Holidays Stressing You Out? This Will Make You Laugh … I Promise!

Posted on 22 December 2008 by Suzanne

Holidays Stressing You Out? This Will Make You Laugh … I Promise!

OK … I’m home with kids (our five and we have a friend over) and it’s freezing outside. For those who work from home with kids you know how hard it is to concentrate on work and be there for your kids at the same time … so this is as close as I can get to getting both done. The Holidays can be so stressful that I thought it would be nice if I gave all of you a little break and hopefully a good laugh! Watch us bust a move …

The image below will link to a video that is hosted on the Office Max website and then the video should play automatically after you click (with music so it’s a warning to be ready).

If you didn’t already know I’m crazy … now you will! Hopefully my boys won’t hate me for this … well, not for too long anyway. LOL

Once on the site click "Try Another Dance" and see the country one too!

Need a good laugh? Did you give it a try yourself? If so, share the link here in the comments. Do you have any other fun ideas to break the holiday tension? Please share them with us! *SmiLes* Suzanne

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Blogging Idol Secrets Revealed eBookGlad you're here! I wrote my first eBook, "Blogging Idol Secrets Revealed," and it's my FREE gift for those who supported me in the Blogging Idol competition (and for my new online friends too LOL).

Go download it and learn how I drove new visitors and grew my RSS subscribers by over 800% ... in 30 days flat! Let me know what you think of the book ok?

Blogging Idol Secrets Revealed

Make Some Extra Money … Buy Low ~ Sell High

Posted on 19 December 2008 by Suzanne

Make Some Extra Money … Buy Low ~ Sell High

 
Buy Low ~ Sell High

Want to make some extra money? One way to make some extra cash is by buying stuff at a low price and reselling it at a higher price. Sounds simple enough right? Well, this idea falls into the category that I call “simple ~ not always easy” but if you’re willing to put in the effort it can be lucrative.

Where to Find Stuff

Some of the best ways to do this is to get familiar with eBay, Craig’s List, and your local classified ad sources (online and print). If you’re in a good area for flea markets and garage sales those work well too.

Know or Research

You should try to stick to the type of products you know something about or you’ll need to get really good at researching the selling price of the items you want to pick up.

Be Prepared

You might be surprised at some of the good deals you can find if you just get in the habit of watching for them.  

There are people who don’t know how to list items on eBay and they will let things go for way below their value (sorry … but it’s true). There are people who don’t understand the value, those who just need money fast, who could get more if they knew more about how and where to “sell” their stuff, those going through a divorce who have no emotional attachment to their “stuff” and just want it gone and those who are relocating and need it “gone” by a certain time and this even works great with retail stores when they have a closeout, a great coupon, and/or rebate. Now … before you go accusing me of suggesting you take advantage of people … that’s not the case! This stuff is going to sell to SOMEOME … I promise you. This is a business decision and nothing more.

This method can work for the following: 

  1. High end items. The margins will be greatest on high end items. Think electronics, expensive bikes, motorcycles, go carts, golf carts, jewelry, etc.

    2.  

  2. Large lots of items that can be broken down and sold off separately. A couple of examples that would work well: (a) large lots of children’s clothing (name brands work best) that you can turn around and sell individually, (b) direct sales items that representatives getting out of the business might be selling off (think Mary Kay, Tupperware, direct sales jewelry, nutritional products, etc.), and (c) incomplete “sets” like silverware, dishes and tools.

    3.  

  3. Items that can be broken down for parts. The most common example would be cars. But really get creative here … I know someone who parts out old boats … maybe computers and other electronics?

    4.  

  4. Shop outlet stores. If you are fortunate enough to live near a good outlet mall you do have an advantage. We once bought a couch at the Pottery Barn Outlet for about $400 and sold it on Craig’s List for $1,200. The outlet mall is 45 minutes away and we no longer have the storage space to buy/sell these bigger items but if I really needed the money I’d figure it out trust me! Some of the other stores that have a great selection: Coach, Lladro, Under Armour, and Quicksilver. Don’t be afraid to bargain with the manager for these products. They want to move this stuff too. I personally wouldn’t mention that you’ll be selling it online because sometimes they frown on having their brand moved that way but get creative and it doesn’t hurt to make a lowball offer on bulk items.

