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Ok, following up on my last post, this should be titled, MarketingCrazy’s crystal ball, but it’s not. This, frankly, is coming so quickly - a lot of it is here already, regardless of whether anyone knows it.

And the fact is, very few people do know it. Prepare for Internet Marketing knowledge that will be commonplace in 2011, but for now, is cutting edge. Only three fortune tellings for now, as I’m off to the movies (all play, and NO work, not good - so here’s my work).

1) The Year of Universal Search screwing everybody up!

What is universal search? it’s when a search engine brings in items from other properties, and puts your organic search results (that you’ve spent years creating) toward the bottom of the page (yikes). It’s when, instead of 10 organic search listsing, there are only 5, below youtube videos, google news clippings, comparison shop and search engines, etc…). It’s the process by which a search query, on all major search engines, returns results not only from it’s organic listings, but from myriad (”universal”) locations.

Oh, and it hurts!  And it’s going to hurt you … unless, you can ->

2) Be Everywhere in 2010

I hate Web 2.0, as you know. Hated more in 2008 than now, but still - what a waste of time. Argh, so much time spent in front of the computer versus at the movies, or on a beach. However, if you were #4 in google for removing “soap scum” and are now not even on the first page below all the youtube videos, news clippings, facebook pages, yelp reviews, and other “universal search” items that are appearing above your hard fought for organic search listing, you’ll immediately see the need to be everywhere.

It just got a whole lot harder (or a whole lot easier, depending on your perspective) to snipe someone’s top listing, or lose yours. A well done Youtube video can take #1 search rankings away from you in a week or less. A well crafted yelp (or insert web 2 property, flavor of the day) review can easily knock you off your pedestal.

That being said, it also allows brand new people to get into the game, if they understand what a game changer this is, and know how to capitalize on it. Let’s pray they don’t (or at least don’t read this blog, since I’m going to pretty much give all that away).

3) Local Search is king, and all the Search Engines know it …

The direction of the world is local. Local this, that, and the other thing. I’m just getting my hands around this power, and work, that will be involved in the rapidly growing local search market. It’s huge and the tools coming online, including google’s own local search business center, are massive. Every search engine, and every SEO firm, are creating tools like mad to harness it - even me.

So, apart from me ranting about these changes, and how it’s going to actually require me to work to keep my dominating web presence in every niche I play in, what exactly am I recommending?

You mean, apart from the enormous amount of work it would require to “be everywhere”. Time to learn Youtube - it’s now the second biggest search engine behind google (yes, it’s #2, Google is #1). Time to learn Facebook and Twitter (and by learn, I mean have a presence there). Time to focus on your local search listings, and time to make sure your Yelp listing are truly up to snuff.

And yes, this is on top of (and in addition to, as well as relation to), Hubpages, Squidoo Lenses, etc … Why do I get the feeling I may have to work really hard this year? Darn it! I’m going to do that right after I get back from Hawaii …

Until then, what are your game changers? Write em’ below!

Also, take a look at our new MarketingCrazy Podcast and Online Business daily video show, http://www.MarketingCrazyMinute.com

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Ok, so I’m off to Washington DC, for the super top secret Underground Online Seminar. The Underground Online Seminar is one of the ONLY seminars I still attend on Internet Marketing. It is NOT recommended for newbies, and thus, I don’t tend to promote it very much, but it is a great seminar.

It’s the one event, each year, that I don’t miss!  Run by Yanik Silver, it’s packed with absolute mover’s and shakers - most of them million to mullti-million dollar businesses (i.e. small businesses), and a few billion (yes, billion) dollar guys out there too.  It’s a crazy committed, energized, focused and absurdly high level group of people.  I love it - it brings the best out of me.

Those who’ve been following the blog know that I ran into Tony Hsieh of Zappos (the billion dollar online shoe store) last year, and this year - well, I’ll be shmoozing with the best. Unlike other conferences, where I sit outside and drink coffee (yeh, ahem, sure.. it’s coffee…), this one, I will likely be inside the conference room taking copious notes.  I always learn a ton here - but it’s usually very high level stuff, thus most useful for people already making serious money online.

