Here are 3 super-useful free tools I love. I’ll be emailing #4 soon.  So be sure to be subscribed to the newsletter if you want to get it first.

Here are the first 3:

1.  OnlyWire -  You can have the best content in the world, but if nobody reads it, views or consumes it…well, what’s the point of creating

it?  I’ve been using www.OnlyWire.com to simultaneously syndicate content and articles to the top social bookmarking sites with a single button click.  It does take some time to set-up all the sites if you don’t have accounts already, but it’s a task you can easily outsource.  As part of an overall link building strategy I’ve found it to be a powerful tool.

2.  Added Bytes’ Text Readability – If you write emails, blog posts, articles or any type of persuasive copy, it needs to be very clear and easy to read to be effective.  Studies show that most people read at an 8th grade level.  So you should aim to write at a level somewhere in the middle.  Most of Gary Halbert’s classic letters read at the 4th to 5th grade level. That’s why they worked!

To find out what level your text is, paste your text into http://www.addedbytes.com/tools/readability-score/

I use the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula.

The level of this post  is 4.20. (You don’t have to be worried about being smarter than a 5th grader to read this one.

3. FormatIT – Once someone opens your email you want it to be easy to read. The simplest way to do that is to format the width of the text. By the way, this also does something subconsciously in the mind of your reader.  I won’t go into that here, just trust me on this.

Depending on the length I like to format my emails between 50-65 characters wide using www.formatit.com.  Just paste your text and voila!

You have a perfectly formatted email with long URL’s intact.  The “Re-FormatIT” is useful for removing unwanted returns and characters too.

Watch out for tool #4 soon.

Have fun with these!

P.S.  Found these useful? Leave me a comment below.

The other day I read the story of a woman walking along with three little girls at the airport.  They were skipping and singing excited to meet Daddy coming home on a jet.  Their eyes shining with eagerness and anticipation.

When the passengers started streaming in you could pick out their Daddy immediately because their eyes were completely glued on him.  But Daddy’s first look was for his wife and the first words out of his mouth were, “Why the heck didn’t you bring me my top coat!?”

The story goes on to say, “You see, here was a man who had an opportunity to be great, and he didn’t recognize it.”

How many times do we have an opportunity to be great, and pass it by?

How many times do we do what’s urgent instead of focusing on what really matters most?

Several months ago I told you about a simple tool that helped shoot my focus and therefore my productivity through the roof.  If you didn’t catch that post you can read it here:

The Multi-Tasking Myth Debunked

I also told you I would be revealing to you another  tool I have been testing that helps you easily and effortlessly track how productive you are on the computer so you can banish distractions and…that’s right, you guessed it…

focus on what matters most!

It’s called Rescue Time and you can  sign up for ‘nada’ by clicking here.

With this tool you can:

• set goals that will nudge you in real time
• block distracting sites for short or long bursts of focus time (this one is my favorite)
• see ‘purty’ colored graphical breakdowns of the time you spent on apps, sites, or documents you use
  Bright blue = “good” time.
  Red = “bad” time.
• and for the twisted minds amongst you I suppose it could also be used to see where your significant other or kids are spending their time online.
  (Although for this you will have to upgrade to the pro version so your own personal stats aren’t affected OR just turn tracking off whenever you’d like.)

Here’s why I hate this tool:

It’s not always pleasant to see an unbiased look at where you are REALLY spending your time.

In this respect, Rescue Time, can turn into a nagging mother looking over your shoulder with a look of disapproval.  But let’s face it, you can always count on momma to smack you right in the face with the truth when you need it the most and least ask for it.

And here you were, smugly thinking you were so productive when in reality after looking at your stats you’re forced to say, “WHAT!!? I spend THAT much time frolicking on Facebook looking at old Grandpa Joe’s pic’s of his weekend out with the ladies?!”

Hmmm, see what I mean?

Not exactly the picture of an entrepreneurial peak performer is it? ;-]

Now for the reason I love this tool.

