Brockwell's Blog

Marketing Firm Moving to Baton Rouge

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:25:33 -0700

This April, Bone Marketing, an experienced marketing firm, is moving to the Baton Rouge area. This new local market is expected to accelerate the firm to the next level through larger prospect and employee pools.

In the past, Bone Marketing's famed free marketing analysis was only free if conducted out of their offices. In celebration of the new move, and to re-familiarize the owners with Baton Rouge businesses, they are conducting "on-site" marketing analysis at no charge.

Bone Marketing is celebrating their seventh year of service to clients from Florida to California. While they specialize in internet marketing, they provide a full spectrum of marketing services from direct mail to pubilicity and advertising to lead generation.

Brockwell Bone, founder and owner, is a Baton Rouge native that has built this business from the ground up - starting in his Orlando apartment back in 2001. Since then, he has worked with big-city businesses, family-owned manufacturing companies, and faith-based organizations across the United States.

For more information about Bone Marketing and to schedule your Free Marketing Analysis, visit http://www.bonemarketing.com/.

"Easy" Does It - Internet Marketing

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:37:32 -0800

Here is some information about a new Do-It-Yourself marketing system.

Imagine if setting up a money-making Internet business went like this:

Step 1: Click HERE.

Step 2: Now click HERE.

Step 3: Do this (NO, not like that... like THIS.)

Well, thanks to Derek Gehl and his team of Internet wealth experts, it really is that easy!

They've just released the MOST complete online business start-up solution the world has ever seen. And you can take it on a risk-free 30-day test drive for just $2.95!

(Think I'm exaggerating? You can see it for yourself at:

www.marketingtips.com/reality-101/t/873283 )

Not only does this package include the 2008 version of Derek's

#1 best-selling course on how to build a money-making online business...

(It's created more six-figure-income Internet businesses than any other resource on EARTH)

... For the first time ever, you can also get Derek's NEW fully-automated business creation software -- which you can use to "point and click" your way through every stage of setting up your own, fully customized business!

**But ONLY if you're one of the first 300 customers!**

So if you've been looking for an easier way to get online fast, try out Derek's new start-up solution for just $2.95 at:

www.marketingtips.com/reality-101/t/873283

All the best,

Brockwell

P.S. This is NOT a "get rich quick" scheme! Derek is the first guy to admit that creating an online business requires work.

But Derek's new software breaks that work down into easy steps and gives you ALL the tools and guidance you need to finish each one as quickly and easily as possible.

So if you want to be one of the lucky 300, take action NOW:

www.marketingtips.com/reality-101/t/873283

Do Your Potential Customers Forget About You?

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:06:21 -0800

[By: Tom Kulzer]
Note: This is a follow up article that I found to match this month's marketing tip! Enjoy! Sign up to receive our free monthly newsletter with marketing tips, do-it-yourself marketing information, and more.

Your web business probably gets product inquiries from potential customers around the globe. Inquiries come via e-mail and your web site, and you try to send information to each hot prospect as quickly as you can. You know that you can drastically increase the likelihood of making a sale by satisfying each person's need for information quickly!

But, after you've delivered that first bit of information to your prospect, do you send him any further information?

If you are like most Internet marketers, you don't.

When you don't follow that initial message with additional information later on, you let a valuable prospect slip from your grasp! This is a potential customer who may have been very interested in your products, but who lost your contact information, or was too busy to make a purchase when your first message reached him. Often, a prospect will purposely put off making a purchase, to see if you find him important enough to follow up with later. When he doesn't receive a follow up message from you, he will take his business elsewhere.

Are you losing profits due to inconsistent and ineffective follow up?
Following up with leads is more than just a process - it's an art. In order to be effective, you need to design a follow up system, and stick to it, EVERY DAY! If you don't follow up with your prospects consistently, INDIVIDUALLY, and in a timely fashion, then you might as well forget the whole follow up process.