This is my chance to regroup.  It’s my chance to learn from, and ideally, be inspired by, other like-minded people. I only hope it can re-invigorate me. Why do I need to be invigorated? Again? Because, when you build Basement Empires (i.e. automated online businesses), you tend to make a lot of money, you tend to invest a lot of time and energy, and you tend to start valuing your free time less and less, as you have more and more of it.  You no longer, necessarily, have to work for that next paycheck. You wake up every day, with a fresh slate.

No where to be - nothing you have to do. How you craft your days and nights are entirely of your own design.  Not many people have that kind of freedom - yet all full time Basement Empire owner’s will likely experience it.

The paycheck is coming, whether I sit on the beaches of Bondi, or play in nightclubs of Rappongi Japan. In fact, It’s hard to even turn off the dollars short of simply, taking down your websites.

I don’t mean to say I don’t value my free time! That came out wrong. I meant to say that, since my free time is limitless (beyond me getting older - which I am acutely aware of), I tend to work less, and play more. I play much, much more. As you can tell, I travel, a lot! I need to be re-engaged so my energy can be focussed back towards work.

Boy do I need this! If there is one thing I lack at the moment, it’s focus!

Being around these people, many of them, as, or more, successful than myself, there’s no doubt I’ll feel that common feeling of slacking - as I see and hear the amazing tales of their accomplishments.  I’ll yearn for that same type of rush.

And at the end of the day, what does that? You need to be engaged by your work. Beyond the money it can make you, beyond the freedom it can bestow upon you, you need to love what you do. You need to be inspired by what you can accomplish, and what you can bring to the world.  That’s what will bring me back to work, day in, and day out.

The fun of teaching, and the goal of helping others get online, and create a great community - that’s my future inspiration. I know I love it - I know I love to do it.  I know that people’s success will be that which fuels me forward.  See it come together, be part of it - http://www.BasementEmpires.com

Don’t forget to sign up for the email list below, and I’ll update the blog from the event! Maybe (just maybe) a picture or two…

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Here I sit, at my favorite hotel (one of them at least), the Moana Surfrider, in Waikiki. They have large, wooden rocking chairs, where I can relax, have a cup of coffee, and write a great blog post (ok, so maybe it won’t be great, perhaps just good … It’s early). Internet Marketing Time!

Hold on, forget that, Just saw the most amazing sunrise! Absolutely fantastic. Last night, I was out late, dancing the night away at a local club. I’m always amazed at the insane ratio of men to women on some of the islands. Coming from San Francisco, where I’ve heard the ratio for the entire area might be 1.5 men to each woman, it’s rereshing to go to areas where the tables are turned.

Anyway, I’ve been traveling now for another month. Just returned from a Mexican Riviera salsa cruise, and headed straight to Hawaii (to recover from the excessive eating…).  From here? It’s back to San Francisco, for a little real work.

And yes, I do real work.  I think it’s so easy to concentrate on the dollars we make, versus the work we put in, but it’s naive to believe that people at my level (or really any level of success) are not working at all. Especially internet marketers. They love to sell the dream! They love to speak of their millions, and not of the hard work used to create it.

Yes, I have worked hard. I really loved what I did, but I worked very hard at it. I now reap the rewards, and have for many years, but it’s only because I put in the real time early on.  Are there shortcuts? Oh yes. Yes there are. But to long term wealth - and not flash in the pan “good months” - you have to lay a foundation. I laid that foundation, and now … well, now, I indeed work less than any other internet marketer I can think of.

Then again, I’m not a guru (self styled). My aim is to teach people, yes, but not to be in the spotlight (unless required). I’ve never been much of a spotlight person (although… I do shine regularly). :)  I’m going to teach people how to build an online business, and how to profit from it in the long term.  I’ll teach the shortcuts, yes, but I’ll mainly teach the foundation.

We’ll save the self-created recession speeches for another day. Rest assured, the bankers and wall street exces have squandered your taxpayer money, and those that didn’t, are merely hoarding it to weather the storm that is brewing. There is no one using the supposed “bailout” money to help anyone else. It’s the biggest scam, money grab, I’ve ever seen (and perhaps, will likely ever see). Go Paulson - the guy is a genius, and sold the package to Congress much like the Iraq war.

There is so much we can learn from this, it’s astounding. However, for now, I’ll just rant. The articles about how we can use all this to our benefit will appear on Basement Empires.

