In an article on Yahoo! Small Business this morning, titled The 7 Most Overrated Small Business Ideas, 3 of the 7 small business ideas mentioned were work-at-home or web-based.

The article states that “many people do a lousy job of picking businesses they can realistically turn into a profitable operation.”

The co-authors go on to say that most aspiring entrepreneurs consider small business ideas that are cheap or easy to set up, or start a business based on a love for the product or service – instead of basing their decision on true profit potential…

Here is the quick list of the 7 small business ideas they consider “overrated”:

• Restaurants
• Direct Sales
• Online Retail
• High End Retail
• Independent Consulting
• Franchise Ownership
• Traffic-Driven Web Sites

I’ve highlighted the 3 business models that are “work at home” options, but we could easily add Independent Consulting as a 4th model that can be done from a home office and/or as an online operation.

I have no experience with running a restaurant, a high-end retail shop or owning a franchise so I’ll hold comment on those and focus on the other models on this list. My first business was a service-based company that I originally started as a home business and quickly moved to a 5000 sq ft showroom in a commercial building – but not what I would consider any of those 3 models.

Of the four web-based options, Direct Sales and Online Retail require a higher initial investment. Consulting and Traffic-Driven Websites have a lower level entry and are very inexpensive start-ups.

Direct Sales – I agree with the authors that it is the Top % that performs well in direct sales. To some extent the model itself supports this, because as the company grows the top tier stands to profit most. However, the closing statement on this model didn’t sit well with me:

The result, Yancey says: “Most of them wind up with a bunch of jewelry or kitchen equipment sitting in their basement that they can’t sell.”

That they can’t sell… or that they don’t sell?

The fact is, direct sales companies attract people who aren’t willing to invest time and energy with their marketing message of “get rich quick”. Those who do work the system, reap the rewards.

From my point of view, most direct sales companies don’t offer a high enough quality product, at a reasonable enough price. Or better said: the product sucks and it’s priced too high, making it hard to sell. I say this from my experience with 3 different direct sales companies that I worked with in the 90’s.

Online Retail – The article focuses on selling retail product through popular marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon. I agree that was highly profitable back in the late 90’s, however most merchants are now selling below retail or even at wholesale in these marketplaces, making it difficult to break in with a decent profit margin.

That said, there is still room to take advantage of these marketplaces – or at least, the amount of traffic they pull as household names. They key is to set up an online store outside of eBay or Amazon, and then use creative and strategic means to funnel traffic from there to your own website.

This would require an investment in product, or a solid relationship with a dropshipper. It’s also a very active business model which would ultimately require employees to avoid 80 hour work-weeks for marketing, customer service, inventory management and product delivery.

My solution? Affiliate Marketing. Online Retail is alive and thriving, but you can tap into the billion dollar industry more easily by becoming an affiliate for popular online retailers. This cuts out the need for inventory, shipping, and customer service – and allows you to simply focus on the market.

And cashing checks – which is hard work

If you want a sneak peek into how Affiliate Marketing works, see these videos by Rosalind Gardner.

Traffic-Driven Web Sites – The authors focused on Social Networking Sites competing with the likes of Facebook, and also popular blogs, saying: But as the Internet ages, that’s much harder to accomplish…

He goes on to say, “Until you get to the point where you have a million page views a day, you’re nowhere.”

Pfft! Whatever

Okay, so trying to be the next Facebook or Twitter is shooting high for your first internet-based business model. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of creative ideas or market slants yet untapped. But you do not need a million page views a day to earn a nice living from home with “traffic driven websites”. Speaking of which, aren’t all online business models or websites… traffic-driven?

None of my web properties get a million page views per day, and I make a very nice living online.

Independent Consulting – The small business ideas for people who have a particular in-demand expertise could fall under titles like consulting, coaching, mentoring, training, etc. The article knocks it as a viable idea because independent consultants have to spend far too much of their time scouting for new clients or marketing their services.

Um – solution: market smarter. Position yourself in the exact place your ideal clients are searching for you. Let them find you at the point that they need you most and are actively searching for your services and you’ll never hunt for work again.

Overall the article had a very negative and discouraging slant, which I assume was the intention. I’d be curious what these two authors consider to be small business ideas that do hold high profit potential.

Obviously I disagree with much of their reasoning for why these 7 small business ideas are overrated, or most likely to fail. Personally I feel the biggest reason for failure has more to do with lack of planning, and lack of follow-through – along with the mistake of working hard, instead of working smart.

I quit my last real job in February 1997. I was working 40-50 hours a week and still fell below the poverty level in terms of annual income. I was feeling major burn-out, didn’t have enough time to spend with my family, and was getting nowhere fast.

I had major incentive to make my first business a success. And I did. And here I am, almost 13 years later, making more money and having more fun than I ever could have imagined – in a business I absolutely love!

