ISSN: #1527-3113
Issue # 103
Feb 23, 2004

Visit the Site!

"M.C. Promotions Press Ezine-
"Creating Visibility Online For Small Business"

Editor & Publisher: Merle

Life's Quips...
"Eat right, exercise regularly, die anyway. "

Courtesy of http://www.siglets.com

Mission Statement:To provide and enlighten small to mid sized business owners with the services/ products and information they need to become successful online.

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In This Issue:

=> 1. Marketing News/Resources

=> 2. Feature Article-

=> 3. Net Hot Spots!

=> 4. Sites to Help

=> 5. Site Promotion Software & More

=> 6. Guest Columnist-

=> 7. E-Books / Ezine Resources

=> 8. Other Valuable Ezines

=> 9. Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information

<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> Top SPONSOR MESSAGE <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>sponsor adv/ A LIFETIME of Advertising for your biz, only for Founders Now during pre-launch, CertainSales is offering special Founder packages that guarantee constant advertising for YOUR SITE...FOR LIFE! This is only for Founder positions, now being accepted at CertainSales, and only a few select spots are created. After that, they are gone, don't miss this chance to get you will ALWAYS have your site promoted daily at NO Cost to you. http://certainsales.net/a.html (2X)

Note From Merle:

Hi Kids, I just finished a short weight work out that I didn't want to do. I think this winter weather is really starting to depress me. How do you know when you're depressed? I just don't feel like doing much of anything and that includes working out. If I keep sitting in front of this computer all day with my DSL line inserted into my arm like the sick junkie that I am, my body will continue to expand and I don't mean in a good way. Maintenance. It sucks. Don't get me wrong I think everyone needs to do some sort of exercise but sometimes I'm just not into it. Now if only someone could invent painless exercise that we can all do while sitting in front of our computers and look like Demi Moore they'd make a million. Boyfriend not included <grin>. Anyone notice any decrease in the amount of junk mail in your inbox? Neither do I. These so called laws were suppose to help cut back on it but I don't belive it's working. The only ones making money from all of this crap are those who invent software and filters to keep out the junk mail (which none of it works one hundred percent), and I'm sure the Federal Government will come out with someway to profit from a bad situation. Look what they did to the Indians. If there's money to be made the Feds will figure out how to milk it for everything it's worth. Now I'm not claiming to know what the answer is but I don't think these new laws are the answer either. Teddy Bear (my dog) is crawling around under my bed tearing off strings and shreds of material from my box springs.....think he's normal? Definitely not! I took him to the Vet the other day for some shots and a nail cutting. It ended up costing a small fortune. My other dog, Dakota, needs to go but I have to save up first. Anyone ever heard of Dog Insurance? They actually have it but it's really not reasonable. See, even dogs need some kind of health care reform. Maybe I should run for office (LOL). I've written a great article today on how to become a search engine expert. If you need to increase your knowledge of search engines and how to get your web site placed better you'll want to read this first. Please help - Go to http://AdvancedSurvey and type 8244 into the "take a survey" box # on the right hand side. If you do you'll be entered into a drawing for a free ad each and every month. As always send any comments or suggestions to:mailto:merle@mcpromotions.com ***This Issue's Free Ad Contest Winner*** Today's contest winner for a free ad in this ezine is: Harry Meyers. Send in your ad and I'll get it in the next issue. If you'd like a chance to win fill out the survey by clicking on the link at the bottom of this ezine. A winner is picked for every issue. Thanks again for joining me. Warmest Regards, http://www.MCPromotions.com/ http://www.EzineAdAuction.com/ http://www.MerlesWorld.com

 

Discussion Question of the Week:

The question of the week....on the discussion board is..."
"If you publish an ezine have you looked into using RSS
as an alternate means of reaching your audience?"

To POST your comments hop over to the board at..
http://www.mcpromotions.com/webbbs/config.pl

I look forward to reading your comments. No Spam it will be deleted. You'll find some great resources in today's ezine so what are you waiting for....Let's go.....

