To my shame, I have really neglected updating my blog over the past months and for this I apologise. However, I have been very busy with lots of social media marketing consultancy work which has taken up so much of my time this year…but now I intend to focus on giving so much help to all my loyal subscribers.

With this in mind there is no better place for me to start giving than by recommending my good friend and number one internet mentor, Mr Chris Farrell and his brand new product ChrisMentorMe. Chris has helped me with my online success over the past 18 months and I have no hesitation in giving you the heads up once again when he launches a new product and believe me…this one is extra special!!

If you are anything like me you may find it hard to really get to grips with twitter. I must admit I could never really see the attraction of letting the world and his wife know what you are doing 24/7.

However, I thought it was about time I started putting my twitter account to proper use and really try to discover what all the tweeting social media fuss is all about. It was during my research that I discovered the brilliant free twitter management tool…Viral Media Builder.

Today I would like to recommend one of the most honest and genuine people operating on the internet…Mr. Chris Farrell.

This is not something I do lightly and is certainly something I would never do without fully researching, utilising and testing. So having been a member of Chris Farrell Membership for almost a year now I feel qualified enough to give an honest opinion on what he has to offer his members.

Today I would like to recommend an excellent book for anyone serious about building a business of any kind. The Go Giver is a brilliant book by Bob Burg and John David Mann and if you are looking for guidance on having the correct mindset whilst developing your business, then this book is a must read. It is a best seller, and rightly so in my opinion…when I first started reading it, I just could not put it down!

“I have not failed.

This is not only a great quote, but it also gave me the inspiration for my post for Jacinta and Steve’s Blog Post 100 Comments Challenge. Whenever things in my life and business don’t seem to be going to plan, it always gives me the encouragement I need to never give up trying.

We should not be afraid to fail, in fact we must use it as a stepping stone to success. Why not use failure as a positive, an advantage if you like? I’m sure we’ve all experience failures from time to time…I know I’ve had my fair share. The important thing is how we react to them.

My lack of posts in July is something I am concerned about, but there is a reason… yes I have been on holiday!

It was a much needed break from my offline business, but a slight detraction from my new online efforts, as I decided not to take my laptop with me to Parga in Greece. I did consider taking it, but as it was my good lady Sandra’s birthday whilst we were there, I thought better of it…a wise decision I think! We had a great time and I am now fully refreshed, ready and more determind than ever to take my efforts to the next level.

If I had to choose only one piece of advice to give to anyone starting out in internet marketing, this would be it…”get yourself a mentor”! Yes, before you spend any of your hard earned cash on anything out there on the internet this would be the best thing to do…in my humble opinion.

Believe me, I learned the hard way…like lots of people I know. I spent money on all sorts of shiny products that promised the earth, but delivered nothing but trouble and strife! Fortunately for me, I didn’t spend as much as some people I know before I came to my senses.

Week 7 has just been completed and this involved advanced blogging tactics and a webinar recording. It was very interesting to hear the various questions posed by fellow masterclass students along with John’s advice and guidance. I find it encouraging the way that the emphasis is on helping each other to succeed.

We have now set up the widlink widget on our blogs, which enables us to promote each others blogs and to post comments of advice and encouragement. Also, Dave Nicholson has made a very generous offer by allowing us access to his Total Web Traffic Membership programme in order to assist us with driving traffic to our blogs.

Today I’d like to share a great tool to help with getting started in video marketing with little or no expense. Animoto really is an amazing piece of kit and is great fun if you are just starting out. As I’m sure you know video marketing is used by all the most successful marketers today and there is no doubt that it is here to stay.

Basically there are two types of video marketing to master, screen recording and to camera recording. With both of these there is video equipment and camtasia software to purchase and new skills to learn. But Animoto will let you cut out the cost and dip your toe into video marketing.

Well things are moving along nicely at the moment. The new graphics are in place thanks to the excellent service from Steve at Planet-Divinity. He was really helpful and was quite happy to make any changes required in order to achieve the look I wanted for my blog. I will have no hesitation in going back for more graphics in future.

This week we are dealing with advanced blogging tactics, in particular  adsense and clickbank adverts. We are also learning how to add widgets to the blog and inserting advertising banners to our site.