Monday, June 29, 2009

Note to eBay Sellers Re: Twitter

Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...Image via CrunchBase

Lately I've been seeing newsletters from several eBay 'gurus' suggesting that Twitter is a great place for eBay sellers to increase their sales and profits.

The primary premise is that 'tweets' show up well in google searches, so if you 'tweet' your listing, it'll have good placement in search results.

The second premise is that your eBay listings will be of interest to your followers.

The third premise is that you can use various 'systems' to increase your number of Twitter followers.

I beg to differ.

Each of these premises has a particle of truth. Yes - tweets show up well in google search results, yes - some of your followers may be interested in your listings and yes - there are systems that can increase your followers.

But these are not the most effective or best ways to use Twitter. Here's why: Twitter is a social networking site and social networking is about developing relationships NOT selling. Yes - it's that simple.

Quality, not quantity. Followers are not meant to be collected as if you're in a popularity contest. What does it matter if you have thousands of followers who are not interested in what you tweet?

Relationships are nurtured through the quality of your posts. A constant stream of tweets that consist mostly of your listings will be ignored. People want to connect with you because you provide something of value. With social networking, it's important to 'give' before you 'get.'

This doesn't mean you can't put your listings on Twitter. It's all in how you go about it.

First and foremost, establish a relationship with your followers.

You've probably heard the analogy of Twitter being like a cocktail party. At a cocktail party you don't show up, pass out your business cards and start selling to everyone there. Instead, you start a conversation, have a dialogue and develop a relationship before you promote yourself.

The same is true on Twitter. Without developing a relationship, your followers will see your self-promotion as 'anti-social' behavior.

Using Twitter only for listing your eBay items is NOT a viable, long-term strategy for success.




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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Why People FAIL

I came across this post in one of the newsletters I receive and thought you may want to read it -

How to Eliminate the Word FAIL From Your Vocabulary
By Paul Smithson

Do you ever wonder why some people succeed at almost every challenge they take on, while others never seem to be able to get out of the starting blocks?

There are four major reasons why people FAIL - and they very neatly spell out the word itself.

The F in FAIL stands for lacking Focus.

Your chances of success are magnified exponentially if you have the ability to focus. Yet, in research we undertook a couple of years ago, we found that focus was the trait most online entrepreneurs struggled with.

It's like watching a movie on TV. If you give it your undivided attention, you'll be able to follow the plot, understand the characters, and ultimately enjoy the film. If, on the other hand, you keep jumping up to talk to your pals on the phone, cook a meal, or clean the room, you're likely to miss some important things that are happening on screen. And it is highly likely that once you've lost track of what's going on, you'll reach for the remote and watch something else instead.

It's not that the film wasn't good. It might have been a real blockbuster. But if you don't focus, one of two things - or both - will happen. You'll lose the plot and/or you'll simply lose interest.
The same is true in business.

Dwaine was a waiter in a popular New York deli. He had been trying to launch his online business for three years, but was making less from that part-time business in a month than he was making in tips in a single day.

After reading Focus: The Real Reason for the Failure of Online Businesses, he put into practice some of the advice in the book and saw an amazing change in his productivity. Within two months, he had reduced the number of hours he was working on his part-time business - yet the profits had grown tenfold. And that trend continued. After 11 months, Dwaine quit his day job to concentrate all his energies on his business.

"The mistake I was making was obvious," says Dwaine. "I was spending lots of time on my new business, but I wasn't focusing. I was just playing with it. Once I learned how to focus, everything changed overnight. The transformation was amazing. My only regret is that I didn't learn how to focus sooner."

The A in FAIL stands for not taking Action.

You may have dreams of success, but unless you take action it is unlikely that anything will ever come of those dreams.

Nearly 90 years ago, Frederick Terman, a Stanford professor, had a dream. He wanted to create a thriving industrial region with the University as its epicenter.

Few bought into his crazy vision, but he didn't let that prevent him from taking action. Every year, he would take his students on field trips - to San Francisco to see the pioneering work being done by Philco Farnsworth with television or to Redwood City where Charlie Litton was working with vacuum tubes.

Professor Terman's passion rubbed off on two of his students. A few years after they graduated, he helped them set up a business in a one-car garage. He even provided them with an idea for their first product. Within a few weeks, they'd made their first sale to Disney.

That fledgling company grew at a massive rate over the next few decades, and is now a household name: Hewlett-Packard.

If it hadn't been for the action taken by Professor Terman back in the 1920s and 30s, it is safe to say that Hewlett-Packard would not exist, and that Palo Alto would not be the hotbed of technological innovation that it is today.

The professor had a dream, and he took that extra crucial step. He took action!

The I in FAIL stands for not seeking out Ideas.

Without ideas, you're at a creative standstill. This is particularly true when it comes to business.

