Issue #2142
- WEALTHY: Know when to prune your portfolio before prices drop (Andrew Gordon)
- HEALTHY: The wide-ranging benefits of natural supplements (Dr. Ray Sahelian)
- WISE: Pearl Buck on self-expression
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Turning zebras into a money-maker (David Cross)
- Not a sales weapon… but a gift of convenience (Michael Masterson)
- It’s Fun to Know… about the world’s tallest building
- Add "conflate" to your vocabulary
He’d Have Called Them Crazy – Or Worse!
With the Internet, it’s now possible to spend no more than a few dollars, write a couple of very basic ads, and have instant access to millions of potential customers all in a matter of minutes.
If anyone had told Jim Sheridan he could bank thousands in just 24 hours… without any product of his own… without spending a penny on getting it or promoting it, he’d have justifiably said they were nuts.
But Jim made a decision that he would overcome his skeptical nature and give it a go. Boy, is he glad he did! That one deal alone banked him $187,296 in one day.
Take a look at how Jim brought in over $187,000 in a single day!
- Patrick Coffey
Dry Powder Carries Big Bang, Part 2
$600 billion isn’t chickenfeed. That’s how much the big buyout and hedge funds have borrowed and saved up to spend on the market. But if this money dries up, the market will look as scrawny as a free-range chicken. Investors know this. And now so do you.
It’s not hard to stay on top of the situation. Pay attention to the headlines for failed (or postponed) corporate bond offerings. If these funds withdraw their money and reduce their buyout activity, the markets will suffer withdrawal symptoms. A market collapse is unlikely, but a drop of four to five percent – like what happened at the end of July – is very possible. And it could be even worse.
Getting a heads-up on a sharp market drop will allow you to prune your portfolio of any overvalued companies before their shares begin to fall.
[Ed. Note: ETR's Investment Director Andrew Gordon is the author of about a dozen books on energy markets, global countertrade practices, and the hot growth sectors of China and Russia. He is the editor of INCOME, a monthly financial advisory service that uncovers income-generating stocks that promise safety (first and foremost), along with much-higher-than-average profit potential.]
"Self-expression must pass into communication for its fulfillment."
Pearl S. Buck
The 3 Basics You Need to Start an E-mail Newsletter
By David Cross
Our guest bathroom boasts a herd of 327 zebras of all stripes… though there is room for more. (I introduced you to our zebra collection back in ETR #1800, when we had only 277 of the critters.) Cuddly zebras, ceramic zebras, pencil-eraser zebras, zebra fishing lures, zebra-striped candy, zebra lithographs, fluffy zebra slippers, a zebra joke book, and zebra bath towels. Last month, I found a printed cotton cloth, the size, shape, and colors of a real zebra hide.
Collecting zebras is my wife’s hobby. Every zebra tells a story… and that’s a great place to start an e-mail newsletter.
Why would you want to start an e-newsletter? According to Michael Masterson, an e-newsletter is one of the best ways to make almost any business at least twice as valuable, to generate substantial cash flow, and to double or triple your profits. It’s also the perfect way to turn an interest or hobby into a money-making venture.
And the good news is that starting an e-newsletter is much easier than you might think. You really need only three things. (Notice that the ability to be a good writer is not one of them.) You need:
- Something to write about
- An audience
- A means of transmitting what you write about to your audience
1. Finding Something to Write About
The best thing about the Internet is not that it has 1.173 billion users, but that it’s full of thousands of people who are interested in the same things you are. (Internet marketers call this pocket of similarly minded people a "niche.") So when you’re looking for a topic for your e-newsletter, think about your own interests, your own hobbies, and your own areas of expertise. This has two benefits: First, you’ll be able to write about the topic with endless enthusiasm. Second, you’ll be able to write articles that are useful, informative, and based on your own real-life experience.
Maybe you have a knack for fixing things around the house. Each one of your newsletters could be about a different home repair.
Or perhaps you’re a keen whitewater rafter. You could write about the best destinations for rafting, plus where rafters can stay, eat, and be entertained in those locations.
Or maybe you, like my wife, are a collector who wants to share how you found each item. Every zebra my wife collected has a story behind it – a story that would be of interest to fellow collectors looking to buy other cute or quirky collectibles.
Like I said, you don’t have to be a stellar writer to write an e-newsletter. You might find that it’s easier to just "talk" your way through each issue by using a rough outline of what you want to say and a tape recorder. Or jot down some questions that would open up an interesting conversation about your topic, and have someone "interview" you – in person or on the phone. ("David, tell us the three best clam chowder restaurants on the Oregon Coast for people on a migratory whale-watching trip.") You can even "interview" yourself.
