Marketing Cowboy

New Year's Action Plan

2012-01-10T11:01:00.000-08:00

I hope the New Year is looking up for you. 2012 is going to be a
year full of new opportunities and hopes and dreams and changes.
The key to your success and happiness will be based upon your
ability to maintain your focus, remain vigilant, trust that good
things will come your way because you deserve them ... and to
maintain your faith because it's very hard to accomplish anything
entirely on your own.

For me, I am trying hard to balance my focus on being practical,
yet also leave room for being creative. As I look back on last
year and the mistakes I made, I remain confident that I will do
better this year. I still expect to make mistakes, but hopefully
not the same ones over and over again.

So how is my business approach going to change? First, I'm going
to focus more upon what I can do on my own versus outsourcing
portions of work to others. While I have been blessed to work
with many brilliant and talented people in the past, it is very
difficult to provide quality service to my clients when I don't
control everything. So I'll be doing more of the design and
development on my own.

Second, I am going to be more selective of the projects and
clients I will accept. In the past, I tended to try to help
everyone who crossed my path, even if they could not pay me a
dime. I'll still make myself available for "Commando Consulting"
when I know I can drop into someone's business, rescue them, and
then get out quickly. But gone are the days when I will invest
endless hours helping people and companies that really can't help
themselves.

Third, I am going to branch out into new areas, developing new
services, and targeting new audiences. One new area I am already
beginning to focus on is coaching. Let me explain.

Back in 1989, I went through the Dale Carnegie Course in Human
Relations based upon the recommendation of a fellow magician and
friend. That single course changed the direction of my life, and
as a result of the mentoring and encouragement I received through
DCC, I went on to become a Graduate Assistant and co-teach the
course several times in NYC and Tulsa. I watched many lives get
changed. People grew and matured and their lives were
transformed.

Over the past few years, I have had involvement in two programs
in Tulsa which put me in the position of coaching entrepreneurs.
Here, too, I've seen tremendous growth in both individuals and
their new businesses.

Recently, in working with a new group of clients, I've noticed
how much value they placed on their private phone time with me.
Many said it was the first time they felt they could
confidentially air their concerns about their personal and
professional lives. So, this is an area I hope to grow and
develop in 2012. If you are interested, please note the fee is
$150/hour, with two hours a month required. You can start on a
month-to-month basis, but I will lower the price to $100/hour
with a year long commitment. Call me at 918-810-5233 if you are
interested. Space in my schedule is and will remain limited so
I can provide quality mentoring to you.

Lastly, another area I am working on is to more closely examine,
utilize and leverage my gifts. I think many of us take our gifts
for granted. Some just ignore them entirely. I have a friend who
is an incredible artist -- a painter -- and he blows off his gift
as if anyone could do what he does. Gifts are meant to be used.

One gift I have is remaining in contact with people. Take this
newsletter, for instance. I've been publishing it since 1997 and
have almost 2000 long-term subscribers. I like to remain in
contact with people, and many of my long-term relationships, both
personal and business, have evolved as a direct result of my
utilization of this gift. I plan to utilize this more in 2012.

Do you have a gift that you take for granted that you could use
more aggressively this year? Think about it.

OK, time for the commercial ...

CoolToolAwards.com has been updated. I'm so happy. I totally
redesigned this site I started in 1997, and with the help of
XSite Pro was able to port over hundreds of pages of content to
the new design quickly and easily. Here's some of the new
reviews:

Premium Banners Pack
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/Premium-Banners-Pack.html

If you sell anything online, you need to promote your stuff with
quality banner ads. This product makes it so easy. It's great.
Nuff said.

Premium Pricing Graphics, Version 2
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/Premium-Pricing-Graphics-V2.html

Selling stuff online is all about grabbing your visitor's
attention. I've seen web pages where the price was so well hidden and they wondered why they had zero sales. This package makes your price jump from the page and get clicked!

XSite Pro
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/XSite-Pro.html

I include this link because if you have not purchased this web
design product yet, then you are probably paying someone else to
do it for you. Stop throwing your money away. Web design doesn't
have to be difficult. This product makes it easy. And it does so
much for you. Read the review.

Well, that's it for now. If there's anything I can help you with
-- if you need a little "Commando Consulting" then please give me
a call at 918-810-5233.

All my best,

Steven

The Future of Electronic Publishing?

2011-12-13T13:29:00.001-08:00

As most of you know, between 1997 and 2011, I operated an ebook
publishing company called Ebookomatic.com. In October 2011 I
closed the doors because the industry had changed in so many
ways. Chief among these changes has been the move away from the
industry standard Adobe PDF ebook format in favor of other
wireless platforms like the Kindle from Amazon.com.

While Amazon and the Kindle have changed the face of book
publishing and distribution, I'm not so certain all of those
changes have been for the best. They have made it relatively easy
for anyone with an idea to publish an ebook and make it available
for wireless download to their device. The publishing service
itself is free to use, and the author can determine how much they
will charge, where the ebook will be sold, and how much of a
royalty they want to earn.

The problem, as I see it, is that now you have a lot of garbage
for sale -- stuff that normally would never get published is now
masquerading as a book. In other words, there is a lot of poorly
written stuff out there -- in fact, probably the majority of it
is quite bad. And as a result, all of this bad work adds noise to
the channel by giving you endless options for ebooks. You can
search on just about any topic and come up with hundreds of
titles you never heard of and probably don't want to read.

But there are other issues, too. While authors have control over
price, they really don't because the public doesn't believe they
should pay for quality information, fiction or entertainment. As
a result, ebooks for the Kindle and elsewhere routinely sell for
$2.99 and lower. And the lower the price, the less the author
earns. It's like iTunes apps or iPad games.

Sure, I know. It' a volume deal. Lower the price and millions
will purchase what you sell. That doesn't always work. If it
worked all the time, we'd all be able to sell our shopping list
for a dime and be millionaires.

So as an experiment, I decided to publish the four ebooks I
completed this year on Amazon's Kindle Publishing Direct. I
wanted to see what the experience was like compared to
EbookoMatic.com. My system enabled you to upload a Microsoft Word
file and it converted it into a password-protected Adobe PDF
file. You set the price, genre, added a bio, a cover and a
summary and your ebook was available for sale within 5 minutes or
less.

I created my free Amazon KDP account within a few minutes, and
then started the learning process of using their system. What I
discovered is that the process of uploading your manuscript, your
cover image, and your ebook's "meta" information is quick and
easy. But there are a few issues ...

First, you really can not upload a Microsoft Word DOC file and
expect your ebook to look the same in Word or Adobe PDF as it
will on a Kindle. In fact, if you are like me and don't own a
Kindle, you need to download a Kindle emulation program and
separate conversion program to generate the ebook file before you
can upload it to Amazon KDP.

This is an iterative process. You'll convert the file on your PC,
view it on the Kindle emulator, make notes for layout changes,
and then start the process all over again. Some conversion tools
work better than others, and it takes a while to understand how
the choices you make in your settings of these tools control what
the final product will look like. I spent hours experimenting
until I got something that looked OK.

Second, once you upload your ebooks to their system, they do not
become available for sale for at least 12 hours or more. So much
for instant publishing. Apparently they are put through some
quality control process where humans actually get involved. One
of the ebooks I submitted was rejected on the grounds that it
duplicated an ebook already for sale in their system.

How could this be? I searched Amazon and found my ebook for sale
under someone else's account name. I informed Amazon they were
wrong, but they insisted I was wrong. I had to show them domain
ownership, manuscript info, a web site, and still they argued
with me. And because contact info was unavailable for the other
person reselling my original work, I had no alternative but to
threaten Amazon with a lawsuit for facilitating theft of
intellectual property and copyright infringement.

Eventually, Amazon saw the error of their ways and withdrew the
other person's work from their ebook catalog, and made my
original ebook live. They were very apologetic for their handling
of the situation.

Frankly, I think there is a huge class action lawsuit just
begging for an intellectual property attorney to attack. Could be
millions of dollars at stake here because I am certain I am not
the only author to have his work ripped off by Amazon's system.

In fact, anyone who has created and sold an ebook with reseller
rights, could find their work for sale by others on Amazon unless
they deliberately stated their work can not be converted or sold
in other formats or on other publishing platforms. In other
words, if you publish a PDF ebook, make sure you state it can only be
resold as a PDF file.

So if you want to see the ebooks available on Amazon for the
Kindle, go here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=steven+schneiderman&x=13&y=21

You'll notice there are authors with similar names listed along
with me. The titles are presently selling for 66% off normal
retail prices, for only $9.99 each, so buy yourself a present and
download one of my ebooks today at a bargain price!

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: If you are an author and are looking for assistance with
publishing and promoting your ebook online, I can create a killer
web site, sales letter, ebook cover and much more for you. Drop
me a line to discuss your needs at info@schneiderman.net.

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 S. Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Almost Free Software for the Holidays

2011-12-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

Howdy. Hope your day is going great. Over the next few weeks I will be sending you some free gifts and some links to some really inexpensive tools and ebooks that are absolute bargains.

Today I want to point you in the direction of Serif Software. This is a British software company that has developed a great reputation for creating powerful, easy-to-use and very inexpensive software for personal and business use.

In the old days, when I needed to design some type of marketing collateral like a brochure, I would use PageMaker. That was an investment of several hundred dollars, took lots of time to learn, and frequently was more trouble than it was worth.

A few years ago, I purchased Serif PagePlus which is an incredible clone of PageMaker, only it's a fraction of the price, much easier to use, comes with incredible bonuses, and is well supported. I spent about $100 for the my copy, and now they are up to PagePlus Version 5.

Well, here's the deal ... they discovered excess inventory of Version 4 of their entire suite of products and for a limited time for this holiday season, you can purchase any of their titles for only $19.99. Yeah, that's a no-brainer decision, for sure!

WebPlus helps you create great looking web sites. DrawPlus helps you create killer graphics. MoviePlus helps you edit and create dynamic videos. All of these products are usually $99 but you can get all of them for only $19.99 each. Is this a great deal or what? The links below are long and may not work in your email client, so be sure to copy and paste the entire link into your browser.

WebPlus X4 for $19.99
https://www.cleverbridge.com/812/cookie?affiliate=2296&redirectto=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cleverbridge.com%2F812%2Fcatalog%2Fcategory.16846%2F%3Fcoupon%3DBLOWOUT

PagePlus X4 for $19.99
https://www.cleverbridge.com/812/cookie?affiliate=2296&redirectto=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cleverbridge.com%2F812%2Fcatalog%2Fcategory.16902%2Fproduct.91915%2F%3Fcoupon%3DBLOWOUT

DrawPlus X4 for $19.99
https://www.cleverbridge.com/812/cookie?affiliate=2296&redirectto=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cleverbridge.com%2F812%2Fcatalog%2Fcategory.16908%2Fproduct.92517%2F%3Fcoupon%3DBLOWOUT

MoviePlus X3 for $19.99
https://www.cleverbridge.com/812/cookie?affiliate=2296&redirectto=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cleverbridge.com%2F812%2Fcatalog%2Fcategory.16905%2Fproduct.92518%2F%3Fcoupon%3DBLOWOUT

Talk to you soon,

Steven

P.S.: Feel free to share this with your friends or tweet or post it via social media. These are really good deals for the holidays!

2011 Reflections

2011-12-03T08:01:00.001-08:00

As the winter weather begins to rear its ugly head here in Tulsa, it seems like a good time to kick back, pull the covers back up over my head, and stay in bed. It's Saturday, I don't have anything too pressing to do, I dropped my daughter at pom practice, my wife's preparing to venture to the OSU/OU Bedlam football game in Stillwater, and my son is still sleeping. There is a 60% chance of significant snow Monday, and I'm not ready for winter. What about you?

It's been a few weeks since my last newsletter. Since that time I have begun to sew up my major projects for the year, and to reflect on what's worked and what hasn't. This is always a time of learning and readjusting for the coming year.

2011 was a choppy year for me. Revenues are down about 50%, but through God's good graces, we made it through. Lots of anxiety and worries along the way, but the mere fact that we made it gives me reassurance that He will always provide for me and my
family. And to think of all the years I used to worry about things like that. A lot of wasted energy over things I can not control.

2011 was also a year of simplification. For over a decade I managed multiple online businesses in addition to over 100 web site domains. Trying to keep all of those sites current was a bear, and as my consulting took up more and more time, it became virtually impossible to keep up with it all. Finally, this year I decided to close up shop on my electronic publishing business, Ebookomatic, and shut down dozens of web sites. I've kept less than a dozen and focused my energies on improving their design
and content.

One of the many projects still in limbo is Very Cool Tools. I wanted to create my own membership site for reseller products. I've grown so weary with the poor quality of most reseller membership sites, and wanted to do something good for people.

What I learned along the way about setting up membership sites was worth its weight in gold. There's money to be made there for sure, but developing new products every month is time consuming. Coming up with the product idea is easy; bringing that idea to fruition is difficult.

This year I wrote four new ebooks and created one new software product. Our goal was to launch the membership site with the first 12 month's of products in place, so we would be one year ahead. What I didn't count on was the economy affecting my development team in Pakistan. My counterpart there has moved to Dubai to escape the political unrest, and he has started a new company. So while he still is available to me and wants to continue our 6 years of collaboration, he has different priorities and responsibilities to deal with. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men.

I also shut down my own web server which I have run for more than a decade. I moved all my remaining web sites to a hosted server at Host Gator. While it was technically easy to do so, I am still learning about the fine differences between managing a Windows and Linux server. Chief difference that impacted my business until recently was that Linux links are case sensitive. Thus almost all of my links between pages and sites and download pages were broken.

I didn't realize how big a problem this was for over a month until I saw my sales and revenue plummet to zero. Once I realized what the issue was I quickly started to correct all broken links, and now sales are beginning to trickle in again. I probably lost $2K in revenue over those broken links. Ugh. Hard lesson to learn.

>From a consulting perspective, this year I began to change my sales and marketing approach. For instance, I used to provide a free web site analysis with a free 10 page review in order to prove my value to a new prospect. They loved my analysis and
frequently implemented my fixes on their own or with the help of someone less expensive. So now I charge for my time up front, and I deduct the cost of the analysis if the prospect awards me the project.

I'm also getting more serious about offering coaching services. After a recent introductory engagement with 13 new companies in the same industry, it became very clear that company owners and founders really appreciate my broad background and my ability to speak to them about just about anything. They appreciated my honesty, my
empathy, my faith, and my positive attitude. So I've added a coaching page to my web site and we'll see what happens.

I see much greater opportunity in serving clusters of companies in associations rather than individual clients, and will be looking for more of these opportunities in the future. If you or someone you know belongs to either a professional association or
an informal collection of companies, and you want to do some projects together, contact me to learn how I can assist you. Having a project manager or administrator to assist you with project planning and implementation is essential to long term
success.

This year has also been a year of growth for me on the performance side. Most of my subscribers know I have a fun side to my life which involves my second profession as a magician. This year I stopped performing at one public venue and started doing more private shows. This December I have seven shows and will be busy right up to the holidays. I am excited and very grateful and excited to be performing again. I love doing magic for people because it brings smiles to their faces, and it also generates additional income. It's great. I love it.

And so now it is time to plan for 2012 and to prayerfully implement a new business strategy which will hopefully bring me back into more fruitful territories. I hope the economy hasn't impacted you too badly, but if it has, I urge you to remain strong in your faith, and to begin to analyze the past year. Look for ways to change your strategy, drop what isn't working or drains your time, and to focus on the core things you do best and that brings you the most joy. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Until next time,

Steven

Be Thankful, Be Courageous

2011-11-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

May this newsletter find you with a smile on your face and
thanksgiving in your heart. As I chatted with my friend, Gary,
last Thursday morning, he reminded me that now might be a good
time of the year for me to slow down a little, breathe,
re-evaluate, and to show my gratitude for everything I have.

I thought about it. It seems I have been racing faster and faster
to catch up, drive new business, cramming little projects between
big projects, and then race the kids between their activities,
leaving precious little time for me or my wife. It's been like
this for years. Whether it's the economy or my Type-A
personality, or a little of both, I'm not entirely sure, but the
truth is ... I'm tired. No tired ... weary.

I've always led a fast-paced life from the time I started my
first two companies back in the 1980's until now. I've always
felt a bit like a shark -- have to keep moving or I'll drown.
Then as I got older, got married, had kids, changed jobs,
returned to self-employment ... it seems as if things just keep
speeding up. There seems to be an urgency in the air, real or
imagined, from the time I rise to the time I fall asleep watching
TV.

And so, following in the footsteps of some of my friends on
Facebook, I've committed to posting something I am grateful for
every day until Thanksgiving. If you want to follow along with
me, you can friend me on Facebook here:

http://www.facebook.com/schneiderman

I want to recommend a movie to all Dads out there: Courageous.
Whether you are Christian or not, this is a very well-written,
well acted, and well directed movie, produced by the same church
in Georgia that brought such hits as Facing the Giants and
Fireproof to the silver screen. I took myself to see it last
Sunday, and it hit a number of familiar spots in my heart. I wept
like a baby throughout most of the film, and can't recommend it
enough. Go see it.

On the marketing side, I just received Premium Retro Badges. This
is a neat collection of graphical badges with a distinct retro
feel. What can you do with them? Make logos, header graphics,
ebook covers, and warranty seals, and that's just the beginning.
The collection comes in both PSD layered format (for PhotoShop or
GIMP) as well as transparent PNG files for those with simple
graphical editors. You can check it out here:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/Retro-Badges.html

I also want to test the waters with my subscribers about new
coaching services I'd like to offer starting in 2012. More and
more I find myself spending time on the phone with my clients
discussing the general nature of their businesses and their lives
outside of work. So many folks are mired down by their work that
they forget -- like me -- to take time to live.

Don't let this happen to you. I've lived a very packed life. I've
experienced a lot and done a lot, and while I don't have an
answer for everything, I'd like to leverage my wisdom and
experience to help you in your business and your life. This past
week I spoke with a half dozen clients for 1-2 hours by phone,
and when we were finished, they all thanked me for spending time
with them -- for being a sounding board for their concerns and
challenges -- and for helping them come to decisions over
challenges they have been facing for a long time.

How to price this? I'm going to start very low. Just $49.95 for
an hour. I am very limited to the number of people I can speak to
weekly, so I ask you to send payment in advance via PayPal to
info@schneiderman.net and then send me your three best days and times
along with your phone number. I'll contact you via email to
confirm your appointment within 24 hours.

In the mean time, I suggest you find some time for yourself and
think about what you are grateful for, and let the people in your
life know about it.

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Share this with a friend by clicking the link below:

http://app.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=HkSF&s=t5IKb&y=h&

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 S. Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Are Instant Web Sites Really Possible?

2011-10-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

May this newsletter find you and yours well. After a bit of rain
here in Tulsa, OK we now have a slight chill in the air and
beautiful sunny weather. Very nice Fall weather and a welcome
break from the obsessive heat that has occupied this part of the
country from last Spring to just a few weeks ago. The leaves are
changing color, and with that, so many ongoing changes are also
taking place in my life. I feel more blessed than I deserve.

The month of October has been the busiest month in almost two
years. It's exciting though trying to get back into the swing of
working 40+ hours a week is taking some getting used to -- but
don't get me wrong -- I am very happy to be so busy again. What
are people buying? Everything! Small web sites, big web sites,
sales copy, ebook covers. You name it.

One of the things I find interesting is the growing expectation
that you should be able to order a web site and have it up
instantly within a week. I'm not sure where this comes from, but
believe it may have something to do with commercials from Intuit
which show happy couples designing and launching their own web
sites with the click of a few buttons.

Now reality and past experience would indicate it really isn't as
easy as all that unless you have very simple needs, all of the
text and graphics lined up ready to go, and some sense of what
you are doing technically. Yes, you can get a site up in a few
hours, but you tend to get something that either looks lackluster
or a templated clone of hundreds of other sites. Frankly, when you
take the instant web site approach, it's hard to look or sound
compelling.

Of course, getting the site up and running is only one third of
the battle. You still need to do the promotion in order to
generate awareness and traffic. That's the second third. And then
you need to convert your visitors into leads, subscribers and
sales. That's the final third. So a 1-2-3 job it ain't!

That said, if you know what you are doing ... and I think I do
most of the time ... you can get a simple site up quickly using
tools like XSitePro. If you haven't looked at this tool yet, I
strongly urge you to do so now. It is easy-to-use and the most
powerful product of its kind on the face of the planet. You can
read more about it here:

http://www.webdesignassistance.com/XSite-Pro.html

Why do I like it? Once you get the hang of its interface, you can
select a template from its library, customize it, add a search
facility, a subscribe box, a contact form, navigation, ads, etc.
all within the matter of a few minutes. I had an interesting
challenge about a week ago, and XSitePro saved me hours of time.

A friend for whom I did a site for about a year ago called about
a small problem. I decided that rather than tinker with old code,
I would rebuilt the site in XSitePro and handle it all from
there. Within an hour, I had rebuilt the site -- everything from
the content to the navigation and the contact form -- in less
than 60 minutes.

I had another new client ask me to design and launch her site by
middle of next week for a major networking event she was planning
to attend. Truth is I am a little backed up with projects, and
there was no way I could go through the normal process of
gathering design and functionality specs and create what she
wanted in less than 7 days. Then I decided to see how fast it
would take me to prototype the site in XSitePro.

I found a formal looking template in their library that I felt
would be suitable for a small, one-person law firm. I removed the
original graphical header and created my own. I added it back to
the site template, created the pages she requested, copied and
pasted the content she provided, clicked a button to design and
add a contact form and Google map, and clicked one more button to
generate and publish the site to my HostGator web hosting
account. Probably took me a little over 3 hours. In fact,
creating an appropriate graphical header image was probably the
most challenging task. The result? I over-delivered and exceeded
my client's expectations ... and brought the originally estimated
cost of the site down from $1500 to $500.

If you need help getting a site up and running quickly, I would
be pleased to help you, but if you would prefer to do it
yourself, then please do click on this link to learn more about
this incredibly powerful and simple tool:

http://www.webdesignassistance.com/XSite-Pro.html

Until next time,

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Steven

P.S.: Have you visited the God Moments site yet? I want you to go
there and buy my client's $10 book or ebook. It is a fast read,
will make you feel good about life, and may get you to think a
little differently about God.

Too Much Time On My Hands

2011-10-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

And so as this newsletter arrives, we all put another notch in
our desks, signifying the end to another week in our lives. I hope
yours was productive. I spent my time writing an email series for
a book about our relationship with God, completing a makeover to
a corporate web site, converting my own consulting web site from
FrontPage to XSitePro, writing sales copy and doing SEO analysis
for a bunch of marina web sites, and doing research on a bunch of
fire prevention and suppression companies. It's been a busy, busy
week. Howze bayou?

It's easy in all the busy-i-ness to lose sight of more important
things like your relationships with others and making sure you
have some downtime for yourself. I know I tend to fall short on
my own downtime between work and family. I could use an eighth
day in my week, one reserved strictly for my own selfish needs to
chill out and relax and do something fun.

Growing up as an only child, I spent a lot of time by myself. I had
friends on the block and through school, but I really learned to
become comfortable in my own skin. I didn't really struggle to
impress or pretend I was something other than who I am, perhaps
with some exceptions when I performed magic. But by and large, I
was comfortable being alone. I grew to relish it at the end of
the day. Being alone made it easier to decompress, shut off the
world, and think -- or not think -- as the case may be.

Being an older Dad -- I'm only 53 but didn't marry until I was 35
and started a family right after that -- I sometimes find myself
having a hard time keeping up with my kids. Wrestling with my 12
year old son isn't as easy as it was even a few years ago, and
talking to my daughter about her iTunes songs -- what is it with
"screamo" that attracts 15 year old girls -- is almost impossible
for me to bear.

And having two teens also means that they tend to interrupt my
downtime with a variety of teen angst crises. However, there are
more and more days where they leave me completely alone. On those
days, while I am trying to relax, I suddenly feel lonely. I
realize my kids are growing up physically, emotionally, and
spiritually. And in a few years, they'll probably be thinking
about moving away to go to college. And then I'll have so much
time to myself, I've a feeling I won't know what to do with
myself.

Time is an interesting factor of life. And business.

I'm consumed by saving time. I tend to rush through things, and
not put forth my best effort. As Larry the Cable Guy says,
"Get'er done!" The only problem is when I rush, I make mistakes,
and then I make more work for myself.

Sometimes, I do use my free time well. Like this past week. My
wife purchased Lysol No Touch Soap Dispensers for every sink in
the house. These are battery operated soap dispensers. You hold
your hand in front of a little sensor and they dispense a squeeze
or two of liquid soap. They are very handy, but they cost about
$16.00 each with one refill, and then additional refills can run
around $23 for four of them. You can probably run through a
refill every month for every dispenser you have.

So I went to Walmart and purchased a large cheap bottle of Equate
liquid soap, drilled a hole in the top of every dispenser bottle
and filled them all up for a fraction of the cost. I was very
proud of myself. My wife looked at me like I was crazy, but I
told her we were going to save $200/year in liquid soap. You just
watch and see, lassie.

I told her I was going to write an ebook about it and sell it for
a buck just to show her how ingenious I was. Then I found other
people who had posted do-it-yourself videos on YouTube showing
the exact same process as mine. Intellectual property thieves.
They must have my house bugged. There's no justice in the world
anymore.

Anyway, I obviously have too much time on my hands. Or more than
I thought.

Wanted to share with you a new graphics product you might find
useful. It's #4 in a series of professionally designed abstract
graphics. You can use these in your web site designs, ebook cover
designs, business card designs, the list goes on and on. Adding
subtle abstract backgrounds to your marketing materials can
really make a difference. Check out the example here:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/Killer-Abstract-Backgrounds-4.html

While you're on that site, take a gander (I am becoming an
Okie) at the other hot graphics tools available. The site offers
many tools that can help enhance your marketing and raise it up a
notch. If you buy any two products on the site, I'll give you a
third of your own choosing for free! So check it all out and see
what floats your boat.

And here's one more special offer for the week. I've written four
ebooks this year:

http://www.schneiderman.net/Publications.html

Buy one, get one free. Just go ahead and make a purchase, and then
tell me which one you want for free! My gift for subscribers only,
and because I want you to have this information to improve your
businesses!

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: You know the drill by now. Click the link below to share
with a friend.

http://app.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=L6ht&s=t5IKb&y=4&

Living in the Moment/God Moments

2011-10-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

Good evening. I don't usually write to you on a Sunday night, but
nowadays I need to grab the time whenever I can get it. About two
weeks ago, I discussed the concept of "living in the moment".
Like all of you, I have heard this concept for living many times,
and I know I have used it, too. I know that I have egotistically
told others they need to do it. I think, though, this concept of
living in the moment is often too simplistic. Let me explain.

"Living in the moment" means that you are no longer living in the
past or worrying about the future. That's a good place to be. You
want to be entirely focused on what's going on right now, about
the things you are about to say right now, the things you need to
think about right now, and the decisions you are about to make
right now.

But I think when most of us say this, we make the assumption that
we're living in this moment by ourselves, that it is still all
about us, and for me at least, that's where I have begun to
depart. We're not living in the moment alone. If you are married,
you are living in the moment with your spouse. If you have close
trusted friends who care about you, then they are living in the
moment with you, too.

And if for some reason you aren't married and don't have any
close friends, then you are still living in the moment with
someone else beside you. You might not believe in him, feel his
presence, or ever acknowledge him. But here's the ironic part. I
don't think he cares how you feel. I think he's standing beside you
right now, with his invisible arm around your shoulder, and he
is ready and willing to live in the moment with you. All you need
to do is invite him to join you.

It took me a long time to come to this belief, and it required me
to change my belief system, admit life is not all about me, and
that I need the help of my higher power to get by. I need someone
else to live in the moment with me. Without his company,
guidance, friendship, forgiveness, grace and unconditional love,
my life would be pretty lonely and boring.

But with it, well, it's pretty downright amazing.

There is something else to be said about "living in the moment".
When we don't live in the moment, we waste a great deal of time
and energy fretting about either what we did or said or failed to
do or say in the past - OR - about what we're going to do or say
in the future.

Now I am the King of Worry, I admit it. When I die, I wouldn't
blame my family if they put on my tombstone, "Here lies Steven.
He worried about a lot of things, and most of them never came to
pass. He wasted a lot of his time and energy on things he could
not control."

I worry about my relationships with my wife and children, how the
kids are doing in school, my home, my car, my business and finances, my
lack of time for creative pursuits, the people I should have been
kinder to and the people who have hurt me. Does any of this sound
familiar, dear reader?

But worrying about the past and the future is a slap in the face
to God. He tells us not to worry in the Bible. He tells us he
will provide everything we need just as he does for the birds in
the sky and the lilies of the field. And he reminds us that
worrying never added one day to anyone's life.

When we worry, we are telling God, "You can't possibly fix this
problem, but I can ... just let me worry about it for a while and
sooner or later something will come to mind so I can fix it." How
egotistical of all of us.

So there you have it.

Stop worrying. About whatever it is that keeps you up at night.
Don't lie. I know you have something that keeps you awake -- we
all do. Relax. It's going to get better. Have hope.

I have a book I'd like you to read. It's called God Moments, and
it's written by a friend of mine, David M. Cornell. It's a quick,
easy read. It won't thump you across the face with Bible
scripture. It's not complicated. But it will make you think
harder about love, faith, and hope. And it may make you think
differently about your own personal walk with God. Go here:

http://www.god-moments.com

Keep the faith,

Steven

P.S.: I'd be honored if you would pass this on to a friend.
Re-post it, share it, tweet it, or click the link below to
forward to a friend right now:

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Pass It On ...

