There is, however, a very boring aspect in email marketing: preparing your emails for your autoresponder software.

Formatting your emails is a 3-step process:

1. Re-format your source text so that the lines are no longer than 50 to 60 characters per line. Doing this, you get better readability and thus more people will actually read it till the end.
2. Next you must create 2 different versions of your message, 1 being plain text, and the other one being in HTML format.
3. Finally you have to search for each URL in your source text and turn it into an HTML hyperlink for your HTML email.

Now, keep reading, as you’ll certainly like what you are about to read!

For me, this is probably the most boring task in my daily work. That is of course the reason why I’m outsourcing it now.

It’s also the reason why I asked my programmer to create a tool for me and my assistant that helps making email formatting fast and easy.

Knowing that you are likely to have to do the same boring tasks, I’m giving the email formatting tool to the public, so that you and your staff can use it too.

Whenever you have a series of messages to format for your autoresponder, just click to my free email formatting tool, and it will help you do the job.

These are the features:

1. Formatting short lines for easy reading.
2. Creating 2 versions for text and HTML email.
3. Creating the correct source code for your HMTL hyperlinks automatically.

If you’re an affiliate marketer, you will be happy to see that it keeps your affiliate links intact.

Here’s how to use it, it’s so easy, your dog could do it in 3 simple steps:

1. At the top, you will find a box where you paste your original text.
2. Then you click the button ”Click Here to Format Your Email’.
3. Like magic and at the blink of an eye, your email is now formatted and ready to paste into your autoresponder without requiring any tedious work from you! Two text fields are now filled with your nicely formatted text and HTML email.

Check it out for yourself at http://www.InternetBusinessMastermind.com/email-formatting.

http://EzineMarketingCenter.com/book/twr/launch.htm

Words can bring joy, hope, and love to others. And in this case, words can bring you money too. Today I want to introduce to you… “THINK, WRITE & RETIRE : How To Turn Words Into Wealth – Easily!”, a marvelous book written by Dr. Mani, a heart surgeon and an infopreneur at the same time.

This book has all ready gathered support and stalwart testimonies from known businessmen like Chris Garett, Teri Dean, Carrie Wilkerson, Mark Joyner, Yaro Starak, and Joel Comn.

Even better, this book aims to give charity—definitely all of the sales generated from this book will serve as funds for a child’s heart operation!

Just think about what you’ll be getting and giving.

Purchase a copy of “THINK, WRITE & RETIRE : How To Turn Words Into Wealth – Easily!” on August 25, 2009 (launch date) and you will be given an ultimate guide to becoming an infopreneur… and save a child’s life!

Not only that! To make this offer a real catch not worth missing, Dr. Mani is giving away bonuses and free gifts amounting to $500 when you purchase the book on its launch date.

The main goal here is to propel the book to Amazon.com’s HOT 100 list—acquire more and better visibility and, in turn, produce more money for charity.

Don’t miss this opportunity! YOU can take part in this noble cause. Order your copy at Amazon.com and claim your gifts at http://EzineMarketingCenter.com/book/twr/launch.htm

Probably 95% of all internet businesses are ’1 man shows’, but very few people realize that a one-person internet business on its own isn’t going to make  you a  fortune.

To achieve the number of subscribers and customers that will finance your freedom, you need to build a network of peers and you need to get the help of people who already are on higher levels of success.

Now, obviously every marketer would like to get the support of the big guys – but how do you pull it off?

After all, a highly successful online entrepreneur will rarely have the time to pay attention to any individual on his list of hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

The good news is: you have to work on it a bit, but it isn’t really hard to make contact to the super successful people in your industry.

As with all laws of success, the underlying principle is pretty simple and easy to understand:

===> You need to build a relationship, a friendship at best.

This article shares a range of action-tips you can implement today to get noticed by the top guys.

Who should you target for networking?

1. Target marketers you like.

Chose those that are successful and a match to you in regards of how they conduct their business. If you target someone who uses questionable strategies just because he’s successful, you will not be happy with the ‘friendship’ in the long run. And, following that guru’s advice, you’re very likely to steer your business in the wrong direction.

