More Signs

Everyday I am more and more aware of what is happening in my life. things are crumbling and I am fed up with it! I have been going through what some people call third party conversations. This is when people intentionally want to create conflict without getting at the source. This weekend, I got calls from members of my family, asking when I was coming home. I never mentioned the exact time of my return to the City that I am from. Instead I was bombarded with the bullshit that told about me and those who are close to me. I think at age 32, there comes a point when everyone should mind their own fucking business.

I am clear that my mother has not cut the cords to me yet. She still wants to feel needed and wanted. There is nothing wrong with that. It becomes a problem when you are telling other people lies. Be responsible for what you cause in the world. It’s not right for you to just up and say whatever you want when you want. It just doesn’t make sense to me.  She has been talking to other family members, but up until this point she has she to call me. Yes this is a verbal and very public diary in this case.  I can’t keep all this stuff in my head anymore. If anyone wants to know what is going on with me.. Here you go right here and right now. It is not concern nor is it interest in the what’s so.

I have always has an innate power to create in a way many others have not been able to.  I am looking for someone that can be there for me when things are happening in real time. It’s been a very difficult time in this life for me. All of the past, the secrets, the lies are coming to the surface. I no longer want to be a part of it. I have been holding all this resentment and pain for the past for all my life. I have been blamed, maimed and had to pay for all of the sins of the father, the mother and the son.  It’s true my intuition is starting to kick in and I am finding that things don’t make sense the way they used to.  I am finding my way. I am a healer but guess what you have to go through the fire to find your way. It’s really not all that great from where I stand. I am trying to find a way to put my energy and time into the things that are much better for me than this stuff that has been going on.  I am so exhausted from the fighting and exhaustion.

Ive made a commitment that after this week. I am going vegan for a month.. Only fruits and vegetables. No Meats, no eggs or dairy. Good bye animal by products. I am going to increase my cholorella intake.  I am going to really get my sexy health nature back. There are a few things that I would like to do including become a holistic practioner, a herbalist, and a numerologist fully maybe some other things but those are definitely where i want to be. I want to be the feminine component to the man that I have loved al of this time. He know who he is.  I love you!

Get Ready Crystal Gurl, Inc is ready for business.  Let’s go baby!

Ok that is enough for tonight maybe i’ll write more tomorrow

One day they may get it.

 

On my face book page i posted the following:

Rule#1 – Mind Your Own Damn Business.
Rule#2 – Clean up your own Business before spreading manure.
Rule#3- Say it right the first time.
Rule#4 Grow the Hell up.

Life is short and if you want to be petty about how life goes, you are going to be looking for your answers in all the wrong places. No one has the answers for you. You got to learn how to walk in your own shoes and follow those who are doing the things that you are interested in.

In the last 24 hours I have recceived so much shit in conversations with people who declare that they love me.  I  have been shouted  at, demeaned, and told false evidence appearing real. I am done with this shit. I really am. I have been doing my part to break the evil patterns of the past. Do they not know that secrets always come to life?  the dirt you did will come to you. That you weren’t the best parent ever? That you did your dirt too. I am just asking because this shit is on my last nerves.

I meditate, i breathe, and take on the task that i need to for the next day.

Family I love you but it is time to let go of the cord.. my solar plexus is burning. It’s time to let go of this madness. I forgive. I love you and I am sorry.  this is just one way to find your way to enlightenment.  find your solace.

You Will Never Be Forgiven

I am writing this because  I find myself awfully pissed off with myself.  I am growing, changing and developing into a newer, Better, and Bad ASS Me.  I have lived my life under the rules of others.  I am 32 years old and I have never liked the game, Follow the Leader, Why are you the freaking leader? Who appointed you to be the leader? Not me. I have wanted to be the leader for a long time and realized that over the time, I have not wanted to be the leader when it came down to the nitty gritty.  I will take on the supporter role I will help you accomplish your goals and get you on your way.

I am tired of being perfect. I am not.  I am tired of being talked about behind my back. I am tired of the bullshit stories that have been told about me and my past.  You didnt live in my shoes. You didnt get through what I have been able to get through up until now.  You havent begun this journey that I took on when I was 26 years old. You are not me and will never be.

