We are days away from spring.

Can you believe it? How is your year going? Are you reaching your goals, resolutions, and dreams? Have you been getting those projects done?

Or… Do you need a friend to help you troubleshoot, problem- solve, organize, and get out of your rut? Could it be time to Spring Clean and get some real help so you can make this year really count? Is it time to get a plan that will help you set and reach your goals…get things done…make those resolutions a reality…and live your dream? I can help!

I am so excited to announce our next coaching program which begins next Monday afternoon. This program is just perfect for wherever you are…

–> With an idea and absolutely nothing ready to have a business?

–> No idea where to begin?

–> Got everything ready to go, but just cannot find time to get it done?

–> Struggling with getting your family on board (Or at least busy so you can snag time to work)?

–> Been working, but just not getting response on the internet and have NO idea why?

Yep! If any of this is YOU, then this program is JUST FOR YOU. Instead of me writing any more, let me take you to the site so you can learn more about this coaching program. You will LOVE it! Learn more here….

>>>> http://www.Writers-Nook.com/SpringClean.html

See ya there!

With much love,
Cindy
http://www.Writers-Nook.com

Time to Spring Clean Your Business!
Join us! This is the year to go for your dreams!
http://www.Writers-Nook.com/SpringClean.html

Hello Sweet Friends!

Very quick note sweet friends!

A few weeks back, we had a discussion on our Christian Blog and Podcast Yahoo Group that has had me digging around in my computer. They were looking for a good program to use when creating 3-D E-Covers. Well, I have been looking for the software details since then. I feel horrible it has taken so long! Well, you have to KNOW what my computer looks like right now. Hehe!

Last week, Sue asked a great question in our group coaching session. She wanted to know if I had a suggestion for a good software that could help her create those nice 3-D Ebook covers for her sales pages and web pages.

Well, it has now been TOO LONG since you guys were talking about it AND OVER a week since she asked.  I have turned my computer inside-out–well, something like that!

NOW! I have found the link. AND…you guys have got to check this out QUICK! The program is normally $99.95, BUT it is on sale until Christmas for only $39.95. You have GOT TO SEE IT! (It now has capabilities to even make a cute graphic that looks like a computer monitor–for your online events, podcasts, radio shows, classes and $1 Seminars!!!!)  (SEE TO THE LEFT!)

Can you tell I am buzzing? (I am excited about the new computer monitor capabilites–you WILL see this on my sites ASAP!)

Here is the link:
CLICK HERE

Grab this one! It is SWEET!

Back to my fiddling around here! hehe!

Love,
Cindy

PS–Did you peek? Isn’t it SWEET???
CLICK HERE

PPS–Wishing that you had joined us for the Group Coaching OR even the Personal Study through our Information Product Course? It is NOT too late! REALLY! Join the Personal Study Course today and you can access all of the sessions up to date, along with their bonus goodies. You can kick off the New Year with a blast. PLUS! Even if you sign up for our Personal Study this week, EVERYONE can join us for the last group coaching call next week. Don’t miss this study–it WILL change your business forever! Join us here: http://www.writers-nook.com/InformationProduct.html

We are so excited about our Ultimate Writer’s Expo. Order the set of audios and get access to our amazing, well ULTIMATE, Membership Site for only $29.95. Learn more here: http://www.Ultimate-Writers-Expo.com

Get Started (OR RE-Started) Writing On the Right Track!
Pre-order Your Set NOW!
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Let’s begin by looking at the basic or ordinary places you can place your logo:

- Your website. This is kind of a no brainer. If you don’t have your logo on your website then where to you use it?  Your website is quite often the first place people become aware of your business – it’s their first memory and your first opportunity to brand your business.

- Your blog. Again, this is a chance to link your blog brand with your website brand.

- Your business cards. Business cards are becoming less and less common however you still don’t know when you’re going to run into your next great customer.  Keep a few up to date business cards in your wallet and make sure they have your logo on them.