2011-10-01T11:37:00.001-07:00

Good afternoon. Do you know the commercial where somebody does
something nice for a person they pass on the street, and then
that person does something nice for the next person they meet,
and so on and so on, until somebody does something nice for the
first person in the commercial which starts the cycle all over
again?

I noticed this happening to me this morning. As I got out of my
car at the local QuickTrip gas station, I noticed a baby's
sneaker under the car to my left. I noticed there was a baby seat
in the backseat and the Dad was busy getting ready to pull away.
I yelled at him to stop, he did, I reached down to retrieve the
sneaker and handed it to him through the window. He thanked me
and I walked towards the entrance of the gas station to buy some
stamps.

Two guys were leaving the store, and one of them reached back to
open and hold the door open for me. He didn't have to do that,
but he did, because that's the kind of guy he was. I turned to
thank him and that's when I laughed to myself because I really do
believe that if you are kind to people, if you do good work and good
deeds, it does eventually come back to you.

So it's time to look at how I can help you with your business.
Over the past few weeks I have been posing challenging life
questions, and I've sprinkled some simple offers before you, but
to be honest, not a lot of takers. I don't know why. I know the
economy is in the crapper. I experience this everyday like many
of you. But I think there must be something more to this -- that you
aren't taking the time to answer the difficult questions.

For instance, if you are trying to sell your own digital product or
service online, is there a real need for what you are trying to sell?
Most product creators believe EVERYONE needs what they are
selling. I am guilty of this myself. In fact, when I first
returned to consulting full-time in 2006 I used to tell everybody I met
that they needed my services. How egotistical is that? I honestly
believed it.

Then I came to realize that where I could make the greatest
contribution was for a client with specific criteria: either a
"newbie" who had an idea or a developed product but didn't
understand marketing at all, or a founder of a small to mid-sized
company who needed someone with broad sales, marketing and
operations expertise to come alongside them to guide them towards
excellence.

As a result my business model, services and pricing all evolved.
So who really needs your product or service, and what are your
criteria for finding new business? Do you really understand who
needs you, where to find them, and how to sell to them?

I want to help you. I want to good work for you. And then I want
you to pass it on.

My previously published offer has been taken offline to hide it
from non-subscribers. It is not open to the general public
because in all honesty it reflects the lowest pricing I have ever
offered, and at these prices, I am not making a great deal of
profit. Please go check it out one last time:

http://www.schneidermanmarketing.com/wso.html

Nowhere else on the Internet will ANYBODY ever offer anything
like this. I defy you to find an offer from as experienced a
consultant at a price this low. It won't last forever. Take
advantage of it now. I may even throw in a freebie or two if you
close business with me by end of next week. Try me.

Now who can you do something good for today? Watch for the
opportunities. I do everyday. And they always pay me back.

Try it. I dare you.

All my best,

Steven

They're Coming to Get You, Barbara

2011-09-29T14:16:00.001-07:00

Good Thursday to you. Hope all is well on your side of the
screen. Having just returned from a three-day family retreat with
my kids at New Life Ranch where the kids decompressed on the
ropes course, zip line, and rifle range, I am now trying to get
my head back in the right place, focused on some new projects.

Of course, there are always lots of distractions. I'm not a huge
TV kinda guy, but with the new season of shows, I am psyched for
Harry's Law, The Ultimate Fighter and The Walking Dead. I know,
weird combination of shows. The Walking Dead is something I am
particularly excited about because this season includes episodes
written by my favorite horror author, Stephen King.

George Romero, who started the whole zombie-brain eating niche
back in the 60's with "Night of the Living Dead", said that his
series of movies was actually a dark statement about our society
and that we are all zombies in our own way.

Hmmm. Me a zombie? Yowza.

But if you think about it: we get up, we go to work, we come
home, and rinse-repeat, day after day. Kinda like zombies. Yeah.
I'm a zombie. Guilty as charged, your honor.

And some of us act as if we're brain dead. Can't remember what
city we're in as we're traveling trying to make a buck. And most
of us can't even get moving in the morning without our magic
elixir available at your local Starbucks.

Day after day, we try to make a buck doing the same thing, and
get the same crappy results.

So, maybe Uncle George is right. Maybe we are more like zombies
than we are the people trying to escape or kill them. Maybe our
worst nightmare is true. We have become the monsters that can't
be killed.

Surely, this isn't the way it was meant to be.

Surely, there is more to this zombie existence, right?

Surely ...

I think it depends upon where you choose to live.

I'm not talking about physical location.

I'm talking about where your heart and soul live.

A lot of people claim they live "in the moment".

That's pretty good. Better than living in the past and fretting
about things you can't change.

And it is certainly better than living in the future, making
yourself anxious over things yet to come.

But what does living in the moment mean to you?

For me, I struggle daily over what I can control -- my words, my
actions, my decisions -- and what I cannot control -- which is
just about everything else. So that's where my moment lives.

What about you?

Something to think about as you go to bed this evening and pray
you don't see a zombie in the mirror when you look in the mirror
in the morning.

More to come.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: I hope you enjoy my ramblings. Over 1800 people worldwide
do and the list is growing. Help it grow some more by forwarding
this to a friend. Click the link below to get it going:

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Migrating From FrontPage to XSite Pro

2011-09-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday. Hope you've had a chance to kick back and relax a
little or get some of those household or family errands taken
care of. It's a fine day for it. Me? I've been migrating my older
Microsoft FrontPage web sites to XSite Pro, and I must say I am
thrilled with this tool. It is saving me immense hours and days
of re-coding from scratch, and I expect the SEO results
with these new web sites to be just as good -- if not better --
than the older sites.

When I first got involved with the Web back in 1997, my friend
suggested I try Microsoft FrontPage. Being quite the technical
snob, I refused to read the manual and quickly put up my first
few web sites. It was easy. What I didn't realize was that
FrontPage had some features built into it which really helped
improve the ranking and positioning of my web sites and web
pages.

One of these features was known as Shared Borders. It enabled you
to add a menu of textual links inside a shared border of all your
web pages. If you added or removed a page, the navigation would update itself every time you republished the web site. But the really important SEO aspect of this was the internal links. With every page cross-linked to all of the other pages of the site, the web pages placed very well on popular search engines. This is one of the things I speak about in my ebook Rocket Science Revealed. Microsoft FrontPage facilitated this, and now, XSite Pro does the exact same thing.

Starting yesterday, I designed some new web sites with XSite Pro
and then started copying and pasting the content from the old
Microsoft FrontPage web sites to the new XSite Pro web sites. I
was able to publish the new sites locally to my hard drive and
view them in my browser to make sure they looked and worked well.
Once I was happy with the results, I clicked a button and it
published the new sites to my web hosting account on HostGator.
The results were great. I'll probably replace some of the images
with my own custom images later in the week, but I'm very pleased
with the way they came out.

Now for the novice, XSite Pro comes with an extensive library of
pre-designed web sites. I'm telling you, no matter how much of a
techno phobe you may be, and no matter how scared you are of web
design tools, you, too, can design and publish a new web site
quickly and easily. It's even easier than Microsoft FrontPage was
back in the old days. And it's better because of the dozens of
built-in tools it has -- features that will save you oodles and
oodles of time.

For instance, I needed to add newsletter subscription forms to
the home pages of every new site. Typically, this would involve
creating the forms by hand with HTML or PHP code or designing
them in the Get Response web site and then copying and pasting
code into the HTML of the web page. Time consuming and confusing.

XSite Pro makes this easy. You select the form you want from a
library of pre-designed forms, add the name of the Get Response
email campaign and bingo, it inserts the form into your web page,
perfectly integrated with Get Response. What's that? You don't
want new subscribers to ever see the standard Get Response thank
you page with all those ugly ads on it? No problem, because XSite
Pro can create a custom thank you page on your web site in the
blink of an eye. I covered the importance of adding a capture
form for subscribers in my ebook Shooting Yourself in the Foot.

And if you like to add those social bookmarking thingies to your
web pages, you can also inset a nice little bar of social media
icons in the footer of your page with just a click. Everything
with XSite Pro is just a click. Are you getting the idea that I like this tool? Here's the latest updated sites:

http://www.EmailMarketingAssistance.com
http://www.EbookCoverCreator.com
http://www.GraphicsAssistance.com
http://www.WebDesignAssistance.com

Remember, each of these sites took me about an hour to generate
with XSite Pro. For the money, you really can't go wrong. If
you've been wanting to improve the quality of your old web sites
or want to get started making your own web sites but are afraid
of HTML editors, then XSite Pro is the easiest tool for you.

Here's what I am going to do to sweeten the deal. Use my
affiliate link below to secure your copy and send me a copy of
the receipt via email to info@schneiderman.net.

Then you have your choice of any one of these bonuses:

1. A free ebook cover design. -- Value $49.95

2. Pick two free ebooks (Designing Ebook Covers, Shooting Yourself in
the Foot, Push Pull Marketing, Make Your Ebook Sell, or Rocket
Science Revealed) -- Value $54.00

3. A free web site review once your site is live. -- Value $300.00

Pick any one of those bonuses. You will thank me for this, I
promise. Now here's the link you must use:

http://tinyurl.com/3b973xz

All my best,

Steven

What's Your Pony?

2011-09-13T08:03:00.001-07:00

Good morning. As this new day begins I want to share one of my
favorite jokes with you ...

Worried that their son was too optimistic, the parents of a
little boy took him to a psychiatrist. Trying to dampen the
boy’s spirits, the psychiatrist showed him into a room piled
high with nothing but horse manure. Yet instead of displaying
distaste, the little boy clambered to the top of the pile,
dropped to all fours, and began digging. “What do you think
you’re doing?” the psychiatrist asked. “With all this
manure,” the little boy replied, beaming, “there must be a
pony in here somewhere.”

And so I share this joke with you because no matter where you are
in life at this very moment, it is likely that you may feel
buried in horse manure either as a direct result of the economy,
your job, your finances, or even your relationships. Maybe all
four.

This past Saturday I was driving to Sonic to get my son and his
friend breakfast, and we passed a local shop that buys and sells
gold. They had not opened their doors yet, but there were dozens
of people waiting online to get in. The line wrapped around the
corner. It's a statement of our times and makes me wonder if a
run on the banks isn't too far behind.

But despite all of the fear and uncertainty, we need to try to
maintain a positive attitude like the boy in the joke and keep
looking for the pony.

Now the problem, I think, for many of us, is that we set our
sights on things that we may never actually find, and that feeds
the disappointment, fear and anxiety. For instance, every week I
meet people who think they have written the next best selling
ebook or developed the next big Internet product or service. The
reality is they have nothing substantial to place their hopes on,
and so they keep looking for fame and fortune.

What's your pony?

Are you focused on something that is concrete and attainable or
simply wishing for? I've got nothing against hope, but hoping that
money will rain down upon you like manna or that you'll be discovered
as the next great author ... well, that's a far cry from reality.
Sure, it could happen, but it may not happen.

So what do you hold onto to make it through the day?

For me, it's getting a lot simpler -- another day alive, with a
roof over my head, clothes on my back, food in my belly. Being
with my family. Getting hugs and kisses from my kids. Being able
to laugh. There's something about growing older that brings
things into focus. And 53 is around the corner.

Now don't get me wrong. It's easy to let life's disappointments
and fears bring everything out of focus in a micro-second. In an
instant something goes wrong, you panic and your world suddenly feels hopeless and that everything is coming to an end. I felt that way last week as financial pressures mounted. Today, less so.

The 1985 movie "Mask" was a real-life story about teenager Roy
Lee "Rocky" Dennis who suffered from craniodiaphyseal dysplasia.
His bone disorder caused massive amounts of calcium to build up
on his skull causing facial distortion. Many call it "lionitus"
because it tends to distort the face and make it look lion-like.
It usually results in early death. Rocky made it to age 16 and lived
a very full life, surrounded by good friends and loving family.
Despite the grim outlook by the medical community and limited
life expectancy, he lived longer and fuller than expected. Here's
a poem he wrote:

"These things are good:
ice cream and cake,
a ride on a Harley,
seeing monkeys in the trees,
the rain on my tongue,
and the sun shining on my face.

These things are a drag:
dust in my hair,
holes in my shoes,
no money in my pocket,
and the sun shining on my face."

No matter where you are in life, set your sights on what's truly
important, pick up your shovel and start digging, searching
through the manure for your pony.

He's got to be in there somewhere.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: If you are challenged by marketing or launching your
product or service online, please drop me a line at
info@schneiderman.net. And to forward this email to a friend,
click the link below:

http://www.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=ZZ0X&s=BMdBv&y=b&

A Season of Change

2011-09-09T08:55:00.001-07:00

Good morning to you, and I hope this newsletter finds you and
yours well, and hopefully enjoying cooler, drier weather as we
approach the Fall season.

Every season brings changes. For my family it means kids back to
school and building our lives around their activities. For my
daughter that means JV Pom, ballet, chorus, and her latest passion
-- cosplay -- where kids young and old dress up like their
favorite cartoon and manga characters. For my son, it means
tennis lessons and tournaments and band. This year he was
selected to play the oboe as well as the clarinet! Between both
kids, and my wife's tennis, and my magic shows and church
activities, we are a busy household. Do you share our pain?

This Fall also brings more changes for me business-wise. As I've
alluded to in recent newsletters, I'm going to focus on doing the
things I like as well as what I am good at. If a project comes
along that doesn't fit that criteria, then I'm turning it down.
And then there's housekeeping. Oh, how I love the housekeeping.

I'm speaking of business housekeeping. I have a lot of domains.
Always have. When I get a good idea for a domain name, I tend to
buy it and develop it -- later -- but not always. So I have a bunch
of domains that are presently up for sale:

Academic-Ebooks.com
BirthdayPresentRegistry.com
ComputerEbooks.info
Cooking-Ebooks.com
DatingAssistance.com
EbookHeadlines.com
Ebookomatic.com
EbookPoets.com
EbookTales.com
FreakingBargains.com
FunnyEbooks.com
GetPublishedInstantly.com
InstructionalEbooks.com
InterviewsWithAuthors.com
MarketingWeapons.com
MotivationalEbooks.com
PublishInstantly.com
Real-Estate-Ebooks.com
RomanticNovel.com
ScaryEbooks.com
SpiritualEbooks.com
WellnessEbooks.com

If you have questions about traffic trends and are willing to
make a reasonable offer for any of these domains, please reach
out to me at info@schneiderman.net. Most of these have been
active for 10 years or more and have established traffic so they
have value if you have an ebook in any of these niches.

I've completed the move of all active domains I am keeping from
my web server to my leased server at HostGator. Very pleased with
the migration. Little to no problems. I really do recommend you
take a look at these guys if you are looking for a web host.
First class support and fantastic low prices. You can learn more
here:

http://tinyurl.com/44zmrqe

If anyone wants to buy my Dell web server, Sonic firewall, and
Buffalo backup, drop me a line. All have been rack-mounted and
running smoothly for the last four years.

Since Microsoft FrontPage is dead, I have purchased and started
playing with XSite Pro 2.5. Boy this thing jumps through hoops
and does everything you could ever dream of ... one look through
the 1000+ page reference manual told me this was a good
investment. I'm really quite amazed by the power and flexibility.
You can build sites form scratch with your own design or use the
library of professional templates that come with it. You can add
functionality with minimal effort using wizards. Everything is
point and click easy. If you are looking for a fantastic fast web site
building tool, this is it:

http://tinyurl.com/3b973xz

Have some product reviews for you this week, too. If you ever have to
convert audio or video files from one format to another, I have
found a tool that is way cool. It converts virtually anything to
anything. It's easy to use and packs a tremendous amount of power
and functionality into a very small application. It's called
Bigasoft's Total Video Converter and you can learn more about it
here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/bigasofttotalvideoconverter.htm

If you've ever wanted to limit access to the Net for your
children and teens, I've found a terrific tool call
SafeSearchLock. Essentially, it locks down the search
functionality of all major search engines so little eyes don't
see anything they shouldn't. It's only $2 and really does a
sensational, hands-off job. Install it and it starts working:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/utilities/safesearchlock.htm

One last item. All good things must come to an end. You've got
72 hours -- until midnight Sunday September 11th -- to take
advantage of my $499 special offer to help you launch your next
ebook or digital product. Offer includes the ebook cover or
product image, the mini site, 3 banner ads, a sales letter and a
press release. Limited to first 10 people. Don't look for the
offer Monday morning. It will be gone!

http://www.schneidermanmarketing.com/

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Share this with a friend by clicking the link below:

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Best Web Hosting, Best Web Editor

2011-09-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon on this hot, sunny Labor Day weekend. I wish you
and yours well, and hope things are going okay wherever you may
be. It's been an interesting week for me as I have begun to
downsize my business operations and refocus. Most notably I have
gone from owning and hosting my own web server to using a leased
server through Host Gator. This has been a technical learning
experience, but I've managed to get through it without any
wounds.

For over a decade, I bought and owned my own web servers. Frankly,
if you can afford it, and you have dozens of domains to manage,
it's the only way to go. Having the capability to remotely
connect and move files, add pages, and work on the server itself
as opposed to remotely publishing from your PC to your server --
well, it's a convenience and a luxury. That said, it cost me
roughly $3,000.00/year to maintain, and that's without having to
repair or replace hardware, update software licenses, or bring in
my tech guys to fight off the hackers.

I decided to use Host Gator as my new leased web host because the
cost savings were incredible. I was able to purchase a three-year
package with unlimited domain hosting, email, space, etc for only
$225.00! That means a savings of almost $9,000.00 over the next
three years, not to mention they provide excellent free support
services.

Now I know a lot of people use GoDaddy because they are domain
registrars and convenient, but an average web hosting package for
a single domain with email and limited space runs around $50.00
each and if you need support, forget it. Their online interface
for managing your domains and email and files are atrocious.

Hands down, Host Gator is the best web hosting company I have
come across. They provide you with a CPanel which is your control
panel for everything. It's all very intuitive and most of it is
wizard-based and walks you through the steps of setting up your
first domain quickly and easily. If you are interested in
learning more, go here:

http://tinyurl.com/44zmrqe

I have some new reviews on their way to you. Moving to Host Gator
has forced my hand to adopt a new HTML editor to create web sites
quickly. I've decided to give XSitePro 2.5 a whirl. I've reviewed
older versions, but this new version has some real time savers
including wizards to create good looking forms to capture visitor
information, setting up news feeds, links to social media, adding
audio and video files with a few clicks, etc.. I'll still spend time on
the graphic design, but putting it all together and publishing
looks like it couldn't be any easier that XSitePro 2.5. I
strongly suggest you check it out here:

http://tinyurl.com/3b973xz

Lastly, I want to extend a holiday special to all my loyal
subscribers. Go to ResellerProducts.com and buy any product and
receive one of equal value for free. Simply make your purchase
and send me an email to info@schneiderman.net requesting your
free product and I will send you a link to your download page.
There's great stuff there to help you with your graphic design,
ebook covers, banners, animation, sales copy, tons of stuff and
all low priced. So go here to take advantage of this Labor Day
Special:

http://www.resellerproducts.com

Until next time,

Steven

In with the good. Out with the bad.

2011-08-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Good morning, and may this newsletter find you well. I arose
earlier than usual this morning distracted by a number of
different thoughts, and I now find myself fighting off sleep at
mid-day. It's easy to allow yourself to get distracted when you
are tired. Not good. Time to shake it off and get refocused.

So how have you all been? Has the stock market impacted your
lives or businesses? It's hard to know what to do these days. I
find myself having less faith in man and my decisions, and more
faith in God and His plans. I've been trying to control things
long enough. I admit it -- I am a self-obsessed, type A, control
freak. After 52 years of trying it completely on my own, I
realize it ain't working for me. Your mileage may vary.

I've decided to simplify and focus more on what I am good at,
what brings me joy, and what helps pay the bills. I am abandoning
people and projects that drain me spiritually, emotionally,
mentally and financially. In with the good and out with the bad.
It's the only way to survive.

I've also come to believe that I have a purpose and the God-given
gifts and talents to fulfill that purpose in my lifetime. I
believe that purpose has several components but that most will
focus on my talents with writing, graphical design, performing,
and teaching and helping others. Where this will lead me I
honestly do not know.

All I know is that there's a new journey ahead, and while I am
nervous and anxious and a little scared, I am certain it will be
the right path.

The first step in simplifying things is to sell off Internet
properties. I am putting about 50% of my domains up for immediate
sale and I am going to gradually phase out my electronic
publishing business. It's been a labor of love for over a decade
but never a money maker. I've published over 1100 ebooks written
by over 550 authors worldwide, but it's getting time to move on.
The site and its intellectual property go up for sale today. If I
do not find a buyer, I am going to close the doors permanently by
the end of the year. If you are one of my authors, I'll be
reaching out to you shortly with additional information.

Are there things in your life that are draining you in multiple
ways? Is the joy gone? Is it getting tougher to get up in the
morning and do your job? Been there. Done that. Read the book,
saw the movie and bought the t-shirt. If you've been asking
yourself if there is more to life, then you may be in a similar
spot. Refocus. In with the good. Out with the bad.

Here's some good: Tweet Adder. This is a handy little tool that
can put your Twitter marketing on steroids by automating the
repetitive mundane tasks that go into managing your accounts,
finding followers, making tweets and increasing your awareness.
Check out my review here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/communications/tweetadder.htm

Here's some more good stuff: this has nothing to do with
marketing or business. I found these devices when I was looking
for a remote control for my iPod. This company manufactures an
entire family of really cool remote controls. With them, you can
plug your iPod into your stereo or sound system and control the
music from up to 150 feet away. They are cheap and reliable. Read
the review here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/hardware/buyijet.htm

I have received a number of inquiries about my newest special
offer which is listed here:

http://www.schneidermanmarketing.com

If you are preparing to launch a new product, this is everything
you need at the lowest price possible. I'm not sure how long I
will keep this offer up because frankly it is too cheap and I'm
not going to be able to afford to work this cheaply forever. Grab
it while you can.

OK, enough from me. Let me know how you are doing, what is
keeping you up at night and let me know how I can help.

And don't forget ...

In with the good.
Out with the bad.

Breathe.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Share with a friend by clicking the link below:

http://www.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=ZErb&s=BM46r&y=G&

Four New Ebooks for only $99.00!

2011-08-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

Good morning. Thanks for being a subscriber to my newsletter, and
I really hope this edition finds you in a good mood, focused and
productive. It's been a rough summer in Tulsa. Been hot as hell
with most days over 100 -- several hitting 113 or higher. People
tend to stay inside and not do much, myself included. Business is
slow and there was many a day when I thought it might be fun to
break the monotony by watching an egg fry on my driveway. Never
did get around to trying it though I did see a picture posted to
Facebook by a friend of chocolate chip cookies baking on his
dashboard. Now that is hot!

I've filled my time the past two months by revising and writing
four ebooks, and today I wanted to tell you all about them
because I think there is something for virtually everybody.

Designing Ebook Covers takes everything I have learned about
ebook cover and web graphics design over the past 10+ years and
wraps it up in a nice bow for you. I expanded the first edition
of the ebook by 50+ pages so the whole thing comes in at around
130 pages now. There are now 22 different projects which I
dissect and show you step-by-step my design decisions. You see
the cover take shape from concept to completion. There's over 100
photo illustrations. There are 30 key design tips that took me
years to learn and understand. There's a bonus section on web
graphics, and a very in-depth index highlighting the very best
tools for the job depending upon your graphics ability and
budget. If you are an author or develop and sell digital
products, then you need to learn how to design ebook covers. This
ebook will do that for you. You can learn more here:

http://www.designingebookcovers.com/

Rocket Science Revealed covers how my site, CoolToolAwards.com,
rose to prominence in the search engines and achieved over
2,000,000 unique visitors a year. Historically, my product
reviews on this site appear on page one search results for the
product name about 75% of the time. They also tend to have great
longevity. This ebook goes behind the scenes of the web site and
shows you how it was set-up and designed, and then attempts to
explain how and why it works so well. In the ebook, I demonstrate
with real screen captures how I even use duplicate content on
multiple sites and still manage to score high in search results
without getting penalized by Google. Why is this important to
you? First, I explain how I receive so much unique traffic for
over a decade. Then I explain how and why my product reviews tend
to rise to the top of search results. To learn more, please go
here:

http://www.rocketsciencerevealed.com/

Push-Pull Marketing focuses on the two chief ways to generate web
site traffic -- through push and pull marketing. Push marketing
is largely focused on search engine optimization (SEO) and pull
marketing focuses on leveraging traffic from third-party web
sites. The latter is most frequently ignored by most businesses.
SEO is great, but there are many other ways to generate traffic,
and most won't cost a dime. The ebook also dispels the myth about
using social media as your main form of advertising. There is a
big difference between B2C and B2B advertising and while social
media can be very effective for B2C, it probably won't work well
for most B2B applications. I've been presenting seminars based
upon the material in this ebook for the past year, and attendees
always thank me for showing them the errors of their ways. Save
time. Save money. Be more effective in your online marketing. Go
here to learn more:

http://www.push-pull-marketing.com/

Lastly, Shooting Yourself in the Foot, is based upon another
seminar I have been presenting for the past 6 years which focuses
on the top ten mistakes most companies make with their online
marketing. I see the same errors being made over and over again.
It doesn't matter what business you are in, or how big your
company is, or what you sell or who you try to sell it to. 99% of
the companies out there are making the same mistakes. This ebook
covers the biggest blunders, shows you the things to avoid and
then helps you improve your current marketing efforts. I
guarantee you will discover at least three ways to improve your
online marketing. Learn more here:

http://www.shootingyourselfinthefoot.com/

Each of these ebooks is only $27.00 each. If you want to buy all
four, I will cut you a deal and sell them for $99. Just send your
payment via PayPal to info@schneiderman.net and I'll send you to a
special download page.

Thanks again for being a subscriber.

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Please share this information with a friend who needs helps
with their online marketing. Just click the link below to forward
this email to them:

http://www.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=21po&s=BM46r&y=1&

Add PopUps to PDF Files!

2011-08-07T11:41:00.001-07:00

I have to admit, an old dawg can still learn new tricks! This
morning I learned about a cheap but powerful tool that enables
you to add popups to your PDF ebooks. I know that sounds freaking
impossible, but once I visited the web page to learn more, I saw
just how incredible this could be. Think about it ...

If you could popup ...

- An advertisement to cross-sell a related ebook or product or
course

- A subscribe box so folks could register their ebook and
subscribe to your newsletter

- A box thanking them on exit for their purchase or download and
then taking them to another product

I love this idea. I have written several ebooks and sold them
with resell rights, but I have struggled with collecting the
contact info from people who buy my ebooks from resellers and not
directly from me. Now I can leverage reseller's customers and
make them into my own.

I also hated the fact that every once in a while, some idiot will
sell one of my ebooks without reseller rights. I lose a lot of
sales that way because protecting PDFs is expensive and
cumbersome. With this new tool, I can at least capture the
contact info of everyone who opens a copy of my ebook.

Check it out here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/utilities/pdf-popupmagic.htm

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Share this with an author friend who writes and sells
ebooks or anyone you know who sells reseller or PLR products. Now
they can capture the contact info of anyone who gets their hands
on their ebooks.

http://www.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=2jCO&s=BMdBv&y=p&

Getting Your Site to the Top of the Search Engines

2011-08-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

Good evening and I hope this week's newsletter finds you well and
holding up with the summer heat. It's hit 115 degrees twice this
week, occasionally dipping to 113! I never expected this kind of
weather when I relocated from New York to Tulsa in 1993. This is
nuts!

This week I wanted to tell you that my newly revised ebook,
Rocket Science Revealed, is available for immediate download. I
wrote this ebook to explain how I get my web sites and web pages
to the top of the search engines with minimal effort. Even before
there was such a thing as SEO -- search engine optimization -- I
had developed a simple approach that achieved meaningful results
75% of the time.

The funny thing is much of my success flies in the face of modern
SEO practices. I do very simple things to achieve my results and
I can replicate them week after week. I own many product names
and marketing keywords, and I maintain my hold on them without a
great deal of effort. Check it out for yourself if you don't
believe me:

Copywriter: I am #5 (middle of page) on the first page of search
results on Google right now and have been there for several
months. See Marketing-Cowboy.com link.

Ebook Covers: I am #8 (bottom of page) on the first page of
search results on Google right now and have been there for over a
year. See EbookCoverCreator.com link.

Tulsa Magician: I am #4 (top of page) on the first page of search
results on Google right now and have been there for about 8
months. See SophisticatedSorcery.com link.

Best Tulsa Marketing Companies: I am #1 (top of page) on the
first page of search results on Google right now and have been
there for about 8 months. See Marketing-Cowboy.com link.

Different search terms. Short tail. Long tail. Different markets.

Same approach used every single time. Little effort applied. No
recurring monthly effort. I simply apply my own approach and
wait. And magic happens almost every time.

Of course, as they say, your mileage may vary based upon how well
you apply my marketing and SEO principles, and it also depends
upon the size of your niche and how hard your competitors are
competing for the same keywords and phrases.