I am so fucking angry that i have to put the pen to the paper.  I havent been able to write and journal the way that  I love to. I have wanted to be free for so long but I’ve been sitting in a cage for quite some time and just wanting to be released. For most of my life, I have lived with my mother and my siblings. I left for about 6 months when i got married and that didnt prove too productive for me.  I have had a child when I was 23 years old and finishing college at the same time.  I have made a lot of strives in my life more than anyone  I know. I have been to hell and back. I even bought some of the fire with  me.

I feel like the phoenix, that rises from the ashes.  I keep getting burned up in this thing called life and sometimes wondering why Hey I have chosen all of things that have happened to me.. Good Bad or indifferent.  EVERYTHING. There is always a choice and when you dont choice., there is a default option which you might not like very much. That is what choice is.. You have to live with whatever choices you make in this life time and the next.

I have lived like a teenager for my entire life. I have yet to surpass the age of 18.  I am still waiting to grow the F #$% up. I have been dependent on my mother, my uncle, my boyfriends for my entire adult life. I have a young man depending on me and i sometimes feel I dont have it all together. But guess what I am here.. I am ready and I am available.

When I get back to the distorted reality of my life, I must find a new place to live, work/employment for the mean time. I got to take care of me and have faith in me to do all the things that I have ever wanted to do. This morning I was listening to  Zig Ziglar and he said… You will spend more time being dead then being alive, so make the best of the time you have while you are alive.  Enjoy it to the fullest! oh my god that was just the best thing that I have heard today! Thank You for being on my itunes! LOL

There is so much to release.. Carrying family traits and patterns that are no longer mine. I am ready to free myself of this disgusting and grimy thing called the past. I am not interested in putting any of it together for anyone else. I am ready for a clear way to make things happen for myself. Thank you to all the people that gave me the lessons i so desperately needed. I appreciate it all in some ways or another.

To be continued…

 

Free Flow thoughts…

The Journey Begins with One Step

There are so many roads that we take.  Sometimes they lead us to good roads and other time we wish we could run the other way. For most of my life when the road gets too hard, I find myself running for my life like a banshee out of hell.  I am very uncomfortable when I am asked to share my feelings or emotions with people I don’t  know.  I feel that this thing that I am, should be fully allowed to bloom in its own time.

This year has been a very roller coaster year for me. I have so many stories to tell where do I begin? Well let’s talk about the circle.  I have thought that in this time that I could really try to date someone whom I thought that I could grow to love.  I moved in with him and his family. Little thought to the confusion it would cause in my life.  Not healing myself from a previous relationship and all the pains and sorrows that came with it.   This relationship ended in a way in which I had an opportunity to birth into a new me.  I was ready to take the next step.  I have tried many time to go to the next level of relationships but  I have all this baggage i am carrying as if it is designer.

A Dear Nat letter was left on a table for me.  Stating the reasons of the dissolution of the relationship.  I was a bit taken aback for the fact that we lived in the same house, and this man couldn’t even speak to me.  It took a couple of days for me to wrap my head around it. but I had already saw the signs.  I felt it in my being.  It was a simple process.  I am more intuitive than I  care to give myself credit.  I can feel and envision the things that project into reality.  Does that make me a Wizard,  A mistress of the ARts. No I am a person that can connect with Source the same way you can.  I am always running from it but it catches up with me sooner or later.

Through this time, Within a few days I literally packed up all of my things and my son’s things also. Most of my things were put into  Garbage bags.  I just got up and did it as much as possible.  It was very thrilling that all of these things were taken place so quickly within me.   There was a weekend, sitting on a couch and this man’s daughter’s boyfriend cursed her out in her Father’s house. I asked him, Sweetie, aren’t you going to say something to him? He looked at me and said, No, she will be fine. At the pivotal moment, This relationship was now over.  This man sitting next to me could never protect me from anything or anyone. He wouldn’t be able to defend me as another man was in his house disrespecting and he didnt speak up.   These are the signs that come up again and again for me.

AS this one journey was over. I stepped into another realm, one in which my heart felt drawn to. I found my way to the person who makes my heart warm. A quick reaction, connection after many moons of not speaking or communicating, all on my part. When I think about the disconnect that I created then, I am still going through the pain and angst that I have caused that person. This person is an intricate part of my being, a friend, a lover, a partner and so much more.  I stand in the Glory that we are.  The only thing that ever matters is what we feel inside about who is in our life. Don’t take people for granted. One day they may not be there as much as you would have like them to be.

