So what is SendOutCards?

SendOutCards, an online real greeting card company, officially launched in 2005, but the idea started way before that. It started as a promise founder and CEO Kody Bateman made after he lost his older brother, Kris, in a tragic electrical accident.

When Kody left Salt Lake City, UT, many years ago to take on an internship in New York City he ignored a prompting to go over to Kris and say goodbye because he was running late that day. Instead he just waved and drove off.

Three and a half months later, in the middle of the night, Kody got a call that his brother, an electrician, had been killed on the job.

Can you imagine, what must have gone through his mind at that moment? That tremendous amount of pain and regret. That was the moment the idea of SendOutCards was born.

In a nutshell, the very basic idea behind this incredible system is to provide an easy solution to “help people act on their promptings.”

SendOutCards lets you send out real physical greeting cards, that you type out on your computer, even in your own handwriting and with your own signature. You can upload your own photos to add to your message and even include a gift with your card. Then with a push of the magical “SEND” button it is on its way.

You don’t have to go to the store anymore, nor do you need to stuff, address, stamp or mail your card. It’s all done for you automatically with this incredible system.

Since those early days in 2005 the company has grown immensely. With total cards sent so far numbering 67.4 million (7 February 2012) no wonder it is now the largest first class mailing company in the United States.

And since it is the only greeting card company of its kind, there is virtually no competition!

Some of the incredible features of SendOutCards include…

• Pick a card from the Catalog of thousands of cards (I think they’re up to 15,000 cards at the time I’m writing this) and any imaginable category. Or design your own from scratch with the PicturePlus 2.0 feature.
• Set up a fully Automated Follow-up Campaign. Just set your cards up in a sequence and tell the system how many days, weeks or months apart you want your cards to go out and the system will send them out totally automatically with your handwriting and signature and any photos you want to add. And remember, you can even include a gift.
• The Contact Manager lets you add new contacts manually or you can import up to 750 contacts at a time from any tab separated file. For business people this is really a great feature. It also lets you organize your contacts in different groups so you can easily keep track and send out your campaigns to either specific people in a group or the whole group altogether.
• Send out a BIG Card…yes, SendOutCards now has cards that are about 4 times the size of a regular greeting card. It’s perfect for those occasions when you really want to make a statement. (I just recently sent out a Big Card “Thank You” card to one of my newest customers.)
• Also one of the newest, (and IMO) coolest features is the Video Card. Yes, you read that right.  I LOVE sending out video cards for people’s birthdays. The way this works is, SendOutCards uses QR Codes that you can scan with your smart phone. So when I sent a video card for someone’s birthday they can scan that QR Code an up pops a video right on their screen. By the way, this is not only super cool for birthdays, but also great for marketing, hint, hint.

According to David Frey SendOutCards is …

“The Ultimate Marketing and Personal Relationship Management System!”

I totally happen to agree.

What can you use SendOutCards for?

The possibilities are endless but here are just some ideas you can use this great system for…

• Keep in touch with family, friends, customers and business associates.
• Send out birthday cards
• Send out thank you notes
• Follow up with people
• Use it for lead generation campaigns
• Introduce a new product or service
• Use it to get more referrals
• Send inspirational cards to your team
• Send out heartfelt cards to people you care about

How much does SendOutCards Cost?

Depending on what plan you go with you can send out a regular two panel greeting card for as low as 0.98 cents plus postage. (Within the U.S. if you add the postage of 0.45 cents you can send out a card for as low as $1.43. Wow! Remember, you didn’t have to go to the store; you didn’t have to go to the post office and buy stamps; you didn’t have to stuff the envelope or mail the card, it was all done for you automatically for just$1.43. (If you are sending a card overseas it currently would cost you 0.98 cents for the card and 0.98 postage, total = $1.96)

There are currently two retail plans available:

1) Pay As You Go Plan — it’s exactly like it says, you pay for your cards as you go with points ranging from 99 cents per point to 49 cents per point depending how many points you buy.

(SendOutCards uses points instead of credits for the cards. So for example:  A postcard = 1 point; a regular 2-panel greeting card = 2 points; a 3-panel card = 3 points and so on.

2) Subscription Plan

For the tiny amount of $9.80 a month you can get a subscription and you can enjoy the full service of this incredible stay in touch system. Oh by the way, this subscription includes 10 greeting cards automatically. Don’t worry if you don’t use up those cards because they roll over from month to month.

