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I was talking to a colleague the other day, and we were commiserating over the state of internet marketing. We agreed that if we were independently wealthy, that we’d give away our services for free, but, the reality is that this is a business, and at the end of the day, we have bills to pay and mouths to feed.

However, that being said, there comes a time that you have to think more about how much you’re going to make off of a particular venture and just DO THE RIGHT THING.

There’s an internet marketer buy the name of Cori Padgett  — perhaps you’ve heard of her, perhaps not — and she recently lost her father. Now, even though he was seeking treatment for cancer, a complication arose and he passed away before being able to get his affairs in order.

Understandably, this sort of thing can be devastating. A sudden death in the family means not only heartbreak and terrible, unimaginable loss, but also a myriad of details, both large and small, that have to be attended to — and most of them RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE. Even those matters that can wait even a day or so cannot be put off forever.

This is not the sort of thing you can really plan for, and it catches many people unawares every day.

A group of marketers are doing a great job at helping Cori out right now, and you can help too — PLUS you get a rare opportunity to grab a bunch of products that you might otherwise not have bought for yourself.  They’ve put together a bundle of almost TWENTY diverse and useful products (with original total value of almost $300!) and made them available for one small price.

You can help out a family that really could use some assistance right now, and help yourself out, too. Just click here.

It’s great to be among friends who really care. Won’t you join me?

Everywhere you look for the last day or so, all you see being talked about in certain places online is the final Harry Potter movie.

People — both teens and adults alike — were getting in costume, makeup, getting in the mood, camping out at movie theaters for a full day before the midnight showing, just so they could be among the first to experience the final installment of this blockbuster series.

It was all created by a woman who had a dream.

J. K. Rowling had the basic idea for Harry Potter on a train trip to London in 1990. The idea enthralled her to the point that she outlined the entire series of seven novels immediately. She began writing the first one five years later, even though at the time she had no job and was living on government benefits while training to teach in Scotland.

Having a dream, and fleshing it out in maximum detail as far as you are able, can be a miraculously liberating way to “keep your eyes on the prize” while you are still attending to the day-to-day minutiae of getting things done.

But that’s not what this blog post is about.

This blog post is about your fanbase. (Whether you have one yet or not!)

“But I’m not a Hollywood star!” you object.

This is true, I reply.

HOWEVER:

If you’re in the business of marketing, you have a brand (or you should — if not, see me after, we’ll talk about that).

Your brand is not just the “public” face of yourself, that everyone — customers and non-customers alike — sees; oh, no. Your brand is what is acting as a silent salesforce for you, 24/7. both on- and offline, to remind everyone who you are, and what you do.

If your brand hasn’t gotten enough exposure, you won’t be making enough sales, and you will be unfulfilled (not to mention broke).

What’s the one thing you’d like to communicate about yourself or your company through your brand?

More on branding in a few days. Watch this space!

I’m very excited today about many things. My July Intensive Workshop is going well (see the above link for Group Mindset Project) and it’s going so well that it’s booked SOLID through September!

I have been using Skype to communicate with my groups, as well as with other marketers I know. I’ve started a new MasterMind group, and through conversation with another professional colleague, might be starting a new membership-based website in the near future.

The one underlying thing that has made all of the above possible is the internet.

Years ago, when I was just learning marketing and customer care by way of my brick and mortar retail management job, the internet as it is today simply didn’t exist.

But today, with the internet and the myriad of simple, easy-to-use tools available at no cost and very low cost to users everywhere, you an do amazing things online that never even would have been fathomable 10 or twenty years ago.

I’m planning a video series on basic Skype functions, because I’m finding that Skype is more difficult than it looks; plus, I’ve seen other people having trouble navigating Skype.

I’m also working on a free eBook that will outline and review some of the best tools for online marketers, both beginner and expert alike. It’ll be announced here when it’s ready, don’t worry.

Also, I’ve gotten so busy lately that I’m searching for an intern to help me with my ever-increasing workload. If you’d like to be considered, or know someone that might be a good fit, send me an email to intern@michaelthorsett.com and I’ll get into the details.

So many possibilities online. And so little time. Ahh, such is life.

If you’re interested in exploring offline marketing, you should check out a great special offer here.

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