I am writing these lines because I have made so  many decisions and not included the people who were most important to me. I can easily get stuck inside a story looking for a way to release the patterns that have trapped me in an existence that is not real.  We can live a life of regret or a life of doing the things that we did because we took some massive action.  I am learning to be ok with the results. Taking full responsibility for them and allow the lessons to come full circle out of them.  There were so many lessons in the 10 months that have already passed.

1. New Relationships old relationships

2. Dabble in a religious practice

3.  The new designer me outside of who I knew myself to be.

August of 2011, I  entered a “religious sect” with my girlfriend I had been very skeptical about approaching this particular sect. I shared my concerns and went in anyway.  I heard some things that were resonating with me. So for a few months, off and on I took some courses and found myself intrigue.  But like any good thing,, things have a cost.  At the time, my finances were funny they drifted like a gypsy in and out of my pockets like water down a drain.  I was being pushed to take more courses and gain more knowledge. I left for a couple of months and then came back to join their organization. I was flying high for some weeks and doing courses fairly quickly. I realized at a  moment that i may have signed away my life to the Devil himself for the next Five Years.  I couldn’t do, I didnt want to do it.   I silently cried my eyes out and was defiant like a child.  I wouldn’t show up to class, or i would come when I felt like it. I though they would get the hint..  Eventually they wanted to send me for elite training. They  made the arrangements as best as they could to groom me. most of the people around me were “jealous” of this opportunity.  I didnt see it that way.

Mid september I was sent on a plane at 630 in the morning to Clearwater, FL. For the next 7 days, I had the worst time of my life.  I read so many instructions, having to conform with a certain way of doing things, did not work for me.  Everyone checking your steps and your life. The first sign that things were not 100% kosher were the following things:

1. no cell phone, no lap tops

2 No reading of other materials other than what was prescribed.

3. You must work for your Room Board and Meals.

4.  Your phone calls must be monitored at all times.

5. Do not meditate it interferes with our Processing.

I had a to share a room with 8 other women. Women from other cultures,  we had to be in bed by midnight up by 730 for 30 minutes of Exercises.  We had to be at breakfast by 830 and on our way to classes at 9 am. Apparently i came with too much baggage and as such. I was sitting on the sidelines for days.  I was getting restless, no one was telling me what was happening. So much so I was getting paranoid. I didnt know who the hell these people were, they were weird and they wanted me to drop everything that I knew to be true. I couldn’t. I did all types of things to get free.  I put foil my hair, i talked to myself and finally i just cursed them out and they were ready to send this black woman back to New York.

Thank you God for great friends, as my Girlfriend  Zully- The Spiritual World Traveler came and saved me. Literally I was shaking and i couldnt stop. I was so nervous thinking that i was being followed. It took me days to relax. I couldn’t get myself together. I was crying and upset. I finally had a breakdown in a store.. I had tears all over my shirt, and tissue paper stuck to my face. It was horrible. My new Brother from another Mother Stephen Saved me. /He got me ice cream and just took care of me in that moment. It Thank you so much!  It was time to let all of that go.   After shedding my tears, it was a new cleanse for me.

I am still healing, as I am asserting myself. I will never let another person or organization attempt to take me from the Truth that  I know. I am a spiritual person. I practice and am Kemetic Spirituality. I am embrace my roots and my being. I am clear that it is time for  me to figure out exactly what it is i need to be doing in my life..

Alien Abduction

To those who know and to those who don’t know.

This is not a joke.  know that we have to the power to overcome anything in this life time.

This is just an introduction to what is happening in my world.

Alien abduction they tried to seduce me to their way of life.
Alien abduction ain’t for me.
You claim you come from another planet.
But baby you got it all wrong!
Alien abduction
Subtle attraction
Broken promises
Saying it will all get better with time. I don’t have time to wait. My life is here and right now.
Alien abduction
Subtle seduction
So many lies to see the truth.
The layers of deceit
Feel me with pain of the
Energy I wasted trying to be one of you.
I knew it would never be me. This is not part of my identity
To be controlled, to be owned
I could never do this to myself.
I wish you could understand me just a bit.
I am too powerful for your way of life.
I am a warrior, goddess, I am that I am.
I am.
I am
I am not controlled by your alien inclinations.
I got too Much to do and I can’t let anyone take my joy.
Alien abduction
You tried to take my brain and utterly destroy me.
My powers protect me from the things I do to myself.
Your aliens ways don’t work on me.
I am a freedom loving human being.
I have to decline your alien inclination to take over me. I
Am not looking for solace in your world. You bring destruction and pain everywhere that you go.
I wear the protection of love joy and kinship.
You can never have that because you are too alien to believe me anymore than you did. This is making me feel sick to know I trusted you but you caused my heart to stop from so much drama.
Do you even know me do you do you I make the crazy look crazy.
Spirit resides in me
That is why you can’t fuck with me.  Keep trying you will find yourself  stuck with a web between your eyes.
Alien abduction.
Subtle attraction
Condemnation
Return to where you have come from
This planet doesn’t need you
Return to your destruction
We don’t want your seduction
Alien abduction I am done with you as my story is told
I am free and clear from this thing you call opportunity.