- Your product packaging. If you ship any products then include your logo on the packaging.  This doesn’t have to be elaborate; it can simply be included in your return address.

- Your letterhead. Okay if you have an online business chances are you’re not communicating via snail mail too often however even if you’re emailing an agreement or a proposal it can have your logo in the header.

- Your invoices too can have a header with your company logo.

- Direct mail pieces. If you utilize direct mail like postcards or even long sales letters, there are many opportunities to include your logo.

- Your company newsletter. Your logo can be used in your newsletter’s graphic header to unify your brand.

- Promotional giveaways like Frisbees or pens.

Now let’s explore some of the not so ordinary locations to place your business logo:

- On your car. Many business owners have taken to painting their car as a rolling advertisement.  While you don’t have to go so far as to make your car look like a rolling billboard you can have a magnet created to stick to your car when you feel like doing a bit of drive by advertising.

- Twitter, Facebook and other social media often allow users to upload avatars or images to represent their business or themselves. You can use your logo as your avatar or image.

- Email signature. A little creativity and you can include your logo in your email signature.  This way each communication helps increase brand awareness.

- Sponsor a team or organization locally and place your logo on promotional tools like t-shirts or hats.

Have your logo travel with you.  If your business is represented anywhere your logo can tag along.  It doesn’t matter if it’s something as simple as a business card or more advanced like your social marketing avatar.  Just don’t paint it on your dog!

Auto responders are great “assistants” for the busy writer. The use of auto responders is quickly becoming standard.  Given the digital age we have come into at full speed, it is becoming more and more time-consuming to be checking voicemails and answering machines.  The digital age is now allocating and advocating the use of these responders as a fax-on-demand-type of system.

An auto responder is an automatic messaging system, generally used in instant messaging systems and emails, to generate an automatic response to an incoming message or a scheduled outgoing message to those who have requested this information.  They can be configured in many different ways to include not accepting the incoming message yet shooting a message back, letting the sender know that messages aren’t be accepted and when they will be.

These responders can also be set to accept the incoming message. The automatic message from an auto responder can say anything, letting your reader be aware of a circumstance, a vacation or other information as deemed necessary.

More and more people are leaning towards email and instant messaging versus traditional voicemail and in this it would be prudent to work smarter, not harder.  Auto responders are a smart way of dealing with a messaging system and can eliminate the time of having to call your cell or home machine to retrieve messages when it can be done at a glance.

Auto responders can also be used as a simple and very cost-effective way of advertising.  While I don’t have an auto responder and use a signature with my email, auto responders reach farther and quicker to target markets, more so than a simple email can.  Why?  Most people don’t read an entire email to see the signature.

Responders are also especially useful in support, such as “call a number if I am unavailable” – an encouraging statement for those who are under professional help or trying to quit smoking, for example.  They can even give useful information on how to solve a problem with software or hardware.  Responders are also used to confirm a subscription or cancellation.

Unlimited auto responders can also be used to target specific consumers or other people.  In an organized mailing list, auto responders can be “attached” to certain emails so that certain people get certain messages and not all people get the same message.  If you sign up to receive a daily devotion  each day or once a week, for example, these daily devotions are sent out using an auto responder.

In the end, auto responders provide effective communication with customers and clients, as well as other staff and even family and friends.  They give an edge to providing free advertising and getting your name or company more exposure.

In this whole scenario, you do get to work less and make more, and that is what everybody wants.  Look around – there are tons of free auto responders.  Programs offer different options, so make sure you find the one that will work best for you.

Marketers were quick to catch on to the possibilities presented by YouTube.  They began to create “viral videos”, clips that were intended to draw interest and spark widespread distribution.  YouTube’s embed feature allows anyone to place videos on his blog or website, so by creating funny or informative videos, marketers could spread their message far and wide.

Any online marketer can harness the power of YouTube to promote his products, services and website.  Here are some types of videos that tend to do well:

* Popular commercials - If you have a television commercial that has brought you lots of business, putting it on YouTube can get you more mileage out of it.  And best of all, you don’t have to pay for airtime.