    5.  

  5. Look for incredible savings, rebates, and coupons. In a recent post I told you about an MSN/Live rebate offer where they were giving a 30% rebate for eBay purchases made through their search engine. I believe the maximum rebate was $200 so that meant you could purchase something in the $660 price range to take full advantage. If you bought 2 or 3 laptops using this rebate you would’ve made $400-$600 by relisting them at full price and selling them right back on the marketplace.

Things to keep in mind and factor in: 

  1. Sales tax
  2. Shipping costs (buying and selling)
  3. Selling costs (ads, listing/auction fees, PayPal, etc.)
  4. Gas and travel expenses
  5. Your time
  6. Condition of product (ask for a lot of pictures and have them rate the product’s condition 1-10)
  7. Authenticity (be especially careful with jewelry, designer products, antiques, etc.)

A Few More Tips

Keep in mind that you don’t have to sell the product using the same method you used to purchase it. In fact, sometimes it’s even better not to. If you purchased a couch on Craig’s List and relist it there … those who had seen it listed there previously will not want to pay your higher price a week later. Also, pay attention to how you present the product for sale. Give as much detail as possible and use company listed features whenever possible. Add as many pictures as you can and try to make the pictures look good … no … make that GREAT! I can take the same necklace or piece of clothing that someone else had for sale and make it ”look” twice as expensive by using some basic merchandising techniques … think lighting, color setting … think about how nice things look when you window shop in the mall. For higher end items I promise you this extra effort will pay off!

Have you used this money making method before? Have you ever bought something for the specific purpose of reselling it for a profit? If so, how did it go? Do you have any ideas to add to this list? You know I’d love to hear from you and it’s always great when we can all learn more on the topic from you … the readers … so let’s have it! LOL *SmiLes* Suzanne

Find Some Great Deals on eBay!

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Web 2.0 What Is It?

Posted on 16 December 2008 by Suzanne

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Web 2.0 What Is It?

Web 2.0 … undoubtedly you’ve heard the term but do you really know what it means? Well, I’m going to share what it means to me and how I use it to grow my businesses. 

So … back in the early days on the internet (Web 1.0) we mostly used our websites to “broadcast” our message. Whether we were providing free information or selling something we were simply “telling” our readers something by providing them information (brochure style) and it was truly a one-way conversation. When you think about early websites they were pages and pages of information with lots of navigation to … yet more pages and pages of information and so on … right?

With that said I’d say the main difference in Web 1.0 and the Web 2.0 concept is that even though we are still broadcasting our message and information to others we also want to be able to interact with our visitors and readers. By interacting I mean we want to be having conversation with them … two-way conversation … in an environment where we actually encourage our visitors and readers to tell us what they’re thinking and what they want from their online experience with us.

Using Web 2.0 techniques is a great way to really get personal with your readers and build rapport and build credibility. Remember … people do business with those who they know, like, and trust.

Let me share my favorite Web 2.0 tools available on the internet.

 

  1. Forums and Message Boards. I believe forums were the first websites that took on the Web 2.0 mantra of interacting and getting to know each other. There are literally thousands of forums where you can meet and interact with others who share your interests. To find some forums that discuss topics that are interesting to you and/or are a fit for your business type the words “forum + topicname” in the browser. If I wanted to interact with other wine lovers I would type “forum + wine” in my browser and see what comes up. That should help you find some forums to join and to start meeting and interacting with some people who share your interests.  

  2. Blogs. A blog or “weblog” as they were first dubbed is a tool that allows you to have a website that instead of reading like a brochure full of one-way information will become a place where your readers and customers can come and interact with you through the “leave a comment” feature that is at the bottom of each article or “post.” As the blog owner you will want to ask questions in your posts and encourage your readers to leave their questions and comments in the comment section. You will also want to actively “interact” with them by actually answering and responding to their questions and comments. People enjoy being part of a community and as time goes on you will get to know your readers and hopefully they will even get to know each other and find your site a nice place to “hang out.”

