EntreCard Holiday Dysfunctional Link Love That Could Potentially Hurt You

(UPDATE 12/31/07 - the links and pics from the Entrecard All Cards page, as promised, are now removed from this article.  The article itself has been left "as is" so it will still refer to them as if they are still there)

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(this page might take a while to load but it was necessary in order to bait some of you here to see your own folly.  In a day or two, I will remove all the Entrecard pictures, and links to your sites, which you will understand why shortly.  But ALL Entrecard users should read this in order to see how some of the cheap, lazy tactics over which some people gush and fawn can actually HURT you and thwart your progress - and, in most cases, without you even knowing.)

So, You Think It's Easy Being A Controversy Blogger?

Think Again.

What I'm about to show is you just an example of what I deal with on a regular basis.  To note, I do not like to do what I'm about to do.  When it comes to naming people for making "bonehead" moves, I generally don't; unless they are a well-known marketer or an "A-list Blogging Celebrity" whose influence over the masses makes naming them more important.  But in this case, I have to make an exception so that you can see exactly what I'm talking about and why it is both cheap, lazy and potentially harmful.

Thoughtful, Creative & Community-Building

In my previous article, Love Thy Entrecard Neighbor Blog Meme - A Powerful Use of the All Cards Page, I came up with a powerfully creative way to get more benefit from the Entrecard "All Users" page than just the backlink it gave to us.  In fact, the article was more beneficial and brilliant than meets the eye because it took certain factors into account - human nature, search engine optimization factors, etc - that would have required too much time and space to explain.  But, in short, it was a way for participants to meet their 8 "all cards page Entrecard neighbors" and, very likely, learn some very cool new things about them.  At the same time, they'd be giving those 8 neighbors some link love and simply inviting them to do the same.

Ideally, it would ripple out and many Entrecard users would get to meet many other new Entrecard users... real, quality, eyeballs on each others sites.

I then invited about 20 other active Entrecard users with an invitation to help kick it off so that it would grow faster and give many of the newer, less popular, Entrecard users, something to both enjoy and buzz about.

And Gosh Be Darned, I Forgot What I Was Dealing With...

Shortly after, I received a reply from some people saying that it was a "great idea."  But then one of them wrote again to say...

"Your idea is pretty good, but this one is better and will build everyone's technorati rank. [link withheld for the moment]"

It then led to NOTHING MORE than a complete and total copy of the Entrecard All Cards Page on someone else's blog. 

A Better Idea?
That Will Build Everyone's Technorati Rank?

PLEASE!

Yechhh, and this is more prevalent than you likely even know.  In fact, some people will read this and actually wonder, "Well, what's so wrong with that?"  For Starters, How About - EVERYTHING..

The Blind Leading the Blind

Just think about this for a second.  YOU DO NOTHING MORE THAN COPY ENTRECARD'S ALL CARDS PAGE TO YOUR BLOG and then a handful of the 1300 people on the page show up and say, "Hey, THANKS!" and maybe they even say, "That was so nice!  I'm gonna link you back, too!" because most of them don't know any better. 

I even saw a couple Entrecard users in the comment section who I KNOW are much smarter than that so it goes to show you what life on the internet can be like.  If...

Even SMART People Can Get Roped In By A Cheap & Lazy Ripoff...

...then think about how ripe for exploitation are those who are fairly new to all this? 

Most new and intermediate bloggers are so desperate for attention and visitors that even if Adolf Hitler came back from the dead and linked to their website, they'd be flattered and gushing with thanks.

Thanks for the link-love, Adolf!

Here is one response to the RIP-OFF of the Entrecard All User's page:

"I found your site because I started receiving visits from this post! So THANKS for the link! :-)"

Ok, Stop...  Critical Thinking Pop Quiz...

Does anyone REALLY believe that packs of users really sifted through 1300 tiny icons to go visit this one guy's page?  Apparently, yes!  Multiply that times a couple of billion and that's what you're up against.  If anything, it was the effect of search engine spiders... but people?

"Oh, Search Engine Spiders?  Well, That Was At Least A Little Good, Right?"

WRONG!

But don't let that stop you, or anyone else, from getting distracted from the main point which is a CHEAP & LAZY RIP-OFF of the Entrecard All Cards Page that made all kinds of people think they were witnessing the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.

But Here's A Specific Reason It's Not Only Not Good But Potentially Harmful

"Keep the links on a given page to a reasonable number (fewer than 100)."  (Google Webmaster Guidelines, design and content guidelines)

Now, you might not realize this but there are a LOT of people who fight to remain ignorant.  It's not a bad thing; it's just true.  So I'm already used to the kinds of answers I get from things like this.  For example,

"Ok, well, who says you have to do everything Google wants you to do?  I don't even get most of my traffic from them, anyways!"

Ok, well, that's all well and good.  The point here is that there are people who are gushing with thanks for something that amounts to a LINK FARM and if Google suggests you avoid building LINK FARMS then it's a good bet all search engines don't like them either.  In fact, BLACK HAT SEO types, when targeting someone with a vengeance, will often put their target's site links on such pages in order to devalue their rankings in the search engines.

EXPLANATION OF LINK FARMING AND HOW IT CAN DESTROY YOU

(google search result for 'link farms')

Just Imagine You Are Google...

...and, suddenly, out of nowhere, you find an ordinary site that suddenly throws up 1300 links overnight.  LOL!  And isn't it just a riot that newbies with virtually no experience in these matters try to argue FOR these "feel-good" events as if we were standing in the halls of their former high schools?

"But Entrecard Did It!"

(yeah, well, it's their operation...)

Ok, so by that logic, it's instantly ok to just copy it to your blog and take credit for it while giving search engines the impression of a link farm?  In fact, Gorilla Sushi didn't even acknowledge Entrecard for the effort THEY put into creating the "All Cards" page.  People were giving HIM all the credit for the "effort" when it was PHIRATE who created it and there is NO acknowledgment of that anywhereon Gorilla's blog.  Oh, I'm sorry, Gorilla made it so that you have to SQUINT to see any of the 1300 icons.  That's what I call a "wasted effort."