<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> SPONSOR MESSAGE <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>sponsor adv/ Get your website to the top of the major search engines by increasing your link popularity the easy way. Buy text links on high pagerank sites. Don't waste time trying to find reciprocal link partners. Visit http://www.textlinkbrokers.com to learn how easy it is. (1X)

1) Marketing News

 

Google Offers New Ad Formats
https://www.google.com/adsense/adformats
-----------

Yahoo's New Indexing Robot Slurp
http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/ysearch/slurp
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Google Announces 6 New Ad Formats
https://www.google.com/adsense/adformats

 

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2) Feature Article

"Learn to Become a Search Engine Expert Using Forums" By Merle http://MCPromotions.com As a website owner, getting your site listed and placing well in the search engines can turn into a full time job. Search engine optimization is the process of altering your site so it appears in the top listings of the major search engines. You can hire someone to do it for you and pay out thousands of dollars, or you can be "web savvy" and learn how to do it yourself. True search engine optimization does not involve tricks or search engine spam, but techniques that help websites become more search engine friendly and therefore rank better. So how does a novice learn what search engines find important, let alone which search engines to optimize for? The answers to these questions and much more can be found online in discussion forums. Discussion forums are a valuable resource and a fertile learning ground for anyone with the motivation to learn. Hang out a while and read the posts and you'll soon absorb so much new information that you may become an expert yourself. So where do you find these forums? If you want to learn from the best, you've got to know where the best hang out. I'm going to save you the research time by introducing you to the "cream of the crop." 1) HighRankings Forum: http://HighRankings.com/forum/ This discussion board, run by the acclaimed search engine expert Jill Whalen, is priceless. The forum is broken down into categories ranging from optimization tips and techniques to link building and copywriting techniques. You'll need to choose a user name and password and confirm your new account by email before using the board. Jill really knows her stuff, and I highly recommend her free newsletter as well. 2) Best Practices S.E. Forum: http://IhelpYouServices.com/forums/ You'll find this forum to be a very busy place. Nice variety of topics broken down by individual search engines so you can pick the exact engine you want to study. You'll also find information on pay per click search engines, link popularity and much more. Again, you'll need to register before using the board. 3) SiteOwners/ Webmasters Forums http://SiteOwnersForums.com Not specifically a search engine board. Topics are for website owners, but if you look closely you'll see a category titled "search engine optimization," with a lot of activity. You'll find a range of topics and general questions on how to achieve a better ranking. As with the others, you'll need to register first before posting. 4) Search Engine Marketing Forums: http://SearchEngineForums.com Offered by JimWorld.com, this forum is a great example of everything an informative board should be. You'll find a real sense of community here. Topics are broken down by categories like "search engine optimization," organic and pay per click search engines, Net marketing strategies and more. At the time of my visit, there were over 5,000 topics posted in the optimization category alone. JimWorld offers many excellent resources like free website templates, tutorials, helpful tools and again, a great ezine. 5) Cre8asite Forums: http://www.cre8asiteforums.com Covering topics like usability, web design and search engine optimization. You'll need to drill down to find the category you need. Some of the categories had well over 4,000 posts when I visited, so there are a lot of goodies to be found here. Who said there's no such thing as "a free lunch?" Search engine forums are literally a goldmine of information, and they won't cost you a dime. By spending some quality time in these forums, you'll find your knowledge base increasing daily until you become one of the "experts" yourself. When that happens, you can start posting responses and helping other newbies yourself. Forums are a community of people, so if you benefit from them it's always a good idea to give something back by reaching out to other participants. Remember, everything you need to improve your search engine rankings is out there; it's your job to go and get it. See you at the "top." ********************************************** Merle http://www.EzineAdAuction.com "Where some of the BEST Deals in Ezine Advertising are Made" Buy & Sell Ezine Ads in a live auction setting! Publishers sell off your excess inventory and Buyers pick up some Fantastic bargains. Free E-book on how to write "glowing" ezine ads.....Download Now at http://www.ezineadauction.com/ebooks/greatezineads.pdf **********************************************

