"You've Got Friends!"
Andy Jenkins here.
In the last couple of weeks we've released four cutting-edge videos and one amazing Strategy Guide.
But I've got to admit – I've held out on you on one thing…
And that's our "You've Got Friends" program.
Let me explain… where you ever the "new kid" in school?
It's not a comfortable feeling – you show up for school and everyone knows everyone else, but you don't know anyone. You're the outsider.
Maybe you didn't experience that in school, but I'm sure you've felt it other times. The new guy or girl at work. Or you walk into a party and you don't know anyone.
I don't know about you, but when I'm in those situations… it just takes one or two friends, and then all of a sudden things get a whole lot easier. But finding those first few friends is never easy for me.
Well, social media can be the same way. If you don't have any friends on Facebook, if you don't have any buddies to give you Diggs, if your Myspace page looks like a ghost town… well, then you lose most of the power of social marketing.
But I've got your back…
As part of our SMARTS Coaching Program we have a special "You've Got Friends" component that will give you instant traction in your social marketing campaign.
This isn't going to be some bogus black-hat technique. We are going to use the community power of SMARTS, and create your web of friends, links, and bookmarks – right inside the Coaching Program.
Presto… you've got friends. You've got a network.
The bottom line… you are not alone. You've got instant traction on all those Social Marketing sites that we're going to be teaching you how to use. You've got friends.
The last thing we would ever do is just teach you some theory. This Coaching Program is all about you actually creating an effective, integrated Social Marketing campaign. One that is driving traffic and enhancing your reputation before the program is even half over.
And to do that, we've eliminated every possible roadblock. We don't want you to be "the new kid" at school. That's not going to happen to you – because "You've Got Friends".
OK, that's it for now… I have a million details to take care of before we release the SMARTS Coaching Program tomorrow.
IMPORTANT: earlier we said that we were going to be releasing the Coaching Program at 12 noon on Friday. We've now moved that back two hours – to 2:00pm eastern time on Friday.
If you have any questions about the program, please leave them on our blog in the comments section of this post… that's the quickest way to get a response right now.
Best Regards,
Andy
P.S. You can get more details about the SMARTS Coaching Program in our Strategy Guide… you can download your copy here:
Download it at this link.
And we've already answered a bunch of questions about the Coaching Program here:
Your Questions Answered!
interesting to see how a lot of people are so good at thinking about interesting blog.
Hi, Richard here,
Wow, I can't believe you sold out already,
I was away from my desk only two days, I was waiting (and looking) for this kind of Tutorial for some time now, looking into the social media phenomenom for some time since march-april 2007. I really need this!!!
I may have a very strong project going with
Céline Dion and René angélil and of course this program is just what i'm looking for.
Is it at all possible to get this course some
other way???? Thanks
Can anyone tell me if this would work in the Real Estate Market? Thoughts?
Hi to all
Yes the opportunity sounds great but at the same time im not on my facebook cause with out me knowing why, they terminated my account to my knowledge all i did was advertise my books and if you link on my Url you could see for your self that my books don't ofend or mis-interpret anything that's
not what i sale. Thanks for the oportunity facebook is a great site.
Friends Always.
Hello from the UK. Andy, fantastic set of videos. i have just started internet marketing with an adsense content site. Is this program just about traffic or do you include information about ways to generate an in come from the internet?
all the best
Geoff
I'm new to a small retail bookshop and the internet. I have sites at Facebook,Imeem and Youtube but this seems way over my head and beyond me. gerryg
I'm a novice to starting a new business and cyberspace and e-marketing and sales. I've set up sites on facebook, Imeem,and Youtube but that's it. I have a small secondhand bookstore off the beaten track. This seems way over my head and beyond me. gerryg
Just waiting to learn more…
I also wanted to thank you for putting all of this together so neatly. It was an easy step by step walk-through. As for the work, well, my hub alone took just over 20 hours. But Im very confident that I rank very close to the bottom when it comes to tech skills.
Which is another reason to thank you ,,, for keeping the videos as simple and understandable as possible.
