Mind maps already play an important role in many membership sites. Membership site owners often use mind maps to plan their content, manage their time, and create templates for members to complete. Numerous author planning, writing and book marketing map templates, for example, are available at www.publishedandprofitale.com, including:

• Research maps to help authors analyze competing books in their field
• Plan maps to help authors prepare their book’s table of contents
• Proposal templates to help authors organize information for their book proposals
• Marketing plan templates to help authors plan their book’s marketing and promotion

Collaborative map editing
Until now, however, mind mapping has been a solitary activity. Only one person could create a mind map at a time. Mind maps can, of course, be viewed by many using online web conferencing solutions like www.gotomeeting.com, but only the host or presenter can make changes on a map.

Mindjet Connect, however, opens up a new world of collaboration. Membership site owners, for example, can present a map for discussion–such as title planning map–and all participating members can add their ideas to the map or comment on other ideas. Co-editing brings mind mapping and brainstorming to a new level, taking group participation and problem solving to a new level.

Workspaces and workgroups
Mindjet Connect is based on secure online workspaces. Maps and map templates can be placed in workspaces that only authorized members can access or modify. Membership site owners can create multiple workgroups, perhaps for members at different stages of writing their book.

Mindjet Connect simplifies map distribution and sharing. Workgroup members can access maps or collaborate with other members either in real time or whenever it’s convenient for them.

To learn more about Mindjet Connect and the various chat and Instant Meeting capabilities available with different versions, visit the Mindjet website and select Products & Services, followed by Mindjet Connect and Features.

Technorati Tags collaboration, info-marketers, Mindjet Connect, MindManager 7.0 Pro, workspaces

Google’s online calender makes it easy for you and others in the same office, or across the country, work together more efficiently. It’s a great solution for you and your virtual assistant or virtual webmaster to schedule tasks and communicate with each other.

Google’s online calendar offers you a choice of views: by the day, by the week, or by the month, and each view can be printed.

I’m using Google’s calendar to create a structure for myself by setting aside certain “telephone call free” periods of each day for recurring tasks like:

• Creating new content
• Planning and scheduling expert interviews
• Site promotion
• Blog posts
• Planning and creating new back-end products and services

Best of all, using my online calendar, I know what I’m going to be doing every day, which reduces the chances of my inadvertently overlooking any important tasks, and others I work with know when they can, or cannot, schedule other commitments. By adding upcoming events to the calendar, I also am better able to plan each day’s activities in the context of what’s coming down the road.

Technorati Tags Google's online calendar, membership site planning, time management

On June 11, I’m presenting a special audio conference on Newsletter Marketing for the Internet Age for the Association of Strategic Marketing, a division of the Lorman Business Center.

Newsletters play in important role in building long-term relationships with clients and prospects. Newsletters represent one of the most powerful way associations, authors, and small businesses can grow their impact and their businesses by expanding their reach and retaining their customers.

During this special audio conference, produced for the Association of Strategic Marketing, a division of Lorman Business Center, I’ll show you why traditional approaches to newsletter marketing are no longer effective - and what works now!

I’ll describe 10 ways to design a newsletter that differentiates your message from your competition. I’ll share specific ideas for building your newsletter’s circulation list as well as how to learn from your readers.

You’ll get 12 ideas, tips and techniques for producing each issue on time.

After attending this audio conference, you’ll be able to squeeze more value out of each issue of your newsletter by repurposing content and distributing it in multiple formats. Other benefits include:

• Hear 10 keys to newsletter marketing success
• Discover a simple, new format*
• Leverage information to better position your business
• Distribute your newsletter online and offline
• Profit from previous issues

This special audio conference takes place June 11, 2008, from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EST

To register, contact ASMinfo@associationofmarketing.org or call 866.226.0828. For details, visit www.associationofmarketing.org.

Technorati Tags Association of Strategic Marketing, Customer retention, Lorman Business Centers, Membership Site Owner's Bootcamp, Newsletter marketing

There are several things wrong with this “later” thinking:

• Advantages of a content management system. To their frustration, many authors, coaches, and consultants pay web designers thousands of dollars to design “hostage” sites that cannot be quickly and easily updated. The same amount of money invested in a membership site software program, like MemberGate, however, permits the creation of a web presence that you can easily update yourself without incurring additional costs and delays. And, when you’re ready, you can put the software’s membership billing and management features to work.
• Learning curve. All software involves a learning curve, and all websites have their procedures and idiosyncrasies. Mastering a membership site software program now, instead of later, saves you time and duplicate effort down the road.
• Premium content doesn’t have to be “sold.” As I described in my Streetwise Guide to Relationship Marketing on the Internet book, which included a Foreword by Seth (”Mr. Permission Marketing” Godin), the web excels at customer retention. Websites based on membership site software make it easy for authors, coaches, and consultants to distribute Premium Content which can solidify content with current clients and A-list prospects. This Premium Content makes it easy to reward your clients and best prospects with valuable information that others cannot access–giving them tangible reasons to remain loyal to you (and refer you to others).