Consistent follow up gets results!
When I first started marketing and following up with prospects, I used a follow up method that I now call the "List Technique." I had a large database containing the names and e-mail addresses of people who had specifically requested information about my products and services. These prospects had already received my first letter by the time they requested more information, so I used the company's latest news as a follow up piece. I would write follow up newsletters every now and then, and send them, in one mass mailing, to everyone who had previously requested information from me. While this probably did help me win a few additional orders, it wasn't a very good follow up method. Why isn't the "List Technique" very effective?

The List Technique isn't consistent. Proponents of the List Technique tend to only send out follow up messages when their companies have "big news".

List Technique messages don't give the potential customer any additional information about the product or service in question. He can't make a more informed buying decision after receiving a newsletter! If someone is wondering whether your company sells the best knick-knacks, what does he care that you've just moved your headquarters?

List Technique messages convey a "big list" mentality to your potential customers. When I used to write follow up messages using the List Technique, I was writing news bulletins to everyone I knew! I should have been sending a personal message to each individual who wanted to know more about my products.

What follow up method really works?
Following up with each lead individually, multiple times, but at set intervals, and with pre-written messages, will dramatically increase sales! Others who use this same technique confirm that they have all at least doubled the sales of various products! In order to set this system up, though, you need to do some planning.

First, you'll need to develop your follow up messages. If you've been marketing on the Internet for any length of time, then you should already have a first informative letter. Your second letter marks the beginning of the follow up process, and should go into more detail than the first letter. Fill this letter with details that you didn't have the space to add to the first letter. Stress the BENEFITS of your products or services!

Your next 2-3 follow up messages should be rather short. Include lists of the benefits and potential uses of your products and services. Write each letter so that your prospects can skim the contents, and still see the full force of your message.

The next couple of follow up messages should create a sense of urgency in your prospect's mind. Make a special offer, giving him a reason to order NOW instead of waiting any longer. After reading these follow up messages, your prospect should want to order immediately!

Phrase each of your final 1 or 2 follow up messages in the form of a question. Ask your prospect why he hasn't yet placed an order? Try to get him to actually respond. Ask if the price is to high, the product isn't the right color or doesn't have the right features, or if he is looking for something else entirely. (By this time, it's unlikely that this person will order from you. However, his feedback can help you modify your follow up letters or products, so that other prospects will order from you.)

The timing of your follow up letters is just as important as their content. You don't want one prospect to receive a follow up the day after he gets your initial informative letter, while another prospect waits weeks for a follow up!

Always send an initial, informative letter as soon as it is requested, and send the first follow up 24 hours afterwards. You want your hot prospects to have information quickly, so that they can make informed buying decisions!

Send the next 2-3 follow up messages between 1 and 3 days apart. Your prospect is still hot, and is probably still shopping around! Tell him about the benefits of your products and services, as opposed to your competitors'. You will make the sale!

Send the final follow up messages later on. You certainly don't want to annoy your prospect! Make sure that these last letters are at least 4 days apart.

Following up effectively seems complicated, but it doesn't have to be! So many potential customers are lost because of poor follow up - don't you want to be one of the few to get it right?
-----------------------------------------

Tom Kulzer, CEO and Founder of Newtown, PA based AWeber Communications, Inc. an opt-in email service provider. With 7 years managing opt-in follow up and newsletters for small businesses, email deliverability is an integral part of day to day operations.

> Learn more about using your email list to develop higher profits <

Everything You Know about Internet Marketing is Wrong!

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:47:14 -0800

Greetings:

The jury is in.

After January 24th, 2008, making money on the Internet will never be the same.

A bold statement, I know, so let me back up for a second...

Ive just received a private press release from Derek Gehl and the folks at The Internet Marketing Center, and Im absolutely ITCHING to tell you what it says...

But I cant!

The door to this groundbreaking announcement isnt cracking open to the public until January 24th at 10am.

But I CAN tell you this:

On this day, prepare for the unveiling of a full-on revolution that will finally level the playing field for regular people who want to escape the rat race, strike a clean slate in 2008, and make REAL money online.

I'll reveal more closer to the date as information trickles out of The Internet Marketing Center...