Don’t believe everything you read

Success, or lack of it, is up to YOU.

Best,

p.s. If you would like to brainstorm small business ideas, or are interested in starting your own successful online business, join us at my Internet Marketing Forum. I’d be happy to answer any questions you have, and help you get started on the right foot.

At the beginning of the month, I released a free report called Authority Rules: The 10 Rock Solid Elements of Effective Online Marketing. People seemed to really appreciate it, especially since:

• No email address is required
• You can read via PDF or the web
• There are no affiliate links
• There’s no pitch (other than subscribe to Copyblogger)

This led to a lot of speculation. Why did I do it this way? What was the strategy behind this approach? Has Brian finally lost it?

While that last point is debatable, there was indeed a plan. This post will share what I was thinking, because you may find that my motivations combined with the information in the report itself can help you build your own authority site.

The Background:

I’d wanted to write this report for quite a while, simply to help tie together a lot of the stuff we talk about on Copyblogger. I started in early spring, and then dropped it for a bit.

Surprisingly, I started writing again at a beachside bar in Puerto Rico while sipping tequila (remember Hemingway’s advice on this… write drunk, edit sober). After pausing again for a month or so, I finished the report mid-summer in Durango, and handed it over to Chris Pearson for design goodness.

That’s when things got interesting.

I had originally intended to make the report your normal “ethical bribe” for people who subscribed to Copyblogger. That’s a tried and true method for increasing your subscription numbers.

I checked back in with Chris on a Saturday morning, and discovered he had just started building a website at authorityrules.com on Thesis. This led to a change in approach that Chris completed that weekend.

We decided to offer the report without requiring an opt-in. Better yet, we created a web version for those who didn’t want to read a PDF, while still keeping the printable option.

Here’s why.

1. Demonstration

Long-time Copyblogger readers know we like to teach by demonstration. In other words, many of our posts are doing what we’re telling you to do.

Authority Rules followed the same approach. It told you how to build an authority website, while demonstrating how to launch one.

Think about it: you build authority websites by creating exceptional content that gets you noticed, promotes social media sharing, and attracts links that builds your authority with Google.

By making the report into a website, we did all of that. Maybe you should too.

Now, the obvious objection is “Sure Brian, that’s easy for you. You have an authority site to launch off of and powerful friends.” Fair enough, but consider this.

When I launched Copyblogger in 2006, I was completely unknown. I first created Copywriting 101 as my cornerstone content, and then a couple months later, released the Viral Copy report.

I then worked to get the word out. I emailed every relevant blogger around, and it worked. (I accidently annoyed Steve Rubel in the process, but we made up later).

The point is, that approach worked for me as an unknown back then. If I were in the same position today, I’d launch my site just like I launched Authority Rules… because things change and this latest approach seems to work well.

With this approach, the report is the cornerstone content, and for a time, the entire website. You then start adding content and growing your subscriber base even further from there.

2. Sharing

This ties in to the previous point, but it’s a major consideration. I broke from conventional wisdom back when I released Viral Copy without asking for an email address, and it was the right move for the 2006 blogosphere.

I almost second-guessed that success with Authority Rules, but realized how important Twitter had become to our marketing mix. People share openly-available content much more than “gated” content.

I went with open to encourage maximum sharing.

3. Quality

Having a bunch of subscribers is great for the ego. Having any amount of quality subscribers is great for the wallet.

It’s tough sometimes, but the smarter choice is to focus on attracting quality subscribers. That means people who really want to hear from you on a regular basis.

So, if people are given the Authority Rules report without restriction and don’t bother reading it, they’re probably not a good fit. And if they do read the report and don’t feel compelled to subscribe to Copyblogger, they’re definitely not a good fit.

Stick with the quality people. They’re the ones who become part of your fan club.

4. Reciprocity

So let’s go ahead and challenge conventional “internet marketing wisdom” head on. Is it really smart to require an email address before you deliver the promised content?

Turns out studies show that twice as many people will take the action you desire if you ask after the promised content has been delivered. Let me explain that a bit.

The whole idea of promising content in exchange for an email address or RSS reader addition is based on reward – essentially I’ll give you this stuff if you do what I want.

Reciprocity is a much stronger psychological motivator. If you deliver great content and then ask for the subscription, the research shows that twice as many people will go ahead and subscribe at that point.

I don’t know how much better it worked in this case because I didn’t split test it. But I’ve never been let down by following the results of actual psychological research rather than “conventional wisdom.”

5. Teaching Sells

As far as free reports go, I haven’t written one better than the Teaching Sells Report. I think that’s because I wrote it for myself as much as for you.

It was mainly a happy accident, because Authority Rules should have been completed months earlier. But due to my procrastination, the report became a valuable indicator that helped with the pending reopening of Teaching Sells.