Also, as far as search engines go, they would see that Entrecard had LOTS of traffic and that Entrecard wasn't just a little blog out in the middle of nowhere - so it wouldn't set off the red flag that a copy/paste ripoff page would.  Besides, Graham and Phirate really did it in the spirit of helping you ; whereas, the RIPOFF was done in the spirit of getting backlinks while potentially harming you.

IN CONCLUSION...

In so many ways, what Gorilla Sushi did was cheap, lazy and potentially harmful; but that, as you can see, that doesn't stop people who don't know any better from raising up their hands in praise and thanks.  This means two things that matter in relation to Sam Freedom's Internet Marketing Controversy Blog,

1. As an internet marketer, you should be excited that there are still so many people out there who can be bamboozled into your favor with almost NO EFFORT at all.  That the same people who bitch that they don't get a break are the same ones who throw it away every chance they get while fighting to keep it that way; and

2. By being controversial, Gorilla Sushi has earned his mention on the world's only Internet Marketing Controversy blog.  Congratulations, Gorilla.

(Here's what Gorilla Sushi did below.  Soon I'll be removing it so that it doesn't make Google hate you and I and brand us as link farm conspirators.  If you want to see his page, you can find it by passing through his Entrecard page because I don't want to link to a link farm.  It's titled, "Entrecard Holiday Link Love")

How Does It Feel to Be A Part of Your Very First Link Farm?

Oh Wait, That's THREE Now...!

1. Entrecard All Cards Page
2.  Gorilla Sushi's Cheap, Lazy Ripoff of it
3. And Now Mine Which I'll Be Removing Shortly

You're On THREE Link Farms Now!!
LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE IN TROUBLLLLLLLLE!!!!

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Love Thy Entrecard Neighbor Blog Meme - A Powerful Use of the All Cards Page

If you've been using Entrecard for a little while, you might already know that Graham and Phirate created a big huge "All Cards Page" which is like a big Entrecard Mosaic that has the icon pics of something like the first 1300 Entrecard users.  And yes, each is clickable and links directly to each Entrecard user's personal website.  That is to say, it does not link to their Entrecard info page but actually gives a real bonafide link to actual sites.

Well, my first thought was,

"Well, That's Nice, But Aside From Being Nice, of What Real Benefit Is It?"

I reasoned, and properly so, that it was unlikely anyone busy building their business was going to sit there scanning over 1000s of Entrecard icons trying to determine which would be a good one to click.

So, I Almost Did The Unthinkable...

I ALMOST wrote the Entrecard "All Cards" Page off just as some early Entrecard users hastily wrote off Entrecard traffic as "junk traffic."  They were wrong, and I was almost wrong.   In fact, my admonition to such people had been, "don't blame the traffic, blame the marketer, or blame the blog owner."  After all, it's up to the BLOGGER to learn how to make the most out of ANY traffic.  Well, similarly, it's up to the Entrecard user to find a way to make the most out of the All Cards Page, as well.

So I Racked My Brains for A Way...
And, Naturally, Found One...!

LOVE THY ENTRECARD NEIGHBOR!

Even though Christmas Day, 2007, will soon be behind us, how relevant is it that we should be asked on Christmas Day, to LOVE THY ENTRECARD NEIGHBOR? 

The Concept Is Simple And Crystal Clear. 

1.  Read these instructions twice then copy them for your article.
2.  Go to the Entrecard ALL CARDS page.
3.  Find your card and open the pages of all the card owners around your card.  For example:

4.  Visit their site.  Drop your card, and find at least one positive thing say about them (or their site).  Here are mine:

Atomic Popcorn - Two words:  BLOWN.  AWAY.  I was blown away by the awesomeness of this person's movie reviews.  I'm not kidding.  How it is only a 200k Alexa ranking, I will never know.  But I suspect it won't remain there for long.  This site is going to do nothing but grow, grow and grow.  And I was particularly impressed with the review of "Sweeney Todd".

Learning About Natural Healing - We all hear about things like acupuncture, "feng shui" and "qi gong" but what do we really know about them?  And how much of what the people we meet tell us do we really comprehend?  Well, this is a brand new blog by a person who is going to share their experience while taking a master's program in acupuncture and Eastern medicine... could be very enlightening!  And a great public service, too.

Letters to Business - A hilarious site of rants written to businesses.  Whether they were really sent or not, I don't know, but most people can expect the much needed "belly laugh" for which their inner, disgruntled, postal worker has been impatiently waiting.  While it doesn't appear to be updated frequently, don't worry, the laughs you get should last a month or two each.

Widgets Lab - How freakin' cool!  A blog that's chock-full of information about all the cool, new amazing widgets that come out faster than the chocolate candy conveyor belt on the "I Love Lucy" show.

Contestime - I just keep getting amazed at who my "Entrecard Neighbors" are on the "All Cards" page!  This site lists various contests going on.  Already it's listed 5 different Entrecard contests.  If you want to learn of more, or get yours listed, this is the place to be!

Merritr.com Blog - Ok, I think I'm in love.  Alright, not really, I've way more self-discipline than that but it turns out that one my Entrecard "All Cards" Page neighbors is a hot 26yr old female mechanical engineer, car enthusiast who also trains with the US Masters swim team (plus one of her former high school classmates married Google's Larry Page).  Ok, so tell me... how else would I have found this unique and interesting person if I didn't check out my neighbors on the Entrecard Users "All Cards" page?

Scarty.Com - "My daily life experiences" are what she says and are exactly what I got.  Normally, I don't have the attention it takes to read personal blogs of this nature BUT I was pleasantly surprised.  I'm not sure if it was the bubbly female perspective, the creative touch and the overall positive, fun nature of each of the entries but the total impression I got is, "this is a GOOD soul!"...just really simple, down-to-earth and nice.