It simply doesn’t make sense to create two websites, often a “hostage” site now that you cannot update yourself, and a membership site later, when you can do the job once, and simply turn on additional capabilities as needed.

Technorati Tags marketing professional services, MemberGate, relationship marketing, websites for authors, websites for coaches

This feature can help membership site owners avoid inadvertently emphasizing some categories, while under-posting in some other categories. Using this feature, you can easily fine-tune your blog content plan to ensure that you’re putting the right amount of emphasis on those topics that generate the best response.

Technorati Tags blog categories, blog content, WordPress

New postcard mailing options are appearing every day. AmazingMail, for example, is now offering 2-panel and 3-panel postcards in a variety of sizes, including 8 1/2 by 11. Cards can be printed and mailed in any quantity desired–with no expensive minimums. Postcards are printed on heavy stock and plastic laminated. These formats arrive folded, held together with adhesive tabs.

Quality is the key to rewarding your members with helpful information packaged to pre-sell its value. The better looking and more substantial your postcard, the more your members will value the information your postcards contain. Applications for membership site member retention include:

• Bonus reference sheets, like instructions, shortcuts, and tips
• Calendars sent monthly or quarterly
• Bonuses for renewals or referrals

Technorati Tags AmazingMail, postcard marketing, print on demand postcards

Tonight, on behalf of the Guerrilla Marketing Association, I’m inviting my membership site owner friends to attend a special teleseminar interview I’m conducting with Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth and Awakening the Entrepreneur Within. Michael’s “systems-based” messages have profound relevance for membership site owners interested in maximizing their site’s potential.

On tonight’s call, Michael and I will be discussing the story behind his latest book, Awakening the Entrepreneur Within. Michael’s latest projects, described at AwakeningtheEntrepreneur.com, have particular relevance to membership site owners looking for new content, directions, and marketing ideas.

The call takes place Wednesday evening, May 14th, between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM EST. Contact Roger C. Parker for call-in instructions. And bring your questions about “dreams” and “systems.” There will be several opportunities to ask them.

Technorati Tags awakening the entrepreneur, E-Myth, membership site owners, Michael Gerber

One of the best ways you can promote upcoming interviews and increase the perceived value of your interviews is to profile your guests in advance of the call. A short article stressing the background of your upcoming guest provides you with an opportunity to promote the relevance of the upcoming call to your member’s.

Another way you can build anticipation and–hence–attendance at your live teleseminar interviews is to invite guests to submit a previously-written article or two in advance of your interview. Nowhere is it written that all of your site’s content has to be written by you. Consider creating a “Guest” or “Other Voices” category and invite upcoming guests to submit previously-written articles or content to your site.

It’s a “win-win” situation for all when you build anticipation for your upcoming teleseminar interviews. Your site gains valuable content and more of your members and prospects will attend your teleseminars. The result will be more dynamic and informative interviews and better recordings.

Technorati Tags Content, promoting interview guests, teleseminar promotion

HARO works both ways, of course. As a membership site owner, you might consider registering yourself as a “media reporter” for your membership site, allowing you to locate subject area experts for upcoming membership site content and case studies. Register as a media reporter at www.helpareporter.com/press.

Technorati Tags help a reporter, Media and press, membership site promotion, Peter Shankman, subject area experts

If Windows comes out with updates, I always wait and see if they are working correctly. Sometimes, you just never know if all the kinks have been worked out.

Well, I recently upgraded to WordPress 2.5 and absolutely loved it.

A short time later, I saw that WordPress 2.5.1 became available available. Says “Please update now” on the dashboard, right where you can’t avoid it! Without thinking about it, I upgraded my blog and 2 clients as well. 

I found it very strange that I needed to upgrade my database yet again, but figured it was par for the course.

I really wish I hadn’t upgraded.

Today, I noticed that when I look at my RSS feeds, it says that I have no articles. 

I didn’t even think of checking my RSS feeds once I upgraded!

Everything worked perfectly. My blog posts were all there and WordPress worked like before. So, I figured all was well.

So, back to the story. I immediately thought it was something I did wrong. I decided to check out all my other WordPress blogs.

When I checked out this blog (which hadn’t yet been upgraded to 2.5.1), the RSS feeds worked properly.

I thought it was some kind of settings or permissions to the files.

I checked those and they were all identical. In fact, this blog is hosted by the same company as my www.thrivingdesigner.com blog. This one worked and Thriving Designer didn’t.

So, what was my next step?

I downgraded it back to 2.5 and my RSS were back.

I tried re-upgrading, and they disappeared again.

C O N C L U S I O N :

I’m waiting for the next version. And one more thing to check and make sure it works!

And, before I upgrade all my blogs, I will check that one works perfectly before diving in and upgrading all of them.