Online Marketing by Tim Shady

Online Marketing by Tim ShadyThese days, having a website isn’t enough.  You need a comprehensive Internet Marketing strategy to ensure your online marketing efforts result in increased revenues and brand awareness.

My name is Tim, most people I work with know me as “Tim Shady.”  I don’t know if I have ever liked the moniker, but it’s already branded, sort of like Chad OchoCinco.  No going back now.  Never abandon a successful brand.

TimShady.net is my Official Website and personal blog. I offer Internet Marketing services as well as educational articles to aspiring marketers.  I write to educate, entertain, and meet like-minded individuals who strive for success in making money online.  While I was perfectly capable working in “Corporate America,” I take pride in paying my dues wherever I have an Internet connection.

In addition to serving as a blog for my daily rants, TimShady.net documents my experiences in online marketing, both through my own ventures and through experiences shared with clients.  I am a member of many associations and distinguished marketing groups, but more importantly, in touch with the underworld of online marketing.   If you follow along, you just might learn a thing or two or meet some people who can help you.

For more about me, please visit my “about me” page.  Enjoy the information – and should you want to get in touch, I have several methods listed throughout the site.

All Minnesota Hockey Hair Team 2013

Barry Melrose Mullet

Barry Melrose is known for his sweet hockey hair. He’d be proud of the Minnesota All Hockey Hair Team.

Growing up in Minnesota, you have to make your own fun, especially in the cold, dark winters.

The highlight of Winter in Minnesota is the Minnesota Boys State High School hockey tournament, something my high school never sniffed during my tenure there.  In our defense, we did lose to the eventual champions, Apple Valley, in 1996.  They had to outmuscle us, their next door neighbor, to get to the semi-finals of the divisional play-in, and then win two more games to get to State.  Sure, they beat us 8-0 at Marriucci Arena, but I’d like to think the score didn’t accurately reflect how the game went.

Every hockey player either attends the tournament or is glued to their television broadcast of the games, making it comparable to a high school version of March Madness.  Stars are born and dreams are realized each year.

For me, living in South Florida, I’ve missed out on watching most of the actual games dating to 2001.  However, that doesn’t mean I can’t take away some special memories from the tournament in the form of an unforgettable YouTube video made by a guy who goes by the screen name “PullTabProductions11.”

Making an “All Hockey Hair Team” has become his niche.  And a damn good niche if you want my opinion.  I was given a good heads up by a friend of mine in Duluth, Minnesota, that this years video went live.  When I watched it, it had 300 views.  I watch it about every day, just to get a laugh, and now it’s well over 230,000 views.  Minnesotans love hockey, and even more, they appreciate good hockey hair.

This has become part of the culture in Minnesota, and it’s something I look forward to every year.  Enjoy it!

The State of SEO & What to do NOW!

Ben Stiller "Do it"I’ve wanted to update everyone with news for a long time.

No, I didn’t forget about you!  In fact you all know how to get me on Twitter, as rarely a day goes by where I’m not ranting about something or making fun of someone.

However, there were two things getting in my way recently.

First, the GOOD news…..

My own e-commerce ventures are doing really well. It’s all I would expect as year after year the Fall Season is when you really make a good push online and “Bring it.”  So, I’ve been busy with that, coaching Under-7 Soccer, and enjoying the best season of all:  FOOTBALL SEASON.

Now, the bad news….

SEO is the most difficult thing to understand right now.  At least for me.  I’ve been testing, re-resting, and watching seminars at all hours of the day.  Putting in 17 hour days is the norm for me in October and November, year-in, year-out.  But this year I’m doing it to get SEO back on track.  It’s amazing that our businesses are doing well because our SEO is at an all time low.  Dead serious.  I’m an SEO “guru” and speak to other “guru’s” daily yet things are just not clearly defined.  The tricks and trades that worked last year prior to the Google Penguin update are no longer working.  Sure, I have rankings, and have more traffic than most people dream of, but it’s nowhere near our highs.  I strive for the best, and when I’m not there, I go at it all hours to ensure I get back to the top of the mountain.  If you are an NBA fan, I’m Kobe Bryant, shooting hoops after a loss all night long.  Work ethic is everything.

So, where does that leave us and why are you telling us this?

Search Engine Optimization (well….Google Optimization) is at a very weird point right now.  There are some very questionable sites ranking for big keywords, and some very Black Hat stuff going on right now.  I’ve seen sites rocket up the ranks only to crash down a week later.

