Review of Advanced Email Marketing

Advanced Email Marketing really should have been called, “Email Marketing Strategies for Beginners.” I don’t say that to be a put down, it’s quite the contrary.

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This is a fantastic book on understanding the vital role email marketing plays in selling products and/or services. Sterne breaks the concept of email marketing down into bite-size pieces, then explains each piece in great detail using storytelling.

Each chapter advances the story a step further, thus leaving the reader with a more realistic understanding of the whole process. Then to bring home his point, Sterne gives the reader a set of questions to answer—all geared towards solving email marketing issues within the reader’s own company.

If all business and/or technical books read like Sterne’s we’d have a lot more small businesses showing black instead of red.

If you plan to use any form of email to get the word out about your business, products, services, or promotions, you’ll want to pick up a copy of Advanced Email Marketing.

Order Advanced Email Marketing Today!

Disclosure: I was given a sample to review. This is "my opinion" of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.

Great Mouse Detective Review

Did you watch Disney's Great Mouse Detective when it first came out back in '86? For some reason, I didn't. My daughter, however, said that she remembers watching it in the early 90s and loved it. Curious, I had her watch it again. She not only remembered the film, but still enjoyed it.

To my surprise, I discovered Vincent Price was the voice of the villain. I have to tell you that I love Vincent Price's voice. It's soothing and sinister. When I was little, I watched every film I could get my hands on with him in it. I'm just glad that his "scary" films weren't really all that scary--there was more mystery than gore. But I digress...

I wrote up a review of The Great Mouse Detective here.

And for your viewing pleasure, this post features a few clips from the film:

"Sleuthing"...




And "On The Trail"...

Review of Blogging For Business

One night, as I browsed the web for information on what a business blogger needs to know I ran across the title, "Blogging For Business: Everything You Need To Know And Why You Should Care" by Ted Demopoulos and Shel Holtz.

“Hmm, sounds like just the book I need to review for my magazine,” I thought to myself.

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Two weeks later, the book arrived in my mail. Last night I completed the book and I must tell you that I was very much impressed. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in starting a blog of his/her own.

In Blogging For Business: Everything You Need To Know And Why You Should Care, Demopoulos and his co-author, Shel Holtz, takes you by the hand and gives you an insider’s look into the world of blogging.

You’ll learn why blogs differ from websites, e-zines, and message boards and you’ll discover why blogs work great for building buzz about your company, your product, your service, and your industry! In 13 chapters you’ll discover 18 secrets guaranteed to help you gain a better understanding of the world according to bloggers. Secrets like:

• Blogs build awareness through communicating via comments, posts, and links.
• Blogs can “build good will, attract new business, improve customer relations, enhance branding”, and allow customers a sounding board (a voice) which ultimately helps your company’s bottom line.
• Why engaging customers by replying to their blog comments is good for business.
• What makes a good CEO blog.
• Why product blogs should be more than company updates and sales letters.
• Why blogs should be put in place before a company crisis and how pre-established blogs can help during a company crisis and newly formed blogs can hurt when a crisis hits.
• How to properly use blogs as information tools for employees.
• Which search engines you should get your blog listed in.
• How to pitch to bloggers so that they talk about your blog and its purpose.
• How to implement advertising on your company blog and when it’s appropriate.
• Finding your blog’s focus.
• Who should write for your blog.
• Why comment moderation is important and why negative remarks can be beneficial to your company’s overall publicity campaign.
• Choosing between networking blogs and blogs on your own domain.
• Why promoting your blog outside the blogosphere is important for the success of your blog.
• Why networking with other bloggers will increase your blog’s traffic and trustworthyness.
• Measuring the results of your blog.
• The legal aspects of running a content-rich blog.

