Why I Started an E-Mail Newsletter

A few weeks ago, after reading David Risley's e-book entitled, Six Figure Blogger Blueprint, I decided to migrate my inactive newsletter from Google Friend Connect to VerticalResponse. In this entry, I discuss my reasons for starting a newsletter and explain why I chose to pay VerticalResponse to host it. So, if you are an individual thinking about staring a newsletter or just interested in growing your blog traffic, this article is for you.

Why An E-mail Newsletter?

Until recently, I wasn't sure why I wanted or needed a newsletter. I figured having one was the right thing to do, but thinking it was the right thing to do never motivated me enough to write anything. What's the point in having a newsletter, right?

Things changed after colleagues repeatedly asked about what was new in the world of social media and web technology. Quietly, I thought about the number of blog posts I've written and articles I have shared via Twitter, Facebook, and Google Reader. Were they not reading?

At that moment, I realized how valuable an e-mail newsletter would be in sharing information with busy people. Unlike me, one who spends hours on the Internet for work and pleasure, there are many people who lack the time or interest to find, filter, and read the latest news. To help satisfy their need for information, I could put together an e-mail update that would save readers both time and energy.

Therefore, I concluded that starting a newsletter would achieve the following things:

Connect With Readers 

Based on my previous experience and feedback, I found that there are people who: 

• Do not use social media: While many of us use Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, LinkedIn, and the like, there are still others that have not yet jumped on board. Another group of users have accounts, but never use them, while yet another group only use one or two sites.
  
  
• Miss messages posted via social media: It is highly unlikely that everyone is going to read everything posted online. Many of us have to work, eat, sleep, and run errands, which means something is going to be missed. With sites like Twitter and Facebook, once the update has left the visible screen, it is essentially gone forever.
  
  
• Prefer to receive news in email: There are readers who simply prefer to have information delivered to their e-mail. E-mail is the one constant tool that people use. According to the Pew Research Center, 89% of Internet users send or read e-mail.  

Help Build A Loyal Reader Base
By connecting with readers and subsequently earning e-mail list subscriptions, bloggers and marketers generate powerful leads for future products and services.

As an example, Leo Babauta, author of Zen Habits,  explained how his loyal readers helped make one of his books a best seller.

David Risley states in his book that, "Your email list will be one of the most important assets you have in growing your blog's traffic and in monetizing it and making a bunch of money."

Even if I sell nothing, I recognize the value in building a loyal reader base.

What Should I Write About?

This is the question I sat on for weeks. However, after the frequent questions by my colleagues, I realized that  I can offer value to readers by including the following:

• Blog posts: Share the title, summary, and link to articles hosted on my web site.
  
• Upcoming events: Announce and remind readers about important or interesting events.
  
• Interesting finds from the web: List the most popular stories I find and share via the web.
  
• Archived blog posts: One way to revive older, but still relevant information, is to introduce archived articles.
  
• Giveaways: As an added bonus for loyalty, I can provide free gifts and prizes.
  
• News/Announcements: Sometimes, blog posts are too formal, but you still want to convey an important message to your readers. Consider sending an update on site changes, product launch, or new service offerings.  

Why VerticalResponse?

Once I decided that I would take the newsletter seriously, I began looking for a solution that would make this process as easy as possible. While I was originally using Google Friend Connect, I found that it did not have many of the features I wanted manage the list and refine the content. After a careful review of the major players, I rested with VerticalResponse. 

Below is a list of features that I found helpful:

• WYSIWYG Editor: While I have the know-how to develop pages using HTML, I like having a simple tool to aid in the process. With only a few clicks of the mouse, I can spruce up my message to include colors, dividers, headers, and even images.
   
• Templates: For a quick launch, VerticalResponse also provides a decent number of free templates. Unfortunately, I didn't like most of them and ended up going with a plain design. Don't let that stop you from looking around, because there are some nice layouts for certain businesses and holidays.
  
  
• Opt-in form: The opt-in form is easy to create and simple to post on a web page. With this tool, visitors and readers a like can subscribe to your e-mail list with a click of a button.
  
  
• Reports: One of the most valuable tools available. With VerticalResponse, I can review reports on sent e-mails and find out who opened and read the message. I can determine bounced addresses and see individuals who subscribe and unsubscribe from the list. If that wasn't enough, I can even pull Google Analytics.
  
  
• Forward to Friend: Growing a loyal reader base takes time, but with Forward to Friend, users can easily pass on good information to others. As a result, your blog may find new readers and potentially new subscribers.
   
• Spam check: One of the largest problems with newsletters is the likeliness of getting blocked because of excessive spam by the hosting company or by the use of common terms used by spammers. With spam check, you will learn if your message is at risk, whereby allowing you to make changes on the fly.
  
  
• Flexible pricing: I am so new that my subscriptions are well under 100. Why would I want to pay a monthly fee for something I'm not maximizing? With VerticalResponse, I pay for what I use. As my list grows and I send more often, I am willing to pay more. 

These are just a few of the reasons I chose VerticalResponse to host my newsletter. Of course, there are other perks like an online survey, social share, and more. If you're interested in learning more, take a quick visit to the VerticalResponse site. 

Finally, if you haven't joined my e-mail list, take this opportunity to do so now. 

Discussion

Have you been thinking about starting an e-mail newsletter? If so, what questions do you have? For those with experience, what other tips do you have to those interested in making the leap? Let's discuss in the comment section below.

Until next time...

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NCCU Adopts Disqus for Campus News and Encourages Reader Comments

The Web Services team at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) recently updated the institution's press releases to include a Disqus commenting system.

The decision to allow readers to comment on news and announcements is a part of the university's adoption of social media and other web technologies. As of this entry, there is a growing list of schools, colleges, and departments at NCCU with Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. In each case, early adopters seek to connect and engage with prospective students, current students, alumni, employees, and other visitors.

Providing a vehicle by which the internal community (students and employees) and external community (parents, neighbors, supporters, and visitors) can read, post, share, and interact with one another online is something the institution has never done.

