http://www.copyblogger.com/ultimate-facebook/

I’ll be going back to this MANY times!

I just answered a question this morning from a Life of E’s member (today is one of our *E*mail *E*xtravaganzas) and she had written in about my recent recommendation I’d sent her about Tom Antion’s ecourse on WordPress wanting to know more about what she would learn and why I had bought it.  Here’s my answer (sort of stream of consciousness but you get the drift): 

I have had WordPress for the Life of E’s blog and for my articles blog for awhile but I paid my webhosting company to set them up and then paid my webhosting company when I need certain things and have just felt like it was pretty limited and frustrating. I know that I have just paid another pile of money to my webhosting company to set up another website (not on a blog platform).  If I had waited a week and gotten Tom’s announcement, I wouldn’t have done that, but now that I have already paid it, I’ll keep working with that site.   However….

….I really see that from now on, I’m going to figure out whether I can go with a WordPress platform. Since I own a boatload of domain names, I want to have some one-page sites or pretty minimal sites (compared to www.meggin.com) and I can do that through WP.

What Tom gives you is 65 pages of info – pretty detailed and then at least 20 or so videos that he has created (you don’t see him, just his computer) where he is showing how to do things. I like his teaching style and sure enough, I’ve watched the video and then done just what he showed. The later videos which are about how to actually post, etc., I already knew. What I really lacked was the set up, the basics that, for some reason, scared me so I kept paying someone else to do it.

You can use either of these links to access Tom’s info on the product and to order.

http://tinyurl.com/2exjdu6  – these are my affiliate links to the product.  If you’re going to go check it out, you might use one of these links since I get the “thank you dollars,” but it costs you the same.  Totally up to you, of course.

http://snipurl.com/xmmd9

I think the reason he sells it for so little ($97) is because his list is so huge that he knows he’ll make a jillion dollars either way.

I bought the program last Friday, read through the 65 pages on Saturday, thought…wow. I can do this. Then started watching the videos later on Saturday (they range from about 3 minutes to about 12 minutes or so). I have continued to watch a few videos and do a few things each day so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. I worked on the http://thirtyarticlesinjustthirtydays.com/ site yesterday for about an hour to 90” to start getting more content and also to try out adding the tabs and different things. This weekend, I’m going to start setting up another site that will be a much simpler one for right now…just a page or two.

I have taken this and other educational programs from Bea Fields and she provides useful information, presented in an easily digestible manner!  I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about blogging (and other internet-related topics; I learned MUCH more than just blogging from her classes).

Here is some more information about the class from her website:

Dates: 12 Consecutive Mondays from August 10-October 26, 2009 from 1-3 Eastern (all recorded – so no worries if you miss a week)

Cost: $97.00

Location: Delivered via telephone bridge and webinar.

Facilitator: Bea Fields

Coaching: 1 hour of private coaching with Bea Fields.

Recordings: Yes. The calls will be recorded and made available to you for download following the calls.

Resources: Yep! We’ve got them covered…everything you need to know and more about blogging, social networks and some of the inside scoop the public does not know about!

www.RackandWrite.com

I learned about this in the WordPress class I’m taking from Bea Fields (Become a Blogging Maniac).  And that was only on the first day.  She has a wealth of information on her site.  

Lots of practical information is shared – with humor.  Gotta love that combination

One thing I have noticed is how some web sites, blogs, and articles have a greater influence on me – the consumer of written language.  As we have such short attention spans when it comes to reading content (and there’s a lot of content to choose from!), some individuals seem to have a secret on how to hook the consumer.  I had the opportunity to listen to a teleseminar from a woman known as Michele PW.  She shared 5 great secrets to writing good web copy and has given permission for me to share my notes with you.

Before I list her secrets, she shared how there are different kinds of copywriting.  The copywriting she focused on is called ‘direct response copywriting.’  Michele says, “Direct response copyrighting is salesmanship in print.”  Here are her secrets:

1. Headlines convince your prospects to read.  Don’t try to be too cute.  Powerful headlines imply a story or problem & solution.  The writer knows the conversation that is already in your prospects heads and puts that conversation in the headline.

2. The call to action – at the bottom – is so clear that the buyer knows exactly what to do to buy.  Just like the infomercial says, “Pick up the phone and dial….” the web copy needs to say, “Click here and you will be taken to my secure shopping cart…”  Also remember that:  If you don’t ask, they won’t buy.

3. Tell your benefits because that’s what the prospect buys.  Features are not benefits.  Features are the facts (time, price).  Benefits people can use to compare the services/products whether they are comparing the choices you offer or what some one else is offering for their time and money.  Michele says that what makes the web copy powerful is to, “Tell the benefit of the benefit.”  Draw some pictures that will resonate with your target.

4. Overcome objections.  The two objections, regardless of the service/product are time and money.  These are the universal issues.  So, refer to secret three on how to work through this concern.

5. Provide a guarantee because this takes the risk off your prospect and puts it on you.  Be careful about how you phrase time constraints as this works against secret four.

I received some ‘aha’ moments while listening to Michele’s content.  You can learn more about her and her services/products at www.MichelePW.com.

Thanks for sharing, Kelly.  Kelly’s website is www.KJscottage.com

Dr. Julie-Ann McFann alerted me to this opportunity, so I signed up, since in April I’m also starting to take a series of classes on WordPress and how to use it more effectively (see previous blog post on Bea Fields’ class).  So, if you’re interested, here’s the link:

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2009/03/25/31-days-to-build-a-better-blog-sign-up-here/

Apparently there are already over a 1000 people signed up.  Zowee.

Meggin

I thought some of the rest of you would be interested, too.  Folks, blogging and all the other Web 2.0 stuff is here and there are discussions about Web 3.0 just around the bend.  Can’t even imagine what that’s going to be.  I’m still learning all the amazing aspects of Web 2.0. 

Hope you’ll check it out and consider taking the class, “Become a Blogging Maniac.”  I will certainly be implementing what I can as each week passes.  When I told Alicia that I was signed up to take the class, she recommended not just blocking out the time for the class each week, but also time to implement each week.  So, I’m getting into my calendar TODAY and making that commitment.

YAY!  Happy Sunday.

Meggin

Here’s the cool thing…once you establish a ‘gravatar’ (a globally-recognized avatar), it shows up in WordPress or other such site.  Here’s how to get your very own….

1. Go to http://en.gravatar.com
2. Register (there’s no cost).
3. Once you are there, you upload your own picture (or some other symbol that you want to represent you).
4. It helps if you already have a little picture of yourself or have decided on some other symbol.  Mostly, I recommend a picture, but it’s up to you.  It’s your gravatar. 
5. Once you’ve uploaded your picture (or symbol) and finish out the process (which takes just a few minutes), then voila…your gravatar will show up.

Try it out by making a comment on this or any other blog post and see what happens. 

Then, whenever you go to any different blog (that is gravatar-enabled), your gravatar follows you there.  I’ve only loaded mine in there once and now, whenever I comment on someone else’s blog (e.g., http://theteachersmovement.com/)  it’s there. 

Hope this helps.

Meggin