There should be 8 total but, in my case, one is a blatant ad blog with only one entry - an ad.

5.  Include a link to the original, "Sam Freedom's LOVE THY ENTRECARD NEIGHBOR Blog Meme"
6.  If you tag your posts, include "entrecard", and "entrecard meme" tags, so others can find us and we can find them all (if you don't understand tagging right now, don't worry). 
7.  Post your article.
8.  Revisit your neighbors and leave them a comment with a link, and an invitation, to your "Love Thy Entrecard Neighbor" blog meme article, letting them know that it names them (ideally, they will participate and you will get a link back).  You can also notify them by clicking the "E" on their Entrecard widget and leaving them a message at Entrecard.
9.  Go thank Graham and Phirate right now! 
10. Enjoy the new traffic, new links, new relationships, new friends and new opportunities!

All Because You Loved Thy Entrecard Neighbor As You Would Love Thine Self! ;-)

GO SEE WHO YOUR ENTRECARD NEIGHBORS ARE NOW!

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Oh, It's Gonna Be A Click Fraud Christmas...!

It was during a quick search of the New York Post's online edition that I discovered something both funny and disturbing - and definitely controversial.

The article for which I was searching was already controversial enough. It was,

"JEWS' SUBWAY HERO A MUSLIM:
SAVES 'HANUKKAH' RIDERS FROM THUGS"
(story found here)

and, not totally surprising, I was initially greeted with a typically annoying audio popup for Toyota Corp. It looked like this...

I really didn't mind it... ONCE. But what made it so annoying was that it re-appeared on EVERY... SINGLE... PAGE.

Now That's a Little Odd, Wouldn't You Say?

I mean, surely, any business with the money and staff of the New York Post should have been able to hire competent advertising firms who would have a firm grasp of "cookie technology" and, therefore, been able to limit their one same ad to just one showing per visit... even per-hour, let's say.

But Nope, There It Was, Over and Over Again.

Naturally, I started "X"ing out but the X, and the accompanying word "close" were faint red and very tiny, indeed.

Ok, Something's Not Right Here...

Why would a sleazy tabloid with enough money to fund every presidential candidate's campaigns combined want their cheesy video popup to not only appear AS MANY TIMES AS POSSIBLE but also have a "close link" about the size of a hamster's pubic hair?

Oh I Don't Know.... Could It Beeeeee.....

CLICK FRAUD?!

(anyone who can't figure out how I got it to say click fraud, just ask)

It honestly didn't occur to me until, accidentally, I'd missed the tiny X and clicked on an ad for a credit company who I would comfortably presume had just had anywhere from $15 to $45 neatly subtracted from their ppc advertising account. So, naturally, in the inimitable style of Sam Freedom, I found their contact form and, on behalf of the New York Post, promptly thanked them for having generously contributed to the New York Post's "Executive Lunch Fund."

Merry Christmas Everybody!
And a Happy New Year!

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Super Advanced EntreCard Strategy - Squeezing the Most Out of Your Chain Droppers

It just gets better and better, doesn't it?

In just a second, I am going to show you how to PROFIT from almost EVERY, SINGLE Entrecard chaindropper that comes through your site, but first I need 30 seconds to set the stage for it:

If there's one thing about which I'd bet almost anything that I'm one of the best, it is discovering SYNERGIES - even between things that seem almost totally unrelated.

So You Thought Chain Droppers Were No Good, Did Ya?

You Called Them Untargeted Traffic Did Ya?

As many of you know, I've been writing EXTENSIVELY about EntreCard because every last bone in my body tells me that it is has potentials vast, light years beyond what are immediately obvious right now. Not only did I explain extensively how people could initially benefit, even from chain droppers ("10 Simple Ways to Squeeze the Most Out of Entrecard for Your Greater Advantage") but I've also told people from day 1 that...

...Online Marketing and Problogging Is A NUMBERS GAME!

Those of you who have been following me, especially recently, are experiencing it directly... even gaining just one more loyal reader puts you, potentially, within reach of his or her whole network of friends. You saw the "Entrecard Meme" and you felt the goodwill and connectivity coarsing through you.

Now, that is not really a mystery or a huge revelation but it is WILDLY underestimated...WILDLY.

If, for example, you followed my advice in, "Quick Free Tip on How to Get Followers on Twitter Fast!", you'd have learned how to quickly get lots of followers on Twitter. Just imagine, then, making a really hot, interesting tweet on Twitter and then, "BANG!", 20 of your new Twitter friends tell THEIR followings of 20-100, or even more, Twitter friends. And then some of THEM tell people.

It Can Be THAT Quick! Seriously!

So Do NOT Underestimate the Power of Merely One New Reader or Friend

Especially now that I'm going to show you how to PROFIT from EVERY SINGLE PERSON that visits your site...

No, on second thought, I'm going to just show you...

Click Here

In short, though, not only will every single person who spends 5 seconds at your site earn you "Pay-Per-Play" revenue, but you'll earn in other ways, too, without doing, or paying, for anything new. You just put the code on your site and, all of a sudden, those supposedly "untargeted", "no good", "junk traffic", chain droppers become...

...Instant Honeybees!

All collecting honey for... YOU. ;-)

Click Here

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MERRY CHRISTMAS Internet Marketers and Bloggers! Come Get Your Present!

HO! HO! HOOOO!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

It's that time of the year again, folks!  Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, it's in your face, and there ain't a gosh darn thing ya can do about it except jam your face into a bowl of whatever gets put in front of you and make the most of it!

Of course, if you're a radical extremist of any kind, you might have some mad belief that you CAN do something about it but, take my word for it, you'll just get crushed like a bug if you dare.  And you won't like it.

When In Rome...

It's so much easier to just buy a bunch of gifts for people and eat lots of food than it is to go around shaking your fist and blaming a religion, or religion, in general, for the bulk of humanity's problems.  So if you think there's something wrong with Christmas and religion,

KNOCK IT OFF!