Transcribe the recording yourself or have it transcribed by a service like CastingWords.com, and use that as the copy for your newsletter. Once you get into the swing of talking into a recorder about a topic you love and are knowledgeable about, you’ll forget you ever had writer’s block.
Another way to come up with content for your e-newsletter is to review things other people have written. You could summarize interesting articles in your own words, publish excerpts (which is legal for review purposes), and comment on them.
Whatever means you use, make sure that your e-newsletter offers your subscribers something useful, interesting, insightful, relevant, or timely. Tell a good story that captivates their attention.
2. Finding an Audience
Remember those 1.173 billion Internet users out there? Among them is your audience. People are out there in cyberspace, excited to read about the topic you want to talk about. But it’s up to you to find them.
Possibly the best way to find readers and build your list of subscribers is to do some search engine marketing.
First, you or your Web designer should create a small webpage – or "landing page" – that explains the benefits of reading your newsletter. Make sure you include a sign-up form that allows you to "capture" the names and e-mail addresses of people who are interested.
Next, you need to set up a pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaign with some of the major search engines. This means you buy keywords (on Google or Yahoo) that are related to your topic. Then you create a small ad that offers a free report full of useful, actionable information. (See Patrick Coffey’s article, "Mastering Google AdWords in 3 Easy Steps.") When people search for the keywords you’ve purchased, they’ll have the chance to see your ad. Once they click on your ad, they’ll be routed to the landing page you set up earlier.
There are also plenty of ways to get the word out about your e-newsletter for free. Make sure you’ve got a small ad for it on the back of your business card, on your voicemail message, and at the bottom of your e-mails. Tell other enthusiasts about your e-newsletter and ask them to share it with their friends. Newspapers and television news programs love local stories, so come up with an interesting angle about your newsletter that will capture the public’s attention AND get you some free publicity. (Who knows, you may even find yourself with national media attention!) Learn how to write a press release and try some of the online media distribution channels (such as PR Wire).
If you currently have a brick-and-mortar business, you can start a subscriber list with your current customers. Ask them for their e-mail addresses when they make a purchase, and you’ll have a ready-made list of people who’ll likely be interested in your newsletter.
For even more ways to find readers for your e-newsletter, check out Patrick Coffey’s article, "Top 10 Ways to Build Your Subscriber List."
If you have a small, highly responsive list, you can make a very comfortable living from a small Internet business without incurring a large overhead. I know of newsletter publishers with a few thousand e-mail names on their lists who run online businesses from a spare room in their home that generate profits of hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
3. Getting the Message Out
You’ve got something to write about and a group of people eager to read what you have to say. Now, all you need is a way to connect the two.
Although it’s possible to send out your e-mail newsletter through your regular e-mail program, I don’t recommend it. Many years ago, a Swedish client of mine sent out an investment newsletter with an attached Adobe Acrobat file to 10,000 subscribers every day from his personal computer. At one point, it was taking him until the next afternoon to get all the e-mails out and the bounced e-mails back.
A better way – and the way I’d suggest if you want to get started immediately – is to use one of the e-mail service providers available on the Internet. These include Get Response, AWeber, and 1Shoppingcart, and should set you back less than $30 a month. They provide all the features you’ll need: being able to add subscribers (including letting people add themselves through auto-generated sign-up forms you can put on your website), creating newsletters with pre-designed templates, and tracking who opens your e-mails or clicks on your links (which is useful to measure which readers are more responsive to your offers).
Don’t Just Say Something – Sell Something
You now have all the information you need to start publishing your own e-mail newsletter. But there’s one important thing you must remember: It’s easy to get immersed in writing about a topic you enjoy. But unless you want your newsletter to be nothing but a hobby, you’ll want to find ways to "monetize" it – generate income from it.
You can create your own information products – e-books, special reports, teleseminars, and more – and sell those to your e-newsletter subscribers. This is the easiest and most cost-effective type of product you can sell, because you can create it yourself and deliver it digitally.
But you can also sell practically anything else that might appeal to your subscribers. If you are a yoga expert, you can sell yoga equipment. If you’re a gourmet chef, you can sell homemade biscotti. If, like my wife, you’re a zebra collector, you can sell porcelain figurines.