Ten ways to advertise your business on Facebook by Kevin Gibbons

The marketing potential of Facebook is huge, but many companies struggle to devise a strategy that’s suitable for such a social platform.

But there are more than 400m active users of Facebook, meaning whatever your product or service, there’s a huge potential market there.

So, how can you use the platform to promote your brand? Here are some of the ways marketers can approach it.

Make a Facebook page

Let’s start with the most obvious; do you have a Facebook page?

Since the website began inviting users to ‘like’ business pages rather than ‘become a fan’ of them, it’s much less intrusive and people seem to be far happier about this slightly more subdued way of showing their approval.

If you’re marketing a lively brand or product, don’t make do with a dull standard Facebook page, make your landing page lively and interesting.

Promote your page offsite

Don’t expect your potential fans to find you on Facebook without a little support. Add a ‘Find us on Facebook’ button to your website, email marketing communications and even printed brochures, so that people know you’re on there.

You may disagree, but I think that having a Facebook page shows that a brand is interactive and personable. So, even if people don’t bother looking you up, they may be left with a better impression of your brand.

Make your page interesting

What are you going to do with your Facebook page? Will you post deals, links to blog posts, competitions, notes, photographs of your corporate summer party (guilty!)?

You need to add content to your page so that your fans have something to interact with and so that they see your brand in their news feeds, building brand awareness.

Have a clear content strategy before you start building the page, otherwise you could suddenly be left scrambling for something to say.

Have a clear idea of what you want people to do

What are you hoping to achieve with your Facebook page? If it’s just brand awareness then you want content that people will interact with on the page. If you want to get fans to click through to your site, you’ll need links to offers and exclusives.

If it’s to create brand advocates, you need to create applications and games that people will share with their friends.

If you don’t know what you hope to achieve, then you won’t be able to create appropriate content.

Use Facebook ads

Will your marketing budget stretch to some paid Facebook ads? You can use keywords from people’s profiles to target your advertising at relevant demographics, (female friends who’ve become engaged tell me they see nothing but weight loss ads from the moment they change their relationship status!).

So, you can target people of a specific age, gender, educational level, workplace, even location.

It is a fairly cost-effective way to market your brand. You may even decide to use your advertising to drive people towards your fan page and give it a proper kick off.

Build a Facebook app

Can you create an interactive app? Some of the cleverest Facebook marketing is app-based, with the potential to turn viral and suddenly create enormous interest in your company.

You can build games, quizzes and other types of dynamic content that people will use and share.

If you don’t have the skills inhouse to create this kind of content, many business have sprung up that will develop an app with you to market your brand.

Make your content easy to share

Do you have a blog back on your website? Linking works both ways, you shouldn’t just be driving people to your site through Facebook.

In fact, you should also give people the opportunity to alert their Facebook friends to interesting content on your company website. Add a button allowing people to share the article on Facebook, as well as to Tweet it, Sphinn it, Digg it, Buzz it, or whichever your social platforms of choice are.

Make it as easy as possible for people to spread your brand message.

Create and interact with Facebook groups

Join some relevant Facebook groups and maybe even create a few. This will allow more people to see your brand, giving you the chance to build a fan base without paying for advertising.

Of course, this is a dangerous tactic if you’re a bit blunt. You mustn’t simply charge in and start trying to sell to people who are busy socialising. Instead, you should offer tips, support and advice, building confidence in your brand.

Is there a cause or campaign your company believes in? Maybe you’re a debt management company campaigning against payday loans, or a restaurant campaigning for more local food to be eaten in your town?