So what should we do?

For starters, you should immediately join a forum / help center that I’ve been very active in.  It’s called “Bring the Fresh” and I will do a full review once I get the proper time.  It’s co-founded by Kelly Felix and Mike Long, two great guys with extensive track records in Internet Marketing.

Click Here to Visit Bring the Fresh & Learn Something!

After you sign up there, you’ll see a good amount of videos with the members showing you how to do what they do.  One guy made $1.4 last year and just got started with Internet Marketing. Pretty cool.  You’ll see me in there as well.

So, after you do that…..Here’s a few things that are PROVEN to work NOW.

1.  Diversify your anchor text.  Don’t over-build for a certain keyword and don’t get too caught up in what the text link says.  Get the link if it’s strong and related, and forget what you are trying to rank for.

2.  Use InfoGraphics, Killer Content, and Enhance User Experience.  This sounds like a comment I’ll get a lot of “no shit sherlocks” on but you have to reach a new level.  Writing a breaking story isn’t enough right now, you need to back it up with a graphic people won’t forget, a link to a tool that they will use again, or create some other reason to bring visitors back.  I can’t stress this enough.

3.  Be different.  I try to be contrarian in everything I do.  I don’t always go that way, but it’s the way you need to be.  Most people go with the flow, and the ones that don’t, WIN.

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.”
– Mark Twain

That Statement is one of my favorite ones of all time.  Earlier this year (myself included) myself and most of my Minnesota friends were SOOOOOO convinced the 49ers would not only win vs. the Vikings but also cover the -6.5 spread that we all but spent the “winnings” prior to kick-off.  Over 93% of the public liked the 49ers to cover that same spread.  Minnesota won 24-10, and a financial kick in the nuts ensued.

How do you think the young rappers Kris Kross became popular?  They wore their jeans backwards.

Why will basketball fans never forget Dennis “the worm” Rodman?  He was bold.  He got crazy tattoos and dyed his hair multiple colors.  He also had ridiculous piercings.   He dared to be different (like Zubaz, lol) and it earned him a lot of popularity in the process.

So…..whether you sell shoes, blog about finance & investing, or talk about sports on your website, be different.  Create separation from the pack, like Randy Moss did for so many years in the National Football League.

If you do that, you’ll survive the mean world of Internet Marketing no matter what the forecast of search engine optimization calls for.

Finish 2012 strong, and make sure to check back soon for updates.

Write Winning Content – A Guide for Dummies

Winning Content WritingIf you are creating a website of any capacity, you have to write winning content.  It doesn’t matter if you sell legal services or snake oil, content is king.

Just what is winning content, you ask?

Winning content is not just compelling thoughts that you spew down on paper and spam out to the audience hoping it does something that ends up making you money down the line somewhere.  Winning content achieves one of these objectives:

  • Creates controversy
  • Serves as authoritative or important enough to serve as link bait
  • Takes an exaggerated stance on a current event

When you create controversy, naturally people will link to it or talk about it. They’ll bring the topic of conversation to Social Media sites like Twitter and Facebook.  Search Engine Optimization relies on mentions on Social Media these days, so when you write compelling enough content that gets passed around, VOILA! – you are doing yourself a huge favor by aggravating people enough – tongue in cheek – that they do the heavy lifting for you!

Any time I write content for a website I use an authoritative approach.

How do I do this?  I surround all content with relevant content on the same subject – professionally written by myself OR someone with more knowledge on the subject.  Of course, a good author bio telling of my experience on the topic always helps.  For example, You can read my bio page here and know that I’ve been immersed in Internet Marketing for the better part of my adult life.

For example, this post went extremely viral: Lazy Blogger’s Guide to Creating Content.

People felt that I wrote a good post about the topic of content creation, and they felt I had the background of someone people should respect, so it went viral.  Stuff like that is what I do daily, over a variety of websites where I oversee professionals who write about topics they truly are an expert in.  This process of writing winning content and getting people to link to it is an old SEO trick called LINK BAIT.

Lastly, you can always take a bizarre stance on a topic that people will naturally react to in an off the wall manner. For example, everyone in Miami was rooting for the Miami Heat.  The rest of the country?  Not so much.  Look at this stat on how people cheered for the 2012 NBA Finals.  That site shows that the hated Miami Heat (my team, of course!) were the villain of the league.  Of course, every media analyst talked trash about Miami and their star players, which begs the question:  why didn’t someone find an opportunity to play the role of contrarian and back the Heat publicly?  This was a HUGE opportunity for someone to take a stance and be different.  However, nobody seized the opportunity.

