I use FireFox, Gmail, and recently decided that I hate MS Outlook.  I used to use MS Outlook for everything but I totally jumped ship and now firmly believe Gmail is a far superior option.  MS Outlook is clunky and not very user friendly.  You can’t check MS Outlook messages when you’re out on the road.  Plus, Gmail plays great with my new iPhone (which is a whole ‘nother story).  Although I consider myself pretty adept at using MS Outlook (I used it for years with up to 20 different email accounts & over a hundred message rules to sort incoming mail into specific folders), I now despize it and am finding myself more & more in love with Google products, more specifically in this case – Gmail.

I’m intimately familiar with some very advanced MS Outlook features but now I just find Gmail so much more user friendly and convenient.  Recently, I went on a mission to figure out a way to make Gmail work with “mailto” links on web pages.  If you’re unfamiliar with a mailto link it’s basically a link on a web page that usually says something like “Contact” or “Contact Us” and when clicked, it opens an email draft pre-addressed to the appropriate email address.  Unfortunately for about 70% of all internet users plagued by Windows & MS Outlook an Outlook draft message will open by default.  Many of us don’t like MS Outlook so everytime we inadvertantly click one of these links we have to be bothered with the task of memorizing the email address, waiting for MS Outlook to open & run only to close it again & then go to Gmail…

I suspect by now you either know exactly what I’m talking about or you have no clue what I mean, there’s no in-between here.  If you have no idea what I’m talking about don’t waste your time with the rest of this blog post because it’s not intended for you…  If you’re nodding your head and screaming out loud, “Chris, just tell me how the heck do I ditch MS Outlook & use Gmail for these here ‘mailto whatchamacallits’ from now on”  – then keep readin’  ) . . .

For a long time, I totally avoided clicking these links altogether and my main method of emailing people via these links was to hover over the link, observe their email address in my information bar, and then remember it & type it in a new Gmail message.  Well I’ve found a much better solution that converts all of these “mailto” links into a nice one-click “Gmail compatible” option!

Here’s how it works…

(Keep in mind this is for Gmail lovers who are using Firefox…)

Step 1. Install the FireFox add-on known as “Grease Monkey.”  It’s free and allows you to take advantage of many nifty scripts just like the one I’m about to reveal that lets you ditch MS Outlook for good.  (I give Microsoft mad props for designing so many applications to use their software solutions by default because it’s good marketing, BUT people like options dammit!).  You can get Grease Monkey for free here:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748

Step 2. Once you’ve got Grease Monkey you’ll now be able to take advantage of many scripts designed to “play” with Grease Monkey.  One of which is the script I recommend to banish MS Outlook from annoying you ever again.  This one is called “Mailto 2 Webmail” and you can get it for free here:

http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/11324

In order for the Mailto 2 Webmail install to work properly you’ll first need to have Grease Monkey installed.  Remember, after you installed Grease Monkey you’ll have to restart FireFox in order for Grease Monkey to start operating.  If you click the “Install” button on the Mailto 2 Webmail page without having first fully installed Grease Monkey you’ll see a pageful of goofy code rather than actually getting Mailto 2 Webmail installed properly.

After you’ve properly installed Grease Monkey & restarted FireFox, go to Mailto 2 Webmail and install it too.  Then, restart FireFox one more time so that Mailto 2 Webmail is also functioning & installed properly.

That’s it, you should be good to go!  Oh yea, if you like Yahoo Mail you can re-configure Mailto 2 Webmail to work that way as well.  As of now, Mailto 2 Webmail does not support Hotmail but that might change in the future…

I recommend Google Reader because it’s free, easy to use, and allows you to manage your feeds into folders & categories.  Using an RSS Reader such as Google Reader it’s possible to consume much more information at a faster pace.  Do you happen to use Gmail (Google’s email solution)?  If so, you can display your updates in “list” format and skim over blog content just as easily as you check your email!

Rather than having to skim across 20 different blogs every morning, you’ll now be able to just add the RSS Feed to each of your favorite blogs right into your Google Reader account, login for a few minutes, and see each new entry show up in your Reader account displaying only the title of each blog post.

If you notice an interesting title you can click on it for more information, and in a matter of seconds go directly to that particular blog entry.  Using this method you can keep track of what everyone is blogging about without draining your hourglass.

Once you’ve created your Google Reader account (or any other RSS Reader account) you can add new feeds by simply copying and pasting the RSS Feed URL to your favorite blogs or RSS supported websites.