Why Disqus?

There are many ways to offer commenting to readers, why did the team choose Disqus? That is a good question.

Disqus, which is totally free, is an awesome tool that's easy to install. If one uses an established blog system like Blogger or Wordpress, installation takes no time at all. Even in the university's custom-built world, Disqus was up and running in less than a few hours.

What Does It Offer?

In this section, I will introduce some of the most notable features of Disqus.

Threaded discussion

Outside of simply leaving a comment, Disqus encourages conversations between readers. To achieve this, the application allows a user to 'Like' or 'Reply' back to another user's post. Because this is in real-time, readers can really engage with one another right on the press release page.

Multiple ways to sign-in

One of the really cool things about Disqus is the ability to log-in using a Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, OpenID, or Disqus account. This means visitors can leave comments quickly and painlessly without having to create another account. Making it easy to comment means more engagement.

Easy to share with friends

Another cool feature is the ability to share a comment on Facebook and Twitter. With a simple check box, users can post on NCCU, but also share with friends world-wide. To the institution, this feature helps to extend marketing efforts far beyond the region.

Follow a discussion via e-mail

Users who post comments to the site no longer have to remember where they posted or wonder if anyone has responded. Disqus will e-mail readers with a notification that someone has responded. With the click of a mouse, the user can return to the site and comment or simply respond in the e-mail. Responding from e-mail helps even handheld users to stay active in the conversation.

Track conversations off-site

As if the current list was not enough, Disqus also searches the web for any discussions off NCCU.edu. Once found, comments, tweets, and videos are automatically linked to the related news story. With this tool, content contributors and readers alike can find out what others are saying. 

Easy to moderate

For moderators, the system provides an easy to use back end with tons of features. Most notably there is a spam and language filter. From the comfort of the dashboard, moderators can edit, delete, or comment on any post. 

Discussion

Overall, I believe the decision to add comments to the university press release was a good one, but curious to know what you think. Let's talk about it in the comment section below.

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

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Respect the Schedule and Follow Through On Plans

“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” ~ Zig Ziglar

Over the past few days, I have noticed a failure to execute scheduled activities. It started with my deliberate  avoidance of the dissertation and then it included a missed evening at the gym. With each new day, the number of missed events simply grew.

Thankfully, this quiet slipping of follow through was caught early. It means that I have an opportunity to correct my behavior before it gets out of control.

In review of my current situation, I am still following my time budget process. This means I have activities on the calendar and fully aware of what I should be doing. However, the symptom now includes a loss of excitement for the planned activity.

If I continue to use my dissertation as an example, I know that I have 2.5 hours a day scheduled for writing. Unfortunately, when it comes time to write, I call an audible and make new plans, which does not involve writing the dissertation. Assuming I continue this behavior, I may never finish the dissertation and therefore forgo the doctorate. That is simply unacceptable.

Therefore, if I want to lose weight, finish the degree, keep a clean house, stay out of debt, or grow a successful business, I need to strengthen my will power and self-discipline.

Definitions of Will Power and Self Discipline

Borrowed from Ramez Sasson, the following definitions help us understand the difference between will power and self-discipline.

Will power is the ability to overcome laziness and procrastination. It is the ability to control or reject unnecessary or harmful impulses. It is the ability to arrive to a decision and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. It is the inner power that overcomes the desire to indulge in unnecessary and useless habits, and the inner strength that overcomes inner emotional and mental resistance for taking action. It is one of the corner stones of success, both spiritual and material.

Self-discipline is the companion of will power. It endows with the stamina to persevere in whatever one does. It bestows the ability to withstand hardships and difficulties, whether physical, emotional or mental. It grants the ability to reject immediate satisfaction, in order to gain something better, but which requires effort and time.

Tips on Following Through to Success

Changing one's behavior is not easy, but it is not impossible. In the following section, I provide a list of ideas devoted to following through on scheduled plans and personal goals.

Create an environment for success

One of the most important tips for following through is creating an environment that supports your goals. This can be accomplished by understanding yourself first and then adjusting your house, car, office, or dorm room to either encourage or discourage behavior.

If you are trying to lose weight, for example, remove any unwanted food from the house entirely and replace it with fruits, vegetables, and other healthy snacks. Making this small change will empower you to work with what you have at your disposal.

Remove excuses

Part of following through comes by way of removing routes of escape. While the mind can create some interesting excuses, you need to stay one step ahead of them.

For me, working out is fun, but there are moments when I lack the motivation to go. When this happens, I find myself making excuses like, "Aw man, I forgot my workout clothes" or "I don't have the energy because I didn't sleep enough last night." Whatever the excuse, there is a resolution.

For me, it means packing my clothes in the gym bag and placing it in the trunk of my car. On days that I don't get enough sleep, I will still go but agree to only do a few exercises. Typically, that is all I need to initiate a full-blown workout, anyway.

Avoid temptations

Knowing that I love a good movie, I refuse to even turn on the television when I am supposed to be working on something. Not knowing what is available to watch, means I have more control over not watching at all. Therefore, to help usher in successful adherence to plans, I try to avoid those places where I am easily attracted.

Prepare at least the day before

Many of the tips listed here require preparation. During my Body for Life workouts, I learned the value of planning ahead. Knowing that I get hungry throughout the day, I made meals and brought them to work with me. As a result, I curbed my appetite and ate a sensible dinner.

The rule of thumb is to make preparations for tomorrow, today. Ways to practice this include:

• Setting out clothes the night before.
• Place tools, supplies, and project plans on your desk before you leave work.
• Create a grocery list and post it on your refrigerator a day before you go shopping.

Publicly announce your plans

One of the most motivating things you can do to ensure success is to announce your plans to others. Publicly notifying your friends and family about a task, goal, or event applies pressure to achieve it. Failure to complete said goal would reflect badly on you, which may be the right kind of motivation you need.

Build new habits

Creating new habits is like putting your schedule on cruise control. Through small changes, you can dramatically adjust future outcomes.

