It's time to KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!

So what all happens with KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN? Here we go!

As you may (or may not) know, I've purchased a CTP badge. Your job is to get the badge. How? By getting the 10 character badge code. How? You're going on a scavenger hunt! When you surf TE's (such as the Timtech sites except Sweeva, Hot Flash Hits, Traffic Fugitive, Surf Skeleton, and Bella's Click Shack), you'll be looking for my FIVE CTP friends sites. Each site will contain TWO of the characters that make up the badge code. Simple? No?

Here's what you're looking for: Friends #1 contains the FIRST TWO characters of the code (#1 and #2). Friends #2 contains the NEXT TWO characters of the code (#3 and #4) and so on. Find each of the 5 sites, get each the 10 characters (2 per site), then go to CTP, enter the code correctly, and you'll have yourself a badge!

If you have any questions, please put them here as a reply. I'll add updates here as needed based on your feedback.

Beta Project: REAL TE'S OF GENIUS

Last week at a Traffic Exchange Live session, James Dias lead a conversation where he was comparing his (now Timtechs) site "IT247" to Budweiser by referring to it as "ITweiser". Further conversion went out and brought back from my memory the old Budweiser commercials about "Real Men of Genius". That memory turned into a brainstorm that led to me to start (in beta) a project called "Real TE's of Genius"...kind of a spin-off of the "Real Men of Genius" commercials.

Currently there are two sites in my "Real TE's" of Genius" project: Surf Skeleton (William Miller) and a new site, Holy Cow Traffic (Marlene Moore, aka Bartendermo). I don't believe blog rules permit me to post links here (if I'm wrong, please let me know via comment), so if you want to see them, surf pretty much any traffic exchange as I have them as high priority in my TE Toolbox tracker. If you prefer, contact me via Skype or Twitter (swhomebiz) and I'll send you a link to either or both.

Coming Tuesday: KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!

I hope everyone gets their fill of Halloween/Costumes/Candy/Trick or Treating on Monday because in November, project "KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN" starts. "What's this about?" is a very popular question I'm getting lately, so here's whats going on:

1. It starts Tuesday November 1st (hopefully -- one dependency, so I'll keep you updated)

2. Three major components

a) A new CTP badge I've ordered (it should be a hoot)

b) A new CTP Friends Volume 5 Splash Page that will be released Tuesday

c) How to claim the badge code (see below)

Claiming the badge code will be tricky. This is the one part I'm not sharing information about in advance. You'll enjoy the surprise, I promise. All I'm saying is "KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN".

OK Stephen, what's with the Twitter picture?

OK everyone, a new week is underway! Those of you that use Twitter may have noticed something on top of my face in my Twitter picture. What is it? "The Thank You Economy" -- that's what! What's that you ask? Gary Vaynerchuk's latest masterpiece which will be released TOMORROW (Tuesday 3/8/11). There's no downline structure involved in getting this book, so there's no commissions or incentive for getting others to get the book, but that doesn't matter. I 100% recommend this book. Go to your favorite book store or book store website, read the info about the book, and order "The Thank You Economy" NOW (yes, you can pre-order if it's still Monday)! You'll thank me.

Oh, when you place your order, go here to get "Thank You Economy" embedded in your Twitter picture like I did (aka get a Twibbon)! http://twb.ly/f02AU3

Click Track Profit -- EXPERT CERTIFICATION

For those who wonder what the difference between being CTP certified and CTP Expert certified, think of it as going a layer deeper into the onion (minus the crying, I think). By following some easy steps, you get set up for five more traffic exchanges and then you get to surf to earn a total of 1,000 hits for each of the TEN sites (remember, we started with 100 hits each for the first five for part of CTP certification, so hopefully you've still been accumulating hits and are well on the way to 1,000 already for those five).

While this is a great next step towards certification, I sincerely hope that some usage of Traffic Wave follows all of this surfing. The CTP folks should remember that a lot of new folks are on a trial basis with Traffic Wave and hope to see some bang for their buck before they start actually paying for it. Just me thinking aloud late at night.

Anyways, looking forward to being CTP Expert certified ASAP. If you're not on board with CTP, join here! http://trckrs.com/30615/ You'll need to be patient as you'll first follow the CTP certification steps before you can follow the CTP Expert Certification steps.

Live Traffic Network: A special invitation just for YOU!

Hey there! A brand spanking new soclal Traffic Exchange has JUST NOW (noon eastern on Friday 2/18/11) opened for business! Join me there NOW!

http://www.livetrafficnetwork.com/?rid=74

Traffic Wave

Hey there...just a super fast review of the Traffic Wave videos...

(1) Short

(2) Concise

(3) Thorough

(4) Makes Traffic Wave so easy to use, even I can use it

There are nine videos in all as well as an array of training articles with helpful information as well.

If you aren't using traffic wave yet, utilize their 30 day trial offer, go through the training, and give it a look:

http://www.trafficwave.net/members/swhomebiz

I'm looking forward to the next set of activities that CTP (Click Track Profit) has us have. Hopefully it'll include using Traffic Wave to start building our lists. If not, I may not wait on them, LOL.

Click Track Profit and Traffic Wave

This is going to kind of be a transitional post from where I discussed Click Track Profit (CTP) last post to a series of posts I'll be doing on Traffic Wave.

CTP launched something this week called "certification" which simply involves following a few steps to learn how to surf on traffic exchanges, track the results and getting set up to profit as a result by getting signed up at Traffic Wave. I've completed all of these steps and, as a result, I am CTP Certified! This splash page is my celebration and, if you're not on board with CTP yet, feel free to click the green button and sign up! http://trckrs.com/30615/

Yes, that is a tracker link. That's the cool thing. Your splash pages gets viewed and tracked so you can profit! The profiting happens thanks to a program called Traffic Wave, which I'll be explaining in a few upcoming posts. I just joined it today and will be watching introductory videos starting tomorrow, so I'll probably have something to say every 2-3 days for awhile about it.