* How-to videos – While some Internet users just want to be entertained, many of them come online looking for information.  How-to videos allow them to see how something is done rather than just reading about it.  Businesses capitalize on this by producing videos about how to do things that relate to their products or services.

* Video from special events - If you’ve held or participated in a conference, seminar or other special event, posting a video of it on YouTube could get you lots of traffic.  So don’t forget to take your video camera along!

* Funny videos - Lots of Internet users visit YouTube when they need a good laugh.  If you can whip up a funny video that features your products or services, there’s a good chance that it could be highly rated and go viral.

A frequent mistake of YouTube marketers is just uploading their video and hoping for the best.  Here are some simple steps you can take to increase your video’s chances of success.

* Take care to put your video in the right category, and make full use of tags. Add tags that describe your business and products, as well as the video’s subject matter.  This will help users find your video more easily.

* Write a good description that contains keywords that one might use to find your video. Also, be sure to include your site’s URL in the description.

* Be sure to allow embedding, comments and ratings. Allowing others to embed your video will give it more exposure.  Making it possible for them to comment will generate discussion, which is also good for your video’s success.  And allowing ratings could put you higher in YouTube’s search rankings if people like your video.

YouTube is an invaluable marketing tool.  It gives businesses the opportunity to use the popularity of online video to their advantage.  Anyone can create a video with Windows Movie Maker and upload it to YouTube, so why not give it a try if you haven’t already?

To get TwitterBar installed on your browser you will first need to be a Firefox user.  Firefox is a free web browser like Internet Explorer by Mozilla.  To grab and install TwitterBar visit:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4664

Go ahead and click on the green Add to Firefox button in the middle of the screen.  If you do not presently use Firefox then you’ll first want to go to: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/ and download it for free.  Again, simply click on the green button in the middle of the page and follow the installation instructions.

Now…How Do You Get Started Using TwitterBar???

There are two basic ways to use TwitterBar.  The first is to go to your address bar in your browser – the place where you normally type a URL or website address.  Type your post, for example, learning to use TwitterBar, and then click on the little grey dot at the right hand side of your address bar.  When you hover your cursor over this dot it will tell you how many characters you have left.  For example, if you type learning to use TwitterBar, then it will say 69 left.

You can also post by typing “–post” at the end of your tweet.   For example, learning to use twitterbar “–post”

But wait, there’s more!  When you visit a webpage that you want to post, all you have to do is click the little grey dot and it will send a tweet with the URL.

Twitterbar is a quick and easy way to post on Twitter and take advantage of this popular and growing social networking and marketing tool.  It’s a great way to share valuable information and keep in touch with fellow Twitter friends.

Twitter allows users to post messages via their website or from the user’s cell phone.  Demand for an easier way to post online was great and out of that demand, several applications were born.  Some were based on desktop applications, while others resided in the browser’s sidebar.  And some, like Twitterbar, were altogether different.

What Is Twitterbar?

Twitterbar is a very simple browser extension.  It installs quickly and easily.  At first glance, it looks like it hasn’t added anything to your browser window.  But if you look to the right of the address bar, you’ll see a tiny gray icon.

So why is there an icon next to the address bar?  Because that’s where you type in your post.  That’s right, you simply type your post in where you would normally type a Web address, click the icon or type -post and hit enter, and your post is sent to Twitter.  It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

There’s no need to worry about going over Twitter’s character limit when using Twitterbar.  All you need to do is hover your mouse over the Twitterbar icon, and the number of characters left will appear in the address bar.

Another neat feature of Twitterbar is the ability to automatically post the URL you’re currently visiting.  To do this, just leave the URL in the address bar and click the gray icon.  “Currently browsing” will be added before the URL, and it will be posted instantly.  The URL will be shortened if necessary, just like it would be if you posted on Twitter’s website or from your cell phone.

As simple as Twitterbar is, it includes several customization options.  You can hide the icon next to the address bar if you like.  You can change the “currently browsing” text that’s automatically added before URL tweets to anything you like.  And you can set it to automatically open the Twitter website in a new tab after you’ve posted.

