I just returned from SEO Think Tank in San Diego, California… and I have to tell you, this event was like no other. I had already met the majority of attendees at this event earlier in the year at Elite Retreat. Heading into SEO Think Tank, there was no agenda released, no sessions planned, no keynote speakers and many of us had no idea what to expect next. Here’s how it all went down…

Day 1
Once I arrived at the airport in San Diego, I met up with Jeremy Schoemaker who also just landed. A driver picked us both up and brought us to our hotels, then we headed out to breakfast then down the the beach where a huge tent was set up, that we would continually come back to over the next three days.

Once the majority of Think Tankers showed up, we had surfing lessons, and almost everyone participated. This was also the first time I ever went surfing, along with many others. Later in the day we also played football, had dinner and headed back to the hotel for drinks.

Day 2
After breakfast we headed over the beach again and had a speed networking session which gave everyone 2 minutes to introduce each other and say what they do. This quick networking was enough for everyone to get a quick idea of what everyone does, while getting to know everyone’s name as well.

The most exciting part of the event was “Fight Club!“. We headed over to a YMCA, where we met with Randy Couture’s MMA trainer, Shawn Tompkins and another MMA fighter. In addition to watching these two guys battle it out for a bit on the mats, we also had a chance to get in on the action and go through some MMA training. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with one of the best MMA trainers in the world. Afterwards everyone’s bodies were killing them for the next several days from the training.

After MMA training, we headed back to the beach where we had a big Mongolian dinner, where the restaurant basically took their whole kitchen down to the beach and made our fresh dinners right in front of us.

Later that night we had poker games spanning through the night and lasting nearly 6 hours before everyone turned in.

DAY 3
The last day of SEO Think Tank started again with a breakfast at a nice restaurant, filling up the whole building. Afterwards we headed back to the hotel and beach for a bit.

The majority of networking and brainstorming took place on the last day and it lasted four hours long. Once again, the group took over a real fancy restaurant & bar and we all discussed ideas and problems we have.

D.K., the founder of SEO Think Tank, wanted to throw something special together for everyone at the event, so after the brain storming session we headed over to another bar where D.K. had setup a modeling contest with various models featuring different shirts of multiple advertisers. The winner would then receive $1,000 and a ticket to D.K.’s PubCon poker tournament in Las Vegas.

The dinner for the last night was an actual BBQ with chicken and ribs, and there was a massive amount of food left over. Whoever was still around that night, stayed late into the night until the tent was taken down and we were headed off the beach.

SEO THINK TANK BREAKDOWN
- This may sound like a summer fun camp for kids (millionaires)… but it was actually so much more. When you get to the point where you can afford to pay $5,000 to attend an event like this, you are probably at the point where you won’t learn much at the traditional networking and conference events.

- No one is afraid to share their secrets or ask for advice. Everyone that attends that event has to sign a non-disclosure agreement and is very open with everyone else. There were also just under 60 attendees at the event.

- All attendees were taken care of. D.K. does his best when putting a show together and did his best to keep everyone happy. There was never a dull moment. The only problem I had at the event was that I ended up in a different hotel, which didn’t have internet access, so I wasn’t able to post any new updates to the blog. However, there was always so much going on… I didn’t mind not trying to make time to get online.

If you feel you are in the upper class of affiliate or internet marketers and looking for something new, than SEO Think Tank would be a great choice for you to attend. It’s unlike any other networking or conference around… and everyone is at the same level. Also, DK and Purpose, Inc will be throwing an awesome Poker Tournament at PubCon in Las Vegas during November if you can make it.

Don’t forget to visit www.ZacJohnson.com and comment on new posts! Top Commenters are rewarded with fun prizes every month!

addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fzacjohnson.com%2Fseo-think-tank-unlike-any-other-conference%2F'; addthis_title = 'SEO+Think+Tank%2C+Unlike+Any+Other+Conference%21'; addthis_pub = '';

Going away on a trip always provides challenges in work. And, for web workers, the biggest challenge is one’s Email Inbox. Mine’s always a mess when I get back from a trip or even a short break.

So, how do YOU handle your email? What are your best email organisation tips?

Some great email tips I’ve heard over the years include:

1) Open and Action. Basically, if you open the email, you must do something about it - respond, delete, forward… This is a very useful tip, but I often find it difficult to follow in certain circumstances when I feel I need to think things over first before doing anything about it. But, for the most part, I do try to keep this tip in mind.