Essentially, if you were previously unfamiliar with my work, Authority Rules demonstrates that I give away valuable free content. Since our entire approach to “selling” Teaching Sells is also by giving away valuable free content, perhaps that explains why we’ve never had so many people interested in finding out more.

“Wait a minute,” you may be saying. “Why do you require an email address to get the Teaching Sells report?”

Here are two distinctions:

• The new Teaching Sells video is designed to be informative and entertaining. Essentially, the idea is to invoke reciprocity while promising reward all at once.
• Teaching Sells is a paid program tied to Copyblogger. So we actually give you hundreds of free articles in advance of ever asking you to opt-in for anything… which is another major benefit of building an authority site.

But who knows? Maybe after a year of updating and expanding Teaching Sells for our members (everyone has a lifetime membership and gets all the new stuff free), I’ll take a different approach. I’ve already got some ideas.

The point is to keep learning, testing, and experimenting. What worked previously might not work as well now.

What’s Next for Authority Rules?

This is the part I have no clue about. At the moment, the report is doing what I intended — organizing many of the topics we write about and introducing new people to Copyblogger.

Due to the way we launched, it’s nicely positioned for something else. Or maybe not… we’ll see.

Anyway, I hope this helped clear up the speculation and confusion. So now I’ll shut up and let you get back to building your own authority site.

Part EIGHT of the 10 Ways to Make Money Online Series

The 8th method that Jimmy D. Brown suggests to make money online is to “Tweak & Flip Info Products”. You’ll find this topic on pages 23-24 in your PDF.

In Chapter 1, we talked about creating info products. Chapter 8 is similar, except that you don’t have to actually write your own ebook content from scratch.

Jimmy suggests finding content with private label rights, which we generally refer to as PLR content.

PLR comes in all formats – audio, video, reports, ebooks, articles, e-courses, etc. Private label rights give you the option to modify the product, change the format, edit it in any way you like – and claim authorship on the final product.

This opens up A LOT of opportunity!

Even though 20, 200 or even 500 people might have the rights to this same product, very few of them will actually take any action. Of those that take action, most will simply use the PLOR product as-is, without any modifications whatsoever.

This is so true. How many of you have PLR content on your hard drive right now that you have never done anything with? Me too – guilty as charged! And we’re not alone. Most people download it and forget it. In fact, that’s true with most things when it comes to Internet Marketing. The very small percentage of people who actually take action are the ones making money online. Period.

All you have to do is invest an hour or so of your time to modify the product, thereby creating a new and unique product. Then you can change the title, create a new ecover graphic and tweak the sales letter!

It really is this ^ simple.

The great thing about PLR is the number of options that you have. You can use print PLR to create audio or video products. You can use a series of PLR articles to create a report or ebook. You can break a PLR ebook or report up into a series and use it in your autoresponder messages. That’s the beauty of PLR.

I recently bought several PLR packages from a variety of sellers, all on the same topic. I ended up with articles, reports, e-courses and even some videos. My goal is to take all of that PLR and combine it into one very complete ebook on the topic. There will also be plenty of material left over for blog posts, articles and an autoresponder series to complete the package to sell this ebook.

I have less than $100 invested for something that can earn thousands, and continue to earn on auto-pilot for years to come…

Quick Tip: You don’t even have to rework the product yourself! Visit elance or a similar site to find a competent freelancer willing to rewrite and tweak PLR content. Some will do it for just a few pennies per word.

Outsourcing the tweaks is a great idea, especially if you’re already super busy – or you just know you’ll never get around to it yourself. While you can find inexpensive freelancers at some of the popular freelancing sites, I prefer to work with people I know. I usually find them through my forum, my peer network, or through Twitter.

That’s my personal preference, though I’ve heard a lot of great success stories from people who used a site like elance.com or rentacoder.com.

Whatever you invest in rewrites, editing, or even cover graphics & sales page design, it is a drop in the bucket compared to what you can earn long-term with the finished product.

Fast and Easy!

It could take you weeks, or even months, to create your own product from scratch. Using PLR, you could easily have your own product ready to sell in a few short days.

Whether you’re creating short reports, ebooks, or any kind of info product for your market, consider using PLR content as your base. It’s much easier to modify existing content than to start out staring at a blank page with the pressure to write something brilliant!

If you’re not sure where to find good, quality PLR content try these two sources as a start:

• EasyPLR (Use Coupon Code: LYNNROCKS)
• Personal Development PLR

Also download the free 2-part report titled PLR Secrets that you see to the right if you haven’t already. That will give you a great head-start at figuring out how to write an ebook – the easy way!