If you want to learn how I do it and why I am successful, please
go here to pick up a copy at the low introductory price of only
$27.00:

http://www.rocketsciencerevealed.com

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Click the link below to share this with a friend. They will
thank you for it!

http://www.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=2fLs&s=BMdBv&y=t&

LinkedIn Influence and Premium Pricing Graphics

2011-07-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon. I'm trying to take some time to spend with my
twelve-year old son while my wife is on vacation visiting a
girlfriend and my daughter is off with her youth group on a
mission trip. So far we've watched 13 episodes of old 1992 X-Men
cartoons on NetFlix, he's participated in a great singles and
doubles tennis match, we've gone swimming, cooked, and we're off
to the museum and then to see the Tulsa Shock (women's
basketball). And it's only Tuesday!

Two things crossed my desk I wanted to share with you today. The
first responds to something I have very strong feelings about:
businesses spending too much time with Facebook fan pages and
Twitter tweets. In working with a local consulting client, I
performed a competitive analysis for them and reviewed my
findings with them today.

One of the things I discovered is that some of their competitors
are really attacking the market with social media, notably
Facebook and Twitter. Good for them for jumping on the bandwagon.
However, after almost two years of using these tools -- on a
regular weekly/monthly basis -- they have practically no friends
or followers. Why?

I suspect it has to do with the fact that their target audience
is not spending as much time on popular social media sites as
they expected. I also suspect it has to do with the fact that
they are targeting the wrong social media sites.

If you want to get on the consumer's radar, you use Facebook and
Twitter. But if you want to get on the businessman's radar you
need to use LinkedIn. There's a great ebook collection that takes
you from zero to sixty with LinkedIn. It shows you how to set up
your presence, your blog, your group and leverage it for maximum
return on investment.

If you are not using LinkedIn or not using it to YOUR advantage, then
run -- don't walk -- to this page:

http://tinyurl.com/4yjocsd

The other item I found was Premium Pricing Graphics. Every great
sales letter has two components: words and graphics. Use this
inexpensive collection of graphics to make your price pop off
your web page:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/premiumpricinggraphics.htm

One last thing: a subscriber special for the rest of this month
only: get a sales letter written and a custom ebook cover
designed for one low price of $297.00. Limited to first three
people to respond to this newsletter only. Seriously! Do it now!

Until next time,

Steven

Recapturing Joy

2011-07-19T09:23:00.001-07:00

Greetings friends. Hope you are staying cool during this
oppressive heat that has hit many parts of the world. Today I
wanted to share a personal story with you to show you that
anything is possible.

We all have dreams and wishes, things that we place on our bucket
list of things to experience or achieve before we die. Many of
our dreams gets dashed as we pass from childhood into adulthood.
Sometimes our interests change as a result of going to college,
that first job, or by the people who come into our lives.

Sometimes changes that occur around us inadvertently change the
direction of our lives, and as a result, we push our dreams deep
down inside, often never to be thought about again. As we
transition to adulthood and independence from our families, we
realize the need to become more practical in our way of living.
Work takes the place of play. Money becomes the focus.

And then we meet someone who captures our heart, and life changes
more than we could ever imagine. We settle down, buy the house,
start a family, and gradually our focus changes yet again, and
all of our energy becomes focused on others. The dreams have long
ago faded.

I come from three generations of magicians. My Uncle Harry owned
a small novelty and magic shop in NYC back in the 1940s-1950s. My
Dad worked in the magic shop for a brief time as a teenager. And
when I was about 5 years old, my Uncle started pulling quarters
from ears and making them disappear at his fingertips. My Dad
started teaching me card tricks in our basement on rainy days. I
was instantly hooked.

By the fourth grade I was performing magic in the school variety
show. My first time in front of several hundred people. All
energy was focused on me. And I was making them laugh and
enjoying every minute of it. I knew I wanted to be a magician.

I started reading every magic book in the local libraries. I met
other magicians and learned where the professional magic shops
were in NYC. I started visiting them and buying and learning. I
had a voracious appetite to learn as much magic as I could. I
dreamed of big shows in front of big audiences.

I worked private parties and occasionally local clubs but never
hit the big times. Then I started college and found something
else I really liked to do -- write. I liked it so much, it
gradually displaced magic. I even became a college English
teacher and taught writing for three years. I started winning
awards for my writing and even published some of my work.

Then I entered the corporate world and rapidly climbed the
corporate ladder to make as much money as possible. If
anyone ever asked me to show them a trick, I politely refused and
told them I gave up that hobby.

I packed up my magic props and books and didn't even look at them
anymore. I moved, got married, had kids, experienced a great deal
of success in the corporate world, made a lot of money, and
performing magic was a distant thought. For over 20 years.

And then I entered a period of self-discovery. I was now in my
mid-40's and had accomplished almost everything I had ever
wanted, and yet it all felt empty. I began to discover a
God-shaped hole inside of my soul.

Over the past 7 years I have tried to fill that hole with a great
many things, but last year I was given the opportunity to
experience the joy of performing again when a friend from church
asked me to perform at a picnic.

I was very nervous about getting in front of an audience again,
but soon found it was a lot like riding a bicycle. I stood up in
front of the people and started performing. Soon they were
laughing and applauding, and I once again felt a rush that I had
not felt in years.

Over the past 12 months, I have performed for several private
parties, and have become the opening act for a local comedy
improv group as well as a closing act for a variety show at the
historic Spotlight Theater here in Tulsa.

And then last week, I was contacted by a local casino.

On August 13, from 8-9 pm, I will be doing my one man show at the
Creek Nation Casino in Okemah, OK. It's not a huge venue, but it
is my largest to date, and I hope that it opens the door to
other opportunities in the surrounding casinos. There are dozens of
them here in Oklahoma.

And so, my goal in sharing this personal story with you is to
remind you about your own dreams, and to challenge you to embrace
them, and to reawaken those desires you may have buried a long
time ago.

There is joy in those dreams.

Now go recapture that joy.

All my best,

Steven

Create Hot Ebook Covers with High Res Ecovers Pro

2011-07-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

Greetings from 106 degree Tulsa, Oklahoma. Whoa, it's hot
outside. Feels like you could cook an egg on the hood of my car.
I hope you are able to find a cool spot this summer and take some
time to ruminate about things.

Over the past few weeks, I have been contacted by several folk
seeking advice on how to make money online. Many have been trying
to do so by selling their own ebook or special report. And they
are not having a lot of luck. When I visit their web site, one of
the first things I look for is their ebook or report cover.

Ugh.

You'd think by now that people would understand they need to show
a representation of whatever they are selling. And that
representation is usually a product shot -- an ebook cover, a
report cover, a CD, something that makes their product look REAL
and DESIRABLE.

That's the goal.

First, make whatever intangible product you are selling look
real. Does it look like a book I might buy off the shelf at
Barnes & Noble? If it doesn't, I'm not interested.

Second, does the product shot intrigue me enough to desire to buy
it or learn more about it? Does it make me think about the
subject matter? Do I wonder if I could use it? Will buying it
make me better or make me richer?

But so many folks go to market without a product image -- or
worse yet -- with a really bad and amateurish product image. And
then they wonder why nobody buys, subscribes, or downloads.

My friend Max Rylski has released a new graphics package designed
to help solve this problem. You'll need PhotoShop CS4 or CS5, but
this is a wise investment anyway. It comes with an all-new
collection of sizzling hot action scripts of books, binders,
spiral bound reports, CDs, DVDs, business cards and more. It also
comes with templates to get you up and running fast, a users
guide to walk you through the product and a video tutorial. And
it's only $67.00.

Check it out here:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/highresecoverspro

Until next time,

Steven

SEO Made Easy/Mini Site Special Offer

2011-06-24T09:57:00.001-07:00

Hope this email finds you well. This week I wanted to share some
thoughts about search engine optimization. It seems all of my
clients want to talk about this topic, and I've been busy doing
presentations left and right. As a result, I've developed a kick
butt SEO presentation which is now developing into an ebook
focused around online promotion through SEO and other means.

In the past week I have been contacted by two different prospects
as a result of SEO. I must tell you my approach to SEO is very
different than most marketing consultants. Most folks spend an
inordinate amount of time and money on the process. I suppose
that can produce some extraordinary results. But it takes a lot
of time and usually a lot of money on a continued basis.

My approach is ultra simplistic, requires a little upfront
investment in time and very little money ... but I digress. Let
me explain.

In online marketing, I believe there are two different ways to
generate traffic: pushing people through organic search results
(search engine optimization) and pulling people to your site
through third-party sites. To be effective in your online
marketing you must use a combination of push and pull tactics.

Let's look at some examples:

One prospect found me when he was looking for a copywriter in
Tulsa. He used the search term "Tulsa copywriter" and I popped up
in second position on page one. That's pretty good for a local
search position.

He then expanded his search for the broader term "copywriter". I
showed up in page one, 4th position. That's not local -- that's worldwide.

How did I accomplish this?

- Using competitive keywords and phrases in my keyword,
description and title META tags
- Using competitive keywords and phrases in my H1 heading tag
- Providing relevant sales copy
- Linking to the site from other sites I own
- Running a $50 Facebook campaign to drive traffic for 6 weeks

As I have said before, none of this is rocket science. But for a
few hours of my time and $50 I displaced competitors much larger
me, and I seem to be sustaining my position very well without
lifting a finger. And more leads keep coming in.

Another prospect reached out to me this week when he searched for
"best marketing companies in Tulsa". I showed up once again on
page one in the 7th position.

Both of these "hits" by prospects were to the same site:
http://www.marketing-cowboy.com. I created this single page mini
site several years ago and haven't touched it since, but it has
risen up through the ranks on its own and continues to generate
leads for me every month.

This is how the web is supposed to work. It's supposed to be a
relatively auto-pilot lead generator when you do it right. Are
you doing it right? Are you getting the same type of results as I
am? Do you need my help?

Here's an experiment for you:

Spend $50 on a Facebook ad. Make sure you know the demographic of
your target audience very well. Write a good headline and ad. Not
easy with the limited amount of characters provided. I know a
good copywriter who can help ;)

Make sure whatever web page you send people to is written in
response to the ad you use on Facebook. To do this right, you
need a landing page that thanks them for coming to your site for
more info, collects their first name and email address so you can
contact them and continue to market to them, and that has a
single and very clear call to action.

This exercise may not generate any leads for you.

But if you are successful in driving traffic to your site, you
may see an added benefit. Google likes sites that are popular and
pushes them up the ladder. So if you get some sustained improved
traffic, your search engine position stands a good chance of
moving up and staying up for a while.

Is this really possible? It's been my experience that it has
worked over and over again.

I've watched my other sites rise with just a little advertising
investment.

Hey, look, I am sensitive to everybody's tight purse strings. So
I have put together a little marketing package. Here's what you
will receive from me:

- A product image design (ebook cover, software box, etc)
- A matching mini site design (header, footer, buy button, page
template, etc)
- A sales letter
- A 12 message email series
- Integration with PayPal or Clickbank
- Integration with GetResponse or aWeber
- A thank you/download page
- A press release
- An article
- 3 banner ads

Your cost $1500.00 payable in three monthly installments of only
$500.00 each. This is a great deal at a very low cost. I'm
willing to do 10 of these for my subscribers only. First 10 need
to send me their deposit for $500.00 along with relevant info by
end of June. If I hit 10 before that, I will refund your money.
Send your deposit to info@schneiderman.net. If you want me to
send you an invoice, email me.

Stay cool,

Steven

P.S.: Share this with a friend by clicking the link below:

http://www.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=Kx9k&s=BMdBv&y=h&

Truth About Passive Revenue/Introducing Marketing Insurance Policies

2011-06-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon and I hope life and business have been going well
for you since my last newsletter. My kids are out of school, and
we're busy taking my daughter to JV Pom practice this month, my
son to tennis lessons, and just trying to stay cool in this 90+
degree heat and humidity. I remember how I prayed for Spring
during the ice storms earlier in this year, but we seemed to skip
a season here in Tulsa.

I've been busy developing new products for my reseller membership
site, and we have about the first 6 months in the can including
some terrific new ebook titles on topics such as SEO, ebook cover
design and common online business mistakes.

New software titles include a JPG Keyword Stuffing tool, an
"invisible banner maker" and some other cool stuff we have in the
works.

If you haven't checked out the new reseller membership site yet,
this is a good time to visit the site to learn more and consider
joining at the low introductory rate of only $47.00/month. For
that low monthly membership fee, we guarantee one new digital product with reseller rights every 30 days. Each product comes packaged with a mini site, sales letter, and promotional tools including banners, emails, articles and more.

Can you make money with reseller rights products? You betcha. I
belong to another reseller membership site called Graphics Club
Monthly. Been a member for two years. Each month I pay $57.00 in
membership fees and receive a new graphics product to resell at
an average price of $27.00. In 2010, I generated over $1400.00 in
sales of these products. In 2011, I will probably generate double
that. Remember, this is passive income. I just setup the mini
site, PayPal enable it, and let it go. I'll take an extra
$2800.00 any year! Especially in this economy. Every little bit
helps. You can learn more about that membership site here:

http://graphicsclubmonthly.com/delavo/1513184su/69192

Now the really good part about MY membership site is that it has
a built-in "members only" affiliate program that pays 50% monthly
commissions on your referrals of new members. So if you get two
other people to sign up, your membership is virtually free for as
along as they remain members.

Great products - lucrative passive income - incredible support -
and a cool affiliate program. Go visit the site at:

http://www.verycooltools.com/index.php?afid=13

OK, before I leave you, I want to tell you about a new service I
have just launched. It's a soft launch so you are the first
people to learn about it. After much discussion with several
clients and subscribers, I have decided to dramatically reduce my
hourly billable rates and sell small annual marketing insurance
policies.

Think about all the times a project has blown up on you. Your
ebook cover didn't come out as good as you hoped. Your sales
letter lacks punch. You can't think of a good email series.
You're having trouble generating traffic. You need help - now -
at a low cost. Who do you turn to?

http://www.MarketingInsurancePolicy.com

This is going to be a VERY limited service. Obviously, at these
guaranteed low hourly rates, I can't help everybody. In fact, if
response is too high, I will most likely be forced to raise the
rates.

For as little as 99 cents a day -- pennies -- you can guarantee
yourself professional marketing services on demand. Go check
it out before the offering closes.

Until next time,

Steven

Ativa HD Digital Video Camera, Premium Header Graphics, Domains for Sale

2011-05-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings, my friends, and I hope all is well on your side of the
screen. Rather than fill your mailbox with junk, I held off until
I had something more meaningful to say ... so here goes ...

I'm working with a few new authors who have written ebooks. I'm
handling their ebook conversion to PDF files, designing their
ebook covers and mini site, writing their sales letters,
ecommerce enabling their site, and in some cases, also writing
their email series (plugging it into their autoresponder and web
site), writing their press release and articles, and helping with
search engine optimization, too!

I like these types of projects because they maximize my
involvement and skill set, so I bring lots of value to the table
and always over-deliver. If you have an ebook, video series
or software tool you need help marketing, please drop me a
line. I can do everything for you at a reasonable price.

I've mentioned in a previous email that I have a special project
in the works that can help many of you to get started generating
some online income or enhance your existing income by adding
another revenue stream.

Reseller marketing is a great way to make money. You buy
someone's product along with the right to resell
that product and pocket 100% of the cash. This saves you the time
and cost of developing your own product, and enables you to get
started and test the waters quickly and easily.

Our new reseller membership site will feature all original
products developed by me and my ace developer, Adeel Arshad, and
will include ebooks, software and other great products. We are
putting the finishing touches on the first 4 monthly releases and
will then launch the membership site this summer. You'll pay a
very affordable low monthly membership fee and receive one new
product every month, along with a reseller site and promotional
tools including a keyword list, email series, articles, and
banner ads. Our goal is to make it easy for you to get started.
Watch for more info about our launch in the weeks ahead.

Well, I picked up a new toy -- an Ativa HD 1080p Digital Video
Flip Camera. I had my eye on this for about a year, but held off
until my Office Depot quarterly rewards arrived. They sent me a
gift card for $94.00 and the camera cost $99.00! Cool beans. Great
deal. Wonderful camera. Read the review here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/hardware/ativahdflipcamera.htm

A new collection of header graphics has crossed my desk, and it's
a great collection. Very well done and eye-catching. If you
design your own sites or sites for others, you'll want to add
this low cost, high quality collection right away. They come with
fully layered PSD files allowing you to customize them any way
you want. Read more here:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/premiumheadertemplatesv3/

I've also decided to test the waters once again to see if I can sell
off some of my domains. The first one is available for sale on
Flippa.com here:

https://flippa.com/136096-Freaking-Bargains

If you are interested in my list of domains for sale, here they
are:

birthdaypresentregistry.com
datingassistance.com
ebook-greetings.com
ebookcards.com
ebookgiftshop.com
ebookgreetings.com
emailmarketingassistance.com
freakingbargain.com
getpublishedinstantly.com
graphicsassistance.com
marketingassistance.com
marketingweapons.com
minisitedesign.com
publishinstantly.com
salescopyclinic.com
searchengineassistance.com
webdesignassistance.com

Some of these are active sites with their own content while
others are currently being redirected to other sites. All get
good unique traffic, so check them out and contact me with
serious offers. Good, literal dotcom domains are getting
increasingly difficult to find. I am also entertaining offers for
ResellerProducts.com and CoolToolAwards.com (with content).

I'm not going out of business, but simply want to consolidate
my holdings and manage a smaller amount of web sites.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: If you know someone who might benefit from reading this
newsletter, please click the link below to share it with them
now. Over 2000 people worldwide have subscribed to my newsletter
for over 10 years.

http://www.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=vfyu&s=BMdBv&y=G&

How's That Working For You?

2011-04-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings and Good Saturday to you, my friends. Last night my
family and friends went to watch the OSU vs. OU Bedlam game at
OneOk Stadium in 37 degree weather AND TODAY it is going to be
sunny and in the 70's. You gotta love Tulsa weather! From winter
coats to tank tops overnight. And OSU won, too!

I got an early start on my day, feel rested and ready to embrace
my day as I sit and type and listen to Phillips, Craig and Dean
sing "You Are My King". It's a great day to be alive and I simply
need to share it with you guys!

I'm very psyched because tonight I get to perform my magic and
comedy at the Spotlight Theater, one of the oldest theaters still
performing old-fashioned vaudeville shows in America. I'm the
closing act and always have a great time performing at this
theater. They have great audiences. Always standing ovations. And
then on Monday I get a chance to volunteer my time again for
another residence affiliated with the Tulsa Mental Health
Association. Bringing smiles to the faces of those who have been
lost and forgotten is about the best thing I can think of doing
with my time and talents, and I am grateful for my abilities and
the opportunity.

Recently, a friend who has been trying to get his life in line
with God asked me for some advice. He wanted to know how he could
spend his time more wisely. Since I know he has a good heart and
enjoys serving others, I suggested he go find a cause he cares
about and immediately volunteer. He has taken that advice to
heart and has already taken steps to help those behind bars learn
that there is a power greater than themselves who wants to help
them lead better lives. Cool beans.

What are you doing with your life?

Stuck in a rut? Doing the same old, same old and expecting
different results?

To quote my good friend, Jerry, "How's that working for you?"

Look I don't have all the answers. Honestly, I don't. I'd be less
than truthful if I told you otherwise.

I know for many of us, finances are still dragging us down. Some
good news is on the horizon. I see some changes in the season
ahead, and I am hopeful it is all going to work out -- for all of
us. In the past month, I've received more calls from old clients
and received more leads from new prospects than I have received
in a long time. Manna, boys. Manna. You must, you must, keep the
faith, brother. Good things are going to happen.

So here's a way for me to spread the love.

Everyone keeps asking me how they can get started making money
online. Look, it's like I said. The Internet is not for everybody,
and nobody, I mean nobody can guarantee your success. I can't.
The gurus can't.

But where there is a will, there is a way.

Here's a gift:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/surefirewealth.htm

Go grab your free membership while this limited offer is still
valid. It might be nothing, or it might be the first step to a
better life. You never know unless you take the next step and
click that link.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Know someone who could use a free membership like this?
Forward the email to them by clicking the link below:

http://www.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=v9Pg&s=BM46r&y=C&

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 S. Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

New Marketing Tools You Should Know About!

2011-04-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon and thanks for being a subscriber to my
newsletter. I've been publishing my thoughts, ideas, and
recommendations for over ten years now, making me one of the
older newsletters on the Net. I wouldn't continue without the
ongoing support of my loyal friends and subscribers.

In my last issue, I ranted about how people were driving me crazy
with telling me how their new product (ebook, book, DVD, CD,
software, video, etc.) was going to become the next multi-million
dollar seller, and if I could just see fit to providing them with
free services upfront, they would make me very wealthy. I also
ranted about how everyone seems to have the whole social media
thing wrong. Social media does not take the place of traditional
marketing and advertising. You need them both, but don't be
surprised if social media isn't even a good fit for your
business.

Here's what some subscribers had to say:

"Thanks, Steven. That was a great reality check and one of your
best newsletters, in my view. Hope 2011 turns out to be a good
year for you." -- Tom

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Great is the Lord, and He's
worthy to be praised." Blessings, Rev. Michele

"This is the best message I have received from you yet and you
are right on the money!!" Coach Marsha

Thanks for sending me messages of encouragement and sharing your
heart and faith with me. It means the world to me and blesses me
in more ways than you can imagine.

-----------

WHAT'S NEW

This week I wanted to tell you about two new things that crossed
my desk. The first is Hi Res Covers 2 from Max Rylski. If you
have ever purchased one of his graphics collections or tools
before, then you know about the quality, especially for the low
price of his products (most are around $27).

Hi Res Covers 2 is an all-new collection of 10 PhotoShop actions
and templates that enable you to create some really life-like
product images of books, CDs, DVDs, software boxes, etc. If you
market your own products or sell other people's products then
you'll want this. Click here to see examples of the wonderful 3D
images you can create:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/hirescovers2.htm

If you are interested in becoming a reseller of Max's wonderful
graphics products, then I recommend you check out his club:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/graphicsclubmonthly.htm

I generate enough income off his products to cover cable TV,
phone and Internet bills every single month! You could, too!

I also wanted to tell you about a fantastic new service called
Twiends. This service solves the problem of growing your Twitter
followers, Facebook Likes, and YouTube viewers for free -- and
quickly. In fact, within minutes of using the free service, I had
60 new Twitter followers. Very cool, indeed! Check it out here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/twiends.htm

-----------

COMING SOON!

We are getting very close to launching a project that has been
two years in the making. In case you are new to the Internet and
have not yet explored ways of making money, reseller marketing is
a quick and easy way to get started. What is reseller marketing?

Essentially you buy my product and I give you the right to resell
it and pocket 100% of the sales. So you could buy my ebook, or my
software, or my video series ... I provide you with a
professionally designed web site and sales letter ... you set it
up on your web host ... ecommerce enable the Buy Button with
PayPal ... and start promoting it. Every time someone makes a
purchase from your site, you pocket the cash!

PLR marketing takes this one step further by also providing you
with the ability to rebrand the product. For instance, if I am
selling you an ebook, I will provide the PDF and the Word DOC
file so you can add your name and links to the ebook. I would
also provide you with additional promotional tools such as
emails, banner ads, PPC keyword list, text ads and other
marketing tools.

Well, my developer partner and I have been working on the launch
of our own membership site. Soon you will be able to join at
different levels, and receive a new quality product to resell
every month. We're anxious to open our doors, so be watching for
an announcement soon.

We are also getting ready to launch a variety of new marketing
services designed to help newbies to pros with last minute,
emergency type projects -- all at a low cost.

Marketing Insurance Policies will enable you to pre-pay for a
small low-cost policy that will protect you and guarantee you
quick turn-around on product image creation, press releases,
sales letters, email series, web design, Wordpress installation
and integration and much, much more.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Know someone who might find our newsletter of interest?
We've been publishing for over 10 years and have over 2,000
long-term, loyal subscribers. Click the button below to forward
this newsletter to a friend:

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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 S. Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

I Think My Head Is Going To Explode

2011-03-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings loyal subscribers and thanks for taking the time to
read this week's newsletter. Hopefully, there is something here
for everyone, no matter who you are or what you do for a living.
My goal is not to flood your email with endless offers, but to
publish a newsletter that adds some value to your life and makes
you think more about what you do or would like to do.

Lately I have been receiving a lot of emails from folks with a
variety of ebooks and services who desperately want to get their
piece of the Internet pie. While the niches they serve are
different, I find most people taking the same approach to
launching their product or service: with little or no thought.

I still don't understand why the majority of people out there
think they can transform any half-baked idea into the next
million dollar maker. While it is true the Internet affords
virtually anyone with an idea the opportunity to sell it online,
that doesn't mean it is going to make a million dollars or even
sell more than one copy to your Mom.

There appears to be no sense of reality. If it were really that
easy, then we'd all be millionaires. Having been a millionaire
once, I can tell you it takes more than luck. True, it helps to
be in the right place at the right time, but you also need a
great product or service for a niche that is not yet being
served. You may have built a better mousetrap, but there's still
a lot of other people out there selling mousetraps. Getting heard
above the noise is a difficult thing. It takes planning, skills,
time, effort and money.

Another thing which gets my goat is how everyone seems to believe
they no longer have to pay for marketing. All they do is
Facebook and Tweet. Again, this is so wrong. If it were really
that easy to promote a business or product, then where are all
the millionaires? Any one who has ever experienced a real,
genuine level of success will you it takes more than tweeting
that you're sipping a mocha in the neighborhood cafe.

I'll give you a few examples about wrong thinking.

I spent some time with representatives from a local church who
wanted to know how to use social media to get more people to
their web site. They had been using Facebook and Twitter. I told
them you need to have something compelling to say before people
will start liking or re-tweeting your posts. I looked over their
past messages and they were b-o-r-i-in-g. Furthermore, if anyone
did visit their web site, they found a drab, unfriendly web site
-- which for a church is the kiss of death.

If you are going to try to generate traffic for a web site using
social media, you'd better be damn sure that the home page of the
web site you are sending them to puts your best foot forward and
is compelling visually and textually and also states the action
you want the visitor to take: subscribe, click, buy.

Another prospect approached me about reviewing their sales page
for their paid subscription newsletter. Their site design was
drab. Their home page copy merely described the author's past and
ongoing success in a few short paragraphs. And there was NO buy
or subscribe button at the bottom of the page. This approach is
simply not going to work.

Before you spend one dollar or one hour on marketing -- be it
social media or other forms of more traditional online or offline
marketing -- do some research about your niche and see who else
is serving it. If your product or service seems too familiar, too
similar to existing products and services in the niche, than it
is going to be challenging to generate revenue let alone be heard
above the competition's noise.

Do your homework. Do competitive analysis. Look at who is already
listed in Google's Top Ten for your niche. Use the keywords you
believe others would use to search for similar products and start
charting the features, advantages and benefits of your
competitors. Compare and contrast your own product or service.

Then make a go/no-go decision to either move forward with
marketing or look for a better idea. And remember, marketing
requires a plan, with tactics and timeline and a budget.

Not every idea deserves to go to market, no matter how
emotionally attached you may be to it. Sometimes you can save
yourself a lot of aggravation by simply turning your attentions
to a more worthy idea.

So think before you market.

Look both ways before you cross that virtual street.

And remember, social media is about building relationships, not
about selling crap.

More to follow,

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Click the link below to share with a friend:
http://www.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=XqrU&s=BMdBv&y=B&

How to Get Traffic to Your Web Site

2011-03-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

I trust this email finds you well. While this newsletter is the
very best way to stay connected to me and plugged into my world,
you might also want to use social media to keep track of me. I am
on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I invite you to connect!

This week I want to briefly touch upon "traffic". No, not the
kind of traffic you battle on your way to work or home. I'm
talking about the traffic you want to generate and send to your
web sites to raise awareness for your projects, products, or
company.

Traffic can be real expensive if you do it wrong. I had one
client who insisted on buying their traffic by running Google
Ads. While they achieved their goal of generating substantial
traffic to their site, they were ineffective at maintaining it.
Cost them $50K for 250,000 unique visitors, and they didn't
collect one name or email address! You can't make that mistake
too many times.

There are many ways to generate traffic at no cost or very little
cost. I've discussed some of these tactics over the years. Your
site can't exist without traffic. You can't generate awareness,
subscribers, leads or sales without it.

Traffic Dashboard is a new tool from the guru of Internet
Marketing, Marlon Sanders. I hang on every word he writes. He's
that knowledgeable and that successful. Why wouldn't you listen
to someone who generates millions of dollars a year -- all
through the magic of online marketing? Here's some of what
Traffic Dashboard covers:

* 7 article headlines that got 93,298 views

* A step by step plan to go from 0 to 1000 visitors a day
(in approximately 6 months)

* Marlon's top 10 discoveries from 81 articles on ezinearticles

* How to get 600 visitors a day from 1 Squidoo Lense!

* Complete update on the Google Farmer fiasco.

* The 3 things you need to do to get 100 visitors a day in the
next month.

* How Marlon got 11,992 vies and 2733 clicks for a ctr rate of
22.8%
using ezine articles and COMPLETELY, 100% outsourced articles --
and attained coveted Platinum status for my pen name.

* Complete A-to-Z article marketing system that took Sean Mize
from scratch to $4,000 a month in six months then $10,000 a
month in 12 months (and how to predict your OWN income 12
months into the future.)

* How Marlon outsource the article writing CHEAP so I didn't have

to type even one single word!

* How Marlon got a 22.9% clickthrough rate on our article
resource
box.

* How Marlon uploaded 15 videos and got 100,000 views on Youtube!

