Business Growth Strategies » Five on Friday

Five on Friday, Issue #13

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:20:43 +0000

Another issue of Five on Friday — issue number 13, in fact, on the eve of Halloween! Now there’s a coincidence.

Not to worry though… no tricks here, only treats. Enjoy!

Website Redesign Pulls in More Sales? – by MichelÂ Fortin

I love test results. And while Michel doesn’t reveal any actual sales figures or conversion rates in this post, he does let you in on a little secret that most copywriters and online marketers don’t know. Must read.

How to Outwit a Den of Thieves – by Martin Howey

The Internet in many ways is still the “wild, wild west” of the business world. Here Martin exposes the dangers of doing business on the Internet and what you can do about it.

Beware of Copycat Credibility – by Brendan Regan

Is it really possible that building credibility the same way everybody else does can actually hurt your credibility? This is the argument Brendan puts forth in this brief but fascinating article. (You know what? I think he’s right…)

8 Reasons to Have a Membership Site – by Robert Plank

Ever wondered why you should not have a membership site? Robert gives you 4 reasons. Every wondered why you should? Robert gives you 8 reasons. (I also love how Robert uses scarcity to get comments on his blog.)

A Simple Way to Write Your First Sales Letter – by Ryan Healy

I’ve just started writing articles for Charlie Cook’s “Marketing for Success” blog. The articles I’m submitting are not published anywhere else, so I’m linking to the first article here in case you missed my “tweets” about it. In this post, I share a super-simple way to write your first sales letter. Retweet it if you like it!

Have a safe Halloween and a wonderful weekend.

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Five on Friday, Issue #12

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:33:06 +0000

Another issue of Five on Friday, served up hot and fresh. Here are five of my favorite blog posts from the last week or so.

“The bar for success is too low in our industry” – by Jason Fried

This post was written about the techn industry, but could have just as easily been written about Internet marketing. Jason takes the tech industry to task for holding up unprofitable businesses as a model of success. Highly recommended reading.

Affiliate Caught in the Act! – by Ricky Breslin

In this video, Ricky exposes some of the shady affiliate tactics that are becoming more and more common in every industry. Raises an important question: “How far is too far in the pursuit for profits?”

Supplement Millions Video – by Doberman Dan

Another video! This one’s a bit longer; 38 minutes. Well worth watching though, especially when you consider it’s a recording of Doberman Dan’s presentation at a PAID seminar. In spite of the title, this video is actually less about selling supplements than it is about the value of direct mail.

Do One Thing. Do It Well. – by Jonathan Leger

Here’s a good reminder to stick with the basics… and focus. Jonathan actually wrote this post after reading a thread on Warrior Forum. The thread was so long, he decided to summarize what he got out of it. Good quick reading.

Internet Marketing Propaganda Is Going to Cost You – by TerryÂ Dean

What’s keeping you from building a successful online business? Here Terry shares 5 Internet marketing lies that can hold you back if you believe them. (If you like Terry’s information, you should check out the TerryÂ Dean newsletter.)

Have a great weekend!

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Five on Friday, Issue #11

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:47:04 +0000

Time for another issue of Five on Friday. This is where I list five of my favorite blog posts that I’ve read in the last few weeks. Take a look…

Why IM Marketing Gimmicks Are Like “Hippie Crack” – by Greg Poulos

The title of this post alone should make you want to read it.

For the record, Greg is the mastermind behind an extremely successful business. And in this post he talks about one of the big pitfalls of Internet marketing: lack of focus.

Plus, he offers a solution for how to handle all the hundreds of money-making techniques we’re deluged with every year.

Why Goal Setting Sucks, Sometimes, I Think – by StephenÂ Dean

Stephen makes the argument that goal setting is overrated because “You either ARE or you AREN’T.” If you’ve had limited success with written goals, then this may explain why.