I know, a bit negative for a guy sitting in a rocking chair on a beach in Hawaii, but you probably already knew all that. The point is … help is not necessarily coming. It’s up to you to take action! I always preach action, but now, I really believe it’s necessary. Weathering this storm will not be easy for those simply starting out, but acting on (our) good advice, there are real businesses to be created out there, and hopefully, you’ll be starting one.

In the past, I’ve preached this lifestyle of running an automated internet business from one’s passions to everyone. Lately, I’ve had a change of heart. I’ve come up with three pre-requisites. Each of which is suitably vague, but required at some level -

1) You must be an entrepeneur at heart.

I struggled with this one, but in the final account, you must want to run your own business.  You may never have pictured yourself as a business owner, but that’s exactly what Basement Empires are all about. Taking your passions, and turning them into an automated business empire.

2) You must like your computer…

You’ll be spending a lot of time with it. If you are a complete newbie. Hate technology. Don’t want to sit in front of your computer, at all - this isn’t for you. I came across this issue with some coaching students, and now, I see that I need to state that this is part of the lifestlyle. You must like computers, and at least be interested in becoming very literate about them.

Some internet business models don’t require this at all. I’m leaning towards Basement Empires having this as a pre-requisite.

3) You must be an action taker…

The “winners”, time and time again, are self motivated “do-ers”. You give them one task, they come back with five, and two dozen questions. They want it, and will work tirelessly to achieve it (whatever “it” is).  We make the process of taking action easy - by laying out a game plan, and a set of detailed steps.

However, in the final account, if you don’t actullay act on them, nothing will get accomplished.

Now, the good news? It takes only a minimum amount of action to put you head and shoulders above the multitudes. Most people will not take any action at all. They’ll visit a website like http://www.BasementEmpires.com, and they’ll move on.  Perhaps shockingly, only 1 in 10 will even join! Crazy eh?

This is true across the board. To be in the top ten percent of businesses in your niche, likely, is very easy. To be in the top one percent is harder, but likely far simpler than say … holding a day job. To be in the top of that one percent - well, that’s really tough. Really, really, tough. Because no one gets to that level without being a daily action taker … and those guys, they’re hard to beat!

So, what am I? I am a daily action taker (of course). I do one thing, everyday. I do, literally, one thing to move my business forward, every day. Most days, it’s only one thing that gets done.  On rare days, it’s more (no, email is not what I’m talking about - but actual real work). My entire process of taking action boils down to doing at least one thing, every day, to move the business forward.

This puts me in the top one percent.

Can you do one thing?

Signing off from the beaches of Hawaii, with a rambling rant of a blog post! Anything I didn’t cover in there? Global warming perhaps?

Keep it Crazy!

MC

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Ok, i’ve received several emails about this, and I might as well come right out and give you my position on the huge StomperNet launch, taking place today…

As a past member of StomperNet I want to tell you… It’s a very good service and I even think that has improved an enormous amount over time.  Thank heavan’s no one talks about the ULE anymore.

But you probably want to know if I think you should buy it… the answer is no, for people doing under 500k, and less than 5 employees. It’s simply TOO large, and will actually force you to focus on details you needn’t spend your time on.  As I said before, getting to the "making money" part on the internet takes time, and focus, and money. This will cost you time and money, and will decrease your focus. Ouch!  It’s a great program, but if anything, it’s simply too big for beginners  (those earning under 500k). How did I come up with 500k? Totally random…But Indiana Jones is starting today, and I needed to answer all the emails in one fell swoop!

AND, it makes me sad to see SO many people marketing this SO heavily, without really trying to figure out how in tarnation their email list of 100k (or whatever these major marketer’s have), are going to benefit from it. Even Rich, king of the Systematic business building niche, is driving the masses in droves.

Do I think $997 is too much? No, actually not! If you can focus 40 hours a week (as I said last year during the launch), and have employees, sure thing.  Do I think this will get you where you want to go? As a beginner, not a chance in hell. It will be a windy, treacherous road, you could have navigated better and easier.

Now, that being said, the free content is outstanding, and I highly recommend you gobble it all up, and absorb what you. However, for a newbie, starting out, or growing their business … I simply can’t recommend it!  It’s too big, and will swallow you whole in it’s massive grasp, while robbing you of the one thing you need to do, focus.

So, if you’re not focussing on the upteen courses within StomperNet, what are you focussing on? Great question. The simple things! The step by step processes that I’ve brought up before. The easy course I recommended a few months ago. Work at that!  Don’t get caught up in the details or the latest thing every marketing guru is throwing at you. PLEASE!  Why?