So…..in conclusion, you must be brash, bold, and assertive.  Be informative and back up your site’s claims by telling people who you are and why you are an authority on the subject.  You don’t have to be a PHD to know about muscle spasms.  If you played enough sports and had enough of them yourself, plus tell everyone how much time you spent researching muscle spasms, you are a good read if you create compelling content on the subject of muscle spasms.  Some people even like the “average joe” perspective on things once in a while.  A sense of familiarity always helps people relate to you.

That’s all for today.  Go out there and WIN.

 

Google Penguin: An SEO’s Nightmare

I’ve been away from my usual updates recently and many people have asked me why.  When I reply “the Penguin” most people think I’m talking about Adam Sandler’s drunken tirades in the movie Billy Madison.

I wish I was!

Google’s latest “update” to their famous algorithm is called the Penguin.  Penguins are supposed to be cute, cuddly creatures – not beastly, mean animals who shatter dreams the way Gold Dust used to in the WWF.  (Dustin Runnels – Gold Dust – his finishing move “Shattered Dreams.”  Anyone still with me?)

This update is my 10,000 foot view on Google Penguin.  I’m not going to elaborate too much but rather tell you what I’ve been up to.

The Penguin has SEO’s up in arms.  What used to work – doesn’t.  There was a penalty called “over optimization penalty” you can read about it here: Penguin & Google.

Instead of me regurgitating info that’s already out there and laid out in a great manner, follow that link. It’s a great resource and will catch you up on just why everyone is going bonkers about this new update.  I’m personally rolling out many new websites to conquer this.  I was literally wiped out of Google for about 90% of my sites.  Not de-indexed – but slapped hard.  Sites that were getting 2,000 visits per day are getting 200.  It’s that bad.  Imagine if you owned a restaurant and had 100 customers per day and all of a sudden, you went down to 10.  That’s pretty much what happened here.  It’s not fun, it’s not pretty, and like I said, even the most profesional marketers are trying to decipher just what Google wants them to do.

Some things we DO KNOW Google is looking for….

More branded links.   Like ——>  http://www.timshady.net  ———->timshady.net   ———->www.timshady.net

Google has to see these – it’s only natural and white hat.  Over optimizing would look something like this:

“SEO”  “SEO services”  “BEST SEO”……follow?

You used to be able to tell Google what you wanted to rank for…..now, that just slaps you down further down the abyss Google has created called page 12 – where nobody will find you!

Also, you can’t over-optimize your content.  Meaning, don’t keyword stuff.  Don’t use the same keyword for the headers.

That is what we KNOW today.  I’ll be updating this as more info comes out.  But until then, I’ll be in the beat laboratory trying to figure out just what Daddy Google wants to see going forward.

 

 

Lazy Blogger’s Guide to Creating Content

Lazy BloggerThis is an article for all you lazy bloggers out there!  If you don’t blog frequently, and wonder why you don’t make any money from your blogs, this article is for you.  The number one reason blogs fail is because they are abandoned.  Want to be an authority on a topic?  Then give your audience great content on a frequent basis.  It’s not rocket science, but it’s something most inexperienced bloggers forget about as they give up too soon on their dreams of working from their internet connection.

Here is one way you can get CONTENT ideas for your blog:  Current Events.

How can you blog about current events, you ask?

Simple.  It’s a tactic that many blog owners employ already.  The best example is TMZ.com.

Those guys are relentless updating content.  Whenever something happens in their niche (celebrity news and the Hollywood scene for the most part) they are updating their home page and posting photos about it.  Folks, they are an example to follow.

One local blog I’ve seen that does a decent job of responding to current events is MiamiBlog.com.    This site reacts to Miami current events and posts Miami restaurant reviews.  They don’t update the site nearly enough (I know the writers) but they have compiled a massive amount of pages in Google since 2009, something that’s a big value.  A recent story about another popular topic I blogged about, electronic cigarettes, got my attention.  It’s hard to ignore the exposion (not the one in the man’s mouth, however) of electronic cigarette smoking in Miami.

Anyways, here is a quick guide on how to find topics to write about.

In the example, we’ll say your site is about Baseball.