As an example, instead of jumping into a five day workout routine, try doing a single exercise one day a week. As you find that doable, add another day. Eventually, you can do five days a week without even thinking about it.

Strengthen your will power and self-discipline through daily exercises

The last idea is to beef up your will power and self-discipline through daily exercises. According to Ramez, both will power and self-discipline can be trained like we train our muscles. Below, you will find a few easy exercises to build up your personal power.

• Go to sleep one hour earlier than you normally do
• Take the stairs instead of an elevator
• Cut one hour of television from your evening routine 
• Schedule a blog to post tomorrow instead of today
• Eat an apple over potato chips

Discussion

In the comment section below, let's explore will power, self-discipline, and one's ability to follow through. What are some tricks you use to get stuff done? What are some of your challenges? Weaknesses?

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Facebook Shares User E-mail Addresses With Application Developers

Facebook announced yesterday that application developers will now have access to user e-mail addresses. The change comes after an announcement in October where the company seeks to offer direct access between user and application.

Additionally, the update will help to minimize spam. Facebook recognizes the number of complaints concerning unwanted notifications. By allowing users to decide which applications they want to hear from, spammy apps will be a thing of the past.

User Hesitations
While eliminating spam from a user's wall and notification window is good news, there are new concerns about spam simply transferring to e-mail. Another concern voiced by a reader on Twitter is the sharing of personal email addresses outside of Facebook. The reader wrote, "They should have just continued with the proxy email addresses you used to get from the API."

According to the Facebook blog, users will have total control over the sharing and access to email. Soon, developers will release a new dialog box asking for permission to contact you via email. At this point, the article states users can approve or deny permission to any application. Additionally, users may use a proxy email account, which allows for communication without knowing the actual address.

What Does This Mean for Me?

For developers, marketers, and public relation offices, the update means greater access to end-users. Having a user's email account will make portal account creations easier and more seamless. Additionally, campus content creators that produce newsletters, announcements, and other notifications will have direct contact with individuals interested in hearing from the institution.

For an example, NCCU alumni who are signed into myEOL using their Facebook account may consent to receive news about the university and potential fundraising efforts.

The strategy of leveraging technology where the people live is more effective than making users come to you.

Discussion

In light of the change, how do you see developers using emails? What advantage do you see users having? Let's talk more in the comment section below.

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

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Business and Social Media Lesson Inspired by Gary Vaynerchuk

Late last night, when I should have been fast asleep, I took an hour or so to explore Gary Vaynerchuk's site. If you have never heard the name, let me explain that he is a wine expert that has helped expand his family's wine business into a $45 million company.

Gary is passionate about wine and has successfully used social media to educate wine drinkers world-wide. With a quick wit and trained palette, Mr. Vay-ner-chuk, as he likes to say at the beginning of his video blog, has been a guest on NBC's Today Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, and even Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

During his numerous interviews, Gary details how he got into the business and trained his taste buds. He explained that while he was too young to drink, he would attempt to recreate a wine's taste based on its description. To achieve this, Gary would go so far as to eat dirt, lick salty rocks, or chew on dried cigars. To state the obvious, his methods are strange, but his innovative approach to wine has helped grow his audience.

What can we learn from Gary?
As it pertains to business and social media, I find that Gary has done the work necessary to increase his reach and influence within the wine industry. However, it must be understood that Mr. Vaynerchuk did not get here over night.

Chris Brogan, an author and blogger, often talked about the Overnight Success, which, in reality, is a combination of long-term investments.

For Gary, his investments began as video blogs nearly four years ago. They were not huge productions or even all that scripted, or so it seems. What he did was take a camera, some bottles of wine, and an idea that has grown over time.

With a new video blog each day, Mr. Vaynerchuk consistently puts out good content. He uses his blog, newsletter, and other social media tools to build a following educated about wine.

The key here is not social media for the sake of social media. Social media is just a tool that helps facilitate a connection between one another.

As I watch Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Brogan, and Nathan Hangen, I have come to understand that they started out with a product and then used social media to educate followers. Educated followers were then connected to those products because it served a need.

The Model of Success
For the rest of us, we can take this opportunity to apply the same model of success. Below, is an outline of what I see Gary and other successful people doing.

1. Start with an idea for a product/service that will fulfill a need.
2. Develop that product/service and begin offering it today. It does not have to be perfect, just begin.
3. Offer information, support, and a connection to audience using social media tools.
4. Receive feedback from customers and seek to make product/service better. 
5. Repeat steps 2-4.

Discussion
Gary Vaynerchuk offers us an opportunity learn and grow. In the comment section below, let's talk about lessons you have learned from his success. Who else do you admire in business? Social media? Why?

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

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Schedule Tweets For The Future Using Twuffer

Since the very beginning of my time with Twitter, I have come to understand and appreciate the ability to schedule tweets. I used TweetLater for awhile, but ran into some issues logging in. I then tried a few other solutions and found that nothing really worked for me.

Today, I learned about a new service called, Twuffer. Developed by Grady Britton, Twuffer allows Twitter users to schedule a number of tweets for future delivery.

Why Schedule Tweets?
For the most part, tweeting on Twitter is a NOW phenomenon. People talk about what they are doing, thinking, eating, and feeling at the moment. So why, then, would anybody want to schedule a tweet?

The first thing that comes to mind is marketing. As a blogger, I find that important announcements like the completion of a new article is news worthy. Therefore, to help reach my readers, I would like to post a tweet announcing my article a couple of times throughout the day.

With a scheduled tweet, I can ask Twuffer to post my announcement in the morning, afternoon, and evening, which gives my readers a chance to see the notification.

Another reason to schedule a tweet is to help advertise an event. If we take for example an upcoming conference or meeting, I can schedule a number of tweets reminding attendees to take action on something. The number of applications for scheduling future tweets are many, but these are just a few that I have used in the past.

How Do I Use Twuffer?
Using your Twitter credentials, users can easily create a new account.

Once the account has been created, it is time to set user preferences. This step includes identifying time zone, date and time formats, and location of tweets on the home page.