Twitterbar is available for Firefox and Flock browsers.  Unfortunately, it’s no longer under development by the original developer, so versions for other browsers may or may not be created.  But for Firefox and Flock users, this extension can make posting to Twitter even quicker and easier than it already is.

Google Notebook is a tool which makes it easy to clip and organize online information.

When you’re browsing online Google Notebook makes it easy to clip and paste you’re your notebook.  You can even categorize them by vacation, business research, pet training, and recipes – whatever you want.

To get started you’ll want to get a Google account if you don’t already have one.  To do that simply visit Google and click on “Get Started.”  Note that if you already use Gmail, AdSense or AdWords then you already have a Google account. 

You can also visit https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount to create a new account.

Once you have a Google account installing Notebook is easy.  Just sign into your account.  At the top of the page you’ll see a whole host of Google applications, click on more and it’ll take you to a page where you can download myriad applications.  Find Notebook, click on it and follow the instructions to download the extension.

Next you’ll need to restart your browser.  You’ll see a little blue notebook icon in the bottom right hand corner of your browser window.  To use Notebook all you need to do is click on this icon and it’ll open a mini notebook.

As you browse if you see clippings or sites you want to add, right-click on the text, image or link and click “Note this” from the menu. You can also highlight text or images on any webpage, and click on the star button in your mini notebook.

You can also clip Google search results by clicking on the “Note this” link at the bottom of any search result.

If you want to add comments to the clipping, click the “Comment” option which is located below the new note.

You can organize, label, and name notebooks to make your information easy to access and easy to understand.  Imagine if your vacation notes were mixed up with your research notes for a project which were mixed up with your recipes.

You can export your notebooks into Google docs for collaboration, you can share your notebooks giving unilateral access or restricted access and you can access your notebook from many mobile phones.

Google Notebook is an effective and efficient tool to organize your online projects.  Whether you’re researching your internet competition, planning your next vacation or collecting craft projects Google Notebook can keep you organized and help you make the most of your time online.

Here are just a few no-no’s that business owners all too commonly make when using Twitter. Are you committing any of them? Take the time to make sure by reading on.

One big mistake that people make when using Twitter for business reasons (or who think they are using it for business purposes) is getting caught up in the “commotion” there. It’s important to do some talking at Twitter because that is a form of networking in and of itself which is vital to business professionals. However, the talking you do should be succinct, to the point, friendly but professional.

As a marketer, your objective at Twitter is not to make new best friends or get dates; it should be to establish relationships that will lead to others desiring to do business with you. Now don’t misunderstand this. You don’t want to be manipulative. The objective is to keep the talk laid back and not beat people over the head with pleas or demands that they visit your websites.

Another big mistake that marketers make when using Twitter is posting tweets that are irrelevant or drive people away from them.  You can be funny, playful, personal, or serious, but what you type in for your message has got to have meaning and substance and be one that will attract others instead of turning them away.  It’s also ok to state your opinions on things, but be grown up about it and never type mean, obnoxious tweets or messages are prone to start too much controversy. For the most part, Twitter is a very friendly and open-minded community, but do realize that not everyone will agree with you on certain issues so if you find you are very opinionated on certain hot button subjects (Hummm….like politics? ), it might be best to avoid those particular matters.  As they say, you catch many more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Yet another error people make when using Twitter in business is that they include their website links in too many of their messages. Yes, in order to use social networking sites effectively for business you have to include links to your business, but don’t do it so much that it becomes annoying or seems manipulative. One or two link backs per day is plenty; any more than that will more than likely be considered overkill.

A related big mistake that people make with Twitter is posting way too many tweets per day. Not only does this take too much time away from their business, but once again they seem heavy handed or self-centered to the community. Five to ten new Twitters per day is plenty. Once again, make sure that you really have something to Twitter about, not just some words to throw up because you want to hear or in this case, see, yourself talk.