For now, watch a short video and get yourself a sneak peek here:

www.marketingtips.com/successfor2008/t/873283

To your success in 2008,
Brockwell

10 Large Prime Lots Back on the Market

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:28:01 -0800

This just in! Bone Capital Investments, a Louisiana real estate developer, just listed 10 large lots in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana! These lots were under contract for a year and are now back on the market.

Highpoint Gates subdivision has:

Large (1/2 acre or more) Lots
Underground Utilities
Gated Entrance
Building Restrictions to Ensure a Lovely Community

The entrance to Highpoint Gates is located on Milton Road near Highway 1064 in Natalbany (Tickfaw), Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. Located minutes from I-55, Hammond, and the University.

Builder's discounts available.

For complete information, please visit www.bonecapitalinvestments.com/highpointgates.

Customer Follow-Up

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:13:12 -0800

I found a great free report that might be useful to Real Estate agents.

Entreprenuer's Guide to Follow-Up

This guide has customer relations and communications information galore! A good read for all!

Download for Free

Jail Time (& good marketing)

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:30:56 -0700

I received a call yesterday from a telemarketer and had to listen due to the comical script she was given. She started out with ... Hi this is Linda, you are one of Lake Geneva's most wanted! The MDA wants you to turn yourself in for a good cause. You are invited to come for an hour lock-up at Gino's East (restaurant) on such and such date.

There was more, but I think that you get the idea. I, of course, volunteered. Here's what happens. I get a free webpage (www.bonendustries.com/jailtime) to send all of my friends and contacts to. It says that I've been "locked up" and I have to raise bail. "Please bail me out!!!!"

Bail is raised through donations on the site from my contact list. If that's not viral, I don't know what is!!! On top of it, Gino's (a new restaurant to the area) gets me (a business owner) through the door - fantastic planning.

So check it out and think about how you can apply something like this to your business!

www.bonendustries.com/jailtime

Get Free Traffic with a Top Ranking on Google

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:19:31 -0700

Discover how EASY it can be to blast your website to a top ranking in Google, and attract 1,000s of qualified visitors to your site!

Learn the SAME secrets we used to beat 294 Million competitors for a Top 5 listing in Google for 3 years straight. Get all the details in 4 online videos, a newsletter, and private discussion forum -- all for just $2.95!

Visit http://www.marketingtips.com/trafficstampede/t/873283

Identity Theft on the Rise!

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:15:49 -0700

According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. Over 27 million (MILLION!) identities have been stolen and 15 million more will be stolen in the next year! That's about 2 identities a second.

Bone Endustries, LLC is pleased to offer a response to the rising threat of identity theft!

LifeLock is the leading provider of identity theft prevention services. The company developed the nation's first and only proactive identity theft solution designed to help prevent crimes before they occur. Unlike other company's in this industry, they guarantee their service!

All services are backed with a million dollar guarantee.
Pre-approved credit offers and other junk mail will stop clogging your mailbox.
They ensure that things go smoothly when clients apply for credit.
You will receive a free credit report every year.

Learn more and sign up at www.bonendustries.com/lifelock.

Did you know? You are 40 times more likely to have your identity stolen than your home broken in to!

Don't be a victim, protect your credit and identity -> www.bonendustries.com/lifelock

Prospects are Looking for You!

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:26:31 -0700

From the Wealth Smarts Blog: http://wealthsmarts.blogspot.com

I was reading the other day about the importance of incoming links to a website. One idea that I read seemed so simple, I could not believe that I did not think of it! There are several online directories / yellow pages-type sites that allow you to list for free.

One benefit is, this is a place where prospects look for you. A lot of people still use the Yellow Pages or other phone books to find a solution to their problem. These online directories (usually created by these phone book publishers) are virtual versions of the books.

Another benefit is that search engines reading the directories see that a webpage with your keyword(s) is linking to you, and you are not linking back. This looks good to them!