Once user preferences have been set, scheduling tweets is very easy.

1. Type tweet message.
2. Schedule the date and time message should be delivered. The options for time of tweets is limited to hour intervals. This means users can sent a tweet at 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, and 9:00 pm, but not at 7:30 pm, 8:10 pm, or 9:55 pm. To me this is not a huge deal.
3. Once finished, click on the "Set Status" button to queue the message.

Within moments, the page will reload and display scheduled tweets. If users make a mistake, there is a large red delete button next to each tweet. Clicking on the button will initiate a pop-up box asking "Are you sure?"

The two other tabs on the page include the dashboard and sent tweets. The dashboard displays the number of queued, sent, and entered tweets, along with a preview of your next tweet to be published.

Overall, Twuffer is a simple, yet attractive, tool that does exactly what it advertises. So, if you're looking to send scheduled tweets, give Twuffer a try.

Discussion
Do you have a favorite Twitter tool? If so, what is it and why do you love it so. Let's discuss it in the comment section below.

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

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Is There A Problem With TweetDeck?

For a few weeks now, I have personally experienced a decline in performance with TweetDeck. Common symptoms include failure to load or an excessive delay in showing columns.

A couple of days ago, I polled my followers on Twitter and Facebook asking if anyone else has experienced something similar. Reports indicate that I am not the only one.

In preparation for this article, I reviewed TweetDeck's blog and conducted a Google search and found no mention of a problem.

For those who do not know about TweetDeck, read a previous article I wrote entitled, "Switching from Yoono to TweetDeck."

I Have The Same Problem. Now What?
I have no idea how to fix the problem, but when the columns fail to load, I try logging out of TweetDeck and then restarting the application. If the columns do not load shortly after, I have no choice but to wait until the application gains enough steam to show my feeds.

If you find that waiting is not an option, you may try using another application like HootSuite or Seesmic.

Please note that once TweetDeck warms up, I do not have any other issues. Being a huge fan of TweetDeck, I hope this bug is identified and then corrected soon.

Are you having any failures with TweetDeck? If so, I would love to hear about them in the comment section below. What are you doing to remedy the problem? Do you have a favorite alternative? If so, do share.

Until next time...

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

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NCCU Adopts Facebook Connect For Campus Portal

The web team at North Carolina Central University has been working hard these past few years developing a foundation by which to offer more dynamic information with a hint of social networking.

Today, Web Services has successfully connected its MyEOL portal with Facebook through its Facebook Connect API.


What Does This Mean for the University?
The team recognizes that many students, alumni, and prospective students are already using Facebook on a daily basis. University departments are sprouting new groups and fan pages weekly and Web Services would like to help connect the social power of Facebook with the University's own portal.

The first step to achieve this connection is to allow the NCCU community to login to MyEOL with their Facebook account. The initial launch will make this feature available to prospective students and alumni.

Once logged in, the community will be able to update their Facebook status through NCCU's Twitter-like application, Eagle Status. Additionally, users will update their Facebook wall with notifications after receiving new badges and other campus achievements.

Other benefits of Facebook Connect on the NCCU campus is to help further the OpenID movement. With each new web site, users are continuously creating new usernames and passwords. This opens the door to security breaches and identify theft.

Web Services would like to offer the community alternatives to yet another account. If the United States Government is eager to adopt OpenID standards, the team also believes it should follow their lead.

What Took So Long?
There are some that may ask the question, "Why has it taken so long to connect Facebook with NCCU?" The challenge has been getting Facebook's API to work with our ColdFusion environment. Once the guys roll out the option to login to NCCU's MyEOL with Facebook credentials, the team will make this code available to all ColdFusion developers, universities, and Facebook Connect representatives.

Final Thoughts
I would like to personally thank Derek Brinson and Darin Tyler for their dedication and tireless efforts to make Facebook Connect work on campus.

The date for final release has yet to be set, but I am excited to hear the team has made it this far and curious to find what other colleges and universities are doing with Facebook Connect. Let's talk about the opportunities in the comment section below. If you have a link to a university or college that uses Facebook Connect, please share a URL.

Until next time...

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Get Satisfaction Struggles To Relaunch It's Overheard Feature

I am a big fan of Get Satisfaction. In fact, I recently wrote an article entitled, "Get More Feedback From Your Readers With Get Satisfaction" where I praise the company for its helpful tool.

One of the largest selling points of Get Satisfaction is its Overheard feature. In the article, I wrote the following:

"A cool feature within Get Satisfaction is the "Overheard" section. As an administrator, you can follow a hashtag on Twitter, say your company for example, and respond via Get Satisfaction. What the application will do is create a post, which you can then answer or address from within your dashboard. Upon completing a response within Get Satisfaction, the system will tweet a message to the user telling them about the new post. The few times I used "Overheard", I found the Twitter message to be quite professional and inviting. It can serve as a great customer service tool." 

Almost immediately after I wrote the blog, the Overheard feature ran into a glitch and Get Satisfaction chose to disable the tool until after they completed an upgrade.

I waited a number days before posting a question regarding the still broken Overheard feature. At some point, the company responded with an explanation saying they are aware of the problem but do not yet have a fix. Then, another representative announced the move to another server, which would provide for more resources. At this point, we were asked to wait a week.

Then on Friday, a Get Satisfaction employee posted an update to our problem and wrote that "We have fixed this in our code, and it will be available after our next deploy on Monday. Thanks for your patience! We also have some enhancements coming to the feature in coming weeks and months that should be very pleasing to all!"

As one who works in an Information Technology department, I know that things do not always go according to plan. Because of my experience, I find that I can be a little more patient about technology.

With that written, I just found out that Overheard is still not functioning. Thor Muller, an employee of Get Satisfaction, posted another update on the site this morning, "A fix was made on Friday and was scheduled for release last night. Unfortunately, we caught a bug that held us up from deploying. I'm trying to get this up ASAP!"

I wish the team at Get Satisfaction lots of luck and a speedy return of Overheard.