What’s so cool about the Subscription Plan is that you automatically get the lowest price per point which is 49 cents a point!! [***If you choose the $31/month subscription plan you can even save MORE!]

SendOutCards has quickly become the most important marketing tool I use in my business! Actually, I call it my “Appreciation Marketing System.”  Oh, and my husband uses it in his mortgage business as well.

I made a short ANIMOTO video featuring
some of the cards I made …Check it out here!

SendOutCards – It’s not just cards anymore

There’s a lot more to SendOutCards than meets the eye. Recently the company added the SOC Photo Store where you can create your own photo books, calendars, posters, canvas prints, vision boards, business cards and coupon cards. You can get as creative as you want to.

What do you think? Would you like to test out the system for FREE?

I invite you to send out a greeting card to anyone you like today! My treat, I even pay for postage. Just CLICK HERE! Click around, play with the features, upload some pictures and let your creativity go wild. You’ll see why I have so much fun with this system.

If you want to find out more please watch this detailed Introduction to SendOutCards with my friend David Frey.

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

No related posts.

While I am genuinely flattered that somebody values my opinion about them enough to ask me for a recommendation and I love giving them, sometimes that request leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Such was the case just this past week and this particular one was a double no-no.

Out of the blue a person I don’t even know send me a “recommendation request”.  Unfortunately, this has happened before and it really makes me very uncomfortable. What made this request even worse was the fact that this person included a shameless promotion for his business.

What was he thinking?

Was he expecting me to just make something up and write a fake recommendation?

Ehm, sorry, but I don’t do that. I don’t make things up. If I don’t know you I won’t recommend you.  I have too much to lose. I am not going to put my credibility and my good name on the line just to make you look good. Uhuh!

Yes, recommendations are extremely powerful because they add credibility and social proof and they give you a lot more validity in what you do. So the more you have the better, right?

Well yes probably. But wouldn’t you rather have someone recommending you who really knows you and can give their honest opinion about you than getting a bunch of generic recommendations that could fit just about anybody?

Before you ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn (or any other place) consider this…

• Use the system within LinkedIn to send your recommendation request rather than sending your own email.
• Only ask people who know you well enough to recommend you. Maybe you’ve done some work for them, been to company events together or helped them out in some way. You don’t want to make someone feel uncomfortable. Or, and that may be just as bad or worse, receive a recommendation that totally misrepresents you.
• If you have never worked together and only know each other online, make sure the person you ask to recommend you knows your personality, your character, your work ethics, what makes you different and stand out. You want to have had some kind of interaction with them where they remember you from so they can genuinely endorse you.
• The best way to get a recommendation is to give one first. Lewis Howes recommends doing just that in his Linked Influence course.  But be genuine and sincere. People can “smell” if your intentions are honorable or if you “just want something in return.”
• Apropos, talking about “return.” Be kind, return the favor and reciprocate!

You kind of get my drift, don’t you? What I am getting at is….

Don’t ask a complete stranger out of the blue…
”Can You Recommend Me?”

That makes that person very uncomfortable and quite frankly, doesn’t say very much about you either.

By the way, getting a recommendation request from a complete stranger really makes me think twice about adding just anyone who sends me a request to join their network on LinkedIn. I will be much more selective in the future as to whom I will add to my network and whom I’m just going to ignore.

Especially on a professional social network like LinkedIn it is more about quality than quantity. With more than 101 million members LinkedIn is the 3^rd largest social network and growing at a steady pace. You want to make sure you conduct yourself in a professional manner.

So, what has been your experience with getting a recommendation request? I always love your feedback so make sure you share it in the comment section below.

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

No related posts.

Considering I haven’t even had as much as the “sniffles” for the past 8 years and I am really  a lousy patient when I do get sick, I sure hope for a very healthy 2012 for my family’s sake.

But back to the subject…

For the very last time this year I have the privilege and the immense honor to highlight the…

Top Commentators of The Enlightened Networker for November

So without further ado, here they are…

For the 3^rd time in a row sparkling at the #1 spot is Adrienne Smith. Adrienne is always leaving meaningful replies as well as adding her own warm and witty personality which also reflects on her own site where she is sharing great tips on how to build a successful home business.