2. Target marketers whose business model is close to what you want to do.

That’s pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it? If you want to make money in the  ‘make money online’ niche, you’re not really going to need good relations to the top dogs in the porn industry.

3. Target marketers on different scales of success.

You may not get the fastest results only targeting those on the top of the food chain. Start building relationships on many levels at the same time.

4. Join small scale communities and target the OWNER.

It’s easier to get noticed in a small community.

Here are 3 examples from the internet marketing niche:

• The warrior forum, owned by Allen Says, has 133,000 members.
• Turbocommunity, owned by John Delavera, has 3,000 members.
• TheInternetMarketingInnerCircle , owned by Willie Crawford, has 450 members.

Who’s attention is easier to get?

Allen Says’s, who has a six figure member base?

Or Wilie Crawford’s, and John Delavera’s, who have smaller, intimate communities?

Are all of them super successful entrepreneurs?

You bet!

Check them out and participate in their communities:

• Warrior forum
• Turbocommunity
• TheInternetMarketingInnerCircle

How To Build The Relationship?

1. Seven ways to put yourself on the guru’s radar.

Your first goal is to get noticed. Your name needs to show up where these people are naturally looking for new, valuable contacts.

(1) Become a subscriber.
(2) Become a customer.
(3) Become a guest at his Blog.
(4) Become a forum member.
(5) Become a participant at seminars.
(6) Become a member of mastermind groups.
(7) Become a paying mentoree.

2. Be active, contribute to the marketers efforts.

Everyone who helps him to make his own projects more successful will get his attention.

(a)Send testimonials.

If the marketer has forms for submission of testimonials this is only the second best choice because they may be managed by assistants. Try to find a way to get your testimonial directly to the right person, email preferably.

(b)Post useful Blog comments.

If a marketer has his own Blog he’s usually happy about everyone posting meaningful comments. In many cases the marketer will publicly answer your comment on the Blog to get the discussion going.

(c) Participate in forum discussions.

Typical forum problems:
- Too little activity from members.
- Not enough ‘active’ moderators.
Any forum owner appreciates people who help to keep momentum in the forum. Answer to a lot of posts and start your own threads. A forum might be the place where you get the first ‘personal, 1:1 contact’ to the owner through PMs.

3. Be proactive and offer help

(a) Be alert if any help is needed. The marketer might ask for help in a specific area through the forum, through Blog posts or through emails that go to his list.
(b) Offer to moderate in the forum.
(c) Try to find aspects in his business where you can offer help actively. Offer what you’re good at.

How To Be Worthy Of Getting Professional Feedback?

Remember that any successful entrepreneur has a lot of things to take care of, be respectful of their time.

1. Be a doer, clearly act on the feedback.

Nothing puts successful entrepreneurs more off than a newbie who demands lots of help, lots of time, and lots of attention without ever putting anything to use. Unfortunately these passive, time stealers are the majority of people entering the internet marketing industry.

Be different. You’ll quickly earn the respect of any professional if you walk your talk.

2. Don’t ask questions that you can easily research yourself.

It’s true that there are no dumb questions. It’s also true that there are beginner’s questions you can easily figure out yourself without stressing other people’s time.

Act on that list and you’ll find yourself in the inner circle of successful marketers within a few weeks.

So what’s next?

Be a doer.

Start participating right now … post your comments, questions and ideas below.

The first update we integrated is a sales video for new visitors. It’s actually the very first marketing video I’ve ever published on my own sites, despite the fact that I have been creating marketing  vids for clients since 2001.

What do you think?

So why did my friends warn me?

Because in April the Thai people celebrate the New Year. They call it “Songkran” and funnily it’s not celebrated on the same day in the whole country, but the party moves through the country over the course of several days.

The ‘problem’ with Songkran is that people party several days with THROWING WATER at people. Seriously, you can’t get out of your apartment for 10 minutes without getting soaking wet…

Here are the pictures:

This is Pattaya’s Walking Street at April 18, 2009, a few hours before the official beginning of Songkran. The water is not from rain, but from people partying.

No matter whether you’re pedestrian, riding a motorbike or driving a car, you’ll always get wet.
Ready – Fire – Aim…

Waiting for the next victim…

Well, let’s cool her down a bit…

No mercy. With dedication she pours approximately 1.5 litres right into the poor guy’s face.