Until next time...

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

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Saving Money Is Well Past Due

I just finished reading a blog from The Family Wallet entitled, "Pay Bills Promptly and Save." As expected, the author gave five common-sense suggestions on how to save money. The things that resonated with me the most are the costly extra fees and reconnect charges customers experience when paying bills late.

Reluctantly, I am one of those people who incur a number of late fees on things like the utility bill, video rentals, and parking tickets. It's not that I am without the money, because I have already budgeted those known expenses, but rather a procrastinator with piles of unopened invoices and slow to returning movies.

As one who is rather frugal, I am surprised to find that I allow myself to repeat these bad habits. Clearly, each fee taxed on to the original price is money coming out of my own pocket.

Ways to Stop the Fees

This very morning, I was thinking about ways to decrease my spending on fees. Here is a run down of my list:

• Automate the Payment
  I am big on automating payments. Thanks to my bank and other direct payment options, I like to put bills on a schedule and let the financial institutions handle the particulars. My strategy has been to use this option when the bill is the same from month to month. A utility bill does not fall into this category. I recall a few times that the utility company charged me an outrageous amount and automatically pulled it from my account. To my surprise, the account had a negative dollar amount because it exceeded my set budget.
  
  As a result of this blunder, I chose to remove automatic payments for any bill that varies from month to month.
  
  
• Bank's Bill Pay Service
  My checking account has a bill pay service that I can use to schedule payments. With this feature, my bank will send a check to a company on my behalf. This is probably the most likely of solutions as it will not let me spend more than I have and I can schedule payments for any future date.
  
  The downfall of this option is that I still have to do something each month. When I get a bill, I will need to log on to the banking site, enter the company's details, amount to pay, and date I wish to have the check delivered. The challenge is overcoming my procrastination habits and entering the bill as it comes. It's much easier to say than do.
  
  
• Lick 'em and Stick 'em Stamp
  The only other option that I see is paying bills the old fashioned way. Honestly, this is not an option that I see myself doing now-a-days. So, let me stop right there.

Conclusion

The idea of saving money through fee avoidance is the right thing to do. In order to achieve this, I will have to master my own procrastination habits and seek to use the available tools before me.

Another lesson that I have learned through a recent ordeal is the importance of managing my accounts. With automated processes, I should keep a watchful eye on the transactions as well as my bank statements. Doing so will enable me to catch mistakes as they happen, not only when it negatively affects my situation.

As a grown man, you wouldn't think I'd be running into these problems. This just goes to show you that vigilance and proactively managing ones life are still important responsibilities. That fact becomes more true the further removed one is from the action.

I look forward to reading your thoughts on the subject. What tactics do you use to stay on-top of bills so as to avoid late fees? What advice would you give?

Until next time...

You may also enjoy:

• How to Build an Emergency Fund

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Respect The Community Where Your Readers Live And Engage With Them There

I have learned a very valuable lesson recently. Thanks to PostRank.com, my eyes have been opened about where to engage with my readers.

If you have never heard of PostRank, do not feel bad. I was just introduced to the PostRank Analytics tool and it surprised me that I had not given the site more of my time before.

What is PostRank?

From what I know, PostRank is a web-based tool used to help readers find hot topics and blogs. To determine what is "hot," PostRank uses a point system based on Internet-wide engagement activity. What that means is that each time someone retweets a blog post, it earns points. In addition to Twitter retweets, PostRank will look at a number of other sources like Delicious, Friendfeed, and Digg. The more activity these sites register, the higher a blog and its posts will receive in points.

The results from damondnollan.com reveal how neglected some of my readers have been. Much of my attention has been placed on blog comments, but to my surprise the blog comments only account for a portion of the total number of responses world wide.

In addition to blog comments, I find that readers use Friendfeed, Twitter, Digg, Google Reader, and Facebook. This list does not represent all places, but rather the majority of where my readers live.

What Is The Lesson?

In the end, I have learned that sharing content on Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, Digg, Friendfeed, YouTube, and the like will produce reader feedback. This feedback may be a comment, like, retweet, share, or even a link on a reader's site. In each case, there is an opportunity to engage with readers in their world versus my own.

One of the most eye opening examples of this happened to me after I posted an article to my blog. To solicit feedback, I asked my readers to respond in the "comment section below." When I wrote that line, I meant for this to happen on the blog (damondnollan.com), but it didn't happen the way I expected. Instead, readers on Facebook replied on the Facebook Note, readers on Twitter replied as a Twitter tweet or direct message, and readers on Friendfeed responded on Friendfeed.

As the author of the article, I found myself having to visit each community and engaging with readers in their space. Readers are using the tools familiar to them and expecting me to follow suit. While I am ok with this idea, my hope is that I could bring each of the communities together under one roof. Take for example the uses of Disqus, the commenting system found at the end of my blog. When I post a comment using Disqus, it is held in a central repository where I can engage with many sites and readers.

Until that type of system is available in the largest of communities, I will have to give each site my undivided attention. Neglecting a community and expecting readers to come to me is a poor policy that will leave readers unattended and ripe for someone else to take.

Conclusion

The Internet is a huge web of smaller communities. As our content is disseminated to the far corners of the virtual world, we should seek to follow our readers and engage with them in their space versus requiring them to play in ours.

I would like to hear your thoughts on this subject. How do you feel about engaging readers within their community. What challenges does this cause? What opportunities do you see? Let's explore this topic together in the comment section below (wherever that may be).

Until next time...

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

Image via Ludwig Gatzke

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Reaching 100 Posts: A Lesson On Perseverance

We have done it. With the publishing of the last entry, "Be A Play Maker, Not Just A Spectator" we have successfully finished 100 posts. I write "WE" because this is not something I did alone. Sure, I am the one who sat down at the keyboard and hen pecked my way through the articles, but I did it knowing that you were there to experience the journey with me.