Make sure you read her latest post:  “CommentLuv Premium Goodies”

Coming in at second place Ryan Biddulph is no stranger to The Enlightened Networker’s Top Commentators Award. He’s also one of the most giving people I know always sharing mine as well as other people’s content throughout the social networks. If you’ve never visited his blog make sure you do so today as you will find a wealth of information there on how to grow your home business opportunity.

I invite you to read Ryan’s latest post:  “Take The Lazy Step To Grow Your Home Based Opportunity”

And in 3^rd place another serial Top Commentator Award Winner, Marcus Baker. I love it when Marcus visits my blog and leaves his feedback, because his comments are always insightful, warm and add great value to the conversation. Marcus writes about personal development on his own blog and his posts are packed with great information helping you grow as a person.

So make sure you check out his latest post: “Replies To Messages In Bottles”

So, there you have them, the Top 3 followed by…

4. Diane Aksten, 5. Oliver Tausend, 6. Etieno Etuk, 7. Tosin Adeoti, 8. Albert Rox, 9. Radu Dascalul, 10. Akos Fintor

It’s because of all of you that The Enlightened Networker is what it is.

“Many thanks for your continued friendship and support!
Thank you for your never-ending feedback and adding great value to my blog!
For all you do, please accept my sincerest appreciation.”

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. Top 3 Commentators at The Enlightened Networker for October
2. A Heartfelt Thank You to September’s Top Commentators
3. I’m Back! – And Thanking My Top Commentators for August
4. No More Faceless Blog Commenting on The Enlightened Networker

The first day (or first week) of the month is also traditionally the time when I acknowledge and say thanks to my top commentators. At least it’s been like that for the past year or so.

This month almost looks like a repeat of last month, only the order has changed. Marcus and Etieno switched places.

So, let’s see then…

The Top 3 Commentators of
The Enlightened Networker
for the month of October are …

Sitting pretty and steady on first place is Adrienne Smith. Adrienne always delivers exceptional value on her blog and her engaging way makes her blog posts a very easy read. You’ll come away with information that rocks so if you haven’t visited her blog yet, make sure you do it today.

Here’s a preview: “Why Free Information Is Sometimes More Expensive”

Coming in second is Marcus Baker.  If you are a regular reader of my blog you may know that Marcus is no stranger to this award as he is one of my top supporters always leaving me great feedback. His blog is about personal development where he shares his great insights sprinkled with his personal experiences.

Find a great sample here: “Make Life an Ongoing Joyous Experiment”

And occupying third place is Etieno Etuk.  Etieno is still quite new to The Enlightened Networker however he managed to being featured in the top 3 spots twice in a row. Good for you, Etieno! His passion for wanting to help people find success shines through on his blog so make sure you pay him a visit.

Etieno’s latest post: “Les Brown On How To Discover The Greatness Within You.”

Following on places 4 through 10 are….

4. Oliver Tausend,  5. Brock Blohm,  6. Jym Tarrant,  7. Ryan Biddulph,  8. Christian Hollingsworth,  9. Jayne Kopp and 10. Stacy Claflin

Thank you so much to all of you!
Your comments always put a smile on my face and the added value
is so very much appreciated not only by me,
but by my readers as well. So again, my heartfelt THANKS!

 I have to add that I truly appreciate all of my readers. I know some of you just read my posts without leaving a comment. And that’s totally fine. Just know that I do appreciate you all as well. Without you, The Enlightened Networker would just simply cease to exist. So thank you!

Here’s an invitation to everyone visiting this blog:

I write an appreciation post like the one above in the beginning of every month. If you like to be featured as one of The Enlightened Networker’s top commentators next month all you have to do is participate in the conversations. Make sure you provide valuable feedback which actually adds to the conversation and not just a “nice post” for example. I will then acknowledge you with your picture (make sure you have one) and a link back to your BLOG. (No sales ore capture pages please.) — Here’s a “heads up” …changes will be coming down the pike where commenting on this blog is concerned. So stay tuned!

