The lifeblood of your business is your list of customers and prospects. Wouldn’t it be great to grow it faster? According to the Internet Marketing Center’s 2006 survey, online advertisers are capturing contact information from an average of between 5% and 10% of the people who visit their websites, and of those, only 1% to 2% become paying customers. That SUCKS! How would you like to ...

Part #2 of my wife’s shocking exposé, Internet Marketing Sins covering five more sins, is finally out. It took a bit longer this time, and Sylvie explains why in the report. Once you read this second installment and some of the shocking revelations it makes, you’ll soon understand why. Because in it, she exposes some of the more devious, cunning, and toxic behaviors and destructive pe...

What’s the most important part in copywriting? Is it the words? The headline? Bullets? Testimonials? Guarantees? The offer? Nope. None of these, while all important, are not as important as this one, single yet powerful element. It trumps all the others by a longshot, and it’s the one element that all copy must absolutely have to succeed. And once I tell you what it is, you’re go...

When my wife released her controversial report, Internet Marketing Sins, we received mixed reactions. As expected, of course. Some people thought it was about time someone spoke out on these underhanded tactics and stupid marketing tricks. Others praised Sylvie’s efforts and gushed her with appreciation. Others, on the other hand, didn’t feel as… appreciative. The positive side a...

A member on my copywriters forum started a thread on what makes my forum so popular. Everyone chimed in with some great answers, and I appreciate the feedback. (The cool thing about it is, that very thread also reached an important milestone. It was the 10,000th one! Talk about a coincidence, eh?) But then someone asked: “Michel, can I ask how you initially got the word out about your forum?...

After typing furiously for the last three days, my wife has finally put together the first part of a three-part manifesto, in which she finally exposes some of the grievous sins committed by many marketers on the Internet. It has shocked a great number of people, and it will make a lot of people mad. She’s also taking a monumental risk by speaking out like this. But she’s mad, too, and...

A member on my copywriters forum started a thread on what makes my forum so popular. Everyone chimed in with some great answers, and I appreciate the feedback. (The cool thing about it is, that very thread also reached an important milestone. It was the 10,000th one! Talk about a coincidence, eh?) But then someone asked: “Michel, can I ask how you initially got the word out about your forum?...

I’m back from New Zealand. We had a chance to eat at The Orbit, a rotating restaurant at the top of the Sky Tower with our friend and copywriting whiz Alan Forrest Smith. Now that I’m back, I have a something for you. You’ve probably read my last blog post about this seeming “intuitive skill” some marketers seem to have when finding red-hot niches online — or co...

On Tuesday, Katie Yeakle, executive director of American Writers & Artists, Inc., shared her small-business wisdom with us. Today, she provides valuable advice on seeking legitimate training for a new career.   Katie Yeakle, American Writers & Artists, Inc. Executive Director       What are some things to be aware of when looking for the appropriate training to start a new business o...

If you listen to our podcasts, you recently heard my interview with Rick Smolan, a new friend and someone whose books I’ve long admired. He’s the photographer-turned-entrepreneur behind all those coffee table books that start with this in the title, “A Day in The Life of…”.  He started with “…Australia” and from there went on to create a whole serie...