Best,

p.s. There is an awesome deal this weekend only, expires on Monday, that you definitely want to check out: Special Report Club. Melissa is giving away a HUGE Internet Marketing PLR Package in a weekend fire-sale. A must-see if you need content for the “internet marketing” or “make money online” niches! This is a private offer, so click here to check it out now before it ends

My name is Johnny Truant, and I am a comment addict.

A large amount of my self-worth as a blogger is defined not by my traffic, or readership, or income, or buzz. It’s defined by the relatively meaningless number below each post that counts the people who fill out a form and click Submit.

On a gut level, I think I’d be more satisfied by a mediocre post that generated 100 fluff comments than a really good one that generated 5 meaningful comments. I like and need that hollow validation. I crave it in the same way I get a charge out of watching my Twitter Grade improve and my Tweet Nuts grow.

The good news? I know how to feed that addiction. In this post, I’ll give you a guaranteed way to get more comments from your readers.

The bad news? Pretty much by definition, it’s going to make you uncomfortable.

Here’s why: you have to confess.

Confessions Get Comments

Making a high number of comments a higher priority than business or genuine interaction is kind of stupid. Any consultant worth her salt should be gunning to kick me in the groin until I came to my senses. By making this confession, I’m opening myself up to looking pretty dumb.

Yet my guess is that I’m not the only person here who feels this way. I have a sneaking suspicion that maybe . . . umm . . . you have the same addiction too? In fact, I bet you’re itching to chime in and confess to your own comment-lust by. . . commenting on this post.

Maybe you can see where this is going.

The problem with most blogs and most bloggers is that they’re playing it safe. They’re just “reporting” on things, playing by the rules of what a person should and shouldn’t say in public. If you can buck that trend and talk about what others are feeling but won’t admit, you’ll draw a reaction. Opening up, especially when it’s uncomfortable, will get you more comments.

Here’s Proof

Let’s take me as a case study. Here are my three most commented-on posts:

• The post in which I admitted I’m really an uncool geek.
• The post in which I admitted that I am intentionally ignorant of all world events.
• The post in which I admitted that I was having some financial “challenges” and was mad, scared, and absolutely out of my head about it.

These posts aren’t entirely appropriate. They each cop to something that a normal person shouldn’t admit, but that nonetheless, a normal person is likely to feel. In other words, they’re nakedly human. And because it’s mainly humans who read my blog, the “human” aspect has some appeal.

How to Get More Comments

So, you want more comments? Here’s how you do it:

1. Think of something that you feel or that is bothering/affecting you, but which you are reluctant to talk about.
2. Ask yourself if other people are likely to identify with it or to feel the same thing, but are similarly reluctant to admit it. There’s little point to confessing to something that only you feel. (So for instance, perhaps you have a deep desire to rub yourself with rats. It seems unlikely that others will share this desire. But maybe that’s me. Maybe I’m out of touch.)
3. Make your confession, showing yourself in full, naked glory.
4. Watch the comments roll in.

This works because everyone has foibles, but most people are too preoccupied with looking “correct” or “professional” to discuss them. By finding and talking about these “elephant in the room” topics, you’re being brave on behalf of your readers. You’re being the first person to say what everyone is thinking, but which everyone is afraid to admit. You’re giving them permission to feel the same way, to discuss it, to admit it in kind.

But Isn’t It Scary?

Sure.

Each time I published one of the above confessions, my first thoughts were, “You moron! What have you done?” I expected to pull up FeedBurner and see my subscriber count having dropped to zero. That’s what you get when you expose your innermost weaknesses, right?

Well, apparently not. Those posts picked up a combined 211 comments, by far the most in the history of my blog. Since then, I’ve also had a deeper, more genuine connection with my readers. Now I can’t imagine going back to everyone not knowing how I feel.

For a medium that’s supposed to be social, sometimes the blogosphere is awfully cold. We feel like we have to puff ourselves up, as if no one would ever read our blog unless they believe we are better than they are. As a result, our blog reads like a corporate memo.

But what people really want, I think, is a friend. Not some know-it-all who pretends to like you just so he can make a sale, but a living, breathing human being who is just as screwed up as you are and isn’t afraid to admit it.

Know what I mean?

About the Author: Johnny B. Truant is the creator of Zero to Business: A ridiculously simple guide to turning your online business from tech headache to profit center and reluctantly confesses to enjoying reruns of Sex in the City.

I read a great blog post by Jason Parker at proIMer.com on advanced affiliate marketing strategies that I wanted to share with you, and expand on.

A few weeks ago Nicole Dean shared some great email marketing tips with us here during her guest blog tour. Nicole’s methods work great for anyone, whether you’re promoting your own products or offers, or promoting products as an affiliate.