2) Filter, filter, filter! Make sure you activate your filters - put certain emails in some folders; kick most spam out of your inbox automagically…

3) Create autoresponders. If you are able to send auto email responses to certain mail that come your way, then by all means use that feature.

4) Label things! This is one of the reasons I’ve fallen in love with Gmail when it first came out a few years ago - the ability to label emails. I’m particularly fond of this for emails that I cannot follow Tip #1. If I can’t get to it quickly, it helps to add a label to it that will remind me to do something about it as soon as possible.

Any other email tips you’d like to share?

Image Source: Microsoft Stock Photo; Edits: Shai Coggins

Tags: email

Share This

There were definitely a lot of interviews that happened during BWE ‘08. And, one of them that I wish to share with you is this interview by Search Engine World with b5media CEO, Jeremy Wright. Here, Jeremy briefly talks about the general state of the blogging industry, especially as it applies to b5media. He also shares a couple of tools that we’ve recently started using in the network to accurately define our metrics. Hope you find something useful in this 4.5-minute chat.

Share This

There were a few people from the world of “make money online” that I saw/met at Blog World Expo. Of course, there’s Darren Rowse (Problogger). I’ve met Darren a couple of times in the past. And, we work together at b5media. So, it’s a given. It’s just great to spend a bit more time with him and other b5ers during this trip.

Another guy I met was Jim Kukral. I’ve known of Jim’s online marketing work for a bit now. But, we only started chatting online when I started looking in to Scratchback, one of his online projects. At BWE, it was just a quick hi and goodbye, but it was good to touch base. Too bad I didn’t demand the $150 at BWE. After all, I did find him. That would’ve been a good amount of shopping dollars for me. ;-)

I also saw John Chow (also read) and Jeremy Schoemaker, but I didn’t get the chance to say hello.

It was also quite interesting to meet some folks from PicApp. Some of you might remember that I did a review of PicApp’s services about a month ago. And, it so happen that one of their folks read the review. And, we had a good chat about it - among other things. And, it’s really good to know how they take on board bloggers’ feedback of their services.

Other than “make money online people” - there are many other types of folks that I came met during BWE. It was definitely an enlightening way to meet bloggers and get to know various businesses within the industry.

And yes, meeting online people in person is always an interesting experience. That’s why going to events like BlogWorldExpo can really make a difference. I definitely recommend it.

Share This

It was great to meet up and hang with Jeremy at BlogWorld last week, and I’m actually on my way to meet with him again at SEO Think Tank in San Diego, California this weekend. Everyone knows that Jeremy can produce big numbers and has been making big money for years now… but how does he do it, and what tools does he use? The secrets are finally out, and ShoeMoney Tools is now live for everyone to join. I’ve had the opportunity to log into the service and preview the tools for the past couple of weeks and there is some pretty cool stuff in there, let’s check it out what ShoeMoney has created!

ZacJohnson.com Blog Readers Save 80% Off!
First off, before going over each of the tools available in the system, I wanted to give you the opportunity to save an awesome 80% off in your first month. Instead of having to pay the normal fee of $99 a month, you can try out the program for only $19.80 during your first month! - Just use the code “zacjohnson” when you sign up. If you aren’t happy with the tools available, just cancel your account before the end of the month.

What Can ShoeMoney Tools do for You?
Right now there are 19 tools in the system, and the ability to request more tools and run the ShoeMoney Tools affiliate program… without being a member, you can’t access any of them.

The ppc Tools are my favorite, as they can really speed up your campaign building and group together keywords and generate ad copies for you, while showing how your competition is advertising! The “SEO Tools” and “Link Building Tools” are also pretty cool, especially if you like spying on your competition to see their link building strategies, rankings or to compare rankings.

The Future of ShoeMoney Tools
Once you are a member, you can log into the system and access all of the tools. However, what I am really looking forward too, is what tools will be added over time. As more members join ShoeMoney Tools and more requests are sent in, I can only see this resource getting better and better.

ShoeMoney Tools Video Tutorial
To finish off the review of ShoeMoney Tools, I’ll let Jeremy do the rest. Please watch the video below as each of the tools and the admin area are explained. (Once you are a member, there are a lot more video tutorials to walk you through several of the tools in the site.)