Step 1:  Go to news.google.com.

Step 2:  Type in “baseball”

Step 3:  Read all of the stories

Step 4:  Find one that appeals to you where you can easily develop an opinion and stance on the topic.

Step 5:  React to the story in your own words, using the keywords of the title of the story as your basis and target SEO keywords.

Step 6:  Market it virally.  Facebook, Twitter, any other web 2.0 properties.

That’s a simple way to add content without putting on your thinking cap or ruining your day wondering “what the heck do I write about?”  Sound easy?  It’s simple.  My team does it daily across many niches.  I call it reactive blogging.

How you capitalize on this is up to you. Capture emails.  Gain Twitter followers.  Get facebook likes.  Get your story Dugg or Stumbled Upon.  The options are endless.

Quick and easy.  If I can do it, you can do it.  That’s all for today.  Go out there and get more traffic!

 

What’s Hot Online? Electronic Cigarettes, For Starters

My marketing company has a really slick website launching that’s going to track Internet trends and keep tabs on “what’s hot” online.  It’s going to be a really neat service sort of like what Yahoo! has in it’s “hot searches.” The goal is to keep a pulse of what’s going on on the Internet.

I’ve done a lot of consulting and traffic generation in one area that is absolutely booming online:  electronic cigarettes.  With so many people trying to kick the habit of smoking tobacco cigarettes, “electronic cigarettes are the hottest thing since the toaster” claims one esteemed blogger named Billy.

Health and wellness are two HUGE niche’s online.  It makes perfect sense when you think about the mentality of an Internet searcher.   Just look at how things unfold.

Subject sits at work and hears about a hot new weight loss product.

Subject does and Internet search and reads through various results.

Subject then reads reviews about the said product.

Subject may – or may not – purchase right away.  Depends how impulsive they are.

Subject emails friends, family, posts on facebook, twitter, and other outlets.

Now, you see how things grow like wildfire.  Once that above sequence takes place, the word is out.  Everyone in – and some people out – of the subject’s social circle knows about a new product.

The same thing happened with electronic cigarettes.  Companies started advertising online everywhere possible.  Success stories were posted and “e cigarette review” websites were made by people attempting to be the voice of the industry.  Through these voices, people learn about these products and the process of viral marketing repeats itself.  Many of the best electronic cigarette brands have massive followings on Twitter.

And THAT is how things grow online.  My new site will be tracking these types of trends.  Stay tuned!

The world is changing, and electronic cigarettes are among the hottest searches right now, and have been – since 2009.  Just look at this graph:

What I Learned in Las Vegas at Affiliate Summit West 2012

I spent what felt like eternity in Las Vegas, Nevada.  I had a blast and was able to meet many people I’d never met in person before.  It had been a while since I went to what I consider a “big” marketing convention for Internet geeks like me, and I was quite fortunate to be able to attend Affiliate Summit West.

The wear and tear on my body, liver, and mind, was well worth it.  I got to spend time with some people of different skill sets and take away a few things I’ve already put in place in my marketing efforts.

What exactly did I learn?

Well, that’s for me to know and share with my clients.  :)

However, I can share a few tidbits here.

1.  I found a great software the takes a lot of the heavy lifting off of my SEO preparation.  A “set it and forget it” type of software.  This isn’t the end all answer to search engine optimization, but let’s just stay it simplifies a few tasks that get tedious.

2.  I found a way to increase conversions 2-3%.  Very simple tactic.

3.  I found out that RED is better than BLACK. That was an expensive lesson!

4.  I found out that just like the old days, it seems more than half of the people who attend the shows like that one are credit card processors hawking payment solutions.  While they are never easy to find when you need processing, they are easy to find when you don’t need it.

5.  I learned that I usually fly 2,000+ miles to meet people who live around me.  Funny how that happens.

Iron Man in Las VegasLastly, I learned that Iron Man is probably done making movies and apparently down on his luck.

I’d say all in all I made a good dozen contacts that I’ve already been in touch with.  Already doing business with two of them and another person already uncovered a major discovery on one of my web properties.

So was Las Vegas worth the trip?  As Stone Cold Steve Austin used to say, “Oh Hell Yeah!.”

A Decade Of Decadence: Taking Risks, Kicking Names

Decade of DecadenceIt’s important to know where you came from and chart progress. I’m a strong believer in writing down goals and reflecting on them as a way to ensure you are doing all you can to achieve them.  It’s a practice Billy Beck, world class personal trainer and someone I’ve gotten to know from his amazing facility here in South Florida, advises for anyone looking to build a better body.  The same tactics apply to Internet Marketing, and well, life in general.