To Your Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. My Sincerest Thanks to The Enlightened Networkers November Top Commentators
2. A Heartfelt Thank You to September’s Top Commentators
3. I’m Back! – And Thanking My Top Commentators for August
4. No More Faceless Blog Commenting on The Enlightened Networker
5. Changes at The Enlightened Networker and Your Feedback Please

To be quite honest with you, I had to look up the word “versatile” in the dictionary as I had no clue of its meaning. Cross-checking various online dictionaries as well as my trusted Harper Collins German-English dictionary I came to the conclusion that it means…

1. Capable of doing many things competently. 2. Having varied uses or serving many functions.

Pretty cool!  Now that I know what it means I’m even more delighted and only too happy to pay it forward.

What do you do when you get nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award?

• Thank the person who nominated you for the award by linking back to him or her.
• Pass the torch along to 15 other deserving bloggers
• Let those bloggers know they’ve been nominated
• Share 7 random things about yourself

7 Random Things About Me (Betcha didn’t know this…)

1. I learned English listening to Beatles records. After my grade school teacher denied me to take English classes (because I only had a mediocre grade in German) I killed my piggybank and invested in an audio language course, titled “Walter and Connie.” After that I translated Beatles songs with the help of a dictionary.
2. I was a huge Formula One Racing Fan and often went camping out at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim with my friends. Once I came to the U.S. it was harder to keep up with the races, but I still watch the Indy 500.
3. Racing isn’t the only sport I love watching. Being German I am also a huge soccer fan as well. As a matter of fact, I was such a die-hard fan that during the World Cup Final in 1982 I did not go to the hospital to have our first son until the game between Germany and Italy was over. My husband was getting more nervous by the minute as my contractions had started early that morning and here it was late in the afternoon. Well, Germany lost to Italy that day 3:1 and Gavin wasn’t much in a hurry after all since he didn’t arrive until the next morning.
4. I used to knit all my sweaters, before meeting my husband and moving from Germany to the U.S. As a matter of fact I used to do a lot of crafts even when the kids were little. Just no knitting, because I couldn’t find the yarns I was used to. I’m kinda picky like that.
5. In my early 20ies I took Judo classes with a friend of mine. We were the only girls in the class. I was quite amazed the first time I put a guy weighing twice as much as myself and being at least one head taller than me on the mat. I barely weight 100 pounds back then.
6. The most stupid thing I have ever done, was trying to pick up the front end of my car and lift it off the railroad tracks. To this day I don’t know exactly what happened, but when I got into my car that day at the Post Exchange in Bremerhaven it somehow rolled right into the tracks. My first thought was, to pick it up and lift it off the tracks…Em, stupid!!! In my defense I have to say, I was pregnant at the time and maybe the hormones had something to do with my thinking I was Superwoman. Luckily some very nice gentleman soldiers came to help me out. They lifted my car off the tracks and I drove home, quite embarrassed about the whole situation.
7. I actually was terrified of dogs as a child. After being bitten a couple of times by a dachshund — admittedly after pulling his tail — I changed sidewalks if I saw a dog a mile away. Good thing I got over this or I wouldn’t be able to enjoy our family darling, George the boxer.

So, there you have them. Seven things I bet you didn’t know about me.

Passing on The Versatile Blogger Award

And now it’s time to pass on the torch to these outstanding bloggers, listed below in no particular order.

Peter Fuller – Home Business Solutions for Zoomers (Boomers with Zip)

Carol Amato  – A Marketer With Integrity Ready To Help YOU Make Money Online

Carolyn Nicander Mohr – The Wonder of Tech

Maria Eves – Attraction Marketing Specialist

Kimberly Castleberry – Just Ask Kim

Etieno Etuk – Where Transformation Happens

Carla Gardiner - Anti-Aging Fiery Grandma Exposes Secrets to Turn Back Clock

Mavis Nong – Attraction Marketing Online

Bob and Rosemary Clarke – Simple Solutions for Part Time Networkers

Catherine Alexandra – Attraction Marketer Problem-Solver and Visionary

Janet Callaway – The Natural Networker

Mike Paul Jr – MikePaulJr.com

Michele Welch – NewBizBlogger.com

Stella Anokam – Simplifying Online Marketing How-Tos For Beginners

Jane Sheeba – ProBlogging Success

Of course my hope is that you all will take me up on your nomination and then pass it on to other deserving bloggers. That way we will all get to meet and connect with fellow bloggers we would have never had the chance to meet otherwise. Now isn’t this fun?

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

No related posts.