Here are a few of the directories that I have found:
http://local.yahoo.com/
http://www.citysearch.com/
http://www.yellowpages.com/
http://www.superpages.com/
http://www.merchantcircle.com/

Happy listing and best of luck to you! As always, if you would like a professional to help you create these listings, Bone Endustries is a full service marketing and internet marketing firm. Visit us online at http://www.bonendustries.com/ or call (877) 779-7802.

Boosting Sales with Search Engine Advertising

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:30:25 -0700

(Parts 1 - 3 of 3 from http://wealthsmarts.blogspot.com)

According to Wikipedia (the free online encyclopedia), Search Advertising is a method of placing online advertisements on webpages (especially search engines) based on specific characteristics of the viewer. These could include search words entered by the viewer, as well as geographic location or profile of the viewer.

To break this down a little more - Search Engine Advertising is placing online classified ads where people are actually looking for your product or service. It's like discovering which newspaper subscribers are interested in the widget you sell and only paying to have your ad in the newspapers delivered to those specific houses.

There are several search engines out there that provide this service, calling it search advertising or (more commonly) pay-per-click advertising. I believe that Google originated this type of advertising, followed by Yahoo and MSN Search. If you visit Google and type in "web design", you will see regular search engine listings with "sponsored ads" across the top and "search advertising" down the right-hand side.

If you only had to pay for ads being delivered to prospects specifically seeking your product or service, how would it impact your marketing budget? Can you imagine the return on invested marketing dollars?! What form of advertising are you doing now? Blog about it at http://wealthsmarts.blogspot.com/ and get feedback from us on converting current efforts to search engine marketing or get answers to questions about search engine marketing.

The first step to setting up a search engine advertising campaign is to, obviously, setup your account. I really like Google's advertising system - it is easy to use, and constantly updated with new features.

Go to www.google.com/adwords
"Click to Begin"
Let's select the "Starter Edition", "I have a website" (if you don't, call us at (877) 779-7802 to discuss setting one up for you), & hit "Continue" at the bottom of the page
Select your Target Area - this is where most of your customers are.

We will also write our first ad here. Let's say that you own a widget factory that serves the Detroit area. Your headline might read "Detroit Area Widgets" or "We Deliver in Detroit". You are limited on space in these ads so words are precious. You may enter something like "Save on shipping, we deliver" "quality widgets at great prices." You want to get hype words in the ad, but it also needs to be readable. If the prospect cannot understand what you are offering, it's wasted money.

After setting up your ad, you will want to select Keywords for your ad. These are the words/phrases that prospects use to search for your company. The obvious keyword phrase is "Detroit widget", but you may also add "Michigan widgets" or "Wayne County widgets". If your product can be applied in different ways, you may also consider "female widgets" or "widgets for doctors".

Scrolling down the page, you can set your budget for each month. This tells Google, I do not want to spend anymore than $xx dollars per month on this advertising. Google will show your ad until the budget is reached and then wait until the next month.

Google has great keyword tools that will assist you determining which keywords to use. My favorite tool is the Get More Keywords tool.

Login to your Adwords account at http://adwords.google.com/
Select your Campaign
Select the Ad Group you would like to tweak
Just underneath the date range, click Get More Keywords

Here you can enter a keyword or phrase and hit "Get More Keywords". Google will suggest variations and related keywords. In addition, and this is the cool part, they show the volume of searches and the volume of advertisers for those keywords. Select keywords from this list with higher searches than advertisers!

Another way to tweak your keywords is to monitor the average position. If you are first or second, you could decrease your bid amount to minimize your prospecting costs. If you are not high enough to get noticed, increase your bid amount.

The final method of tweaking your ads is to copy an existing ad and create a new one with the same copy. Now change a word or two, for example, "best" to "profitable". Each month, check to see which of the two ads has a higher click-through rate. Delete the poorly performing ad after monitoring for 3 months.

If you need help or would like advice, please post a Comment below. Bone Endustries, LLC also provides search engine advertising consulting - we will setup your accounts and manage your ads and keywords for you. For more information, please visit http://www.bonendustries.com/.

