Once you open your eyes to product ideas, they really are everywhere! A friend of mine had mentioned that her favorite doll in childhood was a “Liddle Kiddle” named “Calamity Jiddle.” So this morning I spent some time browsing eBay to see if I could locate one to give her as a gift.

What I saw when I searched for “Liddle Kidddle” made my eyes pop open.

Some enterprising product creator has taken photos of Liddle Kiddle dolls posed as modern TV characters and printed them up as post cards and greeting cards.

One is titled “America’s Next Top Kiddle,” making reference to “America’s Next Top Model.” Another is “Sex & The City Liddle Kiddles.”

Yet another product creator is offering coffee mugs with photos of popular Liddle Kiddles .

It’s obvious that these clever creators are using some of the “manufacture on demand” services listed in my book “Tapping Into Trends To Create An endless Stream Of High Profit Products,” and they’re taking advantage of the fact that avid collectors of Kiddle dolls are always watching eBay.

Imagine how many collectors search eBay every day for their favorite collectible category. Imagine how many of them would be delighted to show off their passion for their collectible category by wearing it on a T-shirt, or sharing it with friends on post cards and greeting cards.

There’s almost no end to the number of ideas you could spin out of this! All you need to do is apply a little creative thinking to the everyday world to come up with all sorts of ideas for creating your own products.

And don’t be scared off from an idea like this just becasue you can’t do the graphic design yourself. Go to any freelance forum like eLance or find them by asking Google “find freelance graphic designers” or “find freelances”) There are tons of graphic designers all around the world who’d be happy to do the job for you at an affordable price.

Look around at your own collectibles and see if you can’t come up with ideas for products that other collectors would be glad to get their hands on.  Hmmm…I wonder how many people would buy postcards of Star Wars action figures posed as Jon & Kate Plus 8?

Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High Profit Products teaches my system for researching trends, creating products that reflect those trends and selling them on the internet.

The number of things you can make through online services and sell through internet marketing is truly unlimited.

And once you get started, you’ll see product ideas are everywhere—even in sonograms!

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to be more creative, make their own products and market on the internet. To join her adventures, add your email to the subscriber box in the upper right hand corner of this page.

I recently ran across a site selling all sorts of cufflinks including several styles of custom cufflinks. The one that caught my attention was “sonogram cuff links” custom made with the sonogram of a pre-born baby.

The sales copy on the web site says, “The Sonogram Photo Cufflinks feature your very own bun in the oven. Send us your own sonogram photos and become a cufflink designer instantly.”

“Up to 2 different images can be used. This is a truly unique gift and amazingly personal. There is no better way to surprise a first time Dad or to show off that you are a proud to-be parent.”

You can see it here:http://www.cufflinks.com/sonogram-photo-screen-cufflinks.html

What a wonderful idea! Especially because a creative person could take it in all sorts of directions to make their own products. With the manufacture-on-demand services listed in my book “Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High Profit Products,” you could make custom t-shirts with sonograms, custom tote bags, porcelain tiles or plates for display and so much more!

You could even enhance the sonograms by adding colors or messages as I did in the illustration.

Because each item is a truly one-of-a-kind creation made personally for the baby’s family, you can set the price higher than you would for a design available to anyone.

And because the human race is always adding new members, there is always a demand for personal baby items, even in a tight economy.

How would you sell sonogram-imprinted products? By putting up a one-page web site or blog and promoting it with AdSense or other pay-per-click advertising, by posting in forums frequented by expectant parents or any of the other methods mentioned in my book.

Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High Profit Products teaches my system for researching trends, creating products that reflect those trends and selling them on the internet.

The number of things you can make through online services and sell through internet marketing is truly unlimited.

And once you get started, you’ll see product ideas are everywhere—even in sonograms!

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to be more creative, make their own products and market on the internet. To join her adventures, add your email to the subscriber box in the upper right hand corner of this page.

Bonnie Boots Makes Stuff!

Until recently when people asked me what I do, I would  say, “I’m a digital publisher.” The response was always, ” Huh? What’s that?”

To me, the phrase “digital publisher” encompasses most of what I do within my business. I create and publish articles and books and blogs and web sites. I make and publish videos and animations.

These things exist in  digital format. That is, they’re not printed on paper or transferred to video tape. They exist only as electric signals travelling from computer to computer across the internet.  They are digital. I am, therefore, a digital publisher.

But a title is only useful if it conveys information, and the phrase “digital publisher” clearly does not communicate to most people.

I have therefore crowned myself with the new title, “Maker of Stuff,” and when people ask me what I do, I say, “I make stuff and market on the internet.”