The only drawback I found was that Ted and Shel did not offer samples of good posts for retailers, service industries, products, consultants, and so forth. I truly believe having done so would have made the book much stronger. It is one thing to talk about the blogging industry and a completely different thing to “show you how it all works” by providing quality samples. But even with this minor drawback, I truly believe it’s the “go to book on blogging”. If you’re serious about starting a business blog, writing for company blogs, or starting a blog for personal reasons, you can’t go wrong with Blogging For Business: Everything You Need To Know And Why You Should Care.

Order Blogging for Business: Everything You Need to Know and Why You Should Care Today!

Disclosure: I was given a sample to review. This is "my opinion" of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.

Review of Kick-Ass Copywriting In 10 Easy Steps

In today’s tough economy, small businesses must choose to hire cheaper labor or do it themselves; including writing copy for their websites, catalogs, business materials, and advertisements. However, media is “wrought with examples of wasted local advertising dollars due to poor copywriting,” says Susan Gunelius, copywriter and author of “Kick-Ass Copywriting In 10 Easy Steps”.

And I couldn’t agree more.

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Living in a state that relies heavily on small business, I’ve read, watched, and heard my share of poor advertising content—heck, I’ve even been guilty of it myself, a time or two. That’s because writing good copy doesn’t come naturally—and, for the average layperson, it can be downright intimidating. But it’s also because most of the books on the market, designed to help local business owners, are either written with technical jargon that is so far over the average person’s head that one gets a headache just trying to decipher the code or it is written from a pure “hype” standpoint, designed to get business owners excited about the idea of writing copy that sells lots of product and/or service, but doesn’t provide real world examples.

What makes Susan’s book different is that it speaks to the layperson, to the small business owner. It is written for people without a degree in journalism or English or even copywriting. It’s written to provide just the right amount of information to help the small business owner write copy that is compelling, that is believable, and that calls the reader to action. It’s written for you and me!

And it isn’t called “Kick-Ass Copywriting In 10 Easy Steps” for nothing. Although there are 246 pages and 18 chapters, there are really just ten steps:

1. Exploit your product’s benefits – this is about understanding the difference between features and benefits and focusing on key selling points.
2. Exploit your competitor’s weaknesses – this isn’t about bad mouthing your competition, it’s not even about mentioning your competition by name; it’s about understanding who your competition is, what differentiates your product/business from theirs, and capitalizing on why your product is better.
3. Know your target audience – this is vital for buying advertising space and for marketing purposes. The best copy is worthless if it doesn’t reach the right audience, therefore, you must understand who wants your product and why.
4. Communicate – this is about telling your audience “what is in it for them”.
5. Focus – this is about writing copy that addresses your audience’s needs and wants, it is not about hyping up your company or your own self-esteem.
6. Know your medium – this is important because writing a local classified ad differs from writing for a radio spot or a national magazine.
7. Minimize information – when writing copy, it’s easy to get carried away and want to disclose every nook and cranny, but when it comes to copy, “less is more” should be the motto for writing more productive copy.
8. Create a call – paying for advertising copy is useless if you don’t compel your audience to take some type of action: buy, call, visit, sign up, etc.
9. Include disclaimers – include information that backs up claims, that protects company from misinterpretations, and that meets legal obligations.
10. Proofread –make sure that all the t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted; in other words, make sure there are no typos or misprints before it’s too late to do anything about them.

Besides covering the basics, Susan makes sure her readers get a real bang for their buck by including bonuses like:

• several “real life” examples designed to help newbies get a better understanding of what's being taught;
• a case study using a dummy company known as ABC Tax Services;
• close-ups that act more like cheat sheets or summaries;
• an appendix known as “Copywriting Outline” which is designed to help the reader write compelling copy for his/her own business; and
• a resource section to further expand one’s knowledge in the area of marketing and copywriting.

Order Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps: Build the Buzz and Sell the Sizzle (Entrepreneur Magazine) Today!

Disclosure: I was given a sample to review. This is "my opinion" of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.