Sigh… The End of an Abusive Relationship – by Victor Cheng

Check out this post for some business lessons we should all be taking to heart, especially in times like these when many markets are shrinking. (Unfortunately, many businesses are doing just the opposite of what Victor suggests, and are suffering for it.)

Why Some People Follow Through & Others Don’t – by Anthony Robbins

This is actually a 38-minute video interview in which Anthony Robbins, Frank Kern, and John Reese talk about why some people follow through and others don’t.

If you’ve ever had trouble finishing a home study course, taking action on what you’ve learned, or following through on your intentions, you’ll definitely want to watch this video.

The Greatest Benefit of a Freelance Career – by Kevin Rogers

Here Kevin relates a story that literally turned his life around and led him eventually to a freelance copywriting career. It’s a good story, and a good lesson.

Kevin concludes, “…for me, the freedom to make my own day is the greatest benefit of a freelance career.” Of course, you’ve got to read the story to see how Kevin arrived at this conclusion.

Have a great weekend!

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Five on Friday, Issue #10

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:42:44 +0000

I’ve read some really great posts lately and felt it was time to share a few of them with you.

Billy Mays Marketing Magic – by Rich Schefren

Turns out, Rich is a big Billy Mays fan, and has been studying his work for some time.

In this post, Rich pays tribute to Billy Mays by outlining the five key sales process steps Mays used to pick and pitch winning products.

Warning: This is a MASSIVE post, complete with YouTube videos of Billy Mays’ infomercials. You can learn a lot here.

How to Manage Information Addiction – by Ricky Breslin

Ricky is an amazing marketer and probably knows more about how to run a successful online business than 98% of the gurus out there.

So I like to pay attention to what Ricky writes about.

In this post, he shares the two questions that all successful “information addicts” ask themselves.

He then outlines a 5-step process for distilling information down into usable chunks that can be easily accessed at any time. Definitely worth reading.

#1 Most Powerful Email Marketing Strategy: The Maze – by Perry Marshall

When I was competing to be Perry Marshall’s Content Czar (I lost, by the way), I went through a lot of his material, particularly autoresponder stuff. And “The Maze” was one of those concepts that was new to me — but made a helluva lot of sense.

If you write autoresponders… or you know that you need to create one… check out this post. It’s light on detail, but quickly explains the big idea behind “The Maze.”

What Will Ring the Cash Register Today? – Terri Levine

What questions do you ask yourself every day? Are they getting you what you want out of life?

In this post, Terri talks about the unique power of questions, plus one question in particular that she suggests asking on a regular basis. It is a question that’s contributed a healthy amount of income to her bottom line.

New Internet Sales Tax Laws Causing Major Issues for U.S. Merchants and Affiliates – by Lynn Terry

Not only does this post shed light on new tax laws states are trying to enforce, but also on how merchants are reacting.

When I first caught wind of this story — particularly the Amazon vs. Hawaii story — I wrote about how Amazon was “hitting them where it hurts” by cutting off all affiliates in Hawaii.

So while I hate to hear about the government trying to create new tax laws (or enforce tax laws in new ways), the silver lining is this: big merchants are fighting back.

Enjoy!

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Five on Friday, Issue #9

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:34:46 +0000

Since I’ve published four new posts already this week, I figured why not cap it off with a new issue of Five on Friday? Here are a few of the blog posts I found interesting, helpful, enlightening, inspiring, etc.

New Digs. Same Landlord. – by John Carlton

Apparently, John has been doing a little remodeling over on his blog. He upgraded to the latest version of WordPress, donned Smurf-blue skin, even added a Popular Posts column.

Anyway, probably what’s most instructive about this post — because it’s not obviously instructive — is how entertaining John can be even when he’s writing about something as ordinary as upgrading a blog.

Pay attention to the lead-in quote for a good laugh…

Explode Your Productivity in 3 Simple Steps – by Robert Plank

Ever wanted to know the secret to super-fast product creation? Then read this post.

I hadn’t heard of “The 24-48 Hour Rule” before, but I’ll be putting this to use in my business.

