Social Media Marketing World 2013, San Diego

Imagine an event where you get to rub shoulders with the social media pros you follow and admire online, and get to network with 1,000 fellow marketers in beautiful San Diego, California.

Now add the waterfront San Diego Marriott Marquis hotel, an opening-night party surrounded by dinosaur relics, an evening networking cruise on Southern California’s largest private yacht and 49 expert-led sessions.

That’s a small sampling of what’s in store for you at Social Media Examiner’s new conference: Social Media Marketing World!

Social Media Examiner is known for its signature online summits like Social Media Success Summit and Facebook Success Summit.

And yes, these events bring together the world’s top social media experts and entrepreneurs, and gather huge worldwide audiences.

But social media marketing doesn’t need to be strictly an online experience. There’s great value when you make those online relationships come alive in person.

“This is a unique opportunity to connect face-to-face with the top social media marketing experts in the industry, and to hang out with other like-minded professionals, many of whom you’re connected with online,” says Michael Stelzner, CEO and founder of Social Media Examiner. 

“Meeting these people and developing relationships opens up the kind of opportunities that simply can’t happen online.”

Marketers always have numerous opportunities to attend online events, but rarely do they get a chance to experience a one-of-a-kind physical event that delivers the experience of a lifetime.

Until now. Now the organization you trust for highly valuable content is bringing only the best presenters to its premier conference, Social Media Marketing World.

Social Media Marketing Meets ‘America’s Finest City’

Recognizing the need for actual face-to-face interactions among marketing professionals from around the world, Michael Stelzner and his team at Social Media Examiner have designed the largest physical social media marketing conference — Social Media Marketing World 2013!

And it takes place in ‘America’s Finest City,’ San Diego, California!

San Diego boasts 70 miles of pristine beaches, a dazzling array of world-class family attractions and wonderful weather all year round, which makes it a truly unforgettable experience for everyone.

This gorgeous setting will provide the backdrop for the historic mega-conference that will take place at the bayfront San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marinaon April 7, 8 and 9, 2013.

The conference is designed to inspire you with amazing content and empower you with the smartest social media marketing ideas and strategies.

Social Media Marketing World — an Exceptional Conference

Apart from visiting one of the most beautiful destinations in the world, making valuable professional connections and enjoying an exceptional experience, here are four other reasons why you should attend Social Media Marketing World 2013.

#1: Meet the Experts

Over the years, you’ve basked in golden advice from the top industry experts via blogs, podcasts, videos, webinars and Social Media Examiner’s online success summits. How would you like to finally meet the experts face to face?

All of the experts you’ve come to respect and admire will be in one place.

Presenters include Guy Kawasaki, Mari Smith, Chris Brogan, Jay Baer, John Jantsch, Michael Stelzner, Dave Kerpen, Lee Odden, Jason Falls, Mark Schaefer, Mario Sundar, Cliff Ravenscraft, Jesse Stay, Joe Pulizzi, Ann Handley, Marcus Sheridan, Ric Dragon, Brian Carter, Amy Porterfield, Nichole Kelly, Derek Halpern, Pat Flynn and authorities from more than a dozen major brands including Sony, Zappos.com, AT&T, SAP, Intel, Cisco, Neutrogena and Salesforce.com, just to mention a few!

#2: In-Person Networking With Like-Minded Peers From Around the World

At Social Media Marketing World, you’ll make priceless professional connections that will last a lifetime.

One thousand marketers are coming to San Diego from all over the world. Attendees are already coming from Norway, Dubai, France, Australia, Ireland, Costa Rica, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, as well as all parts of the United States. The networking environment will be a one-of-a-kind experience. Here’s what you can expect:

1. Structured networking after keynotes and lunch (so you don’t have to miss any training sessions) and a catered opening-night evening party at the historic San Diego Natural History Museum. Here you’ll tour the museum, enjoy food, drinks and entertainment, and of course network with your peers while surrounded by dinosaur relics!

2. On Monday night, prepare to set sail aboard the Inspiration Hornblower—the largest private yacht in Southern California and the venue for the exclusive San Diego Bay Networking Cruise.

This will be one voyage you’ll never forget!