Wildflowers of Terezin by Robert Elmer

This is a guest post by Tina L. Scott (formerly Miller). Tina is a freelance photographer from Merrill, Wisconsin with a passion for writing. She can be reached at PhotographyByTina.com


Book
Wildflowers of Terezin

Author
Robert Elmer

The Review
While the Wildflowers of Terezin is a fictional account, it is based on factual history and is a gripping, compelling, and riveting novel that was difficult to put down. All stories and histories of the holocaust and World War II make difficult yet profound reading, and tales of the heroic attempts to fight for good and justice in a time that seemed to be abundantly rampant with nothing but evil, cruelty, injustice, and good people looking the other way always stand out whether they are entirely factual or fictional accounts such as this novel based on truthful incidents and occasions. Like most other stories of this era, I found it heart wrenching and could not pull myself away from the book. I raced through reading it in less than two days.

In Wildflowers of Terezin, Pastor Steffen Petersen is a minister at a Lutheran church in Denmark en route to the local hospital on his bicycle to give communion to a parishioner when he is caught in the crossfire of an altercation involving the Danish resistance movement and gets injured. Taken to the hospital as a patient now instead of a visitor, he finds himself under suspicion by the local Nazi regime and looking into the eyes of a beautiful young Jewish nurse, Hanne Abrahamsen, who intervenes on his behalf and helps him escape interrogation by the authorities. Before long, Pastor Steffen truly is involved in the resistance movement in an attempt to help the Danish Jews escape the clutches of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi forces as they embark on their mission to destroy the Jewish people. And in large part, he has to admit the reason for much of his involvement is his fascination and infatuation with Hanne.

This novel is a story of love in its purest sense, like the love that Christ had for his church. It portrays stories of individuals, both named and nameless, who risked or gave up their very lives to help others escape the horrors of evil. It shows self-sacrifice and courage displayed in circumstances and situations most of us—thank the Lord!—will never experience in our lifetime. It is also a beautiful illustration of pure unconditional love, for the people who give of themselves during World War II to protect and save others had nothing personally to gain and everything to lose. And yet, they did what was good and right even when the world around them didn’t seem to know the difference anymore.

When Hitler decides he is no longer content simply to occupy Denmark, his next step is to evacuate all the Jewish people there to concentration camps like the one in Terezin—and ultimately, if he were to have his way—to eliminate them from our world. But many of the Danish people do not agree with Hitler and his ways and are not content to sit by and do nothing. While there is a limit to how much those who oppose Hitler and his forces can do without being killed themselves, it was interesting to learn about the underground movement to harbor, hide, and help Jews escape Hitler’s clutches into nearby Sweden from Denmark. I am always amazed at the courage people can exhibit in such circumstances.

Countless Jewish people and others lost their lives in the holocaust. It is a time that must never be forgotten, lest history repeat itself. Still, it is hard to read about and to imagine what life was like in those places at that time. Elmer’s novel is a somewhat easier way to read about the time and experiences than some others because it does not gloss over the horrors or the facts, yet it does not show us the intimate details and the deepest, darkest recesses of some of the worst death camps either. And for that, at least at this point in my life having read other accounts and seen movies that do, I was grateful. I did not want to relive all of that horror in my mind in the reading. I was, after all, looking for a good read, as well—not the stuff nightmares are made of.

I found Wildflowers of Terezin to be an excellent novel, a story of hope, and a testament to preserving history lest we ever allow one mad man to achieve power of this nature and reap/heap devastation on a society again. And yet, it was not one of those terribly morose books about the era that make you wish you had never picked it up for the unforgettable images you find painted before your very eyes. This was a hard read, yes. But in the end it was also a good read and an enduring story of love—the kind of love that crosses all kinds of boundaries and gives us all hope in mankind and God’s love for all of us.

Order Wildflowers of Terezin Today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the book to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Review of Mommy Millionaire

One night, as I browsed the public library’s shelves for a “new” book on business, I came across a book titled, Mommy Millionaire: How I Turned My Kitchen Table Idea Into A Millions Dollars And How You Can, Too! “Not quite what I had in mind,” I thought to myself, “but an interesting concept, nonetheless.” So I checked it out.

