Archive for the ‘John Chow’ Category
Dot Com Pho – Guerrilla Social Media Marketing Edition
This week’s Dot Com Pho heads back to basic at Happy Pho in Vancouver. When I said back to basic, I mean really back to basic. All the stuffs you expect at Dot Com Pho are here. The gadget of the week, the iPad app of the week, Ed Lau being the last person to show up, etc.
In addition to all the basic stuff, I got to review Guerrilla Social Media Marketing, a new book by my friend Shane Gibson and Jay Conrad Levinson. The original Guerrilla Marketing book sold over 20 million copies. It’ll be interesting to see how this social media version does. I was given two extra copies. If you want to try and win it, just reply to this blog post. I’ll draw the winners next week. Good luck!
Using Subheads and Lists to Make Articles Skimmable
Studies show that, on the Web, people don’t actually read content, instead they skim it and read less than half the words, even on short articles. Some of this is due to the greater distractions on the Web but much of it has been true since the age of the newspaper.
While this may seem to be bad news for writers, who have to accept that readers aren’t hanging on every single word, it can actually be used to the advantage of bloggers to help convey information more quickly and effectively.
However, to do this, you have to master two writing techniques that will make your writing instantly more skimmble.
How to Use Subheads Effectively
The first tool is subheads, which are mini-headlines that are sprinkled into the post to separate sections, usually every 200-500 words. They break up the content visually and also provide good SEO value if they are loaded with keywords and use one of the header tags (H1-H6).
Readers, when skimming the article, will often read subheads first and make decisions on if the article is worth reading and all and, if it is, what sections are worth delving deeper into.
So use subheads as you would any other headline, this means making them keyword-rich, usually 5-8 words long and descriptive of the content beneath it, this will make even your shorter works much easier to navigate.
Include Lists to Highlight Key Points
Another powerful tool to make your article instantly skimmable is to include lists. You can use subheads to do this, turning your entire article into a list such as the articles you routinely see on Cracked.com or you can integrate a shorter list using HTML to bring out key points.
Lists have three key advantages.
- They Organize Information Well: Humans naturally want information in and ordered fashion and lists provide that.
- They Draw Attention: HTML separates lists from the rest of the text, making it stand out and easy to attract attention to key points.
- They Build Interest: A well-written list will make readers want to go back and go through the rest of the text to see how the list was compiled. However, for those who don’t read more they still gain some bite-sized information through the list itself.
In short, a list is a great way to introduce the reader to the key points of an article in an appealing fashion and then encourage them to read more.
Writing for the Eye Isn’t Hard
In the end, though writing for the eye might seem to be difficult, it really is not that hard. It’s a matter of formatting text so that it can be quickly understood, at least on a surface level.
Fortunately there are many HTML formatting tricks to help with that and these are just two of the most important ones.
For more tips on this, you may wish to check out the writing techniques preached by advertising legend David Ogilvy as he was using many of these exact same methods over fifty years ago in his ads.
These methods are a major part of why he is widely considered one of the best copywriters and advertising geniuses to have ever lived.
This post was written by Lior who works for an online task management tool start-up from new york and also advises to a breastfeeding wear company.
Relax on Tech Patio with Klaus
Technology and gadgetry used to represent the realm of geeks, but as it turns out, being geeky is increasingly mainstream. Whether or not you’re technologically inclined, there’s a good chance that you’re lusting after a new smartphone, a new computer, or a new camera. We all want one, two, or all three.
There are innumerable sites on the Internet that cater to this market and one such website happens to serve as the subject of today’s review. We’re taking a quick look at TechPatio, a tech blog run by John Chow dot Com reader Klaus. He only has a first name and no last name, kind of like Prince or Madonna. 
What Is Tech Patio?
According to the about page, Klaus envisions Tech Patio as a “decent and respectable blog where people will feel at ease, at home – like on their own patio.” He aims to “write articles that most tech interested people will find interesting and hopefully educational.”
This doesn’t really separate it from the masses of other technology websites, but it’s good to see that Klaus does put a little of his personality forward. For instance, while it is a tech blog, the site focuses mostly on Apple-related products. He does deviate from this, but that is a prominent theme.