Finally, some marketers give up on Twitter too soon because they aren’t seeing the results they’d hoped for quick enough.  Remember, persistence is what pays off with networking, and networking on the Internet is no different. Twitter away for a while before you start expecting steady or big results.

We already know when blogs are optimized correctly they are great for bringing in traffic and generating sales. That is why you need to hook up with Twitter. While Twitter is not a full fledge blog, it is a micro-blogging tool that allows you to instantly let people know what it is that you are doing.

You can set up your blog with a simple feed that will help you optimize and create the results you want to get from both your blog and Twitter. Considering the many ways that you can feed your blog to Twitter, you can talk to people all over the world in a way that you never could before.

There is a simple little tool called Twitter Feed that you can set up on your blog. This tool will integrate Twitter and your blog allowing you to create an automation tool that will give your blog even more legs and bring in traffic. All without any extra steps needed by you once the initial installation is complete.

Setting up your Twitter Feed is not a long or hard process. You can literally do it in 5 minutes or less. Here are the simple steps to getting started.

•    If you do not have a Twitter account, you need to set one up. This will allow you to broadcast your blog RSS feed.

•    Once have set up your twitter account, go to the Twitter Feed site and login using an OpenID.

•    Once your account is all set up you can then integrate your blog with your twitter profile by adding your blog’s RSS feed. You can do this for as many blogs as you like.

•    Be sure to set up the time intervals in a way that doesn’t post too many at once and get you banned from Twitter for spamming.

•    Once you are done whenever you post to the blogs you have in your Twitter Feed, the URL and post announcement will go out to all your Twitter buds.

Twitter Feed is a great tool, but try not to abuse it or your followers. Your readers and followers want to read your content and using Twitter Feed will help you get it out. Just be sure to feed it in the right way.

Oh! You are going to love this section. COMING VERY SOON!

Hi Cindy

You mention that Elisabeth likes web designing. Did she use Steve’s DVD’s to teach her web design? I would like to learn how to make a website, however I have no idea how. I wanted to find out how comprehensive is Steve’s DVD’s – will I know everything I need to know from just using them.

I would so appreciate your advise of this.

Regards
Susan

Cindy’s Answer:

Hi!

Thanks for your email. I am happy to help.

Yes, Elisabeth has used Steve’s DVD Set. She loved learning from it. We actually learned from them together. It was a fun course. Steve did a fabulous job on that course. It includes SO much! I am amazed at all he covered. It was very good for her.

Of course, Elisabeth was already designing sites before that course. She really has a great gifting with them. Most of what we build together uses Wordpress. It is very, very easy. We found a great course that walks you through each step. Many of the ladies in our classes have used it as well, with very little web experience. They have beautiful sites. We found a great program that they have all used. It is by my friend, Lynette Chandler. It is called the Blogging Starter Set, but don’t let the name fool you. You can use Wordpress to build a traditional looking website or a blog. Plus, the programming is so much better for getting your website to the top of search engines. Here is the link so you can check it out:

http://tinyurl.com/2sthhj

We recommend that you also look into GOT-Hosting. They have Fantastico installed that helps to make setting up and updating Wordpress much easier. You can use it alongside of Lynette’s set and have your site up over the weekend—probably in one evening. Here is a link to get to GOT-Hosting:

http://tinyurl.com/3295aj

I hope that this helps you. If not, just ask and we will help more!

Have a super day!

With much love,
Cindy

My friend, Alice Seba, has agreed to offer her newest ebook on special here for all of you.

If you’re guilty of being a social network hopper, a domain-aholic, you’re always looking for the next best thing or are simply having trouble getting your business to where you want to be – take heart. You are not alone and that’s why Alice created this guide to help you with many of the obstacles online business owners face…and you can download it right away for a quick and easy $10…and the regained focus you’ll get it is priceless.

Find out:

• How to easily cut out the distractions that are actively destroying your business’ profitability.
• Finding the right people to listen to and learn from, while tuning out the rest.
• A simple 3-step plan that will change your chaotic online empire into a highly-focused earning machine with incredible growth-potential.