My new title lets me add in some of the things I do that are non-digital. Now I say, “I make digital products like ebooks and I also make hard goods like T-shirts, and I sell them all on the internet.”

That’s turned into my “elevator speech,”  the 30-second introduction I pull out when I only have  seconds to explain who I am and what I do.

And that 30-second introduction turned into an ebook that explains how I use digital publishing and manufacture-in-demand services to make and sell all sorts of stuff–and how you can do it, too.

And the need to market that book inspired me to make the video shown below that introduces me as a maker of stuff.

And because I’m using all the sorts of simple ( but powerful and secret) ways to make simple videos and use them to drive traffic, I thought, “Hay, I bet other people would like to know how I do this!”

And that thought has turned into my next product, which I’m working on now.

I think that’s a perfect example of how applying creative thinking to a problem —in my case, the problem of how to introduce myself —can lead to all sorts of unexpected ideas and products.

Visit http://www.tapintotrends.com to learn how you can get started Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High Profit Products!

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to make stuff and market on the internet. To join in her adventures, add your email address to the subscriber box in the upper right corner.

During the darkest days of World War II, a slogan created by an anonymous civil servant became the watchword in England. Printed under the royal crown, it read, “Keep Calm And Carry On.”

Seventy years have passed, and suddenly, in the midst of economic crises, the slogan is once again in play.

The Guardian says, “Suddenly these days, it’s everywhere, from homes to pubs to government offices. …Today, you can buy Keep Calm and Carry On mugs, doormats, T-shirts, hoodies, cufflinks, baby clothes and flight bags from any number of retailers.”

Matt James had a different response to dragging out that old slogan. His retake on it, “GET EXCITED AND MAKE THINGS.” emblazoned under a royal crown made of wrenches.

The design  appeared on Flicker, along with James invitation that people use it to make their own posters, T-shirts, mugs and whatever under the Creative Common license, which allows royalty-free use on items so long as they are not sold.

Set free on Flicker, his slogan captured the sprit and imagination of many. It was chosen as T-shirt of the week at English online retailer Howie’s
Mens: www.howies.co.uk/product.php/1827/84/
Womens: www.howies.co.uk/product.php/1828/84/

And there were so many requests for a poster that it will be available as a limited edition high-quality print benefiting Creative Commons.

As Queen of my own little world here at The Internet Wizards Blog, where my slogan is “Be more creative, make stuff and market on the internet,” we highly approve.

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to be more creative, make their own products and market on the internet. To be part of her world, type your email into the subscribe form in the upper right corner.

If you want to spread your creative wings and make stuff to market on the web, my book, “Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High-Profit Products”" will inspire you to be your most creative, successful  self by showing you just some of the many ways I use the internet to make creative cash.

Astronaut Michael Massimino twitters from space

If you Tweet from space, do you still only get 140 characters? Does floating above the earth earn you an extra character or two? That’s what I was checking out this morning as I looked to see what NASA astronaut Mike Massimino was saying on Twitter.

Surevy says–”No!” Even if you’re out in space, working to repair the Hubble telescope that is traveling around the earth once every 90 minutes at a speed of  17,500 mph, you still only get 140 characters. In fact Massimino says that’s what makes it great.

“The whole Twitter experience has been great fun,” he told reporters. “As astronauts, we look for ways to share the experience of what we do. The opportunity to use Twitter has been great because, by definition, it has to be short messages … and I can fit it in when I have free time.”

The astronaut wasn’t using Twitter until two weeks ago when NASA’s public relations team suggested Massimino start Twittering about his training. He now has more than 282,,000 followers at http://twitter.com/Astro_Mike

Now, tell me this-if NASA thinks Twittering is important enough to incorporate into a busy and dangerous space mission, don’t you think it might be worth a little of YOUR time?

NASA is merely acknowledging what many corporations, celebrities and big name marketers have come to know-Twitter is a great tool for connecting with people all around the globe. It’s a relationship-building tool. A place to meet and greet and start getting your name and message out.

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to be more cretaive, make their own products and market on the internet. To join her, type your email into the subscribe form in the upper right corner. You’ll be glad you did!

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Too bad someone organizing an internet marketing seminar didn’t time it to open in May in West Hollywood right alongside the ” Get Rich Quick!” exhibit at the Carmichael Gallery Of Contemporary Art.

The gallery says the show “features a selection from the collections of our collectors.”

The show apparently pokes fun at both the art world and the world of internet marketing. It goes so far as publishing its online announcement of the show (running May 7 to May 28th, 2009) in the form of a “one pager,” the sales page format traditionally used by internet marketers.

