Best Blog Posts 2010

[part 1]

Happy New Year's Eve!
I hope you've got something fun planned!

I thought as we're ending the year and rolling in to the new one I'd do an post or two summing up some of my best bits of the year (imho).

I'll also be sending you a little gift tomorrow, so keep your eyes open for it...

Here's a few of my favorite blogs posts from the last 12 months: -

Getting More Done...
http://mattgarrett.com/10-productivity-tips/
&
http://mattgarrett.com/managing-bad-habits/

Free tools, resources and software that you should make sure you have: -
http://how2.biz/internet-marketing-resource.html

The Traffic Action Plan Blog Posts: -

1. http://blogtactics.com/getting-website-traffic/
2. http://blogtactics.com/submitting-articles-for-traffic/
3. http://blogtactics.com/blog-directory-submissions/
4. http://blogtactics.com/top-30-rss-directories/
5. http://blogtactics.com/blog-commenting-for-backlinks/
6. http://blogtactics.com/video-submissions-for-traffic/

I'll be adding another 3 or 4 posts in this series, at least, over the next month or so, including using social marketing and getting as many backlinks as possible, both manually and "hands free"...

Social Marketing Blog Automation: -
http://blogtactics.com/wp-syndicator/
http://imtesting.com/wpsyndicator-instant-backlinks/

How to get your WP API key: -
http://blogtactics.com/wordpress-api-key/  Read more... (331 words, 1 image, estimated 1:19 mins reading time)

Affiliate Promo Formula

So is there really a "secret" Affiliate Marketing Promo Formula?

Some kind of step by step plan that can help you dominate info product launches..?

That's a screen capture from a fairly recent affiliate competition that I claimed top spot (and top prize) in.

Note: if you click on the image the full size version will pop up so you can see more details.

and that's not the only JV affiliate leader board I've done well on, here's a few more top place results...

I've included some older one's not just those from this year, so that you can see I've been doing this for a while, and I've not included all my top 10 placings from this year, let alone all the top 15 and top 20 results.

So back to the question - "Is there a secret formula for affiliate 'promo' marketing?"  Read more... (463 words, 17 images, estimated 1:51 mins reading time)

My Top 10 Productivity Tips

~ 1. Have a Daily "To Do" List

I actually keep this on a paper "Post It" pad right by my keyboard, so I can't ignore it. I found that using a spreadsheet or file on my PC for this was just too easy for me to ignore...

I always try to write up the next days "To Do" list at the end of the day, so it's ready for the next day, this also helps me "review" what I've got done in the day.

I've also found that if I can put one task that I've been "putting off" at the top of the list and get that done first, the rest of the tasks on the list tend to seem easier to get done and I get more of them done.

~ 2. Only Check Your Email at Certain Times

I've got to admit I'm far from perfect on this one, but I have found when I keep my email program closed and only check it 2 or 3 times during the day I DO get a lot more work done.  Read more... (999 words, 2 images, estimated 3:60 mins reading time)

Managing Your Bad Habits

I've had a bit of a realization over the last few days, one that has helped me to increase my productivity big time!

I've become used to listening to music while working and about a week ago I read an article (I forget exactly where) on productivity that suggested listening to music can effect some peoples ability to focus while they're working.

This was news to me and something I'd never considered before, so I thought I'd check it out myself by switching off the music for a few days...

It turns out that for me they are right, I've been more focused and got more work done since I switched off the music than I usually would!

It just goes to show how we can pick up potentially bad habits without even realizing it, hence this blog post, to remind us all we should stand back and check what we're doing in our working environment, just in case a bad habit has somehow snuck in.  Read more... (526 words, 2 images, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)

Hmm, going by this blog my "status" as a "professional" blogger may be under threat, as I've only made 7 posts here in the whole of 2009!

but to be fair that kinda sums up the year for me, as I didn't really get an awful lot of work done until the last few months of the year, when I finally managed to get my head straight and find the right frame of mind to move on after my divorce, mostly thanks to a couple of good friends, who know who they are, thanks guys!

so what's that got to do with getting out of my comfort zone?

easy, one of the things that I did do more of this year was go to internet marketing events, and as always, it proved to be a good thing. I've met many great new friends, people who I am already working together with on different projects.

as an example of that I've already got a great interview done with Jit Uppal (who I met at Lee McIntrye's workshop) as the giveaway in preparation for my next new product - http://adswaplistbuilding.com  Read more... (577 words, 1 image, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)

One of the biggest differences to my working day over the last year or so was starting to keep a daily "To Do" task list.