Exactly 10 years ago I was packing my bags and taking the risk of my life.  I was leaving the cold Minnesota winter and all of family and friends that I grew up with, shared many memories with, and looking back and to me, most importantly – TRUSTED.

I was on my way to Miami to find somewhere to live and start my career as a cold calling “Internet Marketing Guru” for a company called Web Genius, who offered me a FAT zero salary and a “fight for every penny” commission structure to sell their search engine optimization services.

Little did I know I’d stumble into some of the top minds in the game, learn the trade faster than a Usain Bolt 100 meter dash, and really enjoy doing it.  I was surrounded by people from all walks of life.  IT geeks had their own area and fit the “Social Network” mold, strapped in and with headphones on 24-7 eating Cheetos and drinking two liters of “soda.”  (Back home we call it “pop.”)  Ex Wall Street brokers were on the phone hustling new business.  These guys weren’t afraid to dial a phone.  Not once.  Not twice, but 300 – 600 times per day.  They weren’t all that savvy with explaining the search engines idiosyncrasies at first, but they sure could get to the all important decision maker – not always an easy task for a cold caller.

We had others in my age bracket (23) that were just there to see what this was all about.  A stoner-turned search engine addict and smooth talker became my best friend at the company, and he showed me the ropes of not only how to make money and learn about how Yahoo! worked to index web pages, but he also convinced me to live way above my means in a bayside condo in South Beach.  It turned out being the best move ever.

Just two weeks in, I was already living the life.  Sure, the pay was slow, but steady.  That would all change. One thing I learned is if you set challenges for yourself, you’ll go above and beyond all expectations to reach them.  The way to make things possible is to make them seem impossible.  I was living  rent free on a nice salary from a huge company when my parents posed the question “why don’t you finally move out and get your own place?  You are 22.  You have plenty of money.  You aren’t going to live here in our basement forever just so you can have more discretional income and vacation every two months.  You can either move out or start paying rent.”

Whoa.  I wasn’t about to give my parents a dime.  Sure, they were right.  But, I was there because 1) it was a nice place, and 2) saving all the money I’d spend on rent, utilities, etc, etc, etc let me vacation, party harder, and buy unnecessary items.  (Back then I was buying compact discs – times have changed.)  3) I spent every single weekend at a different college town, following football programs around and catching many rivalry games in the process.   So, I was really only “sleeping there” and had no qualms about heading home after work to a hot meal and nice environment.

So go from that to a super expensive South Beach Bayside apartment with a view of topless women.  Try from going from $1.25 tap beers to $9 bottles.  Try impressing a woman in Minnesota who is just looking for someone who keeps the thermostat above 76 in the winter  to trying to impress a South Beach model.  Things changed fast.  Very fast.  There was pressure all around me.  I signed a six month lease with the thought “I may run out of money but then I can go home.”  That thought changed to “My next apartment will be bigger, more expensive, and have a better view.” 

I’ll spare the rest of the details of how my career took off as it’s detailed on my bio page, but the point I wanted to make today was that I set some serious goals for a ten year period.  Well, some weren’t serious, looking back.  Some where downright stupid and childish.  But I still had them and was able to cross them off my list.  When you can say “Mission Accomplished” you aren’t failing.

I dug up a piece of paper that said “10 year goals.”  I made most of these goals while still in Minnesota, and then added to it once I arrived in Miami. One thing I learned – life moves fast on the East Coast. If you want something – legal or not – it’s there for the taking.  Things are different from the Midwest.  Rednecks and Hillbilly’s aside (that’s not a diss, I have plenty of friends that fit both categories!) people do things the right way ALL the time in the great Midwest.

The paper is crumpled up and not legible to the point where I can’t even post a photo of it as it wouldn’t do it justice.  So, I transposed them onto this post.

  • Live on a beach.
  • Drive a fancy car.
  • Make a million dollars.
  • Own my own business.
  • Be able to work from anywhere from a laptop.
  • Attend as many Vikings & Twins games in other markets as possible.
  • Travel frequently, but more importantly, whenever I want.
  • Start some sort of business venture in Costa Rica.
  • Go to a Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida State football game.
  • Become an expert at something.
  • Drive down Ocean Drive in a fancy car.
  • Valet my car even when the place I’m attending is a block away.  Just ’cause.
  • Eat wherever I want, whenever I want.
  • Buy a condo South of Fifth Street in South Beach.
  • Buy investment properties in South Florida.
  • Write  a book.

