First an apology to my huge list of readers . I mentioned a part II to my previous post, and it just is NOT happening … YET. It is summer, people are everywhere, it’s hot, and my brain is a little fried.
Just throwing out a question to You – curious what you think…
How much of a product of the WEB 2.0 environment are YOU??
I have made some videos and anticipate immersing myself more into this newest trend. If you told me 2 years ago, that I would be making these videos and subjecting myself to public opinion, ridicule, etc.. there is NO WAY I would believe you.
I dont think anyone understands where all those videos from YouTube came from?? Who ARE those people who uploaded clip after clip and what were they thinking?? How did they know?
Sure I head over to YouTube when I am in the mood for some nostalgia or to check out a favorite scene from an old sitcom/movie.. but when you come across something like this, you have to wonder:
WHO created WHO??
and how about this – would these prisoners in the Phillipines have done this (this is one of many videos) if there was NO audience??:
I am compelled to ask..
What came first?
The BLOG or The BLOGGER?
Blogging has given me, amongst countless others, the chance to re-develop writing skills shelved since College, create online conversations with colleagues, earn a little money (if you will it..), and again.. put myself OUT THERE.. an additional contribution towards our ‘audition’ to the world..
since isnt that what it has all become about??
WEB 2.0 = ONLINE AUDITIONING.
Trying to get discovered in some way.. from Google, other bloggers, future clients, future advertisers.
Can you be a shy blogger who sits in the corner with your nose in a book, doesnt make friends easily, even if you are a Geek, and understand computers, and be successful?
hmm – a little all over the place today!
You were saying??
~~ andrea
this was contributed by Andrea. She has been created by her blog. Or perhaps she created her Blog. Either way, leave the poor confused girl a comment and let her know what you think??
I want to write about something very important. I have split it into 2 parts.
One is practical and one is philisophical.
In order to not have one part get lost due to too much information, I am going to write the 2nd part in my next post.
First the practical:
In a post a few days ago, that was way too long, I mentioned the following attitude I developed after becoming aware of Internet Marketing, making money online, anything and everything to do with my newfound relationship between myself, my computer, and the impact it potentially had on my financial future:
“I would walk around very smug, looking at the regular rat-race crowd with pity that they were not clued into what I had discovered – like a hidden treasure….”
At the expense of everything else, with a full blown head, I slowly disappeared from my former life.
Ok, I said this was the practical post, so let me get to it. If it sounds cryptic it is because everything takes me much longer than I would like, and because I think most people will probably appreciate me just getting to the POINT!!
When I disappeared from my life, that included ignoring the local success I had built up for myself by opening a local ‘service’ business. I was constantly being complimented for ‘what a great idea’ and ‘keep us up to date on everything you do’. Yet that pot of gold at the end of the internet rainbow was tugging on me and I could not fight it!!
I gave the locals the excuse that I was busy having babies, which is not untrue, but it was just that – an excuse for running in the ground something that had helped support my family for almost a decade!
Thankfully I have always kept someone on staff to keep us from losing our reputation, knowing somehow, somewhere that I would be an idiot to completely dump it.
CUT to this past week. I had a client who BEGGED me to work for him. He agreed to all my terms plus My mom is in town to help with the baby. I had NO excuse. So guess what happened???
I made $600 this week!!
I am holding myself back from saying ‘Instead of constantly sucking more money into my online ventures’, since I have faith in these and KNOW good will and has come from it, but to have walked away from the computer, helped a local in a way few can, hear tons of !!!! (exclaimations ) from the locals about me being back in biz, well I just felt compelled to remind you fellow marketers on a mission:
Dont BITE the hand that feeds YOU!
I would have been the first to tell you to quit your job, and jump in. I believe we can all succeed online, but in some ways it could be like a lottery, and that may be too big a gamble for some people, or take longer than you can afford to wait.
Too many marketers burn the midnite oil, lose other opportunities, and destroy relationships, and their REAL true sources of income, for this unknown, and are unprepared for the fierce competition…
Walk slowly and patiently towards your goal, acquire online friends and mentors, and
be careful.
~~andrea
Just last week I blogged about being spammed unnecessarily by some lists. I signed up for good content, and do not begrudge the product pitches since these guys deserve to make their living too, assuming that I will still receive the content I expect. However, most have turned into a pitch a minute. Hence the question you will see at that post.
Moving on to my next Email Marketing question. I was debating with a friend:
Do reminder emails in a NICHE market (not IM) work?
I complained that the more repeat emails:
“in case you missed it”
“only 4 more bonuses left”
“Andrea, did you see this?”
only left me feeling that each email carried with it less importance, less content, and that I could afford to miss out on them, since they were becoming repetitive. When this happened, I actually began to miss out on emails with real content, since I became ‘used’ to NOT opening the emails anymore.
