Do web surfers really bookmark websites anymore? A good friend and very successful marketer online recently said to me, "Ron, bookmarks are a complete waste of time." It was said so matter-of-factly, that we were off onto some other topic in the next breathe.
A little later, as I was returning to the Breakaway Marketing World Headquarter, this very brief conversation popped back into my head and I asked myself... "Is he right?" "Are bookmarks a complete waste of time?" I visualized the favorites list that I've developed in my own browser's memory bank and I thought if I lost that list, I'd have to reconstruct it and I utilize my favorites folders constantly.
Bookmarks aren't a complete waste of time, especially considering that it only takes a couple minutes of your time to set up a bookmark link that will put your bookmark at the top of the favorites list every time.
There's a little trick that I'll share with you that you've probably never seen before and you can download a text file with the exact scripts to modify for your own use.
We're going to shift gears from bookmarks to autoresponders for a second, and as you follow along you'll see the connection. Trust me.
When I set up a new autoresponder series I always incorporate the following copy into the first message. Here's what it might look like...
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Hi New Autoresponder Subscriber,
Welcome. Thank you. Congratulations. This is just super!
If you're receiving this message, it's because you (or someone pretending to be you) successfully subscribed to my weekly eZine, GoThrive Online. If you did not intentionally subscribe, you'll find "how to unsubscr!be" info at the end of this message.
Before we do anything else, I want you to set up a new mail folder in your email client where you can safely store all incoming GoThrive Online ezine issues and messages. Whether you use Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, Express Plus, Calypso, or whatever software, you can typically create a new mail folder by clicking file / new / folder.
Name this new folder "! GoThrive Online Ezine !".
Just like that. "! GoThrive Online Ezine !".
Save all of the messages that you receive from me in that folder. This will save you the trouble of having to look very far for messages when you want to go back and reference a tool, service or article that we discuss.
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Why the wierd looking folder name (! GoThrive Online Ezine !)? I learned this trick from Alex Mandossian. When you name a folder beginning with "!" it will be listed first in alphabetical order. In fact, the "!" beats out every other special character in this regard.
So, by naming the folder "! GoThrive Online Ezine !", the email client (software program), which by default sorts all folders alphabetically, will put my new folder above everyone else's folder. I'm now the first folder that my new subscriber sees every time he or she opens the email client. Very cool.
This same tactic can be used with website bookmarks!
Let's go test three bookmark examples and you can download the scripts for your own use. Go here now:
http://www.pluginprofittoolbox.com/standard-bookmark.html
Are you back? Did you test this out? Great.
Honestly, it's hard to predict what kind of mileage you'll get by implementing this little bookmark trick, but it surely can't hurt to be at the top of the favorites list for everyone who does bookmark your site.
Copyright 2005 Ron Hutton
Ron Hutton is a 20 year sales and marketing veteran with a passion for coaching and training. Subscribe to "GoThrive Online", for big juicy marketing tips in small, easy-to-chew, bite size servings. 17 Free Cool Tools...
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