Looking back, some of these are sort of corny.  I once saw Heat player Eddie Jones driving a Lamborghini down Ocean Drive while I ate breakfast at News Cafe and thought “one day I’ll drive down that street with a nice car like Eddie.”  The day I achieved the “drive a fancy car down Ocean Drive” goal, I regretted making that goal.  Sure, everyone likes having nice cars, but nobody knows how stupid you feel in a nice car on a tourist-packed street like Ocean Drive.  Tourists take photos.  They don’t see these things in Davenport, Iowa, or Bozeman, Montana.  I had a 2002 Final Edition Viper GTS, numbered as less than 400 were made in that Final Edition year, and the moment I went down Ocean Drive, not only did I feel like a douchebag, but I felt like a zoo animal. I’m in numerous spring break photos and there is nothing more stupid than cruising.  A great friend of mine was down visiting and said he felt so uncomfortable he was going to walk to our destination.  Live and learn.

Goals change just like the times.   I grew up 10 years since making some of those goals. I’ve had a son in the process, lived abroad in the process, and been through all sorts of hula hoops.  Nothing is easy, but guess what?  Out of that entire list, every single goal on there was achieved EXCEPT the final one.  Most of them weren’t just achieved, but achieved by great lengths.  Not to toot my own horn, but I feel it’s worth noting that I lived on the beach multiple times, have had multiple luxury vehicles, made gobs of money – and more importantly – lost it (which really humbled me more than anything and taught me how to make it back), I’ve owned several businesses and sit on the board as a director of others, I own property in my favorite non-US country, Costa Rica.  I did valet at Prime 112 and spend the $40, “just cause.”  (Even though I could walk there in under 90 seconds.  Since 2003 I’ve worked anywhere, from a laptop – on my own time.  I’ve visited most countries in Latin America – some of them multiple times over.  I had a very unique property South of Fifth Street with a roof top bbq and hot tub where I had a 360 view of South Beach and Miami.  Ironically, 9 months later my son was born.

Lastly, while I was admittedly banged up from an all-nighter the night before at Crobar, I was at the  famous “wide left” game.  Being a life long Canes fan (yes, even from Minnesota – I was a fanatic and wore their starter jacket with pride).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nQtpPIbQvk

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=222852390

Willis McGahee was incredible.  I sat on a step and paid a security guard $20 to be there.  The announced crowd was over-capacity and 88,000.  I maintain it was 100,000 plus.  This was my best memory of the Orange Bowl.  (R.I.P. Orange Bowl)

I have a few ideas for books and several have extensive work put into them already.  I’d also argue that the goal of writing a book, a quality one at that and not just some spammy e-book, is also the hardest.  I won’t release anything unless it can challenge the likes of thought-provoking, ground-breaking books like The Four Hour Work Week and The Four Hour Body, by Tim Ferriss.

So that’s it.  My last decade in a nutshell.  I’m sure I left out a lot (on purpose) and forgotten a lot (South Beach does that to you) but that’s life.  Looking back, the high’s greatly outnumbered the low’s, and I can say I’m not even close to reaching my potential.

Here’s to another great decade, and a Happy New Year to everyone.

Here’s a quick trip down memory lane.  Feel free to make fun as you see fit.  I certainly do.  I’ll add to this when I come across more blog-worthy pics. :)

Tim Schmidt

2001. Friend's cold Minnesota Basement. Dreaming of Margaritas and Sun. Sweet Bleach Blonde Hair. Time for some serious changes.

South Beach

South Beach, late nights, great times.

 

Viper 2002

I bought this when I found out I was having a baby. Didn't really think that one through.

South Florida Life

Raising my awesome son, Timo.

 

The Heart of South Beach

The Heart Of South Beach Living.

Miami Dolphins Big Screen

Being Interviewed on the Big Screen at the Miami Dolphins Game

Guanacaste Costa Rica

Costa Rica. Pura Vida.

“All Sexual Innuendo Name Team” of Sports

Disclaimer:  this is a test to see just how far something can get passed around Social Media.  If you like this list, re-post it on Facebook, Twitter, and whatever other channel you use.