I wanted to share Jason’s post, and his strategy, with you as a follow-up to Nicole’s series on email marketing…

Awhile back I mentioned that I’m not a big fan of the squeeze page method. I went on to clarify that I do build lists on my niche affiliate sites, but for further clarification I should say that I’m not a big fan of squeeze pages that add zero value to the process. You know the types of pages I’m talking about: the offer is so lame, or even non-existent, to the point that they are forced to BUY clicks just to get anyone to look at it.

Not all squeeze pages are bad, and the strategy is actually sound if you use it as a means to add value to the buying process – and to serve your market.

That’s exactly what Nicole shared with us in her series, and Jason Parker went into some advanced detail in his post about how to build a list – and why you would want to do that as an affiliate marketer.

The Way Of The Advanced Affiliate – Automated Email List Building

He also offers a free recording on Ultimate List-Building Secrets right there in the sidebar, which I hope to listen to as soon as I get some free time.

My point is that none of this is rocket science, and if you look around you have everything laid out for you. Both in blueprints and tutorials, and in live examples. All you have to do is take action.

I’ve been doing that more myself lately, and like I said in a previous post – it’s really paying off. And not just in upfront or immediate sales/income, but in long-term passive revenue as well.

Think about it: you put in the work upfront to create a product – maybe an audio or a short report, or use PLR or Resell Rights – and you set up an opt-in page and an autoresponder series. Like I said, not rocket science, just work. And not even hard work. Just a matter of putting the elements together in order. Period.

Once you do that, it will continue to work for you on auto-pilot month after month, year after year.

If you don’t yet have a list-building strategy in place with your online business model, now is the time to do that. Look over Nicole’s series. Look over Jason’s post. And of course if you have any questions, leave them in the comments section below.

Best,

p.s. If you are just starting your first mailing list or autoresponder, you’ll need an account with Aweber. You can use this link to get a free trial to start. Aweber is the industry leader, and is hands-down the best mailing list manager out there. If you think you might start out somewhere else and then move to Aweber later… don’t. A lot of us made that mistake, and you’ll end up losing ~90% of your list in the process. If you’re going to build a list, make it count!

On September 12-13, Chris Pearson, Missy Ward and yours truly (along with our other wonderful team members) will be walking 40 miles in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Los Angeles.

Not only that, Chris and I are donating $20,000 on behalf of DIY Themes.

Can you help us raise even more?

The money we raise allows medically under-insured women and men (yes, the disease strikes a small percentage of men) to receive the screening, support, and treatment they require. And leading-edge research teams will be provided with the funds they need to fuel their quest for a cure.

Yes, there are many other worthy causes out there. But Missy is a tireless advocate for breast cancer awareness, and a longtime fundraiser who’s helping to find that cure… so we’re right there with her.

Here’s how you can help:

You can simply make a direct online donation through my personal Avon Walk for Breast Cancer page. Any amount is appreciated, but as you know, higher amounts bring extra good karma.

Even better, you can participate in our walking team’s Not So Silent Auction and get really great stuff in exchange for your donation.

I’ve just donated two hours of telephone consulting for you to bid on. Since I don’t usually do consulting, I hope someone bids lots of money on this so I’m not embarrassed.

But there’s a ton of other tempting things to bid on, so go with what works best for you.

Thank you in advance for your help!

I’d also like to thank the DIY Themes community for supporting the Thesis Theme for WordPress. It’s because of all of you that we’re able to support worthy causes like the battle against breast cancer. You rock.

About the Author: Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and co-founder of Teaching Sells and DIY Themes. Get more from Brian on Twitter.

I have a vivid memory of using the word “idiosyncrasy” in fifth grade during a group project. I didn’t know the definition, just the word. This enraged a boy named Chance to the point where he spit on me and encouraged everyone else to do so. We all fought on the floor until the teacher pulled us apart.

I don’t blame the little ruffian, even though his favorite game was putting a bucket on his head and charging the wall. It was my fault. I’m a librarian and have always been one at heart. My parents pushed learning, curiosity, and books and that was the boy they created.

I failed to speak the dialect of my peers, and took my knocks for it. And on your blog, not speaking the right dialect can cost you relationships and readers.

What is a dialect?

Here’s one heinous example from a terrible poem by Fred Emerson Brooks called Foreigners on Santa Claus:

The bonnie Scotchman niver doot
Wi’ Scots Wauhai!
That Santa Claus goes a’ aboot . . .

Oh, man. This eventually leads to:

We have ze Santa Claus een France
We see him when we get ze chance

But dialects don’t necessarily involve bad accents.

Let’s include jargon as well. Doctors speak the dialect of medicine, bodybuilders speak the dialect of pec-tasticness, bloggers speak the dialect of plugins and trackbacks and tweets. Being fluent in the various dialects of your readers is a major key to successful blogging.

If something sucks, just say it sucks

The late, great David Foster Wallace wrote a wonderful essay about grammar wars (they do exist) in his book Consider the Lobster.