Ok, so, in keeping with my own advice, I am going to go down to the local breakfast place and stuff my face in preparation for the coming festivities.  Furthermore, I'm going to give you a very special gift...

Promises of Money?
Free Ebooks Stuffed With Affiliate Links?
A 97% Discount to an Over-Priced Program?
1000 Entrecard Credits?
Free Jimmies On Your Sundae?
A Trip for 2 to Las Vegas, Nevada's Tahiti Village?

No... No... No... No... No...!

(sorry, no)

BUT, I'm going to give you something MUCH BETTER than all that nonsense!  I'm going to give you...

ANSWERS...!

I'm not going to lie - I'm a pretty smart guy.  That doesn't mean I know everything, but if there's one thing I DO know it's that things are NOT as easy as internet marketers and A-list bloggers make them seem.  In fact...

THEY'RE A LOT EASIER!

But the sad fact is that with a lot of clueless wanna-be's following their advice, the internet has become cluttered up and bogged down with all kinds of sub-standard information that makes any GOOD information much harder to find. 

For example, I want to move a Blogger blog to Wordpress.

Simple, Right?

Of course not, since there's all kinds of nasty messiness in ensuring that everything, including Pagerank and traffic, etc.,  transition over smoothly. 

So I Just Google for the Info, Right?

Of course... not... well, one could try, and I did, but what I had to wade through before I settled on THIS, was an abomination of half-truths and outdated information written BY the technically-minded FOR the technically-minded - a cacophony of  web-chatter that would spin the head of even the great Albert Einstein.  All had good intentions, but all were as confusing and unhelpful as.... a nipple on a bull.

So, Let's Start Simply, Shall We?

In the comment section below, tell me (and the other visitors), what is your most pressing dilemma right now?  What problem, if you had an answer, would allow you to move forward with much greater clarity, ease and/or speed?

Try to state your need as concisely as possible - perhaps 2-3 sentences that don't require 300 words each.  Keeping questions concise and to the point helps you get a quality answer. 

(Note:  If you have something majorly technical, you might be better off going to guru.com or scriptlance.com for help.)

But if there's a concept you need help to comprehend better or you're not sure if X is legitimate, or worth your time, or whatever else you can think of that would help you to move forward in your internet marketing or blogging career, then...

ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE...
(others are encouraged to help, too but please no affiliate links)

(and if ya have no questions or answers, then enjoy this ultra-cool Christmas light show!  Dozens more Christmas light shows can be found here!)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Making Entrecard Easier - Easy Access Widget Club

MAKING ENTRECARD EASIER -
EASY ACCESS WIDGET CLUB

This is around number 7 in a growing list of Entrecard articles I've written to help make your Entrecard experience both more ENJOYABLE (Who Ever Thought A Traffic Widget Could Be So Funny?) and more EFFICIENT (10 Simple Ways to Squeeze the Most Out of Entrecard for Your Greater Advantage), for starters.

And this article is going to be short and sweet.

What follows is a list of Entrecard users whose widgets are at the TOP of their sites.  I want to REWARD this by making their sites known to everybody so that you can BOOKMARK THEM and go back to them regularly for some very quick chain dropping.  While searching or scrolling around for Entrecard widgets might not seem difficult or costly, in terms of time, it's just a fact that ANY activity that is repetitious feels a lot better when it's both smooth and fluid. 

So, if you have to stop every other page to scroll around searching for a widget that, for all you know, might not even load right away due to horrible placement and slow load times, then your card dropping experience is going to rapidly become less pleasant.

MY CURRENT LIST OF ENTRECARD USERS
WITH WIDGETS ABOVE THE SCROLL LINE

(please add any other sites that come to mind if they qualify)

http://controversialmarketing.blogspot.com/
http://www.bluestemwine.blogspot.com/
http://www.heavilytrafficked.com/
http://www.heaxt.com/
http://www.jeancosta.com/
http://www.myppcadvertising.info/
http://www.dailymoolah.com/
http://www.purplesunset.co.uk/main/martynblog/
http://www.riceforpoor.blogspot.com/
http://tetsujin.metamudcreations.com/

http://theofficecubicle.com/
http://simplyblogforcash.com/
http://imakemoneyhoney.blogspot.com/
http://bloggingsocial.blogspot.com/
http://www.buildingobserver.com/
http://www.digitalburn.org/
http://www.kevinhdavis.com/
http://ejcooksey.blogspot.com/
http://www.widgetslab.com/
http://www.yimto.com/

And naturally, that's just for starters.
List any others you find in the comment section
And bookmark the ones above for quick, easy card dropping.

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Sam Freedom for Entrecard Shop Seller Status - I Have A Dream!

Holy Entrecard Credits, Batman!
It's An Entrecard Store!

If you HAD to add another straw to the camel's back, the new Entrecard store should, without a scintilla of doubt, be one of them.

As users now well know, using Entrecard is a "drop"-dead EASY way to get both EYEBALLS on your site and make new, excited, like-minded friends. And, surprisingly soon, users start amassing so many advertising credits they start wondering, "Ok, now, other than advertise on high-traffic blogs, what ELSE can I do with this large excess of credits?"

Well, Pay Close Attention!

After racking up all kinds of credits (which is a real cinch!), you'll now be able to trade them in for some of the most powerful, advanced features of any traffic generating system known by, but not limited to, bloggers! Here's some examples:

1. You'll be able to unlock VALUABLE statistics that will help you fine-tune and optimize your efforts for even GREATER results!;
2. You'll be able to obtain new widget designs! And have your widget stand out just the way you want in some really cool ways!;
3. You'll also be able to trade your credits in for gear and items like Entrecard t-shirts which can serve as EXCELLENT conversation starters to talk about Entrecard and your own site!;
4. My favorite is that you might even get to buy REVIEWS from excellent reviewers! This would focus on the best aspects of your site, increase your credibility and get you backlinks and traffic!;
5. And much, much more!