Ready?

You’re forced to say, “WHAT!!? I spend THAT much time frolicking on Facebook looking at old Grandpa Joe’s pic’s of his weekend out with the ladies?!”

Yup, that’s right.  I love it for the same reason I hate it.

Because trust me, the next time you reach to check your email or social networking site for the umpteenth time unnecessarily, you’ll think of good old momma Rescue Time watching your every move.

And that my friends can be a good thing.

So there you have it.

Here’s the link to sign up again:
http://yiselg.com/go/rescuetime

And remember…

Be great!

Other Related Posts You Might Like

• The Multi-Tasking Myth Debunked
• About and Disclaimers
• Why I Quit Qwitter For Twitter
• List of Top Ranking Social Media Sites Worth Your Time
• 5 Twitter Tools That Save You Time

I wasn’t sure wether I was going to tell you about this or not, but since I’m on the front page as one of the featured videos, I figured I wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret.

Plus, how good a friend would I be if I didn’t tell you about something I personally reviewed and found to REALLY work.

If you’ve been around the online marketing world any length of time, you’ve definitely seen the hype by marketers surrounding Twitter and all the mumbo jumbo about getting tons of followers and following.

Well, I’ve done it all and this is by far the best I’ve seen.

You don’t have to have a bunch of followers.

You don’t have to follow tens of thousands of people.

You don’t need a product.

The truth is, if you learn the tactics to place yourself in the right place at the right time, you’re golden!

To see how it’s done, my friend Tom is giving away a  FREE DVD with 7 separate tactics that you can implement immediately without any extra software or services.

There really aren’t very many DVD’s left.  (Sorry, that’s my fault.  I should have told you sooner.)

So if you are interested at all, I would hurry.

Get Your Free Twitter Toolkit DVD Here

P.S.  I’m the one on the first video below the fold on the right.  Yes, the one with the terrible lighting and shadows.

P.S.S.  I haven’t forgotten about a free tool I promised to tell you about that I learned from Tim Ferris, the NY Times best selling author.  I’m loving it and hating it. You’ll see why.  Anyway, I’ll send that to you soon.   I just didn’t want you to miss out on this in case you were interested.

Get Your Free Twitter Toolkit DVD Here

Other Related Posts You Might Like

• Why I Quit Qwitter For Twitter
• Twitter Mania – Do’s and Dont’s (Twitter “Table” Manners)
• To Follow or Not To Follow ALL Twitter Followers?
• The Rise and Fall of Twitter??
• More Blogging and Twitter Tools To Make You Drool

A few weeks ago I got an envelope in the mail that really caught my attention. It was in a translucent envelope through which I could see the following card:

I pushed the other mailed aside and opened it at once.  I had to see who it was from.  It was from Enthusem, a company that makes sending personalized printed greeting cards as easy as sending an email.

I know of other options that let you send a single printed greeting card but what I think makes Enthusem really ingenious is that you can attach electronic files like videos, PDFs or web pages just like email.  The recipient gets a unique “Pickup Code” which they type online to see.

They even provide reporting that tell you when the recipient sees your online attachment. Which means your direct mail campaigns are measurable.

The cost is based on credits.  The more credits you buy at a time, the less the cost of sending a mailer. Although the cost is reasonable, I wouldn’t use it for mass random mailings. But if you strategically select customers, prospects, or colleagues, the return on investment could well be worth it.

This combination of the card AND the online attachment really make the difference.

Standing out is no longer enough, you also have to be memorable. I experienced it first hand and Enthusem is definitely both.

To give Enthusem a free try, click on the button below:

Other Related Posts You Might Like

• Why I Quit Qwitter For Twitter
• To Follow or Not To Follow ALL Twitter Followers?
• More Blogging and Twitter Tools To Make You Drool
• How Cellphones, Twitter, Facebook Can Make History
• 5 Twitter Tools That Save You Time