I have to wonder –is using the one-pager too much of an inside j0ke to make the point, or have the conventions of “get rich quick” internet marketing really infested our culture to such an extent that you can  make sly, “wink wink” references to it in this way?

The gallery “sales page” is online here, but assuming that the gallery will take this page down once the exhibit ends, here’s a peek at what their exhibit page online looks like.

That long, framed, one-page sales pitch is the cliche of the internet marketing world. IM, of course, is where “Get Rich Quick” went to live once the back pages of comic books died out.

The exhibit features rare originals and prints byAdam Neate, Antony Micallef, Banksy, Barry McGee, Bast, D*Face, Dalek, David Choe, David Choong Lee, Faile, Herbert Baglione, Ian Francis, KAWS, Nick Walker, Paul Insect, Shepard Fairey, Sixeart, Skullphone, Space Invader, Swoon, Will Barras and more.

I don’t know if the print “6 Layer Spraypaint”  by the artist BOXI, represented by the Carmichael Gallery, will be in this exhbiti, but it’s surelyspeaks to the idea that art becomes just a commodity when it’s marketed. Or is it that marketing becomes an art when it’s done by creative people? I’ll put my money on the latter.

6 Layer Spraypaint on 250mg Paper, Edition of 45 + 2APs - 23.6×31.5in (50×70cm) - 2009 $70 (Unframed)

See more work by BOXI at the Carmichael Gallery Of Contemporary Art Photostream on Flickr.

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to be more creative, make their own products and market on the internet. Keep in touch with her by registering your email in the subscribe box found in the upper rigt corner.

There are dozens and dozens of no-cost add-ons that can help you make the best use of Twitter.  One of the best is TweetLater.

Among its helpful functions is the ability  to send an automatically generated message to people that sign on to follow you.  This frees you from having to type out hundreds or thousands of welcome messages, while still allowing you to greet each of your followers personally.

Right now, the majority of Twitter users do not send auto-welcome messages. That means doing so is an opportunity for you to stand out and make an impression!

If you’re already on Twitter, you’ve undoubtedly received autoresponder messages from people you’ve elected to follow that say, in essence, “Thanks for following me. Now go to this sales page and buy something!”

Do that and you’ll make an  impression all right-people will make a mental note to tune you right out.

Instead, create a message that opens the door for further conversation and even friendship.  Twitter, after all, is about building a social network, so be sociable.

When you craft you own welcome messge, keep this in mind:

1.    Keep it short and simple.
2.    It’s a welcome message, not a sales pitch.
3.    Open the converstaion with a messge that invites response.

My own welcome message is “Bonnie Boots says “Help yourself to my library of free and funny Twitter backgrounds!” followed by a link to the download page.

The download is free and unencumbered. There’s no forced opt-in. No hard sell for anything else. My purpose is to introduce myself and make people smile when they next see my name.

One of the nicest welcomes messages I’ve received is “Woo Hoo! I have a new friend! Thank you - Can’t wait to get to know you better!”

Now really, who wouldn’t want to know HER better?

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to be more creative, make their own products and market on the internet.  Follow her here by filling out the subscribe form in the upper right corner. Follow her on Twitter @BonnieBoots

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Using social networks is great, but learning to manage them can be a grind.  Simply logging in to all your networks can be a huge time suck.

That’s why almost every day brings a new slew of applications for interfacing between your favorites.

If you’re using Twitter, you’ll appreciate the convenience of using TweetDeck to manage your mini-blogging.

Things you can do with TweetDeck include:
·    Tweet directly from TweetDeck
·    Stay up to date - view all new tweets in real-time
·    Use columns to create your personal dashboard
·    Create Groups to easily follow friends, colleagues or other interest groups
·    Update Facebook and follow your Facebook friends
·    Follow topics in real-time with saved searches
·    View @replies and direct messages and manage your conversations
·    Never miss an important tweet with notifications
·    Share your photos and videos with Twitpic and 12seconds
·    And many more Twitter favourites including Stocktwits, Twitscoop and all the most popular URL shortening services

When you have TweetDeck open it issues a chirpy little chime each time it updates, which is anytime anyone in your Twitter universe posts. If, like me, your work requires a good deal of quiet thought, you may want to turn this off.

But it’s a nice option to have on when you’re socializing or doing work that doesn’t require your full attention.

Another snazzy feature is TweetDeck’s ability to interface with 12seconds TV. You can record 12seconds of web cam video and post it to your Twitter account  from within TweetDeck.