Graham is really excited about bringing, and developing, many new gadgets, gizmos and exciting new things Entrecard users can obtain with their ever-growing feast of credits.

I Have A Dream...!
I Have an Entrecard Dream!

As a seller, I would charge between 300 to 5000 credits for varying sizes of site, product or person reviews the likes of which, I guarantee, will not be available on just any ol' street corner. Anyone who has passed through here knows that I am many things when it comes to blogging. I am friendly, insightful, creative, and come with a very sharp edge that conveys both conviction and honesty. Add to that, I've actually enjoyed focusing the majority of my current efforts on helping fellow Entrecard users fan the flames of a "fascination" we all understand too well.

Thank you for the support and suggestions. I would love to have you as a guest author sometime after I get this all squared away. - Entrecard User - CyberStreetReport

Ever since you linked me, traffic has been wonderful. Thank you, Thank you for the unbelievable traffic. hug - Entrecard User - EvilWoobie

When I recommend or review someone's site, it's not a cold, academic review by someone "trained at the academy." And it doesn't pick on things like site design or placement of widgets. It's going to be from someone who has spent 30 years inside his family's multi-million dollar world-class business and who has been acquainted with some of internet marketing's most famous, successful people. It's going to focus on the positives and bring out the best in a way that no one can fail to appreciate.

Once again, you've proven that you know what the blogger world needs. I think we should all keep these tips in mind, since we're the ones that will benefit from these great ideas. Entrecard User - Swan

Some are complaining about junk traffic as the result of entrecard. I have to tell you, thanks to people like you, my comments have jumped 5 fold since getting signed up with Entrecard. Entrecard User - Big Pappa

I have an amazing ability to bring out the finest points about a person, site, or product, and to word things in such a way as to prepare potential visitors get the most value from a site once they arrive. Truthfully, 500-5000 credits really isn't enough of charge based on that of which I'm capable.  But I want to remain realistic and also to put one's own excellent review within reach of all Entrecard users.  That way, each can feel more confident and inspired by having their own excellent reviews.

Here are a handful that others have left for me:

• Found Entrecard through Sam's blog. He calls things as he sees them. Sam Freedom's blog - worthwhile reading. The Uncanny Broadcasting Brain Blog
• This blog is great because he is already inventing ways to improve the overall experience of a great new thing...Entrecard. This blog is on top of the game and has much needed and great advice. Love Life
• A humourous and entertaining blog to read. Sam is a funny guy and it's evident in his writing. Definitely a recommended site! ShowMeAnime.com
• I am so pleased I've found this site. It's one to check every day as there is always something of interest. Really useful info too - not fluff! Pososto
• Entertaining read! Hilarious commentary on the blogosphere, definitely an eye openener! Don't miss it! Black Zedd's Basic Literature
• Sam is throwing himself wholehearedly into Entrecard and is contributing a huge amount to the community here. His blog is an excellent read. Thanks Sam Just About Dogs
• I am just starting out with my blog. Literally it's been 10 days since I started...I've been able to bring in just over 6000 visits in this time, but the material on your blog is really going to help me refine this process and hopefully I can spend more time on content rather than marketing. Thanks for the tips! ReverseMonster.ORG
• A thoroughly entertaining read, a well done Blog. Dude, you rock. Seriously, I learned more about the Entrecard from Sam Freedom than I did from the Entrecard Website itself. Just wanted to let you know, you should be getting some traffic your way as I stumbled you and faved you in technorati. Keep up the good work, You have just earned another RSS subscriber. Earning a Living Online

As of right now, there are at least 35 more sincere reviews, comments, emails and recommendations exactly like these, and growing... and These Wonderful, Kindred Entrecard Users Didn't Leave 'Em By Accident... ;-)

Vote Sam Freedom for Entrecard Seller Status, And Let the Reviews Begin...! ;-)

(here are all my Entrecard articles in case you need any help)

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ENTRECARD Contests That Never Made It - And One That Did

Entrecard Contests That Never Made It

And 1 That Did...

The following comprise three of the worst Entrecard contests that have ever made it off the drawing board.  In fact, they were so bad, they never saw the full light of day.  For the sake of professional courtesy, and whatever little bit of kindness is left in me, I will not be revealing the origins of these contests.

Just review them and shake your head silently.  But have hope!  They are followed by an Entrecard Contest that is rocking the world!

Failed Entrecard Contest Number 1

Prize: 1000 credits
Entry Fee:  Blog about the contest with a link pointing back.
Why It Sucked:  In a nutshell, it wants you to give them a beautiful link buried in perfect anchor-text within a juicy, keyword-rich article - a backlink lover's dream merely for the OPPORTUNITY to stand in line for 15 weeks at John Chow's "Advertise" link.  To add insult to this injury, you would, ultimately, be inviting all of your readers to become your competitors by sending them to the contest blog to do exactly the same.

Failed Entrecard Contest Number 2

Prize: 1000 credits for each 5 people who enter.
Entry Fee:  100 Entrecard credits
Why It Sucked:  This was a standard raffle where someone's kid throws a dart at a dartboard or pulls a piece of paper out of a hat and, quite frankly, someone forgot to do the math.  One hundred people entered (10,000 prize pool) and 20 prizes equalled 20,000 credits and they couldn't make up the 10,000 credit deficit.  The operative word is "Ponzi" or "Ooops!"

Failed Entrecard Contest Number 3

Prize:  0 Credits
Entry Fee:  Do nothing.
Why It Sucked:  It was rigged.  Right from the start, it was impossible to do nothing so everybody lost.

But Here's An Example of
A Successful Entrecard Contest...

BIG PAPPY'S BIG BALD BLOG'S
BIG BAD CONTEST!

Yes, you heard me right!  The Big Bald Blog is having a contest for some really cool prizes including an 8 Gig IPOD, Entrecard Credits, a Blog Review by a Great Reviewer and some Big Pappy WorldWide Gear!