Think you’re too busy to download and read this?

Like all of Alice’s Sweetie guides, this one is to-the-point and quickly lays out a plan for you. If you have so much going on in your business that you feel it’s impossible to take 20 minutes to read (and apply) what’s in this guide – then you need it more than ever. Just 20 minutes can save you a ton of time and as a result, plenty of money and your sanity.

Order Now for Only $10.00

Try a Blog!

One option is to begin a blog. A blog is an informal website. You can post articles, tips, journal entries, or anything that you want. I have several reasons that I recommend this to you-

1. You can set it up for quickly and easily.
2. You can post your material yourself without a web designer.
3. You can become more familiar with web design.
4. You have a place to keep your work online!
5. You have a place to send people who are interested in your work.
6. You can write every day or as you can!
7. Oh! You CAN DO IT!

Get Your Own Website!

Another option is to get your own website. I cannot recommend highly enough that you invest in your own website. It is one of the most important things that a writer can do. It is like a home on the web for you! Invest in that cyber-real estate today! Here are some pointers that will make your website all it can be¦

==> Invest today at MINIMUM in your own web address ”buy YOUR NAME. If your own name is available, invest in it today even if you are not building the website immediately. For years, I wrestled with a vision for my website. In that time, I did NOTHING! For real! When I decided that I wanted to move forward, I was blessed with some of the best advice ever from a dear friend. I was advised to set up my website with MY NAME as the web address for real: www.CindyRushton.com. I felt SO awkward in doing so. It just seemed a bit self-promoting exactly! If you are a writer, you MUST promote yourself. You have to get beyond the fears and trepidations. Think for a minute. If you wanted to find me on the web, what would you look for? I have now written almost 80 books, would my website be titled under one of them? I produce 6 ezines? Would my website be best set up under one of those? What about my business name? We have three businesses at this time and we are considering expanding into a couple of others? Which one would you look for? Do you even know their names? Yes, the most reasonable name for all I do is MY OWN NAME  http://www.CindyRushton.com. It tells who I am today and tomorrow! And yours will too! Invest in YOUR name as your website!

==> Create a HOME on the Web. Don’t just make it a website with information about products I HATE THOSE! Don’t you? They give NOTHING for the reader to enjoy today or to come back for later. If they do not buy the product at that time, you lose them. Rather, make a website that is a HOME on the web! Make your website a reflection of YOU! Include your articles/poems/tip sheets. Include fresh material through an ezine or a blog. Set up your website with a sampling of who you are and what you love to write on. Then, you will create a successful website that makes your readers want to buy your work as it comes out in print.

==> Set up an Ezine or Blog. Have fresh new material on a regular basis. Reach your readers either through an ezine that is emailed to them each time you send it out, or through a blog that they can visit regularly.

==> Begin to Develop your Mailing List. One last thing! Don’t lose those that come by your website. Be sure to set up a form for capturing their addresses. Make it easy to use. Offer them something for free a subscription to your e-zine a free e-book a free bonus. Just adding a form on your website or blog will capture hundreds of people who are interested in following you through the years. Begin yours TODAY!

A website may seem very intimidating, but you can do it! Find a company with easy templates or find a neat web designer who can help you get started. Set it up to be a reflection of who YOU are. You will find it to be your favorite tool as a writer!

~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Want some MORE help?

Writing to See Writers Reach Their Dreams…
Check out my NEW site just for writers!
http://www.Writers-Nook.com

So! You Want to be a Writer???
Check out our NEW Audio Seminar and Membership Site!
Sign up and get STEP-BY-STEP Help through Setting Up Your Own Wordpress Website!
http://www.Writers-Nook.com/onlineseminars.html

Blogging Starter Pack
Includes an Awesome Video Tutorial for Using Wordpress!
http://tinyurl.com/2sthhj

GOT-HOSTING
Our Web Hosting Service (offers Wordpress Scripts at the click of a button!)
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