Great job and I cant wait to see the rest!!!!!
http://hubpages.com/hub/Blood-Bowl-a-Dead-Game-That-Continues-to-Grow
P.S. Im going for the indented blog effect!!!!
Thanks again from Rob of R A L Collectables Ltd.
Maybe I missed it, but where/how do I log in at 2:00 on Friday (today)?
http://www.stompernet.com ?
Hey Jenkins,
Just to say that you guys rocks. Now, I'd been able to download my copy of the over 40 page ebook.
Now, seeing your post made me come here again this morning. This post tells me that my social marketing have been way behind in effectiveness and am beginning to realize why my efforts hasn't been bringing desire results.
Thank you for your answer.
I can't wait to see what you have in mind.
Warmest regards,
Ed
Interesting because, as a poor author from the UK, I already give away a lot of free stuff. But I am hesitant about signing up for a course over the internet. Problems with the time difference etc.
Kudos to you though. I will be looking into it.
Hopefully the course will not require international telephone calls for those of us who live outside of the USE/Canada.
Not only can they be expensive, but timing is also a problem when you are working in the evening and some of us are at work are asleep. Something online like audio/video will be great.
(Reply from Andy Jenkins – Robinoz – all three options will be part of the course. The course has Video, Calls, and Audio. And we'll record the calls)
Hi Andy;
What a great way to get the feeling of social marketing. I am so excited and I hope I can be a part of this great venture.
It's cold out here in the snow with "my nose pressed against the windows of Stompernet" ..At least, I hope I can come in and join the success team of Smart.
Andy, just lead me in the right direction and you can count on me to work and get the job done! My father always said, "if you are going to do it, do it right or don't do it at all." That only made me want to do it better than right.
You guys are the greatest! "Let's Rock n' Roll!
I must say, that these videos have been a breath of fresh air. Apart from the fact that its a pleasure to view, with really groovy graphics – it is actually presented in people-speak, as opposed to the usual geek-speak, or worse the 'presumed knowledge' attitude most webmasters persue.
Well done, that boy!
Regards Chris Meagher.
Hello,
Well, I have to say that all of this is extremely impressive. I want in.
However, for those of us who live in the rest of the world, getting up at 5.30am is somewhat unkind.
Have you folk on the Northern American continent ever considered launching at different times so that the rest of the world has a shot at being there too?
You only need four (general) times Northern America, Europe, Asia and Middle East (to make the launch at a sane time for those outside the North American timezones).
In short, given that I'm very keen on signing up, how can I get "in". Is my only option to get up at 5am on (my) Saturday morning for your Friday 2pm EST launch?
In future please consider the rest of the world with your launches.
KennethD (Australia)
I really enjoyed the videos – great content and very valuable. Now I'm going to try the social networking myself. And I love your idea of community.
Thanks so very much,
Denise
Don,
Great, great stuff!! I've stood at a distance from this whole Web 2.0 thing. I've felt like an adult at a Jr. High Dance. The crowd is dancing, having a great time, and listening to music I can't understand. And, I simply don't fit in except to monitor the hallways for inappropriate behavior.
That may not be the best analogy, but it has seemed like the social networking community and I weren't a match. Until the video and your report, I was clueless, except for running a couple WP blogs.
I'm looking forward to more and am getting ready to explore Scribd, put up a lens, and do a little Digging.
Thanks again for the video and report!
This all sounds great. I am looking forward to it.
You talk about building friends withing the SMARTS community. Will those friends *also* appear on our 3rd party S.M. sites (Facebook etc)
If one of *my* Friends cancels his SMARTS membership within the Trial period or after trial period, will I lose him or her from my SMARTS friends, AND my S.M. sites? For the latter, I suppose not because Facebook etc are 3rd party sites not under SMARTS.
(Reply from Don – the community we're referring to here would be on the SMARTS website. Of course, we will strongly encourage everyone to become everyone else's friends on Facebook, etc. and those won't go away after SMARTS is over. Make sense?)