Create a group that promotes your cause and you’ll be able to interact with people who wouldn’t necessarily ‘like’ a brand but are very willing to support a campaign they believe in.

Give your fans exclusives

If someone has updated their Facebook page to show friends that they like your brand, you really ought to reward them.

Give them exclusive deals, sneak previews of new products, discounts – special offers to show you appreciate their support.

Use Facebook analytics

Having created a Facebook page, you need to need to monitor the success of the page. Facebook’s analytics tools allow you to see what kind of content works well.

Once you’ve created a page, you’ll be able to access this information through Facebook Insights, meaning you can see how people are interacting with your content, what demographics they belong to, which countries they are in, how many people have signed up, how many people have unsubscribed.

Make use of this information. It’s free and it will inform your developing Facebook strategy.

Don’t forget

If you’re a marketing professional, it’s not just your business you can promote through Facebook – you can also market yourself and build connections with other people in your sector.

There are groups, discussions and a thousand other ways to connect. You can even have different settings for your work-related ‘friends’, meaning they never need to see that picture of you after 12 vodka shots…

Learn more…

The Social Media Statistics document is one of 11 individual downloads that make up Econsultancy’s popular Internet Statistics Compendium, a comprehensive compilation of statistics and online market research with data, facts, charts and figures that are essential to understanding the marketplace as a whole.

Kevin Gibbons is Director of Search at SEOptimise and guest blogger for Econsultancy. You can also find him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Take Your Website to the Next Level with Shopping Carts, Credit Cards and Affliate Programs By Stephanie Chandler

If you are in the business of selling products and/or services and you’re not making them available through your website, there is a good chance you’re losing money. The internet allows us to reach potential customers around the globe. As a business owner, your website provides a tremendous opportunity to build a fan base and maximize sales. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be difficult to set up your website to accept orders.

Online shopping cart technology and credit card processing is easier than ever to implement. Following is a look at some of your choices:

Paypal If you have a limited number of products or you simply want to test the waters, Paypal provides a quick and easy way to add a shopping cart to your website. This wholly-owned subsidiary of eBay is primarily a payment processing service.

Once you sign up for a free Paypal account, you can quickly create shopping cart buttons to insert on your website. When a customer makes a purchase, Paypal takes the buyer through the payment process and delivers an email receipt when payment is complete. As the merchant, you receive notification via email that your product has sold, along with the buyer’s shipping information.

Like all merchant card processors, Paypal charges a fee per transaction. Their rates are based on the amount of transactions processed each month. For up to $3000 in sales, Paypal currently takes a $.30 transaction fee plus 2.9% of the transaction value. For $3000.01 – $10,000, the rate is $.30 plus 2.5%. Paypal used to require shoppers to register with the payment service before it would process an order, but this is no longer the case.

Today orders processed through Paypal are comparable to most other online shopping experiences. 1ShoppingCart.com If you intend to sell a large volume of products, 1ShoppingCart provides a comprehensive shopping cart system.

Depending on the level of service you choose, you can create shopping cart buttons, offer special discounts or sale prices on your products, create gift certificates, automate email delivery with auto-responders and deliver e-books securely.

The basic package starts at $29 per month and the complete package with all of the features is $79. You can also use 1ShoppingCart’s merchant account provider to process credit cards or integrate the shopping cart with a different merchant processor. Separate transaction and monthly fees apply so be sure to check the website for the latest fee schedule.

Payloadz.com If you’re selling electronic downloads such as ebooks or mp3 files, Payloadz allows you to set up shopping cart buttons and automates the delivery of your electronic products. The service is integrated with Paypal so payment transactions are easily processed through your Paypal account.

Payloadz offers two types of fee schedules. You can choose between a standard 15% transaction fee with no additional monthly fee, or you can pay a flat monthly rate. The monthly rates are based on the amount of storage space required to host your electronic files and the total transactions processed in a thirty day period.

Visit the Payloadz website for a complete chart of the fee structures. Payloadz also hosts its own eBay store so you can list your electronic products for sale on eBay. You can also set up an affiliate program and offer commissions to others who sell your products.

Yahoo If you would like to create a custom online store, Yahoo Merchant Solutions may be the answer. For under $40 per month, Yahoo’s starter program includes web hosting, up to 100 email accounts, and the tools to set up your shopping cart. They also charge a 1.5% transaction fee for each sale under this package. The standard package costs about $100 per month plus a 1% transaction fee and includes the ability to offer coupons, host sales and sell gift certificates.