Book Review: Cashflow Quadrant

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 16:51:30 -0700

Robert Kiyosaki has done it again! I finally picked up a copy of "Cashflow Quadrant" and it has totally changed my plans and goals for financial freedom. Robert talks about the 4 types of income: Employee, Self-Employed, Business, and Investments. The first two types are heavily taxed and the second two are where you need to be to achieve financial freedom. I highly recommend this to self-employed individuals (like myself) and people who feel like they are working hard and getting no where.

Click here for More Information about "Cashflow Quadrant" by Robert Kiyosaki

Making Money When the Market Is Down

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 09:28:10 -0700

Rich Dad says that educated investors can make money when the market is up and they can also make money when the market is down. As a real estate investor, I have been watching the nation's house market slump.

According to sources like MSNBC, the supply of existing and new homes is enough to last the entire year. And there is no end in site. I agree with the opinion that there is no end in site. With 2 and 3 year ARMs coming due, we are going to see an even larger supply of existing homes enter the market as homeowners cannot afford their mortgages anymore and try to sell, or worse, get foreclosed upon.

The only thing that will stop this surge of un-affordable mortgages and foreclosures is if lending institutions retain the same rate on home mortgages when the ARM comes due. Will this happen? Probably not.

As a real estate investor, you should be able to see opportunity. When the housing market is down, you should be buying up properties at reasonable deals. This particular slump will not give way to incredible deals as most homes/foreclosures will only have 2 years of equity. All the current homeowners will be downgraded from owner to renter. My advice is to purchase homes so that these new entries into the home rental market will have a home to rent.

My advice to real estate agents is to focus on investors during this slump. Educate your area about the rising opportunity and create new investors that will look to you to find a good deal!!

For more information about Financial Freedom through investing, I recommend Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom.

New Developments at Bone Endustries

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 09:03:56 -0700

Good Afternoon!

There are several exciting developments coming your way this week. I am sure that most of you know that Chris and I were married on June 9, 2007. It was a beautiful sunshiny day on Lake Geneva. The ceremony and reception were perfect - thank you all who attended and shared our beautiful day together. We will be posting pictures and stories this week.

Welcome Lisa Roth!

We are pleased to announce the newest member of our team, Lisa Roth! Lisa is an award-winning graphic designer that we have brought on to meet the rising demand for high-quality print design projects like brochures, post cards, and catalogs. She has already completed a few projects and our clients are raving about her work.
If you have considered creating new brochures or other print pieces, let's schedule an appointment to review your needs and create an impacting marketing piece.

On the Horizon ...

We are all consistently growing and changing with the times. Without change, any business will get left behind. We will be expanding our business to include new twists on our existing services. Stay tuned for more information!

What is Search Engine Advertising?

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:17:08 -0700

Part 1 of 3: Boosting Sales with Search Engine Advertising

According to Wikipedia (the free online encyclopedia), Search Advertising is a method of placing online advertisements on webpages (especially search engines) based on specific characteristics of the viewer. These could include search words entered by the viewer, as well as geographic location or profile of the viewer.

To break this down a little more - Search Engine Advertising is placing online classified ads where people are actually looking for your product or service. It's like discovering which newspaper subscribers are interested in the widget you sell and only paying to have your ad in the newspapers delivered to those specific houses.

There are several search engines out there that provide this service, calling it search advertising or (more commonly) pay-per-click advertising. I believe that Google originated this type of advertising, followed by Yahoo and MSN Search. If you look at the picture, you will see regular search engine listings with "sponsored ads" across the top and "search advertising" down the right-hand side.

If you only had to pay for ads being delivered to prospects specifically seeking your product or service, how would it impact your marketing budget? Can you imagine the return on invested marketing dollars?! What form of advertising are you doing now? Comment below and get feedback from us on converting current efforts to search engine marketing or get answers to questions about search engine marketing.

NEXT TIME: How to Setup a Search Engine Advertising Campaign

I Wish to Register a Complaint! SPAM & Junk Mail Griping

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:15:57 -0700

Last week, I was bombarded by 100's of SPAM messages disguised as "Returned Mail - Recipient Not Found". Every one of them had a SPAM advertisement for God knows what attached. This is one of those things that really ticks me off!!! How about you?