Klaus mentions two other things in his about page that I feel are worth noting, if only for his upfront honesty. First, he says that he will have ads, not because he needs to make a living, but because he wants to see what kind of money he can make from the blog. Second, he lets us know that English isn’t his first language.
A Look at the Content
I was going to cut Klaus a little slack, because English isn’t his first language, but I have to say that the writing is generally quite good. It’s definitely better than some native English speakers that I know.
The shorter news pieces don’t offer much other than a brief news snippet, but slightly longer reviews can certainly come in handy for people shopping for new technology. Klaus didn’t write it (Emily did), but the Samsung Epic 4G review article is a good example of this.
In discussing the hot new smartphone on the Sprint 4G network, Emily acknowledges the Samsung Galaxy S platform as its base and says that the “Epic possesses the best keyboard” with keys that are “nicely spaced” and “have a good clickiness to them.”
She goes on to discuss the user interface, camera quality, multimedia functionality, and overall performance. My one major suggestion would be to use real photographs of the product, since you already have it in front of you, rather than use the stock press pictures that the PR people give you.
General Layout Feedback
Tech Patio makes use of the popular Thesis WordPress theme platform, so you may already be familiar with some of its elements. Even so, there are at least a couple of things worth mentioning.
You can see in the first screenshot in this review that Klaus has embedded a series of social media icons along the left side of the screen. These are “docked” so they follow you as you scroll through a page. They’re not intrusive and they could serve well to encourage readers to share.
I also like Klaus is providing two options for comment subscription. You can get email notification only if someone responds to your particular comment or you can be notified of every new comment on the post. The top commentator widget, complete with avatars, is a nice touch too. I’d only suggest limiting the text length so that a single person doesn’t wrap onto a second line.
Relaxing on the Deck with Tech
Tech Patio doesn’t really stand out as a premier tech blog, but it wouldn’t be completely fair to compare it to the much larger sites with much larger budgets. As an enthusiast blog, it’s definitely better than most.
The general layout is a little cluttered, but that’s to be expected in the tech blog realm. Updates are frequent enough and the content is generally well-written. If you’re looking for more on tech, it wouldn’t hurt to give Tech Patio a second look.
I Am Calling Out ShoeMoney
If you saw ShoeMoney’s latest behind the scenes video featuring HasOffers, at around the 9 minute 40 second mark Shoe and his host walked into a room and there is what appears to be a naked girl getting spray tanned.
I am calling shenanigans! I don’t think she was naked. I think she has a bikini on. Why would they have a naked girl only to cover her up?
Judge for yourself. That is a pretty big cover. What do you think? Naked or a bikini?
This reminds me. I need to pay a visit to HasOffers. After all, their office is in the same city as me. And no, I’m not expecting to see any naked chicks.
A Very Special Dot Com Pho Public Service Announcement
I’ll be back in Vancouver this weekend for Dot Com Pho. It will be at the usual Happy Pho restaurant at 4136 Main Street at 12:30. Please reply to me on Twitter if you can make it and I’ll save you a seat.
Just because I’ve been away from Vancouver doesn’t mean Dot Com Pho ends. In fact, the weekly meetup continues no matter where I am. However, getting the word out about the Happy Pho meetup seems to be a problem. With that in mind, I like to bring you this very special Dot Com Pho public service announcement.
Dot Com Pho still happened this week, but many of the regulars were busy doing other things. Yes, there is life outside of pho. Even so, Michael Kwan takes a moment to provide a brief Dot Com Pho public service announcement. Follow @DotComPho on Twitter for the latest updates!
See you at Dot Com Pho this Saturday!
Clickbooth has Cribs, Affiliate.com has Cubes
Before Clickbooth made their MTV Cribs style video of their new headquarters, Affiliate.com had a show call Cubes that featured the cubical of their employees. It was a great way to show what goes on in the life of an affiliate manager and see their working space. Unfortunately, Affiliate.com filmed only two episodes. Hopefully, they’ll make more in the future.
