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Yanik's Hot Sheet September 2006
September 5, 2006
Hi,
Welcome to the next every once-in-awhile "Hot Sheet".
Just back from a beach volleyball tournament in Toronto – tons of fun! I was surprised they even played much beach volleyball in Toronto – but it’s right on the shore of Lake Ontario.
I went up to visit some of the guys I made friends with when I went to Turks & Caicos for that Volleyball vacations trip I did last Jan. I’ll post up some fun pics (including a pole dancing bet gone bad) up on http://www.InternetRoadTrip.com when I get a chance.
I’ve decided to keep that blog updated with my ongoing adventures & misadventures. I posted a whole bunch of pics from the July “Mastermind” meeting in Vegas with some of the troublemakers like John Reese, Frank Kern, Jeff Walker, Jeff Johnson, Jeff Mulligan, Jason Potash, etc. (Yes, the infamous chicken suit pics are up!)
It was Zak’s first birthday a few weeks ago (he actually shares John Reese’s bday). So of course, we had lots of craziness with tons of kids and noise. Zak loved it until the end when he had a little meltdown. It was funny watching him his first taste of sugar with his bday cake and diving face first into it.
Instead of working on writing this newsletter like a good little boy I’ve been playing with MySpace the last few days. I’m pretty fascinated by the entire ‘social networking’ explosion and I still think there are some big opportunities out there. I set up a page the other day just for kicks to see how it all works. I have currently have a whopping 4 friends (and 2 of them are family). I’m totally lost on how to profit from this – but I’m going to experiment and you guys will find out what I discover.
A lot of people know about comedian Dane Cook’s success using MySpace as a grassroots stepping stone to super stardom. I couldn’t get Dane but I think I got the next best thing for Underground III in DC, March 2007. I just confirmed that stand-up comic, Bob Marley, is going to be there to discuss his success on MySpace. I’m really looking forward to what he’s got to say since he’s done exceptionally well on there.
I think I have a final date for the delivery of my new Aston Martin. The dealership said October but we’ll see since there’s been 2 delays already. Though I will get a chance to drive my Aston and 2 others in the UK this week! I’m on my way for the SOLD-OUT Underground UK seminar where the grand prize is for 3 people to have a racing experience at the Aston track. We’ll get to drive the Vantage V8 (my car), The DB9 and the ultra-cool $260,000.00+ Vanquish.
Speaking of Underground, there’s been a ton of people asking when we are *finally* going to release the Underground II DVDs. It’ll be the first week in October for the 72-hour limited release of 500 sets. If you want to be on the ‘first-in-line’ list go here: http://www.undergroundonlineseminar.com/
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Alright, let's get down to business with our September Hot Sheet. Lots of stuff to cover since I haven’t put out this newsletter in a bit…
What's Yanik's Hot Sheet, you ask?
Good question.
You see, I spend tons of money buying new information (about $50,000.00 last year), checking out new products, attending seminars, reviewing material people send, reading a bunch of books and newsletters, etc. etc. So I've decided to share with you what's new, what's hot and what's going on inside this periodic newsletter.
You'll find this filled with resources, tips, and stuff I recommend. You'll only hear from me when I've got some cool stuff to share (unless you tell me to bug off by clicking the link at the bottom). :)
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If you're ready -- let's start...
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* * Yanik's Hot Sheet * *
September 5, 2006
Resources, tips, hints and recommendations for you to make a lot more dough and enjoy a happier and healthier life.
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Check it out - here's what you'll hear about inside:
- Google’s new public domain book search - Public Domain Goldmine Vol 9 Released
- Feature Article: The HOT Secret of Profiting from User Generated Sales and Content
- Are product launches dead?
- Celebrity Charity Hockey Game
- Cool new video on “going natural”
- Web Designer Contest
- Books and Resources you should check out
All this and more inside this double-sized issue of Yanik's Hot Sheet. Ready?
Let's go...
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Hot Sheeter #1: Google’s new Public Domain Book search
* Important fine print: I am not an attorney nor do I play one on TV so this is not legal advice *
There’s been a few of you who have asked my opinion on the new Google Book search (in BETA right now). Aside from taking out sections of copyrighted books (which the big controversy with publishers was over) – the book search also lets you see and download full public domain works.