How Often Do You Survey Your Readers? – by EricÂ Graham

Surveying your readers has to be one of the most underused yet effective techniques for increasing readership, engagement, and sales.

Here, Eric takes his own advice and offers a free 20-minute consultation to anybody who fills out his survey. At the very least, go SWIPE the questions in the survey. (Hey, Eric said it first!)

The Geekiest Business Secret – by BenÂ Settle

You might wonder, why do I promote Ben so much? Well, besides being a friend, he’s one of the most consistently creative writers I know. And since he publishes something new five days a week, there’s always PLENTY of good material to choose from.

This particular post I’ve linked to draws an inspiring business lesson out of a snatch of dialog from Lord of the Rings. When I finished reading this series a little more than five years ago, I cried like a baby. Literally sobbed for 30 minutes. I’ve never had that happen with any other book or series.

Lord of the Rings is still one of my favorite series of books, so I’m particularly fond of obscure references to it.

Infinity: They Keep Making More of It – by Seth Godin

As Seth points out in this post, the temptation with an online business is to always seek to get bigger. But bigger isn’t necessarily better. Seth writes, “Big enough is big enough, biggest isn’t necessary.”

I think this is extremely important to remember, no matter if you’re in a service business or a product business.

Have a great weekend!

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Five on Friday, Issue #8

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:46:59 +0000

Whew! It’s been a really long time since I’ve put one of these together. Basically, Five on Friday is a collection of five blog posts I think are worth reading.

So, without further adieu…

A Forerunner to the Wall Street Journal’s “Two Young Men” Ad – by Christopher Tomasulo

Thanks to Harlan Kilstein’s research, I knew that the WSJ’s famous letter was adapted from an even earlier version. That earlier version was about the lives of two men following The Civil War. Anyway, this is the first time I’ve seen it reprinted in a blog post.

Boost Email Opt-In Rate with 4 Subject Line Tweaks – by Fred Black

I’ve been testing my opt-in confirmation email as well. Plus, I love to learn about test results. That’s why I chose this post. In it, Fred shares how a short two-word subject line improved his confirmation rate on his double opt-in email list.

The Case Against Knock Off Artists – by Lawrence Bernstein

Lawrence probably knows more about the history of direct response advertising than any living human on the planet. Here he shares two weight loss ads: the first was a big winner; the second (a knock-off) was a complete bomb. Very interesting to see in a side-by-side comparison the hazards of swiping.

What Never to Test in Your Ads – by Ben Settle

In this post, Ben reminds us that often we can create a bump in sales by focusing on the “intangible” factors involved in making a sale. He shares 5 of those factors here.

Random Drug Experiments Lead to Better Copy – by Andy Castimanes

Speaking of testing, Andy shares a study performed by a big pharmaceutical company that resulted in consumers being able to make better sense of the information being presented. Presumably, the change resulted in more sales as well. The takeaway: a confused mind never buys — so always present your “sales case” as clearly and succinctly as possible.

That wraps up this edition of Five on Friday. Hope you enjoyed it!

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Five on Friday, Issue #7: The Twitter Edition

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:14:45 +0000

After a six-week hiatus, Five on Friday is back.

I took a break for two primary reasons: I’ve been slammed with work and I wanted to bring you five posts from five sources I have not linked to before.

As I began to collect blog posts, I began to notice a trend: everybody’s got Twitter on the brain.

All of a sudden, I realized I had my theme for this particular issue of Five on Friday.

Personally, I don’t really “get” Twitter. I haven’t used it myself, but I’ve read “tweets” mostly through MyBlogLog. Based on my personal observation, I think a great slogan for Twitter would be:

“Bonding with People One Brain Fart at a Time!”

What do you think? Am I right?

Before you pass judgment, here’s what some other bloggers are saying:

Twitter Is Stupid – by Mark Butler

Mark sums up my feelings about Twitter well. If you love Twitter, you might not want to read this rant… I mean post.