To my family and friends, I want to express my sincere appreciation for supporting me before anyone else even knew I existed. Thank you for using the power of positive reinforcement, because that is what I used to fuel me in the quiet moments. To my fellow bloggers who continuously produce good information and serve as an example for what I can become, I say thank you for all that you do.

Looking back over the past six months, it is hard to believe that I actually wrote something 100 times. From the place where I now sit, one hundred posts does not seem that hard. In fact, it feels like a very doable task that anyone could attain.

As I write that, I am reminded of people that started writing around the same time I did. Some have continued to blog while others have allowed the words to stop flowing. I am a little disappointed because most of them could easily write circles around me.

In the end, I guess its not entirely about the one who possesses the most skill, but rather the one who perseveres through the up and down moments. Getting to100 articles does not make me special. I just kept writing when others stop.

Personally, I feel good about reaching this moment, but I also believe anyone could do what I have done. There are hundreds of thousands of people that have made it to this moment and there will be millions more still to come. In the end, the lesson that I will walk away with is that in all areas of our lives, we can be achievers. We can run the good race and even finish with a good time, but in order to do that, we must be willing to continue putting one foot in front of the other.

As I sit here typing those words, I am reminded of my dissertation. From where I am today, there is so much work still to be done. Allowing myself to focus on the daunting task of writing a research paper of that magnitude has overwhelmed me enough to do nothing at all. If I take the achievements experienced with the blog and apply it to my dissertation, I would tell myself that I just need to find away to contribute something each and every day. In time, the small contributions will add up.

A living example of this fact is a well-known blogger named Louis Gray. In a recent entry, Louis explains that he has written over 500 blog posts during the 2009 year. In fact, he has written at least that many articles since 2006. How did he get there? What special process does he have? Based on what I see, he simply writes one article at a time.

So it is with me and my dissertation, so too can it be for you and whatever challenges you have in your life. If we continue to get up, put one front in front of the other, and do something each and every day, eventually those investments grow. Then you, like I am today, will be able to look back over a period of time and see that what you have done is good.

Therefore, let us remember that the race is not always given to the swift, but rather to the one that perseveres. Take this opportunity to reflect on your life, as I am now doing for mine, and decide what is most important and do something in that area every day.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. ~ Aristotle

Until next time...

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

Image via Dark Matter

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Be A Play Maker, Not Just A Spectator

I feel like I learned something today. As I perused through Twitter, I noticed something odd. Patrick O'Keefe, or iFroggy to some, mentioned that the book "Managing Online Forums" was only a couple reviews away from 50 on Amazon.com. Ok, I thought to myself, maybe I can help him out.

When I clicked on the link, it took me to Amazon.com and there was a book, as expected. However, what I didn't expect to see was Patrick's name on the cover.

I sat at my desk looking around the page. Part of me was in shock and the other part confused. How come I didn't know Patrick wrote a book?

Not that Patrick and I go way back, I only met him recently at the Social Media Business Forum in October, but he never mentioned the book during our initial conversation. Maybe it's not one of those things one immediately says when they meet a person, but we talked a great deal about his experiences with speaking at conferences and online communities.

Patrick is a young looking guy, I believe he's probably around 25, but he has so many stories to tell. I recall him speaking at conferences with names like Robert Scoble, Chris Brogan, and the like. I even think he was on the panel with a couple of them.

Anyway, I knew these things, but had no idea he wrote a book. Curious about the book, I skimmed the table of contents and was surprised to find that it had around 300 pages. While it is a paperback book, 300 pages isn't something to scoff about. No, this book has substance.

At that moment, flashes of unrelated snippets flipped through my mind. Here is a guy that conducted a podcast interview with Gary Vaynerchuk, speaker and well-known author of the book Crush It!. Under the iFroggy Network, Patrick has 10+ years experience managing multiple online communities. He too is a speaker with a number of notable achievements. To say that I am blown away is an understatement.

All of these new realizations struck a cord in me. What am I doing? What is my contribution? Where is my product? What am I known for?

There are those of us that watch things happen. We sit on the sidelines and observe others run up and down the field. We can be spectators, announcers, or even reporters, but we are merely watching.

Then there are those of use that are play makers, producers, developers, and contributors. We are the ones who are out there hustling to produce something tangible and real. These people are the Patrick O'Keefe's, the Chris Brogan's, and the Jesse Stay's of the world.

What am I doing? What are you doing? What are we doing to make this place better? What product or service are we providing? What is our contribution?

When I think about people like Patrick O'Keefe, Chris Brogan, Jesse Stay, Louis Gray, Dave Winer, and Wayne Sutton, I want to follow their lead and do something that makes a difference. Even if it means taking my own neck of the woods and helping to make it better than when I found it.

Be a play maker not just a spectator.

Until next time...

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

Image via pnthr90

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The Plan For A Better Body

It is a new year. That means a fresh look at what we have been doing and an opportunity to fix things that may have gone unattended. For me, and my attempt at reducing my body fat below 10%, that means drinking at least a gallon of water and eating six meals each day.

Fortunately, I have been lifting weights and doing cardio pretty consistently since August, so there were few changes I needed to make in the activity department. Unfortunately, I neglected to monitor and manage the other half of the weight loss equation, which is my nutrition.

Looking back over the last six months, I have lost somewhere around 15 pounds. It doesn't sound like much, but consider the fact that I am also building lean muscles.

The Plan
For those of you who are interested in the finer details of my activity, I am going to lay out my plan of action. Feel free to take from it what you like, but also listen to your body try to understand what it needs to meet your goals.