Ok, I'm hooked. I guess my only fear is that this is going to cost more than my budget can afford. I've already come up with an idea for a video on youtube (sp) and other similar sites. My site isn't up yet because I am waiting for a house near Seattle to sell for my startup capital. Want to buy lakefront near Seattle?
All of the information I have seen so far has been awesome and made me do some thinking.
Hey Andy,
It is funny that you mentioned friends. Because with your information I have been asking people, some I have met, most that I haven't. For me to make this work is to get as many ideas and people involved to task the message at hand. I am still searching for the right info and teaching.
Hopefully this will be affordable
I got one word for the "web 2.0 video presentaation",Superb just superb.
I hope i spelled that right!?.
Im from sweden by the way.
/Jim
Thanks for the information guys, looking forward to seeing the finer details at the launch.
Social network is definatly a great way to build incoming links from my experience. Given it's relative ease I wonder if the search engines will go a step further and segment social networking sites out.
http://www.internetmarketing2.com
Great stuff guys. I'm very impressed.
i love you
(Reply from Andy Jenkins – Yeah? Awwwwww…. Social Marketing Love. WOOT!)
Do you recomend automated software that will save us time when posting to the social marketing sites?
What if we cant make the new release time of 2pm do we miss out on any fast action bonuses?
PS – I love the high quality videos and the statistics were amazing
(Reply from Don – one of the coolest parts of this program will be some software to help you safely automate the process. Recognize that many of the automated tools out there are actually promoting spamming, so you have to be very careful. Our program will actually automate "best practices." Keep in mind, though, that you can't automate everything!
Yes, there will be some fast action bonuses. I wouldn't skip the birth of a new baby, but you'll want to get in as close to 2 as possible!)
Thats what I would like to know too.
When is something regarded as spam to the
SB sites? Isn't this a question of judging then
a question of definition?
thanks
(Reply from Don Crowther – Spam is an interesting concept. It's hard to define, almost a "I know it when I see it" definition. And that definition differs from person to person. Plus, it's contextual. Consider a different medium for an example. When I'm not in the market for a car, every car commercial is a waste of my time. But when it's coming time to junk the jalopy, they're great information. Likewise, a car site may have a totally different definition of spam than Facebook because people who are there are clearly interested in cars, which may just involve buying one.
Plus, some people are more sensitive to it than others.
That said, some spam is definitely spam.
I say all of the above to let you know that this is not a clear-cut black-and-white issue.
We're going to clearly cover this issue. We'll discuss where that line is, how to know whether you've crossed the line, how to "earn the right" to provide them with self-serving information, how to defend yourself if you ever do cross the line, and more. We'll see examples of mistakes, and good examples too.
Recognize this, it IS possible to market your business through the social media without ever spamming. That's what this program is all about! Hope to see you as part of it!)
thank you, thank you, thank you, that is the greatest I´ve ever seen on SEO and SM. All thumbs up, I am so happy and grateful that I came to that site… I love you … give yourself a HUG for that.. Christian
I am following your campaign and am wondering, what about us that speak English as second language and native population is relatively small or doesn't have any significant Web presence. I would like desperately to make it in Web, but my head is spinning right now. Thanks
(Reply from Don Crowther: Mubera – just because your target is non-English speaking doesn't mean there aren't social media tools available for you to use. There are social media sites that serve basically every culture in its native language. I certainly wouldn't let that hold you back!)
How might I get the other videos? Will the program assist me in deciding what I want to do for an Internet business, or do you have to have an established business?
Doug
(Reply from Don – you can get to the other videos by hitting the play list button on any individual video. You can find them at http://www.stompernet.net/goingnatural2
Do you need a business? It sure would help. Also, to be perfectly honest, Doug, while this education can set you off in a great direction, I'd like to see our coaching members have a business of some sort, even if it's new, to apply these techniques to. This course is very application-focused, so to get full advantage, you're going to want to be putting them into practice as soon as possible.)