This is for amusement purposes only.  This is not an attack on the persons named on this team. By reading this list you agree to refrain from name calling, assumptions, or being offended.  Now that we’re on the same page, enjoy the list.

All Stars

Marion Butts

Marion Butts

Forget the way his first name is spelled, and just focus on the fact that when you say it, it sounds like  “Marryin’ butts.”  It’s worth noting Marion was one of my first trading cards that I laughed at when I read his name.

Famous broadcaster quote that never happened:  “In Houston, all people want to talk about is Butts.” 

De’Cody Fagg

decody faggA great wideout with Florida State in his college career, he suffered a serious knee injury and last I checked he was playing in the USFL. It’s a shame because he had a real shot at being a pro star, and he certainly would have made things fun for the announcers.

Famous broadcaster quote that never happened: “That Fagg sure isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty and play hard.” 

Here’s hoping Fagg comes back better than ever.

Rusty Kuntz

Rusy KuntzBeing a Minnesota Twins fan since birth, this one came easy to me.  Rusty Kuntz.  Need I say more?

Famous broadcaster quote that never happened:  “The Twins roster is so old, they even have Rusty Kuntz!”

 Luther Head

Luther HeadNBA Baller and former Illinois Fighting Illini star Luther Head.  From WikiPedia:  During the 2011 NBA lockout, Head signed with the Jiangsu Nangang Dragons in China.[6] However, before arriving in China, he sustained an injury and Jiangsu gave up on his deal.

So, China was about to get some head but in the end, he pulled out!

Famous broadcaster quote that never happened:  “(when Luther was a free agent, everyone wanted to get Head!”

Want Links? Make People Laugh With Lists

List BuildingI’ve been making lists of things, both serious, and funny, since my college days.  Sitting in mandatory classes that I had zero interest in, I had a knack for entertaining myself by making lists of random things.  I even recruited friends with similar boredom’s to jump in on the action, which would create the occasional “laugh out loud” (for real) and wreak havoc on the otherwise quiet classroom when something that wasn’t added to the list was added.

It went a little something like this……

 

“Old Minnesota North Stars”

*Dino Ciccarelli.  Mike Modano.  Basil McRae.  Shane Churla.  Neal Broten.  Kari Takko…..”  etc, etc, etc.

You get the idea.

We used to add to these lists, without consulting the Internet, and JUST when we thought the list was complete, someone would pull out a gem from way back in their brain and add it to the list.  I had pages upon pages of lists that I made that were so random they could have been mistaken for art.  Pretty much every Minnesota sports team was covered, and of course, WWF and WCW wrestlers were well chronicled in these lists.  I found that list building helped me pass time, open up my brain, and make something that I considered an asset. Plus, what better way to pass a 50 minute class about astronomy?

So you are probably thinking, “what does this have to do with Internet Marketing?”

Easy.  Lists get passed around the Internet more than sexually transmitted diseases at a Poison concert.  When you generate a list that is compelling, informative, whacky, or funny, people take notice.  They link to it.  They post it on facebook.  They send tweets, they send emails….you get the idea.

So, what type of lists are good to make?

Top 10′s always work well.  “Ten reasons to quit smoking.”  “Ten best gangster rappers of the 90′s.”  “The best eye serum.”

You get the idea yet?

It’s simple.  If your website talks about sports, you can start with the “ten best dynasties in sports.”  Of course, any good blogger knows that in order to engage discussion and create comments from blog readers, there should always be a level of argument.  So, if you are a football fan from San Francisco, you could make the argument that the 49er teams of the 80′s and early 90′s were the best sports dynasty.  You’ll draw ire from the people in Dallas, New England, and perhaps Denver, who all boast teams that won Super Bowls multiple times.

Lastly, one thing I like to do is end each blog entry with a question.  That will create an action by your blog readers and urge them to chime in on your subject. I’m going to make a post later this week about athletes whose last names connote sexual innuendos.  I’ll call it the “Athletes whose names connote sexual nature” or something like that. I’m not trying to pick on these athletes with unfortunate surnames or trying to create controversy, it’s a simple experiment that will show just how many people out there will pass along a dumb list that some guy made in his spare time.  We’ll call it the Tim Shady list building experiment exhibit A.  Your on the list, Ben Gay.  (Former Browns Running back.)

So, that said – who has a good list for me?  I’ll gladly Tweet it out to my Twitter followers.  :)