If you haven’t read my blog recently, you may not know that I have been on a well-deserved (if I do say so myself!) vacation. As you may have read here previously, I have been putting in some ridiculous hours getting ready to launch my third business. We will go live in about one week, and the finished product is unbelievable! I will of course announce this to my readers.

My family spent some time in Emerald Isle, a beautiful beach community in southern North Carolina. It felt really good to get away, although with laptops and cell phones, you’re never really too far away. Technology can be both a blessing and a curse!

I spent much of my time sitting under an umbrella reading through my stack of books, and I wanted to share with you one of them that I thought was amazing: The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. While the title is catchy enough to get most people’s attention, I found the content to be eye-opening and really thought-provoking.

One of the great things about the book is the way Tim addresses all topics from two perspectives: those of an employee and of an entrepreneur. For me, the most important parts of the book are Step II and Step III, Elimination and Automation, respectively. If you’re like me, e-mail and voice mail have become real nuisances and time killers. Tim gives some great advice on how to make these tools work for you instead of controlling you. The section on automation is also a great eye-opener. I read with excitement many ways to help make my work life not only easier, but also more productive.

Will I achieve a four-hour workweek? Probably not. But if I can reduce my workweek by even 10 hours and reduce my stress level that will be a wonderful achievement.

I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book and make it part of your summer reading. I am rejuvenated and have some great topics lined up for my blog—yes, about the newsletter business—so stay tuned!

If you have visited my web sites, www.dynamiccommunication.net  and www.nohasslenewsletters.com,  you know that I use audio. I am often asked how I do this and does it help. I was going to write about the effectiveness of audio when I came across an article on this very subject by one of my favorite authors, Alexandria K. Brown. Ali is know nationally as the “The E-zine Queen” and is a very savvy entrepreneur. So, as they say, why re-invent the wheel?! Enjoy Ali’s article.

7 Ways to Use AUDIO to Increase Your Web and E-mail Sales
by Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen”

Thought about adding audio to your Web site yet? You should. While great copy does a good job of selling your services and products, audio will amplify the effect of your words. Audio gives you a more personal connection with your Web visitors. Social psychologists tell us that humans are more likely to trust you if they can both see you and hear you. And prospects are more likely to buy from those whom they feel they know, like, and trust.  So let’s think about how you can build that instant rapport with your prospects.What Could YOU Do With Audio?There are unlimited possibilities of what can be done with audio on Web sites and in e-mail, but here are seven simple ideas to get you started.1. Greet Your Homepage Visitors.
Welcome first-time visitors to your Web site with your own voice. It’s a much warmer welcome than text alone.2. Create a Series of Audio Lessons.
Audio learning is hot! Teach your audience via your voice instead of just words on the page. Think about developing a series of mini-audio lessons for your prospects.

3. Share Your Interviews.
If you don’t have an interview clip already, ask a friend or colleague to conduct a short, dynamic interview with you via phone. Record it and post it at your Web site. Or, do a series of interviews with other experts in your field and post them at your site to be listened to.

4. Samples of Teleseminars.
Want more signups for your free and/or paid teleseminars? Then start recording them. Pull out the highlights and post free clips of them at your Web site.

5. Pump Up Your Testimonials.
You probably already have customer testimonials on your site. Now amplify their impact with audio. Have your customers record their testimonials in their own voices, and post them on your site along with their names and photos. (See great examples here.)

6. Make Your E-mails and E-zines Talk.
Liven up your e-mails by making them talk to your prospects, subscribers, and customers. The members on your lists will feel like you are right there with them. (And remember, it will be that personal connection that encourages people to hire you or buy your products.) Be the first in your industry to do this, and watch your numbers rise!

7. Audio Postcards.
Reach out to your best customers and prospects for holidays, birthdays, or other special occasions by sending them an e-mail “postcard” accompanied with a personally recorded message.

So What’s the EASIEST Way to Post Audio?In the past, adding audio to your site wasn’t that easy. You had to either spend hours learning how to do it yourself, or pay someone else to record it and host it for you. That’s why I was never interested in audio before. I may be the E-zine Queen, but no way am I a techie queen. In fact, my VCR still blinks “12:00 … 12:00 … 12:00.

“Here’s the good news: There’s a brand new program that makes recording and posting audio ridiculously easy. It’s called Audio Generator and was created by Armand Morin, the same guy who created PopUp Generator and a slew of other innovative “Generator” products. I signed up immediately after he debuted this at the System 3 Seminar in Ohio a few weeks ago.

Here’s an example of how easy Audio Generator is: Say you want to add an audio greeting to your site this afternoon. Just call Audio Generator’s toll-free hot line and record your message. Then, as soon as you hang up the phone, go log into their site. Ta da … your message is ready and waiting, with a line of HTML code for you to copy and paste on your home page.

That’s it!

Even better, you can do this an unlimited number of times and have unlimited clips on your site (or multiple sites). You can also upload digital audio files up to 30 minutes in length, which I’m going to do for samples of my teleclasses.

Click here to get the full story, and see (and hear) The E-zine Queen’s own audio testimonial at the Audio Generator site.Remember, It’s That Personal Connection That MattersTake some time today to think about what YOU could do with audio at your site and in your e-mails to increase rapport with your visitors. Then choose at least one tactic to implement this month. It could be the best addition you’ve made to your online marketing efforts this year.(c) 2003 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE AUTHORAlexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://www.ezinequeen.com.