For example, to add the RSS Feed for the Pro From Go blog into your Google Reader account you can simply click on the RSS buttons on this website and then choose the Google Reader option.  Or, you can manually add the feed by first logging into your Google Reader account, clicking the “Add A Subscription” button, and then pasting the following Pro From Go RSS Feed URL:

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/profromgo?format=xml

Using an RSS Reader you’ll be able to consume information at a much faster pace without having to surf to all of these different websites, learn the menu layout, & navigation options.  It’s almost like having your own personal secretary to spoon feed you your favorite updates!  Give it a try if you’re not using RSS already, I guarantee you’ll be hooked.

Facebook said, “bring it on, FOOL!”

Facebook launched public access to Facebook Connect as well on December 4, 2008.  Each platform has it’s pro’s and con’s and I suspect the only way to determine which is the right choice will be a matter of testing, tracking, and considering the user base of each potential website.

Facebook Connect

Personally, I’m leaning towards integrating Facebook Connect with Pro From Go.  As I’ve been tinkering around I’m discovering that getting Facebook Connect working properly on your site, especially on a WordPress blog, is a bit easier said than done.

The Facebook Connect platform is powered by a new markup language referred to as XFBML (Facebook Markup Language).  This markup language is described as “an extension to HTML” and the related tags along with their uses can be seen at the Facebook Developers Wiki located here:

http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/XFBML

Once of the immediately noticeable cons of going with Facebook Connect versus Google Friend Connect is that at first glance, Facebook Connect is slightly more challenging to setup with your site.  However, consider that access to Facebook’s 130 million+ user base is just around the corner once you setup Facebook Connect and I think we could both agree it just may be well-worth the little bit of aggravation!

Some of the other benefits of using Facebook Connect is that you’ll be able to add a trusted & widely recognized brand to your website, by way of the “Facebook Connect” logo.  I highly suspect it will become more & more prominent on some of the sites we’re used to visiting every day.

Some of the Facebook Connect launch partners have already been dabbling with a few of the features for several months!  Until now, Facebook Connect was only available to a limited few… but since Facebook saw Google Friend Connect fast-approaching in the rear-view mirror they kicked it up a gear, to “open beta.”

Facebook Connect - Publish To Facebook Profile Feature

Some additional benefits of using Facebook Connect include but are not limited to trusted authentication (secure login to your site via Facebook), users sharing their real identity information (less cases of “internet tough guy”), the ability to share with friends on sites outside of Facebook, portable privacy options (Facebook Connect will honor privacy settings from the user’s Facebook account nearly everywhere they go!), and social distribution (my favorite).

Facebook Connect - Invite Friends Feature

Facebook Connect users will have the option to publish stories back to their Facebook accounts, where they will be highly visible to other Facebook users.  On top of being able to publish stories & even comments back to their profiles, they’ll also be able to invite their Facebook friends to come check out the Facebook Connect-enabled sites they happen across.

So, that means once a Facebook user happens across your Facebook Connect enhanced website or blog and likes what they see – they’ll have the ability to invite their other Facebook friends to come over and visit as well!  This is basically a free way to pour somewhat “viral” traffic onto your site.

More benefits, features, & “getting started” instructions & documentation on Facebook Connect can be found here:

http://developers.facebook.com/connect.php

Although I’ve spent the majority of this post raving about Facebook Connect I don’t want to leave anyone thinking that Google Friend Connect is destined to be some sort of slouch.  From my limited knowledge of Google Friend Connect I feel there’s a few powerful benefits that are going to give Facebook Connect a tough fight.

Google Friend Connect

The main benefit of Google Friend Connect appears to be the ease of use & hassle-free installation.  From what I’ve seen, setting up Google Friend Connect on your site is basically a matter of “copy & paste.”  Another great benefit of Google Friend Connect is that signing up on a site via Google Friend Connect might be a bit simpler than it would be for a non-Facebook user to start taking advantage of features accessible via Facebook Connect.

You can sign up for Google Friend Connect here:

http://www.google.com/friendconnect/

Another great link with more information (the “Official” Google Blog), a recent post by Mussie Shore:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/friend-connected-web.html

I must say I’ve not yet had the chance to fully explore Google Friend Connect but I just wanted to include it in this post as it’s a very viable & realistic competitor to Facebook Connect.  But, as it stands and everything having been said… my sights are set on Facebook Connect as the way to go for anyone looking to take advantage of what might be our first clear glimpse at Web 3.0.

I’ve had email campaigns where I’ve sent out just 2 or 3 messages promoting certain products and earned up to $2,500 in commissions in less than 72 hours… and I’ve also had email campaigns where I get mass unsubscribes and nasty replies.

One of the main challenges any list owner will face is continuing to offer fresh & interesting content that subscribers will be eager to devour.  There is also a need to monetize your list and offer promotions that will result in cash in your pocket while identifying that thin line between “over-promoting” too many offers, and not promoting quite enough.