Becuase, while yes, the DEVIL is in the details, and so are a lot of the profits, the BASIC foundation is in the fast execution of SIMPLE and STRAIGHTFORWARD ideas. That’s what sets me apart and that’s why I’m so successful, and the same applies to you, and everyone else.  That is the basis of the upcoming MarkeitngCrazy launch (still months and months away).

What’s the guage… really, if you have several employees, and over 500k of revenue, than this program can really help train employees, and

StomperNet, It’s so massive - your simply going to get out, what you put in, and since there are SO many things competing for our attention, like ALL big ticket courses, I’m recommending you drive around this one, rather than into it.  Just for now…Comments?

PS - Many asked if I would rejoin StomperNet, ever, and the answer is … yes. At some point I’d consider it, as a training tool for my employees perhaps.

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So, here I sit at the Underground Online Seminar. I’ve been hear a few times now, and this is by far my favorite conference currently in the Internet Marketing and Biz Building space.  It’s fantastic this year! I met the CEO of Zappos (billion dollar online shoe company), and he’s a great guy. Totally down to earth! Behind me now is Dr. Mercola (of Mercola.com), and around every turn are amazing masters of the internet, and their individual industries. 



I’ve had some great meetings already, and frankly, it’s simply very motivational to be around so many successful people (and yes, there are also people here whom are just getting started). Everyone is great.



Yet, this year, something is different! Not really in the event itself (which is top notch), but in myself. As I’ve spent the first part of this year traveling and, currently, am about to leave to Eastern Europe (Prague, Budapest, Poland…), I’m simply feeling a bit detached. Not really detached, but rather, I’m really/truly living the "internet lifestyle", in that I’m traveling and living off internet businesses (really well).  The people here, while many are wealthier, few are simply roaming the world traveling after setting up their business.

Yes, life is cool fo rme, but I have to admit, I’m feeling like a slacker… I’m going to get back to work this summer. Not because I have to, but because I want to.



Make no mistake. These guys are motivated workers! They aren’t talkers, they are do-ers. As I consider myself, they don’t just talk the talk, but they walk-the-walk. They are out there succeeding, doing that which they want to do.  Right now though, I am living off my success, and perhaps, taking too much time off.



Or at least that’s the way it feels when I’m surrounded by all these titans of business. My business, though large, is dwarfed by many people here. More inspirational though, is that coming here gives you a roadmap of what to do to grow your business (perhaps a never ending task). It’s hard not to just run back home and continue growing. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s hard to keep traveling the world, living adventure after adventure.



I know, I can hear your collective sigh out there, and I won’t dwell on this too much. It’s a balance. The point is, once you put in the work to this type of business, the type of business I am going to teach you how to create, you not only control the way you work, and when you work, and how you work, but also how long you vacation for. If it’s six months, like me, then so be it - but for me, this conference has re-inspired me to get back to work….



and the minute I return from Eastern Europe, that’s exactly what I’ll do, and you’ll likely be the beneficiary of it.



So, the seminar, now the morning of the second day, is well on it’s way. There are some fantastic speakers coming on, including the CEO of headsets.com, in a keynote. I’m simply amazed by the cool mix of "real" businesses, with internet marketing businesses that are present. I’m running into just about everyone around here, I can’t believe it.



Well, the CEO of headset.com just spoke, and he was absolutely great. Funny, yet with a fair amount of proven, good content. Right now, it’s a panel of the big guys, explaining how to get 1000 optins a month (very simple), but they’ve actually hit on such simple concepts. Yep, even I’m learning something.  Great stuff - and so doable!

Oh, and of course, let me leave you with some actionable content. What have I treally learned. The basics are back! Beware of the internet launch. Yes, things are changing, but the basics from two years ago still control. Yes, video is incredibly hot (and getting hotter), just look at me. However, the fundamental underlying business is sitll easily understandable.

Get or make a product, perfect your sales process, get optins…and the #1 secret everyone sweeps under the rug? Buy the freakin’ traffic!  Yeh, there’ are other options (affiliates, JVs, etc…), but this is the way to jumpstart success.

Anyway, enough talk, very cool conference. Hope all is well! More soon.
Keep it Crazy-
MC

PS - See the post below for the link to see some snippets from the seminar, and get DVDs or sign up for the next one.