* How Marlon snagged a cool 782,878 impressions / 2340 views for
.02
cents

And that's just the beginning.

Check it out here:

https://marlon.infusionsoft.com/go/traffic/ms115084/

Let me know what you think.

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Marlon is the one who convinced me to write Rocket Science
Revealed where I explain how I get over 2,000,000 unique visitors to
one of my sites every year. He's a great guy and he puts out
quality tools. I strongly suggest you at least visit his web
page:

https://marlon.infusionsoft.com/go/traffic/ms115084/

3D Web Display Maker and Chamber Benefits

2011-03-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon and I hope your day has been a pleasant one. We're
at that strange time of year in the mid to south west where
temperatures swing from the teens in the evening to the 70's
during the day. Sure makes it hard to dress with wide swings like
this. Kind of like trying to do business in this equally wild
economy.

First, I want to thank everyone who has been writing to me,
thanking me for publishing my weekly newsletter. I've been at it
for almost 15 years. You would think I would run out of things to
say and info to share, but it never stops coming and we're approaching
2000 subscribers!

Second, I wanted to tell you about a new graphics tool that
crossed my desk, and I think it is very exciting. It enables you
to quickly create a dazzling 3D display of images -- could be
album covers, photos, product shots, screen shots -- just about
anything you can think of -- and they look like the "cover flow"
effect that iPod's and iPhone's use on their displays. I know
you've seen them. Click the link below to read the review and see
a sample of this really cool tool:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/3DWebDisplayMaker.htm

Third, are you a member of your local chamber of commerce? Back
in 2000, I joined a local chamber but didn't get as much out of it
as I thought I would. Well, this week I joined a different
chamber that is in an "up and coming" area near Tulsa that is
experiencing record residential and commercial growth.

One of the things you need to look at when considering joining a
chamber is the total number of active members. This one has over
425 members which represents a good-sized, focused group of
prospects for me. In addition to becoming potential customers,
they also represent a potential new referral base for me.

In addition, you need to look at how many members are in your
business category. In my case, there were only two other
companies in advertising and marketing and one appeared to be out
of business. This means my category is not diluted with too many
competitors yet.

I also asked about their entertainer category, and guess what,
they don't have any magicians in the chamber yet either, so I
signed up under that category, too.

Of course, as my friends have told me, you get what you give. You
need to get involved in your chamber's activities and volunteer
in order to develop credibility, authority and meaningful
relationships. So I'm looking forward to this and will keep you
abreast of my progress.

Speaking about magic ... I appeared at the Spotlight Theater
twice last weekend and the shows were packed! I had a lot of fun
and even received a standing ovation. Never in my wildest dreams
did I expect to find myself performing magic and comedy at age 52.

It goes to show that you need to listen to and then follow your
heart. While I'm not making a ton of money performing yet, I am
having a great time making others laugh, I am learning a lot
about myself I never knew, and I am laying a firm foundation to
expand my love of magic into a profitable business.

Right now, I am the only magician in the area who is appearing in
two different public venues every month. This puts me at a
distinct advantage over my competitors as I can invite
prospective customers to come see me work before they make the
decision to hire me.

Now to start applying everything I typically do for my marketing
clients to my own magic business. Let's see what kind of magic I can
really do!

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: If you have any marketing challenges you'd like to discuss,
please give me a call at 918-810-5233 or drop me an email at
info@schneiderman.net. And if you need a magician for an upcoming
event, drop me a line!

New Membership Site Launch + My Secret Weapon!

2011-02-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

Greetings and thanks for being a loyal subscriber. Since the
massive snowstorms hit us in Tulsa, I've been trying to get back
on track with my many projects. Today I want to share one of my
secret weapons in online marketing, but before I do, I want to
tell you about a new membership site I will be launching real
soon now.

This membership site will be focused on helping you to establish
some passive revenue streams. Each month we will offer a new
ebook and software tool for resale. Each product will come with a
reseller site and promotional tools. You will have the option to
purchase one of three memberships: you can download and resell
either the ebook or software tool or both.

Our pricing will be very affordable, the products you receive
will be high quality, and the software will be supported by our
team. We're going to limit the number of members to make it more
viable for all participants to make money reselling our products.

Members will also receive discounts on other related services
including web site customization and design, copywriting
services, ebook cover design, web site hosting and other
services. Our goal is to help you to create new revenue streams
with as little effort as possible.

If you are a newbie, you can have us secure and host a new domain
for your site, set-up the site and ecommerce enable it. If you
want us to tweak the sales letter or companion email series, we
can do that for you, too.

If you are an experienced guru, then you will love the quality
of our well-written ebooks and the unique qualities of our
software tools.

There will also be a generous affiliate program tied to this new
membership site which will help make the cost of your membership
pay for itself.

We are presently working on the first product releases. Watch
your email for the announcement. Once we reach our target,
membership will be shut off. If you want to get in early, send me
an email and I will put you on the list!

Now for today's tip -- my secret weapon for developing web sites
quickly. I buy a lot of software, graphics, and other tools to
make my job easier. Sometimes I am developing sites for myself
and sometimes for clients. While I strive to be original each and
every time, sometimes it's challenging to get started and do
something new for everyone or every project.

That's where templates come in. Now I know many will be
grimacing. Stop a minute and listen to me, please. I'm not
suggesting you purchase and use templates out of the box. All
that does is perpetuate the same design all over the Net. No, I
am suggesting you use templates as a starting point, and that
once you find something you like, that you customize it to make
it uniquely your own. Click the link below to read my review and
to see a good example of how I customize templates for my own
projects.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/dreamtemplate.htm

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Click the link below to share this with a friend:

http://www.getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=XtuR&s=BM46r&y=f&

Importance of Cross Linking and Back Linking

2011-02-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

Glory be, does it have to snow again? Just as the last vestiges
of last week's 12 inches of snow melt outside my window, we're
getting ready to be hit again for another whopping 12 inches of
snow -- maybe more. As if shoveling all of this snow off my
driveway and paths isn't enough work, I have also fallen victim
to severe ice damming and my son's bedroom ceiling is slowly
falling down. Not happy.

Being house bound for the better part of two weeks has given me
some time to reflect on last year's performance and to strategize
a bit for this year. It's already February and the 1099's are
starting to appear in the mail reminding me where I spent my time
and how I earned my money.

I'm always tickled by smaller 1099's that show how much I earned
promoting certain products and services through their affiliate
programs. That's the passive revenue that fell to my bottom line,
saving my butt on slow months and was the icing on the cake on
good months. Sometimes those checks made the difference between
making my monthly payments and buying a present for my kids.

As I reveal in my ebook, Rocket Science Revealed, one of the keys
to generating affiliate income is to create a review site. This
is easier to do these days then it was when I first got started.
With the availability of free blogs, Wordpress and other site
creation and publishing tools, you need a pretty good excuse not
to have a site of your own.

But merely publishing product reviews with affiliate links is no
guarantee of success. One of the things I learned by accident was
the importance of links to your review pages. I started off
designing my web sites back in the 1990s with Microsoft
Frontpage. One of the features of this tool is called shared
borders where you can place textual navigation. So if you had 100
different pages in your web site, and you implemented shared
borders with textual navigation, you would have 100 pages all
cross-linked to each other. And this helps tremendously with web
page ranking.

Some will argue this is meaningless, but I've had experts look at
CoolToolAwards.com. At one time the site received over 2,000,000
unique visitors a year, making it rank around 40,000 on Alexa. I
didn't do any advertising or promotion either. It just happened.

I decided to test the theory by categorizing the content on
CoolToolAwards.com and creating some sub-sites around specific
niches including GraphicsAssistance.com which just has product
reviews about graphics tools. Now many will tell you that
duplicate content will get you penalized by Google, among others
search engines. If that's the case, I've never experienced it.
The content on GraphicsAssistance.com is lifted directly from
CoolToolAwards.com. And it also appears on
WebDesignAssistance.com and EbookCoverCreator.com, too.

Together the reviews that appear on these four sites frequently
rank high on page one for their respective product names. Let me
give you some examples. This page lists all of the reviews
available on the web site:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/whatsnew.htm

If you scroll to the bottom of individual review pages, you'll
see the textual navigation which cross-links dozens or even
hundreds of pages on the site.

Let's pick a recent review for Easy 3D Icon Maker. Search for it
in Google and you'll find the review on CoolToolAwards.com
appears in the #3 position on the first page search results. This
is a product of Max Rylski who promotes it through his own site
GraphicsClubMonthly.com -- which by the way appears at the bottom
of the search results below my site's listing.

Let's look at PSD Blowout. It shows up in 6th position on the
first page of search results for its respective product name.
Look for Easy Affiliate Pages -- it shows up in 5th position on
the first page of search results. I could go on and on.

So lesson to be learned here is the importance of cross links and
back links.

You can learn a lot more by checking out my ebook here:

http://www.rocketsciencerevealed.com

If you start implementing some of my proven page ranking
strategies today, you could begin to see results pretty quickly.
CoolToolAwards.com reviews are so popular that they typically
appear in a prominent spot on page one search results within 72
hours of publishing them. And they retain their position for a
long time. Don't believe me? Check out the product "ecover
generator".

This product and review are nearly 10 years old. The link to my review
appears in the 4th position on page one search results. 10 years.
Not an insignificant accomplishment.

Go grab your copy of Rocket Science Revealed right now:

http://www.rocketsciencerevealed.com

Until next time,

Steven

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Are You Prepared?

2011-01-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

Howdy, friends. Depending upon where you are in the U.S., you
stand a good chance of being iced and snowed in over the next 72
hours. My old stomping grounds in The Big Apple have already had
their fair share of bad weather and it looks like after it hits
us with 10-15 inches of ice and snow it will keep going in their
directions.

They say this is the going to be one of those perfect storms
where a system from the north will mix with a system from the
south causing ice, snow, and even tornadoes. How do you see a
tornado in a snow storm? Heck, I couldn't even get a spare snow
shovel at Home Depot this morning. Hopefully, "Old Trusty" will
last another storm.

I do have plenty of salt and sand, but my driveway slopes down
steeply and my street is like a bottom of a fishbowl. Once you
get down, you may never get back up again or even get out of the
addition. We live on a hill and about the only way to get out of
here is to drive in reverse up the hill and then flaw it to get
out of the fishbowl. The only problem is if you can't stop,
you'll slide head-on into traffic as you get to the end of the
block.

I also stocked up on canned goods and dry goods just in case the
power goes out. Back in 2009, we got hit with an ice storm that
immobilized us for days with no power and no heat. They are
forecasting lots of ice, and I have lots of trees with limbs I
should have cut off before the Fall.

See where I am going with this?

It pays to be prepared.

I'm not talking Boy Scout level preparedness. I'm talking about
knowing changes are coming your way and making intelligent
choices for how to respond to those changes.

The economy is still moving slowly. You knew it was going to be
this way for some time. How are you responding? If you are out of
work or under-employed, how have you decided to respond? If your
business is flat or floundering, how are you planning to respond?
How are you going to survive?

Look, I don't have any fast, slick answers. Sometimes I feel like
I am barely hanging on myself. But the bottom line is you can't
stand there, looking at the headlights, wondering if you should
stand still or run. You have to do something. Inaction is not a
choice. Inaction is death.

I just got off the phone with someone who wanted to know more
about affiliate marketing. He wanted to know more, but didn't want
to get in over his head. He could use a passive revenue flow.
What about you? Here's what I told him.

Figure out what you enjoy doing -- what's your hobby, where does
your subject matter expertise lie, what do you do for a living,
what are you passionate about?

Once you have your list, you need to search for products or
services in those niches on Google and see if any of them offer
an affiliate program. You can also search on Clickbank.com or
CommissionJunction.com. There are also many affiliate program
directories to choose from.

Review the products and services that pay the highest referrals.
If you really like what you see, consider purchasing them. You
will be in a much better position to recommend a product or
service that you actually use and like.

Then go to Blogger.com and create a free blog. Start writing
about your passion and then recommend a related product or
service with each blog entry and be sure to include your
affiliate link!

Write some related articles and post them online with links back
to your blog.

Compile several blog articles into an ebook and offer it for free
download or sell it cheap for $7.00. Either way, use it to build
a mailing list. Send out updates to the list about new products
and services and always include your affiliate links.

This is a good start. It's how most of us got started a long time
ago, and it all still works. Not overnight, but over time. And
nothing will make you smile more then when you receive your first
affiliate check.

Well, I've decided to take a snow day -- possibly a snow week --
and I want to make your day a little warmer by offering you a "2
for 1" deal.

Go to ResellerProducts.com and pick any two products you want.
Pay the higher price and receive the second product for free.

There are some exceptional tools there and many come with
reseller rights (not all, so be selective if you are looking
specifically for reseller tools). Just send me an email with the
two products you want, and I'll send you a PayPal invoice. Upon
receipt of payment, I will send you the download pages.

Now go build a snowman or have a snowball fight.

All my best,

Steven

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Your 2011 Plans Should Include a Membership Site!

2011-01-20T14:57:00.000-08:00

Good evening. Fellow Tulsans woke up to a thin blanket of snow
this morning, and instantly the schools closed and people stayed
home from work. Less than an inch! Whew!

Well, the new year has started. Do you have a plan for success?
What are you going to do differently this year? If you don't
change your tactics and goals, then you can pretty much expect to
find yourself in the same place at the beginning of next year.
Nope. Same old, same old ain't gonna work. Especially in these
trying economic times.

So in most cases, most plain folk either lost a job, were
downsized, had to settle for less, or started a business of their
own to either replace income or start a new living. For over 25
years I have consulted even when I was fully employed -- just to have
a parachute -- extra funds for the unexpected or something we
desired that might normally be outside of our reach.

No matter what your present position, your future position should
include something to generate additional revenue. Now in the past
I have discussed the merits of the standard approaches including
affiliate and reseller marketing. I have challenged you to
develop your own products and publish your own ebooks.

Today I want to make a somewhat radical departure and ask you to
think bigger. Create a membership site. Why?

Simply put, if you can create a membership site targeted at a
specific niche -- and provide incredible value to your members
month after month -- then they will stick with you for a long
time. Can you get rich with a membership site. You betcha.

I have a friend who had developed a membership site with a
monthly membership of $67/month. With 300 members he generated
over $20K/month. I could live on that, what about you? Then when
he got tired of the business he sold it for $70K. Yeah, good
membership sites can always be resold for a hefty profit like any
other investment that accrues in value over time.

Now I'm not going to try to teach you everything you need to know
about membership sites. But I came across a great ebook called
Drip Feed Cash which explains the best practices of membership
sites and how to get moving on creating your own. It's a well
written 80+ page ebook and you can grab it for the no-brainer
price of only $7.00 (reseller rights for only $27.00):

http://www.resellerproducts.com/dripfeedcash/

Do yourself a favor and invest $7.00 and read this ebook tonight.
You will get plenty of ideas for developing your own membership
site. Then if you need help implementing, just drop me a line at
info@schneiderman.net.

Until next time,

Steven

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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 S. Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

It's a New Year! Got a Plan?

2011-01-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

Howdy all and I hope this year is starting off with a whiz-bang
for ya. Lord knows, most of us are happy to kiss 2010 goodbye and
have high, high hopes for a killer 2011. Let's face it: anything
has got to be better than last year. Between the economy and the
politics, I don't know which was more sickening.

So did you make your New Year's resolutions ... and did you break
them yet? My list of things to change and things to do grows each
passing year. I carryover items left undone or incomplete from
the previous year. Seems like I am falling behind my own personal
goals: lose weight, write more, read scripture more, spend more
time in thought, breathe easier, stop sweating the small stuff,
remember there's much out of my control, be slower to anger, be
more patient with the kids ... seems the list never ends. What
about you?

You know, this is the time of year companies and individuals
begin to either write strategic plans for the year ahead or begin
to implement plans written last quarter. Do you have a plan for
2011? What are you doing differently? Remember the definition of
insanity: doing the same thing but expecting different results.
If you are going to break new ground in either your business or
career or in areas of personal growth, then you need a plan, and it
better be a more realistic plan than you had in prior years.

I think 2011 is a year for opportunity. Many companies became
invisible in 2010 by pulling in their marketing and ad dollars.
They stopped advertising in all the usual places in favor of new
social media. How's that decision working for a lot of these
people? It isn't. Their customers have forgotten about them.
There's been no branding, no messaging, no nothing. Just worthless
friending and tweeting.

If you live in a city where some of your competitors became invisible
last year, then now is the time to kick your own marketing and
advertising up a notch. Now is the time to laser target new
markets and go after your competitors' best customers. Whatever
you do, don't just stand there, do SOMETHING! Mobilize now.

One thing you can do is make your web site more compelling. How?
Update your content and give your site a face lift. This need not
be an exercise in futility. If you sell widgets go search for
widgets in Google and see where you turn up. Then go check the
top ten competitors who show up on page one search results. Then
make notes about their sales messages and graphics. Look at what
they are doing right and wrong. Peek at their HTML code and look
at their META tags. Go do some research using Google's Keyword
Tool and if you haven't implemented Google Analytics on your site
yet, stop belly aching and add it to your web site. Then start
tracking and testing changes to your content and appearance.

Here's some products that crossed my desk last week that are
affordable and useful in helping you to create a more visually
appealing web site:

Easy 3D Icon Maker - Version 2.0
http://www.resellerproducts.com/easyiconmakerv2/index.htm

This all new PhotoShop tool is a collection of professionally
designed icons, styles and 2D to 3D transformations. Together --
along with some video tutorials -- you can add some real
sex-appeal to your web site transforming logos, icons, and
elements from boring 2D to eye-blazing 3D.

PSD Blowout
http://www.resellerproducts.com/PSDBlowout/index.html

All I can say is "Wow!" Now you can leverage the power and
strength of one of the web's best graphic designers and most
respected Internet marketers. Whenever this guy designs and
launches a new products, it sells. Now you can put his genius and
skill to work for your own web site and products and services. He
is providing you with over 20 design packages for a range of
niches, and with a little PhotoShop customization you can create
killer header graphics, product shots, buttons and more.

1009 Web Page Graphics Pack
http://www.resellerproducts.com/1009webpagegraphicspack/index.htm

This is an inexpensive collection of ready to customize graphics
ranging from buttons, to gift cards, to certificates and more.
Very unusual and beautifully crafted artwork ready to be
customized with your favorite graphic tool.

Well, it's time to start taking action. If you need help planning
for 2011, or have plans but need help implementing, then please
give me a call at 9188105233 or drop me an email at
info@schneiderman.net. I'd love to help you attain new heights of
success in 2011.

All my best,

Steven

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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 S. Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Easy Affiliate Pages and CPanel Tutorials

2010-12-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

I hope this final email of the year finds you and your family
well. May the year ahead be full of blessings including health,
wealth and peace of mind.

Over the years, two of the most frequent questions I hear are:

1. What can an affiliate program do for my product or service and
how do I start my own affiliate program?

2. How do I host my own web site once I find a domain that I
like?

I'm going to try to respond to both of these questions within
this email, but if I lose you anywhere, please feel free to reach
out to me via email or phone at 918-810-5233.

Affiliate Marketing 101
-----------------------

Affiliate marketing is another name for referral marketing.
That's really the age old way most of us sell -- through
referrals from other happy customers. A happy customer will tell
a friend or colleague about the excellent product or service you
provided, and through that introduction you receive a new client.
It's really about word-of-mouth advertising. Passing the good
word along to others.

The difference with affiliate marketing is that you pay people
for their referrals if their referral evolves into a sale. Your
affiliates pass the good word along on their web sites, in their
blogs, through social marketing, or in their emails. They include
a link to your site and when someone clicks that link, it flags
the referral with their assigned referral code. This allows you
to pay them for the referral if it turns into a sale. Got that?

Now the huge benefit to implementing an affiliate program for
your product or service is that it is like having hundreds of
thousands of virtual salesman out there working for you 24 x 7.
And they don't get paid unless they make a sale. It's cheap
labor. It's a way to get feet out on the virtual street to shout
out the benefits of your product or service.

For example, when I started my online publishing service,
EbookoMatic.com, back in 1999, it was just me trying to reach
hundreds of thousands of authors world-wide. It was tough. But
once I implemented an affiliate program, I was able to multiply
myself. In fact, within the first year, I had over 500 affiliates
world-wide promoting my online publishing service. Over 23% of my
revenue was generated by these affiliates. This was passive
revenue. Sales were made while I slept. You can see how this can
sky rocket your revenues when done correctly.

Starting an affiliate program is as easy as getting a Clickbank
account for $49.95. Once you are approved, you can begin
promoting your affiliate program to visitors to your site.
Another good idea is to promote your program through affiliate
program directories where you can describe your opportunity and
recruit new affiliates. You decide how much of a commission you
want to pay -- a set price or a percentage of sales. Clickbank
manages the affiliate sign-up and payment processes making this a
truly turnkey and hands-off procedure for you.

Now here is a warning: you need to set your affiliates up with
everything they need to be successful. If they don't make money,
you don't make money. So you need to provide them with graphical
banners for their web pages, email messages to send out to their
lists or post to their blogs, and anything else you can think of
to make their lives easier and to encourage them to focus more
energy on promoting your product or service.

Many affiliate programs fall apart here. They simply encourage
people to sign up to become an affiliate and then they do not
provide their affiliates with any of the tools they require to be
successful. This is where I can help you. I can design your ebook
covers or product images, I can create your banner ads, and I can
write your email series or articles.

I also strongly recommend you implement a solution called Easy
Affiliate Pages:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/easyaffiliatepages/

Let me know if you have further questions ...

Hosting 101
-----------

After you secure a memorable domain name -- and do make sure it
is easy to remember and type -- you need to host your web site
somewhere. A host is a place where your store your web site. One of
the easiest to use and best hosting services is Host Gator:

http://secure.hostgator.com/~affiliat/cgi-bin/affiliates/clickthru.cgi?id=spidy123

I am actually in the process of slowly moving all of my 100+
domains from my own server to Host Gator. Why? Well, it's
expensive to maintain your own web server. I lease my server from
Dell for $94.00/month and then pay $152.00/month to my
collocation facility where I lease rack space for my server.
That's almost $250.00/month to run my own server.

In comparison, Host Gator costs around $250.00 for 3 years to
host unlimited domains! That's a savings of about $8750.00 over 3
years! You can see why I like them. Their support is also pretty
good. You can purchase a basic hosting account for around $19.95
a month. It's cheap.

Now once you secure a domain and a Host Gator hosting account,
you need to set your site up. You may need to set up an email
account for your domain. You may need to set up a Wordpress blog
or MYSQL database or backup your web site and data.

All of this is done through an interface known as CPanel. The
first time you see CPanel, you think "Uh-oh, what did I get
myself into!" It can be daunting, but I found a series of
excellent video tutorials that walk you through everything you
need to know:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/cpaneltutorials/

This is top notch and also comes with a bunch of terrific bonus
marketing tools and master reseller rights so you can begin
making money right away.

Hosting your own site isn't that difficult. You don't need to be
a rocket scientist and you don't need to pay someone to perform
common and simple tasks. People have paid me as much as
$150.00/hour to set up their hosting and email and frankly this
video series will walk you through the steps quickly and easily.

Well, I hope this info proved helpful. I am still working on my
new ebook which spills the beans about how I generate $25K/year
in passive income and I hope to have it available for sale in
January.

Until next time,

Steven

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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 S. Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

End of Year Reflections

2010-12-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

Howdy. My car's in the shop with two blown header gaskets. While
I am waiting for things to be rebuilt and repaired, I find myself
with a lot of extra time on my hands around Christmas. This may
be deliberate or circumstance, but it leaves me with a lot of
time to reflect over the past year.

I've looked over my revenue summary and found that my passive
income is consistent with years past -- about $25K. It's been
like that for a long time. This is income I don't really work at
and which does not have any large expenses associated with it. It
comes largely through affiliate marketing, some reseller
products, and some of my own product sales, but by and large, the
majority comes through referral commissions.

I know a lot of people, especially those who are now in awkward
financial situations, who would kill for this kind of passive
income. It's not a huge amount. It's certainly not the millions
you hear the gurus talking about. But it is a chunk of change
that really helps pay the bills and keeps cash flowing.

So I've decided to release a new ebook about how I do this. I
think you will find it useful and beneficial because it is not
going to involve get-rich-quick schemes or complex tools or a
huge investment. I will keep it simple. More to follow.

As the year comes to an end, I am reviewing how I spent my time
and energy and what level of satisfaction was achieved in each
respective area. I like creating -- writing ebooks, developing
new products -- but I didn't have the chance to create anything
new this year. In fact, other than my new magic web site, I
haven't created anything for myself in years. Instead, I have
been developing sites, covers, and content for others, and while
that does pay the bills, it's not nearly as fulfilling. So next
year I will refocus and begin to tackle that long list of things
marked "to do".

I'm also going to make a concerted effort to perform more for
those who have been forgotten -- those living in retirement homes
or mental health facilities. It is my wish to bring more smiles
to the faces of those who have lost their smiles a long time ago.
I don't know how I am going to fund this effort. I know the need
for this type of ministry is huge, so I'm going to rely on Him to
guide me and show me how to do it. Where there's a will, there is
a way.

I don't know how your year has been, but if it has been like mine
or my clients, then it has been a tough year. Very few survived
this one without taking some hits along the way. It's been a year
of adjustments, and many have been uncomfortable and difficult to
swallow. As a rule, we all welcome change when it brings rewards,
but when it threatens our comfort level and requires us to do
without or change lifestyles then we tend to get angry and
frustrated.

Eventually self-pity and hopelessness find their way into your
life. These are unwelcome guests. They bring along other evils
including sorrow and anxiety. And most of all, a desire to
control the situation.

This is one I've been wrestling with for a long time. Some days I
do better than others. Today I choose not to try to control
things. It must become an unconscious effort. And it must be done
daily. Show me the way, O Lord.

As Christmas nears, I hope you will take some time to reflect on
the past year. Look at what worked and what didn't. Examine your
heart. Welcome change and look for opportunity. And give up
control, one day at a time.

Until next time,

Steven

Establishing More Paths to Your Site

2010-12-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

Grrrrrrrrrrrrreetings! We're expecting snow this evening for the
first time in Tulsa, and while they promise it won't stick, you
just never know what to expect around these parts. I've watched 2
inches of snow decimate the city and gotten run off the road by
sliding vehicles. Wish me luck.

Last time I wrote to you, I started discussing the importance of
creating as many alternate paths to your web site as possible
under the belief that the more lines in the water you have, the
easier it is to catch fish.

One of the ways I mentioned to do this included buying alternate
domain names -- variations of your name, company name, product or
service names and redirecting them back to your main web site.

Another way, often overlooked, is to purchase misspelled domain
names. For instance if you were google.com you might also
purchase goggle.com. You get the idea. It's amazing how many
people bypass search engines and simply type in phrases.
Sometimes they are spelled right but often they are spelled
wrong. So locking up some common misspellings could help drive
traffic your way.

Another way to drive traffic is to write and distribute a press
release. You can use PRWeb.com or any number of press release
distribution software tools such as Press Equalizer:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/business/pressequalizer.htm

With this tool you simply enter your press release, choose the
sites you want to submit it to, and fire away. Within days you
will begin to see increased traffic -- if and only if your press
release is well written and compelling. For help with that, give
me a jingle at info@schneiderman.net.

Another way to drive traffic is to write and submit free
articles. The more, the merrier. With embedded links back to
your web site, you can build a huge amount of valuable link backs
to your web site and this results in increased awareness,
visibility, and traffic.

Of course, getting the traffic is only half the challenge. What
do you do with them once they get there? What's the action you
require of them to take the next step? Many sites do not include
a call to action: Call for more info, Send us your question,
Contact us for a free consultation, etc.

Too many sites rely on the quality of their products or services
to stimulate visitors to take action. It rarely works that way.
You need to demand them to do something. Be specific. Tell them.

Look at my magic web site here:

http://www.sophisticatedsorcery.com

The home page sets the tone graphically what to expect and only
includes small excerpts -- quick reads -- about my services and
experience. The visitor is forced to click to read more. So
instead of telling them everything they need to know on page 1, I
force them to spend time on the site to learn more. The deeper
they go, the better.

The site includes a subscription request under the guise of a fan
club. It has a contact form to ask me questions or schedule a
performance. And every page includes a call to action to call me
or email me for more information.

Even the home page uses a corner peel ad technique to cross-sell
magic lessons. This is very easy to implement and you can learn
more about this technique here:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/easycornerpeelads/

The best action you can get a visitor to take is either to buy
something from you right away or lift the phone and call you;
however, I am a stern believer in getting them to give you their
contact info -- first name and email address are essential. They
may not want to buy from you at the time of their initial visit;
most people like to shop around first to understand their options
before they commit or narrow their list down. But once you have
their contact info, you can keep marketing to them through an
email series and an autoresponder service.

If you would like help integrating an autoresponder into your web
site and need a well written email series of 12 monthly messages
-- enough for a full year -- I would like to offer my services at
a pre-holiday discount of only $279.00. If you have an immediate
need, I urge to act before this Friday. If you feel like this is
too good a deal (and it is, I assure you) but you won't have a
need until next year, buy now and schedule delivery next year --
no problem.

To reserve your space in my calendar and discuss your needs
please call me at 918-810-5233.

Until next time,

Steven

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Establishing Paths to Your Web Site

2010-12-01T19:06:00.000-08:00

I hope all is well since my last newsletter. Today's edition
focuses on providing your prospects with paths to your web site.