Always on the lookout for high quality blogs I couldn’t resist clicking on Adrienne’s tweet and boy am I ever glad I did.  I would have missed a big one.

Early on after embarking on my blogging venture I learned how important it is to leave comments on other bloggers in your niche’s blogs.  Because, not only is blog commenting very important for SEO — it is one of the best strategies for getting free quality backlinks to your blog — but also for building great relationships with other bloggers. (The blogosphere is a pretty tight-knit community and linking up with the right people can prove invaluable for your business.)

Finding quality blogs to comment on however and especially dofollow blogs has been quite a tedious task.  But Christian Hollingsworth the creator of YouDoFollow.com realized this problem bloggers are facing. That’s the reason he created YouDoFollow.com, a free dofollow blog directory.

What does “DoFollow” mean?

Up until a year or so ago I didn’t even know there was such a thing as dofollow or nofollow. But once I found out it made a world of difference not only in my blog commenting on other people’s blogs, but also in the way I treated the comments left on my own blog.

You see, when you leave a comment on someone’s blog that is “dofollow” you will get some well-deserved link juice back to your own blog. I mean if you take the time to leave great quality feedback, don’t you deserve something in return? I sure felt that way, that’s why I made The Enlightened Networker a “dofollow blog” as soon as I found out. You can read more about this subject on my earlier post here …“To DoFollow or NoFollow That is the Question”

How can you benefit from YouDoFollow.com?

It’s actually quite simple. If you are a blogger who provides valuable information and your blog is dofollow you can submit your blog for free to this list of dofollow blogs on YouDoFollow.com.

Choose the category that best fits your blog and if there’s no match feel free to suggest more categories. Christian will manually review your blog and check if it meets all of his requirements.

Please read more about this on Christian’s recent blog post: “DoFollow Blogs for Bloggers”

What are your thoughts? As for myself, I believe creating this directory for bloggers is an excellent idea. I urge you to take action today and submit your blog at YouDoFollow.com because I can’t wait to check it out and leave my comments.

See you there!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. How to Add Networked Blogs to Your Facebook Page for More SEO
2. No More Faceless Blog Commenting on The Enlightened Networker

First: Faceless Blog Commenting

I have addressed this issue before in my post “Invasion of the Face Snatchers,” but it’s time to do it again.

Blog commenting is one of the best strategies I know for not only getting quality backlinks but to build profitable and long-lasting relationships with like-minded people as well.

PEOPLE is the key word here. Not company logos, pets, or default faceless avatars.

I can’t help but feel a little uneasy if someone leaves a comment on my blog and I can’t see his or her face. Even if it is a well-written comment, I am torn between approving or disapproving it.

Now in the case of people who use the default images, I assume they just don’t know how to upload a picture. But those who use images of pets or company logos, should know better. If they can upload a picture of a pet then they can just as easily upload a picture of themselves.

If I reply to a blog comment I would really like to know whom I am replying to.  This is a “people business.” I don’t talk to dogs (except for my own) and I don’t converse with logos or faceless people either.

To be quite frank with you here, I rarely comment on blogs where there are a lot of faceless replies. It makes the site look very unprofessional and I don’t want my own site to look cheap or spammy either. I have put too much time and effort into it for that.

So, from here on out, if you would like your blog comment approved, please make sure to use your picture as your avatar.

You can do that very easily at Gravatar.com. Just get a free account, upload your picture — you need to use the same email address that you use for leaving comments — and Gravatar.com automatically updates all your past comments automatically. Isn’t that cool?

Second: Landing or Product pages

As you probably noticed I am a great fan of CommentLuv. I believe in giving back to my readers who take the time commenting on my blog. Commentluv does that beautifully as it creates a link back to the blog post of the person who’s leaving a comment.

As beautiful as this feature is, it also creates a little problem for me. I do not like to link back to landing or product pages. For two reasons, one, it’s spammy and two, I can’t leave a comment in return and create a backlink to my own site. If I give you a backlink, wouldn’t it be only fair if you gave me one back as well?

So starting today, I will only approve comments which link back to other blogs. My focus is to connect with other quality bloggers so if you would like some link juice from me, please create a blog.

(There is one exception…I have a few regular commentators whom I have build a relationship with and who don’t have blogs. I will still approve your comments, but I will no longer link back to your sales pages. I sincerely hope you understand. The easiest way to get around this would be to get a blog that is not focused on selling a particular product or service.)