  3. Social Networking Sites. Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook are a great way to get to know others and interact with them. By setting up your “profile” and disclosing some things about yourself personally it will give you a way to be a little more personal and eventually give you a means to introduce others to your business. Much like forums social networking sites come in every different “size and shape” and you can find networks for just every topic imaginable (i.e. music, wine, WAHMs, parenting, dogs/animals, etc.). As you get to know someone by interacting on these sites it’s natural that you will eventually become interested in each other’s business. You can find these sites in much the same way by typing the words “social network + topic” in your browser bar.

  4. Social Bookmarking Sites. A social bookmarking site is a place where you can “bookmark” your favorite sites and pages of a site much like you would on your own computer where you store them in your “favorites.” The difference is that these are then stored online in your account on these sites allowing you access to them from any computer instead of just from your own computer. Another difference is that you can make your favorites “public” and your bookmarked favorites will be accessible by others who are members of the bookmarking site. On most of the sites you can also make “friends” just like you would on the social networking sites and you can share your “favorites” amongst your friends and vice versa. Digg, Del.icio.us, and StumbleUpon are three popular bookmarking sites but there are literally hundreds to choose from.

  5. Media Sharing Sites. Media sharing sites are sites where you can upload and “share” pictures and videos. The most popular example is YouTube, the video sharing site, but there are actually a lot of these sites online. Flickr is another example and is known more as a photo sharing site. Much like the other examples I’ve given you it’s a place where you can meet and “follow” others and there’s a social aspect and interaction on the site through the photos and videos.

  6. Yahoo Answers. There are several Question & Answer sites online and my personal favorite is actually Yahoo Answers. You can go there and either search for answers to a question you have or you can post your question and other members will come along and answer your question. Again, two-way interaction and a way to meet others who share an interest in your topic.

  7. Micro Blogging. Micro blogging is probably the newest of the Web 2.0 techniques online today. If you’ve never heard of Twitter you need to at least go check it out. It’s a site where you can broadcast your message or question to the other members … but the “micro” part is that you only have 140 characters to do so. You can find people with similar interests to you and you might “follow” their “tweets” and you will so have “followers” who are interested in hearing what you have to say too.

 

So to sum it up I’d say that the whole idea of Web 2.0 is to have interaction and two-way conversation while you’re online. Warning! It can be addicting and if you it can eat up valuable work time if you let it. My suggestion is to figure out how much time you have for each of these techniques and then stick to your schedule. Web 2.0 is a very powerful way to become successful online if it’s used properly so please let me know if you have any questions. If you are also using Web 2.0 successfully please share your tips and ideas so we can all learn and grow from the conversation. I’d love to hear your thoughts! *SmiLes* Suzanne

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Google Friend Connect ~ What Do You Think?

Posted on 08 December 2008 by Suzanne

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Google Friend Connect ~ What Do You Think?

Google Friend Connect, in beta, is now available to webmasters. I don’t know a whole lot about it but as soon as I saw it had a “comment wall” I wanted to give it a try. I’ve been wanting to put up something just like this where my readers could communicate with me and with other readers without having to leave the message on a specific post … or without having to email me directly.

Of course you will still want to make comments on a specific post when your comment pertains to that topic and I still love getting emails from all of you … but this is just for brief questions or comments.

I’ll leave it on and see how it goes. Things I’ll be watching for are: (1) is anyone interested enough to actually use it, (2) are there so many that I can’t keep up with reading/replying to you, and (3) will some use it to junk up the blog with spam (now … I know none of you reading this would do that … but it could invite drive-by spammers that I’ll have to moderate and such).

If you do give this a try, either here or own your own site, be sure you fill out our profile page and put links (with anchor text) on your profile page to your websites/blogs.