Now I do have piles and piles (I can count 23 right now) of post it note pads with list after list of things that I need to do, which I've tried several times to feed in to a spread sheet for the sake of improved efficiency, but that's not what I'm actually talking about.

I have a little A5 size notebook that at the end of each day I write down the list of tomorrow's tasks that I want to get done. Admitedly most days I don't get them all done, but having the list sat in front of me helps me keep on target and remember what I most need to accomplish each day.

It also happens to be a great kick up the bum if I get totally off target (e.g. lost in warcraft for a few hours), as it's sat there staring up at me...  Read more... (820 words, 1 image, estimated 3:17 mins reading time)

Is Internet Marketing Bad For Your Health?

one of the best things I ever did for my internet business was visit a marketing event.

it was run by Robert Puddy, who's doing another one in the US in Oct (LFMpires Workshop US), and it made a massive difference to my online business!

I admit, I wasn't looking forward to going and having to do all that "networking" stuff, mostly because that always sounds to me like standing around in a room full of people you don't know, trying to start up a random conversation, not exactly easy or pleasant, unless of course you're a bit of an extrovert!

as it happens, all my "networking" ended up being done either in the bar, or outside having a smoke, so starting conversations wasn't forced, it just happened naturally.

And of course the plentiful flow of Guiness helped!

In fact it was while I was outside having a smoke (that's the unhealthy bit) that I met (and made friends with) many of my best joint venture partners, well known and very succesful marketers like (in no particular order): -  Read more... (1167 words, 1 image, estimated 4:40 mins reading time)

This is a real quick update just to let you know that there's a small (aka select) Internet Marketing Workshop happening in London (UK) on Sunday 26th July and there are just a few places left if you want to get in...

UK IM Workshop

the workshop is being run by Kevin Brown and the main speakers will be Kevin Riley, who is a top dog when it comes to product creation, and Lee McIntyre who was a school teacher up until just a couple of years ago and has built up profitable online business and an excellent reputation for delivering high quality advice, tips and products.

The Workshop starts at 10am Sunday July 26th 2009

It's also pretty cheap for such an event, at just $177 (inc 15% VAT), and as it's not a massive overcrowded event you'll have more chance to network with people and make some great new contacts...

I'll probably get to the hotel on Saturday afternoon, so if you're coming you should be able to find me in my usual spot (at the bar) from early evening onwards.  Read more... (216 words, 1 image, estimated 52 secs reading time)

Here are my top five Twitter tools and sites for getting the most out of your twitter account and automating as much as you can to make your twitter experience, quicker & easier...

1st up, the most essential tool for any serious "twitteree", or "twitterette", imho, is a desktop app to make the whole experience easier.

I started off with Thwirl and liked it's simplicity, but then came across TweetDeck

The first time I looked at TweetDeck I have to admit, I didn't like it, mostly because of the black color, but now I wouldn't go back to Thwirl.

TweetDeck just presents tweets, @'s and DM's in such a clear way it's easy to keep track of what's going on, which can be very important when you end up in a 4, 5, or 6 (or more) different conversations at the same time, with a mix of @'s and DM's coming at you left right and center!

With TweetDeck you know exactly where everything is...  Read more... (858 words, 1 image, estimated 3:26 mins reading time)

I mentioned in my last post (5. Getting out and meeting people, aka “networking”) how important it is to get and get together with other marketers whenever possible.

I managed to make it down to London a couple of weeks ago for Martin Avis' London Lunch for the first time in well over a year, and it was great to see so many people there!

It was also great to catch up with a whole bunch of people (fellow internet marketers) who I've not seen in months, although I didn't manage to chat with everyone I wanted to (sorry Rob!), and I forgot to take any photos, too busy nattering away, sorry!

So there's 2 points to this post, first is an invite to what will be a great internet marketing workshop weekend that I'm going to, and the 2nd is more of a proposal based on having some kind of informal getogether in Cheltenham every couple of months...

Bristol Internet Marketing Workshop

This workshop is being held by Robert Puddy in Bristol (here in the UK) on May 8th - 10th!  Read more... (449 words, 3 images, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)