I’ve outlined three of the fastest ways to alienate your subscribers and while some of them might be a bit obvious, they still need to be considered seriously because many of us, especially those who are experienced list owners, tend to forget that there are REAL people at the computer screens on the other side of every email you send out.

I’ve done a handful of things right, but I’ve also done a LOT of things wrong when it comes to managing email leads.  This email focuses on a few of the things I’ve done wrong, to save you the aggravation of experiencing the backlash of these ill-advised practices firsthand.

Here’s my 3 favorite ways to make your subscribers abandon ship and/or ignore your future messages…

1.)  Use subject lines that are overly outrageous, controversial, deceptive, or attention grabbing, on a regular & consistent basis…  (subject lines)

Granted, every now and then an edgey subject line is a great way to stand out in the inbox.  But, when you constantly use these types of subject lines you’re going to set off your reader’s “hype” meters in no time.  Here’s an idea, try subject lines that actually give some insight to the content of your message and at the same time, describe some sort of benefit the reader will get to experience.

Any sort of deception in a subject line will also cause your subscribers to quickly lose faith in you.  One list I subscribe to recently used a subject line that said, “Re: Notification Of Payment Received.”  At first, I thought it was a PayPal payment for some sort of affiliate promotion I might have done in the past.  You can probably imagine my surprise when I clicked open the email fully expecting to see the standardized PayPal notification explaining I had new funds, and instead, there was an email saying “Imagine if you had hundreds of emails in your inbox everyday with subject lines just like this one…”

Yes, the subject line caused me to click right away.  But, the subject line used a very deceptive tactic so you can probably imagine how skeptical I was of every future message from that particular guy.

2.)  Say you’re going to do something, and then don’t do it…. (broken promises)

Number two on my list of 5 sure-fire ways to alienate your email subscribers is another tactic you should always avoid at all costs.  Never tell your subscribers you’re going to do something, and then not do it!  It’s a pet peeve…

Example…  “Watch out for an email from me in a few days with a cool video on this topic” – and then never send the video.  Or worse yet, don’t promise to hook your readers up with something cool that you’re not 100% sure you’ll be able to deliver on.

I think a big reason things like this happen too often is because list owners will sometimes make mention of something nice they plan on doing for their list, when that something greatly relies on a third party being accountable.  “In two days watch out for an email from me with more information on how to access this free report.”  If you’re planning on promoting a product or giving away something cool that is through a third party make sure you know you’re going to be able to deliver on that promise.

If something comes up and you’re not going to be able to make something happen that you promised, be sure to be up front, clear, and honest about how it all went down.

Simple stuff, really.

3.)  Mail at an inconsistent frequency… (mail frequency)

This one is easy… don’t mail your list too often!  We all know that email is only welcome if it’s something you want to read, and as much as I might like your stuff, I don’t want to be reading it all day every day, especially if it’s all promo & nothing helpful.

Also, on the opposite end of this same spectrum, don’t mail too sporadically which can lead your subscribers to forgeting that they’re on your list, who you are, or what your deal is…

–

There are probably 98 more ways, at the very least, to rapidly alienate your subscribers.  However, the 3 things mentioned here are the most common mistakes I’ve made and are also the most common mistakes I see every day (I’m on a lot of lists, just spying & taking notes mua haha).

So if you want to cramp your own style, try one of the three things I mentioned here… OR, avoid these 3 costly mistakes at all times and increase the likelihood of building a happy, healthy, well-adjusted, responsive, and profitable list of email subscribers.

I decided I definitely need to get a list going. A list where I can continually edit/update as needed to keep it nice & organized while at the same time making the list easy to use…

So hopefully you who are reading this will contribute your suggestions as well by adding a comment. I’ll review what you offer and update this blog post accordingly should anyone offer up a link or resource which is worthy of mention here in my “Helpful Links for Twitterers” post.

You may be thinking that there’s already a fan wiki with some similar characteristics to this blog entry of mine, and that it’s all just a waste of time… but there’s a few major differences between the resources I’m listing here and the resources listed on the fan wiki….

#1.) I’m mentioning my favorites with a strong consideration for “marketing” potential on each one. I think the tools in this list will help you get more traffic & exposure in a tasteful & ethical way if used properly. Whereas on the fan wiki, many of those tools are pointless gadgets that are fun, but sadly accomplish little more than helping you to waste time while you’re at school or work.

#2.) It’s my blog, so frankly, they’re MY favorite resources. That’s not to say that I won’t like the links you post up in the comments so no holding back.

#3.) The first 2 considerations having been said, I just want to also mention I might include a few of those pointless sites out there that aren’t good for much more than passing than the time but only if they are really cool.

So here go . . . in no particular order . . .

The Rundown:

TweetLater.com – A helpful site that will allow you to post future-dated tweets (queue them up in advance & schedule when you want ‘em to go out!), auto-follow new followers, and send automated thank you notes to your new Twitter constituents (extremely useful when used properly!).