Yahoo stores integrate with most merchant card processors or you can sign up for an account with their partner, Paymentech (www.paymentech.net). Yahoo also offers incentives for signing up such as credits toward search engine marketing services and discounts on services from their partners.

For more information, visit http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/merchant. Affiliate Marketing Once your website shopping cart service is in full swing, you can generate more sales by offering your own affiliate program. These programs allow other merchants to sell your products on a commission basis.

For example, you could set up an affiliate program for a book you’ve written and offer other online merchants a 30% commission on each sale. Most of the online shopping cart services allow you to set up affiliate links for your business partners.

If you’re using Paypal or another service that doesn’t provide the ability to set up affiliate accounts, you can set one up through http://www.clickbank.com or http://www.paydotcom.com. If you do offer an affiliate program for your products, make it as easy as possible for your sellers. Provide them with full product descriptions and high-quality graphic images. Don’t forget to offer enough commission to make their efforts worthwhile.

Expand Your Sales With a shopping cart and an affiliate program in place, your income opportunities are endless. You may want to consider expanding your product line to include e-books, special reports, teleseminars and other types of information products. Customers who like your products are likely to return to purchase additional products. Soon you could be reaping the rewards of your online product sales.

About the Author: Stephanie Chandler is an author of several business and marketing books including “LEAP! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business” and “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, eBooks and Information Products.” She is also founder and CEO of http://AuthorityPublishing.com, which specializes in custom publishing and internet marketing services, and http://BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs. For author and speaker details, visit http://StephanieChandler.com.

Blogging for Business: Benefits of a Blog and Essential Tips for Getting Started By Stephanie Chandler

A blog is essentially an online diary that allows you to post information, tips, thoughts and ideas in a running log format for others to view. Blogs are used by companies large and small to build an audience, promote a business and gain valuable online exposure.

Not sure if a blog is right for you? Here are six key reasons to start blogging now:

Search Engines Love Blogs:

The major search engines provide higher rankings to sites that update data frequently. When you post to a blog several times each week, you content is constantly changing and growing. The search engines will reward your effort with improved search engine rankings.

Build an Audience:

A good blog can attract many new customers. People who like what you have to say will pay attention to your blog by subscribing to your blog feed. Content is Archived Forever: Each post to your blog adds to your growing index of content. The more content you have, the more reasons you give the search engines to find you. For example, if you wrote a post last month about the lifespan of a blue butterfly, when someone searches the Internet for that particular subject, there is a good chance that your post will be returned in the search results (depending on the competition for the related keywords).

Establish Yourself as an Expert:

Hosting a blog is one of the quickest and easiest ways to showcase your expertise in your subject matter. When you share valuable tips and resources, you engage readers while building credibility in your industry.

Get Media Exposure:

The media is constantly on the hunt for sources to interview for stories. From magazine and news reporters to major radio and television producers, blogs are becoming a strategic place for the media to find talented industry experts.

Leverage and Repurpose Blog Content:

It doesn’t take long to build up a substantial amount of blog content. You can repurpose your posts into articles, ebooks, books and reports. Many bloggers have found publishing success by building a loyal following online and then impressing publishers with a ready-made online “platform.” Ready to get started? Here are the steps to take:

1. Search the Internet for blogs in your industry and do a little research before you start. Studying other people’s blogs will help you identify what you like and don’t like and how you want yours to look and feel.

2. If you already have a website, check with your hosting provider to see if they provide a blog plug-in option. If not, popular blog services include http://www.Typepad.com, http://www.Wordpress.com and http://www.Blogger.com.

3. Establish several categories that appeal to your target audience. For example, my business growth blog has more than a dozen categories including articles, book recommendations, technology tips, resources for authors and online marketing. Categories make it easy for readers to browse through your past entries.

4. Develop content ideas for your industry. Your blog can include personal opinions, book reviews, links to helpful resources, industry statistics, product recommendations, excerpts from books or white papers (from which you own the copyright) and much more.

5. Keep it simple. Blog entries do not need to be long-winded. In fact, online readers prefer brief content that is easy to scan. I recommend writing just one to three paragraphs for each post. Use sub-headings and bullets to make the text easier to read. Photos and videos can also add visual appeal.