He suggests that the kids who know the big words on the playground are future social misfits. If what we might call “book talk” is your only dialect, you run the risk of alienating anyone who doesn’t communicate in that way. The more dialects you know, the more people you can make a connection with.

Wallace describes a boy striking out during a little league T-Ball game. Which of the following scenarios will serve him best with his peer group?

1. He shouts “How incalculably dreadful!”
2. He shouts “That sucks!” and stalks to the dugout.
3. He roars and slams his bat into the ground before bursting into tears of rage (been there).

Most kids on the bench will identify more with the kid who shouts, “That sucks!”

Why write anything in a style that creates distance with your readers?

Successful blogging = relationships

If you’ve ever read Copyblogger before, you know any commandments and buzzwords of traffic building that I could quote you.

• The call to action
• Content is king
• Write about your passion
• Write what you know
• Be genuine
• Write well
• Use your freaking spell checker
• Reciprocity

And so on . . . .

Why do you do any of these things? So readers won’t leave you. So they might even feel like coming back again tomorrow.

When you speak your readers’ language, you solidify the relationship. And that lets you use all the other copywriting techniques in the most productive way possible.

How do you learn the dialect of your readers?

Unless your blog has been a colossal failure, you probably already know the lingo readers want from you.

Look at your progress so far. It will show you how well you’ve been getting your message across.

What do readers want from you? What problems do you solve? Why are they reading your blog?

These questions should be in your head from day one.

If readers return often and your links grow steadily, you’re fine. Your relationships are solid and your language is appropriate to your goals.

But watch for warning signs. Beware of plummeting stats or emails that say: “Attention! I’ve noticed that you’re behaving like an imbecile and I hate you.”

Reevaluate often.

When in doubt, keep it simple

Here are some guidelines for writing that builds better relationships.

• Don’t use elaborate words when simple ones will do.
• Select words with your audience in mind.
• The goal is to help your readers, not impress yourself. Let someone else be the smartest person in the room (or the blog).
• There is no Nobel Prize for beautiful blogging. If you have literary aspirations, either write for a literary readership or write a book.
• Break long sentences into shorter sentences when possible.
• Learn when you can break the style rules — being too inflexible with your writing can get school-marmish if you’re too fussy.
• Be yourself. If your readers expect you to say that something “sucks,” don’t say that it’s “incalculably dreadful” instead.

If you take nothing else from this

If I could say one thing today and make it stick, it would be this:

Don’t fall in love with your own cleverness, smarts, or talent. Let your readers and results reward your efforts. Forget what you think you know about yourself for a while.

Be humble and have fun. Remember, you’re here to help, not impress. After all, parroting a few big words didn’t make wiping that spit off my face any fun back in the fifth grade.

And in case you’re wondering…

I won that fight. Big time.

About the Author: Josh Hanagarne writes World’s Strongest Librarian, a blog with advice about coping with Tourette’s Syndrome, book recommendations, buying pants when you’re 6’8”, old-time strongman training, and so much more. Please subscribe to Josh’s Stronger, Smarter, Better Newsletter to stay in touch.

The written word is having a tough time.

It’s not just that literacy rates are surprisingly bad. (One source maintains that half of American adults can’t read an eighth grade-level book.) But even among people who can read, fewer and fewer want to read.

If you’re a passionate reader (as I am), this might bring you to the brink of despair.

I’ve been a writer ever since I was a little kid in great big glasses. That only solidified in the late 1980s, when I got started in what’s now called social media. (Back then it was called “virtual community,” when Stewart Brand and Howard Rheingold were the Darren and Seth of their day.)

The rise of the web brought in a renaissance of text. Billions and billions of lines of text. From bulletin boards and IRC to those first, stunningly hideous static sites, all the way to today’s mainstream explosion of the social web.

Now we’ve got some new tools to play with. It’s actually a lot like 1989 (when I started) all over again. And there’s a real opportunity to benefit by getting comfortable with the new technologies.

Trust me, it’s a lot easier than figuring out enough Unix to get around in a 1980s bulletin board system.

Compelling audio

If your idea of web-based audio stops at podcasts or internet radio, you might want to take a second listen.

The beauty of audio is that it’s tremendously portable. Your “readers” can bring you anywhere. To the gym, on a commute, even to Thanksgiving dinner. (OK, we don’t endorse that last one.)

Audio also creates an especially close rapport with your audience. The spoken voice is a wonderfully intimate thing. When I began creating audio content regularly, my interactions with my audience took on a whole new dimension. People felt like they knew me in a way they never had before.

One other thing that took off: my sales conversions. A trustworthy, friendly voice turns out to be a fantastic way to address prospect fears and concerns.