Luckily, there are some terrific sources for ideas - and you're reading one right now. The ETR daily newsletter not only gives you a dose of positive motivation each day, it also provides you with a non-stop flow of great ideas to pursue.

But remember the A in FAIL. Because even with the best ideas, nothing happens if you don't act on them.

Finally, we come to the L in FAIL - which stands for not having Longevity.

You need to be willing to pursue your good ideas over the long term, and not just give up when you hit the first hurdle. This is true whether your goal is to start a business, get fit, or make any other meaningful changes in your life.

If you don't have staying power, your dreams are likely to fall by the wayside before they come to fruition.

So whenever you feel like failure is staring you in the face, think of the word FAIL itself, and remember what each of those four letters represents: lacking Focus, not taking Action, not seeking out great Ideas, and not having Longevity.

Here's to completely eliminating FAIL from your vocabulary so you can succeed at almost anything you set your mind to.


[Ed. Note: Online marketing expert Paul Smithson is the creator of the XSitePro website-building program. This July, Paul and ETR's team of Internet marketers will be teaching an elite group of ETR readers how to build their own online businesses from scratch. You WILL leave the conference with your own fully functioning Internet business. Get the details now.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

5 Free: eBay Offers New Pricing Structure

eBay Inc.Image via Wikipedia

eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, today launched its five free insertion fees pricing for sellers.

The new money-saving offering allows consumers to receive free insertion fees on five auction-style listings every 30 days.

“eBay is the fastest and safest way to showcase your items to millions of potential shoppers worldwide with just a few clicks,” said Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay Marketplaces.“By eliminating the upfront costs of selling on eBay, we hope this new structure will encourage all sellers – new, occasional or experienced – to use the offering as a cost-effective way to sell on our site and earn a little extra cash.”

eBay provides selling tips for users to familiarize themselves with the process, from suggesting how to price an item to recommending free shipping. Now, with five free listings, sellers have an opportunity to “get their feet wet” or try new selling techniques. For further information, visit

http://www.ebay.com/List5Free.


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Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Win $25,000 To Grow Your Business on eBay!

eBay Inc.Image via Wikipedia

If you are an entrepreneur who’s dreamed of expanding your business online, eBay wants to help make that dream come true.

The first ever eBay Sellers Challenge gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to submit a business plan and video for a chance to win $25,000 to grow their business on eBay.

Even if you aren't sure the Challenge is for you, you will definitely benefit from the information on the eBay Sellers Challenge site.

Click on the 'Getting Started' tab for information on how to think through a business plan, learn the Top Ten Growth Strategies and Top Ten Selling Tips. Click on the 'Business Tools' tab, the 'Entrepreneurship 101' tab and the 'Resources' tab for more valuable information.

Once you've seen what's possible ..... go for it! And if you win, come back and tell us your story!!





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eBayers: How WatchCount.com Can Help You

Please join us today (Tue June 9) for an informative podcast with Jake Becker, owner and webmaster of WatchCount.com.

WatchCount.com offers a collection of free tools and services for eBay buyers and sellers. These include unique marketplace search capabilities unavailable on the eBay site.

Sellers can avail themselves of automatic listing enhancements such as the WatchCount.com widget and both buyers & sellers can view the Most Watched eBay items in real-time to better help them frame both their buying and selling activities on the site.

Calling all sellers of collectibles: this category of users has found WatchCount useful in helping them determine which items are most in demand.

Join us today at 3:00pm EST (noon Pacific) on our ' Tips From the Top podcast' to learn all about WatchCount.com's features and benefits. The Chat Room will be open and your questions are welcome!

WatchCount.com - Most Watched/Popular eBay Items

Monday, June 1, 2009

Bonanzle and St. Jude's: Live Auction Tonight

Image representing Bonanzle as depicted in Cru...Image via CrunchBase

Tonight ( Monday June 1st), members of the online selling site called Bonanzle will step up for The Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital 'Live Online Auction.'

The auction will be cast at 8PM (EST) 'live' on the Brainstorming Bonanzle Podcast. To listen, go to:
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/31369. Walt Kolenda, aka Auction Wally, a licensed auctioneer will be calling the auction.

Proceeds go to St. Jude Research Hospital and Charities. Their work to save the lives of children makes them very deserving of the charitable contributions from this live auction. To see the latest developments and their goals for the future, go to: http://www.stjude.org/

Bonanzle is a relatively new online selling platform with an active community of members who have a very giving spirit. A large group of Bonanzlers are to be thanked for their selfless giving of time, energy, labor and the items themselves. They know who they are and you will find out tonight during the auction.

Any registered Bonanzle user may bid on the auction items and 100% of the final lot price totals are donated. Those who donated the items are also going to be
responsible for all shipping fees.

To hear the auction live go to:
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/31369
To see the wonderful items being auctioned off, go to:
http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/BonanzleUpMobile


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