Our great friend, Janet Giacoma, will soon be opening a brand new blog (domain as yet undetermined), but I just had to share what I consider the coolest advertising picture around.

What makes this even cooler than just the graphics alone is this woman knows her stuff. Every statement she makes is true, and knowing her personally, I can testify to the fact that she works her buns off (for herself and for you) and does still find the time for leisure (fun!) pursuits – and she even has time for Meals on Wheels each Wednesday.

Marketers like Janet Giacoma and Maureen Heiden (to name just two) are just “common folks” like the rest of us. They are beating the system not through magic or pie in the sky programs (where the sky falls and hits you hard), but by pulling through using their sheer determination to win, in combination with a large amount of brain power, research, and know how  – to attain their goals.

What sets these two apart and prompted this post is they both have one thing in common – a plan.

Not just a “keep it in the back of your head and pray the fairy godmother will fulfill your wishes” plan, but a true sense of fair business, techniques that work, and – most importantly – the willingness to share their knowledge with others.

Too many out there are selling you outdated junk, stuff they’ve long overused and now wish to turn a buck selling to you. If it’s not overused software, it’s ridiculous ebooks that common sense alone – or heck just taking a wild guess at – would have brought you to the same resources and/or conclusions.

While I highly advocate finding the right internet marketing mentor, I strongly advise finding… the RIGHT internet marketing mentor.

So enjoy the really cool photo shoot (go ahead click on the picture.), and drop by these two women and say hi. You won’t be sorry.

But before you go don’t forget to comment or you’ll miss out on free marketing for yourself!

During the past week, we’ve been super busy!

A great addition to our Whole Hog Blog family is the not-for-profit website and blog for ALS of Nevada. The entire state of Nevada coverage for ALS patients and their caregivers is provided by just three individuals (and an outstanding Board of Directors). Two people cover the state, with another fine individual up in the Reno area providing assistance to those in need suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease.

We’d like to ask you to please visit the site, comment on the blog, and help get their traffic and alexa rankings rolling.

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We’ve also added a blog to My Wizard Ads, an ezine advertising information blog. “Diane’s” first true business online after a several year stint as a publisher herself (weird talking about myself in the third, or would that be fourth (?) person). Day in and day out I field questions for not just the new but veteran internet marketer. Ezine advertising gives people the freedom to use other people’s lists as contact points to announce and promote the businesses and programs they join online.

Again, a visit to that new blog and your comments would be greatly appreciated, too.

Both of these new additions have do-follow linking, so your trip gains you that valued backlink in the process.

Enjoy!

I’ve been meaning to write this post for several days now, ever since I read an article in our Las Vegas Review Journal dated Monday, February 16th. In fact, it’s been sitting on my desk just waiting for the right moment to go from paper pile to post.

What really caught my attention was the headline, “Cultural differences: Economic values may explain why businesses owned by Chinese-Americans are faring well in the recession.”

We see all too often people pulling away from the very thing they should be doing during down times or slow times or tough times – especially online. The energy exerted to build a business is tamped down (or shut down) in the hopes that somehow, magically, sales will continue – in spite of no advertising or marketing.

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Here’s something that very well may (and should) change your perspective on “should I or shouldn’t I be advertising and marketing or even blogging?”

“The fortunes of a newspaper published out of a second-floor Chinatown Plaza office may give us insight into differing attitudes about money and ways of surviving tough economic times.

In a time when a 162-year-old national news chain such as the Tribune Co. file for bankruptcy protection, the Las Vegas Chinese Daily News is actually growing, fueled by an increase in advertising. The paper has gone from 16 to as many as 36 pages since printing its first copy five years ago.”

The article goes into further details by defining how different cultures view our current times; “…many Chinese business owners consider a time of economic stress a time to spend money on advertising.”

This advertising “outlook” is considered to be a definite separation of U.S. and Chinese cultures. Where the former sees nothing but doom and gloom when it comes to doing business, the latter are taking advantage of great rates and exceptional deals. These factors also attribute to the fact that over 20,000 valley residents of Chinese heritage are surviving the highest unemployment rates in a generation.

“Chinese attitudes about money include the notion of saving profits and growing slowly, instead of leveraging long lines of credit and expanding rapidly, several business owners said.”

Now here’s the best part, and what I’d really like you to come away with (having read this post… thank you):

“The Chinese rely more on what is known as a relational economy, compared to Americans, who function more in a “me economy.” The Chinese system is based more on, “I do something for you, you do something for me,” with everyone being on the same level.”

Sounds a lot like the Golden Rule applied with a fine paint brush to the art of keeping customers coming back by treating them right.

So if you’re asking yourself, “Is now a good time to slow down with my marketing and advertising?” we think it best to tell you the answer is no.

Recovering lost ground is costly.

Instead, plan and budget for an amount comfortable (and affordable) for you in today’s economy. Be it $10 or $1000, keep your business plans afloat and keep them growing.

We’ve said it before and we’ll keep on saying it. The internet waits for no man, woman, or child. Let up for even a tiny bit of time and your competitors are going to sweep right over you.

Your wise move is again budgeting. Keep your ads out there, continue investing your time and energy, too.

These rough times will not last forever, even if (in the moment) the light at the end of the tunnel doesn’t shine very brightly.

Stay on top of what you’ve been doing, and when the sunshine hits, you’ll be well positioned – ahead of your competition – in the months and years to come.

Linda of Forcedgreen sent me the following (which is just too good not to share, I received two in the last week alone – oh I did change a word here and there to keep it “family friendly”):

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I’m Still Waiting…
I did what you told me…

I sent the email to 10 people like you said …
I’m still waiting for that miracle to happen.

To all my friends who in the last year sent me best ‘wishes’, chain letters, ‘angel’ letters or other promises of good luck if I forwarded something, NONE OF THAT ___ WORKED!

For 2009, could you please just send money, Vodka, chocolate, movie tickets or gasoline vouchers and airline tickets instead?

Thank you!

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And thank you Linda for your unique timing! You know just when I really need a good laugh!