So … what do you think of the concept? Is it something you’ll enjoy? Should I match the colors to the blog or leave the standard colors? Will you be adding it to your blog? Why or why not? Can’t wait to hear what you have to say … so please leave your comments below and maybe “join” our community and leave something on the “comment wall.” *SmiLes* Suzanne

P.S. Here’s Google’s YouTube video that explains Google Friend Connect

P.S.S. Turns out this is my 100th Post … Can’t wait to have another 100 up there for you!

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Macs vs PCs … Which Do You Use and Why? Free Macbook Pro!

Posted on 06 December 2008 by Suzanne

Macs vs PCs … Which Do You Use and Why?

Macs versus PCs … which do you use and why? So why am I asking? Because one of my new online friends is holding a killer contest … well two actually … where he’s giving away a couple of Macbook Pros! If you don’t know it yet … I’m a very lucky lady so I’m thinking I stand a pretty good chance at winning (*wink* at least) one of  these things. Well, that got me thinking … if I won a Macbook Pro in this contest would I keep it, sell it, or give it as a gift?

I’ve never owned a Mac before, in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever even laid eyes on one much less played around with one. I’m a PC user just because … well … I don’t know why actually. Without doing a bunch of research I’ve always heard that Macs are more expensive but much easier to use. I’ve also heard that there are instances where you can’t use certain software so that’s a bummer. I’ve seen people asking on forums, “Is there a version I can use with a Mac?” So that’s always turned me off.

So now I ask … which do you use and why? Have you ever owned a Mac or are you strictly a PC user? Have you ever switched from one to the other? If so, how did that go? Either way how would you like to win a Macbook Pro?

To get your shot at winning go check out these two separate contests (on the same site) and good luck (beating me that is LOL).

The first one is going to be based on RSS subscribers. It’s totally easy to enter – just subscribe to D’s RSS feed via email and then leave a comment stating you’ve done so. The drawing will not happen until there are 500 RSS subscribers so it’s in everybody’s best interest to help spread the word. Fair enough right?

The second contest requires you to make a 200 word blog post about D’s blog and about the contest and then leave a comment that you’ve done so. No specific anchor text is required but he’s asking for at least two links to the contest post (pretty fair too huh?). The drawing will take place on December 18, 2008 so long as there are at least 20 participants so, again, spread the word and let’s make sure this thing goes off.

Now, if you’ve noticed I refer to this guy as “D” … that’s because he won the lottery and he hides his identity for obvious reasons! I’m happy for him and envious too … I need to start buying myself some lottery tickets (remember I’m very lucky)! He’s decided to blog about his life as a multi-millionaire lottery winner and I guess we can all live vicariously. He seems like a pretty good guy – does some random acts of kindness and all. Now with that said, that does NOT mean to go asking this guy for money or for help or anything like that … in fact I think that would be just plain rude and obnoxious.

Leave your comment below about the questions I’ve asked about the Macintosh versus the PC and let me know if you’re entering one or both of D’s contests. *SmiLes* Suzanne

P.S. I did a quick video showing some very basic keyword research I did for this post. I want to start getting in the habit of videoing as many quick tips as I can so let me know if this is helpful or not. Keep in mind I’m VERY (brand spanking) new at using Camtasia Studios software (screen capture) so please bare with me while I get better at using the screen capture. You might want to take some Dramamine before you watch! LOL

 

 

 Here’s a link to the keyword tool I used: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

P.S.S. Let us hear from you … Will you join one or both of D’s contests? Did you enjoy the quick video on keyword research? Should I do more of them while I work each day? And … let me hear your thoughts … Macs vs PCs

If you haven’t subscribed to SuzanneFranco.com yet … use that cool orange button below this to get all set up … it’s FREE and I’ll do what I can to help you become a success! What? The orange button isn’t there? Then just “Click Here“

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What Topics Would You Most Like to See on SuzanneFranco.com?

Posted on 05 December 2008 by Suzanne

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I have so much information swimming around in my head and I really want to get it out and here on the blog so I can help as many people as possible. I have a great list of possible posts but I thought it would make the most sense to ask you, my readers, which topics you’d most like to see me write about. I will get all of this great information out as quickly as humanly possibly but I thought this might help give me a game plan to write in the order that would help you the most.