All I can say, folks, is that any time there's a contest with a BIG BAD IPOD involved and it doesn't require me to give my credit card info and fill out 30 forms, I'M IN!

After all, the entry fee costs twat-diddly and, when you really think about it, people have to leave your blog at some point anyways... so why not send 'em to a friend?  or a guy who you'll end up wanting as a friend?  Or a guy you'll end up wanting as a friend with...

AN 8G IPOD AS FIRST PRIZE IN HIS CONTEST!

What are you waiting for?  Go Enter Now!

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Sam Freedom's - Drop Squad - The First Entrecard Meme Known to Bloggers

As many of you know, I've written extensively about Entrecard this past week.  In fact, Entrecard is pretty much the focus of my last 5 articles including, "10 Simple Ways to Squeeze the Most Out of Entrecard for Your Greater Advantage". 

So, Why Am I Doing This?

Well, to take a lesson from one of the guys who everyone seems to quote fanatically, Seth Godin, Entrecard is an idea that spreads and, as Seth says, "ideas that spread, win."  (In other words, since I just mentioned him, he supposedly wins.)

One of the reasons I take a small whip to various marketers is that their ideas SOUND cool but they're very often incomplete.  For example, Fascism, like Naziism, spread, and that certainly didn't win (right Seth?).  Some marketers only see half the story and, in the retelling of it, you only receive one-fourth, or one-eighth, of it.  The result is your destruction and hardly ANYONE ever sees that story except you and your loved ones.

So a more enlightened version of Seth's quote might be, "GOOD ideas that spread, win." or "Good, COMPLETE ideas, that spread, win."  If he DID say that, then consider me corrected but that's not how his fanatics have "spread" it.  But then you get into the realm of the bizarros whose best response is, "Well, who's to say what's good and what isn't?"  Well, I just told them... the ones that WIN are the good ideas. 

Stupidity Wins Battles; But GOOD Wins The War.

Alright, so here's another IDEA that will spread.  All that remains is to find out if it's GOOD...

SAM FREEDOM'S "DROP SQUAD"!
The First Entrecard Meme Known to Bloggers

 Entrecard Meme Instructions

With the full realization that these Entrecard meme instructions are being read by some of the most brain-fogged, weary net travelers known to mankind, I am going to keep this VERY, VERY simple.  Btw, I say "brain-fogged" for the fact that ever since Entrecard "dropped" onto the scene, it's a fair bet that each of us is seeing, at least, 2-3 times more blogs per day than usual.  I would even venture 5-10 times more. 

So Here They Are, The Simple Entrecard Meme Instructions

1. Read these instructions twice;
2. Drop your EntreCard at this site;
3. Drop your EntreCard at the 5 EntreCard users' sites listed below;
4. Choose 5 other EntreCard users;
5. Copy these instructions to your own Entrecard meme article and tag (link) those 5 people;
6. Include a link to the Entrecard meme article of the person who tagged you;
7. Link to the original article "Sam Freedom's Drop Squad - the First Entrecard Meme Known to Bloggers";
8. Notify the people you choose that they've been tagged;
9. Comment below so even passers-by can drop their card at your site, too (it shows you are active and will likely return the favor)
10. (optional) IF you tag your blogs, use both "entrecard" and "entrecard meme" as tags so that others can find them AND so that we can find them all later as this grows.  (If you don't know what tagging is, don't worry.)

The Following Entrecard Users Are Officially Tagged:

1.  The Evil Woobie - Being a gorgeous Filipina with brains and heart.. who wouldn't tag her? ;-)  Besides, I think she'd stalk me if I neglected to.  Go drop your Entrecard on her now and then, if you pray humbly, she may stalk you, too.

2.  CyberStreetReport - Reno is working extra hard to unite and encourage bloggers to make this more fun and profitable for all of us.  Dropping your Entrecard on Reno will potentially connect you to 100s more like-minded people in the relatively near future.  Think you can handle it? ;-)

3.  Big Bald Blog - Big Pappa is another go-getter with a great wit and attitude in a friendly, engaging style even though no one, as of yet, has been able to say his blog's name 10 times fast.  Go drop your card with Big Pappa so you can be his friend BEFORE he overtakes John Chow on Entrecard's "Most Popular" page.

4.  Affiliate Confession - For the uninitiated, affiliate marketing truly CAN be like hell, but Alan doesn't want your soul to go there.  So he does cool things like give away a free copy of the BEST Ebay Afilliate Niche Site Builder every once in a while.  It might be too late for you to win that now but you can still go drop a card and be in line for the next one.

5.  Flaming Lacer - The only thing that prevents this 50-something, self-styled, "grumpy" woman from being the perfect proof that success does not discriminate is that she's white and has all her limbs.  But barring that, she provides a warm atmosphere that feels good to everybody (even if she does like Seth Godin).  Dropping your card with her will help you to remember that somewhere inside that walled-in city of your internet addiction is a long-forgotten human being named YOU.

Well, there you go... Now Get Droppin'!

ps. Actually, anyone who wishes to be in on the fun and traffic may participate in this meme.  And take just a second to sign up to my "controversial" MyBlogLog community, as part of "The Drop Squad"

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Entrecard Humor - Who Ever Thought a Traffic Widget Could Be So Funny?

Whoever thought Entrecard could be funny?  We all know that there are some who think that Entrecard is a joke, but funny?

Well, Hold Onto Your Hats Because....

IT IS!

Yes, when you've used Entrecard as much as I have and have looked up its skirt from every angle humanly possible, some odd things begin to emerge.  It's like, suddenly, they just start to jump out at you and you wonder,

"Am I Really Seeing This?"

ANALING

Take, for example, the lovely Anna Ling,

there's one in me right now

Oh PLEASE...!  Girlfriend, don't even TELL me it's a language thing!  I mean, I really want to believe she MEANS "Anna Ling" but the "L" isn't even capitalized.  And that 2nd "n" doesn't change a thing... 