YouTube Direktvideo link

Please feel free to join ShoeMoney Tools and save 80% off (use coupon code: ZACJOHNSON), and also leave any comments on what tools you think would improve the ShoeMoney Tools service.

Don’t forget to visit www.ZacJohnson.com and comment on new posts! Top Commenters are rewarded with fun prizes every month!

addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fzacjohnson.com%2Fshoemoney-tools-save-80-off-your-1st-month%2F'; addthis_title = 'ShoeMoney+Tools+-+Save+80%25+Off+Your+1st+Month%21'; addthis_pub = '';

Hi, everyone. Yes, I’m back from BlogWorldExpo ‘08 Las Vegas. If you follow me on Twitter/Plurk/Facebook, you probably know that already. But, since I haven’t checked in this blog just yet since coming back to home base a couple of days ago, I thought I’d say howdy right here at JMMO.

I’m still recovering from over 60 hours of travelling to and from Vegas. But, ‘am slowly getting over jet lag.

Once I recover, I promise to share some of the interesting things I’ve learned and such from the Expo. I’m especially excited to share some of the contacts and information that I’ve gathered regarding online money making.

For now, let me just say… I’m here. I’m breathing. And, we’ll get back to ‘normal programming’ shortly.

So, how have you been? Anything interesting that happened from your side of the sky over the last week?

Share This

The last night of Blog World in Vegas ended up being the best. After our big dinner with Market Leverage, ShoeMoney, John Chow and UBD Designs, we all headed to a bunch of different casinos and had a lot of fun. Below is one of the ridiculous pictures that was captured from that night. To share our fun experience with you, I thought it would be cool to create a “Caption Contest” and award some prizes (provided and sponsored by Market Leverage)! To enter, just place a comment on this post with your “caption“. (one entry per person.)

Do You Have a Funny Caption for this Picture?

Contest Prizes!
Three winners will be selected for this caption contest, and the prizes are listed below:

1st Place - Market Leverage Schwag Bag
+ ZacJohnson.com/MoneyReign Package

2nd Place - $50 Gift Card from Market Leverage
+ ZacJohnson.com/MoneyReign Package

3rd Place - ZacJohnson.com/MoneyReign Package

Prize Details:
- The Market Leverage Schwag Bag includes a duffel bag, ML hat, ML shirt, ML polo and possibly some other goodies.
- Each “ZacJohnson.com/MoneyReign Package” includes a MoneyReign.com Black T-Shirt, Bumper Stickers, Pens, Buttons and maybe something else extra.

Enter now and feel free to spread the word on the contest. Winners will be selected and posted on Tuesday the 30th of September!

If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up to Market Leverage today.

addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fzacjohnson.com%2Fsuper-affiliate-caption-contest%2F'; addthis_title = 'Super+Affiliate+Caption+Contest'; addthis_pub = '';

While at BlogWorld it was amazing to see how many people are not making money with their blog, or at least not fully monetizing their blog for a potential revenue stream. Though some of this information may seem basic to seasoned affiliates and bloggers, the purpose is to help and increase revenue growth and awareness for bloggers of all sizes. Here are a few ways that you can start making money with your personal or business blog.

1.)    Google Adsense
What has been referred to as many as “webmaster welfare”, is sometimes the best solution for beginners. For those just starting out with a blog, or unsure how to start making money, Google Adsense is a good way to start. As a blogger, all you need to do is place a simple line of code on your blog and Google Adsense will place relevant contextual ads on your web site based on your written content. However, since Google is doing all of the work, you will be receiving a small cut for the actual amount of advertising you are given.

2.)    Direct Advertising
One of the best ways (if not the best) to monetize your blog is to create your own on site advertising and to sell these spots yourself. Not only are you in control of what advertisements are on the site, but you are receiving full payment for each spot. The majority of blogs are implementing 125×125 ad spots on their pages for direct advertising.
- An excellent management system for selling ads on your blog is oio publisher. Many top bloggers are using this program to generate revenue monthly.

3.)    Paid Reviews
Once you have an established blog or brand, you may want to start offering services for exposure on your blog, such as a sponsored or paid review/post. The best way to offer paid reviews on your blog is to setup an advertising page for sponsored reviews, or you can also join “sponsored review” networks like ReviewMe and PayPerPost, which will feature your blog in their directory and send you new customers, in exchange for a commission percentage.

