well, really, due to the power outages that last night's windstorm wrought. The kids are happy. Mom isn't. Projects in the Works Ready for some cool content? Me, too. I'm getti

It's January 11, 2021, also known as National Clean Off Your Desk Day. Holiday! Cue Madonna's “Holiday,” off her best album ever (fight me). But I'll get to her in a minute. Today is National Clean Off Your Desk Day. In that light, I'll be doing what I do every day: Shuffling papers from one desk to another! LOL I can't seem to ever have a clean desk. But I think I know why: I don't care! Hahahahahahaha!!! I was talking about this a bit ago, that we have a calendar full of holidays. On its surface, it seems nice (I just said that in my in-the-head voice that sounds a lot like Borat). But it's all so superficial. I mean really? National Clean off Your Desk Day? Tomorrow, it's National Pharmacist Day. I'm not kidding. What do marketers do when confronted with inanity? First, we mock it. Then, we sell it. Some idiot once said, “A clean desk is an indication of a clear mind” or something silly like that. I think i

It's January 11, 2021, also known as National Clean Off Your Desk Day. Holiday! Cue Madonna's “Holiday,” off her best album ever (fight me). But I'll get to her in a minute. Today is National Clean Off Your Desk Day. In that light, I'll be doing what I do every day: Shuffling papers from one desk to another! LOL I can't seem to ever have a clean desk. But I think I know why: I don't care! Hahahahahahaha!!! I was talking about this a bit ago, that we have a calendar full of holidays. On its surface, it seems nice (I just said that in my in-the-head voice that sounds a lot like Borat). But it's all so superficial. I mean really? National Clean off Your Desk Day? Tomorrow, it's National Pharmacist Day. I'm not kidding. What do marketers do when confronted with inanity? First, we mock it. Then, we sell it. Some idiot once said, “A clean desk is an indication of a clear mind” or something silly like that. I think i

January 8, 2021 Once a Week Newsletter (OWN) #14 Howdy there, folks! This week's edition of the Once a Week Newsletter (OWN) is brought to you by…me! But seriously, it's time to get back to work! The holidays are over (well, the two big ones here in the States) and it's smooth sailing until…Martin Luther King Day a couple weeks away. I'm glad we can't go more than a couple weeks without a holiday! (That's always been a pet peeve of mine. Why so many holidays? In fact, there is probably some sort of holiday nearly every day. It's ridiculous.) As always, I scour my sources to find interesting and (hopefully) helpful articles and stories for you. Just a note on those “sources” – I've amassed a pretty big collection of “go-to” sites that I reference every day. I've put most of them in a feed reader. (RSS still exists!) That makes it super-simple to see what's new and exciting and worth sharing. Without further ado, here are t

January 8, 2021 Once a Week Newsletter (OWN) #14 Howdy there, folks! This week's edition of the Once a Week Newsletter (OWN) is brought to you by…me! But seriously, it's time to get back to work! The holidays are over (well, the two big ones here in the States) and it's smooth sailing until…Martin Luther King Day a couple weeks away. I'm glad we can't go more than a couple weeks without a holiday! (That's always been a pet peeve of mine. Why so many holidays? In fact, there is probably some sort of holiday nearly every day. It's ridiculous.) As always, I scour my sources to find interesting and (hopefully) helpful articles and stories for you. Just a note on those “sources” – I've amassed a pretty big collection of “go-to” sites that I reference every day. I've put most of them in a feed reader. (RSS still exists!) That makes it super-simple to see what's new and exciting and worth sharing. Without further ado, here are t

It's January 7, 2021. When will 2020 EVER be over? Business Entity Considerations After yesterday's events, I feel like I need some time away in the mountains. I fear it's only going to get worse. Maybe even wind up with President Joe Biden getting assassinated. Geez, people, settle down. Anyway, you didn't come here for politics and I'm not really enjoying writing about it here. Presumably, you're here to learn about marketing, technology, and running a business. So that's what we'll talk about today. Pick one. Go ahead, pick one. Okay, good choice. Running a business is serious stuff. It's not for the faint-of-heart. If THIS is your business, you know right now, especially after the tumultuous year 2020 was, that a LOT can go haywire and you need to get your ducks in a row at lightspeed. I'm not here to give you legal advice. Find a lawyer or Legal Zoom to do that. There are many ways to set up a small business

It's January 7, 2021. When will 2020 EVER be over? Business Entity Considerations After yesterday's events, I feel like I need some time away in the mountains. I fear it's only going to get worse. Maybe even wind up with President Joe Biden getting assassinated. Geez, people, settle down. Anyway, you didn't come here for politics and I'm not really enjoying writing about it here. Presumably, you're here to learn about marketing, technology, and running a business. So that's what we'll talk about today. Pick one. Go ahead, pick one. Okay, good choice. Running a business is serious stuff. It's not for the faint-of-heart. If THIS is your business, you know right now, especially after the tumultuous year 2020 was, that a LOT can go haywire and you need to get your ducks in a row at lightspeed. I'm not here to give you legal advice. Find a lawyer or Legal Zoom to do that. There are many ways to set up a small business

What the hell just happened? I'm going to keep this short today. Today was a day I hoped I'd never see: Masses of people storming a federal building in Washington D.C. I'm not going to share my opinion or thoughts on this. You can guess where I stand. But I will tell you that four people died today in the violence and that's just sad. I'm sad for them, their families, and my country. I hope it doesn't worsen (or even continue) tomorrow, but I have my doubts and fear. The article was originally published here!

What the hell just happened? I'm going to keep this short today. Today was a day I hoped I'd never see: Masses of people storming a federal building in Washington D.C. I'm not going to share my opinion or thoughts on this. You can guess where I stand. But I will tell you that four people died today in the violence and that's just sad. I'm sad for them, their families, and my country. I hope it doesn't worsen (or even continue) tomorrow, but I have my doubts and fear. The article was originally published here!