Sounds great but there’s a catch…
Now a public domain work is yours to use anyway you choose. You can cut it up, use it as-is, combine with other works, create derivative works from it, etc. etc. Now if the work you download from Google book search is unaltered – you technically can do all these things. Now here’s the first but…
My take on this is if you use Google Book search you'll have to abide by their terms of use.
* Here are a few of their terms from a PDF I just downloaded *
Usage guidelines:
+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for personal, non-commercial purposes.
+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google’s system:
+ Maintain attribution The Google “watermark” you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.
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So basically they don’t want you profiting from it. Hmm…sounds perfect.
Now here’s my biggest issue…
Google gives you the PDF you can download only as an image not as text you can edit, copy, modify, etc. Big, big problem if you are trying to work with a file. If you want the inside scoop on how to find and profit from public domain works – I have an introductory course which is a ‘must-have’ – http://www.publicdomainriches.com
Personally, I get my best stuff the old-fashioned way - digging and researching it on my own. That means searching in used book store site (i.e. Albris.com) or at used bookstores, etc.
Google does have a good search tool to let you uncover government documents that may be public domain - http://www.google.com/ig/usgov
Or you could let me do the hard work with Public Domain Goldmine (tm) Volume IX ;) (see Hot sheeter #2)
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Hot Sheeter #2: Public Domain Goldmine (tm) New Volume 9 just released http://www.publicdomaingoldmine.com/vol9/
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Just out this week is my newest release - "Public Domain Riches Gold Mine". This is so hot that Volume I - VIII have now all sold out in just weeks.
The Gold Mine package contains 35 'How To' works in 35 different high-demand and high-profit potential niches. Plus, just about everything you need for each niche including keyword analysis and market research. The latest volume (#9) is almost halfway sold-out so you might able to grab one of the remaining copies if you hurry. Last count there were only 139 sets left
http://www.PublicDomainGoldMine.com/vol9/
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Feature Article
Hot Sheeter #3: The HOT Secret of Profiting from User Generated Sales and Content
By Yanik Silver
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This one insight is going to blow you away if you pay attention. Check out this site – www.ThreadLess.com (Actually as I was researching this site – I bought a very cool T-shirt there – so there’s another reason to check out the site.)
Threadless.com is a perfect “closed loop” system of interactivity, feedback and direct sales back to your "group." It’s pretty damn smart! They have over 300,000 registered users who vote on t-shirt designs submitted by other users in the community. The shirts that get the best scores are the ones that are produced and sold right back to the group who said they wanted to buy it. Those that don’t make the cut are banished to the design archives.
The winners get fame and fortune (sort of). They’ll receive a $2,000 prize if they get their T-shirt selected for printing and their design immortalized. Actually, it’s pretty cool, because the T-shirt I bought has the designer's name on the inside of the shirt, too.
Let’s explore this a little more…
First off, there is almost no risk in using this type of system. It’s a perfect closed loop, with material submitted by users, voted on by users and then purchased by the users. This is one of the best applications of the online world I’ve seen in quite some time. Consider how much less risk there is in letting your community tell you *EXACTLY* what they want to purchase and then giving it right back to them. Actually, I would bet the sales are even better because the users feel like they are involved from the very first step. They feel like they have their hand in the birthing of the T-shirt.
The guys behind Threadless.com have only the risk of printing up too much inventory – but I’m sure they’ve got that figured based on the scoring the T-shirts received and past sales numbers.
Also, they have an ingenious feature built-in that lets would-be buyers request a reprint of a shirt if it’s sold-out already.
You provide your email address and which size T-shirt you want to get updates if your favorite design will be updated. The website’s shop also leaves up lots of sold-out designs, which shows "social proof" of other people buying. Plus, it gets people submitting their info to be notified of reprints (once again diminishing the risk of production).
Threadless.com works on so many levels involving their users and really building community – which keeps them involved and excited about the T-shirts. Plus, it continues building social proof of how cool their designs are. For instance...