Open window in your car?
Bad idea…

Party-time.

Back in my room late at night. The white stuff is something people put in your face wishing you a ‘happy new year’.

Next day, April 19, the party continues on beach road with thousands of people partying.

A closer look at beach road. No cars allowed today.

What? Even the monks throw water…

Woah, Bad Ass Warrior….

One of my German friends and 3 strange strangers under ATTACK!!!

Look closely – the air is filled with water.

We arrived at a save spot.

Making pictures wasn’t easy at Songkran, because I had to watch out for water coming at me (and the camera) all the time.

I’ll be back in Thailand in late June, July and August; I’m sure to post new pictures then.

The moral of this post: if you want to travel or work from the nicest places on earth, make sure to build an internet business. It’ll give you all the freedom you long for.

Well, Jeremy (Jezhunt) suggested I should go for green. It would probably look like this:

Fortunately it’s just a quick Photoshop work.

My hair stylist went for a less dramatic approach and used two colors, one slightly lighter and one slightly darker than my natural color:

This is me sitting in one of the nicer cafés in my hometown Kaiserslautern in Germany.

Last night I was working on the German translation for a customer service text.

I got sidetracked – because for about a week now I’ve also been studying the rhetorical techniques of Barack Obama.

And sometimes, when two unrelated things come together, something new is created.

So a few hours ago the ‘Customer Instructions, Barack Obama Style’ came into existence.

The Original Customer Instructions.

This is sent to the customer after a purchase. It’s an instruction on how to obtain the ordered product.

If you’re in internet marketing, I’m sure you’ve had customers yourself that didn’t read the instructions and then panicked…

“A verification email has been sent to the email address you provided. Since Servers do not make exceptions please wait a bit and be sure to check your Spam folder too.

When you see the verification message, click on the link you will find inside. Once done you will receive a new message with the information to access your purchase. Please follow the instructions and everything will go fine.

If you think Servers made an exception for you, please first wait to see if you get the email message – servers are slow some times; and then recheck your spam folder.

Only if you’re certain that something must be wrong with your subscription then submit a ticket to our helpdesk and be sure to include your full name and a copy of the original receipt.

Thank you for helping us to serve you better, faster and more efficiently.”

Next the rewritten version.

Let’s save our customers from the trouble of not getting the confirmation email.

It’s best to read it slowly while imagining Barack Obama’s powerful voice, brimming with certainty and reassurance.

Customer Instructions, Barack Obama Style – Delivered After Purchase.

My Friend,

I stand on the shoulders of our forbears when I say to you:

You will be served.

I am humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed.

That we are in the midst of a purchase is now well understood.

We, the Internet Marketers, have remained faithful to our ideals, and true to our founding documents, the terms of service.

1. One places an order, one receives a confirmation mail.
2. One opens his mail, one finds a link.
3. One clicks his link, he gets his goods.

So it has been.

So it must be.

• Your Faith may be shaken; our Server stands tall.
• Your patience may be lost; our Server loses no one.
• Your mailbox may be empty; our Server delivers.

Orders may be placed by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled …

… our Server makes no exception.

You will be served!

Our confirmation emails have been sent during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the purchase is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.

In that case you should heed the call from ancient scripture:

“My spam folder runneth over.”

The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to demonstrate patience in the wait for our email, to re-evaluate our spam folders.

Then for those, who waited without gain …

For those, who searched without reward …

Know this…

You will be served!

• Do not hesitate to call in the duty of your community.
• Do not hesitate to submit a support ticket.

Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year.

• We will harness the deepest depths of our databases.
• We will conquer the vastness of hyperspace.
• We will restore your email to its rightful place.

All this we can do. All this we will do.

You will be served!

(APPLAUSE)

Disclaimer And Resources.

1. I have the utmost respect for President Obama and for his ability to deliver speeches that move millions. My seemingly disrespectful text above is in no way intended to diminish this. It is instead intended to give you a chuckle, no more no less.
2. I’m fully aware of the severeness of the problems that the original inaugural speech addressed. That I’m using similar words in a ridiculously unimportant context is not denying the hardship that people all over the world feel right now. Switching context is just a technique of humorous writing, used by many writers.
3. I do not intend to hurt anybody by re-wording a few words from the bible.