Presenting --- Click Track Profit

So what is this Click Track Profit (CTP) and why should I sign up? Simple, CTP is List Building for Dummies. It's so easy that even I can use it. The best part of it is the fact that the program materials come in small chunks. What you see when you first log on is NOT everything that the program has to offer. The concept is to "feed" you small bits of steps to do so you don't feel overwhelmed. That's a good thing for me, and, more then likely, you too.

Commissions, of course, is money. Simple. Money is good. I like money. How do you get commissions? Get folks to join CTP under you. How? For starters, get this information on your blog along with your signup link (easy enough -- I'm doing that here). Get your splash pages out on Traffic Exchanges (super easy -- you'll do some of that while you're completing the first 5 of the easy 8 step setup process once you get signed up and into the program). Each step comes with a video. Watch the video -- follow the instructions. Remember, more tasks are coming. These 8 steps are to get you just started for now.

Interesting fact: Once folks start under you, they start with these same 8 steps today, whether they sign up today, tomorrow, next month, or next year. The subsequent steps will follow in time for them just like it will do for you. They won't ever "catch up" to where you are. They get new steps/tasks at the same "bit by bit" pace that you do.

So, very simply, click on the link below, sign up, consider upgrading (it'll be worth it from day one -- options for month and year are available), and follow the 8 step set up process. At the time of this writing, once you finish the 8 steps, you get access to "advanced training" which contains 3 videos -- short, but definitely worth a listen. More will be coming down the road, so check back every day or so for new materials and steps.

http://clicktrackprofit.com/splash/?referer=swhomebiz.

If you still have questions, each Monday night at 7 PM ET, the authors of CTP (Jon, Tim, Justin, and Larry) are available at a weekly Traffic Exchange Live online session (link below). Oh, by the way, if you don't have a blog yet and need help, ask away while you're there. I'll be there, so come and join us and bring your questions (Please don't forget to come back here and use my link to sign up -- thanks!)

Traffic Exchange Live

Review of Gary Vay - ner - chuk's CRUSH IT (Part Two)

All I can say is WOW! If you haven't read "Crush It" yet, why not? Perhaps the best chapter in the book was the one word chapter entitled "The best marketing strategy ever" and no, I'm not telling you what the one word is. It makes it worth getting the book all by itself.

He dedicates an entire chapter to monetizing, which you embark on once your site is set up, your brand is established, and you have your audience eating out of your hand. He goes into details about advertising, speaking engagements, affiliate program, retail, articles, seminars, books/TV, and consulting. Hint: You don't do all of that just one time.

Guess what? Not everything is going to go your way when you try to set everything up. Not everything is going to be successful the first time. Gary addresses these kind of situations in Chapter 12 (Roll with it). Change is a part of life, and yes, it's okay to do when you're establishing yourself, your business, and your brand.

I'm a simple, bullet-point-oriented person. As a result, my favorite part of the book is Appendix A (Did you forget anything?) where Gary set up a checklist of everything encompassed in the book. Be prepared to do several of those steps over and over and over and over and over.....

Fantastic book! Highly recommended! Buy it! Now! Also, as an extra bonus, Gary has a new book coming out soon -- "Thank You Economy". While you're ordering Crush It from your favorite online book site (or at your favorite book store), be sure to pre-order "Thank You Economy". You'll thank the economy, Gary, and me.

Review of Gary Vay - ner - chuk's CRUSH IT (Part One)

Hello Everyone! This book is SO GREAT that I couldn't even wait until I finished it before I started singing its praises here. It sounds so simple:

Love your Family
Work superhard
Live your passion

Didn't know success in business (or in life, for that matter) could be so easy, did you? Well, it's a combination of putting forth maximum effort doing something you love and doing it for the right reasons -- and NO, making a living is NOT the right reason. Also, going to a 9-5 job that you hate DOES NOT apply here, so if that's what you're doing now, don't you think it's time to revisit that part of your life? Absolutely!

For those that have been going to TE Live, you've been hearing Jon Olson talk about personal branding until you're probably sick of it. Fair warning -- guess what Chapter 3 is about in Crush It? You got it! Personal Branding! Maybe there is something to this personal branding stuff? Just a thought. Lots of discussion about using tools like Twitter for not just your business, but your personal brand as well.

By far this is my favorite book I've ever written, and, just as a heads up, I got this on Twitter about an hour ago:

*** "TYEbook @theTEguy well, i'm about to replace 'crush it' as your new favorite book. less than two months! #CRUSHcrushit (cc: @swhomebiz)" ***

TYE? What's that? It's Gary's newest book, "Thank You Economy", due for release in the next couple of months. So...keep your eyes open later this week for part two of my "Crush It" review as well my "Thank You Economy" review down the road when its out.

I want to hear from you on what you want me to talk about in blogs. Also, if you have an upcoming program release, give me a heads up and I'll be sure to mention it here as well as help out in any other way I can.

Out with the old, In with the new!

Hello Everyone! Yes, I am getting going into the wonderful world of blogging (again). It got a bit stale the first time around because I kept trying to make myself do an entry every day whether I had anything to write or not. Not good. So, I'm writing this entry during the Get Referrals Fast conference. I was THRILLED to see that they recommended a blogger blog because, as you can see, I already have one. Just need to use it once in awhile. Look for entries maybe 2-3 times a week, maybe more, maybe less.

Thanks and remember to make it a GREAT day!
Stephen Whittle (swhomebiz)