Drip, Drip, Drip Goes the Twit – by Seth Godin

This post is not so much about Twitter, but the principle behind the tool: consistency. And consistency is one of the most overlooked secrets of success.

A Message to Twitterers from the Middle Ages – by Lyndoman

Great painting. Great quote. Relevant to any publisher, no matter if it’s through Twitter or some other media.

Signal to Noise – by Seth Godin

Two posts by Seth Godin? Yes. Because they’re both good, and they’re both highly relevant to any discussion about Twitter. Seth writes: “Lately, I’m feeling noise creep.” Me too.

Quotes n Notes: Originality – by Mike Sansone

Some interesting perspectives on originality as shared by Voltaire and Dean Inge. Both quotes, plus Mike’s own spin, made me think. Oh, and this post was prompted by a “tweet.”

Do you have any feelings or opinions about Twitter? Leave a comment and let me know.

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Five on Friday, Issue #6

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:14:39 +0000

Here are some of the best blog posts I’ve read in the last two weeks.

When Simple Is Stupid – by Robert Phillips

Is your marketing process overly simple? Are you open to being knocked off by a savvy competitor? In this post, Robert talks about the advantages of being complex. (And I totally agree.)

Subscribers and Sales – by Terry Dean

Terry has an uncanny ability to track with the conversation that’s already happening in my mind. We’ve never talked on the phone. Yet he still writes about the issues I’m actively thinking about. Weird. This post talks about how traffic is not the best indicator of success. (Before I read this post, I started the draft of a similar article titled “The Feedburner Deception.” Look for it soon.)

There’s More to Tracking than Conversion – by Michel Fortin

If you test and track the results of your sales letters, then this post will be well worth your time. Is it better to make a free offer or a $1 offer? Michel reveals the answer here.

The Deep Secrets to Success – by Joseph Ratliff

After being in business for himself for quite a while, Joseph has discovered three critical secrets to success. You may have heard of them before; maybe not. I particularly liked the twist he put on the concept of massive action. It’s in Secret #2.

An Interview with Copywriter Stephen “Ebiz” Dean – by Keith Goodrum & Stephen Dean

Keith and Stephen are colleagues of mine. I enjoy keeping up with what they’re doing. Keith decided to interview Stephen when he posted an offer on his blog. It’s a solid interview. I’m sure you’ll pick up at least one or two good tips.

Have a great weekend!

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Five on Friday, Issue #5

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:52:57 +0000

After a two-week hiatus, Five on Friday is back. Let’s dive right in…

What You Don’t Publish Defines Your Site – by Maki

This post caught my attention because I stumbled upon it AFTER I had written my post “Does Frequent Blogging Encourage Bad Writing?” Turns out, Maki and I have some similar feelings about blogging and how often you should post.

Maki starts the post with this: “I didnâ€™t write any articles in the last few days on Dosh Dosh because I didnâ€™t feel that I had anything interesting to say. Itâ€™s not entirely self-censorship: I just donâ€™t like to write when thereâ€™s no way to inject a new perspective on any topic.”

Six Figures Is Chump Change – by Clayton Makepeace

If you are a copywriter, you MUST read this post. Clayton writes: “The freelance copywriting model is insane.” And he goes on to prove it with five well-crafted arguments.

What’s better, he provides an alternative business model that can provide a much better income with less effort and more enjoyment. If you read this post, make sure you read the follow-up as well: Busted!

Perspective, Part 1 – by John Carlton

I really enjoyed this post. John debunks some myths and covers everything from copywriting and marketing to politics… in one post… which he wrote while he was sick.

One of my favorite parts of the article: “In contrarian philosophy, you never, ever, ever follow the crowd. In fact, you USE the movement of crowds to decide your next move â€” when the crowd zigs, you zag.”

8 Steps to Create Your Internet Business – by Terry Dean

This post is the antidote to information overload. Here Terry gives a bird’s eye view of how to build an Internet business in only eight steps. And it’s much simpler than you may think! If you’ve been struggling to get started (and get some traction), then print this post and read it often.