Many companies spend a large amount of money on their web sites
and then magically expect prospects, leads and revenue to appear.

The truth is that your web site is like a tree growing in the
forest with a lot of other trees. Your job is to help people find
your tree.

Let me give you some real world examples as I have been promoting
my side business as a magician at SophisticatedSorcery.com.

Within a few days of spidering the site, Google had me listed on
page one along with my top competitors through Google Local
Search. If you do not presently have your web site listed through
this free directory service, then you are missing the boat. To
see this in play, search for "Tulsa magician" in Google and then
click on the links at the top of the page for my site.

Google Local Search is like a Yellow Page listing. If you take
care to use the appropriate and competitive keywords and phrases
in your listing as you did on your web site (you did do that,
right?), then you should show up in a place of prominence on page one
like me.

There are many other paths you can choose to lead people to your
web site. For instance, merchantcircle.com and decidio.com are
very popular commercial directories. You can get a basic listing
for free which is fine in most cases. These typically show up on
page one or two of most search results. Usually, for a few
dollars, you can purchase credits to buy leads. Decidio charges a
buck a lead which is a steal.

I should be clear here -- these directory listings are not full
featured web sites. They are merely additional paths to your web
site. You need to include your web site URL in your listing.

Another path that many people fail to use are alternate domain
names. These could be hyphenated versions of your company or
product name. They could be names of your products or generic
categories for your services. In any case, secure a handful of
these domains and redirect them to your web site's home page.

This morning I secured AmazingSteven.com as well as
StevetheSleeve.com -- both are alternate stage names I have been
using in local venues. Some people may never remember my real
name, but they might remember a stage name and search for me by
that name. Just another series of paths to my main web site.

There are many other ways to lead a horse to water. Next time,
we'll look at a few more.

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Please share with a friend by clicking the URL below:

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Magic, Cool Tools, HTML 101 and Loss Leaders

2010-11-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon, friends. I hope this day finds you smiling and
productive. Surprisingly, the weather has warmed here in Tulsa
and feels more like early Spring than Fall. It's a pleasant
change from prior years.

As stated last week, "Steve the Sleeve and The Kid" have joined
the cast of the Spotlight Theater, and it looks like the first
performance will be in mid-December. We're very excited to have
this opportunity to showcase our act and make people laugh.

Last week I shared info about a new graphics pack called Premium
Headers Pack, Version 2 which you can use to enhance the graphics
of your web site. The link to that review is here in case it
slipped by you last time:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/premiumheaderspackv2.htm

This week I wanted to share another product that crossed my desk
which I think many will find helpful. I know from
communicating with many of you that not everyone is comfortable
with HTML -- the code that is used to build a web site. While I
don't think everyone needs to be an HTML expert, it is probably
in your best interests to be conversant with the basics so you
can speak to designers and consultants with a shared
understanding. Otherwise, it sounds like Greek and leaves you
wondering what you are paying for!

Here's HTML 101, a new video course of 14 videos which take you
through the paces of HTML basics. It's not enough to make your
head spin, but contains just enough info to make you dangerous.
Read all about it here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/html101.htm

Last week I reviewed PDF Editor Pro. After speaking with the
developer, I suggested a new product image for his software would
help make his web page and product more compelling. Check it out
here and let me know what you think:

http://www.cadkas.com/pdf-editor-edit-pdfs.php

I design a lot of these covers for authors and developers and
gurus. It's fun, quick work -- usually -- and often leads to
discussions and opportunities about other ways I might be able to
help folks with their online presence. I guess some people would
consider this a "loss leader". What do you use to "lure" people
into giving your services a shot?

For years free consultations were the way to go. I do that, too,
but I think when something is 100% free, people have a hard time
putting a value on your services. So you need to charge something
beyond the initial "how do you do". Test this to see if I am
lying.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Share this with a friend by clicking the link below:

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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 S. Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United State

Colonoscopies and Endoscopies and Crystal Lite! Oh my!

2010-11-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

Good day to you, and I hope this issue of my newsletter finds you
well and smiling. I have to apologize for my absence the past 2
weeks but I've been greatly distracted with personal and business
things.

On the personal side, I decided that now that I turned 52 I owed
it to my family and myself to go have a colonoscopy and
endoscopy. The prep is worse than the procedures. If someone
could invent a liquid that tasted good, they'd have a fortune on
their hands. Gosh. Even a ton of lemonade flavored Crystal Lite
couldn't make this poison taste good. It's so hard to get down
and you have to drink 2 quarts of it. Trust me. By the time I
started the second quart, I didn't need it anymore.

These tests were important to me for lots of reasons, but chief
among them is because I don't have a lot of good DNA going for me
on my father's side. Lots of real bad stuff there and I have some
of the symptoms. The doctor found a large polyp in my colon and took 5
biopsies which kind of surprised me and quite frankly has
unnerved me while I await the lab test results and analysis.

If you haven't had these tests done yet and are over 50, go
schedule an appointment today. And buy plenty of Crystal Lite!

On the business side, November has started off with a bang but
I'm running around in 20 different directions trying to keep up
with everything: ebook cover designs, site designs and new product
launches, and lots of search engine optimization and copywriting.

I do have some good news to share: starting in December, I will
be joining the cast of "The Olio" a local vaudeville show in
Tulsa's oldest theater. Since 1953 the Spotlight Theater has been
performing "The Drunkard" and "The Olio" to great crowds. Through
a reference at the right time and place, a friend got me an
audition, and they accepted me! I am really looking forward to
performing on a regular monthly basis in a real theater. Wish me
luck! Tulsa clients and friends, please watch your email for an
invitation soon.

I've been applying my marketing skills to my magic business and
have managed to work my way up to page one search results on
Google for the phrase "Tulsa magician". Wasn't really magic, but
if you want some help trying to improve your web site's ranking
and positioning, please contact me for assistance.

Today I want to tell you about a new graphics collection called
Premium Headers Pack, Version 2. Like its predecessor, this
collection of professionally designed and layered header artwork
will empower you to quickly and easily customize your own
graphical headers for your web sites.

I have to tell you, so many of the people who cross my path and
ask for marketing advice fail to include a graphical header on
their web site. These graphics help set the stage, create a
professional look, and help to visually explain the nature of
your web site to your visitors. You need it. But you don't need
to spend $100.00 with a graphics designer anymore. Just purchase
this collection for $27.00 and customize them yourself with a
free copy of GIMP (a freeware clone of PhotoShop). Here's the
link:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/premiumheaderspackv2/

I also want to remind you about our new service creating animated
"flip books" like this one:

http://www.schneiderman.net/flipbooks.html

If you want to add some pizazz to your site, we can transform an
existing paper brochure to an animated interactive web brochure
or create one from scratch. Call me!

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Click the link below to share this with a friend:

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New Flip Books Breathe New Life Into Your Old Brochures

2010-10-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

Good day my friends to the show that never ends! This has been a
rip-roaring, big fun week for me. Last Saturday night I got
booked in my side job as a professional magician for a 30th
birthday party high atop the newly restored, historic Mayo Hotel
in downtown Tulsa.

When I arrived, I discovered I had been set-up and that there
were actually two magicians booked for the same party, and we
were expected to duel it out (in much the same way as the movie
"Dinner with Schmucks") in a magic competition while the crowd
cheered and jeered.

Well, my initial reaction was to leave. After all, I didn't need
the humiliation on my day off! But the risk-taker in me prevailed
and I decided to go head-to-head with my brother in magic.

After four rounds of amazing magic, I was declared the new
undisputed champion, beating out the previous four-time winner.
Wow!

Just goes to show you need to believe in yourself and take risks.

So are you living that -- taking risks? You know, there's good
risks and there's bad risks.

Good risks include taking chances on something when you must rely
on your skills and experience. If you have the chops, you can
achieve anything.

Bad risks include doing business exactly as you have been but
expecting different results. That's also the definition of
insanity.

I have an exciting new way for you to do business a little
differently than the competition. Now you can breathe new life
into your old marketing material and make them interactive on your web
site:

http://www.schneiderman.net/flipbooks.html

If you have an existing PDF file of a brochure, presentation or
catalog, I can quickly convert it to a Flash-animated version for
your web site for $500.00.

If you need something designed from scratch, then contact me to
discuss it further so we can define the scope of work.

You will also receive an EXE version you can send to prospects
and clients via email or on CD at absolutely no additional cost.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Share with a friend. Click the link below to let them know
about this:

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Great Graphic and Social Marketing Tools

2010-10-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings, my friend, and I hope all is well on your side of the
screen. Been brisk here in the mornings with temps around 40 but
then we get these huge swings upwards into the 70-80s by mid-day.
Makes it a little hard to predict how to dress.

The economy is just like the Tulsa temperature. Hard to tell
which way it's going to go.

I've been collecting tools like crazy. I receive a lot of emails
each day trying to sell me the latest ebook or software or video
training. There's so much to learn and to keep up on if you are
doing any online marketing (and who isn't these days?).

Here's a few things I have found really helpful which you might
also find worth looking at:

DropBox

This is f-r-e-e storage space. Let's face it, sooner or later
everyone needs some extra storage space. I use mine to share
projects with my clients. You might do the same or simply use it
to more easily move and access files between computers.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/dropbox.htm

Viral Tweet Builder

This is another f-r-e-e service to help you manage your Twitter
account and tweeting. If you are not tweeting to share info with
your target audience (prospects as well as clients) then you are
indeed missing the boat. Sign up for this one. You will thank me
later.

http://vtbfree.com/169.php

Facebook Ad Explosion

Learn how to harness the awesome power and strength of Facebook
to help market your product or service or cause. This video
series takes you by the hand and walks you through the process of writing
your ad, using their system, identifying your target audience,
and widening and deepening your relationships with your prospects
and clients.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/facebookadexplosion.htm

Heavy Metal Marketing

Boy, this is cool. I like to think I am pretty good at what I do,
but this guy is a fantastic web site and graphic designer. You
can get a package of seven web site templates along with the
related graphics with reseller rights. You need to just click the
link to see the quality of this guy's work. Simply amazing. I am
going to set up multiple sites with this stuff.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/heavymetalmarketing.htm

Easy Corner Peel Ads

You need to get visitors to your site to look at and interact
with your ads. This will do the trick nicely. You've seen these
on other people's sites and now you can implement them on your
own quickly and easily. Best of all, you receive a library of all
the PhotoShop PSD files so you can further customize the ad
graphics to your liking.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/easycornerpeelads.htm

Make a difference in your marketing. Read the reviews for the
above tools and see which one you can implement tomorrow.

Remember, if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll get
the same results. It may be time for a change!

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Click the link below to share this email with a trusted
friend:

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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 S. Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Lies, Lies and More Lies/Viral Tweet Builder

2010-09-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon on this extra fine Fall day. Waking up to cooler
temps and dry, sunny weather is wonderful. Morning walks are so
much more enjoyable and it's easy to get lost in thought as you
watch the leaves on the trees begin to change color and fall.
It's gorgeous.

I just came back from my church's family retreat at New Life
Ranch and it was great fun. I performed a family magic show
Friday evening and enjoyed watching the kids' eyes pop out of
their heads. Then on Saturday and Sunday I hosted chapel time and
warmed up the audience before the pastors presented their
teaching. Everything was very well received and made this retreat
even more memorable because I was given a chance to serve others
using my other gifts and talents.

As part of the entertainment, we played the game "Two Truths and
a Lie" whereby everyone writes down two truths and one lie about
themselves. Then I collected them, read them aloud one at a time,
and the audience had a chance to vote on which one of the
statements was the lie. As a host, I wanted to make sure people
laughed during this game. At first I was a little concerned, but
I soon realized that I was provided really funny material from the
participants. For some reason a large percentage of people lied
about going skydiving, so it got to be a running joke whenever
that was included. One person even confessed to eating roadkill.
Too funny.

When it comes to truths and lies in marketing your message, one
of the biggest lies circulating is that social media is your
panacea to branding and building awareness for your product,
service or company. While it's true that social media -- if used
wisely and consistently -- can achieve these things, most of the
people I have met haven't a clue what they are doing. The result
is they create even more meaningless and worthless online chatter
about things nobody cares about. Worse still, they are
broadcasting their inane thoughts to a wider audience rather than
narrow casting to the niche audience of prospects they truly want
to reach.

I've found a great free tool that can help you better manage and
empower your Twitter account. Please click the link below to read the
review and learn how to get started with your own free account.
You will love it:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/viraltweetbuilder.htm

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Share this newsletter with a friend by clicking the link
below:

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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 S. Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Levels of Marketing

2010-09-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Good day. May this newsletter find you happy and healthy at the
end of a long and profitable work day. My family and I are
gearing up for a church retreat at a ranch about an hour outside
of Tulsa. I'm looking forward to spending time with friends and
family and maybe get some alone time, too. New Life Ranch has
this great little one room prayer chapel that overlooks a large
pond. It's real serene and quiet, and I always look forward to
spending some time there -- hopefully doing some journaling. It's
a good thing to be reflective and get your thoughts down. Makes
it easier to deal with challenges. I'm also hosting the event and
will be performing magic and warming up the attendees before each
sermon, so this should be fun on many levels.

Levels ... do you look at your marketing on different levels?
There's the web site level, the email marketing level, the search
engine optimization level, the social networking level, etc. I
think one of the traps I see many companies fall into is focusing
all of their energy on a single level or becoming complacent
believing a single level of marketing is enough.

No one can deny the importance of the social networking level,
but I still find many people under-estimating the work required
to maintain a social networking presence across multiple networks
OR over-estimating the projected impact of their social
networking efforts. I still think a lot has to do with frequency
as well as content and targeting. Ignore any one of these and
you're throwing time and money at the wall. Just yelling about
yourself on social networks is no promise of wealth.

Here's two new social networking products that you might find
helpful:

Social Media Profits
http://www.resellerproducts.com/socialmediaprofits/

This is a great product for those of you who need education across
social network services -- which ones are the ones to focus on,
how do they work, how do you get started.

Facebook Fan Page Dollars
http://www.resellerproducts.com/facebookfanpagedollars/

If you want to focus on Facebook, this product will show you how
to tap into the power of Fan Pages. How and when to set them up
and use them, and how to promote your business or products
effectively through them.

Check'em out, and I'll talk to you next week when I return from
my retreat.

All my best,

Steven

PS: Share this with someone you care about by clicking the link
below:
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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Common Marketing Problems and Solutions

2010-09-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all subscribers, old and new. I hope life and
business are going well for you and that the economy is picking
up wherever you may be. For me, business has been getting busier.
As I meet more and more business owners and netrepreneurs I see
many are lacking the same things ...

Invariably they have built a business based upon a product
or service and then expect the business to come to them over time
with little to no marketing. Many confuse marketing with sales,
and so we have some very bright and creative people and promising
companies never quite reaching their maximum potential.

The problems typically start with no business or marketing plan.
Very few businesses have this document and even fewer who have
one live by it. Many plans lack any real insight into competitive
analysis -- understanding who your competitors are or how to go
head-to-head against them. Frequently there are no goals either.

If the company is founded around a product or service, frequently
the supporting web site or marketing collateral (if they even
exist) are full of text telling the reader something but showing
them very little. There is a big difference between telling and
showing.

Showing starts with products shots and this is particularly
pertinent with info products, ebooks, and software tools. Without
a compelling product image, it's hard for the average person to
get their arms around buying something online.

In many cases, people are spending money or time driving traffic
to their web sites, but they have no idea who or where these
visitors are because they lack the common sense to add a simple
contact form to their home page to capture the first name and
email address of their visitors. Without an email database to
market to, opportunities fall through the cracks.

Those who are smart enough to have the form tend to forget to
include a compelling reason for people to give their information.
A free report, a demo, a sample. Something of value traded for
something of value.

Those that are collecting and building names for their list tend
to forget to communicate with their lists frequently and often.
This is a huge mistake and one that drives prospects to your
competitors. Get an autoresponder service and integrate it into
your site. Write an email series of monthly newsletters (like
this one) and communicate with your subscriber base. They
wouldn't have subscribed in the first case unless they had an
interest in what you were going to say.

Those that do not have a web form to collect visitor information
are wondering not only who their visitors are but also why they
are not receiving more traffic. Many businesses do not even use
the free tools that exist such as Google Analytics. With this
simple tool you add one line of code to each page in your site
and instantly you begin to generate traffic statistics you can
study and learn from.

For the few that do use some form of analytics, many do not check
their reports on a regular basis, and so they complain that no
one ever comes to their site and the site was a waste of money in
the first place.

Then I hear the old familiar complaint that the web site looks
great but must be failing because no one comes to visit it. This
is frequently an assumption. Closer examination usually reveals
no sense of search engine optimization. Search engines = free
promotion. But in order to use them effectively you first need to
make sure your web site copy is not only informative and
compelling but also optimized for the right keywords and phrases
that prospects may use to search for you on Google and other
search engines. Using Google Places -- another free tool -- gives
you an enhanced listing on Google but few people pay attention to
it. Using META tags is helpful, too.

Lastly, I hear the old adage that the secret to success online is
in your social marketing. Funny thing about that when last I
checked, the search term "Steve Schneiderman" had over half a
million search results on Google and a lot of them are about me
-- and few if any are related to social marketing. Yes, social
marketing can be an invaluable tool but you need to put
consistent effort into the tools and have something more
meaningful to say to people then to tell them you are sipping a
mocha cappuccino at Starbucks.

So where does this rant lead?

I've been thinking of doing two things to try to help the
greatest number of people in the most affordable way possible.

The first are one-hour Skype sessions -- virtual coaching. Skype
is free and since I am not traveling to meet you, I can lower my
hourly rate substantially to provide you with advice remotely via
Skype. Interested? Email me to set-up an appointment. My normal
hourly billable rate is $200.00/hour but I'll Skype with you for
a low $49.95/hour payable in advance via PayPal to
info@schneiderman.net. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?

The second thing I want to do is help to cut through all the BS
online and provide you with a low-cost bundle of knowledge
(ebooks) and tools (software) along with some consulting to help
you either launch something new in a D-I-Y (do-it-yourself) way
or to relaunch something old. This could be an existing product
or service or site or a completely new business.

As you may know, I also own and operate the Cool Tool Awards
product review web site and I have written many ebooks on
marketing as well as developed many software tools to help you
with marketing. I want to put together a bundle of stuff that will
provide high value. Of course, you need to use what you buy to
maximize the ROI, so I will hold you accountable for reading the
material, asking me questions and I will assist you with
implementing the tools and techniques by providing remote support
via email/phone/Skype. There will be a base price for the bundle
of products (ebooks and software) and then a few hours of remote
consulting added in. I'm thinking about something in the $499.00
range. This will help course correct your marketing journey or
get you started on a new one.

Let me know what you think about these ideas. Of course, if you
want a more turnkey solution and have a realistic budget, I'm
willing to provide that solution, too. My list of services is
available on my corporate site at http://www.schneiderman.net

OK, enough for now. Reread the above and think hard about where
you are failing. It's OK to fail and admitting your failing at
something is the beginning of turning it all around and getting
closer to success.

Have a question? Need to talk? Drop me a line at 918-810-5233.

Until next time,

Steven

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

What's Your Position?

2010-08-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings, my friend. I hope your summer was relaxing and
prosperous. If the economy were only as hot as the temperature,
we'd all be doing much better. I heard talk this morning of a
double dip recession or even a depression. These are not
comforting thoughts. Most every client I know is suffering from
reduced business, no matter what the industry.

Many people tell me they are doing what they always did to try to
bring new business in, but even things that worked in the past no
longer seem to work. I believe this calls for a different
approach to doing business, and it starts with understanding the
customer's needs and then being flexible in your pricing to allow
the customer to engage you. Once engaged, as your value is being
proven, you can begin to do more work and increase your billings.

Now typically, being nice like this and being customer focused
like this, is not how many businesses operate. Many businesses are
there to take your order and call that customer service. I
liken it to something more biblical.

At the end of the day, we are either Jesus offering to help the
crippled beggar into the healing pool, or we are the crippled
beggar asking for help. At one time or another, we are in one of
these positions -- either in the position to help someone or in
the position of needing help. And businesses and customers need
each other for obvious reasons.

What your stance? Are you trying to take orders or are you trying
to help people? Are you flexible? Lord knows I've had to adapt
and so have most of my friends and clients. When faced with an
extraordinarily poor economy, you must take extraordinary
measures to compel people to do business with you.

For instance, some charge for proposals. I give mine away most of
the time. Some designers charge $117.00 for an ebook cover. I charge
$49.95. Some copywriters charge $3000.00 for a sales letter. I
price it based upon what the need and budget may be.

I'm not suggesting you giveaway the shop -- we all must maintain
a satisfactory (note I did not say healthy) profit margin -- but
you can be more flexible in how you approach prospects during
these trying times.

Now onto tools. Two items crossed my desk this past week I want
to share with you.

The first is Diskeeper 2010, a utility which helps keep your hard
drive stay healthy and run at top speeds. The last time I reviewed
this tool was back in 2004. It's come a long way, and it is
definitely worth looking at. I had not defragmented my hard drive
in 2 years and the sucker was running slow! Took forever to boot
up and open applications and files. Not anymore. I have witnessed
a 37% increase in speed. I'm blown away by the "set it and forget
it" technology. You can read more about it here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/utilities/diskeeper2010..htm

The second thing is a new ebook called Facebook Power Ads,
Version 3. This is a fairly extensive 98 page ebook about
Facebook advertising -- the how-to's, the what not to do's, and
the things you better do if you know what's good for you! You can
read all about it here (and yes, this comes with reseller
rights):

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/facebookpowerads.htm

That's it for now. Think about your position with regard to your
prospects and customers. Changing that position a little could
stimulate your business in new ways.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Please click the link below to forward this newsletter to a
friend:

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Strategies and Tools for a Depressed Economy

2010-08-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

I hope this edition of my newsletter finds you and yours well. I
apologize for missing a week or two recently, but life has gotten
hectic as the kids have returned to school and after-school
activities. The combination makes for precious little down time
to focus on anything other than family.

My daughter has entered 8th grade and is already taking her
second year of Chinese as well as High School level Science. My
son has started 6th grade and is taking pre-Algebra, Chinese and
he is very excited about starting the Clarinet.

My daughter made the 8th grade pom squad and has been in training
all summer. Their first game is in another week and we've
purchased tickets for the season. She also returns to point
ballet -- I think this is the beginning of her 11th year in
ballet. So she's pretty stoked and booked solid every day and
night of the week.

My son has continued with his tennis lessons and things are
really clicking for him. His trainer says he's ready to start
playing against his peers. The high school in our district has a
huge tennis academy, so we're hopeful that if he sticks with this
sport he might position himself for a college scholarship when
the time comes.

Of course, my wife and I are busy with our respective careers and
hobbies (hers - dental hygienist/tennis, mine - consulting/magic)
and it seems we're always driving one of the kids some place!

It's hard to find down time to just relax and be alone to think
about things. Does that sound familiar?

Sometimes, when things are not going our way, that downtime seems
more depressing than like solitude. But quiet time is necessary
to refocus, change gears, and revitalize. It's easy to get caught
up in what's not going well, but how many times do we actually
acknowledge where things are going right?

Of course, it's not easy knowing who to turn to for advice
either. These days everyone is an expert. And much of what the
experts say tend to contradict one and another. In the online
marketing world, one guru says social media is King and another
swears by list building and SEO. Who do you listen to?

I don't have all the answers, but I've got some ideas.

First, just because the economy stinks for most of us, doesn't
mean you should become invisible by taking a marketing vacation. While
it's true that most people and companies are not buying anything
right now - products or services - this could be a good time to
draw the wagons in a circle around your existing customers rather
than go after new business. It's time to go into protection mode
and start sharing success stories with them. Let them know how
grateful you are for their business, and let them know what
you've done for other customers. It's a good time for a customer
appreciation seminar. Get them all in a room to listen to
speakers who can help them to understand how to survive in a
challenging economy. Get them on stage talking about how you have
helped them. Let them leave without the pressure of buying
something from you, but with good feelings towards you.

It's a great time to start a newsletter and build your mailing
list. Encourage existing customers to subscribe and add a
subscription form to your home page. Start sharing success
stories, tips, and advice. Send it out weekly, ask questions,
make personal calls to follow-up, provide free advice, and to let
people see you as a trusted authority so that when the economy
changes direction, you will be the first person they call.

Planting seeds for the future is very important during times of
economic famine.

Now here's some things you can do on the cheap to help educate
yourself about trends in search engine optimization and social
media that will help position your web site and company for the
future, too:

Magic SEO Book
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/magicseobook.htm

Twitter Explosion
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/twitterexplosion.htm

Facebook Social Ads Exposed
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/facebooksocialadsexposed.htm

350 Social Media Tactics
http://www.resellerproducts.com/350socialmediastrategies/

Until next time,

Steven

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Back to School, DropBox, and Seeing the Light

2010-08-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings to friends old and new and I trust everything is going
well on your side of the screen. The oven-like heat that has been
assaulting us here in Tulsa is about to cool off a bit with some
storms passing through in the next day or so. It's been so hot,
it is pretty hard to do anything but stay in the house or office.
All work and no play does make Jack -- or in this case -- Steven
-- a very dull boy.

Meanwhile the kids are getting ready to return to school and I am
looking forward to falling back into a more predictable schedule
that isn't built upon keeping the kids busy. Trust me, during the
school year they keep pretty busy without much help from us. My
son is starting Clarinet and he is very excited. My daughter made
the 8th grad pom squad and has been hard at work training all
summer.

One of the more interesting things my kids taught themselves this
summer was stop motion animation. It all started out of "Gee,
Dad, we have nothing to do." The next thing I knew, they had
somehow used their digital cell phone cameras to record a series
of stop motion animation videos featuring Lego mini figures and
footage they had captured from video games.

I must admit I was VERY surprised by what they created. So much
so that I gave my daughter my drawing tablet to see what she
could do and my old Hi-8 video camera to my son to see what he
could do. She's busy drawing Japanese Manga animation now and he
is video recording everything he can find. They've made a few
movies and appear to be having a very good time. I just picked up a
new software tool for us to play with called Anime Studio Debut
which enables you to create your own animation. Pretty cool.

Meanwhile back in the office, I have been constantly running out
of online storage for my larger video and graphics files. My
friend, Adeel, told me about DropBox and I strongly recommend you
read the full review here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/dropbox.htm

It's a free service that starts you out with 2 GB of online
storage and easy ways to move and share files with other people.

A few months ago, I asked a question about what was holding you
back from being happy and successful. Some of you responded with
a variety of answers but the overwhelming sentiment were
financial pressures and a general feeling of hopelessness.

I understand. Trust me I do.

I've had money and I've had none. And I still think it's better
to have some money. And with the economy such as it is, it is hard
to see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes. But you need
to know the light hasn't gone away and that it is still very much
there waiting for us to find it. But you need to search for it
with all your heart and soul. Or else you'll never get there. Or
get to enjoy what it's like to live in the light. So my advice is
simply this: believe.

If you have questions about this or want to chat, please feel
free to drop me an email at info@schneiderman.net. It would be my
absolute pleasure to get to know you better.

Until next time, I wish you much happiness in life,

Steven

P.S.: Do you know someone who would benefit from my marketing
advice and my life stories? Please click the link below to share
this newsletter with someone you care about:

http://getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=lbxT&s=BMayh&y=s&

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Pass It On ...

2010-08-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

Good evening, friends. Hope all is well with you and yours. Our
downstairs air conditioner went out last night during my wife's
party for her girlfriends. Of course, as luck would have it, this
had to happen on the hottest day of the year -- 104 degrees
yesterday. Even the shade was hot.

Luckily, my heating and air conditioning service man came out
this afternoon after church, and it turned out only to be a loose
wire. When I asked him what I owed him, he said nothing. I was
amazed that he came out on his day off and fixed it in this
extreme heat. Talk about quality service. I'm not used it or
kindness.

So about an hour later, as I was watching a movie called The
Gospel of John I saw the local fruit merchant parking in front of
my house. "Oh no," I thought. I hate telling this guy "No". He
talks a mile a minute and always has the coldest, best fruit
already sliced and ready for me to sample before I even open the
darn door.

I really didn't need a case of fruit even though the samples were
quite good. Funds are real tight right now, but something from
the movie I just watched and the kindness of my A/C guy told me
it was time to pass it on, so I bought a big old box of fruit. He
smiled and walked off happy, and my wife just kinda smiled at
me. I am an old softy at heart most of the time.

So the lesson today is pass it on, pay it forward, do onto
others, etc.

I wanted to pass something else on to you. My bud, Max Rylski,
creates some really cool and affordable software tools and
graphics libraries and today he just released another one that
simply can not be beat. It's called the Amazing Mini Site
Template Version 2.0 and it's even better than the first one!

Check it out right here (copy and paste between the brackets):

http://www.resellerproducts.com/amazing%20mini%20site%20template%202/

I know many of you are trying to create your own mini sites to
market your own products. This is a very good solution and cheap.

If you are creating web sites for others, this is a good
solution. If you are promoting other people's products through an
affiliate program or reselling them, this is a perfect solution.

Only $27.00 for a bunch of great web site templates PLUS a
library of great graphics PLUS all of the original PhotoShop PSD
files so you can customize everything.

Just the way you want it.