4.)    Contextual Advertising
Placing advertising on your site from Google Adsense is a form of contextual advertising, but it is also still also banner advertising and not displayed directly within your written content. There are many advertising networks out there like Kontera, which will find targeted keywords in your blog content and link them to specific advertisers. You are then paid per click to these advertisements.

5.)    Self Managed Content Links
Just like using any advertising network, the less work you have to do, usually the smaller margin you will receive. Instead of using  a company like Kontera, you can purchase a word press plugin (such as wp affiliate pro, which I also use) and manage your own content advertising. The best way to do this would be through affiliate networks and selecting offers that best match your content and linking up related keywords in your blog content.

6.)    Referrals
Depending on your blog niche market, you can earn commissions on referring your readers to other networks or web site. A great example of this is for affiliate marketing. If you refer an affiliate to a network, you can receive a percentage from all commissions they generate for the life of their account. Another example would be to provide your visitors to a service they are billed monthly for, some programs will then pay you a commission every month as long as they remain a subscriber.

7.)    Widget Based Programs
If you currently run a blog that is focused on product reviews or about any type of item sold in stores or online, you may find that “widget based” programs perform best with your blog. Programs like Chitika, WidgetBucks, Shopzilla and TZZ Media will all display relevant advertising on your blog, matching up with your content. Most of these programs pay on a per click basis. As most of these programs are widget based, you will have actual text and picture ads displayed on your blog, rather than just text within your content.

8.)    Contests & Promotions
Though you may not get paid for running contests or promotions on your blog, if you run them correctly, you can be compensated with a prize or additional advertising. Additionally, running contests will also increase your readership, as everyone likes free stuff! (Example: If you are running a niche blog on digital cameras and Nikon or Canon were to offer you a free camera to review and one to give away to your readers, this would be a great form of compensation, while offering great information to your readers.)

9.)    Consulting
One of the best ways for you to get exposure for yourself or your brand name, is through having a well known blog. As your readership and branding grows, you may be able to offer “consulting” services if you become a prominent and very knowledgeable in your niche area. There are many very big name bloggers out there who make all of their money off public speaking or consulting, and have NO advertisements on their blogs.

10.)    Self Branding
As cliché as it may sound, the “self branding” and exposure you can receive from your blog may end up being the most power asset you can receive. Not only are you building up your brand name, and people are rushing to your blog with every new post you write, but you are also becoming an expert in your niche area and advertisers will flock to you. As you gain a bigger presence online, you will also start networking more and more, which will only continue to grow your blog and your bottom line.

The most important thing to remember when trying to make money through blogging, is that it is NOT fast and it is NOT easy. It’s actually one of the slowest ways to make money online, and as a blogger you will need to establish yourself and continue to write quality content. It’s the long term value and connections you will establish over time that can make your blogging experience priceless.

Please contribute to the list with any other advertising options I may have missed or what you have found to be most profitable.

Don’t forget to visit www.ZacJohnson.com and comment on new posts! Top Commenters are rewarded with fun prizes every month!

addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fzacjohnson.com%2Fthe-super-affiliates-guide-to-blogging-profits%2F'; addthis_title = 'The+Super+Affiliate%26%238217%3Bs+Guide+to+Blogging+Profits'; addthis_pub = '';

This is just a quick reminder that our poll of the month will be closing shortly. If you haven’t done so yet, please vote now. It’ll be really appreciated!

Once our poll closes, as always I’ll be sharing the results with you in another post. Thanks!

Share This

This is part of the A-Z of Making Money Online series. This series covers the various ways of making money online, in alphabetical order.

ICDSoft - One of my favourite web host for many years now. They also run an affiliate programme and offer reseller accounts.

Ideas on Making Money Online - A collection of business ideas on the web (a category here at JMMO).

IDidWork -A tool for online workers to do their work log.

Intela - The company who took over CrispAds. They also run a other services.

Internet Business Tools - An interesting affiliate product for online entrepreneurs.

Interview Tip - For online interviewees.

iTunes Affiliates Program - Great for blog and site owners who wish to make money off products available on iTunes (music, videos, audio, etc).

iWeb - The web-making app available for Mac users.

IZEA - The company behind a few money making sites and services online like PayPerPost and SocialSpark, among others.

Share This