6. Add outgoing links to your blog posts when appropriate. For example, if you mention an article you read in XYZ magazine, make sure to include a hyperlink to the article. Not only will your readers appreciate the option to view the sites you reference, but having links pointing to other sites can further improve your search engine rankings.

7. Schedule time to work on your blog. You should be posting at least three times each week for best search engine optimization. Instead of logging in several times each week, write several blog entries at once and then schedule them to publish on specific days.

8. Promote your blog by including your blog link in your e-mail signature, on your website, in social networking profiles, and anywhere else you can find to share it with the world. You can also submit it to directories such as http://www.BlogCatalog.com and http://www.Technorati.com.

9. Consider minimizing some of the effort involved by inviting others to contribute. Your blog could include posts by employees, customers, peers or strategic partners.

10. Maintain your momentum. Be on the lookout for fresh topic ideas so you can avoid getting “bloggers block.” When you come across something interesting, get in the habit of writing it down so you have it handy when it’s time to update your blog. It may take some time to build momentum for your blog, but in the long run, the rewards can be significant. When the call comes from a major media source or a big client referral, you will know that it was all worthwhile.

About the Author:

Stephanie Chandler is an author of several business and marketing books including “LEAP! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business” and “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, eBooks and Information Products.” She is also founder and CEO of http://AuthorityPublishing.com, which specializes in custom publishing and internet marketing services, and http://BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs. For author and speaker details, visit http://StephanieChandler.com.

How to Write a Powerful Press Release By Stephanie Chandler

One of the most effective methods for promotion is media exposure- exposure that starts from a simple press release. Newspapers, magazines and television news shows rely on press releases to locate news and human interest stories. Anyone can send a press release, but in order to get the attention of reporters, it must be professional, news worthy and appealing to a broad audience.

A press release should be brief- one or two pages- yet include enough details that a reporter could write a short article based solely on the information provided. The release should not be an announcement that a business or product simply exists, but should have an enticing “hook”. Good hooks include special events and sales, product announcements, contests, survey results or awards given or received. The trick is to make the hook interesting enough to capture the interest of the reader.

Be careful with your wording to avoid sounding like a sales brochure- this is sure to discourage the media from pursuing the story. Follow these rules to write a press release that gets the attention you want: ¨

Read several sample press releases before writing yours so you understand the proper format. http://www.BusinessWire.com and http://www.PRNewswire.com are good sources for locating professional releases.

¨ Start with a proper heading that includes your contact information. When listing phone numbers, indicate a day and evening number (reporters may call at odd hours) or simply list your cell phone number.

¨ Give the release an enticing title that captures the reader’s interest and print it in BOLD type.

¨ Double space the body of your release for easy reading.

¨ The first paragraph should include the basics of who, what, where, when and why. You want to lay the foundation and include your hook immediately. Remember that you want to engage your audience and prompt a response from the media.

¨ Determine the purpose of your press release. Is it to announce a grand opening, special event, introduce a new product or share valuable information with the public? Include the key points that make your story interesting.

¨ Use quotes from business partners, clients or other professionals to give the story more color and credibility. As awkward as it may be, you may want to quote yourself- especially if you are the subject of the release.

¨ Close with a brief summary of the business or the person you are promoting.

¨ Do not allow grammar or spelling mistakes to sneak into a press release. Make sure you edit your writing thoroughly and have a friend- or better yet two friends- review it for errors and content.

If you want to send your press release out locally, start compiling a list of media contacts.  Check the websites of your local newspapers, news programs and magazines for contact names and address information.  Media outlets accept press releases by mail, fax or email and typically indicate their preferences on the website or publication masthead.  If you can’t locate press release instructions, it is best to mail it directly to the appropriate editor for your topic.

There are numerous services that you can pay to distribute your release to hundreds or thousands of markets.  A few to investigate are www.ereleases.com, www.prweb.com, and www.xpresspress.com.

Before you send your release, be sure you are prepared to answer interview questions.  You may receive calls from reporters immediately and will want to have thoughtful responses ready.  Consider writing a list of points you want to make and keep it handy.

Most people find that a press release can be worth its weight in gold since a news story usually generates more buzz than any form of paid advertising.  Don’t be discouraged if your first attempt doesn’t receive the attention you want, simply try again until you find the formula and pitch that works.