You can download TweetDeck here:

http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/

TweetDeck came out early this year, so it’s still in beta. But  don’t let the prospect of the occasional ( and so far quickly fixed) bug scare you off.  The developer seems dedicated to making TweetDeck a great application. You can see his video walk-through of TweetDeck below:

After installing TweetDEck, hop on over to a blog post by Pro blogger Darren Rowse and read “How to Follow A LOT of People on Twitter and Still be Engaging using TweetDeck.” He gives great information, some shown in video,  on how to set up the filters in TweetDeck to customize your experience.

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to be more crative, make stuff and market on the internet. You can join her universe by filing in the subscribe form in the upper right. Or join her Twitterverse by following her at http://twitter.com/BonnieBoots

The Laughing Buddha

Over the past weekend, I met with some of the brightest minds in marketing at Ross Goldberg’s “Masters Of Internet Marketing” seminar.

The amazing speakers included Erik Stafford, Warren Whitlock, copywriting master Dr. Harlan Kilstein, Perry Belcher, Bob “The Teacherr” Jenkins,  Kevin Nations and Melanie Benson Strick.

I learned so much that my brain feels heavy. And after just two days at home, I’ve already implemented some substantial and very positive changes in my business.

All this focused activity wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t had the good luck to injure my knee just before the seminar.

Because I had to limp in on a cane and keep relatively quiet, I learned a great deal and was able to instantly put what I learned into action.

In the past, I’ve attended seminars in all sorts of fields, especially publishing, and come home exhausted from all the late night networking. Lots of business cards get exchanged, lots of plans get made, lots of promises to follow up get flung out. But arriving back at home, I get thrust right back into the ongoing rush of business and family life. Much of what I learned drifts away. Most of the people I’ve met fade from memory.

I come home feeling like I have a thousand new possibilities. I end up lucky to actually implement one.

But this time, a cement sidewalk and my left knee conspired to make me more productive. By colliding just days before the seminar, they interrupted my pattern and put me on a new track.

I went to the seminar as I usually do-armed with self-promotional materials ranging from business cards to multimedia CDs. They all sing the same song-”Meet Bonnie Boots!”

And I fully intended to promote myself, no matter what. But by the time I’d swathed myself in Ace bandages, grabbed my brand new cane and traveled to the seminar, my knee was throbbing, my back was aching and I was exhausted.

My conversations with old friends were brief. I barely spoke to anyone I didn’t already know. I put business cards on brochures on my table with a “take ‘em if you want ‘em” attitude and made no effort beyond that to promote myself.

It took all my energy to simply focus my attention on listening to the speakers-hard to hear sometimes, as my knee was screaming “TAKE ME HOME!” most of the time.

In between speakers,  most of the people attending rushed about to pump hands and hand out cards. I sat alone, making notes on ideas I’d picked up that I really wanted to put into practice. And I wrote out plans for the ways I could realistically make changes now, not “someday.”

That’s why, back in the home office, I was able to quickly take action.

Pumping hands and running your mouth can be good activities at any kind of seminar. I’m not discounting their value.

But thanks to a throbbing knee, I have learned there is also a value in the Zen art of attending internet marketing seminars-doing the most by doing nothing.

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards for people that want to be more creative, make stuff and market on the internet.

All of us have a few dreams we keep hidden inside our souls, locked away under a label that says, “This will never come true for me because…”

More often than not, the “because” is something like, “I’m too old,” or “I’m not good enough,” or “Things like that don’t happen to people like me.”

But today Susan Boyle, a dumpy 47-year old unemployed spinster who lives alone with her cats, can stand before you and say with absolute assurance and authority, “Anything your dare to dream can come true.”

Susan appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent,” an American Idol spin-off.  When she walked out on stage and admitted her dream was to be a professional singer, the audience laughed and judge Simon Cowell rolled his eyes.

Moments later, when Susan Boyle finished singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables, the audience rose to give her a standing ovation. Her amazing performance left everyone in tears and even snarky Simon Cowell displayed a rare moment  of honest emotion.

Today all Britain is talking about Boyle’s performance. She’s reportedly been signed to a recording contract. And her video has become a YouTube phenomena.

You can watch her performance below.  And when it’s over, be prepared to pull all your dreams out of storage and pack all your excuses away–forever!

To see the complete, unedited Susan Boyle performance on Britain’s Got Talent, follow this link to YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards for people that dare to dream they can make wonderful stuff and market it on the internet. To  keep in touch with her, fill  in the subscribe form in the upper right.

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