My friend insists that what I am saying is possibly true, but NOT in a niche market. In those markets, your subscribers continue to read the emails with relish, take you seriously, regardless of repeat reminders (for which they actually THANK YOU).
I disagreed with him until tonight. Tonight I am sitting in his shoes. I am hosting an event tomorrow and most definitely will be sending out a reminder email tomorrow. Not only do I know that the email will NOT turn off my subscribers, many, as just mentioned, will appreciate the reminder email, and possibly even remember that they wanted to send it to friends as well..
Moral of the story??
DO NOT DELAY.. Start A NICHE MARKET WEBSITE and BE APPRECIATED, NOT HATED like in Internet Marketing!!!
~~ andrea
Moving on to What I WILL win
Rich Schefren is one cool guy. You get the feeling that the guy could take your business, strip it down to its bare bones, and build it up to what it is meant to be.
He is all about creating a business that is SO together, happening, and hitting it’s mark that people want to work with you For FREE.
Rich has managed to stay out the guru bashing mire to the extent that his name can take something potentially questionable in it’s integrity and purpose and make it smell clean.. I wish I had more time to read blogs, but here is ONE AWESOME blogger who auditioned to N-I-M just because Mr. Schefren was attached to the project. I have no idea how John didnt make it even to the top 50.. John is a gorgeous smart preppy collegiate boy!
Rich has also found his way over here to comment on my blog.. I DOUBLE DARE YOU TO COMMENT AGAIN..
Rich’s latest product – the Attention Doctrine is offering a prize to strategize with some of the big time respected Marketers or win $1000… If you are considering entering, forget about it – The contest entry ENDED July 8th!
But enough about RICH!! Now ABOUT ME!! This is from the lovely Dwain at StrategicProfits.com
“Hi Andrea,
We all really enjoyed your Attention video and you’re in the running.
Email me when you get a chance.. as I’d like to learn more about what you are trying to do in your web business.”
Oh Dwain.. I love it.. TRYING.. was it THAT obvious???
So Me.. and Web Business..
In the year 2000, I was hired to work for a website company. Having just completed an 18 hour HTML course, it did not take me long to realize that my education was not enough to make me a skilled web designer, and I certainly wasnt a graphic artist, unless stick figures are your thing,.. so with some trepidation I accepted this position. My boss had a few websites and I was hired to monetize them and do other client work.
Affiliate Marketing?? What the heck was an affiliate and affiliate marketing??
To his credit, he was pretty laid back with expectations, and to my credit – I BLEW HIM AWAY.. Now, I didnt put in the amount of hours I should have, and I didnt rush to do client work, (turns out knowing HTML is fantastic, but I dont like web design), but within just a few months of working, I asked:
“why are you paying per click (1 cent at the time) to get people to come to your site in the hopes of making an affiliate purchase. Why dont you cut out the middle man and send them directly to an affiliate program.”
It took him 3 months to actually ‘listen’ to what I was saying – I was so NEW – why pay attention to me? We proceeded to spend a couple of pennies to earn a $1 pay per lead commission.. For those in the know, you will realize that before Google was even born I was sitting on ‘Google Cash’ and the rest is history…
but of course it gets even better (or worse). 6 months later… I asked my boss..
“If you can add sponsored links to your site, and all we want is to get visitors to our site to click on those links, why not create an all sponsored links site and not give them any choices.”
Yes, my friends… your first LINK FARM site, AKA Niche Adsense Website… again – this is before GOOGLE Adsense (even Google) existed, so you can imagine when we added Google to these sites, we were poised to.. make a killing . Did I say we?? Since HE certainly had no complaints for several years…
However, we were not ‘Internet Marketers’, and it was only in about the year 2003-4 that I realized the concept of ebooks and the business of teaching others how to make money on the web. Then it started to slowly dawn on me WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN and what COULD HAVE BEEN…
Since then I became IM obsessed, snapping up every product, expecting that at any moment all the pieces of the puzzle would come together and I would hit the jackpot. I would walk around very smug, looking at the regular rat-race crowd with pity at that they were not clued into what I had discovered – like a hidden treasure….
In fact, I have become too busy and self involved to work for my employer, that I have HIRED out some of my minor work tasks to someone else… its called ‘work arbitrage.’ And my boss says “that is so something creative that only You would think to do it.”
This leaves me to the evolution of how I see myself and my web future and so sorry Dwain, and any other visitor for making you read all this! Probably against all Blog protocol to drone on and on like this!
