I use Google alerts all the time to keep track of topics of interest; right now I have alerts set to deliver the latest news on Amazon’s Kindle, best practices for website design, and copywriting (of course).

If you run an online business, Google alert is the best (free) notification service around.  Using it, you can track topics in The other day I discovered a Google-alert type service for those of us who Tweet (you DO tweet, don’t you?) using Twitter.

The service is TweetBeep and here’s how it works. First, set up a free account by picking a username and password. Then, choose the keyword alerts you want to track, i.e. your name, company name, topic of interest. Unlike Google alerts, don’t use quote marks for exact phrase matches.  You can exact phrase match by ticking the box on your alert. Pick how often you want to receive alerts, and that’s it.

Oh yes – you can also set up your TweetBeep to only receive alerts from specific Twitter accounts – a convenience I like when I’m tracking conversations from a specific individual.

A popular post from last year

Would you buy your own products?

I heard something yesterday that really got me thinking about this.

Someone called into A Way With Words–the National Public Radio show that discusses language, as in regional dialects, slang, word origins, grammar, and weird expressions–and asked about the use of “dog food” as a verb.

Apparently the term had its birth in the software/tech industry, and was used as a way of saying that software developers should actually use the products they were developing. Dog food (the verb) has evolved to mean “to use a product or service that was created by you.”

That made me think about all of us who are out here on the Internet, creating services and products for the consumer market – - and it forced me to ask the question of myself:  Do I dog food my own products and services? If I wasn’t writing my blog, or my books, or creating my videos, would I read me?

I don’t know why such a simple question has thrown me into such soul-searching because I work hard to create quality work. But it did . . . and I’m still pondering the question.

What do you think? Do you dog food your own products?  Leave a comment and let me know.

My good friend, and fellow online entrepreneur, Lou Bortone (the OnlineVideoGuy) told me about a new service that is launching today at 11:00 am Pacific (1 Central, 2 Eastern).  The service, Prfessor, allows non-techie people to set up their own "university", and teach the things they know – - and of course generate passive income while doing so. Think about that – getting paid from here til the end of time to share your knowledge with other people.

There’s an excellent video on the Prfessor site right now that shows you the basics, with launch scheduled as noted above.

I don’t know about you, but there are MANY things I can teach and I can’t wait to sign up for my own account.  At this point, I don’t know what the charge will be, but I’m betting it’s going to be a monthly subscription. Lou told me he thought it was under $50, and if that’s the case, I’ll be first in line.

My "what I can teach" list right now includes:

1. Internet genealogy
2. Non-fiction book proposal writing
3. Non-fiction book writing
4. How to become a freelance writer
5. How to promote your book online
6. Basics of social media marketing

How about you?

This is the most excited I’ve been about a product launch in eons.  Prfessor is THE system for anyone who wants to teach, earn extra income or at-home income, and doesn’t want to mess around with all the technical stuff. 

When Darren Rowse of Problogger ran his (I hope annual) 31 Days to a Better Blog Challenge, I immediately jumped into the fun. Because Darren is one of the most financially successful bloggers on the ‘net, I knew his advice was 1) valuable; and 2) valuable! I stayed with the challenge through the whole 31 days, even though there were days I had to play catch-up, and days I had to miss altogether. And even though I’ve been blogging for a long time, Darren had brilliant ideas that I wouldn’t have thought of–at least not in the near now. Because Darren received so many requests, he put the entire 31 Days to a Better Blog into a PDF workbook form, and is currently selling it for $19.95.  I bought a copy today, ran through the entire 94 pages, with these thoughts. (and if you’re asking why I would buy a workbook when I already have all the information, here’s why: I’m printing the workbook, then popping it into a three-ring binder with tabs for each of the 31 days – that way I can go through the workbook daily, checking off daily tasks, and at the end of each month, wash, rinse, repeat.