Don't lie.  It's not just me and you know it.

I don't even know if there IS such a word as "analing" but I've no doubt that such a word would be perfectly understood in the Craigslist "Escort" section.  If ever there was such a thing as "code talk" then this is a primse example for the vice squad training manual!  Girlfriend, PLEASE!

This Next One Better Have Something to Do With Articles!

The mad irony, is that it wasn't that far away from Annaling.  And it got me to do something I don't very often do - I started to wonder if maybe some minor deity was playing a really cruel joke on me.  After all, I'm only human!  Please... PLEASE, just look me in the eye and tell me that the creator of that name didn't look at it and say, "Awesome!  I can lie and just say it's about quickly grabbing articles!  Woohoo!" 

Do I look like I was born yesterday?!

Ok, Now Tell Me This Next One Was Nearby Due to Sheer Coincidence...!

Oh sure, there's fire trucks and transformers on the ad, aren't they just so cute?  But we know what this really means!  This is a conspiracy by all of Entrecard's detractors to make Entrecard seem seedy.  They're just jealous!  Since they don't know how to capitalize on their Entrecard traffic, their next move was to flood it with these lascivious ads, attempting to undermine it's family-oriented credibility!

Well, I Never!

Oh, I Can Look No Longer!

Oh SURE!  Are we REALLY to believe this man is showing us he is broke?!  NAY!  This man is inviting you to "kiss the rabbit on the nose!", is that not ridiculously foul or what?!  What has come over people these days?! 

Don't you get it?!

At Least This Next Person Is Honest!

Or is she?!!?!  So what if she comes out and admits that she has a lot more in common with Britney Spears than her...  than her... than her... well, the point is, how do we KNOW she's the best?  Not even an offer of free samples, just a brazen admission that she is the sultry, sultana of silicon sin city!

My Word!  Tell Me Where Is Sanity?!

As For This Last One?  I Am Utterly Speechless.

Oh, yeah, right, a monkey, suuuure!!  Monkey's eyes are NOT that close!  Ok, so maybe I do have words - THREE words:  Pen.  Tail.  Banana.  Is anyone putting 2+2 together and coming up with 69?  This is all about that wretched, rabies-laden, bugmobile's  dingle-dangle.  Look, that radioactive monkey-thing IS dangling.  Ok, so what ELSE dangles?  Hmmm?  See what I'm sayin'?

Like I'm Stupid or Sumthin!

Now This Next Event Really Pissed Me Off!

Trainers of man's best friend rejected my ad?!!  Now, seriously, does anyone in their right mind think that I need traffic from a dog trainer's site?  The short answer is - NO!  I'd actually thought, "What the heck is a dog training site doing looking for an audience the size of a pin in a place the size of 10 haystacks?!" so I thought I'd give them a little business and maybe an inspirational boost.  But they denied me! 

So guess what?  I WAS going to take my dog to get trained by you but since you rejected me, I've decided to go elsewhere! 

Want Some More of This Turnquist?  Didn't think so..!

But Look... Look Who Accepted My Ad...

Awwwww, a wittew kitty... how cute?  NOT!  Do I really need to spell it out this time?!  Or is it enough to say that I paid her my 2 credits and when I was done, I checked my wallet and 30 credits were missing?!  What the heck is going on here?

Why can't all those crazy people be nice and upstanding like me?

Entrecard.... You Owe Us Some Answers!

I Hope You Enjoyed a Brief Respite from All the Madness...

Now Leave a Comment, Drop Your Card and Get the Heck Outta Here!

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Advanced Entrecard - Increase Website Traffic With A Strong Alternative to Chain Dropping

If you're an Entrecard user who is looking for an alternative to "chain dropping" (drop your card, click thru to the next ad, drop your card, repeat), and you want to maximize your efforts even further with some insightful, exploratory strategies, then read on....

Since writing an article titled, "10 Simple Ways to Squeeze the Most Out of Entrecard for Your Greater Advantage" , I've read all kinds of articles that range from amateur to insightful.  Some trashed Entrecard, preferring to blame the "quality of the traffic" rather than the "quality of their marketing skills", while others have just been elated to start getting any traffic at all.

Some have whipped out traffic stats and made wild inferences based on how much time visitors have or haven't spent on their sites while others have simply looked at ANY influx of traffic as an opportunity to win over some new readers.

Let Me Give You A Tiny Example
Converting So-Called "Junk Traffic"

Some people have referred unfavorably to the questionable quality of chain dropping traffic.  They quote "average time" statistics and infer that since people aren't staying long enough to read an article, that the traffic is junk.

Well, Put Something Irresistible to Entrecard Users Under the Damn Widget!

like a little pony

After all, every single Entrecard users is, by nature of doing what they're doing, someone who has wants and needs.  So, if you know that, then either give them something they want or give them something NEW to want.  It can even be FUNNY, after all, we could all use a little relief from this madness every now and then, but don't blame them, or their "quality"... that's like blaming an acorn for not being an oak, or a child with ADD for not being able to learn.  Provide the right sunlight, or the right medicine and you should become better known as a good "gardener" or "doctor."

Let Me Give You Another Tiny Example
Placing Your Widget Strategically

By now, any Entrecard user over a week old realizes that searching a site for an Entrecard widget can be a royal pain in the ass.  Especially if one is interested in testing out one of the high cost blogs and needs a lot of credits.  As a result, they're going to start realizing the value of blogs that have their Entrecard widget at, or near, the top versus those who either jam their widget at the very bottom or have it buried undiscernibly amongst a bunch of other similar looking ads on the sidebar (the sidebar is a horrible place, by the way, because no one is LOOKING for your ordinary ads but they ARE looking for your Entrecard widget).