I have such faith in my ability to succeed, that I am working in negative cash flow right now…. financing the running of the rest of my life so I can devote myself to this 24/7.
Please tell me I didnt chop off my head for nothing.
Andrea
*ERIC and JOEL and other NIM contestants – read the disclaimer JUST BELOW the video*
*Next Disclaimer – every video I have done to date is on a very inexpensive Digital Camera – nothing fancy going on.. as should be obvious. I usually have up to 9 minutes of video time, before I have to download, erase and start over .
For all those predicting and expecting to see me in, you were in good company.. If you have a problem with me tooting my own horn – 1st of all, these are quotes from others, and 2nd of all “I am the most fabulous person EVER” – thats a direct quote from yours truly It wont take but a glance through this blog to hear me express my limitations, so I shouldnt have to run from the opposite.
For those who go by the stats – as previously mentioned, I was the top ranking female of the final tally and the only woman in the top 7!
Other than being listed in 75% of the visitor predicted totals on the forum, Here is a SAMPLING of direct quotes from other forum readers and mostly other contestants (names to be added later upon their approval, unless they already have, or available publicly).
“I have to honestly say – - that the surprise of your video that it turned out you were conversing with yourself was a genuine “wow” moment. Then, when you said “Hey, are you going to eat that?” I literally laughed out loud. It was the only laugh of the entire contest. So you’re smart, pretty, accomplished and funny. What the heck was missing? Plus – duh! – everyone loved you and voted for you.”
“I was convinced it would be you all the way through. You shine.” – Carly Taylor
“it would be impossible if they dont choose you since you are dope. You are awesome… like drug addicting” – Jason Henderson
From Jason’s Blog – “Andrea is an extremely talented wife and mother of four who can bring a lot to the table of the Next Internet Millionaire reality show.”
“I really like the style she’s used in both videos. The girls aren’t making as big of waves as the guys, but she’s managed to stay top 7 the whole contest. She knows what she’s doing” – Jeremy Estes
“Well…there is only one woman left…..and of the 8 women I thought would make it on…there hasn’t been any surprises to me who was picked…
I think I know who the last one is…. ”
“your kicking ass
see, im not the only one enamored with you ”
“you look stunning in both”
“i like your video and your concept – the dialogue is really tight.”
“oh thats good – you got my vote.”
Even if this guy Valleywag took a stab at me – I was still his first pick!! -”Andrea Yager brings sloppy do-gooderism and moderate good looks” (moderate my A).. check out what this other MAJOR marketer (whose name will not be mentioned ) says:
“secretly I must say your very hot looking, but I’ll deny it, lol .. have to stay professional here.”
of course GEORGE – “Give Andrea and Cliff a Perfect 10″
Go check these out on the forum yourself:
“If Andrea Yager does not get accepted.. then is there is a lesson to be learned for future contestants?
Being the top ranked female by a lot (yes I have been following), with creative videos, good impact… etc., etc.. I would say deserves at least ONE of the 6 spots.. true, If she were hard to look at, then I may not say this..”
“I’m going to be extremely confused if someone like Andrea doesn’t make it.”
“Andrea Yager- She’s got this thing bagged. Watch her to be there in the finals. ”
“Andrea… so fine in a “girl next door kind of way”
“My guess is Andrea… she did not keep her poker face on… her ‘tell’ was that she came out strong in the forums after the post stating all the finalists were notified….
her posts were jovial and witty with a few ‘s to boot… then ‘poof’ she was gone… now for someone who had such a strong presence in the forums for the whole competition to vanish without one post of expressing dissappointment, that would just not be in her character.. she is too strong willed to have been voted top woman, not make it and then just let it slide… nope… i am going ALL IN and calling her bluff… Congratulations Andrea Yager!” – Nico Pisani
NICO WAS RIGHT:
WATCH HERE TO FIND OUT HOW COME 7 IS NO LONGER MY LUCKY NUMBER, and WHY I HAD TO BE QUIET!!
*DISCLAIMER: I still support the show, the concept, Joel and Eric, and of course the other contestants! I have NO PROBLEM with their final selection.
However, Nico was RIGHT that I was not going to just do NOTHING! Hope you liked my video!
Now that you know:
Some other quotes:
“they were just retards when it came to you”
“I’m really gutted you wont be there”
“Even my mom was expecting you to be on there”
“I know some people that are going to be pissed when you’re not there”
“YOU are what they should have taken”
“that just blows.. for real”
My all time fave from my brother – “Now u can spend your time on really becoming the next internet millionaire!”
~~ thank you all for your support.
Look out for my next post to read what I WILL Be WINNING!!
andrea