The first video features the cube of Jon Ringhofer, the senior affiliate manager. He’s been with the company for two years and did such a good job that Scott Richter (Affiliate.com fonder) bought him a new set of wheels as a gift for his two year anniversary. Yes, Affiliate.com treats their employees well. Even though Jon is the senior affiliate manager, he doesn’t get a private office. He gets a cube like every other affiliate manager. However, Jon’s cube is a corner cube!
The second video is the cube of Will Charland, a lowly affiliate manager who drives a 2001 Chevy Impala. While his cube isn’t as fancy as Jon’s, I found the video more enjoyable to watch. I got a good laugh out of it.
Making Money Making Friends At The Performance Marketing Expo
I will be at the Performance Marketing Expo next week to make money and friends. Actually, Making Money Making Friends is the title of the panel session that I’ll be holding with Murray Newlands, Ian Fernando and Eric Schechter. The session is on Wednesday, September 29th at 11:45am at the Eden Roc Hotel, Miami Beach. Zac Johnson and many others will also be speaking there as well. I’ve been looking for an excuse to go to Miami and this is as good as any.
Want To Join Me? Here’s A 50% Coupon
If you’re looking for a tax deductible way to check out the sites and sounds of Miami Beach, then attending the Performance Marketing Expo is your ticket. And I can get you that ticket at a 50% discount!
Register for the Performance Marketing Expo and use coupon code PMEFIFTY to slash the price in half. Then head over to our PME Keynote Panel Session Facebook page and add yourself to the attendee list. Let’s party at the beach! I’ll see you in Miami.
Like Father, Like Son – The Horrible Fact of Life
For those who don’t remember or don’t know, I have written an article a while back called “Why It’s a Good Idea to Quit College & Start a Business”. This article had gotten me more disapproval than approval, but that’s because most are old school and refuse to admit that the world have changed. I didn’t mean for someone who wants to become a doctor to quit college because I sure don’t want someone certified to perform operation on me. But the truth is if you want to learn how to build a website or music production, you don’t need to waste your money and time at college because the internet teaches a lot faster. For a better explanation for why I wrote such an article, watch this video.
Following In Your Father’s Footsteps
In this article, however, I want to talk about a fact in life that I hate. Have you notice that the sons of wealthy corporate owners will grow up to be successful entrepreneurs and the sons of farmers will grow up to be farmers? I hate this not because I dislike wealthy people or look down upon farmers; I hate it because it doesn’t have to be this way.
The reasons a corporate owner’s son grew up to be a successful entrepreneur and the farmer’s son grew up to be a farmer is because of the father. A corporate owner would teach his son the importance of money and how to use it wisely to make more money while the farmer will teach his son how to plant crops. In the best case, the farmer will tell his son to go to college, get a degree, find a job after graduation, save money, buy a house because that’s your biggest asset, pay off debts, and invest in a diversified portfolio of Mutual Funds for the long term.
For those who have any idea about finance and money, understands that the farmer’s son is in big trouble if he follows these advices. Those advices can help the farmer’s son put food on the table, but he will struggle financially the rest of his life.
I hope I’m not confusing anyone, but what I’ve been trying to say is increase your financial knowledge especially in today’s economy. Your knowledge is your greatest asset and increasing your financial knowledge can help you save a lot of money simply because you understand how money works. One of the financial coach I recommend is Robert T. Kiyosaki.
Money = Success
I don’t think anyone would want to disagree with me when I say money equal success. How do I know money equal success? Well, I asked my little nephew who is 8 years old what he wanted to be when he grows up. He said he wanted to be a doctor (probably because that’s what his parents is encouraging him to be). I asked him, “Why do you wanted to be a doctor”? He said, “It’s because I wanted to make lot money”.
I was not surprised, but he said he wanted to be a doctor to make a lot of money rather than to help cure people. My question is does doctor really makes a lot of money? They are middle class, but wanting to become a doctor to make lots of money is outrageously stupid. I was told by my parents to become doctors as well (because that’s what Asian parents like to teach their kids), but if I’m ever a doctor, I will choose to be a doctor because I love science and want to spend my life researching new cures, not because of money. Successful doctors don’t make that much money when compared to established entrepreneurs and even small business owners and they don’t have much free time.