1. They let users post photos of themselves wearing the T-shirt designs.The more people you see in the T-shirt the “cooler” you think it is. Plus, it allows members of the community to get a bit of recognition and fame. They also get “points” for submitting their photo in a T-shirt design. Those points are used for free t-shirts and that’s also how they run part of their affiliate program
2. Instead of a “real” affiliate program, they have managed to activate their users as evangelists for them in exchange for free tees. Users get points every time someone buys a T-shirt from their link.
3. On each design submission, registered users are encouraged to leave their comments. These real-world comments are more social proof (if they are positive) and also give the Threadless.com guys some insight into the designs that are selling.
4. Attaching themselves to celebrities. Their community gets excited when they see a celeb or musician wearing one of their shirts. Pictures are posted on a “sightings” page.
5. Keeping it fun and quirky. If you start glancing through the t-shirts (yes, I just bought another one!) you’ll see the staff at Threadless.com really gets into the photography of the shirt. There’s a design with Darth Vader from Star Wars pruning a tree. It’s pretty good – but then take a look at the product pic. There’s a guy shearing another team member’s hair (while wearing the t-shirt).
Okay so how this apply to your business if you’re not selling T-shirts?
Lots. Here are some questions to get your started…
Think about how you can make your product and marketing more of a two-way street and offer a true interaction with customers.
* How can you get more interactive with your customer base and get them actively engaged with you?
* How can you give them recognition?
* How can you incorporate more social proof?
* Why do you have to do business the same way everyone else does by “guessing” what your customers want?
User-generated content is huge!
Look at “American Idol” – same thing but on a different scale. All the American Idol hopefuls contribute their content (singing) and the producers profit from it.
Go back even further and a perfect example before the online world is “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Users submitted videos (content) and the TV show producers profited. Now today you’ve got YouTube.com, with millions of video submissions, or Flickr.com with photos.
This is one of the perfect uses for the Internet that could never happen offline.
Copyright Yanik Silver
-- Note: If you'd like to reprint this article you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box below remains with the article
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Resource box:
====================================================== Just 32-years old, Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking web sites…and he still doesn't know how to put up his own website.
He is the author, co-author or publisher of several best- selling online marketing books and tools, which can be found at www.SurefireMarketing.com
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Hot Sheeter #4: Are Product Launches Dead?
It seems like everyone and his dog are using the "Product Launch Formula" Jeff Walker came out with – http://www.sixinseven.com/productlaunch.html
But for many of us his formula might be DEAD!
Jeff’s a good friend of mine but he might not like what I’ve got to say here…
Every week there is one launch (or usually 3 or 4) after another.
I have a long rant (and new insights) about it inside the Underground Secret Society *members-only* forum.
If you’re not yet a Secret Society member – you can join for instant access to the forum.
http://www.UndergroundSecretSociety.com/?
The Secret Society is information I cannot share anywhere else. You have to see everything in store for you and the best way I know how is to let you try it all. That’s why I’ve set up a special 1-month charter membership to the "Underground Secret Society" reserved ONLY in your name:
http://www.UndergroundSecretSociety.com/?
And if you get in right now – you’ll still have time to get the upcoming issue sent that features a killer 5-minute addition to your website that added 100k new subscribers per month for one member. Plus, Part II of the super advanced secret of adding personality to your website. This is critical is you want your customers to become loyal, even ‘rabid-like’ consumers of your goods and services. You’ll see all kinds of examples that have nothing to do with the ‘info marketing’ or ‘making money’ world.
Warning: In order to protect the uniqueness of these ideas and resources the membership is strictly limited to just 925 (or less). And we won’t be releasing any back issues or interviews. There will be NO archives set up. So if you decide to come in at a later date (if there are any spots available) you’ll miss out on previous issues and interviews. But more importantly the charter subscription rate is going up very soon.
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Hot Sheeter #5: Celebrity Charity Ice Hockey Game
I’m really excited to report I will be playing with a few Hollywood celebs and former NHL’rs in a celebrity hockey game for charity on October 22 in Los Angeles. Some of you know we donate 5% of all our sales to different charities throughout the year and I had a friend suggest I organize a charity hockey game. But since I have no contacts in the NHL or Hollywood - I figured there’s got to be somebody else doing it already for a good cause.