Like intelligent people are going to buy fake watches, penis pills, and dirt-cheap (but legal - I swear) software from a company that uses SPAM methods to reach us. Get a life SPAM-ers!

I have a few tips for those of you who don't like SPAM either:

1. Do not use a "catch-all" on your email server. A "catch-all" directs any email that does not have a valid email address on your server and sends it to the "catch-all" email address. Almost none of my hosting clients have "catch-all" settings, for those of you that are not hosted with me, you may consider contacting your hosting supplier.

2. Use a Junk Filter. Either on your web server, we offer SPAM Assassin on our server at no additional cost, or on your email program. Outlook gets updates for its Junk Filters every month or so.

3. Never, ever leave your email address "laying around". That is to say, do not list your email address on your website - you may consider have a link that reads "Email Us" with your email address as the link (mailto:joe@joesco.com). SPAMers have programs that read website looking for email addresses - they call this "harvesting".

Fight back against SPAM!!! I found an awesome bit of code on a website that hates SPAM too. You may have noticed the No SPAM graphic on our website (at the bottom left). When a "harvester" reads my site, the program reads that link and is taken to a page of nonsense email addresses. This adds tons of non-existent email addresses to their database, wasting their time (like they do ours) and junking up their email list. Can I get an Oh Yeah!!! Get your No SPAM code and fight back with me.

What are you doing to fight SPAM? Prevent junk email?

The Supplement Every Man Needs

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:15:02 -0700

Source: MH Today Blog

We know you don't eat much fish. (We're not spying; all the studies say so.)
But you should definitely take fish oil every day. It's becoming the go-to supplement of the 21st century, like aspirin and multi-vitamins back in the last century. It helps your heart, protects you from cancer, and basically helps you live a long, healthy life, like all those Icelanders who eat so much fish.

Today's news contains more reasons to start slurping up a packet (or take a capsule) every day: it'll keep your brain young, and specifically, your vocabulary robust. The stuff fights Alzheimer's in old guys, and protects the "verbal fluency" of middle-age men.
It's the no-brainer supplement for your brain.

_____________________________________

Herbalifeline(R)

An Omega-3 supplement for cardiovascular and joint health.*

Key Benefits

Helps maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels that are already within the normal range.*
Contains EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce joint discomfort.*
Consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.**

30 day Supply just $ 25.75 - Order Now!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
**FDA evaluated the data and determined that, although there is scientific evidence supporting the claim, the evidence is not conclusive.

How Trump Chooses Property to Invest In

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:52:03 -0700

Chapter 2: Think Big
Trump Strategies for Real Estate Investing: Billionaire Lessons for the Small Investor
By George Ross

George covered a lot of useful ground that can be used by the small real estate investor to select a successful real estate project. Real estate investors are told that three words matter in real estate - location, location, you got it - location. George tells us that a great location is just the start for a successful real estate project.

Pay for location. Donald Trump loves selecting excellent locations that are convenient and have awesome views. George tells us a story about his previous employer offering a million dollars for a property offered at $860k. The location was great, the building was well maintained, and his employer actually had his eye on that property for some time.

Look for potential in the property. Do you want to renovate the property, make an addition to increase the value of the property, get better tenants ... or maybe something else. Every piece of investment property has potential, it just depends on how much potential it has.

Have you looked at a property that was "ugh", but you saw the "bling"? Or did you find a building that didn't want to be what it was ("Help! I'm really a multifamily property, not an office!")?