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<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> SPONSOR MESSAGE <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>sponsor adv/ Get Live Support for your Website for less then 100.00. http://tinyurl.com/3bogq

3) Net Hot Spots

Stream Zap

Now you can control your PC with a remote control.
Imagine surfing music on your PC laying on your couch
with this remote. Works from up to 40 feet away.
Control Windows Media Player, iTunes, RealOne, Winamp,
PowerPoint, MusicMatch Jukebox, and many other multi-
media applications. You can also use it to control
other aspects of your PC as well, even watch DVD's.
Under 40.00

http://www.streamzap.com/

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Cafe Press

Want to sell your merchandise with your logo
or artwork on them? You can do that and much
more by opening a free account with Cafe Press.
You can even have them take your ebook and
bind it into paper books which you sell. Choose
from over 50 different products and set your own
profit margin. This makes a great addition to any
website.

http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/sell/index.aspx

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Technorati

"Technorati is a conversation engine. It tells you what's
being said, right now, about every Blog or site that has
something to say - and says it so well that others point
to them. Search for the "cosmos" of any page, and
Technorati lists every other page that has linked to
it in the past 24 hours, ranked by freshness or authority."
It's sort of like going to the town gossip for the scoop.

http://www.technorati.com/

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4) Sites to Help

Queryster

A handy little tool that allows you to search 10
different search engines all at once. This is good
for research and even for seeing if your website is
listed with the various engines.

http://www.queryster.com/

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Web Marketing Today

I know I've mentioned this one before but something
this good bears repeating. If you're trying to learn
how to do business the Web let Dr. Ralph Wilson
teach you. He's been at this for years, longer then
I have and is an expert when it comes to online
marketing. You'll find hundreds of articles, ebooks
and resources here and don't forget to sign up for
his free ezine.

http://wilsonweb.com/

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Google Groups

Looking for something? Searching what's been posted
in News Groups can be very enlightening when it comes
to research. Type in a phrase and hit search.

http://groups.google.com/

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------------------------------------------
QUICK TIP
---------------------------------------

Signature Lines

Don't underestimate the use of a good signature line
in all of your outgoing emails. Many people just sign
their name but by doing so you're missing out on a
terrific promotional activity. You should be including
your company name, your tag line, and a clickable url
in every outgoing message you sent. A good sig line
is no more then 4 to 5 lines max. If you offer some-
thing fr.e make sure you include that to entice people
to visit your website.

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5) Site Promotion Software & More

SurfSecret

SurfSecret Sp*mDropT is an Outlook 2000/2002/XP Add-
In that protects you from Sp*m and Viruses automatically.
Best of all,its FREE for personal use! With SpamDrop,
you become a member of a sp*m blocking community. As
you delete sp.m from your Inbox it gets removed from
thousands of other InBoxes around the world!

http://www.surfsecret.com/products/product-SDROP.html

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PostCast Server

PostCast Server is a free SMTP mail server program that
enables you to send newsletters, distribute messages to
different mailing lists, send notifications to your
customers, and send individual e-mail messages directly
from your computer.

http://www.postcastserver.com/

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6) Guest Article

20-Point Checklist EVERY Sales Letter Must Pass!

By Grady Smith

Sales letter not pulling like you want? Need a quick
"fill in the blanks" formula for marketing your next
product? Here are 20 essential components of the hard-
selling sales letter:

1) Does your headline speak directly to your potential
customer and give them a strong, specific benefit of
your product or service?

2) Did you start with the strongest benefit of your
product or service, then work your way down to include
the least important benefits for your potential customer?

3) Do you explain how your product or service is better
or different compared to your competitors?

4) Does your sales letter speak directly to your prospect?
In other words, instead of saying, "people that like
horses will love this book" you say, "If you love horses
you'll love this book."