And there is…
I found http://www.freezethedisease.org
And I’ve committed to raise $15k or more just from our own company and subscribers to fight cystic fibrosis. And I definitely need your help to reach this goal. In the next few weeks I’m going to put on a one-time teleseminar program with unique content I’ve never shared before only available for people donating. All the proceeds (100%) will go directly to Freeze the Disease. Plus, I’ll let you know about details and when tickets are available if you want to see me play. (Might be entertaining to watch me get schooled by a few Pros). ;)
One more thing, they are putting on an online and silent auction. If you have any interesting items that could be used for donation – contact my office directly at: surefireadmin @ surefiremarketing.com with the subject line “auction help”.
Thanks and I promise the teleseminar will be worth 10x – 100x the tiny donation I ask for.
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Hot Sheeter #6: Cool New Video on “Going Natural”
A lot of people I’ve spoken with have been crippled or severely hurt by Google’s Adword changes. I have one Mastermind member who used to spend $400k/mo on PPC and in one evening Google basically told him “thanks for you business – but no thank you”. They pushed up minimum bid prices to unheard of levels where he couldn’t profit anymore. Hmmm…$400k/mo means Google just threw $4M+ in ad words revenue. Crazy! They didn’t care and you don’t need to a big advertiser either to feel the pinch. My wife’s website www.InstantThankYouLetters.com was hit hard because minimum bids were now $10 and $5 instead of .05 and .10 cents we were paying. Unbelievable!
And that’s why this cool video is so intriguing and couldn’t come out at a better time. It’s from my friends Brad Fallon and Andy Jenkins. It’s all about how they do $16k per DAY in sales using natural search engine traffic. Now I’m nowhere close to an SEO guy but this video is very cool especially the research on “PPC Blindness”. Check it out here (you don’t need to give them your contact info to see it):
Actually the video has been out for only a few days and really stirred up quite a buzz already – so Brad and Andy compiled a meaty 25-page PDF report called “Going Natural Fast Action PDF”. It’s pure content straight from 1153 questions they got about our first Going Natural video
You can pick this one up here (and you still don’t need to give them your info): http://www.convertlinks.com/getyourreport.php?exposed
This is the real deal – don’t wait to grab these!
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Hot Sheeter #7: Wanted: Web Designer
Okay Missy is totally sick of our main www.SurefireMarketing.com site looking crappy. I think it gets the job but I guess I can’t blame her. So I’m holding a little competition. If you’re a web designer or know a good one – forward them this section. I’ll pay $750 for the winner judged solely by myself and Missy. Aside from the moolah, you’ll have a discreet link to your site on the bottom of our page. What’s more, if you’re looking for even more business I’ll stick you up on my http://www.YanikRecommends.com page with all my other recommended resources.
I’d like to leave pretty much all the elements in there now and I also need room for the InternetRoadTrip.com blog somewhere. I also want a spot for more testimonials and video testimonials we have. Plus, I hate my pic up top. :)
The final date for entries is October 15, 2006. That’s about all the rules. Go for it! Send over the design to surefireadmin @ surefiremarketing.com with the subject line “surefire site design”
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Hot Sheeter #8: Books, Tools & Resources You Need to Check Out
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Here are the latest books I've read that are worth mentioning...
First on the fiction front…normally I don’t read much fiction but this Summer I’ve polished off nearly all the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child while we in Manhattan Beach, CA for a few weeks.
-- I really enjoy coming up with a different slant on things/products, etc so I’ve been spending some time reading books on creativity, new strategies & idea generation. A couple you might want to pick up are –
“Whatever you Think Think the Opposite” by Paul Arden. It’s a super quick read but gets you thinking in new directions. Also, a book more for execs than entrepreneurs is “Blue Ocean Strategy” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. You’ll have to extrapolate for yourself how this applies to your business unless you’re a Fortune 500 company (and if you are – what the heck are you doing reading this?) ;)
-- Bob Scheinfeld’s brand new “Busting Loose from the Money Game” book is pretty intriguing and a bit “out there” when you first read it. I’m about 2/3 of the way through and there are some real breakthrough financial concepts. Worth a look.
