April Tara » Miscellaneous

Writing for Examiner.com

April — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:50:42 +0000

I recently accepted a position as a contributor to national website Examiner.com, covering Omaha Rock Music.

This is a great opportunity not only for myself but it also gives me a chance to promote local music which is my big passion.

I’m encouraging everyone to subscribe to my column there either via RSS or email, which you can do from my bio page, and to share the links with others. More exposure and more page views means better placement on the Examiner Omaha page and we really want readers of Examiner Omaha to see what’s going on in the Omaha rock music scene!

Be open to opportunities

April — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:03:21 +0000

As I write this, I’m sitting here listening to my boyfriend play his guitar which would normally be a pretty unremarkable event. (Not that he’s an unremarkable guitar player, it’s just that he plays guitar all the time so it’s nothing out of the ordinary for him to be doing it now.)

What’s remarkable about it is that he’s doing as part of a project that’s a perfect example of the way social media and the potential for businesses – whether it’s a band, a bookstore, a yoga class – to reach a global audience because of the interactivity involved.

Here’s a brief description of the project:

Download music tracks
Record your own ideas
Upload for worldwide release

The tagline of The Public Record site says it’s “the first large-scale, truly interactive recording process”. and at the wheel of it is Tommy Lee – yes, the guy with the sex tape but more importantly the drummer for Mötley Crüe. Tommy is giving musicians across the world an opportunity to record the next CD, “Public Mayhem”, by Methods of Mayhem.

As some of you know, I combined my love of both music and social media to form Cherry Bomb Promo and help bands use the Internet to their advantage when it comes to promoting their music. So The Public Record just totally excites me. There are so many bands out there that still have no clue how social media can work for them. In fact, a lot of them don’t even know what social media is. They don’t have Twitter accounts or Facebook fan pages and that’s why they come to me.

So how does this apply to us non-musicians?

Thanks to social media, we all have access to some amazing opportunities – everything from Black Friday deals last week to job opportunities with major corporations or, as in this case, recording with a major rock star. Some you have to look for, some just kind of fall into your lap.

When you do run across these opportunities, be open to them! We all have our obstacles – a fear of failure, a fear of success, anxiety over not being good enough. Face those fears and do it anyway.

Think back to some opportunities you’ve had in your own business. Did you pass any of them by out of fear? Did you grab onto them? What happened as a result? Did it improve your business or did you learn from something that didn’t work out?

I’d love to hear about your own experiences with opportunities. To get the conversation, I’ll share two important results I’ve had.

After one opportunity, one of those that seemed like fate, I learned not to settle for less than I deserve based on promises for something better in the future. I lost a lot of money and my kids and I suffered for it because I was foolish enough to put someone else’s needs before my own when the situation didn’t justify doing so.

After another opportunity, I learned that I was better than I thought at doing something I was afraid I was clueless about and I’m quickly realizing that I’m not only better than I thought, I’m actually pretty damn good at it!

Rockin Renegade Radio promo

April — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:01:13 +0000

One of my good friends and a huge supporter of the bands I work with is DJ House of Rockin Renegade Radio. Recently, House and I worked together on recording a promo for his Internet radio station. I am beyond impressed with what a great job he did!

Take a listen! Rockin’ Renegade Radio – April

Welcome!

April — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:25:07 +0000

Thanks for stopping by the Cherry Bomb Promo Blog!

Stay tuned for future post featuring band interviews, marketing tips, and information about our services.

Why I switched from GoDaddy to Name.com

April — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:06:23 +0000

If you’ve visited AprilTara.com over the past week or so, you probably saw nothing but an ad-cluttered page courtesy of GoDaddy. If I’d known transferring my domain from them would be such a hassle, I would have posted a warning here.

Transferring domains is a lot more of a pain than I thought it would be. There’s all of this back-and-forth between the old registrar, the new one, the people who do the private domain registration thing… but its finally done! And I now have one less domain registered with GoDaddy.

I’ve been transitioning all of my domains over to Name.com for a while now – I have about 30 domains – and I’m down to about 4 left that haven’t been moved yet. Someone asked me on Twitter the other day why I switched.

My response? Name.com is extremely simple. The layout of the account management page is very clean, navigation is uncomplicated. Take a look at this screen shot comparison. The first image is what Name.com looks like when I log in and click on “Account” at the top. On the right, GoDaddy.

(Click thumbnails for larger images.)

