Lifestyle Entrepreneur and Online Marketing Success Blog by Scott Fox

Internet Business - Its Not Too Late for You - Success Sermon

Internet business is not new anymore, but yes, it still excites me and offers great potential for you. 

Growth trends are still your friend if you are interested in starting a new web site business - and it is NOT too late for you to learn how to start an internet business.

Watch this short video to learn how I see unrecognized demand still emerging that can help your web site business find success online, too!

What do you think of this "success sermon" video?

Am I right?

Are you scared that it's "too late" to get started online?

 

This is a clip from my Click Millionaires Online Success Show.  Tune in to catch the Show on Tuesdays at 2pm ET at http://www.ClickMillionaires.tv or subscribe to my YouTube channel here or join my free email list for free updates by email!

Thanks for watching!

Why the Biggest Startup Ever makes July 4th My Favorite Holiday!

The 4th of July is my favorite holiday because it commemorates the founding of the biggest startup ever - the United States of America. 

225 years ago today, there was no "USA". But that painfully underfunded 13 colony "startup" turned into one of the best-performing IPOs ever, didn't it?

Independence Day should be called Entrepreneurs Day!
It was only through the hard-to-imagine risks and unprecedented imagination of our Founding Fathers (and Mothers!), that we enjoy many of the freedoms we today take for granted. And it's those same freedoms that allow you to pursue your dreams of personal independence and financial success, too.

 

This quick video explains why I think July 4 is important for entrepreneurs: Because the rights that our Founding Fathers (and Mothers) fought for provide hope and important examples to people, and especially entrepreneurs, all over the world.

Please join me in celebrating our unprecedented American experiment in self-governance and personal independence.  Let me know how I can help you leverage the principles of July 4 to find your own success! 

 

Happy Independence Day!

How are YOU celebrating the 4th of July this year?

If you'd like to participate in discussions like this one,
join me in the FREE Discussion Forum
at ClickMillionaires.com any time.

[If you liked this video, please subscribe to my channel at YouTube here.]

Why You Don't Have to Be a Genius (to Succeed Online)

You CAN do this. You CAN make it online.  And you don't have to be a genius.

Watch this short video to learn why I believe in your success potential.

In just a few minutes I spell out how your own unique background, skills, and personal perspective can be used to differentiate your online business - even if you are NOT a genius!

What do you think of this "success sermon" video?

Is this perspective helpful to you?

Is the business world meeting your needs, instead of the other way around?

This is a clip from my Click Millionaires Online Success Show.  Tune in to catch me LIVE on Tuesdays at 2pm ET at http://www.ClickMillionaires.tv or subscribe to my YouTube channel or this blog for free updates!

Why you don't need Venture Capital for your Startup - VIDEO

Want to know how to raise money to start a new company?

In this short video Scott Fox shares strategies and new statistics on how to raise venture capital, including his suprising advice that you don't need VC money to start a new business online today.

Why today you don't need venture capital to start a new business online: 

This is an 8:22 video clip from Scott Fox's Click Millionaires Show.  More helpful business-building videos are here.

 

What do you think?

Click Millionaires Radio Podcast: New Twitter Business Model, HD-6000 Webcam contest, MLM Domain Names, Facebook Connect vs. RSS, and more...

Twitter's new Promoted Tweets business model, how to pick a domain name for a network marketing MLM business, a review and giveaway of the new Microsoft Lifecam HD-6000 webcam, How to use Flip Camcorders, Facebook Connect vs. RSS, content link attribution and link policies, and more!

Listen to this episode of the Click Millionaires Radio Podcast Show for Scott Fox's take on the latest online marketing issues, plus answers to YOUR questions.

Answers to questions from readers like you include the best domain name strategies for MLM direct-selling businesses, how RSS can replace Facebook Connect, content credit and linking strategies, commentary on Twitter's newly announced Promoted Tweets advertising business model, and a review of the new Microsoft LifeCam HD-6000 webcam, too. 

Listen to this Click Millionaires Podcast show now by clicking on the blue player.

Or, you can right-click on the microphone icon below to “Save target as…” to download a free MP3 file of this new episode!

Sponsored by ClickMillionaires.com and Site Build It!,
my #1 recommendation for new web sites.

Click Millionaires Radio Podcast MP3 Archive (Free)

Listen to previous episodes of Click Millionaires Radio anytime here.  There are lots of great free MP3 downloads about Facebook Marketing, Public Relations Strategies, Google Adwords, Article Marketing, Web Copywriting, Online Video viral promotions, and more!

Submit your feedback and questions for the Show here.

I'd love to hear from you!