Is this smart program and all the social media techniques going to work for ecommerce sites that sales….let's say TV, Radios, appliances, etc. How can I make a post on a social media about my site that sells TVs without sounding like a sales post? who will bookmark it or give it a digg?
Manny
(Reply from Don Crowther: These strategies absolutely work for e-commerce sites. Remember, that's my core skill set, so I've worked on developing a whole series of strategies that someone who sales, say TV, Radios, Appliances, etc. could use wonderfully! They won't sound like a sales post, and people will gladly digg them.
For example, I was trying to deal with a carpet issue last week, and found that the only places I could get the answers I needed were on social media sites and they were put there by e-commerce companies. This will work wonderfully for someone like you!)
DARN!! I won't be computer available at 2 pm EST.. I will be on the road to the stuff for the not really happening Golden Globes.
crud..
Stevie
I am interested in your product but growing impatient with all the "teaser" stuff. A certain amount of it builds interest but now need the facts. Please stop the sales positioning. Details. Please
(Reply from Don Crowther: Lots of details are coming tomorrow. But let me let you know a few of them right now:
1. This is a 10-week coaching course
2. Each week we will cover the strategies to spike your traffic and search engine rankings using a different category of social media sites (we've provided a full outline in the downloadable PDF special report, right at the end)
3. I will host a live question and answer call every week giving you the chance to get all of your questions covered, plus to listen to issues that others think of that you may not have yet encountered, so you'll learn as much listening to the answers from others as you will from getting your own questions covered.
4. We will have periodic teleseminars/webinars with major industry experts and people who are top of their class in specific strategies (very cool calls!)
5. There will be an amazing community forum, where those who are members of the SMARTS program can ask questions, get answers, weigh in on other people's questions, share experiences, get their frustrations answered, and build relationships. This is one of the areas that I'm MOST excited about. Remember that one of the essences of social media is "WE are smarter than ME." I'm really looking forward to not only giving you my strategies, techniques, and ideas, but building new techniques as a group. This has never been done before, and should be a key element of this powerful program.)
6. Each week you will receive a series of videos that focus on that week's strategies, followed a few days later by the coaching call. The forum will always be open.
There – details galore! I look forward to seeing you in the course!)
To me, coaching means there will be some "individual" assistance in addition to group learning. Coaches who've been down the Web 2.0 road helping me with strategies and tactics to best apply Social Marketing to MY specific business. Please spell out how this will be included, how it will work.
Also, one of the most confusing things for a 2.0 beginner is which sites serve what purpose and what the specific rules are for each site to stay in their good graces and not shoot yourself in the foot. I strongly encourage you to include a re-useable "cheat sheet" for your students that provides this guidance as they start.
pretty cool idea. I have heard others talk about a similar idea. No one has done it yet at a cost effective price. Maybe you will be the first.
I have a question about your coaching program. I am almost positive that this will work and you'll be teaching it, but just to make sure.
Will you teach, and can I use SMARTS and Web 2.0 Social Marketing for an offline local business. The business only needs to target local searches and not the entire web.
Thanks
Peter
(Reply from Don Crowther – one of the things we definitely will cover is which sites (of which there are a number) are most effective for local markets. Remember that real social interactions don't just happen online, they merge with offline too, so there are many sites that include local elements in their offerings and many tools we can use to reach local markets. For example, Facebook offers local groups and networks, which can be a great tool for building your business locally.)
wharts this all about
i want to help you if i can so just ask and i will be their .
we want more details
Andy,
Sounds fantastic.. I'm still confused about this.. are you talking about an outsourced solution?
Peter
(Reply from Don – no, this is a coaching and training program. Some elements can be outsourced, but this program is about teaching, not selling you an outsourcing program)
What is the cost of the coaching?
In the last video Don Crowther mentioned that we should all be careful to post only quality content on the social sites lest we be punished by those sites.
I have made dozens of posts to sites like Facebook and Propeller. I don't believe they would be considered spam but how would I know?
In other words, is there a way to make sure we are still in good standing with these sites before we waste our time and energy working on them?