In conclusion let me make this as clear as I possibly can…

• Faceless comments will no longer be approved.
• Make sure your NAME appears in the Name Field not your keyword or company name.
• Comments must be contributing to the conversation. No “nice post” comments.
• Comments must link back to quality blogs, (preferably in the same niche as this blog) not to landing or product pages.
• In order to be featured on my Top Commentators list you must both show your picture as well as a link back to your blog. (If I can’t leave a comment on your blog, I can’t feature you or give you link juice.)

That’s about it! I’m getting off of my soap box. I’m really glad I finally got this off my chest as it has been bugging me for quite some time. Blog commenting is supposed to be fun. Let’s keep it that way.

Here’s to a beautiful and long-lasting friendship!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. Top 3 Commentators at The Enlightened Networker for October
2. Enlightened Networker Taking a Break | Guest Post on Attraction Marketing Online
3. Changes at The Enlightened Networker and Your Feedback Please
4. My Sincerest Thanks to The Enlightened Networkers November Top Commentators
5. New Directory for DoFollow Blogs Sweeping the Blogoshere

Well, for us adults anyway. For the children it may still seem endless before they will be allowed to unwrap those shiny presents underneath the Christmas tree.

But let’s not get to far ahead of ourselves … Back to September.

It was a very interesting month for me, one that I won’t soon forget. But through all this I still managed to get out a few posts which hopefully were providing some value to you.

As I do in the beginning of every month I would like to acknowledge those of you who don’t get tired (at least not yet) to come over to my blog and see what I’ve been writing about.

“I can’t put into words how much you all mean to me.
And then again, words mean so little compared to the deepest appreciation
and gratitude I feel towards all of you.”

That said,…

Here are the Top Commentators for the
month of September.

Coming in at first place this month is last month’s second place winner, my good friend Adrienne Smith. (Yep, Adrienne, you are officially a serial winner now.)

Adrienne’s blog is about anything to do with online marketing. I’m sure you’ll fall in love with her warm and friendly nature so make sure you pay her a visit to find great information to help you grow a successful business online.

Her latest post: 20 Tips For Getting Your Content ReTweeted on Twitter

Claiming spot number two, a new face here at The Enlightened Networker, Etieno Etuk.

Etieno is very passionate about helping home business owners achieve success in the industry. He shares helpful tips mixed with healthy doses of inspiration and motivation on his blog so be sure to visit if you haven’t yet.

His latest post: 3 Strategies + 3 Free Combo Twitter Tools for Increasing Your Twitter Following: For Bloggers and Marketers With Little or No Budget

Arriving in third place is no stranger to claiming a spot on the Top Commentator list. My good friend from down under, Marcus Baker.

Marcus slightly changed the direction of his blog lately and is now focusing more on personal development. I think it’s a topic that suits him very well. So, if you haven’t been to his site for a while, it’s time to give it a visit.

His latest post: Do you Welcome Failure or Hide from it?

So there you have them, the Top 3 Commentators of the month of September.

Following these top bloggers are the rest of the Top 10…

4. Andrew Walker, 5. Oliver Tausend, 6. Ryan Biddulp, 7. Mavis Nong, 8. Peter Fuller, 9. Volker schaefer and 10. Brock Blohm

To each and every one of you…

“Two small words. A great deal of gratitude… Thank you!”

Here’s an invitation to everyone visiting this blog:

I write an appreciation post like the one above in the beginning of every month. If you like to be featured as one of The Enlightened Networker’s top commentators next month all you have to do is participate in the conversations. Make sure you provide valuable feedback which actually adds to the conversation and not just a “nice post” for example. I will then acknowledge you with your picture (make sure you have one) and a link back to your BLOG. (No sales ore capture pages please.) — Here’s a “heads up” …changes will be coming down the pike where commenting on this blog is concerned. So stay tuned!

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. Top 3 Commentators at The Enlightened Networker for October
2. My Sincerest Thanks to The Enlightened Networkers November Top Commentators
3. I’m Back! – And Thanking My Top Commentators for August

Have you ever wondered what the person who’s email you are reading looks like? Where they live? If they are on Facebook, Twitter or any of the other major social networks?