In fact, I just dropped 70 cards for a very specific purpose and found widgets, like mine, either NEAR or AT the top to be of great service to me.  Ironically, I was more disposed to look around if the initial impact of the blog looked nice and easy to read.  I felt a strange gratitude towards such blog owners for not forcing me to have to search all over the place under the assumption that MAYBE  I would like their blog. 

The widgets near the top suggested that these blog owners not only understood what Entrecard card-droppers want but also weren't looking to squeeze every dime out of me.  It's subtle, but it IS conveyed.  As a result, I've bookmarked those blog owners into special folders and will, in the very least, bless them with a dropped card every time I go card dropping.

A Strong Alternative to Chain Dropping

I've never been a "good boy" - that doesn't mean I'm only a "bad boy", it just means I'm very inquisitive and have a special gift for finding the outer limits of others' comfort levels.  More so than wanting to know how things work, I like to know how they can work BETTER and in clever, unexpected ways, for that would give me a little while to play with something and then share in the discovery. 

But it's really just human nature to want to be more efficient - even procrastinators like to be more efficient when you think about it.

The Multiple Dead-Ends of Chain Dropping

Most Entrecard chain-droppers eventually start running into widgets whose current ad displays contain an ad for a site they've already card-dropped.  Essentially, it represents a temporary dead end to their chain-dropping rhythm.  It doesn't take a whole lot to click the E and go back to Entrecard to find another starting point but if you're trying to build up a bunch of credits and that starts happening more and more frequently, well, let's just say it defeats the purpose of chain-dropping.

So I've come up with something a little better.  Not necessarily brilliant, but a little better AND there's more benefit to it than meets the eye.

Use Your Bookmark Folders and Labels

Whether you use Firefox or IE, or something like the Google Toolbar Bookmark Button, you should be familiar with something that looks like this:

At the very bottom, there's an option to "Open In Tabs" so I could open all those websites at once.  Assuming it won't bog down my computers resources, that's a pretty powerful way to get all those EntreCard sites to come up.  Now remember, there's currently over 3180 people using EntreCard and more coming in every day.  Not all of them will read this article and, following lackluster, inside-the-box, A-list bloggers, they won't think to put a juicy tidbit under their widget... like I have... and like you will.

But That's Just Plain Evil!

Why?  Are you in denial?  Chain-dropper?  I am talking to a chain-dropper here, aren't I?  I AM talking to someone who is reading my Entrecard articles because they want to understand how to use things to a greater advantage, aren't I?  We are not breaking any EntreCard rules, are we?

But keep in mind, we might be chain-dropping or mass-opening but we are still human.  If you see a site that has some immediate appeal to you, by all means, bookmark it under a separate folder or label for further review.  THAT is the ultimate power because you're chain-dropping for credits AND you're bookmarking Entrecard-friendly (widget near top), eye-pleasing sites for further review... to maybe advertise on them, or get to know the site owner for some other reasons.

Either way, what you're doing is not evil at all.  It's INTELLIGENT.  Instead of dropping cards at sites, one by one by one, you're loading up 10 and then running down the list and you're bookmarking friendly sites for further review.  It only makes sense that any site that impresses you from the first few seconds deserves the prize of your attention.

Suggested Setup of Your EntreCard Site Folders

Obviously, you aren't going to setup 3180 sites into 318 or so folders or labels.  But setup WILL probably take a mere 5-20 minutes depending on how many credits you want to blaze each day.  That's just enough time to get the academics to complain that you could make a lot better use of your time. 

But they don't quite comprehend your fascination with EntreCard - and I do. 

So I'm just trying to help you make it more satisfying and more efficient.  And the added bonus is that the "way of thinking" you will learn here, will help you in later ventures with, or without, me.

This Is REALLY Simple...

Did you know there is a page of Entrecard users who are the "Most Recent?"  Not everyone does because the mention of it is somewhere in the instruction pages that few read word for word.  Here it is...

The Most Recent Entrecard Users
(opens in a new window)

Now, you can lurk there and hope to pick up some new cheap advertising... like 100s of others people (and, therefore, truly waste your time), but I'll show you how to use it differently.

Those are the newest people. 
They are the most hungry people. 

You and I once appeared on that page and we can remember what it was like coming into Entrecard and being hungry.  We wanted to get right to it.  We wanted to start dropping cards and advertising on others' sites.  We were thrilled to see others dropping cards on us.  And we thought it was cool that a bunch of people actually wanted to advertise on our site...

But at EntreCard University,
We're Now Sophmores, and Juniors
and (dare I say?) Seniors...

Alright, here's a Suggested Method for a More Effective Alternative to Chain Dropping

1. Choose and visit 20 of the most recent Entrecard users;

2. Drop your card so they get to meet you nice and early;

3. Put them in 2 folders or under 2 labels depending on how you bookmark

4. Have a SPECIAL folder or label for those whose widgets are right at the top.

5. Do the same for 20 Entrecard users in your category.

6. Do the same for 20 of the most popular Entrecard users.

7. Several days later, do the same in all three areas with new people until you are satisfied.

8. Then, each day, just open the folders of your choice and start dropping!

The unspoken benefits of this are...

1. The simplicity and just opening 1 folder and dropping 10 cards should be obvious;

2. Just like Coca-Cola, you get your ad in peoples awareness over and over, and early;

3. New people appreciate you giving them a consistent, early boost;

4. You will appear more consistently to select people in your category (rather than randomly via chain-dropping)

5. You will appear more consistently to the Most Popular and that can have further unseen benefits.

You see, the sky really IS the limit. 

While naysayers will wring their hands and glow academically about how X.z% of Q traffic spent (A/b)*C minutes doing LMNOP, you are, in the very least, learning the HOW of finding unorthodox, yet highly intelligent, ways of getting your brand noticed, making your presence felt, building your relationships, maximizing your efforts, thinking outside the box and, in general, increasing goodwill.

Now, Tell Me, How Is THAT Bad? 
It Isn't.

CLASS DISMISSED!

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