Weight Training
For the past few years, I have tried a number of different routines. In the end, I find that my body and mind responds well to a six day split. This means that I work one muscle group each day. See my plan below:

Monday (Chest) Barbell Bench Press Decline Barbell Bench Press Incline Barbell Bench Press Dumbbell Flys Dumbbell Pullover laying on bench Tuesday (Back) Wide-grip Lat Pulldown Barbell Row T-Bar Row Stiff-legged Deadlift Dumbbell Row  Wednesday (Legs) Squats Angled Leg Press Lunges Lying Leg Curl Leg Extensions

Thursday (Arms) Barbell Curl Dumbell Curl Hammer Curl Narrow-Grip Bench Press Barbell Tricep Extensions Pulldowns Friday (Shoulders) Arnold Press Side Raises Bent-over Raises Barbell Shrugs Upright Row     Saturday (Calves, Abs, & Forearms) Seated Calf Raises Standing Calf Raises Barbell Wrist Curls Barbell Reverse Wrist Curls Roman Chair Sit-Ups Hanging Leg Raises

For upper body exercises (chest, back, shoulders, arms), I do five sets (one warm-up and four working sets). For lower body exercises (legs), I do six sets (one warm-up and five working sets). In each set, I focus on doing generally 10-12 reps. The weight I use on each exercise is adjusted to meet that goal. For calves, abs, and forearms, I shoot for 15-20 reps (if I'm using weight) and a burnout if I do an exercise without.

I understand that there are many different ways people work out. Some may recommend doing a full body workout 2-3 times per week. That may be good for you, but I chose this route because it allows me to hit each muscle group from different angles.

Cardio
There are numerous ways to get cardio. I personally use the elliptical or bicycle to grind out 30-45 minutes. At the end of a serious session, I can burn around 320+ calories.

Overall, the aforementioned routine, with cardio, takes around 75 to 90 minutes.

Meals
I love food, but I also realize that too much can make me pleasantly plump. So, I need to watch what I put in my mouth. Based upon my goal of 215 lbs, I can reasonably expect to lose 2 pounds per week.

To lose one pound, I would need to restrict my body of 3500 calories. To do that, I can workout 7 days a week at 500 calories a day or I can just cut 500 calories from my diet. To lose two pounds, I need to restrict 1000 calories a day. NOTE: Anymore than 2 pounds a week means you are probably losing muscle, which is counterproductive.

Cutting 1000 calories from my diet each day means I need to look at my daily calorie needs. Because I have a body fat caliper, I know my percentage number. Using the Katch-McArdle Formula, I can determine what my body currently uses to maintain my existing weight. If you do not know your body fat percentage, you can use the Harris Benedict Formula. At the conclusion, you should have a number. In my case, let's say its 3707 calories. This means that my body uses 3707 calories a day to maintain my current weight. If I want to lose 2 pounds per week, I would cut 1000 calories from my diet, which leaves me with 2707 calories per day.

Now that I know my calorie intake per day, I then figure out what my fat, carbohydrates, and protein intake will be. Following the 20/40/40 rule, I plan to eat 20% fat, 40% carbs, and 40% protein. Stated in calories, my 2707 gets divided this way.

• 20% of 2707 calories is 541 calories from fat (60 grams*)
• 40% of 2707 calories is 1081 calories from carbs (271 grams*)
• 40% of 2707 calories is 1081 calories from protein (271 grams*)

* 1 gram of fat is equivalent to 9 calories. 1 gram of protein/carbs is equivalent to 4 calories. Therefore, to figure out how many grams of fat, carbs, and protein you need, simply divide calories by 9 or 4.

At this point, I know that in order to lose 2 pounds a week, I need to eat 2707 calories per day. Twenty percent (60 grams) of those calories will come from fat, forty percent (271 grams) from carbs, and forty percent (271 grams) from protein. To speed up my metabolism, I will divide my total intake into six meals. Each meal between 2-3 hours apart.

I know that was a lot of information, but if you hold on to it and refer back, as needed, I promise you it will eventually make sense.

Tools For Success
In order to manage my weight, I need to first measure and track my activities. This is done using a number of tools. In this section, I list some of the tools I use to measure, track, and manage my success.

• SparkPeople
  Keeping track of my progress both in the gym and in the kitchen is important. Therefore, I have selected SparkPeople as my tool of choice. This free web site offers a nutrition and activity tracker that records my every move. With the press of a button, I can view my daily totals in real-time.
  
  There are plenty of things to do and learn about SparkPeople, nutrition, and working out, which is why I created a Body Transformation Support Group. This free SparkTeam provides a forum for asking questions and offers you a helping hand, listening ear, and encouragement when you need it. So, take a moment to follow the link and join our team.
  
  
• Body Fat Calipers
  This handy little tool helps me measure the amount of body fat I carry. With just a few pinches, I'm on my way.
  
  
• Scale
  A quick step on the scale once a week is all I need to measure the direction of my weight.
  
  
• Camera
  With my digital camera and tripod, I take a picture of myself each week. Over time, I can see changes in muscle definition.
  
  
• Measuring Tape
  Another favorite tool I use to measure changes in my waist, arms, calves, chest, and thighs.
  
  
• Mirror
  The true test of success is with my own two eyes. How do I look?

Final Thoughts
The process of changing ones body is not something that happens over night. It takes time and a lot of patience. It will require dedication and a willingness to be consistent with nutrition, activity, measuring, and tracking. In the end, know that you are not alone. Join the SparkTeam and let's do it together.

Until next time...


You may also enjoy:

• Tim Ferriss' Slow-Carb Diet: Day 49
• Day 35: Beginning Another 30 Days of Tim Ferriss' Slow-Carb Diet
• Tim Ferriss' Slow-Carb Diet Test: Day 30
• Tim Ferriss' Slow-Carb Diet Test: Day 23
• Tim Ferriss' Slow-Carb Diet Test: Day 15
• Tim Ferriss' Slow-Carb Diet Test: Day 8
• Tim Ferriss' Slow-Carb Diet Test: Day 3
• Tim Ferriss' Slow-Carb Diet Test: Day 1
• Putting Tim Ferriss' Slow-Carb Diet To The Test
• The Plan For A Better Body
• Work Smarter With Push/Pull Exercises

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You Cannot Manage What You Cannot Measure: Tips For Incremental Growth

Early this morning, I read an article by Christine Pilkington entitled, "Writing It Down: The Importance of Forecasting your Blog’s Performance." In the entry, Christine outlines the benefits of documenting measurable forecasts. She explains that by writing forecasts down before hand, one can experience a sense of accomplishment, build historical perspective, and promote action.