If you don’t want to make or ship these products yourself, you can find a supplier who offers drop-shipping. (You take the order and payment, and they send the product directly to your customer.) This is a great way to make money online without having to tie yourself up with inventory.
[Ed. Note: David Cross is Senior Internet Consultant to Agora Publishing in Baltimore. Get more practical techniques for publishing and monetizing your e-mail newsletter this October at ETR's Info Marketing Bootcamp: Making a Fast Fortune on the "Other Side" of the Internet. And learn more money-saving, time-saving, business-building Internet marketing techniques from some of the world's top business-building experts. Sign up today.]
Make 25% in As Little As 6 Months… Up to 50% or More in 1-2 Years… for Starters!
Earning 25% to 50% interest through a low-risk and low-maintenance investment is rare to say the least. But that’s exactly what one highly-secured investment with minimal downside and market risk can offer.
And that’s just the beginning… In many cases this low-risk investment will also hand you the keys to a real estate property for 1/4 of its market value or less… giving you a profit opportunity of 1,000% or more!
The Right Time to Hand Out Your Business Card
I don’t know if there’s a rule in the business books about when to hand someone your business card, but here’s my take on it: If you’re at a stand-up (i.e., relatively short) meeting, wait until the end of the conversation and then offer your card. If at a longer, sit-down meeting, give your card after the initial introductions but before the business conversation begins. That way, who you are, whom you represent, and what your position is are all clear to anyone at a glance.
Think of your business card not as a sales weapon but as a little gift of convenience. If you do that, you’ll say the right things and make the right gestures when you give it. You won’t seem pushy… you’ll seem helpful.
[Ed. Note: Get Michael Masterson's insights into becoming successful in your business and personal life, achieving financial independence, and accomplishing all your goals on his brand-new website. You'll find updates on all of Michael's books, news on upcoming ETR events, Michael's blog, and room to send in your comments and questions. Check it out today.]
Improving Lives Naturally
There is so much potential in the use of natural supplements for a number of medical conditions. It excites me when I come across research findings that can improve the lives of many people.
Here’s just one example: Researchers at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in Charleston’s Medical University of South Carolina had 23 cocaine-dependent patients participate in a four-week study to determine if acetylcysteine supplementation would have an effect on cocaine craving. The subjects received N-acetylcysteine at doses of 1,200 mg/day, 2,400 mg/day, or 3,600 mg/day. All three doses were well tolerated. The majority of subjects who completed the study either stopped using cocaine completely or significantly reduced their use of cocaine during treatment.
I’ve also recently read a study showing that alpha lipoic acid use can enhance insulin sensitivity in diabetics. And another study showing that curcumin, one of the active chemicals in turmeric, may help prevent the loss of brainpower and proper nerve function (by increasing the clearance of amyloid plaques) in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. And yet another study showing that fish oils can reduce heart rhythm problems.
It is encouraging to know that readily available and inexpensive supplements are being tested to determine their potential – but there’s so much more to learn!
[Ed. Note: Ray Sahelian, M.D., the author of Mind Boosters, is internationally recognized as a moderate voice in the evaluation of natural supplements. Visit Dr. Sahelian's website at www.RaySahelian.com, and read more of his articles about the supplements you should and shouldn't be taking at ETR's new natural health e-letter.]
It’s Fun to Know: The World’s Tallest Building
They’re at it again in Dubai. Not content with man-made islands shaped like palm trees or indoor ski slopes in the middle of the desert, residents of this United Arab Emirate can now call the world’s tallest building their own. The Burj Dubai is still under construction, and the final height has not yet been disclosed – but the builders claimed in late July that at 1,680 feet and 141 floors, the unfinished tower already loomed 13 feet above the previous record holder, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan.
(Source: CNET)
What If There Was A Way To Legally Beat A Traffic Ticket?
“When Attorneys Get Speeding Or Traffic Tickets, This Is What They Do… No Points, No Increased Premiums & Definitely No Stupid Driving School. These Tricks Work Like Magic.”
If you’re like me then the simple sight of a police car in your rear-view mirror is enough to send shivers down your spine, but…
When the lights start flashing…
There Goes That Safe Driver Discount…Right? Not anymore…
- Patrick Coffey
Word to the Wise: Conflate
To "conflate" (kun-FLATE) – from the Latin for "to blow together" – is to bring together or combine.
Example (as used by William Raspberry in The Washington Post): "Painting America as a drug-ridden society leads to bad policy – as does the tendency in some quarters to conflate the various drug abuses into a single dreadful statistic."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007
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