Now, maybe its just me, but GoDaddy is much more complicated when it comes to navigation. Actually, the way it looks now is a recent improvement. It used to be a lot worse but it looks like they’ve cleared out some – but not all – of the clutter and extra menus. Without bogging down this post with a bunch of screen shots, I’ll just tell you that something like changing the nameservers on a domain takes about 2 clicks of the mouse. First, on the menu on the right, click on Edit Nameservers, then enter the new nameservers and click ‘Submit’. Oops, almost forgot….it’s actually 3 clicks because you have to click ‘Remove’ to get rid of the old ones.

On GoDaddy, I’d have to sit here and stare at the screen for a couple of minutes to try and remember where I even go to start the whole process. Do I look under the “Domains” drop down menu across the top of the screen? Do I look under “My Products” on the left and then click on “Domains” or “Domain Manager”….?

There are also a few other reasons why I’ve been moving all of my domains to Name.com, including:

Google App integration
Free (and simple!!) private WhoIs registration
Cheaper prices on renewals and transfers
Quick & personal customer support

Anyway…all of that just to tell you why AprilTara.com was down for a few days. And if you’re a domain addict like I am, try Name.com next time. No affiliate links or anything here, just personal opinion.

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Refocusing

April — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:44:30 +0000

I took a couple of months off from blogging – not just here but on all of my blogs – to regain my sense of direction after some health issues and personal issues forced me to reevaluate things.

Now that I’m back on track, I’ll be posting more often and I’ll be doing some guest blogging for others so keep an eye out for those!

Basically, I’ve spent the past year struggling to obtain and then maintain a decent income from my own business..and it just became way too stressful and overwhelming! Between the economy and the constant struggle to find more clients and projects (plus some “brain fog” issues caused by my health situation), I was burning out FAST.

Now instead of struggling to keep my head above water and get my bills paid, I’ve taken on an amazing job that was a perfect fit for me – combining my tech skills and my interest in both marketing and the legal field – that will allow me to keep my business albeit on a part time basis yet still have a steady income. In addition, I’m also doing some work on the side helping local bands create and manage an online social network to promote their music.

So what am I going to do with my blog? Well, since there’s really not much need for a blog over at my business site, I’m going to use AprilTara.com to share what I’ve learned over the past year while building my business as well as any advice I have as a result of my experiences and any resources I may have or that my colleagues and social media friends send my way.

Thanks for your patience and, as always, if you have any comments or questions, you can email me at April@AprilTara.com

Where in the world is April Tara?

happy09

April — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:41:57 +0000

You may have noticed on Twitter over the past few days that a lot of people have been using this hashtag #happy09. If you’ve been participating then you already know what it is but if you haven’t, here’s my version of what #happy09 is all about. #happy09 is about connecting with people. Now I know you’re thinking “Well, duh, that’s the point of Twitter itself.” Well, sorta. Twitter is about networking, #happy09 is about connecting.
Thousands of people using this hashtag have been engaging in conversation, making new friends, sharing goals and ideas. There’s no spam, there’s no “Hey check out my link, buy my stuff!” These are not gurus or experts with inflated egos and huge numbers of followers. These are real people who are using Twitter the way it was intended and then some.

It was started by Warren Whitlock, a blogger and social media guy, who believes in the power of helping other people before helping yourself. Warren started out looking for just 2 or 3 prizes he could give away to celebrate the milestone of 5,000 followers. It quickly turned into a collection of about 25 prizes and a huge Twitter party that has been going on since January 1st and hopefully will continue going for quite some time.

To understand more about this event, here are some links you should check out:

Now here’s the link you really need to visit because this is the point of my post: the list of prizes

Those are now mine. I can do whatever I want with them and what I want to do with them is share them. Warren says that’s why he chose me as the winner – because I made the comment on Twitter that if I won all of those, I’d use them to help someone else.

So here’s what I’m going to do. First, I want to clarify that there are 2 ways I’m going to share these. I am going to give some of them away but I am also going to keep some of them because I want to use what I learn from them to make some improvements in my own life – both business and personal – so that I will then be in a better position to help more people than I would have if I’d just given it to one person. Yes, my plan is to help as many people as possible but as a single mom, I also have to help my own family by keeping a roof over our head and food on the table by growing my own business. (I’m an online business manager so if you know anyone who needs some help building their online presence, forward my name and website to them.) I am also hoping to take on an intern, someone I can work with one-on-one to start their own business.

Also, if you are one of the people who donated a prize and I give that to someone else, it doesn’t mean that I don’t want your gift so please don’t take offense. It may be something that I think someone else needs more than I do, it may be that its something I already own or have access to, or it may be because someone else really, really wants it.