Overall, I like Christine's organized approach to clock making. Her process of building reminds me that record keeping is important to growing a successful _________ (fill in the blank). At North Carolina Central University, for example, the team of talented web developers use Scrum as a way to incrementally grow from sprint to sprint. On a daily basis, we review our progress using a burn down chart. Based on the findings, we are able to adapt and address issues quickly.

The secret to incremental growth is to capture what is happening in your life and adjust accordingly. In business, there are numerous options for capturing activity. NCCU Web Services uses Numara Footprints to track tickets. We can clearly see our progress by running a report on recent activity. If, for example, we are not closing tickets in the time alotted, we will see it in the report. Then, as the manager, I will work closely with the team to find a solution.

Tracking Tools
In other areas of my life, I use a number of tools to help me track and measure. Here are a few of those tools.

• SparkPeople: To record physical activity and food intake. The free web-based tool is easy to use and has helpful real-time reports.
  
  
• Google Analytics: Used to track web page statistics like number of visitors, time on site, pages viewed, keywords, and referrers.
  
  
• Feedburner: Tracks the number of RSS/E-mail subscribers I have on the blog www.damondnollan.com.
  
  
• PostRank: Measures the level of engagement I have with readers. While it's not a free service, I find it does a great job catching social media conversations and retweets. For $9 a month, and a 30-day trial, I think you will be pleased with the results. Use the referral code: "grooved-gull"
  
  
• Mint: Follows my financial activities and provides a plethora of tools for setting budgets, tracking expenses, and unusual spending.
  
  
• Google Calendar: Helps keep track of how I spend the day. Because it is a Google product, you know it is also available via your handheld device.  

These are just a few of my favorite tools. In order to make them valuable, I have to continuously put in good information. Forgetting to put in my physical activities or food eaten makes it difficult to manage my weight. With each of these tools, it is easy to look at the big picture or zoom into a finer detail.

Final Thoughts
Tracking is important. In order to build a successful business, increase readership on your blog, lose weight, get out of debt, or stay in control of your time, it is vital that you find a way to do the following:

• Identify: ways to measure your progress. If you seek to lose weight, keep track of your progress by using a scale, body fat caliper, or measuring tape.
  
  
• Record: updates using one of the aforementioned tools. Record activities along with weight, body fat percentage, and/or inches.
  
  
• Review: your progress daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly to see trends.
  
  
• Adjust: activities to meet desired outcome.
  

Discussion
I would love to hear your story about measuring progress. What experiences can you share? What lessons have you learned? Let's talk more in the comment section below.

Until next time...

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

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Domino's Pizza: Is It Really A Turnaround?

A few weeks ago, I watched a short four-minute video on Domino's Pizza. According to the clip, customers were disappointed in the product. Some complained the crust tasted like cardboard, the cheese was processed, and the overall taste was nothing to write home about. As with all criticism, one can either get beat up by them or seek to do better. Domino's chose to the latter.

In the final minutes of the video, the message was clear. Domino's Pizza spent considerable effort to rebuild the perfect pizza. Pizza chefs supposedly sat around the oven creating a better tasting sauce, flavorful crust, with high quality ingredients. The question I had was, "How does it taste now?"

With an opportunity to order out tonight, the family and I decided that we would try the new and improved Domino's pizza. How does it taste? You ask. Read on, I reply.

Before I reveal my opinion, let me point out that Domino's Pizza sought to turnaround more than just its food. A visit to the web site shows the company also seeks to rebuild its brand. Remember, this is the company with employees playing around in our food. Needless to say, Domino's has a lot of ground to make up.

Domino's, the Web, and Social Media
Going through the process of ordering online, I found the site to be clean with an organized user interface. At first glance, there was nothing new to see. That was until I finished my order.

Immediately following the check out process. The site took me to a tracking device. The web-based application, colored in vivid blue and red, displayed five steps: 1) Order Placed, 2) Prep, 3) Bake, 4) Quality Check, and 5) Ready for Pickup.

Other information and services found on the page include:

• Share on Facebook button
• Games
• Coupons
• Name of the person making my pizza and the time he/she moved to the next phase in the process
• Feedback form
• Receipt of my order

My first impression of the site was extremely positive. Instead of ordering and walking away, I stayed and watched my pizza go through each stage. As an added bonus, I also shared my excitement for a Domino's Pizza with friends on Facebook. With the push of a button, I was able to show my friends the process as well. Neat-O!

Upon completion, the pizza tracker alerted me that it was ready for pickup. I'm not sure what would happen if I got it delivered, but living out here in the boonies doesn't allow for such a luxury. I digress.

Because I knew the maker of my pizza, I asked for him by name. Not sure if this is a question they get often, but the employees didn't seem surprised. Unfortunately, Joshua, the cook/delivery guy, was not available when I arrived, but at least he knows I'm watching.

In the car, I opened the pizza box and took a solid bite of my thin crust Pacific Veggie Pizza. As expected, it was hot and quite tasty. At home, I asked the family what they thought about the pizzas and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Truthfully, it has been years since I can remember choosing Domino's Pizza as my number one choice. Today, with real cheese, fresh ingredients, a tasty garlic butter crust, and a bold sauce, I would definitely order from Domino's again. In fact, I would place their veggie pizza up against some of the finer Italian restaurants.

Conclusion
Overall, Domino's Pizza has done a very good thing. The leadership should be applauded for taking the criticism of its customers and making a better pizza. As one who plays on the web all day, I also give kudo points to the web development team that made such a cool gadget that incorporates the use of social media.

Will the pizza and quality of service remain beyond Domino's media blitz? I don't know, but after climbing a huge hill of adversity, it wouldn't be a wise move. I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Have you tried Domino's new pizza? If so, what do you think about it? If you ordered online, what do you think about the Pizza Tracker?

Until next time...

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed, Newsletter, and E-mail List.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, or Friendfeed.

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