Next time: An interesting investment property and more of How Trump Chooses Properties to Invest In

Email Marketing 101: Start using the cheapest form of communication

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 09:34:41 -0700

:: resources ::

The Insider's Secret to Email Marketing
90 Day Risk-free Trial
Price: $97

The Email Marketing Handbook
Price: $27

There are many different ways to collect email addresses. The most popular is to build a link or form on your website. This method sends email addresses and other requested information to someone in your company to add to an email list in their email program or to your automated email management program. A great way to get email addresses is to offer something, like an informational article, on your website that requires visitors to enter their email address to receive the article via email. Be sure to have a check box under the form field for email address that reads "Do not subscribe me to your email list". Another place to put a checkbox ("Do not subscribe me to your email list") is on your contact us form. Other methods of getting email addresses could include adding known client email addresses, signup list at trade shows, asking prospects when they call, etc.

Email communications should be designed to effectively communicate your message. It is highly recommended that email messages are congruent with your branding. Fonts and graphics, as well as, the color scheme should match your website. This tells the recipient who sent the email without reading a single word. The message or information that you are sending out should also be clearly written and precise. The "without fail" portion of email design is to have a way for people to unsubscribe.

How often should you send out emails? Depends on your industry! If you are a retailer, weekly emails are great; if you are a professional organization, monthly would probably cover it. You do not want to burn out your email list by aggravating them with too many communications. Another way to retain your audience and grow it is to provide them with information-only emails, this adds value to your publication.

Email marketing is an easy and cost effective method of communicating to prospects and up-selling clients. For more information about email marketing, please contact Bone Endustries at (262) 248-4900 or click here to schedule a free consultation or visit one of the resources listed on this page.

Receive this and other informative articles via email. Sign up for our email list.

The New Game of SEO

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:34:43 -0700

As most of you probably know, search engine optimization strategies are constantly changing. What worked today, will not work tomorrow and what worked last year stopped working 6 months ago. Sadly enough, some companies are still teaching people to stuff keywords in their meta tags and to do link exchanges with other webmasters. Excuse me, while I throw up.

Aside: These are same companies referred to in the previous post.

Here's an example:

I read a forum post from a guy the other day who was bragging that he had been out charging people $5000 a pop to help their search engine rankings. Yet, he was asking how to get a script working. Wouldn't you think he would know how to install a script properly if he was really that familiar with search engines, linking, article syndication and the several other things he boasted about? What a loser! Come to think of it, he was probably full of crap anyway.

SEO is changing. Make your sites for your visitors and not for the search engines. Period. It's amazing what happens to your organic traffic when you stop focusing on keywords and worry about visitor value. I've outlined some best practices for the New Game of SEO below.

Basics For The New Game Of SEO

A static HTML site is a complete waste of time. The only reason I can even see having a static site anymore is if you have a web store. Otherwise, you are wasting your time. You must be publishing on a dynamic platform such as a blog. If you must have a static site, then use a dynamic site to drive traffic to your static site.

Interactivity is the name of the game. Your visitors are bored surfing normal sites and reading text. Don't get me wrong, the more text; the better, but you have to weave interactivity throughout your content using audio and video. You need to give your visitors a chance to rate your content and provide feedback about your content as well. Bottom line: the more interested your visitor is, the longer they will stay on our site and the more money you will make.
Web 2.0 story syndication. Remember, back in the old days when syndicating your articles was the "key to success." Using an article distribution service, you could get backlinks that would help your site in PageRank and the SERP's (search engine ranking pages). Those days are long gone. The New Game of SEO requires you to distribute your articles through new venues. Sites like Digg, Netscape, and Reddit.

Driving traffic with video syndication. Pop Quiz: Did you know you can use tags (keywords) in the videos you upload to YouTube and Google? Opportunities abound in this arena. Most people are not doing this. Unless you're in a competitive market, I promise you that people are not using these sites to syndicate video content. Go where the traffic is and right now the traffic is at the video sites.

I'll tell you a secret. We all know there are two forms of SEO: On-page and Off-page. The only On-page SEO that matters anymore are your meta title and your meta description tags. That's it! Don't ever let anybody tell you differently. Keyword named pages and keyword density died a few Google updates ago.

Source: SEO Feed blog

The New Game of SEO

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:32:21 -0700

As most of you probably know, search engine optimization

strategies are constantly changing. What worked today, will not work tomorrow and what worked last year stopped working 6 months ago. Sadly enough, some companies are still teaching people to stuff keywords in their meta tags and to do link exchanges with other webmasters. Excuse me, while I throw up.

