January 31, 2006
Come On Article Marketers - Be Reasonable!
Even though article marketing has been a viable strategy for years, it certainly has become increasingly popular with release of software like Article Announcer and more and more people talking about article marketing.
And just like any marketing “fad” (and the current state of the article marketing frenzy does seem like a fad), people are just taking it too far. I know that recently, some of my subscribers and blog visitors became a bit livid at me when I recommended some private label articles. My recommendation came from the perspective of a person who uses content like this legitimately and with the sole purpose of providing quality content to my website visitors.
I am fully aware of the spammers…and I think they suck. And article marketing seems to be bringing out the real ugly in people. Or maybe it’s just that people don’t know what they’re doing. I guess I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt…so now it’s time for a bit of education!
My Internet Based Moms newsletter editor, Linda Stacy, recently emailed me:
Subject: Article Submissions Gone Wild…
…… or Spammers Ruin EVERYthing.
In about 5 weeks time, over 300 articles were submitted using the website form. I just spent a half hour doing nothing but reading the titles and deleting the ones that are completely inappropriate. I now have 153 articles left that I need to look at to decide if they will be reprinted.
I’d like to just completely shut down submissions for a while (a couple of weeks at least) until I can come up with a solution. Okay with you? I’ll put a note on the submissions form saying something like….
We have temporarily stopped accepting article submissions while we search for a more efficient method of reviewing submissions. Please check back in late February.
Here’s a sampling of articles I just deleted without looking past the title.
How to Avoid Speed Traps
A Sport The World Loves
How to Choose a Radar Jamming Device
How Is the Right Time to Consolidate Student Loans
What can get your car insurance canceled
Choosing The Right Binoculars For You
Changing Hotel Locations Can Help You Save
The Differences between Laser and Older Radar Detectors
Errors in the healthcare begins with Scheduling
How Orchids Grow
Cheap Mobile Phones
Diseases and Orchids
A HOLY TERROR - OUR FREEDOM IS AT STAKE
Cure Your Crystal Meth Addiction Before It’s Too Late!
How To Choose A Wedding Tent
Wall Mounting Your Flat Screen TV - Part 1
Mizuno Golf Clubs reviewed
New UK Pension Plans to be Unveiled
Learn to Play Guitar Online - Discover Guitar Lesson Tools.
Choosing the right Yamaha generator
Archery Ideas For The Beginner
Your Rights when a Bailiff Visits
Your Guide to Hearing Aids
Evaluating snow blowers to meet your needs
Choosing The Perfect Fishing Destination
What the Heck Are Polymers and Do I Want Them on My Car?
Medium to High Volume Reaming
History Of Picture Framing
Buying Property in Bulgaria
Thanks,
L.
Well, at least if I’m ever in the need to buy property in Bulgaria or need to understand my UK pension (I’m Canadian, of course), I can do all that while relaxing in my favorite fishing destination. And for certain I’ll be using the right binoculars for all the nature-watching I’ll be doing.
That’s all well and good, but how useful are these articles to a website with Internet marketing information? Tools like Article Announcer or other submission programs are meant to save your time, but you still need to have consideration for the time of the sites and groups you’re submitting to.
Does Duplicate Content Get You Banned?
Q: I heard that duplicate content can get you banned from Google. Does this mean that I shouldn’t use reprint articles or private label articles? [Read more]
January 26, 2006
Hmmm…Maybe This Isn’t Such a Good Idea
Mike Filsaime posted this on another forum and I thought it might interest you. Apparently some dude in Boston posted an online ad to offer cocaine for sale. Any guesses on how that turned out?
How Do You Collect Effective Testimonials?
How Do You Test & Track Your Marketing
Q: I always hear people talking about testing and tracking in Internet marketing. How do you do this?
January 24, 2006
Fewer Goals, Smaller To Do Lists - More Success!
I was on a teleconference last week and I asked about my goals for 2006. I had some overall goals for the entire year and I mapped out in great detail my goals for the first 6 months of January. As I said them out loud, I realized that a couple years ago, I would have tried to cram the 6 months’ worth of goals into 1 month.
So what’s the deal? I was getting more work done when I had more goals…right? Perhaps I’m a little lazy in my old age? 
NO. A couple years ago, I was doing a mediocre job of achieving my goals. Now that I’ve given myself time to really work on each goal, I am able to do a better job on each one, have less stress and my family really appreciates the extra time I have with them.
So, if you have a goal list for this year…take a second look. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your online business doesn’t have to be either. Take the time to perfect (or at least nearly perfect!) each aspect of your online business before you move onto the next thing. Besides, there are so many more important things to concentrate on in life!
Blog vs. Mailing List Content
Mailing List vs. Blog Content
A: Hmmm…I don’t know. Sometimes I will point my newsletter subscribers to my blog for content, so there is overlap. I try to save my hard-selling to my newsletter and rarely do big sales pitches on my blog (but I didn’t say NEVER). I don’t mean I always sell to my newsletter subscribers, but I find a pitch in a newsletter is far more effective than a pitch on a blog. I also find people except to receive sales messages in an email, but seem to expect it less from a blog. I think a blog is just a place to chat with your readers and sales pitches tend to change the tone.
I rarely post formal articles on my blog and would give those to my newsletter readers instead as it’s what’s expected. If I’m trying to form a relationship with my readers, frequently posting other people’s articles or being so formal in my own kind of defeats the purpose. I definitely tend to be a bit more personal in my blogs (i.e. I share personal info) than in my newsletter – even though mediums usually have a personal tone for me.
As far as what goes where, honestly, it’s a bit haphazard for me. I am just constantly looking for content ideas. If it’s not time to mail out to my list, I’ll probably just post it to my blog. There is no right or wrong answer…it’s just the way it works for me.
If you need ideas on what to write in your blog, read the article What Should I Blog About?
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