In the opening sentences I said, there’s nothing to learn here.

Well, ’twas a lie.

Actually there is something to learn.

What if you just learned, that any boring topic can be delivered on your web site using the very same rhethorical techniques that master influencers use? That peple who move millions use?

If that sounds interesting to you, stay tuned. I promise I’ll provide further insights on influential writing VERY soon.

For those that can’t wait, here’s a great starting point. These are the original Barack Obama speech transcripts I used to write the parody above.

Barack Obama’s victory speech on election night.

http://www.barackobama.com/2008/11/04/remarks_of_presidentelect_bara.php

Barack Obama’s inaugural address.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/us/politics/20text-obama.html

Barack Obama Photo by Pete Souza /The White House

Melodies derived from Stock Charts, arranged with Songsmith, the Microsoft Composition Tool.

2 Days ago, on Friday January 29 2009, another important figure of public life embraced web 2.0.

Pope Pope Benedict XVI commented on benefits and dangers of social media and announced the new vatican channel on youtube.

Here’s an excerpt of his remarks:

… the new technologies which have made the internet a resource of utmost importance, especially for the so-called “digital generation”.

Undoubtedly, wise use of communications technology enables communities to be formed in ways that promote the search for the true, the good and the beautiful, transcending geographical boundaries and ethnic divisions.

To this end, the Vatican has launched a new initiative which will make information and news from the Holy See more readily accessible on the world wide web.

It is my hope that this initiative will enrich a wide range of people including those who have yet to find a response to their spiritual yearning through the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ whose message of Good News the Church bears to the ends of the earth.

Vatican’s youtube channel.
http://www.youtube.com/vaticanit

The source for the Pope’s quote is here: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/or/or_eng/text.html#3

Also interesting: The Media: At the Crossroads between Self-Promotion and Service. Searching for the Truth in order to Share it with Others.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20080124_42nd-world-communications-day_en.html

The Pope On Youtube? Why Is It Important?

I’m amazed how fast the internet changes the world.

When I was in school. …

• The internet wasn’t even there.
• There was no iPod, nor an iPhone to watch youtube videos. Even Sony’s Walkman (the rightful predecessor of any ‘carry with you’ device)  wasn’t invented.
• And of course there was no such thing as a ‘Personal Computer’ to be found in any household.

Then the internet came and people had no idea how fast it would grow into our everyday lives.

Roundabout 5 years ago we internet geeks started to embrace the idea of web 2.0 as we published our first blogs. They were ugly and for geeks only.

• Who would have thought 5 years ago a presidential election would be decided by social media sites?
• Who would have thought 2 years ago the Pope would deliver his gospel through youtube?

Social media is no longer for geeks only.

The people and the leaders of the world embrace it and we can’t even begin to imagine the consequences this will bring.

Through social media we will see dramatic changes in:

1. How people educate themselves.
2. How they create relationships and mastermind groups, evolving much faster than ever possible offline.
3. How they build their opinion on political, economical and ethical topics.
4. How leaders will use the internet to influence (manipulate?) the masses.
5. How campaigns and propaganda sweep the planet across boarders – not only when delivered by leaders, but by any individual who puts his mind to it.

The geek in me is happy. I’m an early adopter and I love to find the  new stuff before it hits the mainstream.

There’s tons and tons of opportunities waiting for us internet marketers, and through new technology and new ideas our ‘universe’ is expanding each day.

I’m excited about it.

How about you?

At Twitter ‘going viral‘ usually means that your Tweet gets re-tweeted by others. The more ‘generations’ of re-tweeting a post of yours gets, the more people will see your message.

The author, Dan Zarella, unveils his detailed research about:

1. What phrases work best as ‘call to action’ to make your Tweets go viral?
2. What is the best time to post your viral Tweets?
3. What’s the most important thing your post needs for best chances to go viral?
4. How to increase your rate of ‘virability’?
5. What types of content make the Twits fall in love with you and get them to re-tweet?

It’s really a great article, very focused and with clear instructions how to make your marketing messages on Twitter successful.

Read it here:
http://www.copyblogger.com/go-viral-on-twitter