And if you order right now, I will also send you a link to my
ebook Mad Scientist at Work which lets you inside my crazy
creative process for creating new products.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Pay if forward, please, and pass this newsletter onto a
friend.

http://getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=lTAs&s=BM46r&y=h&

Understanding & Focusing On Your Audience

2010-07-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Good day and I hope things are going well for you on the other
side of the screen. I've had some interesting exchanges this week
with prospects, customers and friends. One of the topics was
about better understanding your audience.

You know it's not uncommon for a small business person and
especially an online marketer to believe that the world's their
oyster. I've been guilty of this in the past myself. I know I'm a
good marketer and creative thinker and process person. When folks
used to ask me who needs my services, I would respond "Everyone!"

While there may have been some elements of truth to that claim,
the truth is I am most successful in companies that are founder
led and where there is a noticeable vacuum in marketing and/or
operations. Typically, the companies that I do best with have a
founder who is trying to spin many plates by himself. It's only
when some of those plates start to fall and impact his business
negatively that he begins to understand the value of having a
right-hand man to spin his marketing and/or operations plates.

So now when people ask me who uses my services I am very clear to
tell them small to medium sized businesses which are founder led
and have vacuums in marketing and operations. This narrows the
audience for me and also helps me to quickly qualify potential
new clients. If they don't really fit the mold, then I do not
pursue them as aggressively as I might chase another that better
fits my audience focus.

Knowing your audience is invaluable. Now it's easy if you
manufacture pipe valves. You know who needs them. But if you
offer soft services or generic products, then you really need to
get your arms around your audience.

Likewise, if you are selling an info product, it really pays to
know who can benefit most from your information and experience.
For instance, if you have a product that helps people make money,
you need to carefully consider how to narrow that audience.
Keeping a narrow focus makes it easier to market your product and
lowers your cost of customer acquisition, too.

Knowing who your audience is means you must make sure your
supporting web site sales letter or sales presentation or
marketing collateral is also written to that specific audience.
If you have multiple audiences, it might help to have multiple
landing pages on your site and multiple presentations and
brochures written for each audience.

Understanding this can help you run a more productive business.

It also may show you developing niches for your services. For
instance, over the past 5 years I see I have worked with lots of
folks in the health niche. This includes private coaches,
nutritionists, diet authors, exercise gurus, doctors, etc. Now I
look for opportunities in that market.

So think carefully about who you are trying to sell to. A wide
funnel may seem advantageous, but you have to go through a lot of
prospects to make a sale. A narrow funnel produces more leads and
sales.

I wanted to share a review of a product that really helped me out
this week. It's called Topaz Moment and it's great for capturing
high quality stills from your videos. You can read about it here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/topazmoment.htm

Until next time,

Steven

P.S. : Click the link below to share this with a friend:

http://getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=lujq&s=BM46r&y=t&

Can You Hear the Crickets Chirping?

2010-07-20T14:44:00.001-07:00

Inertia is a killer.

Back in 1993, I clearly remember standing on the balcony of my hotel
room at about 7 pm. I was staying on the 15th floor of the Adams
Mark Hotel in downtown Tulsa. As I looked out at the evening sky,
I could hear the crickets below. It was that quiet.

Lord, I thought, tell me this is a nightmare and when I wake up
in the morning, I will find myself back home in my apartment in
New Jersey.

But as time passed, I got used to Tulsa and now 15 years later,
I've made a life for myself and I'm reasonably happy with that
life, too.

But there have been several times in my life where inertia has
set in and stifled my dreams, my career, and my relationships.

Inertia is a killer.

You either get complacent about your situation or you become
fearful of change. In either case, you become inert and go
nowhere fast.

I'm lucky. I've always had good, caring people in my life who
know how to nudge me forward. And then I've got God, too. My ace
in the hole. If I listen, I get good advice. Then I have to make
the decision to either stay where I'm at or risk change and see
what happens.

Which brings me to your online presence.

Is your site churning out new subscribers, sales leads, inquiries
and compelling people to take action, or is your site sitting
there listening to the crickets to chirp?

I want to make a suggestion to you today.

Check out this review:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/magicseobook.htm

This crossed my desk this morning and I felt compelled to share
it because it might help you to get off your butt and take some
action. Buy the ebook. Read the ebook. Take action.

If you purchase it through my affiliate link in my review, let me
know and I will send you a free copy of my ebook, Rocket Science
Revealed, where I explain how I created one of the most popular
web sites on the Internet -- CoolToolAwards.com. It's a $47.00
value -- free -- only when you purchase your copy of The Magic
SEO Book through my link. Just buy it and send me your Clickbank
receipt via email.

What's that sound? Is that opportunity knocking on the door or is
it just a very large cricket?

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Do a friend a favor and click the link below to share this
email with them:

http://getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=lelD&s=BM46r&y=V&

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Pursue Your Passion/PhotoShop Summer Deal

2010-07-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Good morning and I hope all is well. I'm excited today because I
have another magic show this evening for a friend's son. I love
performing and bringing smiles to people's faces and it sure beats
what I do by day -- marketing consulting. Now a few months ago
you would never have heard me say this ...

If you've been a long-time subscriber, you know I have been
easing my way back into being a part-time magician on weekends
and in the evenings. It's something I've done as a hobby since
the age of 5 -- which is almost -- OMG -- 47 years.

When I was single and lived in NYC I took advantage of
opportunities to perform, but as I grew older and joined the 9-5
workforce, I stopped performing and withdrew from my passion. It
wasn't until a few months ago when I was asked to perform at a
local church picnic that I began to realize I was missing
something.

My pastor and friends told me that I needed to pursue my passion
because they could see how I lit up when I was performing -- how
much joy it brought to me -- and, in turn, how much joy I gave
others through my performance.

Funny, how I lacked that objectivity all these years to see the
truth.

So last week it was a 30 year old birthday party and this evening
it's for children. We're going to have fun!

I know I have said this before, but so many of us make our work
our passion, and we forsake all other things and become
workaholics.

Stop a minute.

Think hard about what else brings you joy outside of work.

I know, I know. You are passionate about what you do.

But it's work.

Surely there must be something else that brings you joy -- a
hobby or concern that makes your heart race, your demeanor
soften, and brings a relaxed smile to your face.

My advice is to go for it.

---------------------------

A subscriber wrote to me telling me about his desire to design
his own web sites, covers, and marketing materials with
PhotoShop, but he says, "It's just too damn cumbersome!"

I agree. PhotoShop is a bear to learn. There's so many bells and
whistles.

The good news is you don't need to learn everything. You only
need to know a little to be able to do a lot. I know many of you
have bitten the bullet and purchased PhotoShop. It's quite an
investment in time and money. But so few of you actually use it.

I'd like to make it easier for you.

Here's a special deal ...

Every online marketer needs a collection of PhotoShop action
scripts to create professional looking product shots. My favorite
collection is Cover Actions Premium from my friend, Hazran.

What makes his collection different is that he adds to his
catalog of incredible actions and templates every single week.

Also, he creates actions that can generate combo shots featuring
ebooks, DVDs, CDs, magazines, etc. laid out on a table, in a box,
in a shopping bag. You name it. He also responds to special
requests.

You can't find a better collection anywhere!

So here's the deal -- click the link below to read the review and
see some samples of the actions:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/coveractionspremium.htm

Then click on the links in my review -- yes, they are my
affiliate links -- and when you make your purchase, send me a
copy of your receipt via email to info@schneiderman.net and I
will send you links to download two must-have products:

PhotoShop CS Mastery Video Series
http://www.resellerproducts.com/photoshopvideos/

Project Mini Site
http://www.minisitedesign.com/

And as a special bonus for the first 10 buyers, I will include a
copy of my ebook, Designing Ebook Covers.

That's nearly $100.00 worth of bonuses.

You have to trust me on this recommendation. Hazran's PhotoShop
actions are trade secrets. Not a lot of people know about them. I
am giving you an insider's tip. Buy his actions and your product
shots will look 200% more impressive than anything else out
there. He also provides many pre-designed templates so you don't
have to start from scratch. He makes it easy to get started.

The bonuses I am offering will also help you to learn and master the
key features of PhotoShop and help you to understand how to
design a credible and powerful mini site. And my ebook will show
you how to design a proper ebook cover.

OK, there you go. Remember, to get your bonuses, you must
purchase Cover Actions Premium through my affiliate link:

http://www.coveractionspremium.com/ezmempro/index.php?afid=24

Then send me proof of your purchase and I will send you download links
to the bonus products.

All my best,

Steven

PS: Share this email with a friend by clicking the link below:

http://getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=lvyb&s=BM46r&y=G&

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Are You Like The Invisible Man?

2010-07-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

Good day, friends, and I hope all is well on your side of the
screen. Life is H-O-T in Tulsa with the heat index hovering
around 110 degrees. Yikes! Now that's hot. Whoa. I don't even
want to step outside of my office today if I can help it.

So how is the economy impacting your business? I am projecting I
will be down about 20% this year, maybe flat with last year,
maybe worse. It's getting harder to make a buck, no matter how
good you may be. Companies and individual business owners are
freezing their projects and limiting their spends as much as
possible until the economy reverses its current trend.

It's troubling to watch this trend because it simply shows how
many business people lack common sense about their marketing
tactics and strategy. When a business stops advertising and
marketing, they lose their awareness and visibility, thus
becoming invisible to their prospects and even to their existing
customers.

Now if your competitors are becoming invisible, what do you think
you should do?

Bueller? Anyone? Bueller?

Right, if your competitors are becoming invisible, you need to
focus time, money and energy on becoming and staying more visible.

By adopting this "hey, look at me" approach, you take advantage
of your competitors' stupidity in going dark with their
advertising and marketing and become the single bright spot in
your own universe, attracting leads, prospects and repeat
purchases. It may also be a good time to raise your rates because
without any visible competition, you may appear to be the only
game in town.

Now I am seeing many small businesses stop their spending on
local Yellow Page ads. I think this is a good move. The Yellow
Pages are dead. Simply get the lowest cost text listing in the
big book and divert those dollars to the web.

Where on the web? Take advantage of low-cost social media
marketing like blogs, Twitter, Linked In and Facebook among
others.

Start building your email lists for prospects and customers. It's
always easier to sell to an existing customer than to cultivate a
new one. Start strengthening your relationships with existing
customers. Make personal calls and arrange lunches and office
visits to review their business, what's changed since last you
serviced their account, and look for new opportunities to add
value.

Develop a lead generation program. Write a newsletter and start
emailing it to your lists monthly to let them know what's new,
provide meaningful advice on how to survive during tough times,
and share success stories about how your customers are using your
products and services to grow revenues and improve business. Brag
about your features, advantages and benefits. This will produce
leads and give your staff a reason to follow-up by phone.

If you are not using an autoresponder service to manage your
email campaigns, may I suggest another alternative that gives you
most of the power of email marketing without the ongoing monthly
cost. For some this may be the preferred way of email marketing:

http://www.emailmarketingassistance.com/groupmail.htm

As far as writing newsletters goes, I have become very adept at
quickly studying a client's business and writing a series of
emails that may be used as a newsletter. I've written about all
sorts of business topics from insurance, finance, software,
ebooks -- you name it, I've written about it. I'd love to help
you write those newsletters.

Normally, the cost of 12 (one year) newsletters is $1,000.00 but
for the first 3 people who contact me, I will do it for only
$500.00. This is a good investment. Let me craft the right sales
message that will make people return to your web site, lean in to
get more information, and pick up the phone to talk to you.

Until next time,

Steven Schneiderman

P.S.: Stay visible during tough times. Social media and email
marketing are the perfect solution when money is tight. If you
haven't looked at these helpful products yet, now is an excellent
time to take action:

350 Social Media Strategies: These seven reports cover the 350
most important things you need to know about Twitter, YouTube,
Stumble Upon, Yahoo Answers, Digg, Linked In and Squidoo.

http://www.resellerproducts.com/350socialmediastrategies/

Facebook Social Ads Exposed: This ebook explains the whys, hows,
and what not to do with Facebook and Facebook advertising which
is rapidly displacing Google AdSense in terms of audience, ease
of use and effectiveness.

http://www.resellerproducts.com/facebooksocialadsexposed/

Twitter Explosion: This is a collection of 32 videos which
explain how Twitter works, how to create and manage you account,
and how to use it boost your visibility and popularity.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/twitterexplosion.htm

Wordpress 201 Revealed: This is a unique collection of videos,
MP3 music files, blog templates and plug-ins which you how to tap
into the power of blogging with Wordpress.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/wordpress201revealed.htm

Add one or more of these tactics to your marketing arsenal today
and watch your visibility, awareness, and business grow rapidly.

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Summer Time Relaxation and PhotoShop Tools

2010-07-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

May this email find you and yours well and eagerly awaiting a
pleasant and relaxing warm, summer weekend. Times may be tough
for many of us, but there is hope that things will pick up soon.
To relax, my family and I are enjoying our new Roku box and
subscription to NetFlix.

Roku is a small black box that connects to your TV and wireless
cable connection, instantly providing you access to streaming
movies and on demand programming and events. The box costs only
$79 and installs quickly and easily. Netflix is the world's
greatest bargain for movie entertainment. After spending around
$100/month on DVD rentals at our local Blockbuster, I now have
access to 17,000 movies at the click of a button and can rent
DVDs one at a time for only $8.99 month. You can receive a free
30 day trial for both Netflix and Roku, and I believe there is a
$20 off coupon if you sign up for both now. My full review is
here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/netflix.htm

I'm always on the lookout for new tools to make my day to day
work faster and easier. One such tool is SmartDraw VP (Visual
Processor). If you have a need to create charts or flowcharts for
projects, this is the by far the best tool in its class. The
charts literally draw themselves and are also great for business
presentations. I can't say enough good things about this. Check
it out here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/business/smartdraw.htm

If you design marketing materials or web sites for a living, then
you know you can spend a lot of time during the concept and
mock-up phase. If you are not careful this can cost you money and
time. I recently came across Balsamiq that essentially enables
you to create something similar to a napkin drawing. It's super
easy to use and a lot of fun. Kind of like etch a sketch for
business.

http://www.balsamiq.com/

If you have PhotoShop and wondering why you can't create graphics
that looks as good as the pros, it may be that you simply need
the right tools to help you. I know PhotoShop is cumbersome and
I've met many people who were so discouraged that they even
stopped using it. Look at these tools designed to help you get
more bang for your buck with PhotoShop:

Web 2.0 Covers, Version 3
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/web20covers.htm

Premium Header Pack
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/premiumheaderpack.htm

Fast & Easy Video Squeeze Pages
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/fastandeasyvideosqueezepages.htm

IM Web Graphics Pack
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/imwebgraphicspack.htm

Easy Banner Maker Pro, Version 2
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/easybannermakerpro2.htm

Killer Text 3
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/killertext3.htm

Animated Web Graphics Pro
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/animatedwebgraphicspro.htm

Also do not forget this great video training series that shows
you how to use PhotoShop quickly and easily to do some really
amazing things:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/photoshopcsmastervideotutorialseries.htm

OK, until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Help a friend and share the good tips and recommendations
from Steve. Click the link below to forward this email to a
friend right now:

http://getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=lJNz&s=BMayh&y=y&

Cool Tools for The Summer!

2010-07-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hope all is well with you and yours as we approach this fabulous
holiday weekend in the States. It's a great time to celebrate. I
just hope the weather holds up. They forecast rain and my family
and I want to watch fireworks!

If you are a long-time subscriber, then you know I have been
focusing a lot of my creative energy on getting back into
becoming a performer -- a comedy magician -- and I had my local
debut at a local coffeehouse last week -- my first public performance
in nearly 30 years.

I had a blast and judging from the laughter coming from the
audience and the comments from friends and family who attended --
almost 80 people -- everyone had a great time. It was nice
allowing my creative juices to focus on something other than
marketing for the past two months, and I hope this begins a
second career for me. I simply enjoy it too much.

Over the past few weeks, I have been asked to review a ton of new
products, and I want to encourage you to read my reviews on
CoolToolAwards.com. Some of these tools are very unique, easy to
use, and can help you with your marketing efforts.

15,000 Media Contacts: Imagine if there was a tool that helped
you write a press release, and then enabled you to print it,
email it to a database of 15,000 media contacts, or submit it
online to a variety of PR web sites. Typically, you'd need a
bunch of different tools to accomplish this bit of magic, but
this tool does it all:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/pressreleasesoftware.htm

In Contact: This tool enables you to create professionally
designed email newsletters and marketing communications and then
blast them to your list. Who needs an expensive autoresponder
service? Check it out here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/emailmarketingsoftware.htm

Logo Design Studio Pro: If you want to create your own logos --
or logos for projects or other clients -- this is the only tool
you will ever need. From its library of well designed artwork to
its ease of use to its power-packed features, you can create
vector graphics in no time at all:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/logodesignstudiopro.htm

In addition, there is a new ebook cover software tool called Web
2.0 Covers - Version 3. Yes, there have been two other versions
sold in the past, but this new one includes improved graphics and
more diversity in its images. You don't need PhotoShop (though it
works best with it). Any software capable of opening PSD files
(the lower priced PhotoShop Elements is excellent as is the free
GIMP program) will work. Check out the samples here:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/web20coversv3/

Other items I strongly believe you should be looking at include:

Wordpress 201 Revealed: Wordpress is now the preferred way to
launch a new web site because of its ease of use and excellent
content management system. This collection of training videos,
MP3 music files and graphical themes and powerful plug-ins will
empower you to launch your Wordpress site with style and
substance.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/wordpress201revealed.htm

Project Minisite will show you the power of mini sites, how to
set them up and make them work for you. It not only comes with a
great video training library but with all the resource files from
the lessons so you can follow along step-by-step. This is easily
one of the most important and critical skills a working
professional needs to know. Why hire someone to create your mini
sites when you can learn to do it yourself?

http://www.minisitedesign.com

Lastly, if you own PhotoShop but really aren't using all of its
key features, it's time to get some quality one-on-one training:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/photoshopvideos/

Next week I will have new reviews of some great products that
will help you map your web sites and prototype your web pages look and feel.

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: If you found any of this interesting, please take a moment
to forward it to a friend clicking the link below:

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Happy 15th Anniversary to Me/WordPress 201 Revealed

2010-06-18T15:55:00.001-07:00

Well, my wife and I are celebrating our 15th anniversary this
week. Considering I never thought I would get married when I was
living in NYC, I'd consider this a major accomplishment as well
as a blessing. Especially when you consider how I spent $2,000.00
to meet my wife ...

Growing up and dating in NYC, I was always introduced to "nice
Jewish girls". After all, thought my friends, I was white, middle
class and Jewish so what else would I want in a woman? The only
problem was in those days I did not really practice Judaism
anymore than I liked nice Jewish girls. In fact, I went to the
opposite extremes -- I was attracted to non-Jews and non-white
girls. Hey, NYC is a melting pot.

Anyway, when I got to Tulsa in 1993 I was bored and lonely and
decided to try joining an introduction service. They interviewed
me for 4 hours, charged me two grand, and then started sending me
introductions. The first was a bad match -- an older woman who was
a teacher who liked to stay home and iron. I may not be Mr.
Excitement myself, but I try to have a life outside of my work.
Nah, the first introduction was not for me.

But then I met Amy. Right away when I saw her, I had a smile on
my face. She was short like me, but the similarities stopped
right there. She was half Korean - half Puerto Rican - and I was
in heaven. She was a dental hygienist and loved all things
sports. The only things we really had in common was a love for
sushi and going to the movies. I never thought it would really
turn into anything. After all, she wasn't looking for a serious
relationship.

Somehow, despite a million differences, we stuck together and a
year later we had fallen in love and gotten married. That was
back in 1995 and here we are now with two kids who rule our
lives. When I asked Amy what she wanted for our anniversary she
said she wanted a Cox Digi. If you receive cable service from Cox
Communications, you'll know they have these cute animated
characters called Digis who help the cable guys install their
services. The only problem is you can't buy these critters
anywhere.

That's when I called upon my old friend, we'll call Mr. X, who
managed to procure one for me. Said he had to give a kidney to
get it. My wife was delighted with her Digi and best of all it
was free. Well, almost free. I owe my friend, Mr. X a new kidney
now.

Anyway, this all goes to show that networking among your friends
comes in mighty handy when you need a unique gift. And one of the
best ways to build this type of relationship is through -- anyone
-- anyone -- Bueller -- anyone -- that's right -- blogging. Thank
you.

Now there are two popular ways to build a blog: Blogger (from
Google) and WordPress. Of the two, Blogger is faster and easier
to get started but very difficult to customize and give it a
flavor of your own. WordPress can be used to build great custom
blogs as well as fully functional web sites, and it is much
easier and more powerful than Blogger. It comes with its own
content management system, too.

Here's a special low cost way to learn more about blogging and
how to optimize your WordPress blog. It comes with videos, music,
templates a Cox Digi -- OK, I threw that last one in -- but it's
really a very complete package of goodies which you can use to spice
up your WordPress blog AND you can resell it, too! Yeah, it comes
with everything you need. Check it out here:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/wordpress201revealed/

Until next time,

Steven

PS: Share my newsletters with friends. Click the link below to
forward it right now:

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Project Minisite

2010-06-14T12:03:00.001-07:00

As the rain pounds endlessly down here in Tulsa, we're watching
the water puddle up on the window sill in our office, wondering
when they are going to come and fix this thing!

We celebrated my son, Christian's, 11th birthday this weekend.
Went to a Japanese steak house where they toss the knives around
like Benihana, and then to the Ringling Brothers circus. We all
had a fun time. He's especially thrilled with his new iPod Touch.

With a wet week forecasted ahead, I thought I would try to shine
a ray of sunlight on my subscribers by sharing an invaluable cool
video series I came across over the weekend.

Of all the questions I receive from my subscribers, the most
frequently asked question is "How do I design a mini site?"

A mini site is a site focused on the sale of a specific product
or service whether that be an ebook, a DVD, a software tool or
even a coaching service. The goal of a mini site is to make the
sale.

While sales copy is critical to a mini site, the design is also
a critical element -- an element I frequently see ignored. While
a plain white page can be effective, the sales letter better be
kick ass. If not, it needs to be well designed, too, to attract
and retain the visitor's attention long enough to get them to
read the sales letter and hopefully buy whatever you're selling.

Now over the years I have written about the formulaic approach
to sales letters and mini site design, but the fact is unless
you've watched someone else design one, step by step, you
probably aren't going to do a good job and be positioned for
success. I can tell you what to do, but seeing is believing.

So along comes a new video series entitled Project Mini Site.
This is a collection of 29, step-by-step videos, along with two
reference guides PLUS all of the sample graphics you need to
follow along. By the time you're done, you will have mastered the
art of mini site design. You can learn all about this marvelous
series and see the introductory video here:

http://www.minisitedesign.com/

I strongly recommend this series to you whether you are a newbie
or looking to fine tune your Internet marketing skills. And at
only $27.00 it's a steal. This same video series is selling
elsewhere on the Net for $47.00 and higher. Be proactive and pick
up your copy now, so you can start developing your skills and
making more money.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Tell your friends about Project Mini Site right now. Click
the link below to share this information with them before the
price goes up.

http://getresponse.com/forward.html?x=a62b&m=rp4i&s=BMayh&y=K&

Life Can Be a Dream Killer If You Let It

2010-06-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Life is strange, isn't it? You find yourself focusing your
entire life in one particular area because you think "this is
what I am good at and this is what I am supposed to do". But what
happens when you recognize you have another talent that you enjoy
even more -- and that it brings joy to others? That's when it's
time to stop and think.

And so while I am primarily still focusing my time on my
marketing consulting services and serving my active clients, I am
also turning some of my attention to establishing myself as a
local comedy magician. It all started a long time ago ...

I was about 5 when my Dad showed me my first coin and card
tricks. It took me a long time to figure out how those coins kept
coming out of my ears or how my Dad always seemed to know the
card I picked. Of course, it helped that my Dad had worked in my
Uncle Harry's magic shop back when he was a teenager. Harry
taught me a thing or two about the classics of magic, and I just
ran with it, devouring every book I could find in the local and
school libraries.

By the time I was a teen, I was performing at every opportunity
I got. Kids' parties, social gatherings, even standing on line at
the movies. Magic pretty much consumed my life and fascinated me.
For a while I dreamed about making it big as an entertainer, but
then college and life got in the way of the dream, and it's only
been over the past few months that I've allowed myself to indulge
in my secret life as a magician.

With one performance behind me and another coming up at the end
of June, I'm beginning to realize that I REALLY like performing
and want to keep doing it. I make people laugh. I move people.
And I have fun doing it, too. Here's the invitation to the show
in case you'll be in Tulsa:

http://www.sophisticatedsorcery.com/invitation.htm

This all begs the question: are you doing what you're doing
because that's all you have ever tried or is there something else
you should be doing which taps into your other gifts and talents?
Is there something else that brings you joy and possibly brings
joy to others, too?

I receive a lot of emails and phone calls from subscribers and
folks who have stumbled upon me through my web sites. Most of
these people work at doing X but dream of doing Y. A professor
who dreams of writing and selling ebooks. A retiree who loves
gardening and wants to earn money sharing her hobby with others.
The inventor who toils by day at his 9-5 job but who creates
ingenious software by night.

Why can't you do what you do to pay the bills by day and dabble
in what you love by night? Who says you can't have your cake and
eat it, too? Life can be a dream killer. Don't let that happen to
you. Dare to dream and reach for the stars.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: You don't need to spend an arm and a leg to create your
web sites if you have the right tools. Here's the one I recommend
most:

http://www.xsitepro.com/index_r.html?p=spidy

New Cool Marketing Tools

2010-06-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

Hope all is well on your side of the screen. A number of new
marketing related products have been crossing my desk lately and
some are definitely worth looking at.

The first is Super Easy DIY Yourself Graphics -- Version 2 --
from Max Rylski. Max puts out some great stuff that saves time
and money when it comes to developing graphics. He provides you
with a library of customizable PhotoShop PSD files. If you own
PhotoShop (PC or Mac) and haven't been able to make the most of
it yet, don't despair. With this new product you'll be able to
create wonderful vector graphics in minutes. Very easy to use. Click to
customize. Check out the samples and a video overview here:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/superdiygraphicsv2/

If you are wanting to develop a firmer foundation with PhotoShop
so you can begin to get your money's worth out of this powerful
graphics tool, then please check out the PhotoShop CS Mastery
Series -- a collection of well-produced tutorials that walk you
the basics of using PhotoShop's most popular features. This is well
priced and you can learn more here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/photoshopcsmastervideotutorialseries.htm

While we're on the topic of video tutorials, how many people do
you know who have Twitter accounts? Lots, right? Now how many do
you know who really know what they are doing and are using
Twitter to stimulate their business? Very few, right? Check out
this other collection of video tutorials called Twitter
Explosion. It shows you not only how to use the service but more
importantly, how to make Twitter work for you:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/twitterexplosion.htm

If you have been wondering what Facebook can do for you,
check out this well written and informative ebook entitled
Facebook Social Ads Exposed. It explains how Facebook works, how
to advertise on it, and how to use it as a strategic marketing tool.
Stop wasting your time and money, and start tapping into the
money-making power of Facebook:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/facebooksocialadsexposed.htm

People are still asking me which software they should use to
create their own ebook covers. If you want something that is easy to
use, I strongly suggest eCover Software Pro. You just pick the
type of cover you want to create, add your own images and click a
button. It's so easy:

http://www.ebookcovercreator.com/ecoversoftwarepro.htm

The other alternative I highly recommend and would be lost
without is Quick 3D Cover. This is not a very well known piece of
software. If it was, more people would be using it instead of
PhotoShop. It's cheap, easy and can create multiple covers in
different perspectives in batch mode -- that means you load your
cover, pick your templates, and click "Go!" In less than a minute
you can create over 70 different images -- plus it comes with its
own built-in designer module. Check it out here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/quick3dcover.htm

OK, that's it until next time.

Best,

Steven

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PhotoShop CS Mastery Helps You Learn PhotoShop

2010-06-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

Good evening. Long day at work followed by weeding my wife's
garden and losing terribly to my 10 year old son in a game of
Spades. What a day!

Over the years I have developed many skills on my own. I enjoy
the challenge of learning new things and one of the most powerful
tools I have learned fairly well is Adobe PhotoShop. It's proven
to be indispensable not only in web site development and
advertising but also for ebook cover design. In fact, as a direct
result of learning how to use PhotoShop and acquiring a vast
library of PhotoShop actions, I have been able to generate income
as an ebook cover designer. Imagine that!

--------

Sidebar: if you want to see effortless search engine
optimization at work check out the ranking for "ebook cover
artist" on Google: www.ebookcoverartist.com is at #1 and #2. Also
at #3 and #4 is www.ebookcovercreator.com -- another one of my
cover design oriented web sites. Oh, #6 is
www.graphicsassistance.com -- another one of my sites. Search for
"ebook cover" and you'll find me at #1 again. I own this space.
OK, bragging done.

--------

Back to PhotoShop. It's a must have software package and
skill set if you are serious about online marketing for anything.
You'll need it for ebook covers, for logos, for header graphics.
You name it, PhotoShop is the solution.

The only problem is that it's cumbersome to learn. It has a
million features and functions. It's confusing. It's easy to get
lost in the bits and bytes. And did I say it costs an arm and a leg?

You need to break it down into bite-sized chunks that are easily
digested. It helps if you have an expert looking over your
shoulder every step of the way to show you how it all works. And
it helps if you focus on just the most frequently needed
features.