Twitter's New Promoted Tweets Business Model - Friend or Foe? (VIDEO)

Twitter has finally announced a business model!  But is Twitter's new "Promoted Tweets" advertising strategy good or bad for marketing your business online?

This new video discusses how despite Twitter's meteoric growth, critics have long complained about the company's lack of a business model.  Naysayers have demanded justification for Twitter's $1 Billion valuation and seemingly laissez-faire attitude toward revenues.

Advertising Comes to Twitter - Finally!
Those critics can now rest easy (or easier anyway): Twitter has announced an advertising-based revenue model it calls "Promoted Tweets" to monetize its over 100 million users. 

Twitter's new business model has two phases planned.  The first phase of Promoted Tweets is simply sponsored search results.  I like that just fine but the second phase of "promoted posts" WORRIES me... 

Watch this short video to learn about Twitter's new Promoted Tweets business model and what it may mean for your online marketing.

Thanks to Claire Cain Miller's excellent reporting in the New York Times as the source for my info.

What do YOU think of Twitter's new business model? 
Is Twitter's new advertising business model friend or foe of your Tweeting and online marketing activities? 
Does "resonance" sound like a strong enough plan to prevent Tweet spam?

[For more of my commentary on Twitter, please see these other popular ScottFox.com blog posts about Twitter:  How to Use Twitter for Marketing, 4 Annoying Twitter Myths, and (most popular) Twitter Has Jumped the Shark.

Please stay tuned or subscribe to my free email newsletter for my upcoming Twitter post "Twitter's Fatal Flaw", too.]

#1 Mistake for Startup E-Commerce Web Sites - VIDEO

I finally figured it out!  Here's a video explaining the #1 mistake that most new web site startup entrepreneurs make.

Unfortunately, I see new online entrepreneurs make this same beginner's mistake over and over and over. 

After my recent "Fake Progress" post, many of you wrote to tell me you get stuck in "Analysis Paralysis" when starting a new web business.   Research is okay, but I've realized that it's a particular type of analysis that can KILL YOUR PROFITS.  (Hint: It's demand you should be researching, NOT supply!) 

Watch this short video to see how just this one change in your business strategy can help your new online business successfully make more money online a LOT faster. 

[You can watch more Scott Fox business-building videos here .
Or subscribe to my YouTube Channel here.]

Does this shift from 20th century thinking make sense to you? 

Am I right about this or making too big a deal of it?

What do you think?

(And if you'd like my suggestions on how to SOLVE this problem, watch my video "Customer Mind-Reading: How to Find Customer Demand BEFORE You Launch" here.)

  

 

 

 

 

 

Has Twitter Jumped the Shark? (Video)

Wow, my recent post questioning Twitter's marketing value stirred up some controversy!

A lot of people agreed with me about Twitter's declining usefulness, a lot of others did not, and some people seemed to be personally OFFENDED by this post.  Even the New York Times picked up the controversy! (Thanks to @clairecm.)

If you missed my "Twitter Jumped the Shark" post or would like more details, watch this short video below.  It spells out some of my concerns about how to market successfully on Twitter today.

What do you think of Twitter and this video?
Where are you finding value in marketing on Twitter today?

[If you liked this video, please subscribe to my channel at YouTube here.]

This is a clip from my live "Scott Fox Show".  If you'd like to participate in discussions like this one, join me LIVE at www.ScottFoxShow.com

If you find it helpful, please tell your friends about this post
using Facebook, Twitter or Google+ buttons below?

 

Twitter has Jumped the Shark

 

Is Twitter still "the future of online marketing"? Or is it just a 21st century babble machine?

Charmed by the new tool's potential, I recommended Twitter in my latest book. But today (only a year later), I think Twitter is collapsing under the weight of its own success.

 

Here are 5 reasons why I think Twitter is OVER and has "jumped the shark":

1. Twitter is too easy to use: Twitter has such a low threshold to use (only 140 characters per message and FREE), that people have no hesitation to babble. And less scrupulous marketers have no hesitation to spam.

The pretend “conversation” we’re all supposed to be having on Twitter has devolved into an opt-in spam fest. 

“Big time” twitterers with large followings (or social media pros who are online all day) still find Twitter useful for conversation but the signal to noise ratio is dropping rapidly, making Twitter a less useful marketing tool every day.

2. Synchronicity - NOT: Twitter can only be used to communicate with people who are also on and active at the same time. This restricts Twitter’s utility to real-time conversations, often in the same time zone.

For example, since I am based in Los Angeles, I can easily communicate with fellow Tweeters in the Pacific Time Zone. But if I start my tweeting too late in the day, people in the Eastern Time Zone may be hard to reach, and my friends in Europe are virtually invisible to me on Twitter.