 

Use the poll to answer, “What topics would you most like to see on SuzanneFranco.com.” Most likely you’d like to learn something about all of these topics but please give me your top 3 so I know where to start. You can also use the “Other” option and fill in a topic that’s not on the list.

I hope these are topics you’d like to see me write about and I look forward to seeing the results unfold. I’d love to hear your comments below … Am I on the right track? Are these topics you’d like to learn more about? Are there others you’d like to see me cover? Please share your thought with us … It makes the blog more of a community and we can all get to know each other and network together more effectively. Thanks! *SmiLes* Suzanne

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Some Great Contests and Prizes Around the Blogosphere …

Posted on 04 December 2008 by Suzanne

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There are some great contests going on around the blogosphere right now so check these out: 

John Chow Has Impressed Me … Again!

By now most of you know that John Chow stopped by here to show his support for my quest to become Blogging Idol and even went on to blog about it. Well, now he REALLY has my attention. He is holding the best online contest I’ve ever heard of and quite frankly if you don’t participate you just might not have a heart.

He has teamed up with a company called XR.com ~ they are the newest and greatest Tiny URL company and they’re really starting off with a bang. In fact, if you are the drawing winner, they are going to donate $5,000 to the charity of your choice AND give you $1,000 to spend as you please. If you don’t know what a Tiny URL is you’ve got to check this out. It’s a service that will shorten URLs for you ~ so instead of seeing http://www.johnchow.com/6000-contest-from-john-chow-and-xrcom/ you will see xr.com/nvg and it will link to the same page. Pretty darn cool huh? If you use Twitter this is especially helpful since you only have 140 characters for your tweet but they can also be used in forum signatures and all kinds of places online.

If I’m the lucky winner I will donate the $5,000 to Teen With a Dream which was started by a friend’s teenage son, Spencer, during his battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After experiencing, “extended periods of social isolation in a less-than-cheerful environment” he realized the need for other pediatric cancer patients to have laptops, games and activities, candy to help alleviate the bad taste chemo can generate, cool hats for those coping with hair loss, gift cards, and other items to help children keep their minds off this very long and painful process. This charity does a whole lot more for these kids and you can read about that on their Teen With a Dream website. As for the $1,000 … I think I’d have to go with a pink laptop! Go ahead and laugh but if I’m going to stare at the darn thing 15-20 hours a day … it might as well be pretty (and my boring black on is crapping out on me)!

So … go read the rules and good luck “paying it forward” this year … it’s the right thing to do and you know it!

Nspeaks.com ~ Ninja Affiliate Plugin

If you were eyeballing the Ninja Affiliate Plugin that was in my drawing but you weren’t fortunate enough to win a copy … you have another chance. This is a great plugin! In fact, I really want this thing for myself so you’re lucky I’m even passing this contest on to you. LOL. Go check out Nspeaks.com and all you have to do is subscribe via RSS email and leave a comment that you’ve done so. If you win … you owe me … I mean … you’re welcome!

StandoutBlogger.com

This one is not quite as easy to enter but there are some great prizes and it’s different and fun! Tom with StandoutBlogger.com is hosting a Film Festival for Bloggers and it’s going to get pretty good. I can’t wait to see the creativity everyone comes up with. Go check it out and if it’s something you’d like to do but you don’t know how to make a video … let me know in the comments and maybe it will prompt me to do a post on some video basics … enough to get you started anyway.

A Purse Inside a Purse? Why Didn’t I Think of That!

Sandy, with Organize with Sandy, is hosting a great giveaway of a Pouchee and I really want it! Ladies … this thing is awesome! You can organize all of the necessities for your purse and it fits inside your purse and then when you change handbags all you do is move the Pouchee out and put it into the other purse. Guys … you don’t have to “get it” at all … but you should know that this thing makes an awesome gift so go check it out anyway. If you win … you’ll be a hero (or feel free to send it right to me). LOL Earn drawing entries for subscribing to her blogs, adding buttons, blogging about it … you get the idea and you can read more and enter here.

A Market Leverage Contest on SuzanneFranco.com?