Cruising along San Diego Bay by night, you’ll be treated to fun music, delicious desserts and refreshing cocktails. Why not grab a drink and get to know some of the folks you’ve connected with online, as you take in the breathtaking views of downtown San Diego from the open-air sky deck?

3. If you want a quiet place to sit and talk, or perhaps do some video interviews, the Networking Plaza will be available for you around the clock. This is a huge centrally located space that can hold hundreds of people and is equipped with round tables, computer charging stations and video filming stations. So anytime you want to do some serious networking, this space is available to you 24/7!

#3: Highly Valuable Content

Take in highly valuable and inspiring pitch-free content—a trademark of Social Media Examiner—from 49 expert-led marketing sessions covering social tactics, social strategy, community management and content marketing.

Here’s a quick glimpse of the amazing content you can expect 
at Social Media Marketing World 2013:

• Social Tactics Track: Find out the best and newest ways to market your business with social media. Pick up actionable tips to improve your marketing with Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube.

• Social Strategy Track: Discover new strategies that will draw ideal customers to your business. You’ll soak in sessions on social strategy, the psychology of social media, measuring social activities, organizational transformation and much more.

• Community Management and Business-Building Track: Discover how tobuild communities and ultimately sell your products and services via social media. Track sessions include Facebook community management, developing community with blogs, building local businesses with social media and selling with social.

• Content Marketing Track: See how successful bloggers and podcasters build and maintain content that their customers love sharing. You’ll discover how toleverage content to sell, how to move people to action with content and tips for excelling with blogging and podcasting.

#4: Make it a Vacation

Social Media Marketing World starts Sunday evening on April 7 and extends through Tuesday, April 9, 2013. Why not stay a few extra days and make a vacation out of your trip? If you’ve never visited San Diego, here are some things you can do while you’re here:

Be sure to watch this video.

The average weather in San Diego is 70° F year-round. San Diego also offers beaches, surfing, the world-famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World, LEGOLAND, San Diego Safari Park and tons more!

Keep in mind too, that an event of this caliber would normally cost thousands of dollars, and for sure there are smaller events out there that offer much less, and yet cost more. With all of these experiences and activities to enjoy in San Diego, this is the kind of deal you don’t want to pass up.

Discover all that Social Media Marketing World has to offer:

Want to Save Money?

For a limited time, you can save hundreds of dollars off the regular registration price. Click here to register!

What do you think?

Does this sound like the kind of conference that might interest you? Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.

Making Mobile Apps Work For You

Guest Post by Chrissie

I still can’t divorce my BlackBerry, try as I might I love the keyboard. Yes, that one little thing is what has kept me a loyal fan, definitely not the apps as they are severely lacking.

In looking at new cell phones I found the Samsung Galaxy. And, the good news is, being an Android, it is app friendly.

As a small business owner and/or blogger one of the most important things is constant contact with your website visitors. There are days that I can’t and don’t want to be chained to my desk so I’m learning how to make my phone(s) work for me.

Below are some of the apps I use daily to make running my small business that much easier. If I missed any, please do share in the comments!

Wunderlist – This app is a no-brainer, it’s free and it serves one basic function – a to-do list. It also has a Smart Lists feature that allows you to hide what you might not want included on your list for others to see. But, you will be organized in no time. My post it note to-do list stopped working because I would lose the paper or forget to take it. Oddly enough, I don’t forget to take my phone anywhere. I do however highly recommend the book, “Rapid Problem Solving with Post It Notes.”

Expensify – It’s that time of year again, Tax Time. If I can’t keep track of my post it note to-do lists, imagine how bad I am at keeping a years’ worth of receipts. Let’s just say, it’s not pretty and leads to unnecessary stress. The best feature, in my opinion, is the ability to snap a photo of the receipt and easily categorize it with your expenses or sync it with Quickbooks. The mobile version of Quickbooks allows you to track all your business finances in one place as well as send invoices and estimates right from your phone.

DropBox – One of the most important things is having all my business software readily available no matter what laptop, netbook or cell phone I am using; making Dropbox easily one of my favorite apps of all time. Work on an important document, store it in Dropbox and then access it from anywhere. How many times have you worked on a document only to realize you don’t have it when you need it? It used to happen to me all the time.

Evernote – I’m a huge book nerd and most days I require a lot of caffeine to get through my day. That means I have many ideas, things I want to read and not enough hours in the day. But I use Evernote to help with that. Just save the video or post you want to read later and you can access it from your laptop, iPad or smartphone.

This is by no means an exhaustive list as I could easily go on about all the apps I use daily which also include Kindle, Twitter and Facebook and more, but I wanted to stick to the apps I use to make my business easier to manage from my phone.

So, while you are working to make your site more mobile friendly or you are the person that lives a mobile lifestyle, you can make it work efficiently.

If I missed any apps that you use to run your business effectively, please share, I’d love to add to my list and I’m sure others would too.

About the Author: Chrissie is a freelance writer for various blogs, including Speedy Incorporation Service, which helps new small business owners incorporate online as well as offering advice and information about running their new business successfully via their small business tips blog.

Great Deal on Web Hosting This Week

HostGator is the web host I use and recommend, and this month they are offering 35% off hosting accounts.

The coupon code "FEB35" is good now through the end of February 2013.

The 35% discount will apply to your first invoice. All you have to do is enter the coupon code "FEB35" (without quotes) during the checkout to get the discount applied immediately.

I use the HostGator Baby Plan at less than $10/month, because it allows you unlimited domains and sites/blogs on the one hosting account.

TIP: If you're only planning to pay monthly, it's a better deal to use the coupon code "save994offer" which will save you $9.94 off the first $9.95 invoice - making your first month of web hosting only a penny.

Whether you're looking for a new host, or setting up your very first account, this is a GREAT deal with a quality web host. And if you are switching from another host, HostGator will even move your site over FOR you.

That's great customer service for you!

Enjoy the savings.

Best,

I’ll Be Back To Work Soon :)

A couple weeks ago, on February 1st 2013, I had major surgery. While I knew it was eventually going to happen, it wasn't exactly planned.

I went in to see my doctor that Monday, and the surgery was scheduled for Friday the same week.

I didn't have a lot of time to prepare for the downtime. I had 72 hours to do pre-op blood work, get a root canal (necessary, before I could "go under"), and set up a clean and comfortable recovery space here at home.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting the recovery to be as rough as it was. I figured I would spend most of the first week in bed enjoying books and movies and just resting. Unfortunately I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia that left me with blurred vision, nausea and "brain fog" - I was unable to comprehend anything much more than about the size of a tweet, lol. Ugh!

I'm much more alert and focused now, but it's been over two weeks and I am still on bed rest. Being up on my feet very long at all causes me pain and exhaustion.

This is not something I'm used to. I'm one with a very high tolerance. Even with that nasty flu for two+ weeks in January, I still ran circles around everyone! It takes a lot to put me down - but this damn well did it.

I can't sit up for very long, so I haven't been able to host my Brainstorming Hour sessions I usually do twice a week. And my focus is still seriously lacking.

I do miss my work, and look forward to getting back in the swing of things when I can. And I really appreciate the understanding and patience. Everyone has been so kind. Thank you for that.

My health is my top priority right now. It will take me some time to be able to work for even a few hours a day, and to get caught up and back on a roll.

I'm okay with that - zero stress. While I don't like the idea of letting anyone down or things falling through the cracks, and certainly didn't intend to be unable to work for this long, I know you prefer me well and back at my best.

My surgery was of a personal nature so I didn't talk very openly about it. I had a partial hysterectomy due to a large tumor in my uterus they discovered last June, and another tumor removed at the same time. They were both benign, but I have been unwell with it all for quite some time, and am very happy to have all of this behind me. The "rush" came when the tumor grew to a point that the weight of it caused my uterus to drop. Thus the lack of time and preparation I was expecting to have. (Apologies if that was a bit too much detail for you.)

I am so very grateful for my local friends who have helped me out so much through all of this, and for the love and support I've received from my friends and connections all over the world. There were days where I spent hours on end sitting still and unable to sleep, and a card in the mail or an online message totally made my day.

I've met so many wonderful people through my work over the years. As much as I love the work that I do, it's the people that make the real difference. Thank you for being there for me.

In your own work, always remember that every visitor and every conversion and every support ticket... is a real person on the other side of the screen.

Make solid connections, work with others in your industry, and get out to live events and meet people in person every chance you can - even local meetups. Not only is it good for your business, but it's a wonderful thing to grow a peer group of like minded people. You'll make some amazing friends that way.

And outside of work, in your everyday life, go out of your way to be the best friend you can be. I've learned some powerful lessons through this experience. Love and friendship are invaluable. We are not meant to live alone and isolated. We all need some sense of community, of belonging, and to love and be loved.

Rescue a pet that needs you. Take a home cooked meal to an elderly neighbor. Send birthday cards. Call your friends more often. Meet new people. Give hugs, they're free! You never know when you might need a good friend yourself...

Best,

Holding Yourself To A Higher Standard

"Raising The Bar" is not meant to be easy.

Holding yourself to a higher standard requires serious dedication and self-discipline. It's going to be a BIG challenge.

Why would anyone choose to do this? To improve overall Quality of Life - to achieve everything you want out of your life.

"The standard of living is closely related to quality of life." -source

The fact that you're reading this right now shows that you are one of those people. Someone that holds yourself to a higher standard, wants more out of life and expects more of yourself, in your mind if not also in your actions...

What's Wrong With The Norm?

There is nothing at all wrong with "the norm" or with the standard of living as defined by society. In fact, many people are quite happy to achieve a certain level of comfort - and stay there. But there are others who feel driven, who want more, and who crave the challenge of living up to their fullest potential...

Raising The Bar: Holding Yourself To A Higher Standard

Achieving any real change in your life requires consistent action toward a very specific goal. First, you have to know what your standard looks like. You need a clear vision of where you want to go, what you want to accomplish, who you want to become - and most importantly: WHY.

It will be a challenge. It will not be easy. You have to really push yourself, even when you don't "feel" like it. Even when you are experiencing self-doubt, discouragement or disappointment. Even when you're not 100% sure of the outcome.

Fighting through your own personal battles is hard enough, but you'll have outside resistance to deal with as well. People will try to bring you down - to their level, or to their standard. What makes this even harder is that it's usually the people you are closest to in your life: your closest friends, your family, etc.

"Raising The Bar" will mean learning new things, figuring out what doesn't work, accepting failures as part of the process. It's going to require getting uncomfortable, stepping out of your comfort zone, and embracing the challenge of REAL change. It will show you what you're made of. It will expose your strengths and your weaknesses - sometimes in a way that feels quite raw...

Why Bother?

Why in the world would you challenge yourself to the limits? Why would you impose such self-pressure, and get "uncomfortable" on purpose?

Because you can. Because you can't not do it. Because you are driven from the inside out, and standing still while your life passes by - and your true potential is sitting idle - drives you absolutely mad. Because you'll never be truly happy with "the norm."

Still, even those who are driven struggle with direction. We struggle with the internal and external negatives. We struggle with pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone.

And sometimes we give in to those struggles. Why? Because it's easier. But "easy" is never going to get you where you want to be.

Long Term Goals, Short Term Rewards

It may feel like your current dreams or goals are so far out of reach that you'll never actually get there. And they may very well BE far off. I knew back in my late 20's that it was going to take me a decade to achieve the major lifestyle change that I really wanted - to be "where I wanted to be in life." And while it did seem near impossible at the time, I did it anyway. In hindsight, do you think I have any regrets?

The answer is NO!

As a driven person, you have two options: be uncomfortable doing nothing at all, or be uncomfortable pushing yourself forward. Period.

If you're going to be uncomfortable, you might as well be moving forward!

The great thing is... there are rewards in the challenge itself, long before you reach your end goal. It's not ALL about the results.

It's very much about the experience, the satisfaction of knowing you're moving in the right direction, the sense of accomplishment at every little milestone, the excitement of moving closer and closer to your goals. The personal growth and positive change that happens along the way...

If you've been stalled, or sitting idle instead of consistently working toward your ideal life, today is the day to break out of it. You're not happy sitting still. You're not happy unless you're actively involved in making it happen.

Whatever "it" is to you personally.

Today is the day to dig in your heels, and move out of your comfort zone - which was never a comfortable place for you anyway.

Best,

p.s. Yesterday I ran across a book titled Constructive Living by David K. Reynolds. I downloaded it to the Kindle app on my iPad and am already almost halfway through it.

It's an incredibly practical book that will help you break out of the things that keep holding you back in life. It will show you exactly why you find it so hard to achieve your goals, and what to do about it. So far I am LOVING it!

Books can be a great source for motivation and inspiration, particularly when you're feeling stalled. What are your favorite titles, or favorite sources for a pick-me-up? Share below!

Mobile App Marketing Strategies

Guest Post by Jonathan

Hey there ClickNewz fans, My name is Jonathan and I am a professional App reviewer. Is that even a job, you ask?

That depends on what you consider to be a job. I'm addicted to Apps, so I use them and write about it – what more could I ask for?

I wish to share some really useful information for App developers, but you could use that information even if you have always dreamed about developing that first App of yours.

Ranking your App in the App store's top paid or free Apps is just as desirable as having your website in the first Google results page. However, since you're wise and know that the competition is tough, you can assume it's not a walk in the park...

Since you likely spent (or will spend) a good amount of time and/or money developing your App, you probably plan to get rich with it.

Did you know only about 5% of developed Apps have made their owners rich?

There are 4 basic options for monetizing Mobile Apps

a. App's fixed price (0.99$ usually).
b. In-App paid upgrades (new weapons for example).
c. In-App ads (the most common option).
d. Co-operations and forming an online community.

But none of these options can earn you one penny unless your App is outranking similar ones, because App users such as myself are usually lazy enough not to scroll through more than the first Top 25 in the App store.

What does it take, you ask?

The top ranked Mobile Apps in the App store grab about 80% of the mobile users, but they earned it, and this is how:

• A free App will need approximately 40 thousands unique daily downloads if it wants to climb to the top list.

• Top paid Apps lists, on the other hand, will evolve around 4 thousand daily downloads to get included.

• If you're App is a specific category-oriented, you're life could be even easier. A game App requires your free game to be downloaded 26,000 in one day, and your paid game – 3,000.

• Which category requires the least amount of daily downloads to get into the top Apps? If you guessed photography Apps – you are correct! You will only need 300 daily downloads to get a paid app of the photography niche to the top lists.

Mobile App Marketing Strategies

Mobile App marketing is divided into two basic concepts...

First one would be paid organic promotion, which will require you to hire a Mobile App marketing agency to perform in-app advertisement campaigns for you.

It basically means that your App's ad will show within free Apps that have this as a business model; the user download the free Apps, under one condition of getting exposed to advertisements.

Personally, I'm against the in-App ads method as it's annoying, and usually the free Apps don’t last long on the back of my iPhone.

The better way is developing a social community that will eventually get engaged to use your App. Using social media to develop that community is an awesome tactic, and you must act wise on this one. Here's our quick social media tutorial to earn more App users:

Twitter Mobile App Marketing Strategies

The almighty tweeting system should be your very first stop. Own a profile carrying the application's exact title, so it will be visible for people who search it within Twitter and even Google.

Use the same design as your App's landing page or company page, so users will feel at home. Target App reviewers and big news sites and start following them, mentioning them in your tweets and re-tweets.

Facebook Mobile App Marketing Strategies

Same rules as Twitter, only here you can drop a few dimes in the Facebook piggy bank if you want a good head start.

I suggest running a full-targeted campaign and gaining your first Likes with it. Create a quick Facebook landing page that will graphically explain the users what your App is about, and what will can benefit from sticking to your page.

Create the impression that the App's page is actually a community. Be very responsive to answer your fans questions, and don't forget running weekly polls to engage them.

Google+ Mobile App Marketing Strategies

It's true that most of your future App users are using Facebook and Twitter rather than Google+, but existing in the search giant's social network is very important.

Show Google that your App is real, and furthermore – that your App's website is real by connecting all of your properties to the Google+ profile.

Join as many relevant circles as possible, and +1 your own site's content with it.

Getting your mobile application up to Apple's top lists depends not on how deep your pocket is, but how good are you at reaching a large audience.

If you create a community and get them enthusiastic about your upcoming launch, you will be in for a serious treat when it goes live.

The App development world could be cruel and un-rewarding at times, but if you do make it – you are going to make it big!

Author Bio: Jonathan is an App news reporter, covering anything that's hot in the iOS world. Writing for top social media sites such as ClickNewz is a hidden pleasure of his.

How To Tell If Product Reviews Are FAKE

Guest Post by Karol K.

Fake customer reviews are rampant online. Most of the time an average reader won't even notice that the customer review they're reading is fake.

Everyone needs to be aware of a number of details that give away the real story behind any customer product review.

What's the point of publishing a fake product review?

The only reason I can see why a blogger would publish a fake review is to earn some quick affiliate commissions.

Let's face it, reviews are a great marketing tool. Most of the time, when people are thinking about buying a given product, there are three stages in the process...

1. Searching for a good product, looking at the features, offers, and compiling a set of possible purchases.
2. Searching for reviews to find out what other people think about the products.
3. Searching for a place to buy the thing.

Step number two is where fake reviews come into play. If the review makes the readers eager to buy the product then they can simply click an affiliate link from inside the review, and immediately go to the sales page.

Therefore, for some fairly popular sites, publishing well-disguised fake reviews can be very, very profitable.

Here's how to tell if a review is fake...

There are no cons

Every product has something that's not so great about it. Quite simply, nothing is perfect.

If someone is telling you that a given product will cure everything and make you rich within a day then it's simply not true.

Every honest review will list a number of cons, disadvantages, flaws, bad sides etc to any given product. If there aren't any then you're not reading a real review.

However, some people make it a bit more tricky:

Cons that are not really cons

Listing very simple flaws, ones that don't actually matter in the overall picture is a trick many reviewers use.

For instance, if you're reviewing a new cellphone and say that the battery only lasts 2 hours then it is a real flaw. But if you review the same phone and say that the packaging (the box the phone comes with) is not very pretty (or is heavy, or whatever else) then you're not pointing out a real flaw.

Noticing a fake-flaw isn't that hard. You just have to answer one question: "Can this flaw really impact my decision regarding buying the product?" If not, it's a fake-flaw (or the reviewer is simply not very good).

Too much praising

A good review should be neutral for the most part. Only the summary is a nice place for the reviewer to share their personal opinion.

However, some reviewers praise the product throughout the whole review. For instance, they use words like: great, amazing, groundbreaking, perfect, and so on (you know, the "Steve Jobs speech").

This is a way of setting the mindset of the person reading the review. If you've been told that something is great over and over again then you're more likely to believe in it yourself.

Real reviews remain neutral. Period.

Too many affiliate links

This is a really simple give-away, but since people are using it then it must be working (from a money-earning perspective).

The standard way of reviewing something is to write several hundred words, then sum everything up, and finally share an affiliate link.

Some reviewers have a different perspective on this, and they display an affiliate link every 100 words. This makes the whole review seem like one big sales pitch instead of some relevant, real-life information about the product.

Good reviewers know that if people find their review beneficial they will click the link anyway, so they don't have to put it in front of their face every other sentence.

No actual sign that the reviewer has the product

This one is really cool. Believe it or not, but some people can write a whole review without physically having the product (like in their hands). Everything depends on how well equipped the official website of the product is, and how many other reviews are available online.

Thankfully, there are some ways of getting a grasp on such a situation. Start by looking at more than one review of a given product, if the same phrases are repeated throughout a number of them then you're probably not dealing with real reviews.

Also, pay attention to images, photos, and screenshots (for digital products). If a product is a physical one, yet the reviewer doesn't show any pictures of it then they probably don't have it in their possession.

If the product is a digital one, check other reviews to find out if people are using the same screenshots and images, if so, the review is most likely fake (or simply bad).

No unique information

Every user has a different experience with a given product, so it's really natural for every review to be slightly different and provide slightly different information.

If a review is fake, it will either present information that every other review is presenting, or it will rephrase what the official sales page is saying.

Believe me, reviews written from the official promotional material are not uncommon in the industry.

Including a bonus

The idea is simple here. Many affiliates decide to give an additional bonus to their readers if they decide to click their affiliate link. On one side, this seems like a good idea because people are more likely to make the move.

However, this is a clear indication that the whole review has only one purpose - to earn some money. In my opinion, offering a bonus makes the whole thing a bit confusing and strange. A review should be neutral, it shouldn't convince people to buy or not buy, so where does the bonus come into play?

Of course, you can still take the risk if you really know what you're doing, but be aware of the mixed signals you're sending.

That's it for my take on the matter. Feel free to tell me what yours is.

Do you think that these fake reviews can be a bit annoying, especially if you're searching for some relevant information and not just yet another sales pitch?

About the author: Karol K. is a freelance blogger and writer. If you're searching for an alternative way to make it on the internet, by (for example) learning how to make money writing online, feel free to visit him at YoungPrePro.

Also See: How To Write A Product Review by Lynn Terry

How Much Money Is Hiding On Your Hard Drive?

If you're like most people, your computer is probably a disorganized mess of digital files.

It's time to take stock of everything you purchased, downloaded or saved to your hard drive last year.

You might just be shocked to discover how much money is hiding in your files!

You may also be losing valuable time (and money!) if you feel overwhelmed every time you sit down to your computer. With multiple tabs & browsers open, files all over the place, and no real starting point or direction - just how productive are you?

Ideally, while you're reviewing your current file structure and going through your hard drive, you'll set up a system to avoid this "digital mess" in the future. Everything should have it's place!

I'll share how I organize my own files (and would love to hear how you do as well), and I'll explain the money hiding on your hard drive - so you can find it...

Rules & Systems For Organization

I have a rule of thumb about purchasing & downloading products: "Only buy what you need right now, to achieve the one thing you're working on right now. Period."

When I do purchase a guide or some other type of product, or even download something free, I make it a point to read it immediately - and implement as I study.

Most of us learn best hands-on, applying what we learn as we go.

It's totally pointless to read a how-to guide, and NOT implement what you're learning. That makes your purchase an expense… instead of an investment.

My rule is to get an ROI (Return on Investment) as quickly as possible! Even if it's a free guide I'm reading, I fully intend to get a return on the time invested.

That said, we're all guilty of buying things that end up collecting dust on our hard drive, that we either set aside for later - or get distracted and forget about altogether.

I'm sure you can relate...

It's Time To Do Some Digital Organizing!

You likely have a good number of reports, courses, products, etc that you have downloaded over the past year or so. I'm very "out of sight out of mind" myself, so I like to keep my priority work files in a very visible place.

I have a folder on my desktop for "Work" and inside that folder I have a folder for each niche or project I am working on. I also have a folder labeled "Study" for tutorials & guides. Inside each folder are more folders - by topic or file type.

Once you have a structure set up, you can place your files & downloads in the appropriate folders and keep things neatly organized from that point forward.

You also need a solid, secure Online Data Backup Service which regularly backs up your files and your file structure. Open that link in a new window to find out why.

Notes, Ideas & "Stacks"

I've been in business 16 years as of next month, and up until last year I was "hooked on paper." Yes, even with a computer in front of me all those years! Notebooks, legal pads, post-it notes, scraps of paper I wrote ideas on - you name it.

These ultimately became "stacks" on my desk and all around my home office. I'm sure if I do some digging I could find notes dating all the way back to 1997. LOL.

Ridiculous!

Then... in stepped Evernote. It's free, cross-compatible, and will sync across every device or computer you use. Perfect! I gathered all of my (current) notes and papers and put them all into Evernote - into neatly organized Notebooks, labeled by topic/project. If you haven't done this yet, I HIGHLY recommend it. It has improved my productivity and efficiency dramatically!

I also have a file in Evernote labeled "links" where I put links to every tab or page I don't need to complete the ONE thing I am working on at the moment. This minimizes the number of tabs and windows open on my computer, which greatly improves focus and minimizes that dreaded feeling of overwhelm.

Now my desk space is clear, my computer desktop is neat, and my browser is only showing me what I need to work on at any given time. Nice.

The Money Hiding On Your Hard Drive...

If you get organized and start running a more "minimalist" system, you'll experience increased productivity and start earning more money when you sit down to your computer to work. That's a straight up fact. It's working for me!

But in addition to that, you likely have tons of money-makers hiding on your hard drive. Once you start organizing all of those files, take note of everything you have. You likely have reports, guides, products, notes & ideas, PLR content, etc.

Prioritize those files according to what's most important to YOUR online business right now, and dig in. Choose a guide you downloaded and neglected... and READ it.

Be sure to implement what you learn every step of the way. That way you're getting the quickest possible return for the time invested.

For example, maybe you downloaded List Building For Bloggers last year, but did you read it? And if you did, did you implement all of the great advice Phil shared?

If you didn't, it was a wasted expense. If you did, then you should be seeing a very nice return already. Fortunately, you can turn any of your past "expenses" into very nice investments... just by applying what you learn.

One of the things I discovered while doing my own "digital organizing" is that I still had a lot of PLR Content on my hard drive that I purchased and hadn't used yet...

(Shame!)

PLR stands for Private Label Rights, and it's something I use quite a bit - along with other content creation resources. It's a bit controversial. There's a great discussion about it here on my blog in a post titled Should You Avoid PLR? If you haven't read that yet, check it out. I share live examples of how & where I use PLR Content, and tips for making the most of it.

If you have a lot of PLR on your hard drive like I do, I highly recommend Peggy Baron's guide on How to Re-Write PLR Content so that it's both Google and Kindle friendly. It even comes with a handy tip sheet for quick re-writes, and a bonus guide on creating opt-in incentives using PLR you've downloaded. Good stuff!

I'm using her guide myself to motivate me to make the most of my PLR investment (so it's not just an "expense" and collecting virtual dust). Working with an outline - implementing as I read - is much easier than thumbing through it all on my own!

NOW Is The Time

This is a great time to do some digital organizing and really make the most out of all the brilliant ideas you jotted down - and all of the products, tutorials and guides you downloaded over the last year.

Set aside some time and make it a point to turn all those ideas, downloads & expenses... into profitable investments.

Best,

p.s. I'd love to hear how you organize your files, or any "rules" you have in place to make the most of your downloads. Leave a comment below- let the discussion begin!

The 100 Day Challenge

Let me apologize in advance. I signed up for an amazing 100 Day Challenge about ten days ago, just after the New Year.

Being sick with the flu the last couple of weeks, I didn't get a chance to start it yet - or to mention it to you.

I wanted to share this with you quickly though, because registration ends at midnight on Monday January 14th. Apologies for the last-minute notice!

I'm actually doing the orientation session tonight (Sunday), and officially starting the challenge myself on Monday. This is perfect for me, as I was so sick when the year started that I didn't get to jump in full-force on planning and goal-setting like I normally would... and I'm really ready to get back into some serious action!

What about you? Where are YOU with your goals right now? Maybe you got a slow start on the New Year (like I did), or maybe things aren't moving forward like you expected they would, or as quickly as you'd hoped...

Note: You can start the Challenge on any day you prefer, but you do have to register before midnight on Monday January 14th - or you'll have to wait a few months before they open again for new registrations!

I joined because I've been hearing great things about the 100 Day Challenge and Gary Ryan Blair. You may have read about his work in the Wall Street Journal or NY Times. The challenge is getting rave reviews and stirring up lots of talk!

There are over 51,000 registered for the current challenge already. That's a lot of people who are geared up to experience some serious results...

I don't know about you, but I want IN on that.

The 100 Day Challenge is a rock-solid blueprint for creating your breakthrough and making 2013 the best year of your life. It's an incredible (life changing) program that shows you how to create mind-blowing results.

If you want to get seriously focused and fired up, this is for you!

There's another reason I joined the challenge, too...

Not only did it come highly recommended, but I knew I really needed a "push" to get things back on a roll. I have seriously ambitious goals this year, and I don't mind to admit that I need a little more structure and motivation to get things moving in the right direction.

Planning and ideas and brainstorming all come easy. It's the implementation where most of us struggle. Myself included. Going into the New Year I knew I needed more systems and more structure - and even more self discipline.

This challenge is exactly what I needed!

You can get all the details on the 100 Day Challenge web page, but I can tell you firsthand that the members area is very well organized - with TONS of cool stuff, including software and mobile apps:

There's lots of neat downloads, blueprints, goal setting forms, motivational videos, and even an active discussion forum. And of course a focused lesson for every single day of the challenge to keep you on track.

I'm excited. I'm planning to dive in and give this my ALL for the next 100 days. Once I get through the orientation and Action Plan, I'll know exactly what my specific goal will be for the Challenge. And I look forward to achieving that goal!

Get All The Challenge Details Here: 100 Day Challenge

“Every act of boldness accelerates the pace with which you enjoy success.” - GRB

Best,

p.s. In case you missed it above, be sure to watch this quick video:

Register today if you're up for the challenge! Registration closes on Monday, January 14th at midnight (I'm not sure which time zone)... and it won't reopen again for a few months. So now is the time.