You still need to create valuable, authentic, and remarkable content. It’s just that audio gives you some very powerful new ways to do that.

Viral video

I’m just getting my feet wet with this one. I’ll admit it, the new Teaching Sells video made me itchy to try it out.

If you’ve been reading me for awhile, you know I’m a sucker for strong, emotion-driving imagery. The idea of combining that with voice and music is irresistible.

And now that I’m taking the tools for a test drive, I’m surprised that the technical part isn’t tricky at all. It’s really about creativity, a strong message, knowing your audience, and having fun.

Full circle to text again

We might want to think twice before we throw text into the trash can.

You know who still adores text? Search engines. I don’t know if search engines will ever be able to parse audio and video content as well as they can text. Having plenty of written material lets the search engines know what you’re about, and that’s still a very helpful thing.

And there’s one other group who loves text: buyers. Experienced marketers know that very often, “buyers are readers.” That’s because buyers are the ones who (because of their own need or your brilliant marketing) are desperate for what you have to offer. For many buyers, it’s text that closes the deal.

And don’t forget that there will always be some who just plain like to read. Audio and video by their nature take time, something in short supply. Whenever I accompany my audio content with a clean, well-optimized transcript, I get effusive thank-yous.

Who creates all of this?

If you’ve been judging multimedia based on half-baked podcasts and unfunny cat videos on YouTube, I can see why you haven’t been interested in jumping on.

But persuasive audio and video are another matter entirely.

We’re in the very early days of smart, sharp, relevant multimedia content made to be consumed via the web. And when you add in interactivity, conversation, and the ability to adapt content to suit different learning styles, you’ve got a revolution in the making.

The multimedia web needs smart, passionate content creators. It needs writers.

Like you.

We cover the creation of multimedia content extensively in Teaching Sells. In fact, that’s how I got started using these new formats for my own businesses.

We not only teach the technical aspects (thanks to our wonderful partner, Tony Clark) in a step-by-step way that even I can follow, we also show you how to create compelling, high-quality content that can be used in a nearly infinite number of ways.

Whether or not you’re interested in enrolling in Teaching Sells, you’d be smart to sign up for the wealth of free content we’ve created. You’ll learn a lot about the future of online business, you’ll pick up some ideas you can use in your own projects, and the video is just plain cool.

This free content will only be available for about 9 more days, so you’ll want to move quickly to make sure you get your copy.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is Senior Editor of Copyblogger and an instructor for Teaching Sells.

First off, check out this quotation:

It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.
~Leonardo da Vinci

Now, let me ask you this… How do you spark the buying process without a lot of high-pressure, high-hype selling?

You do it by getting the reader, listener, or viewer to imagine buying from you, even before you’ve presented the full offer.

Why is that important?

It’s important because once someone imagines buying from you, they’ve made a mental commitment. The size of that commitment will depend on how well your content resonates with that particular individual, but it’s a commitment nonetheless.

And at that point, it’s a commitment voluntarily made, without any overt request on your part.

You may still be thinking, so what?

Well, we humans are funny that way. Once we commit to something, we tend to act in a consistent manner with the prior commitment.

The Six Psychological Shortcuts of Influence

In his famous book Influence: Science and Practice, Dr. Robert Cialdini identifies 6 judgmental heuristics that create mental shortcuts that can drive our behavior:

• Reciprocity
• Social Proof
• Liking
• Authority
• Scarcity
• Commitment and Consistency

Note that by giving away free content, you’re invoking reciprocity, which triggers the psychological need to give something back in return.

When people share and comment on your content, you’re invoking the power of social proof.

By creating conversational content that builds rapport, you are also bringing liking into play, because people want to do business with people they like, even if another choice might be technically more appropriate.

And by taking on the role of teacher, you’re becoming an authority figure, which makes what you say more likely to be accepted and acted upon.

Then when you get someone to imagine themselves buying, you’re bringing commitment and consistency into play, and this shortcut can tip the scales in your favor.

This is why in-person sales people will constantly ask you “If I can get this price, or this added feature, will you make the purchase?” When you verbally commit, they know they’ve gotten one crucial step closer to the close due to the psychological principles of commitment and consistency.

Even a smaller level of mental commitment can lead to consistency when the prospect makes the commitment based on their own (seemingly) unprompted decision.

At that point, the sale becomes yours to lose. This prospect will view your eventual offer through a more positive frame than someone who sees the offer cold. As long as you deliver what your content created desire for, you’ll sell a lot more.

Now you understand what da Vinci was saying.

When you come rushing out of the gate selling, it’s easy for people to resist. But when you establish yourself as a teacher who people have bonded with, it gets much harder to say no by the time the transaction is proposed.