So here you go -- a new video tutorial series called PhotoShop
CS Mastery. Check out the review here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/photoshopcsmastervideotutorialseries.htm

Even I learned more about some of the features I have not been
using. You can learn a lot from this, especially if you are a
beginner. Look, if you've already shelled out a couple of hundred
bucks on PhotoShop, you owe it to yourself to purchase these
cheap - but well-produced - tutorials. Isn't it time you learned
how to use the darn thing? Make that investment pay off like I did!

Until next time,

Steven

Twitter Explosion: 32 Videos Teach You Twitter!

2010-05-31T15:05:00.001-07:00

Hope your Memorial Day holiday weekend was a good one. We've
been busy here in Tulsa celebrating my wife's family reunion. We
had over a dozen of the Collins' family from Maine, Texas, Kansas
City and San Francisco. It was quite a get together. I feel like
we didn't stop eating for over 72 hours. Had a lot of laughs and
it was nice to break from the day-to-day grind and relax in the
sun by the pool.

I thought I would continue the holiday weekend today, but then I
got caught up in paying the bills, checking projects, and well,
you know how it goes. Before I knew it, I was trapped in something,
and I didn't want to finish until it was done. Now, just as I am
getting ready to wind down, I have to go finish my wife's
vegetable garden that I started last week.

I have to admit I don't know a lot about gardening. In fact, I
pretty much despise it. It's hard work. If I didn't have my wife
beside me telling me what to do every step of the way, our garden
would not yield any fruit. But she understands gardening very,
very well. I guess you could call her an expert. She knows you
have to dig out the garden, line it with chicken wire to protect
it from gophers and moles, mix the soil with top soil and manure,
and then carefully plant and water your tomatoes, etc.

If it was just up to me, I'd dig a hole, throw a plant in, and
cover it up. It would probably die overnight. I don't have a
green thumb. Everyone has their strengths. Gardening isn't mine.

Now gardening is a lot like marketing. Don't laugh. It is. You
need to carefully prepare your marketing, fertilize it, and watch it
bear fruit - sales, leads, etc. One of the ways you can fertilize
your "marketing" garden is through the careful use of social
media.

Over the past few months, I have brought some special reports to
your attention. Here's another offering I found very useful --
Twitter Explosion -- a collection of 32 videos you can download
and watch and learn from. They take you step-by-step through the
process of creating a Twitter account, integrating it with your
web site, and using it to carefully spread the word about your
product or service or company.

http://www.resellerproducts.com/twitterexplosion/default.htm

I highly recommend it.

Now go "water" your marketing garden!

All my best,

Steven

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Great Customer Service!

2010-05-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends. After a week of rain and more to come, I'm
beginning to feel a little like a sponge. Everything is so wet. I
wanted to share an experience I had last week that really got me
thinking ...

The parking lot behind my office building is opposite a series
of bars and clubs. On a Friday night, around 4 pm, the creatures
of the night start partying. When you arrive on Monday morning,
there are glass bottles shattered everywhere making it
challenging to park and not get a flat tire.

Well, last week, I got a flat as I pulled out. By the time I got
home, I was running on a melted tire and my rim. I was not happy as
the tire was only a few months old. I took off the flat, mounted
my temporary donut and drove back to the tire place to see what
my options were. Everyone was closing as it was almost 6 pm. I
was pissed because the repair would have to wait for the morning
and that would mean my work day would be totally screwed up.

When I arrived back at the tire place in the morning, I
explained the situation as well as the fact that I needed an oil
change and wanted to know if they could fix a broken rod in my
front right wheel (the same one that was flat). Unfortunately,
while they could do the oil change, the tire was not in stock and
they needed to bring in over from their warehouse. I let them do
the oil change, and I went home waiting for their call.

A few hours later the call came, the tire was in, and I returned
to the tire place. They swapped my donut for the new tire,
balanced everything, aired up the tires, and rather than replace
rods in my two front wheels, they rotated the rotors instead to
save me money. Rather than charge me $225.00 per rod, they only
charged me $60.00 to adjust the rotors.

They bought me a new tire out of their own pocket.

Wow.

I explained I wasn't angry and didn't understand why they were
buying my tire. He said it's their policy when a tire with less
than 5000 miles on it fails.

Imagine that. Not only did I get my oil changed and air condition
filter changed, but they fixed the wiggle in my steering by
rotating the rotors and gave me a new tire for around $100.00.

I was floored. I have not received service like that in a long,
long time.

This gave me renewed hope for business in America.

In an effort to pay it forward, I am making an unbeatable offer
to you today:

Now you can get a professionally designed ebook cover plus a
well-written press release for only $99.00! And if you are among
the first 10 people to place an order, I will include a free
review posted to CoolToolAwards.com.

This is a limited opportunity. If you have a product in need of
stronger visibility and awareness, this package is a must have.

I will design your 2D and 3D cover -- a $49.95 value.

I will write your press release -- a $200.00 value.

I will post a review of your product on CoolToolAwards.com --
this site receives over 2,000,000 unique visitors a year -- value
is priceless!

Reserve your space in my schedule today. Limit three packages
per person. Order must be received via PayPal to
info@schneiderman.net before May 31, 2010.

Act now!

All my best,

Steven Schneiderman

P.S.: Know someone who could benefit from today's newsletter and
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The Importance of Having a Plan!

2010-05-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

Welcome my friends, to the show that never ends. Last night's
tornado "attack" left portions of Oklahoma City and elsewhere
devastated. Luckily, Tulsa remained unscathed. I remember shortly
after moving to Tulsa, I learned the area I live in is called
Tornado Alley. Then I started hearing stories about how local
trailer parks were demolished. I even met someone who had the
roof pulled off their house and survived! The key to surviving a
tornado is to be prepared.

Last night when my kids got home for dinner, I told them about
the expected change in weather and the likelihood for tornadoes.
Immediately, they went into action with a plan.

They quickly cleaned out the closet under the staircase and
started packing it with spare pillows and bulky blankets. My son
ran for the garage and got all of our bicycle helmets and snacks
and bottled water. He also grabbed my wedding album and his
Nintendo. Hey, you got to be prepared for the worst. My daughter
grabbed her Bible and prepared a basket for her new bunny. I
grabbed some flashlights and we hunkered down. We expected the
worst, had a plan, and luckily the storm passed.

Life is a lot like this. You never know what God's going to
throw your way. Sometimes it's great and sometimes it's not. But
you need a plan and you need to be prepared.

I receive a lot of emails and phone calls from friends and
acquaintances each week, and many are unemployed, displaced, and
struggling to stay a float. I give my words of encouragement --
which is sometimes difficult because I am facing issues, too --
but I do my best to help provide a fresh prospective and
inspiration.

A friend of mine and long-time subscriber, Susan Greene, has
just written and released a new ebook entitled "Job Hunting in a
Tough Economy, Kick-Ass Strategies to Get the Job You Want and
the Salary You Deserve." The book is 257 meaty pages,
professionally written and professionally designed. It also
comes with 15 bonus products.

I've just gotten done reading two key chapters which intrigued
me -- one on writing cover letters and the other on negotiations.
I like the way this ebook is written: clear language, simple
steps, lots of examples and advice from her past experience.

I also like the fact that a lot of the information in this ebook
is practical advice even if you are not presently looking for a
job. In fact, you could easily apply a lot of this advice to
someone who is self-employed and desiring to stimulate their
business.

The ebook is filled with common sense which most people ignore.
I am amazed by how many people apply for a job without ever
sending a cover letter (and they wonder why they never receive a
response), or how many people blindly accept the first offer (and
inadvertently leave large sums of money and benefits on the
table). If you follow Susan's advice, you will be be better armed
to get the job you want at the price you want. Learn more here:

https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=72493&c=ib&aff=28552

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Know someone who could benefit from reading this newsletter?
Click the link below to forward it to them:

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Start Marketing With The Right Tools

2010-05-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends and hope all is well with you and yours and
your business endeavors. We're hunkering down here in Tulsa. They
say a perfect tornado storm is on its way in a few hours. Lovely.

Like my house doesn't have enough wrong with it already. My three
year old roof leaks, the wood around my dormers is rotting, and
the siding needs a paint job. Water damage from the winter storms
created leaks in my upstairs bedrooms, and the wood around my
windows is bowing and cracking due to water damage. So what's a little
tornado gonna do, right?

Got a call last week from a gentleman who called about ebook
covers. Wanted to know why it was so hard to create these
yourself and wanted me to tell him which software to use. Problem
#1: there's an assumption amongst most people that just because
you can buy a piece of software to do something, you can solve a
problem on your own. In this case, just because you can buy software to create ebook covers, this man thought he should be able to make
his own without any problems.

But what about graphic talent and the technical skills required
to design an ebook cover?

Why don't people think about this?

It's like buying a car and automatically believing that you'll
be able to fix anything that goes wrong with it yourself. Truth is most
people bring their car to an expert for service. Likewise, new
online marketers should turn to experts to show them the way, too.

I spent some time on the phone with the man and tried to qualify
him as a prospect for a larger project. "What's your budget for
launching your new ebook?" I asked.

He said between $300.00-500.00.

Problem #2: Unless you are a natural born Renaissance man (or
woman) who is capable of writing your own sales copy, designing
your own cover, writing your own HTML code, promoting your own
ebook and a host of other things, then you won't get very far with a
$300.00-$500.00 product launch budget.

I explained to him that merely setting up a generic web page
with an amateur ebook cover was not going to generate any sales.
They would be marginal at best, coming from immediate
friends and family. Unless, of course, he had written that one
truly unique ebook whose topic had never been covered before.

The man on the other side of the phone grew pensive and quiet.

"I could lie to you if you prefer," I said. "But I've published
a dozen of my own ebooks as well as 1100 ebooks for other
authors, and most do not sell well -- unless they start with a
quality product first and then do all the right things."

He asked what I meant by "all the right things".

So I told him he needed a simple but attractive web page, a
compelling sales letter, a provocative ebook cover design, a good
graphical header to intrigue the curious, a contact capture form
for non-buyers, an integrated email autoresponder, a good sales
email series dripped weekly or bi-weekly, a press release, sample
content and much, much more.

How much would that cost?

$2000.00-3000.00.

Wake up call. Hello? Hello? Anybody listening.

The man said he would call me back in a few weeks when he
finished his ebook and that he would contemplate what I told him
and see if he could gather the additional funding.

I felt badly. I always feel badly when I have this same
conversation. I have it with folks all the time.

I hate bursting bubbles, but if it was that easy to publish an
ebook and make substantial money, then we would all be
millionaires.

Isn't there a way to do this cheaper and still be effective?

Sure. There are a bunch of inexpensive tools you could purchase
that can help you to do a lot of this work yourself. But after
you invest in the tools, you still need to use them wisely ...

Here are some low-cost, high-quality tools:

Sales Letter Creator (creates sales letters)
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/utilities/sales%20letter%20creator.htm

Sales Page Tactics (adds features to your sales letters)
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/ebooks/salespagetactics.htm

Follow-Up Email Creator Pro (creates an email series for a drip
campaign)
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/business/followupemailcreatorpro.htm

eCover Software Pro (creates 3D ebook covers and other product
images)
http://www.ebookcovercreator.com/ecoversoftwarepro.htm

Press Equalizer (distributes press releases to sites)
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/business/pressequalizer.htm

There's also a new collection of easily customized,
professionally designed graphical headers that's just been
released. I highly recommend you check them out here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/premiumheaderpack.htm

You could probably invest about $200.00-300.00 on these tools
and would then be well-armed to create the necessary elements for
a sound product launch and promotional campaign. But remember, it
takes time and talent.

More to come ...

All my best,

Steven

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Time to Listen to That Voice

2010-04-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

It's a cool day in Tulsa, but everything's blooming and turning
green. It's a time for rebirth and so I naturally get a little
introspective and wonder what parts of my business and myself
need to be transformed. Like many, I second guess myself a lot.
Should I change my business model? Should I be focusing on new
markets? Should I raise or lower my fees? None of this is easy, and
frankly, it's easy to drive yourself crazy.

Here's my advice: be quiet.

I know that sounds odd, but it has been my personal experience
that when it comes times to face life-changing decisions, you
need to be quiet to hear the voices inside your head clearly.
Failure to find quiet time and listen can make all the
difference in your success, failure and happiness.

What are these voices? Some will simply dismiss them as being
the voice of reason from your own sub-conscience. Others believe
it is a voice of divine intervention. Whatever your belief
system, shut up and listen.

I like to talk to myself -- a lot. In fact, I'm talking to
myself as I am writing this newsletter! It's become habit for me
over the years, perhaps because I was raised an only child and
spent a lot of time alone. Sometimes I don't even realize I am
doing it which can drive my wife and kids batty. But no matter,
it's a tool, a method that works for me to work things out. I ask
myself questions. I spend quiet time. And eventually I get
answers. Mind you, they are not always the answers I expected.
Many times the answers are a complete revelation to me.

So, if you are twixt and between careers, jobs, projects, homes,
relationships, use this Spring to sit back, be pensive, ask
questions of yourself, and then be silent and wait for answers.
They will come, I promise you.

....

So here's some news. Last week I mentioned I performed a magic
show for my church group and it went very well. This led to an
introduction to a young lady who runs a local comedy
improvisational group, and she's booked me to open up for them on
June 25.

If you'd have asked me a year ago if I would pursue this path, I
probably would have looked at you cross-eyed. But now I am very
excited to have the opportunity to perform for more audiences. I
had forgotten how much fun I have doing this; how it fills me
with joy and a feeling of moving the needle.

It gets me out of my 9-5 comfort zone and puts new possibilities
in front me. Possibilities I would not have considered unless I
learned to be quiet and wait for answers.

What is the one thing that you have thought about doing --
fleetingly -- that would bring you sheer and utter joy -- but
have held back on for a variety of stupid reasons?

Listen to the voice.

....

This week I had the good fortune to receive two emails from
friends who wanted to show me something important. I'd like to
share them with you.

The first is a free ebook entitled "Get Paid for Who You Are"
written by David Wood. I never heard of him, but the book title
intrigued me and the offer was forwarded from a trusted friend.
Here's the download link:

www.getpaidforwhoyouare.com/freebook/?se=info@schneiderman.net

The other item I rather liked is a new online ecover creation
tool called My Ecover Maker. I've written a review and posted it
here on my Cool Tool Awards web site:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/myecovermaker.htm

I hope you find value in these recommendations.

Read the ebook.

Then listen to your heart.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: I'd really appreciate it if you would please click the
link below to share this email with a friend:

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Don't Hold Back on Dreams

2010-04-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Good morning, friends, and I hope all is well on your side of
the screen. This past Saturday I had the good fortune of being
invited by my church to perform magic at a picnic gathering.

I am not a professional magician. I think the right term is paid
amateur. I perform from time to time for money. I got started in
magic when I was a kid, and was bitten by the bug when my Uncle
Harry made a quarter disappear and then pulled it out of my ear.

Harry used to own a magic and novelty shop in Manhattan, and my
Dad worked for him as a teenager. My Dad started teaching me card
tricks as a kid, and with the encouragement of him, my Uncle
Harry and my grandmother, my interests grew into circus arts
including juggling and fire eating.

By the time I was 15 I had become quite skilled and used to
performing in a variety of smaller venues from schools to private
parties and clubs. I had my heart set on becoming a world famous
magician.

Never happened.

Life got in the way: college, work, family, kids, money.

Poof: my dreams vanished in a proverbial puff of smoke.

When the odd opportunities do come up for a performance, I
usually jump on them, but they are scary because I am so out of
practice. The best way to become a great performer is practice,
practice, practice.

So when my church asked me to perform at their picnic a few
months ago, I panicked. I said, "Yes" but my heart started
telling me "No, no, no. You will fail!"

For the next few weeks, I tried hard to pull an entertaining
show together.

But even the day before the performance, a little voice inside
my head was telling me to save myself the embarrassment and failure
and to hire a magician to perform in my place instead. I didn't
listen and with the support of my kids, I went ahead and did it.

And it went very, very well.

People were amazed by the magic, laughed in all the right
places, and I received a standing ovation for my performance.

It was a good day.

As a result of this performance, I have been invited to chat
with a local theater/comedy group about a potential regular gig on
Friday nights. I find this rather exciting and I am anxious to
see where this may lead.

I'm not looking to walk away from my consulting practice though
the exposure as a performer could result in work. It's more for
personal enjoyment and satisfaction -- a way to prove to myself
that I can do it.

Which brings me to today's life lesson, class.

What dreams are you holding back on because of the little voice
deep inside that tells you that you will fail?

The clock keeps ticking and we don't get any younger.

The time to act is now.

Take the chance.

You never know what lies behind the door unless you step through
it.

Do you have an idea for a new product, service or business? Do
you have an idea for how to turn a hobby into a profession? Do
you have a desire to radically redirect your life in a new
direction or career?

It would be my pleasure to assist you on your journey.

918-810-5233 or info@schneiderman.net.

Class dismissed.

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Please click the link and share this with a friend:

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The Importance of Facebook to Your Business

2010-04-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Good day and I hope things are going well for you and yours on
the other side of the screen. Last time I wrote to you, I talked
about the need to look for -- and appreciate -- lucky pennies
wherever you find them.

Today I want to share a lucky penny with you, and hopefully
you'll pick it up instead of walking by and leaving it in the
gutter.

I see a lot of folks who are stumbling all over themselves,
trying desperately to make a living online. I'm going to exclude
folks who are trying to resell someone else's product or who are
promoting other people's products through affiliate programs.

This time I want to zero in on people who are trying to launch
and sell their own product -- mostly an
info-product/ebook/video/membership site type business.

I'm not going to berate people for giving it their best on a
limited budget or with limited ability, but there's a myth that
is still being perpetuated -- that if you build it, they will
come. In the case of the Net, the majority of people still seem
to think that if you write an ebook and build a site, people will
come to the site and buy it. Without any promotion.

There's a bit of ego involved here, so forgive me if I hit a
nerve.

The truth is unless you have written an ebook about a niche
topic which is incredibly hot, unless you are first to market in
this niche, and unless you happen to be extremely lucky or
blessed, the odds of you selling many copies of your ebook is
pretty darn low.

Pop. Pop. Pop. Sigh.

OK, I hear bubbles being popped. Relax, don't worry.

You may even invest the time to learn how to write a great sales
letter and design a terrific ebook cover -- or you might hire the
best people to do this for you. Good for you. You are taking the
right steps. But you need to take it further.

Promotion.

At the end of the day, your site is a needle in a haystack and
you need a promotional strategy to help people find your site and
ebook or whatever type of product or service you are selling.

In the beginning, 15 years ago, banner ads were the proverbial
way to attract attention for your products. You'd create a banner
ad, find a site to advertise it on, and then watch as people
clicked-through and visited your site and made their purchase.
Banner ads were THE way to generate traffic. A virtual sales
magnet.

But over time, banner ads have lost their glamor. Nowadays you
are lucky if you can manage to get .5% click-through. People have
moved away from static banners to animated ads to Flash
interactive ads. The latter may still work depending upon what
you are trying to sell and who you are trying to sell it to.

Then Google came along and changed everything.

Their Google AdWords network made it possible to get your text
ad displayed on page one of search results and people came out of
the woodwork to leverage the power of Google's search engine and
ad network. The problem with this is two-fold.

First, with more and more people competing for the same keywords
in their text ads, the cost of advertising on Google AdWords has
risen to unprecedented high prices and there are a lot of similar
ads which only adds to the noise on the Net and confuses would-be
buyers.

Secondly, people no longer click-through the text ads with the
veracity they once did. This means less ad revenue is being
generated for webmasters who serve Google's text ads through
Google AdSense.

So where should you focus your time and money to promote your
product?

The answer may surprise you.

Facebook.

Now if you are trying to get your site to the top of the search
engines -- Google is still the way to go but it's going to take
time and usually a great deal of money.

But if you want to laser-target your ad messages for your
product -- then Facebook is it.

But it's tricky and before you start plunking down your credit
card and allowing Facebook to suck every last penny from your
bank account, you need to educated.

Here's a new ebook I highly recommend to anyone -- yes, you --
if you want to promote your product or service online:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/facebooksocialadsexposed/

And if you purchase this within the next 24 hours, I will send
you a second download link for the best ebook about how to use
Google AdWords.

Act now while the lucky penny is still there!

Until next time,

Steven

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share it with a friend:

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Lucky Pennies

2010-04-07T11:35:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Tulsa, and I hope your Easter weekend was
blessed. As I pulled into my office's parking lot this morning, I
couldn't help notice a shiny penny laying heads-up on the ground
beside my car. "A lucky penny," I said with a smile, and bent
down to pick it up.

When I was a child, my father would always point out lucky
pennies laying on the ground, and I always picked them up and
added them to my collection, maybe eventually saving enough for a
pack of baseball cards and a stick of bubble gum (anyone else
remember when you could actually buy something for a nickel?).

But at some point in my life, I either stopped looking down for
lucky pennies or stopped picking them up? What inside of me
changed? As a child I believed in luck, but as an adult I only
believed in myself. Luck had nothing to do with my success. It
was all about me.

Then about 10 years ago, I started noticing things that would
happen for which there was no earthly explanation. For example,
when my family and I got hit by an 80,000 lb. tractor trailer in
our Expedition, we were all rushed to the hospital. My wife had
broken her ribs and leg, I escaped with just some bruises, and
the kids were remarkably unharmed.

Luck?

At the time, people who saw the accident said they saw me smash
through the rear right passenger window (I was not wearing my
seat belt), and that I was barely hanging on to the car door
before the car stopping spinning.

Luck?

Only moments before the accident occurred, I had jumped from the
front passenger seat to the back to quiet my one year old son who
was crying from his doctor's visit. The truck hit the front
passenger side and crunched and rammed it into my wife who was
driving. Had I stayed upfront, I would have died on impact.

Luck?

When my daughter was being examined in the hospital, they
removed and handed me her gold necklace and cross. I placed it in
my wallet, but when I got home, it was missing -- lost forever.
We had purchased it at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, and I
had always considered it to be like a lucky penny for my
daughter. But now it was gone.

My wife tore my wallet apart, and it was indeed missing. We
surmised it had fallen out of of my wallet or pocket at the
hospital and that it was lost forever. We were all sad about
losing it. We felt unlucky.

Then about two weeks later, I walked into my home office to grab
my wallet so I could run some errands. My wallet was standing up
and was partially opened like a book I might have been reading.
Hanging over it was my daughter's necklace and cross.

I screamed and went running for my wife.

"You found Alex's cross!" I exclaimed. "Where did you find it?"

My wife looked at me quizzically and told me she didn't know
what I was talking about.

We walked back into my home office together and stared at my
wallet with the necklace hanging over it like a jewelry store
display.

Luck?

As you take your daily walk, always be looking out for the lucky
pennies but remember where they come from.

And if I can do anything to help you along the way, please let
me know.

All my best,

Steven

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Building Credibility with Prospects, Part II

2010-04-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you on this rather wet April day. I hope things are
going well for you in all of your endeavors. Last time I wrote to
you, I spoke about how to build your equity with others, and I
mentioned that one way I do this is to provide a limited amount
of free consultation.

As the years have passed, this has expanded from a single
one-hour meeting to several hours or meetings. I will also
typically include a free review of a prospect's web site and even
include a list of suggestions for improvement. This is how I
demonstrate credibility, authority and value. It helps
differentiate me from everyone else out there and also positions
me to ask a higher price for my higher quality services.

Remember, there's a lot of noise out there from people who are
competing for the same audience in your space. For instance, my
competitors range from ebook cover artists to copywriters to web
developers. That's a large body of people. Of course, in most of
those cases, my competitors can not provide all of the services
that I can provide, and one-stop shopping is very attractive to
many people.

One way I market this diversity of services is to use multiple
web sites all cross-linked to each other. This is an old but very
powerful strategy originated and made popular by SEO expert
Michael Campbell.

For instance, EbookCoverArtist.com promotes my product design
services for ebook covers and related products. It cross-links to
EbookCoverCreator.com where I review and promote product creation
tools for those people who would rather do it themselves. The
site is also cross-linked to my publishing site, EbookoMatic.com,
because just about anybody wanting an ebook cover designed also
wants ways to improve their visibility for their ebook and my
publishing service does just that.

I promote my copywriting services for sales letters, email
series and press releases on Marketing-Cowboy.com. This site is
also cross-linked to EbookoMatic.com since many of the people
needing copywriting services are promoting an ebook they have
written.

And there's dozens of other sites that are aligned with various
areas of my subject matter expertise. Each of those sites focuses
on a niche or a need, and provides free advice and product
reviews and all are cross-linked to each other in one way shape
or form.

The longer I can capture a prospect's attention and keep them in
my world, the better the chance that they will eventually become
a client.

The longer they spend time on my sites and learn about the depth
and breadth of my knowledge, experience and gifts, the more
credibility I build with them, too.

I always recommend to my clients, no matter what business they
are in, to secure multiple related domain names and cross-link or
redirect them back to their main site.

Consider the possibilities.

OK, there's a new graphic tool out that is surely going to
become a must-have item for folks who like to develop and design
their own business logos, icons and graphics.

It's called Easy 3D Icon Maker and with just a few clicks, you
can select and customize ready-made graphics in the blink of an
eye. Watch the video to learn more here:

< http://www.resellerproducts.com/easy%203d%20icon%20maker/ >

Until next time, have a wonderful Easter Sunday and remember the
price He paid for us and the gift he gave us through his pain and
suffering. It truly is a miracle.

All my best,

Steven

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Building Your Equity with Others

2010-03-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Good day and I hope all is well on your side of the screen. It's
been insanely busy for me this past week with lots of new
potential projects. I have been very blessed. Considering the odd
state of the economy, Q1/2010 business is pretty much consistent
with Q1/2009. How has your business been impacted by the economy
and how have you evolved your marketing strategy?

As I have stated in previous newsletters, I don't do any
advertising any more; all of my business is chiefly through
referrals, repeat customers, and Internet-based leads. For years
I wondered how long it would take for my business to become
self-sustaining. That doesn't mean I am finding and winning the
business all by myself; it means new opportunities cross my desk
without me having to look for them. I'm thinking that the magic
number is about 3-4 years.

Within that time I have developed a certain mass of friends,
professional relationships, clients, prospects, vendors and
mentors. Certainly not an easy task, and it's only made possible
because folks genuinely like me and trust me. Earning and
retaining that trust becomes a full-time job. One way I do this
is to offer my assistance anytime someone has a question about
their business. I also use this newsletter, my blog, and my
social networking accounts in an ongoing way to stay in touch
with people and to do some goodness for others.

So what are you doing to develop this equity with others?

I see a lot of people using Linked In, Twitter and Facebook, but
I know of only one person who really works it (Hey Neil!). These
can be great tools -- free advertising -- solid networking tools
-- fantastic sources for prepping for cold calls or identifying
potential prospects and opportunities. If you are not using these
and other types of social networking to your benefit, then I
recommend you check out this cheap series of short reports:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/350socialmediastrategies/

Even though I have been using these tools for a while, I learned
a few things here and there that has modified my social
networking approach and helped to develop some new business
relationships and opportunities.

Speaking of new tools, I've posted a bunch of new product
reviews on my Cool Tool Awards web site. If you have not visited
this site before, I really recommend you do. I've been running it
for over a decade and it contains hundreds of product reviews. I
guarantee you will find some new cool tool that will make one
aspect of your life easier. Here's what's new:

Pitch Magic: A new turnkey service for creating sales letters
quickly and easily.
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/pitchmagic.htm

Home Organizer: Two tools in one! One tool keeps your kids, pets
and elderly parents safe. The other tool enables you to brand the
software, give it away as a community outreach tool, and use it
to spread goodwill and develop greater brand awareness for your
company, product or service. They are a client, so contact me if
you want to talk to them.
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/utilities/homeorganizer.htm

Desktop Icon Tray: This is a cool, inexpensive utility to clean
up your desktop in a fun, easy way.
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/utilities/desktopicontoy.htm

Visual Slide Show: If you've visited sites and wondered how they
created those cool little slide shows, then you'll be amazed how
easy it is to develop your own in minutes.
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/visualslideshow.htm

3D Ebook Shot: This tool enables you to develop animated videos
of your ebook cover or software box twirling around and bouncing. This is
a great way to grab your visitors' attention for your product.
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/3debookshot.htm

Fast & Easy Video Squeeze Pages: This is a collection of
ready-to-go, professionally designed templates that makes adding
a video squeeze page to your site fast and friendly.
http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/fastandeasyvideosqueezepages.htm

Also, we have some new ebook titles on my EbookoMatic.com web
site:

The God Secret by Charles DeShong & Adina Rasuceanu
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1555

Uncle Greg by Richard Carmichael (Free Ebook!)
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1554

How You Can Buy a Home With Poor or No Credit Using Lease
Options by Donald Tepper
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1552

OK, that's a lot of info for this week, so I'll give you some
time to digest it all and see you again next week.

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: As a marketing experiment, I would appreciate your help in
spreading the word about my newsletter. Click on the link below
to tell at least 5 friends about my newsletter, what you like
about it, what you like about me, and why they should subscribe
to it, too! I will measure the results over the next few weeks to
see how many new subscribers I get and I'll share the results
with you in a forthcoming newsletter about word-of-mouth
marketing.

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What Would You Do If You Had a Time Machine?