Internet Lifestyle Video: Can You Work From Anywhere? – by Ray Edwards

My friend Ray is heading down to Sedona, Arizona to have an extended vacation. He’s planning to be down there for about six weeks or so. This post includes a short little video documenting Ray and his wife Lynn’s struggles to get out the door and on the road.

If you’ve wanted to do some extended travel and take your work on the road, then this video will be of some encouragement to you.

Have a great weekend!

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. Which of the above posts do you like best? Leave a comment and let me know. Thanks!Similar Posts:

Five on Friday, Issue #4

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:48:32 +0000

Ben Settle left a tongue-in-cheek comment on my blog yesterday. He writes:

All I know is Iâ€™m getting a little impatient waiting for your â€œfive on Fridayâ€ post. Iâ€™ve actually started looking forward to it and need my weekly â€œfix.â€

So get your lazy butt off the couch Ryan, and gimme my five, baby!

Of course, I busted out laughing when I read this. Ben has a way with words, doesn’t he?

I told Ben that I would’ve posted a new issue of Five on Friday last week, but I simply hadn’t gathered enough posts to share with you. Not only have I been swamped with projects (which has cut into my leisure-reading time), but I just haven’t read much that has struck a chord with me.

The whole point of this feature is to share with you only the BEST stuff I read. I also try to find sources you might not encounter during your regular blog reading. That means I sometimes link to sites and posts outside the “good ol’ boys club” (if you get my drift).

So, without further ado, here are my five picks this week.

Tools, Time, & Attention – by Chris Crompton

This post is deceptively simple. But Chris makes an excellent observation: tools don’t automatically improve productivity. Why? Because you must first dedicate time to learning how to use that tool. Then you actually have to set aside time to use the tool.

This is a reason I hate any tool that comes with a lengthy instruction manual. If I can’t intuitively figure out how to use the tool in a few minutes, then it probably isn’t worth my time.

I believe the iPod has been successful largely because of its intuitive design. You spend very little time learning how to use it. If it were complicated, it wouldn’t have been nearly as successful.

Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Poorly! – by Daniel Levis

I stumbled on this article doing research for a separate blog post. The article is so good, I simply had to share it with you. Daniel uses some great stories to illustrate his primary point, which is simply this: Don’t be a perfectionist, just take action.

My favorite part of the article is toward the end. Daniel writes:

The secret to success is to swing for the fences, and take multiple concurrent actions. Round up a big bunch of worthwhile projects, roll them up the highest hill you can find, push them over the crest, and run like hell to catch them on the other side.

I love this mental picture!

The Most Popular Layouts of the Top 20 Technorati Blogs – by Natalie

Wondering which blog layout you should go with? What color scheme to use? This post is very helpful. Pie charts and everything. A quick, easy, and worthwhile read.

The One Word That Helped My Blog Grow To 800+ Subscribers in 17 Weeks – by Christine O’Kelly

If there was one word that could multiply your active blog readers exponentially, would you want to know what that word is?

If you’re like me, the answer is “yes.”

If you blog, then you will want to read this post. It’s fairly long, but provides some in-depth material to digest. You might want to drop in on Christine’s blog once a week because that’s how often she posts. And her posts are quite good.

The Unsinkable Andi Emerson – by Ray Schultz

Ever heard of John Caples? Ever heard of the John Caples Awards? Andi Emerson started the Awards in 1978.

This article is a tribute to Andi; she died on Valentine’s Day. I had never heard of her before, but I enjoyed the stories about her life in the ad biz. Apparently, she used to edit Eugene Schwartz’s ad copy, and was friends with both John Caples and David Ogilvy.

While you won’t find practical advice in this article, it will probably give you some valuable things to think about.

Well, that about does it for this issue. Have a great weekend. I’ll “see” you next week. :-)

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts: