Internet Marketing | Lead Generation

Thai Life Insurance - Father & Son

Here is a YouTube video thats going a bit VIRAL at the moment - A video with a very moving message. It is only at the very end that you discover it is an commercial for Thai Life Insurance.

It almost made me want to BUY - plus there are some valuable life lessons here also

Google Gets Tough On Link Exchanges

An interesting statement by GOOGLE - that was brought to my attention today by a post at bmyers.com

Google’s newest webmaster guidelines specifically state that if your site is participating in a ‘link to me, and I’ll link to you’ scheme, Google will ban you from their search results.

SEE:
Link schemes

I thought this was particularly interesting:

Creating good content pays off: Links are usually editorial votes given by choice, and the buzzing blogger community can be an excellent place to generate interest. In addition, submit your site to relevant directories such as the Open Directory Project and Yahoo!, as well as to other industry-specific expert sites.

As someone who is spammed everyday by people wishing to exchange links with me (which I reject) I for one, am happy to see this.

Of course it does raise the question as to what is or is not a GENUINE Link - and I can see why two webmasters may link to each other for perfectly genuine reasons.

Social Bookmarking in Plain English

This is a really useful video - a great review of what Social Bookmarking is - and more importantly what the benefits are.

Joke Time:

So you want to think like a loser? Ok, well here is a 10 step guide on how to become the ultimate loser:

1. Learn that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done already.
2. Never rush into a job or opportunity without a lifetime of consideration.

read more | digg story

Bill Hicks - The world is like a ride at an amusement park

I had only relatively recently discovered Bill Hicks

I can’t explain why, but I keep feeling myself drawn to Bill Hicks.

I keep coming across quotes by Bill Hicks and other bloggers giving him and his sophisticated rants about the world credit and only today I discovered there are videos of him in YouTube. WOW!

Bill was not afraid to speak his mind and I suppose to some, he was a sort of an evangelist for an alternative message. I won’t pretend I agree with everything he said - but for sure, it makes you THINK. Indeed, there is a lot of what he said, I cannot agree with - but there is enough of the GOOD STUFF to keep me coming back for more.

Bill died in 1994, aged 32. One wonders what his message would be today.

Anyway, whatever your belief system I hope you find the video thought provoking.

Bill Hicks has a view on life that we should embrace, after all life is a ride - so Enjoy!

Of the many websites Midascode now owns, one of my personal favourites is: Retired at 21

With the help of Dean Hunt we have pulled of some pretty successful interviews of leading Young Entrepreneurs recently. And the site is becoming more and more popular with decent amounts of traffic now.

Today’s featured interview is of a Brilliant Young Man called Josh Shipp.

Not really sure how to best describe Josh Shipp - so I will stick with his personal description which is that he is a Youth Motivational Speaker with the gift to Entertain - Inspire - Empower

Josh Shipp is still in his early 20s, but you wouldn’t know it from his résumé. He’s written books, shared the stage with Bill Cosby, and hosted a reality TV show. And he’s already established an international reputation as an inspiring speaker with a simple and entertaining, yet challenging message.

Catch the full interview at:
Talk Shipp - My Interview with Josh Shipp

Also below are a couple of Videos and further links to Josh’s sites. I encourage you to check them out

www.HeyJosh.tv

http://www.joshshipp.com
http://myspace.com/joshshipp
http://www.heyjosh.tv

Paying Attention, The Law of Attraction, Being Successful and how it Relates to Bloggers

Alternative Title: Paul Potts and My Celebrity Blog

In a previous post I mentioned: The Secret and The Not So Secret Law of Attraction

This is a sort of Follow Up post to that. [and a longer than average post - but I do get to the MAIN POINT eventually ;-)]

For a long time now - indeed, for as long as I can remember, I would say that I have felt “guided”, that somehow, I do end up in the right place at the right time, with the right idea. In recent years, especially as I have got more into personal development I have come to express this as “What you focus on, is what you get”

You see, I have never been strongly motivated by GOAL SETTING for example but I have always been pretty focused on the things I wanted in life. As a very young boy (around 8yrs old) I can clearly remember wanting to be dept free and financially independent and it is that focus which I’m sure assisted me in making some very good business decisions - decisions that have led to financial independence.

Any way, to get back on track, I mentioned in my original Law Of Attraction post that I was some what frustrated at all the publicity that the DVD “The Secret” was getting. Not because it was a bad DVD (I enjoyed it) but because it for me, overly simplified the strategy for getting what you wanted in life. (and in my opinion, could be misleading for some)

I mentioned that THINKING alone, rarely if ever makes anything happen. I mentioned that great book THINK AND GROW RICH and how it may have been more accurately Titled Think, Take Action and Grow Rich

Today, I would like to revise that further and say:
Think, Pay Attention, Take Action and Grow Rich

Now please bear with me….. (this is a longer than average post)

As some of you may know, one of my business ventures Midascode Ltd is involved in the Buying and Selling of Websites

One of the websites we bought last October was VipGlamour.net which is a Celebrity Blog

At the time of buying the site, it was averaging around 2464 visitors per week and I mentally set myself a target that it would be good to get weekly visitors up to in excess of 75000 visitors and then perhaps consider selling the website (flipping the website)

By April of this year, we were averaging 59985 visitors per week but in May it had come down to an average of 48682 visitors per week. Now I was not worried, but I was a little frustrated.

You see, I do not normally post on VipGlamour.net. To be frank, Brittany and Paris and all their late night activities didn’t interest me that much - so I left most of the posts in the hands of a very useful team of Volunteer Bloggers that we have. (Up until what I am just about to tell you, I had only done two posts before)

Anyway, last Monday Morning, (11th June) I was on YouTube, just briefly looking at what was “hot” when I spotted a Video of a brilliant young Welshman called Paul Potts. Paul is an Amateur Opera Singer and a Mobile Phone Salesman and he had just appeared on the UK TV Show: Britain’s Got Talent

I will never be able to explain why, but Paul Potts caught my attention big time and for some reason I just “thought” this is a FUTURE CELEBRITY and perhaps this video would be worthy of a post at VIPGlamour.net

Now if I had thought about this much longer, I may have thought making a post about Paul Potts really did not make sense, after all, where would he fit in with an audience that normally wants info on Kate Moss, Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears?

I will admit, I did think twice about making the post, but something TOLD me GO AHEAD and make that post, which I did. You can see it at:
Paul Potts, Future Celebrity Opera Star Found in Britains Got Talent TV Show
and another follow-up post at: Paul Potts Interview

Now if you have not heard of Paul Potts yet, then I think there is a very good chance you will soon. To say Paul Potts was HOT online last week, would be an understatement.

In the end, featuring Paul Potts last week at VIP Glamour gave us our best week for visitors ever, with 90616 UNIQUE visitors in the week and currently 202 comments made in response to my original post. Any of you Professional Bloggers out there will appreciate just how big a response 202 comments is - something that usually only the very TOP BLOGGERS can expect to get.

To further add to this remarkable story. Last night, Paul Potts won the Final of Britain’s Got Talent.

Now, my question for you and for MYSELF is “What is I had not been paying attention to that Inner Voice” and perhaps more importantly what if I had decided to not listen to it and take action?

For sure, we would not have had that RECORD BREAKING week at VIPGLAMOUR.net last week.

So to repeat - for me the Law of Attraction is not just about “Thinking and Attracting” - it is about:

Thinking, Paying Attention, Taking Action and Growing Rich

Another remarkable thing is that I heard Paul Potts (the subject of my original post) say in an interview that he was not even sure he wanted to enter Britain’s Got Talent - as he had more or less gave up on his music career. Now that is almost Scary - because Paul has the most amazing talent and ability to connect with the general public with his singing and I can only think how much poorer the lives on many people would be today if Paul had not “PAID ATTENTION” to his inner voice and entered Britain’s Got Talent.

So I have a question for all of us;

What great TALENT has laid un-discovered just because we did not PAY ATTENTION to our inner voice.

I am Amazed that we came so close to not discovering Paul Potts Talent and I am somewhat embarrassed (in a good way) that as knowledgeable as I am about the LAW OF ATTRACTION I could just so easily not be relating this story today.

A short post - just to promote one of my other (Midascode Ltd) websites : Retired at 21

Check out a great interview with a remarkable young man that I had the opportunity to meet at Yanik Silvers UK Underground Seminar last year - John Beede, an author, a hugely successful public speaker, and… a rock climber.

The first question John is asked answers a question I have often asked myself of people who partake in any form of extreme sport and that is: WHY does he climb

His answer is I feel inspiring and explains a lot about what values have led John to become the amazing Human Being that he is.

If you have to ask “WHY?”… then you’ll never really understand why.

I don’t climb to reach the tops of mountains. I don’t mountaineer to explore some of the most remote and challenging locations on the planet. I climb to reach my top personal performance. I mountaineer to explore the most remote and challenging locations inside myself.

A journey into the mountains is as much an inward journey as anything else.

When you’ve hiked 26 kilometers with 40 pounds on your back, gaining 2,000 meters in elevation, at an already agonizing elevation, you stop wondering what your body can do, and you start exploring what your inner-will and inner-strength can muster up.

This probably makes you think I’m even crazier… but I’m cool with that.

Catch the full interview at:
John Beede Interview

As an entrepreneur and marketer you are always on the look out of new ideas, suggestions or angles that can be transferred from one market to another.

For me, this includes when travelling, reading local newspapers, listening to other business owners and observing traders and their customers and the interaction that occurs.

Notice the word LISTEN here.

I mention this because I had one of those remarkable AHA! Moments this week when listening to a Market Trader and his customer on a Open Air Market Stall in London.

I say AHA not because I learned something new, but because it reminded me of something I already know very well and should never forget - and that is THE POWER OF QUESTIONS

It was early morning and the stall holder had not quite got all his goods out on display (a range of very interesting ROCK STAR photographs that had been digitally altered and enhanced) but he was already having some interest in his display.

One young man of around 18 or 19 was particularly interested in one photograph and enquired the price to which the stall holder replied:

“£35 to include frame” and that this was his “Special Early Morning Just Getting Started Price”

“Normal price £43″ or so he said.

Almost with out stopping to even think the young man responded:

“Thank you very much, but can I have your late on a rainy day when you have taken almost No Money Price instead?

The Stall Holders face looked a bit surprised and taken back to start with but his face quickly changed to a smile when he said:

“To you young man £22″

A remarkable £13 discount or 37% Discount just for asking the right question!!

Sometimes in negotiations, and in particular when negotiating with fellow, self made business people - you can get the most remarkable results for just having the CHEEK to ask!

In this case, I’m sure the Stall Holder was so impressed with the young man that he felt compelled to reward his INITIATIVE.

Well Done that young man - and remember in Selling and Negotiation, the POWER OF ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Recommended: Confessions Of A Salesman

Once in a while you come across a business book that really has some substance - one that inspires, entertains, motivates and educates.

Such a book is Anyone Can Do it - The Autobiography of Duncan Bannatyne - From Ice Cream Van to Dragons’ Den

Not sure how many of my Non UK readers know who Duncan is - but he is one of the UKs leading entrepreneurs - a self made man that can from very humble (poor) beginnings to become very rich.

Duncan has made something like £100 Million and the recurring theme of this book is that is someone like him can make £100 million, then anyone can!

I have to say as something of a “self-made man” myself (but not currently in the style of Duncan) there was tons of really good advice and inspiration in this book.

Right from the first paragraph, Duncan proclaims: “that if you had a childhood like mine, you’ll never get bored of using private jets, owning luxury villas or staying in the best hotels”.

Well Duncan, I don’t have the private jets, but I can relate to that

Indeed, the reason why so many successful entrepreneurs are as motivated as they are is simply that they decided early on in their lives that they HATED being POOR and once more, they appreciated and understood that being financially poor is as much a choice as deciding to be financially RICH. (I’m just waiting for all those emails disagreeing with me now!)

There is much much more to the book than MOTIVATION, there is also lots of good old fashioned practical business advice - such as for example, lowering your accountancy fees with regards to Government Policy / Taxation etc - by simply approaching each Government Department direct and obtaining all the guides and advice on how to for example: Take on Employees or Register For VAT

So often, business people are too scared of “Government” and have their accountants do even the simplest of tasks for them, when they would be far better of doing it themselves (and learning and understanding the process) rather than wasting money that on many occasions they cannot really afford, especially it those early start up days.

I dare say you could also say that Duncan Bannatyne is a Frugal Entrepreneur - who despite his great success has never lost touch with the Value of things. Indeed FRUGAL is a trait I often find some of the most successful entrepreneurs share.

Anyone Can Do it - Very inspirational - especially if you are seeking the motivation to start your own business or to take the business you have to a greater level.

Buy Anyone Can Do It At Amazon