TwitterFeed.com – A great tool that will allow you to add your favorite RSS feeds to your Twitter profile. The most common use for this is to add your blog feed so that anytime you blog, a Tweet is automatically posted on your Twitter account with a link back to the blog entry… (very cool). There’s a lot of other uses for this tool for us creative types.

TwitPic.com – A tool that will let you add pictures to your Twitter account in a quick & convenient way that also works with your mobile cell phone or device so long as you have email capabilities. (You basically send the picture to a secret email address as an attachment, so you can send it from any email capable device or computer, which includes many popular mobiles nowadays).

Twhirl.org – A 3rd party desktop application that puts all the key Twitter features at your fingertips.  It’s powered by a new Adobe technology that gives it a crisp look & very cool interface.  This is probably one of the most commonly used desktop applications for Twitter.

Twitter App For Facebook – This is the official Facebook application to integrate Twitter with your Facebook account.  It’s super cool b/c it also has the option to let you automatically update your “Facebook Status” with your latest tweet… which makes keeping your Facebook profile fresh & updated easier than ever before.

Twitter App For MySpace – You have several options when it comes to Twitter apps for MySpace and there will surely be more Twitter apps for MySpace in the near future.  But, for the time being this is my favorite Twitter app for MySpace because from what I’ve seen so far, it’s the only one that allows your Tweets to contain CLICKABLE links on your MySpace profile.  All of the other Twitter apps for MySpace are either flash-powered, or for some ludicrous reason, make links non-clickable to where you can still see them, but you can’t directly click ‘em… which is a bunch of b.s. IMHO.  MySpace is constantly changing things on us so if this link stops working just look for the app called “Tweet by Jon Carl.”

TinyTwitter.com – A super cool application for your smartphone.  I have a Treo 750 (yes, I’ve been dragging my feet switching over to the iPhone b/c I’ve been a loyal Treonaut since the Treo first came out!).  This will give you a clean user interface that makes Twittering on your smartphone FUN.

TwitterSnooze.com – A helpful site that will allow you to hit the “snooze” button for 1 to 30 days so that you don’t have to get every single tweet for those you follow who tweet a little too much for your tastes.  Special thanks to “Chris” who added this one in the comments!

TwitterVision.com - A really cool map of the world that shows tweets by location in real time along with the user’s Twitter avatar.  I like it because it really exemplifies how Twitter is making worldwide communication easier than ever before.

Add your favorite helpful link for Twitter in the comments below & I’ll update this post!

This is a powerful technique because you can be sending “thank you” messages to new followers with a link to your site. I’ve seen several people I’m following use this technique and I actually direct messaged a few of them asking how they did it, hoping for an automated solution, only to discover they are sending their direct welcome messages MANUALLY.

So eventually, I kept asking people who were using “welcome” direct messages and came across one guy who found an automated solution that not only lets you auto-reply with welcome messages to new followers, but also lets you queue up tweets for future post-dated times!

This is very cool. Check it out here:

http://www.tweetlater.com

I just finished setting up my tweetlater account to send a very casual welcome message. Not over the top or too annoying, that is the key.

Here’s my welcome message I’ll be testing out verbatim:

” Thanks for following. You can find out more about me and my newsletter here: http://www.profromgo.com/blog “

I hope to see this automated solution result in some new fresh incoming traffic. Twitter is catching on like gangbusters and the amount of traffic coming from that site is amazing. It’s just like MySpace, Facebook, etc except it has a more “real” feel since the nature of the twitter service kind of makes you feel almost like you’re engaged in real-time convo with your followers, as well as the people you follow.

This can be beneficial because people will tend to follow your links out of sheer curiosity when they see your tweets coming across, and the psychological effect of this action is considerable because they are making a conscience CHOICE to come visit your URL, versus being poked prodded promoted & pushed towards clicking!

In the back of their mind as they are checking out the pages you casually present they won’t be thinking “what is this guy/gal trying to sell?” like many consumers do nowadays when encouraged to check out an offer, but instead they’ll have the mindset, “what does this person have to OFFER that I might find of value/interest?”

Think of it this way… I send you an instant message saying to check out my site. Your less likely since I suggested for you to check it out! However, I send out a public “tweet” saying “I just updated my blog” or “Finally finished my new site” along with a URL and you DECIDE to go visit after no encouragement just an announcement, there’s a big difference.

Anyways, that’s all I got on Twitter at the moment. Will post if I come across anything else cool.

Ciao for Now . . . .

oooo wait! I almost forgot, I also found this which also VERY cool:

http://www.twittervision.com <– see your tweets pop up in real-time on a map of the world. Super coolness.