Things That Are Not Taught In School
The corporate owner’s son and the farmer’s son can go to the same school and learn the same thing in school, but the farmer’s son will never be as successful as the corporate owner’s son because the corporate owner will teach his son the things that are not taught in school. Schools only teach academic lessons and rarely does a school teaches students about money. The question is does the school system intentionally not teach it’s students about money or they are too stupid and overlook its importance? I was forced to take gym class in high school, yet, no one even tell me I should learn about finance and money before I graduate.
Somehow I ended up owing more than $6,000 my first year at college and this started to scare me when I realize that I might not be able to pay it off. I got scholarships, but I can’t stop spending like an idiot. This never would have happened if I was taught how to take good care of my money in high school. It seems like the United States wants people to be in debt. It’s sad, but true.
If it wasn’t for paying off my debts, I wouldn’t be looking for financial related information all over the place and ended up becoming an entrepreneur that I am today. I took the hard way out, but it was worth it.
Increasing Financial Knowledge
I encourage people to increase their financial knowledge because that is and will always be your biggest asset until the day you die. Some holier-than-thou people will take this offensive and don’t want to learn more about money because based on them money is the root of all evil, but it’s the ignorance of money that’s the root of all evil. The truth is money makes a lot of things in this world go around, so if you want to live a happy life and get nearly everything you want, increase your financial knowledge.
I should warn you that most of the financial advices online are rubbish that teaches you things like living below your means and save money. This is stupid because living below your means basically means, “I’m not good enough to deserve that, I should settle for something less”. I wonder, do you still want to live below your means? Instead of settling for less, ask your how you can afford that which you wanted. Telling someone to save money is even worse because the government is printing trillions of dollars. I have thousands of dollars saved, but in the form of silver and gold bullion. Purchasing gold and silver is much better than saving cash. The bank might give you interest, but the value of money is going down so fast the interest your bank give you can’t keep up.
If you’re that farmer don’t let you son be like you because in today’s world, it is money and financial knowledge that is king. If this was thousands of years ago when food was more important than money than by all mean teach your son/daughter how to farm, but that’s not the case. Today money is the main mean of exchange and everybody needs to have at least a basic knowledge and awareness of money to even out the playing field between the poor and the rich. But for some reason, this knowledge can’t be found in public schools.
About the Author: 21 years old entrepreneur, Nathan Lee, enjoys blogging about making money online and women. Visit his websites Tycoon Wisdom and Modern Seduction to learn more and download his eBooks completely Free! of charge.
Apart from blogging, Nathan Lee is a professional music composer and his talent is demonstrated through his website Nathan Lee Studio. You can visit his music website by clicking on the link provided.
Here Is Your VIP Tour of The New Clickbooth Crib
As some of you may know, Clickbooth has been working on a new world headquarter and campus for the past year. Well, it’s finally finished and Clickbooth held a VIP open house to celebrate the opening.
The new Clickbooth crib offers 44,000 square feet of living space and sits on 12 acres of land (that makes my crib really small by comparison). Located at the corner of Clickbooth Way and IntegraClick Ave., the new crib offers amenities that would make any MTV star green with envy. The new HQ offers two game rooms, four refrigerators in the kitchen (where all the food is free) and a slide with three corkscrews. It’s so PIMP that Clickbooth has to force their employees to go home after work!
The first video is from the Clickbooth open house. The second video shows the new Clickbooth headquarter MTV Cribs style. Clickbooth is a big sponsor of John Chow dot Com and I congratulate them on their continued success. Want to be part of this? Clickbooth is looking for new employees and new affiliates. Go give them a shout if you’re interested.
Dot Com Lifestyle = Backyard Rocket Attacks
During Sally’s 4th birthday party, she was given some Nerf rockets. I had to admit I was more excited by the rockets than she was because I just love shooting things at people. The rockets are capable of going up 100 feet and requires a nice big landing area, especially on a windy day. Fortunately, my backyard proved to be an idea test site.
While the Dot Com Lifestyle allows me live anywhere in the world, its biggest benefit is it gives me the time freedom to spend it on the most important thing in life. And today, the most important thing was shooting rockets in the backyard, trying to hijack our neighbor’s sea plane and relaxing on the dock.