Today I received an email from Dina with Market Leverage letting me know that they weren’t able to “sponsor” me for the Blogging Idol contest but that they’d be interested in helping me out with a contest here on SuzanneFranco.com. Wow! That’s cool. If you’re not familiar with the super prizes that Market Leverage puts up for grabs … trust me … you’re not going to want to miss out. In fact, let me know what your favorite ML prize is so I can go to bat for your guys! Stay tuned …

OK … that’s it for now. Are you hosting a contest? Do you know of any other great contests going on? What do you think of these? Do you plan on entering any of them (other than the John Chow/XR.com because you just HAVE to do that one … I said so!)? Let us hear from you in the comments. *SmiLes* Suzanne

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Tid Bits and a Thank You to Shannon …

Posted on 03 December 2008 by Suzanne

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Thanks Shannon Lilly ~ Come See My Site Review!

And a huge “Thank You” to Shannon Lilly who offered to do a site review for SuzanneFranco.com. He has some pretty nice stuff to say about me and it was quite humbling. Thanks Shannon! If you’ve never had a site review I really suggest you do so. If it’s a good reviewer (uh-hem Shannon is good) than it’s more than worth the cost. We look at our sites so often that we get “used” to them and letting someone else tell us their first impression, any difficulties they’ve had with a different browser, how your content measures up, etc. is very valuable feedback. If you absolutely can’t afford one why don’t you ask someone if they want to do a mutual or reciprocal site review? 

Pandora.com

What do you listen to or watch while you’re blogging or working online? I work at home alongside my fiancé (that’s a LOT of togetherness BTW *lol*) and we usually have the T.V. on with the news or the history channel but I actually prefer music. My son, Austin, turned me on to the greatest thing ever … Pandora.com. You enter a song or an artist and it makes a “station” with music that is similar to your selection. Way cool … and I love it. Thanks Austin!

MSN and eBay ~ Get a 30% Discount!

If you like to shop online you’ll love this tip! MSN is trying to boost their search engine business and they’re offering a 30% rebate if you use their search engine to go to eBay and make a “Buy It Now” purchase (here’s the link to the MSN page explaining it) and (here’s the link to the eBay page explaining it). I think I’m getting a new laptop using this offer. The other day eBay added a 10% coupon that worked on top of this offer for a total of 40% off and I think they might do more of those as we get closer to Christmas. MSN is offering similar rebates for other sites but the eBay offer seems to be the best one.

Drawing Winners

If you won a prize in the drawing you should’ve received an email from me today. The email was sent to both you and the prize sponsor so that way you can follow up with them directly if you have a question about your prize. Of course let me know if you don’t hear from them or need any help with getting your prize. Thanks again to all sponsors and participants … You guys rock!

Need Some Graphics?

My online friend Nicole donated all of the graphics that I used to promote my Blogging Idol quest including that so cute “I Voted” button that many of you are sporting on your blogs. She is so talented and very reasonably priced so if you need buttons, banners or other web graphics check out her store or portfolio on MySpace or email her holymoleynicoley AT aol DOT com.

So … there are some tid bits from today … hope something was helpful. If you try out any of these suggestions … do share! We’d like to hear about it so don’t be shy. Besides I try to visit the sites of those who comment here so if you’d like me to drop by that’s a great way to get my attention. *SmiLes* Suzanne

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Did I Earn the Title “Blogging Idol”? Guess You’ll Have to Decide …

Posted on 02 December 2008 by Suzanne

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Did I Earn the Title “Blogging Idol”? Guess You’ll Have to Decide

Well … I’ve been waiting for today for … well … since I heard about the first Blogging Idol back in July … and here we are. Seems like a lifetime ago when I first heard about last season’s contestants battling it out for the coveted title.

So … here’s an excerpt from the official decision on Daniel’s site (read the whole decision post here):

“Actually we have three winners! Surprisingly enough, two of them are tied on the first place, and one is taking the third place.

The Winners

The three winners and their respective scores are:

So congratulations to Raghu from HappySchoolsBlog, he is the Blogging Idol!”