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In Mommy Millionaire: How I Turned My Kitchen Table Idea Into A Millions Dollars And How You Can, Too!, Lavine shares what it was like to start her business, the mistakes she made along the way, and the insider secrets that could’ve saved her headaches, time, and dollars.

You’ll learn why there is no reward without risk, why she had to relearn the meaning of debt, and how she learned to balance being a mom with running a very successful business! In 17 chapters you’ll discover 16 secrets guaranteed to help you gain a better understanding of what it takes to get your idea from home business to corporation. Secrets like:

1. Why obtaining a trademark before you start business provides legal protection, is critical to the future of your business, and prevent legal hardships later.
2. Why a toll-free number builds instant legitimacy.
3. Why the “idea is only 5%” of your success and “marketing is the other 95%”.
4. Why writing a business plan is non-negotiable.
5. Why it takes $20,000 to start a product-based business and where you can find the money to get off the ground floor.
6. Why non-disclosure agreements help product your idea, your business, and your future.
7. Why you should file a provisional patent before filing a traditional patent.
8. How to find and hire a manufacturer for your product.
9. How to take full advantage of tradeshows.
10. Why you should use “work-for-hire” contracts that states the copyright to any material designed and produced for your company belongs to your company not the contractor: graphic designer, web designer, photographer, freelance writer, etc. (Of course you pay more for this privilege.)
11. The ins and outs of working with sales reps.
12. Why you should never rely on a handshake when it comes to business and why even your best friend should sign a contract when working with you.
13. How Lavine earned $225,000 in just 8 weeks.
14. How to turn on the “BS Detection Machine” in your own brain.
15. How to get on and succeed with QVC.
16. What to do when everything goes wrong.

The only drawback I found was that Lavine did not offer real life samples of what good advertising looks like, how to figure out an advertising budget, or how to find advertising spots worthy of your hard-earned cash. But even with this missing element, I believe this is a great book for anyone interested in turning their original ideas into million dollar companies.

If you’re serious about starting a business that takes you out of the home office and into a corporate office, you can’t go wrong with Mommy Millionaire: How I Turned My Kitchen Table Idea Into A Millions Dollars And How You Can, Too!

Order your copy of Mommy Millionaire: How I Turned My Kitchen Table Idea into a Million Dollars and How You Can, Too!

Disclosure: I borrowed this item to review. This is "my opinion" of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.

Bugs Bunny’s Easter Funnies

The Easter Bunny gets sick and cannot perform his Easter Sunday duties. Granny offers to find a replacement and turns to Bugs Bunny for the job. Unfortunately, Bugs is under a film contract and cannot help. Granny then agrees to interview several Looney Tunes characters for the position.
The film jumps back and forth between watching Bugs Bunny film, and Granny interviewing replacements for the Easter Bunny.

I was never that fond of Bugs Bunny or his Looney Tune side-kicks, but my husband has always had a soft spot for them. He can remember waking up early on a Saturday morning, grabbing a bowl of cereal, and laughing at every scene. So when I was offered the chance to review Bug Bunny’s Easter Funnies, I thought I’d give the Looney Tunes another shot.
As I sat, annoyed by the poor film quality—I really hate it when an old classic is re-released without being digitally re-mastered—and the obvious tears in the original film strip, my husband looked past them and laughed and laughed some more.
According to my husband, and several Looney Tune critics, this film is a compilation of several classics that have been weaved together to create a new storyline. When you think about it, it’s a unique way to bring life to old classics. My problem, however, is that the weaving seems to be all jumbled together—there’s no real storyline and therefore, in my opinion, no real Easter Special.

As for the bonus features, there isn’t much: an interactive game, and an eight minute cartoon short called, “His Hare Raising Tale”.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this DVD to review.