5) Do you use "you" twice as often as "I" in your sales
letter?

6) Is your sales letter easy to read using short
sentences and paragraphs?

7) Do you use power words and write with the goal of
keeping your reader's interest?

8) Do you show your potential customer their problem;
agitate it by telling them how troublesome it is, then
offer your product or service as the solution?

9) Is your copy clear, easy to understand, and follows
a flow from one paragraph to the next?

10) Are your strong words and phrases highlighted or
bolded to draw attention and keep the reader focused?

11) Is your sales letter written in a friendly, active,
conversational, "me to you", tone of voice?

12) Have you used specific numbers and facts in your
copy to build instant credibility?

13) Have you included credibility creators, like why
you're an authority on the subject, testimonials, and
case studies?

14) Does your sales letter have a nothing to risk
guarantee that shows your confidence in your offer?

15) Do you include a reason why you're making this
offer? Are you doing it because you are tired of seeing
people scammed on the Internet and want to provide them
with solid information they can use for profit immediately?
Or are you giving them a dirt-cheap price because you
have an overstock on inventory and it's costing you
more to store the product in your warehouse?

16) Does your sales letter give details of what the
customer needs to do? Call now. Or, simply fill out
the form below, enclose your check or money order for
$24, and mail to...

17) Do you make it easy for your potential customer
to act on your offer?

18) Are you offering bonuses to increase response, or
do you create high-perceived value for your product
or service?

19) Did you create a sense of urgency in your letter,
explaining that the price is for a short time or
quantities are limited?

20) Have you answered all questions a prospective
customer has about your product?

===========================================
FREE: $95 Critique of One Sales Letter or Ad -- Get
the details you need to increase your response. Just
visit Grady's website for a free critique and other
free resources to improve your sales copy.
Click http://www.cheap-copy.com

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7) Ebook & Ezine Resources

"Are You an Ezine Publisher?"

Are you tired of constantly looking for new content for each issue? Search no more. Browse our huge database of FREE articles
written by some of the Net's Top Experts. Browse now at.... http://www.Family-Content.com

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8) Other Valuable Ezines- Ad Swaps

If you would like to swap ads send your ezine information
to mailto:swap@mcpromotions.com

Merle's Mission Ezine is your one-stop resource for everything Internet. Learn to put your online time to better use by knowing where the BEST sites are located. Includes: FR<E Software, HOT Sites that will hep you improve your own website, Informative Articles by some of today's online Experts that will show you exactly how to be Successful online. STOP wasting your valuable time....Subscribe Today by sending mailto:subscribe@merlesworld.com or visit http://www.merlesworld.com/newsletter.htm

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9) Important Info- How to Unsubscribe

If you are not a subscriber and would like to be please send mailto:subscribe@mcpromotions.com If you would like to be taken off our mailing list Click Here.

Read Past Issues Here....
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*********Win a Free Ad in This Ezine:*********

If you still haven't taken the demographic survey you still can and you'll pick up a free gift in the process and be entered to win a FREE ad in this ezine- Drawing held every two weeks.Go to http://www.advancedsurvey.com/ and type 8244 into the "take a survey" box on the right hand side.

PS. One other note if anyone is in need of a programmer for simple script installation or anything else contact my guy David Black he's wonderful and I highly recommend him. Just tell him what you need and he'll dash off a quote to you. He also does website hosting with superior customer service. I love this guy!
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If you'd like my online marketing articles to appear "like
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Disclaimer. The information contained in this archive is provided 'as is' without warranty of any kind. The entire risk as to the results and the performance of the information is assumed by the user, and in no event shall Merle's Cyber Promotions be liable for any consequential, incidental or direct damages suffered in the course of using the information in this archive. Use of the information contained in this archive are governed by their respective license agreements and may contain restrictions on use. This newsletter is for informational purposes only. We respect your privacy and do not share our mailing list with anyone. of any kind. All comments in this newsletter are the opinion of the publisher only. Copyright 2001-204 All Rights Reserved