2010-03-17T10:08:00.001-07:00

Good morning and I hope things are going well for you on the
other side of the screen. Last time I wrote to you, I presented
you with a low end option for developing an online sales
presence. Today, we wax philosophical ... here's the question --
if you had a time machine and could return once to the past to
change a decision you made or return to the future to see how
things will turn out for you -- which would you choose?

Looking at my own life, I can honestly say that while I have
done much good, I have also made some terrible choices -- from
personal behavior to financial decisions. From resenting people
and situations I was placed in to poor decisions on my part which
hurt others, there's quite a lot I would like to take back and
change if given the chance to do so.

From a business and financial perspective, I've been a poor
steward for wealth. Not that I wasn't generous in my giving, but
I came to believe that my success was all of my own doing -- an
immature belief if ever there was one. I also came to treasure
money and things more than people. So if I had a time machine and
could change my past actions, I might return to 1999 when
I had been given great wealth and change the way I used it and
taken less credit for my accomplishments. I also would have spent
less time working and more time with my family.

In examining my present day life, I -- like many people --
sometimes wish I could turn the clock forward several years to
see how things will turn out. Will I still be consulting 20 years
from now? Will I sell my house? Will my health deteriorate? Will
my wife and kids be happy and healthy?

We live in very turbulent times and very few of us have not been
impacted by the economy. Our personal wealth has shrunk, our jobs
and companies always seem to be in jeopardy, and life seems more
challenging now than it was 10 years ago. Some can't face the
pain of even getting out of bed in the morning and wish they
could just turn the clock forward -- not so much to see how it
will all end but simply to escape the present day pain.

But here's the thing to remember.

We don't have a time machine.

We can't dwell on and worry about the past because no matter how
remorseful we may be over our past actions and decisions, we
can't change anything.

We can't worry about the future either because there's precious
little we have any control over that could overly influence the
course of the future.

So the best thing we can do is to live one day at a time and
make the best of it -- each and every day.

Now, go do something nice for someone else.

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: I encourage you to share my newsletters with friends and
family. Please click the link below to forward this email now:

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Simple Sales Letters with PitchMagic

2010-03-16T16:03:00.001-07:00

Good evening. In the past few issues of my newsletter, I've been
focusing on attitude. If you approach business with a poor
attitude, it will beat you. It's simply a matter of time.
Hopefully, I've been providing you with some advice and tools
that will turn your attitude around. It seems to be working for
some subscribers and clients I've communicated with over the past
few weeks.

One of the questions I am being asked a lot is how to take the
plunge. Let's say you have an idea for a product or service. How
do you go about selling and promoting it online? Normally, I
would lecture you about the importance of hiring a good designer
and copywriter, but I also realize that most people can not
afford these types of services and even if they could, they would
prefer to keep start-up expenses low.

Gotcha.

I still think quality design and copy can go a long, long way,
but if you don't want to go down that path, and prefer to do it
yourself, here's a possible solution.

It's called PitchMagic.

If you want to be able to create a sales page quickly and easily
-- and never, ever touch HTML code -- then PitchMagic is probably
something you should look at. At its core, it is a low-cost
system that combines web site and product hosting with an
automated web page creator.

For a one-time $47.00 fee and then $24.95/month, you can use
PitchMagic to develop a sales page by dragging and dropping building
blocks into the desired sales letter format. For instance, you
could have a headline at the top, several sub-headlines with body
copy, a testimonial block, a closing block and then a buy button.
Once the framework for your sales page is created, you simply
start entering your sales copy.

You can upload your product image and a graphical header and
footer, and then you are pretty much done. You'll need a
Clickbank account, too. You also will need to upload your digital
product to PitchMagic so they can host it and keep it secured
away from online pirates.

The finished sales page looks pretty good. The imposed structure
is a good one if you can write well.

Of course, you'll need to write your own sales copy, create your
3D ebook cover, and design your header and footer graphics. That's
not part of the solution. You may still need to hire someone like me
to assist you.

Now normally, I'd probably approach this differently. As a designer
and copywriter, I would want more control over the sales process as
well as the design and copy process.

I'd start with writing the sales copy from scratch, developing
the graphics, putting it all together into a sales page, add a
squeeze page to capture first name and email address, integrate
it into an autoresponder to start sending non-buyers a series of
follow-up emails, etc. I think there is more art of the sale that
is required here, and PitchMagic only handles a portion of the
sales formula.

But it is a good start. Especially for newbies on a limited budget
who can write well.

If you'd like to learn more and see some screen shots, there is
a review here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/pitchmagic.htm

I hope this helps.

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Please click the link below to share this with a friend:

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Reality Check!

2010-03-10T08:24:00.001-08:00

Good morning and may this day find you filled with hope for a
bright future. In my last newsletter, I talked about that little
voice you hear in your head from time to time -- you know the
voice, the one that calls you l-o-s-e-r? I received many emails
from long-term subscribers thanking me for that newsletter and
some asking me for additional advice about how to get out of the
rut they now find themselves in.

Let me tell you, I know a thing or two about ruts.

I've been through them financially twice in the past decade, and
emotionally and spiritually every day of my adult life! Let's
face it, living ain't easy, and neither is being a parent, a
spouse, a grandparent, a friend, an employee or an entrepreneur.

But here's the thing -- you can either let that little voice
talk you into believing you're a loser or you can tell it to get
behind you and then get on with your life. And you need to do
this every single darn day. It's the only way to survive.

Now I receive many emails from subscribers asking for advice
about how to make money online. They've heard the promises from
the online marketing gurus or from their friends in network
marketing that there's gold in them thar hills, and they want
their fair share.

Many of you have purchased the various ebooks and software tools
and services that claim to explain the formula for creating your
own successful money printing machine. And then you get
disappointed when it doesn't work.

Here's the thing you need to remember:

Not everyone has the same skill sets or gifts and talents to be
successful online.

That doesn't mean you should quit dreaming. By all means, dream.

But you do need to be realistic.

What do I mean? Most people don't know how to sell if their
lives depended upon it. So what makes you think you can sell an
ebook, or software tool, or membership site? If you have no
experience doing it before, why do you think you can be
successful doing it now.

True, believing in yourself goes a long, long way. But then
there's reality.

I think the biggest problem is balancing wish and reality. Most
of us wish we could be millionaires but the reality is most of us
will never be millionaires. Hate to burst that bubble :)

I get calls from retirees in their 70's and 80's who want help
publishing an ebook they think is going to be the next best
seller and allow them to buy an island to fish on the rest of
their lives. Not gonna happen.

I get calls from people who have new web sites they want to
monetize so they can live in splendor and put their kids through
college. Noble goals. But reality?

I know people who have been insanely successful but they are in the
minority.

So what's my message today? I'm not trying to talk you out of
pursuing a living online. No. But I am asking you to be
realistic. Maybe your energies would be better focused elsewhere.

Think about it. How many ebooks, courses, software tools,
memberships, etc. have you purchased over the past few years and
how much money have you generated from your investment and
efforts? If it ain't paying the bills, may I suggest that you
stop buying stuff and put a real plan together?

If you've been hopping from one network marketing company to
another, switching products every few few months as they cool
off, and gradually exhausting your immediate circle of friends
and family with your latest pitch, maybe, just maybe, it's time
to think harder about your long-term goals.

Last night at church, a sweet older man was telling a small
group of us about how he was carefully looking over his business
opportunities -- where he was going to make his investments and
how he hoped this was finally going to help him make some of his
dreams a reality.

This man is not a salesman. And products, no matter what they
claim, do not sell themselves. People sell products.

He is about to waste time and money and his efforts would be
better served elsewhere. Where, I don't rightly know, but he's
definitely setting himself up for failure and disappointment.

Stop.

Think about what you want to achieve.

Contrast what you want vs. what you need. Be realistic. Set a
definitive and achievable goal within X months you will generate
Y dollars.

Then carefully examine your strengths and gifts and talents and
start formulating a plan to monetize them -- rather than go out
and spend more money on the latest guru's ebooks, courses, tools
and memberships.

Life lessons are tough to swallow. I'm here to help.

Until next time,

Steven

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Are You a Loser?

2010-03-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon and I hope life is treating you well on your side
of the screen. Today I have an important question to ask you
that's going to require some brute honesty and much introspection.
Are you ready? OK, here we go:

Are you a loser?

Have you ever heard that little voice in your head that tells
you what a loser you are? That no matter how hard you try, that
you can never hope to win?

With the sad state of the economy and unemployment at all new
highs, it's easy to see why so many people, including myself,
have felt like a loser at one time or another.

I've a confession to make. For me, it starts every morning when
I wait with my kids for the school bus to arrive. As we're
talking about our day, I always look at our home's exterior with
a critical eye.

Mind you, when we moved in 1999 I dropped $150K on external
improvements, but 11 years later it still needs lots of work. To
most people I'm sure my house looks beautiful. It's 4500 square feet
on almost an acre of land on a corner lot with plenty of landscaping
and hundred year old trees. I should be grateful for what God has
given me, but I'm not.

Why? Because when I look at my house, all I can see are the
blemishes -- the areas that are in dreadful disrepair -- the wood
siding that has become rotten and needs to be replaced, holes from
woodpeckers that need to be patched, a leaky roof, a front porch that
needs to be painted, a front door that needs to be replaced, and so
much more.

I see all the bad things and hear the little voice say, "You are
such a loser! You can't even take care of your own house!"

It gets worse when I hang out with my kids in the upstairs
playroom. This is a room we have grown to love as a family, but
lately I've only seen the blemishes -- the cracked ceiling and water
spots from the leaky roof, the nails breaking through the sheet rock,
the stains on the carpet, and most recently, the dead 40 inch, 200
pound Mitsubishi TV that needs to be replaced. It stares at me
incessantly with its one square giant cyclops eye and says, "You are
a loser! You can't even afford to buy a new TV!"

That little voice gets old. But it sure is convicting -- if you
let it be.

The trick is to remember you are not a loser.

Times are tough. Disposable funds are hard to come by. It always
seems you have just enough -- just in time. And it's easy to only
see the blemishes -- in your house, in your business, and in your
personal life.

You are not a loser.

The key is not to let yourself get caught up in the negativity.
A challenge for sure -- but you can do it!

When that little voice in your head starts telling you what a
loser you are, remind yourself of the good things you have done.
Balance the score card and then tip it in your favor.

Now your sensitive spot may not be your house. It might be your
business. Perhaps you've gotten it started and taken it as far
as you can.

Or perhaps you thought you had a good idea for a product or
service, but you haven't been able to make a go of it.

That's when that little voice may be saying you are a loser.

Stop. Don't get caught up the in the self-defeatist attitude or
the misery.

Worrying and anxiety never solved anything, and feeling sorry
for yourself never added another day -- or dollar -- to your life
or anyone else's.

Step back and try to gain a new perspective.

If your business is causing you heartache, then ask yourself why
people are not buying from you.

Be critical but fair. Put yourself in the prospect's place. How
does your sales pitch compel them to learn more, to contact you
for more information, or to make the purchase?

What roadblocks are preventing your prospects from buying your
product or service?

Take it step by step. Walk yourself through the process. Are you
leaving doubts in the minds of your prospects? If so, how can you
remove the doubts?

For some web sites, it's not he message that's the problem. It's
the purchase process.

Do you make it easy for people to buy from you? For instance,
with my electronic publishing business, EbookoMatic.com, a
prospect used to create their account, then make the purchase through
ClickBank, and then return to my site to log in and begin using the
service. Not easy. I know because I tracked the number of people who
abandoned the process midway -- too long and too complicated. So I
made it easier. Now they go to the site, click one button to purchase
their membership with PayPal, and I set-up their account immediately
and send them their login info along with a personal thank you message.

For many other businesses, they never ask for the business. They
just pack their site with product and service info and they never
have a call to action: "Call (xxx) yyy-zzzz for more information
today!" -- "Click here to make your purchase now!" -- "Click here
to schedule a free appointment!"

None of this is rocket science and even the smallest of changes
like these can make a big difference to the success of your
business and profitability.

So the next time you look at your house -- or your business --
or your life -- and you hear that little internal voice call you
a loser, stop and gain new perspective. Remind yourself you are not
a loser. Remind yourself of the good things you have done and
accomplished. Then step back and look for the roadblocks and start
removing them.

You can do it. I believe in you.

And if I can help you in any way, shape or form, please feel
free to reach out by emailing me at info@schneiderman.net.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: I just found a really great collection of templates that
can help you to implement a video squeeze page fast and easy.
It's dirt cheap, high-quality and comes in hundreds of different
colors and designs. Check out the review here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/fastandeasyvideosqueezepages.htm

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Importance of Landing Pages & Automation

2010-03-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon. Today was payday for my EbookoMatic authors, and
I decided to tell you about some of the new titles they have
published -- some are free downloads:

TOP SECRET BUSINESS HUMOR - The Immaculate Worthless Collection
by Thejendra Sreenivas
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1551

Growing Roses with Sherry 'n Margarita by V L Deighton & A M
Smith
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1550

THE CAVEMAN DIARIES - Some Raw Advice for Modern Executives by
Thejendra Sreenivas
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1549

TO HAVE MERCY, AND NOT SACRIFICE by Brenda Partington (Free
Download)
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1548

Secret Art of Japanese Stick Fighting by Gary Hinkle
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1545

Secret Buttons of the Hand by Gary Hinkle (Free Download)
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1544

Secret Buttons of the Hand by Gary Hinkle
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1543

Home Staging: 8 Things Every Home Seller Needs to Know Now by
Donald Tepper
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1541

There are also a few titles that seem to be selling quite well
these days. With everyone losing their job or in fear of losing
their job, two titles have become very popular:

Fearless Networking by Ken Marsh
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=958

The WORLD'S FASTEST JOB SEARCH PLAN! by Paul Bowley
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=380

Paul has a number of other titles you may find helpful.

Some of you may notice that we raised the price of EbookoMatic
membership back up from $49.95 to $147.00. What's the result?
More memberships sold at the higher price than the lower price!
Kind of caught me by surprise. We also updated the home page to
make it more of a landing page and that seems to have increased
the number of weekly inquiries, to.

One thing you can learn from this ongoing experiment is the importance
of landing pages. When you have a deep site with lots of content,
products or services, it is easy for a visitor to get lost and never
even make a purchase. A landing page makes it easier for them to find
what they are looking for by limiting their paths through the site
and helping them to make some decisions. With our new landing page,
you can either Get Published, Learn More or Buy Ebooks. Simple, right?

I have another client who used to have a home page with over 40 links
on it. Then we sat down and redesigned the home page as a landing page.
Now you can find what you need and your choices are limited to Free
Trial and Buy Now. All pages are focused on making them choose a
well-directed path. Leads and sales have improved as a result.

Take a look at your site's home page. If you are wondering why you
are not selling more stuff, consider how many choices or paths your
visitor is forced to make. It may be time for you to simplify the
number of options they have. Give them 2-3 big buttons with clear
calls to action. Then move everything else into small textual navigation
at the bottom of the web page. It works.

If you don't know the story about EbookoMatic, then you might
find this very interesting. Back in 1999, ebook publishing was
becoming quite the craze. A firm in San Francisco called Fat
Brain was making a name for itself by helping the academic world
to create online versions of white papers, theses, dissertations,
and textbooks. They got acquired for $62 million.

The opposite side of the spectrum were comprised of mom and pop
sites that would edit your manuscript and create a PDF for you.
There was very little in the way of service and most looked
alike.

As a frustrated author, I saw a need for a turnkey service that
would enable anyone, anywhere, with either knowledge to share or
a story to tell, to publish and sell their work instantly. I drew
something out on a napkin and put it away ...

Then I started trying to promote a consulting service for
authors. It would be one stop shopping including editing, cover
design, site design, ecommerce, hosting, etc. But while many
authors contacted me, no one could afford my consulting rates.
Around that time a small software development and conversion firm
contacted me. They had visited my web site and asked if I ever
thought of automating the service. I took out my little napkin
drawing and sent it to them.

They told me they could have a prototype done in 3 weeks. When
they showed it to me, I was amazed. They had really improved on
my idea. At that point I made the commitment to start an online
business. We continued to add features for four years and then
stopped. Since then it has quietly been pumping out new titles --
over 1200 from authors from around the world -- over 550 authors.
I'm quite proud of the service because for some of these authors,
EbookoMatic is the only way they would ever be able to share
their work.

Of course, Ebookomatic will never make me wealthy, but I am
content with it serving a purpose, helping others, and generating
some passive revenue for me. One of the things I am truly proud
of is the fact that it is a 99% hands off business requiring
little to no human intervention. New members join, they publish
ebooks, people buy and download their ebooks, and the system
tracks everything. There's even a sophisticated back end system I
can log into from anywhere to address the occasional problem or
to generate productivity reports. I can tell you which author is
selling the most ebooks, which titles are the most popular and
even which genres sell better than others.

This is what true passive revenue is all about, but it's a
challenge to get the business model this well automated. If your
online business is not this automated, then you might be putting
forth a greater effort than is truly necessary. You may also be
eroding your profits. Something to think about.

If you need help with this type of development or the creation of
a killer landing page, we can most definitely help you.
We've been doing it a long, long time.

Feel free to reach to me anytime at info@schneiderman.net.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Please pass this newsletter onto a friend who may be a
fellow writer or be looking for some online assistance.

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Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

Stop! Your Video Needs a Script!

2010-02-26T09:10:00.001-08:00

Good morning and I hope this newsletter finds you well. It's
been an insane week with a variety of new projects crossing my
desk: ebook covers, sales letters, email series, coaching, web
site designs, one sheets and scripts. I do love my job! Always
challenging and always something different.

Several video sales tools have crossed my desk promising to help
sell more products, memberships, and to generate more leads for
me. Are you using video on your web sites? Is it helping you to
stimulate lead generation and sales?

Sometimes we tend to focus on the latest fad to help give our
sales a shot in the arm, but we need to remember that while video
is very compelling, bad video is not.

Over the past few years, as the use of video has become more
prevalent, it's been interesting to note that most videos look
rather amateurish. People just turn their cameras on and start
rambling as if every visitor to their site is just going to hang
on every word and be moved to action.

It doesn't work that way.

I love it when I see a young teen talking about how he is going to
show me ways to make $2.0 mm a year, or a retired person in their
70's constantly checking their camera to see if it is recording.
Someone should create a web site for bad videos and let people
watch and rank them. This would be a highly trafficked site and
perfect for major advertisers.

Loo, take it from someone who executive produced videos for TV Guide
Channel for three years. Unless you are VERY experienced in front
of the camera and a natural salesman, you are not going to be
very compelling on video.

That's not to say that some of these new video tools like Easy
Video Producer or others are not good services, but they are only
as good as the person using them.

The best web sites have the most compelling sales letter.

Copy is still King.

Now just because you use video, doesn't mean you no longer have
to worry about sales copy.

Your sales letter becomes your script.

Let me say that again:

Your sales letter becomes your script.

If you are not a gifted sales copywriter, then your rambling on
video is going to be ineffective. You need a written script to
work from.

Let me help you. For $1,000.00 I will write a sales letter for
your product or service that will set the right tone, help you to
explain your product or service's features -- advantages - and
benefits, and compel your visitors to take action.

Of course, you still need to rehearse and feel natural before
you shoot your final video, but at least you'll be able to stop
rambling and start selling.

Drop me a line at info@schneiderman.net to discuss your project.

All my best,

Steven

Schneiderman Marketing, LLC, 1811 South Baltimore, Suite 203, Tulsa, OK 74119, United States

What Makes a Good Product?

2010-02-23T11:52:00.001-08:00

Good day, my friend, and I trust all is well on your side of the screen. In my last newsletter, I shared some advice about a formulaic approach for monetizing your knowledge or experience. Most subscribers want to know what makes a good product. This is not an easy question to answer because it involves many different elements, not all of which you have control over.

First and foremost, it is important to make sure that your product is needed by others. The old saying goes, "Find a need and fill it!"

Many people wanting to get in on the Internet market craze simply get an idea for a product, create it, and then find no one wants to really buy it. That's because they never did any upfront competitive analysis. They never asked their potential audience if they wanted or needed their product.

This isn't to say that the occasional good idea can't be successful, but it helps if you do your homework first. It saves a lot of heartache, time and expense.

But let's say your product is needed by people. How many people? If only a small number of people express interest in your product is that bad? Not necessarily. If you develop a high-end home study course that sells for $997.00 and only 10 people buy it, that's pretty good money, right? However, if only a few people want to buy your $19.97 ebook, then that's probably not worth your time to write it, right? So everything is relative to your selling price, right?

Wrong.

Because a $19.97 ebook can be given away for free to build a HUGE marketing list for your next product! So you can take a lemon that isn't selling and breathe new life and vitality into it by giving it away for free in exchange for a name and email address. Many gurus have built large lists this way.

When it comes to creating your own product, the key thing you can control and have to be mindful of is the quality of the product. Does it truly fill a need? Is it presented well? Is it written well and easy to follow? Does it fulfill all of its marketing promises? Is it well packaged? Well supported? Does it over-deliver? These are the elements that are critical for success.

I think back to early ebook successes like Ken Evoy's Make Your Site Sell or Marlon Sanders' Amazing Formula. These ebooks sold incredibly well and still sell well some 10 years later. Why? Because they are well written, provide information about things people want and need, the authors have developed great reputations, and the they are affordable.

So quality and price and size of audience are inter-related. You must be mindful of all three of these things.

I've made some mistakes in the past when it comes to product development.

I've created products that solved problems for ME, but very few other people had the same problem so the products didn't sell well.

I've created products that seemed too much like other people's products to the point where the differences and value were difficult to distinguish.

I've created products that seemed like really good ideas only to have them become a total flop. They sounded good when I first thought of them, but something happened along the way which transformed them into a dud!

Now the good part about developing and selling an Internet product is that the cost is usually rather low. If you do it wisely, you can usually outsource the development of a software tool for between $500.00 - $1,000.00 depending upon what's called for. If you design and write your own site, cover and sales letter, then your only real cost is buying a domain and hosting it for around $25.00. What other business can you start for such a low price?

Of course, you want to position yourself for success.

So you need to do the best job you can, and if you can't do it all, you need to turn to someone who can help you. Someone who can design a better product shot (ebook cover, software box, etc.), someone who can write killer sales copy, and design a site that is visually compelling. Then your costs go up, don't they?

Is it worth it, you ask?

It depends. If you have a quality product that a large group of people really needs, and it is priced to sell, you might be able to attract the attention of Internet marketing gurus and joint venture experts and get your product promoted to millions of people. The odds of your recouping your investment and making a bundle of quick cash go up sharply when you are well positioned like this.

But it's not easy. The guys with the big lists who do the JV deals get besieged by guys wanting to do deals, and most of the products are not quality products, and that ruins it for the rest of us.

So where does leave you?

First, ask yourself what need you are trying to fill.

If there's a need still there after you do your competitive analysis, then create the best possible product you can. Keep the quality high. Send review copies out to key people to determine interest in helping you promote it. Do your due diligence and JV with people you can trust and who have high integrity and large mailing lists.

Make sure your site sells -- killer cover, graphics and sales copy are a MUST. If you need help, call me or email me at info@schneiderman.net.

Follow the formula. It can work. But it starts with a quality product.

Keep thinking about it.

Until next time

Steven

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350 Social Media Strategies -- Why You Need Them!

2010-02-20T13:08:00.000-08:00

Hi there. Hope all is well. I'm sitting here in my home office
working my butt off when I should be doing something fun, but
duty calls. Besides my son in at a sleepover and my wife and
daughter are busy picking up this year's Girl Scout cookie
delivery! Yeah! Can't wait for those Thin Mints! Mmmm.

Of course, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so I have
surfed YouTube and discovered something called the Annoying
Orange. Oh my. If you have not seen this yet, go search for it. I
died when I watched them. Very simple scripts and animation, but
very funny. These videos are attracting a huge following, much
like Charlie the Unicorn videos which my kids introduced me to
last year.

There are tons of very low budget videos which are busy making
their creators tons of money. My kids are big iCarly fans. The
program is about high school kids with their own TV show on the
web. It sparked a young man to create his own series of YouTube
videos based on a character he calls "Fred". Fred speaks with a high,
sped up voice much like Alvin from the Chipmunks. It is stupid
but high school kids love it and think it is hilarious stuff.

Good for Fred. His videos gets millions of hits and have enabled
him to build a huge mailing list and following. Now he has his
own site selling his products, and he has sponsorships and big
contracts. His college education is paid for, but I bet he almost
has enough money to retire and he's still a teenager.

I'm telling you social media is IT.

It's funny how many people don't get the social media thing.
Many people think connecting with hundreds of old school friends
on FaceBook is social media. No. That's called wasting time.

Social media means using the Internet to connect to people with
common interests in what you know, what you like, what you do.
There are tons of different services out there and knowing how to
milk each respective service is the key to achieving any level of
success.

If you want more visibility for your product, your service, your
company or even to build a stronger personal brand then social
media is critical to your success.

Still don't believe me?

Search for "Steven Schneiderman" on Google. Go ahead, I'll wait.

OK, what did you see listed in the #2 position under my own
corporate web site? You should see my LinkedIn.com listing.
What's LinkedIn? It's a social media site for professionals to
connect to one another. Launched about 5 years ago, it has become
the de facto way to reconnect, get testimonials, find work, and
build relationships.

But you need to know how to use LinkedIn to maximize your
visibility and your desired results.

Well, I found a collection of 7 easy-to-read and succinct reports
that tell you most of what you need to know about the top 7
social media sites including LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter,
StumbleUpon, Yahoo Answers, Digg and Squidoo.

Best of all they are only $9.97 for all 7 reports. That's 350
eye-opening, practical social media strategies for only $9.97.

Get started right now while the price stays low:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/350socialmediastrategies/

All my best,

Steven

P.S.: Know someone who could use this info? Please click the
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Valentines Lessons and Hope

2010-02-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

Greetings and I hope things are going well for you on the other
side of the screen. February has been busier than expected with
lots of new opportunities despite a constantly floundering
economy. We've just gotten past the last few snow storms, and
Frank, my friend and chief meteorologist at Channel 8 KTUL
informs us we could still get another 10 inches of snow before
winter is over. If you've been hit by multiple snow storms like
us, then I know you must ready for Spring, too. I'm just counting
the days ...

Valentines Day was really nice this year. My wife, Amy, bought
me a wonderful massage and then cooked a lobster feast for our
dinner. Wow! I am so undeserving. It was sensational. We gave our
son, Christian, a $50 gift card to Walmart and he was so excited.
He has had his eyes set on a new series of Bionicle toys --
they're kind of the new Lego toy.

Anyway, I promised to take Christian to the store after church
on Sunday to go shopping for toys, and he quickly found what he
wanted and filled the cart up with toys. But as we started to
pass the jewelry counter, he asked if he could put his toys back
and buy my wife a sterling silver heart pendant instead. I tried
to talk him out of it since we had already given her presents,
but there was no talking him out of it. He rushed back to the toy
department with toys in hands, and came back empty handed ready
to use all of his gift money for Mommy.

He proudly carried the gift home and dramatically presented it
to my wife. She was overwhelmed and Christian was so proud to
share his love and give such a gift. Kind of brought home the
whole reason for Valentines for us as a family. We're blessed in
so many ways I can hardly count them all.

I try to share those blessings with as many people as possible,
and one way I do this is to provide some free coaching for local
companies. This past week I had the good fortune of meeting two
women who work together in a business that has not been doing
very well for a long time. We spent two hours talking about the
ups and downs and the present state of the economy. I gave them
some advice that I hope will point them down a more profitable
road, but something occurred to me which I feel compelled to
share with you, my loyal reader.

I believe that entrepreneurs can become addicted to their
companies and live in denial over their failures just to keep the
doors open. This isn't so for all business owners, but some
founders have so much of their personal lives and spirit tied up
in their company that they fail to see the forest for the trees.
They fail to see that if they have not been able to make a living
after 7 years that it's probably time to close up shop and find
something else to do.

The key in these instances is to step out of denial and look at
the lessons learned -- and the minor successes -- and then try to
figure out how to do it better the next time around. Don't focus
on the past failures. Focus on the future with Hope in your heart
instead.

Hope in a floundering economy is a challenge. So many people are
losing their jobs and then go numb. They are like deer in
headlights, watching the car, getting hit, and then laying there,
waiting to die. It doesn't have to be like this. There is Hope.

I don't pretend to have all the answers, and what works for me,
may not work for you, but here is my advice should you find
yourself in an awkward financial position.

Determine where your expertise lies. What subject do you know
better than the majority of the people around you? This could be
knowledge derived through a formal education or lifetime
experience. It could be knowledge that has been passed down
through your family or a mentor.

Start writing a book.

When the book is done, record an audio version.

When the audio is done, create a video series.

Start a blog to establish yourself as a subject matter expert.

Start social networking, connecting to others, and participating
in forum and other online discussions related to your area of
expertise.

Invest the time to become a recognized authority.

Establish a squeeze page and a micro site.

When people enter their name and email address into your squeeze
page, add them to a mailing list and start sending them follow-up
related information.

Promote your stuff: ebook, audio, video, membership site.

And never stop.

You can make a living this way. Especially if your product is
good and you can attract affiliates to promote your product. It
may not be the living you envisioned, but it will help keep a
roof over your head, food in your belly and gas in your car.

For some this approach seems daunting. I can help. For others,
it will become a path for financial success. The late Corey Rudl
was just out of college when he started selling his ebook about
buying the car you always wanted. He sold tons of ebooks and made
7 figures and built a marketing empire. It can be done.

But it starts with Hope.

All my best,

Steven