My response on Daniel’s site:

“I’m sorry this is so long.

Wow! Where to start … This contest has been life changing for me … sounds dramatic … but it’s true. As a 40-something year old “mom” I’ve spent much of my life “doing” for others … and I truly did “this” for ME. The great part is I knew I’d also be able to help others through my journey (so not totally selfish LOL) and I believe I was able to accomplish that.

A huge thank you to Daniel for the hard work and dedication it took to put this together and to stay up with the contest. Also to the judges and the sponsors who gave so generously. Without all of them this contest would not have happened. If you haven’t taken the time to check out their products/sites … please do that now! They’re all awesome and they deserve a look.

Now to the other contestants who pushed me to work harder than I knew I could. Thank you all! Especially to those who “raised the bar” and kept me going … even when I was exhausted and didn’t want to (Raghu, Matej, Tofugu, Vanae, and many others).

I can’t say enough to thank those who have supported me in this contest. With their kind words, their subscriptions, their votes … their tweeting and retweeting … blogging, and constant encouragement. It means the world to me and I wouldn’t even know how to repay any of you.

I wasn’t shy about wanting that TITLE! So now what? I’m Blogging Idol runner up, tied for 1st, almost made it something or other? One of my readers said I was the “Blogging Queen” or something like that … so maybe I’ll have to solicit for the proper title. Either way I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and hope to help many others find their way as a blogger too.

Remember … there were a lot of great strategies used throughout the competition so I hope everyone will learn from them and use them to their own success. *huGs* to all … Suzanne”

Daniel’s response:

  • 1. @Suzanne, as far I am concerned you can call yourself Blogging Idol too, you scored as many points as the winner after all.

The tie breaker was just used for the prize split.

Congrats on your accomplishments!

Hmmmm …

So … I’ll turn to you … my readers … did I earn the title, “Blogging Idol” or not? I’ve received several emails telling me that I deserved the title and that the judging wasn’t fair because one of the judges didn’t use the proper criteria to make his decision. All I can say is that’s the way it goes sometimes (like it or not LOL). Others have said I’m the “Blogging Queen” … “Blogging Diva” and … I think there was one more … but the point is this. Did I earn the title? Do I let you vote on another title? Do I go without a title? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I would like to close with once again thanking each and every one of you for your support. I did cry a bit this morning … but I’m not sure it was from being defeated as much as just how overwhelmed I am at how many of you wonderful peeps supported my efforts and truly understood how important this was to me. A heartfelt “Thanks!” *huGs* Suzanne

P.S. Also a special “Thank You” to Trackur.com and Text-Link-Ads … I can’t wait to “use” these awesome prizes and share the results with all of you

         

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Drum Roll Please! The Winners of the Drawing Are …

Posted on 02 December 2008 by Suzanne

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First a huge “Thank You” to all of our amazing sponsors who gave so generously for this drawing. These sponsors all responded with their prizes within a 48 hour period of me contacting them with my request and have absolutely spoiled you guys! If you haven’t taken the time to visit each and every site … would you please, please do that? If you want to continue to see great prizes donated around the blogosphere then we all need to support these bighearted people when they step up like this … agreed?

I want to thank Louise for reaching out and helping me with a simple system for using Random.org. I was about to make this way too complicated (I do that sometimes LOL) and she set me straight. I will do a post here soon on how to do a successful contest and I’ll include the instructions for using the site too. Keep in mind that we had over 100 contestants with over 500 entries so I took my time organizing it so it would be done right!