Aside: These are same companies referred to in the previous post.

Here's an example:

I read a forum post from a guy the other day who was bragging that he had been out charging people $5000 a pop to help their search engine rankings. Yet, he was asking how to get a script working. Wouldn't you think he would know how to install a script properly if he was really that familiar with search engines, linking, article syndication and the several other things he boasted about? What a loser! Come to think of it, he was probably full of crap anyway.

SEO is changing. Make your sites for your visitors and not for the search engines. Period. It's
amazing what happens to your organic traffic when you stop focusing on keywords and worry about visitor value. I've outlined some best practices for the New Game of SEO below.

Basics For The New Game Of SEO

A static HTML site is a complete waste of time. The only reason I can even see having a static site anymore is if you have a web store. Otherwise, you are wasting your time. You must be publishing on a dynamic platform such as a blog. If you must have a static site, then use a dynamic site to drive traffic to your static site.

Interactivity is the name of the game. Your visitors are bored surfing normal sites and reading text. Don't get me wrong, the more text; the better, but you have to weave interactivity throughout your content using audio and video. You need to give your visitors a chance to rate your content and provide feedback about your content as well. Bottom line: the more interested your visitor is, the longer they will stay on our site and the more money you will make.
Web 2.0 story syndication. Remember, back in the old days when syndicating your articles was the "key to success." Using an article distribution service, you could get backlinks that would help your site in PageRank and the SERP's (search engine ranking pages). Those days are long gone. The New Game of SEO requires you to distribute your articles through new venues. Sites like Digg, Netscape, and Reddit.

Driving traffic with video syndication. Pop Quiz: Did you know you can use tags (keywords) in the videos you upload to YouTube and Google? Opportunities abound in this arena. Most people are not doing this. Unless you're in a competitive market, I promise you that people are not using these sites to syndicate video content. Go where the traffic is and right now the traffic is at the video sites.

I'll tell you a secret. We all know there are two forms of SEO: On-page and Off-page. The only On-page SEO that matters anymore are your meta title and your meta description tags. That's it! Don't ever let anybody tell you differently. Keyword named pages and keyword density died a few Google updates ago.

Source: SEO Feed blog

Sell Yourself Like Trump

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 13:20:41 -0700

Breaking into "Trump Strategies for Real Estate: Billionaire Lessons for the Small Investor", George Ross introduces himself and tells us about his background. This guy was awesome even before Trump hired him! We hear about how he broke into real estate law and kinda had to wing along as he learned new strategies and tactics. His work in real estate law in New York is what attracted Trump to him in the first place.

Chapter 1: Sell Yourself Like Trump
Five Personal Qualities You Need to Succeed in Real Estate

Throughout the book, George Ross gives lots of real life, Trump examples. This really helps to bring the lessons through.

Donald Trump uses enthusiasm to excite the key players in real estate transactions. When presenting his large, rehab project for the Commodore Hotel, Trump was all fired up and excited the city of New York and other players with his enthusiasm. When I approach a bank for money, especially a new bank, I go in with confidence and excited about the project that I am bringing to them. This keeps smiles on their faces!

One of the things that make Donald Trump - the Donald, is his showmanship. In rehab projects, he uses artists renderings and new architecture to make things "fantastic". These go a long way in presenting a project to anyone. Remember back in school, listening to book reports standing in front of the room. You really were not listening to your classmates and probably did not retain what they said, unless they had visual aids - and some of them were awesome.

These are only 2 of the 5 lessons. I would love to talk about all 5, but I don't want to upset the author by telling all of his story. Especially since he is a lawyer.

More to come from Trump Strategies for Real Estate Investing: Billionaire Lessons for the Small Investor.

Business Card Magnet Blowout

Brockwell Bone (Bone Marketing) — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:27:24 -0700

Don't just hand out a business card - Keep your name in front of prospects with business card magnets!!!