Review: 31 Days to a Better Blog Workbook

I like that Darren began by telling readers the purpose of the workbook (sold in PDF format): "The idea is simple. By the end of this challenge you’ll have learned 31 aspects of blogging and put them into practice. It is designed not only to fill your head with knowledge ABOUT blogging but also give you some concrete things to do to actually DO something with the knowledge." Each day consists of a blogging technique, examples, and a task. Some days the tasks will take you a couple of hours, other days only a few minutes. I like that Darren gives solid, concrete examples for each lesson.  For example, on day one (write an elevator pitch), he tells you the exact

short and long versions of his own elevator pitches. If, at the end of the 31 days, you want to continue the challenge with more advanced techniques, Darren has a link to a newsletter that has occasional updates on the most important developments in terms of tools and resources to help you improve your blogging. In addition to the lesson, samples and tasks, Darren also includes a Notes section; this section typically includes more tips, other examples – - generally a place for more detailed information about the day’s lesson. Would I recommend the 31 Days to a Better Blog Workbook? I found the daily lessons to be valuable resources for building my own blogs, improving my blog techniques, and crystalizing my brand. The Workbook closely followed the lessons, but in putting the Workbook together, Darren cleaned up the lessons, added new material (and bonus material) – - even adding 6,000 new words of content. I think the Workbook is well-worth the $19.95; if you have a blog and want more traffic, exposure, or readership, I believe the Workbook is invaluable. Darren is one of the most respected bloggers around, and when he tells you how to improve your traffic and readership, you know his advice is based on real-life experience, not theory. So, if driving traffic to your blog is your goal, pop over and pick up the Workbook today. I suggest printing it out, getting it bound, or putting it in a 3-ring binder.  But don’t stop there – - actually DO the tasks daily – - and I bet if you check your analytics on day 1 and your analytics on day 31 you’ll see an increase.  I’m tracking my own traffic through the month of June – and will post a report in 30 days.

Want to hear something just a *bit* crazy from my friend (and incredible copywriter) Derek Franklin?

Here goes…

Today may be the day to:

* Put your entire collection of copywriting books up for sale
  on eBay
* Cancel your plans to attend that annual copywriting seminar
* Turn your stack of copywiting DVDs into drink coasters
* Clean your browser of every last copywriting blog, article,
  and site you’ve bookmarked over the years

Have I lost my mind, you ask?

Not at all.

It’s not what I’ve lost that makes me say these things, it’s what I’ve found.

It’s something I can only describe as the closest thing to a treasure map for copywriters I’ve ever seen.

Here’s the brief story behind what I’m talking about…

Derek  recently set out on a mission to learn everything about copywriting he possibly could.

He bought gobs of books, expensive training courses, DVDs, and even tore through the Web looking for anything he could find related to the art of copywriting.

In the process of his journey, he:

* Collected all the best copywriting tips, techniques and
  concepts
* Eliminated all the fluff
* Eliminated all the redundant stuff (there was a lot)

And, here’s the BIGGIE…

* Organized all he had learned and collected into one of
  the most unique and useful documents for learning
  the art of copywriting that you’ll likely see for a
  long time

I can say without a doubt that it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen!

Derek calls it (appropriately), The Copywriter’s Brain.

It would be virtually impossible for me to try and describe here what it is and how it’s used.

Fortunately, Derek’s put together a short video tour inside The Copywriter’s Brain.

If copywriting is part of your business or livelihood, then you’ve GOT to check it out by clicking this link to view the video now.

I purchased The Copywriter’s Brain today – - and will write a full review in the next couple of days. I believe I own every piece of software Derek has ever written, and have never been disappointed.  More later.
 

You’ve probably been reading about Twitter for Business all over the Internet. Some of the big-time marketing gurus swear their success is due, in part, from their (non-spammy) Twittering.  What do you think?

I’ve been playing with Twitter for several months and my experience is a positive one. I landed a client via an online colleague’s "followers", and have recently picked up several followers who are interested in my writing, marketing and consulting services.

If you’ve never Twittered, get over there and open a free account.  Then have some fun with these Twitter tools: Twitter Widget: Adds a card to your Twitter photo, name and latest post. (here’s a sample) Ten Best Twitter Tools for WordPress: Includes scripts to Tweet from your sidebar or add your RSS feed to Twitter. Twitter Fan Wiki:

Dozens of cool applications for Twitter. Includes tools like Outlook add-ons, desktop Twitter clients, and Firefox add-ons.