Where emails and podcasts are helpfully asynchronous, the requirement for both parties to be present in real-time is a fatal flaw in Twitter. It reminds me more of IM or even that old-fashioned telephone unfortunately.

3. Haves vs. Have Nots: If you are part of the Twitter aristocracy, like @jeffpulver, @guykawasaki, @scobleizer, or @mashable, you’ll probably disagree with me on this post.

If you have 1,000,000+ followers, or even a mere 25,000 followers, you probably still get some good reaction and click-throughs when you tweet something interesting. But you probably also benefited from rampant auto-following and the “Suggested Users” list of Twitter’s earlier days to accrue your big following.  Even more likely is that you are already a celebrity or you devote more time to social media than most folks can because social media interaction is your job.

For most beginning marketers and small businesses today, the chance of ever accruing even 10,000 followers (much less 100k or more) looks remote. The silly days of auto-follow are over and nobody seems to be listening any more anyway.

4. Automation: Twitter has done a brilliant job of opening its architecture to share APIs and data with its partners. This has created a huge ecosystem of Twitter apps, tools, and services to augment Twitter.com’s own limited feature set.

Unfortunately, the success of those feeder businesses has made it easier than ever before to pre-schedule, re-tweet, and manage multiple Twitter accounts with little added value (or human presence!).

5. Twitter Advertising: Coming soon Twitter will finally be trying to monetize all of its traffic and audience.

Advertising is great for Ev and Biz but unfortunately for marketers, that means introducing ads into the already deathly crowded Twittersphere. 

Is that what you need? More distractions for your Twitter followers' limited attention?

Lots of Talking – Is Anybody Listening Anymore?
It feels to me like Twitter has jumped the shark on its way to becoming the CB radio of the 1970’s, the telephone “party lines” of the 1980’s, and the huge real-time chats of Web 1.0 marketing in the 1990’s.

What’s Left for Marketers on Twitter?
I’m not sure yet. I'll keep tweeting at http://www.twitter.com/scott_fox, but I suspect that I’m not alone in feeling that Twitter just ain’t what it used to be.

Twitter will probably maintain its fun side as a place for social media professionals to have quick “watercooler” conversations, but that creates more of an echo chamber than a real marketing platform.

Will Twitter evolve to be just another alerts service? Or simply a quick delivery mechanism for 140 character teasers of meatier content posted elsewhere?

 

What do you think is next for Twitter?
Am I right that Twitter is headed for a big fall?
Where and how are you finding marketing value in Twitter today?
Please leave me a Comment on this post - I’d really like to know..!

See how I think you should use Twitter in this short video here.

More Scott Fox Twitter marketing strategy is also available on my blog in
my "Twitter Gurus Please Stop Whining" post here,
and in my most popular Twitter post, "4 Annoying Twitter Myths", here .

Thanks for visiting (and thanks to the New York Times for picking up this post!)

If you find it helpful, please tell your friends about this post
using Facebook, Twitter or Google+ buttons below?

Damn right that "these results are not typical"!

 

Do I really believe that you can make money online?  Yes, I do.

 

Do I think that the FTC is babying you when suggesting that everything be labeled "these results not typical"?  Yes, I do.

Do I have some insight and excitement to share with you that can help you succeed online?  Yes, I do!

Check out this quick video clip  from the latest episode of the Scott Fox Online Marketing Show to see why it's my mission to keep YOU from being "typical", too.

What do you think of my message in this video?
Are you striving to be just typical?

Join me LIVE on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2pm ET (11amPT/7pmGMT) at www.ScottFoxShow.com if you'd like to participate in discussions like this one!

 

 

 

 

 

Ask Scott Fox? Win my new book!

Do you have a question for me?  Can I help you with your online marketing dilemmas or e-commerce strategy questions?  Send me a question!

One of my New Year's resolutions was to shoot and share more videos. I'm off to a good start with some video testing I've been doing for a new "Scott Fox Show".

This is good news for you because an important part of this new show I'm testing is the opportunity to answer more reader questions LIVE.  This new "TV show" format will let me give you longer, more detailed answers than I can in my blog, so I hope you'll tune in.

To email me a question, please visit this page:  http://www.scottfox.com/ask-scott-fox.html

Win e-Riches 2.0: Next Generation Online Marketing Strategies
Plus, everyone who asks a question is automatically entered into a drawing to win a copy of my latest online marketing book, e-Riches 2.0! 

Send me a question here now- and then please join me LIVE on camera at www.ScottFoxShow.com on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2pm ET (11am PT / 7PM GMT) for your answers!

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