Well, wonder no more!

Check out some of the cool features of Rapportive

Now you can…

• See there smiling face and know exactly whom you are dealing with.
• See if they live close to you so you can interact on a local basis.
• See their job, company or LinkedIn profile.
• See their latest tweets.
• Connect with them in Facebook or other social networks right from within your Gmail.
• Like and comment on Facebook posts right from your Gmail inbox. (Now, this doesn’t help your EdgeRank because Facebook gives more weight to interaction right within Facebook, but it’s still cool.)
• Set up your Rapportive profile and add your favorite sites. (Click the “Help” section for details.)

Now isn’t this pretty cool?

I find this little piece of technology extremely useful. What do you think?

Why should I install Rapportive?

Here’s why, because it’s all about getting to know your contacts and establishing rapport.

Let’s face it, we online marketers are all very busy. And anything that makes our job a bit easier growing our network is very welcome. Don’t you agree?

I mean, wouldn’t you rather want to have the information of a person you are interested in connecting with right there at your fingertips as you are reading their email versus having to hunt for it in the different social networks?

Well, I do! And I also like to have a face for the people I am corresponding with. I like to know more about them. That helps build that all-important know, like, trust factor.

Rapportive makes that very easy.

Why don’t you give Rapportive a try?

It’s very simple to install. Just a few clicks and you are ready to roll just minutes from now.  Get that little app right here: Rapportive.com

Well, there’s a lot more I could share. But that would be just words. The best way to find out how cool this service is, is to experience it yourself.

So, what are your thoughts? Let’s hear your feedback in the comments below. Especially if you are already using “Rapportive” yourself.

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

No related posts.

Well, I didn’t really manage to do that.

It seems when you are involved in an online business there’s ALWAYS something to do, ALWAYS something new to learn and at my age, learning goes a little slower. Those old gray cells don’t pick things up as fast as they used to. Maybe I should buy some of those video games for seniors they advertise on TV. Maybe those would help stimulate my brain and make things easier to comprehend and remember.

What do you think?

But anyway…it was good to slow down a little and take matters more casual. It also was great to have more time to spend with my family and surprise them with a “Pancake Breakfast” once in a while or enjoy an afternoon at the movies.

While I was “away” sort of, you guys didn’t slow down and still left your comments and feedback on my various blog post. You’ll never know how much I appreciate all of you.

So, like I have done for quite some time now, I would like to highlight…

The Enlightened Networkers
Top Commentators for August

Coming in first is last month’s second place winner Michael Berry whos blog focuses on personal development. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly encourage you to do so.

Michael’s latest post: Invictus

In second place,  my friend Adrienne Smith. Now, if you have never visited Adrienne’s blog you are in for a treat. Her out-going, bubbly personality and warm writing style will have you hooked at first byte. (Tip: If you don’t want to miss any of Adrienne’s blog post, you can subscribe to get updates send to your email. I just did!)

Adrienne’s latest post: Are You A CommentLuv Fan?

And in third place is another familiar face from last month, Brock Blohm.  By the way, I love the tagline on Brock’s blog…”Success by Choice…Lifestyle by Design.” That says it all, doesn’t it?

Brock’s latest post: Sales Pitches Are A Thing Of The past

And here are the rest of the Top 10…

4. Marcus Baker, 5. Volker Schaefer, 6. Andrew Walker, 7. Mavis Nong, 8. Oliver Tausend, 9. Radu Dascalul, 10. Alex

To all of you…

Thank you so much for your continued support!
It means so much to me and I am very blessed to have such a responsive audience. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I have to add that I love all my readers no matter whether you leave a comment openly or just read my posts quietly in the wings. Without you, all of you, The Enlightened Networker would just simply cease to exist.

So, thank you, to each and every one!

Here’s an invitation to everyone visiting this blog:

I do write an appreciation post like this every month. So, if you would like to be featured as one of  The Enlightened Networker’s top commentators next month all you have to do is participate in the conversations, leave your feedback in the comment section and I will acknowledge you with your picture (if you are one of the top 3) and a link back to your blog post. (No sales or capture pages please.)

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. Top 3 Commentators at The Enlightened Networker for October
2. My Sincerest Thanks to The Enlightened Networkers November Top Commentators
3. A Heartfelt Thank You to September’s Top Commentators