Example: Shoemoney Tools

You likely know Jeremy Schoemaker from his popular ShoeMoney blog (and that famous 6-figure Adsense check). Jeremy has made a lot of money from Internet marketing, primarily with pay per click, membership sites and domaining.

Jeremy’s partner and code ninja Dave developed software tools in-house that helped Jeremy enjoy an “unfair advantage” at pay per click and finding link-rich abandoned domain names. Last year, they decided to release these tools to the public (not an affiliate link) on a subscription basis.

For people already involved with pay per click, signing up for Shoemoney Tools is a no-brainer… these are the tools Jeremy used in his own business. But how does Jeremy move beyond this initial group of relatively sophisticated customers?

Easy… he educates people to the point that they see the value in (and actually use) his tools. So Jeremy offers a free 12-week Internet marketing course (also not an affiliate link) where people get up to speed on the basics on all aspects of online marketing.

By the end of the course, people understand the value of the software tools, and are ready to begin learning specifically how to use them. Educating people in this way is a simple concept, but too many people push the product up front instead of empowering people to buy.

Smart Selling Empowers People to Buy

So many people equate selling with hype and shady tactics to trick people into buying. In reality, smart selling is about empowering people to make the right decision. Often times, people simply need to be thoroughly educated on the basics, which naturally reveals the ultimate benefits of doing business with you along the way.

With Teaching Sells for example, we provide a 10-day education process to everyone who’s interested in learning more, even though some people on the waiting list are ready to buy now. We do this not only to provide all the necessary information, but also to make sure we get the right group of people as new members.

The right group for us is a group that will take action. We provide a lot of step-by-step guidance and interaction, but in order for our members to succeed, they have to be willing to do the work.

And if they succeed, we succeed, because their success reflects back on us. And that’s ultimately the best marketing around, right?

Check out Teaching Sells for yourself.

About the Author: Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and co-founder of Teaching Sells. Get more from Brian on Twitter.

* Don’t Read This if Special Offers Offend You *

Whew – now that we got that out of the way, here are 4 special offers that I wanted to share with those of you that love a great deal as much as I do! Check these out while they’re still available. All are great deals, exclusive offers, or time sensitive…

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Google 1st Page Formula by Joe Marsh

Joe Marsh revealed this formula at the NAMS Workshop last weekend, and Chris Cobb bet him a dollar it wouldn’t work. It DID work, within 20 minutes even, and the 1st page Google ranking was still holding the next day when we checked it live in front of the entire room!

Joe got his dollar – and he won my interest in his method.

What’s an endless source of 1st page rankings and inbound links worth to you? This one’s a no-brainer!

You can download Joe’s report, which details out this simple method, for only $12 if you use this link. Otherwise it will cost you $27.

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NAMS Early-Bird Special Ends August 31st

Speaking of the NAMS Workshop, the next event will be held in January 2010 – just 5 months away! If you register before August 31st, you’ll save $500 on your workshop ticket, and get in for only $197.

The last workshop SOLD OUT early. I joked that I should buy up all the tickets and scalp them at the door in January.

At a time when most events are cancelling due to lack of ticket sales, or padding the seats by giving away free tickets, you know there has to be something cool going on at NAMS for it to consistently sell out.

Register for NAMS 3 early to get the good deal:
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(You’re going to want to be there. Don’t procrastinate on this one like so many others did for NAMS 2. Might as well get the good price!)

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Kathleen Gage: Making Money with Info Products

Kathleen Gage recently came out with a new report to help you earn your first $100 selling info-products. The report is only $17, but if you sign up fast you can also participate in her live teleseminar on Tuesday August 24th at 5pm PST. Even if you miss it live, you’ll get to download the replay.

Click Here for details…

So to recap, for only 17 bucks you get the report titled “Discover How to Make Your First $100 Online” plus the bonus teleseminar: How to Develop, Market and Sell Money Making Information Products.

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Exclusive Coupon Code for EasyPLR by Nicole Dean

Nicole Dean has a PLR site called EasyPLR. If you use that link, which is my referral link, then you’ll be able to use this coupon code to save $5 on any PLR order of $25 or more:

Coupon Code: LYNNROCKS | Link: EasyPLR

You won’t just find great articles there, you’ll also find reports & e-courses with Private Label Rights. If you decide to order anything, walk through the entire process slowly – and pay attention to how Nicole has everything set up along the way. It’s a great marketing lesson as a bonus! And she really over-delivers.

Also, her affiliate program is converting at 7% for me. AND she allows deep-linking to specific products. VERY nice! Be sure to sign up for her affiliate program. You can easily make more money and learn more marketing than you could ever spend at her site on the content…

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I hope at least one of these special offers was of specific interest to you. You could easily combine 2 or more of them to put together a fast cash plan that you could implement quickly & easily! And with these prices, it won’t be hard to turn a nice profit on the super-low investment

Best,