About the Author:

Stephanie Chandler is an author of several business and marketing books including “LEAP! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business” and “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, eBooks and Information Products.” She is also founder and CEO of http://AuthorityPublishing.com, which specializes in custom publishing and internet marketing services, and http://BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs. For author and speaker details, visit http://StephanieChandler.com.

How to Make Money with Information Products (Books, eBooks, Special Reports and More) By Stephanie Chandler

When considering the profit potential of books, e-books, reports, teleseminars and other information products, it is important to consider the big picture. There are many online marketers, speakers, authors and business owners who are generating six- and seven-figure incomes with their information products. But the reality is that it is unlikely you can reach this level with a single $20 book or ebook. To generate big money with information products, it’s best to build a plan with multiple layers of profit opportunity.

Layer #1:

Low-Dollar Information Products E-books, special reports, workbooks, audio recordings and other products that sell for less than $50 are your low-dollar products. Each of these products can attract a new audience to your business and can generate respectable revenues. The more of these products you have, the more income you can potentially earn. But if you want to increase earnings dramatically, consider adding additional layers.

Layer #2:

High-Dollar Information Products Selling a complete program or system is one of the most common ways to generate a high-dollar information product offering. For example, you might bundle several audio recordings along with an e-book or offer a comprehensive video seminar series. Whatever you do, this type of product can be priced from $100 to $10,000, depending on your niche and market demand.

Layer #3:

Consulting/Coaching If you aren’t already offering one-on-one consulting or coaching to your clients, consider the possibilities. Whether providing coaching services to clients or teaching people on how to run a business like yours, there will always be a demand for consulting by experts. Hourly rates can range from $50 to $500 per hour and more.

Layer #4:

Training and Seminars Training classes, seminars and workshops can be conducted in person or online. From one-hour tele-classes and webinars to in-person events that last one or more days, if you can find the audience, the revenues can be fantastic.

For example, if 50 people attend your full-day seminar for $300 each, you would earn $15,000. If you offer those same 50 people a special deal on your product bundle for $400 and only 30% of them buy, you will still make another $6000.

Group coaching also falls in this category. Instead of charging $100 per hour to consult with one client, you could charge several clients $50 or $75 per group coaching session.

Layer #5:

Recurring Revenue One of the most lucrative ways to generate repeat revenue is to set up a membership program. There are dozens of ways to structure these programs. Consider the memberships that you have in trade associations. You pay a monthly, quarterly or yearly fee to take advantage of the member benefits. If you can create a program with benefits that appeal to your target audience, the income potential can be significant.

For example, you could host a monthly online training session, provide regular group coaching services or create a website that offers members valuable tools and resources. Membership fees can range from $10 to $1000 per month, depending on how many benefits you offer and what your market demands.

Recurring revenue can also come from subscriptions to newsletters, magazines, industry reports, software programs, training programs, database access and more.

Building a Plan that Works

There are many factors that go in to building an effective information product strategy. You must define and locate a target audience, be able to fill a need in the marketplace, set yourself apart from the competition and implement an effective marketing strategy. But with proper planning and a carefully laid plan, the rewards can be well worth the effort.

Checklist for Information Product Success

__Publish a book to gain instant credibility in your field and to expand your reach to a broad audience.

__Product and service offerings meet a need in the marketplace.

__Defined target audience who can afford your offerings.

__Sales copy details benefits for buyers and inspires readers to take action.

__Website provides an easy online ordering process.

__A multi-pronged strategy for generating website traffic (pay-per-click, strategic partnerships, search engine

optimization, article submissions, advertisements, etc.).

__High-quality products and services. If the quality is missing, you will never be able to leverage valuable repeat

business.

__Big picture strategy with both short-term and long-term goals.

__Ongoing marketing strategy to continue building sales.

__Optional and effective: Speaking engagements either in-person or online (podcasts, Internet radio, presentations at

trade associations or conferences, etc.).

About the Author:

Stephanie Chandler is an author of several business and marketing books including “The Author’s Guide to Building an Online Platform” and “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur.” She is also founder and CEO of AuthorityPublishing.com, which provides custom book publishing and author marketing services for business, self-help and other non-fiction books. A frequent speaker at business events and on the radio, she has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, BusinessWeek, Inc.com and many other media outlets. For hundreds of resources for entrepreneurs, authors and speakers visit http://BusinessInfoGuide.com. For author and speaker details, visit http://StephanieChandler.com