-- Another book I really got a lot out of is “Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton. So many of us have been taught we need to work on our weaknesses to build those up. The message here is DON’T. Use (and understand) your top strengths and then work with others who have strengths you don’t. You have to get a new copy of this book because inside the dust jacket is a code to take an online profile test. It’s only a 15-minute test but I found new strengths I didn’t realize I had. It’s a pretty cool test but they are dumb because you cannot just buy the test alone. I wanted to buy a few key codes for people I knew – but I couldn’t figure out how without buying more books. Hmmm…I love it when people make it hard for me to give them dough.
** I love when some my students complete their first information product…I feel like a proud Papa. Dennis Marcellino, One of my 6-week eClass students (sorry – class is no longer available), pulled himself out of alcohol and drug addiction. He created this course to help others:
The Addiction Free Forever manual not only shows a person how to get through withdrawal but also how to create an inner foundation that causes good (and not bad) feelings and a deeply fulfilling life. That is what is needed to stay off of alcohol or drugs permanently. You can instantly download it for $29.95 at www.AddictionFreeForever.com
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Mal Emery in Australia is putting on a charity seminar to benefit Ovarian Cancer. He’s got 2 very personal reasons and actually so do I. My mother passed away from Ovarian cancer last year and this type of cancer doesn’t get the publicity it needs. That’s why Mal calls it the “Silent Killer Seminar”. He’s got a pretty impressive line-up and if you are around Australia (or want to visit) this worth checking out:
http://www.silentkillerseminar.com
It’s a huge 2-day seminar on October 14 & 15th with several guest experts for the measly price of $150 (donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
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My friend and marketing expert Bob Serling, has put together a terrific new ebook that you can get as my gift to you at no cost. But you should move on this right now, because it will soon be selling for at least $39. In "The 10-Minute Marketing Success Interviews", Bob asked 21 leading experts (including me) the question, "What is your favorite marketing technique that's working really well for you and your clients right now?"
http://www.DirectMarketingInsider.com/21experts
Here’s who he included: Bob Bly, John Carlton, Sean D'Souza, Michel Fortin, Randy Gage, David Garfinkel, Steve Harrison, Shel Horowitz, John Jantsch, Paul Lemberg, Clayton Makepeace, Perry Marshall, Robert Middleton, Paul Myers, Brad Petersen, Raleigh Pinskey, Bob Scheinfeld, Bob Serling, Yanik Silver, Joe Vitale, and Jeff Walker.
** A lot of my friends swear by this new keyword software: http://www.keywordcompanion.com/tb/t_17_3357.html
Now most of you know I’m nowhere close to an SEO guy so I cannot fully evaluate this resource but from watching the tutorial videos and hearing about it from my respected peers – I think you should know about it. It saves you hours and hours of frustrating manual work when developing targeted keyword lists. The software is in re-launch and won’t be available until September 12, 2006 – but you can see some previews on the site.
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Vince Palko designed the cartoon of me in my sportscar on my Surefiremarketing.com site and now he’s got a resource out there on how to use cartoons to grow your business. This is one way to add personality and stand out from the competition:
http://www.adtoons.com/products/ultimate_toons.html
** You may not know who Randall Blaum is, but a lot of Internet
marketing insiders know him for his ability to turn free media attention into
results. I met him while shooting a scene for a movie (you’ll hear about it
when I can reveal more). http://www.surefiremarketing.com/hollywoodpublicity/
** I’m participating in a 12-week (no-charge) teleseminar series called the “Internet Master Series”. It starts September 7 and goes on each Thursday for 12 weeks. There’s a great line-up of onboard. And you’ll get some of the important concepts covered like copywriting, podcasting, sales conversion, list building strategies, search engine optimization, public relations, direct marketing, list building strategies and much more.
http://www.Internetmasterseries.com
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Well that does it for this issue of Yanik's Hot Sheet. Thanks for reading!
All the best,
Yanik Silver SurefireMarketing.com
P.S. Have you seen all our latest resources?
http://www.PublicDomainGoldMine.com/vol9 Volume 9 nearly half-way sold-out
http://www.UltimateCopywritingWorkshop.com Why is this the world's most expensive copywriting course?
http://www.PublicDomainRiches.com/leap/ (new 8-week program)
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