With that said, here are the winners of these great prizes:

Peraduanku ~ 30 Minute Backlinks ~ Michelle MacPhearson ($97.00) (x1)

Wendy Burt-Thomas ~ Ninja Affiliate ~ Pawan Agrawal ($97.00) (x1)

Lena ~ 1 Year Business Hosting Plan ~ Hostgator ($179.40) (x1)

SuburbanGypsy ~ 1 Year Business Hosting Plan ~ Hostgator ($179.40) (x1)

Jami ~ 1 Year Business Hosting Plan ~ Hostgator ($179.40) (x1)

Chris Carroll ~ Special Report Club (PLR) ~ Melissa ($182.40) (x1)

Alethea Anderson ~ Beating Adwords ~ Kyle & Carson ~ ($67.00) (x1)

Karrine ~ Premium WP Theme ~ Blog Design Studio ($49.00) (x1)

Fatherlyours ~ Premium WP Theme ~ Blog Design Studio ($49.00) (x1)

Sonya Smith ~ Premium WP Theme ~ Blog Design Studio ($49.00) (x1)

SuburbanGypsy ~ Premium WP Theme ~ Blog Design Studio ($49.00) (x1)

Lindsay Conner ~ Premium WP Theme ~ Blog Design Studio ($49.00) (x1)

Luca ~ 125 x 125 Sidebar Ad (1 month) ~ Blogging Tips ($50.00) (x1)

Marijke ~ Banner Ad Bottom of Post (1 month) ~ Blogging Tips ($30.00) (x1)

JeffLeft ~ 125 x 125 Sidebar Ad (1 month) ~ Shannon (InfectedByBugs.com) ($25.00) (x1)

Navjot Singh ~ Site Review ~ Shannon (InfectedByBugs.com) ($75.00) (x1)

Shannon Lilly ~ Video Site Review ~ Normal Joe (IMwithJoe.com) ~ ($50.00) (x1)

Yield to Pedestrian ~ Custom 125 x 125 Graphic ~ Nicole/Dusty Designs ($5.00) (x1)

Angie ~ Custom 125 x 125 Graphic ~ Nicole/Dusty Designs ($5.00) (x1)

Dhadha ~ Custom 125 x 125 Graphic ~ Nicole/Dusty Designs ($5.00) (x1)

Tammy ~ Make Money/Success Hypnosis CD ~ Jo Ann Galla ($34.95) (x1)

Shannon Lilly ~ 125 x 125 Ad (1 month) ~ Blog for Beginners ($15.00) (x1)

Jo Ann Galla ~ WP Auction Gold ~ wordperez.com ($29.99) (x1)

Tyler ~ 125 x 125 Ad (1 month) ~ Sensonize.com ~ Monty ($30.00) (x1)

Sissy ~ 1 Year Hosting, Blog Install and Theme Update, 1 Month Email Consultation ~ Kai Wilson ($300 – she’s low-balling this quote … this is HUGE … I promise!) (x1)

Robert ~ 125 x 125 Ad ~ GetInternetMarketingStrategies.com ~ JR ($25.00) (x1)

Marta -Rawvolta ~ Site Review ~ Jason Parish ($25.00) (x1)

LaTara ~ 125 x 125 Ad ~ MutualPay ~ Topen ($15.00) (x1)

Angie ~ 125 x 125 Ad ~ DirectSalesWebMarketing.com ~ Dennis Edell ($20.00) (x1)

Sonya Smith ~ 125 x 125 Sidebar Ad (1 month) ~ SuzanneFranco.com ($25.00) (x1)

Young ~ Blogger Interview ~ SuzanneFranco.com ($50.00) (x1)

Congratulations to all of you! You deserve it and I really do appreciate all of your support in my quest to become Blogging Idol (that post is next I promise).

Shannon Lilly was drawn for his own prize (I had a feeling that might happen in this drawing) so as promised I moved him down to the next prize which was the video review from Normal Joe. Funny thing is these two guys just battled it out in their own RSS contest … and I think it’s a good thing Joe beat Shannon or who knows how that review would go! Just kidding … but if you’ve never seen one of Normal Joe’s video site reviews … you’d better stay tuned to this one … it’ll be entertaining I promise.

I will be emailing all winners today and providing your contact info to the prize sponsors/donors.

Thanks again to all of the sponsors and to all of you who participated! It was a very successful contest/drawing so watch for more to come on the blog.

Did you win something? Was it what you wanted? If you didn’t which prize were you pulling for? What type of prize ideas do you have for my next promotion? We’d love to hear your comments so don’t be shy. *SmiLes* Suzanne

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