Now here’s where I need your help. I have to decide which prizes to give away and to whom. Its going to be a tough process and I’m not looking forward to disappointing anyone so I hope that I don’t. But what I need you to do is visit this link, read over the list of prizes and then let me know which of those prizes you would like to have for yourself and what you would do with it.

As Warren always says, there are no rules. I’m not even going to tell you how to enter other than just letting me know. You can leave a comment, you can write about it on your own blog, you can send me an email, use my contact form, DM me on Twitter. However you choose to let me know is up to you, just make sure I know. And if you want to nominate someone else to receive it, that’s fine too. Either send them to this post or tell me yourself.

Oh and I also want to mention that this isn’t the end of #happy09. Warren has some other prizes he’s going to be giving away, there were more added that aren’t on that list and if you have something you’d like to give away too, let me know and I’ll add that too.

Thanks so much for being a part of this, for all of the congratulations and support (especially my friends who knew my secret before Warren announced it on his show and spent their Friday night tuning in to support me), and for helping me share this.

Keep an eye on my blogs and my Twitter stream for updates!

Nominations for Twitter “Must Follow” List

The Secret to Finally Paying Debt Quickly

April — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 05:05:37 +0000

One of the most common resolutions made at the beginning of a new year is to get control of your finances and get out of debt. But that’s easier said than done, especially during tough economic times like these.

If you’ve struggled with debt for any amount of time, you know how it can feel like you’re in a big black hole, you just can’t seem to dig yourself out of. Balances never seem to go down and you need to keep tapping into credit cards just to make ends meet.

There is plenty of debt advice out there and you may have tried things like debt consolidation, making large payments to your debts to try to pay them faster and other methods that just don’t seem to work. Things just keep getting more and more difficult to manage.

But it really doesn’t have to be that way…

If you’ve been able to keep up with your minimum monthly payments until now, there is a solution for you. And it’s remarkably simple if you follow the appropriate steps laid out for you.

I’m talking about the “Pay Debt Quickly Kit” that shows you how to:
* Pay debt off faster without having to make any large payments.
* Get what you want from your creditors to pay off your debt faster and even improve your credit score.
* Make drastic changes in the way you think about and handle money without feeling like you’re deprived in any way.

The kit includes everything you need to get to debt-free faster.

From software that helps you quickly and easily calculate your precise debt-free dates to strategies to take control of your finances and even work with your creditors so that you benefit, instead of them – this kit has what you need to eliminate your debt.

Learn more & get debt-free at Pay Debt Quickly

Everything is available for instant download and you don’t have to wait for anything to come in the mail. That means you can start sleeping better and stop worrying about your debt, starting RIGHT NOW.

Here’s to a prosperous and debt-free 2009!

No related posts.

‘Tis the Season for lots of great deals

April — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:09:33 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

I am just overwhelmed with deals to share with you! Some of my friends and colleagues have some specials going on that I have to tell you about.

First, I have to say “Happy Birthday!” to Lynette Chandler and tell you about her birthday wish. She recently launched the Blog Energizer program and, of course, I immediately signed up for all of the blogging tools and opportunities. But Lynette has a specific goal in mind. She made a little birthday wish and with your help, it’s going feed a lot of families this holiday season. Lynette has promised that if Blog Energizer reaches 2,000 members by December 31st, she’ll donate 8000 bowls of food to the food banks through “Feeding America & Kraft Foods” program. Un-be-lieveable!! Way to go, Lynette! Now all you have to do is visit Blog Energizer, sign up, and start downloading this month’s resources, browse through topic ideas, even find some guest blogging opportunities.

Oh, speaking of Lynette, I have two more offers from her:

One free month of BlogEnergizer and pay just $10/month after
50% off BloggingStarterPack using coupon code BSP0812

I’ve also got another good deal for you from my friend Carrie Lauth, the Natural Mom. Carrie is one of those successful (single!) WAHMs who enjoys helping other WAHMs grow their businesses. Right now she’s adding a little bonus to her coaching program. If you purchase one hour of coaching with Carrie, you’ll receive a FREE copy of her “Mini Course Money” program. This offer expires on December 16th so sign up for your coaching session soon!

Another WAHM and Mom Masterminds member, Wendy Wood, has put together two special offers. First, she is offering a 35% discount on any PLR Food Content PLR packs. Just enter coupon code A7E16 when you check out. She also has an awesome collection of Christmas and holiday graphics you can use in your blog designs, posts or even your holiday family newsletter and craft projects. Just visit her website, go to the Products page and on the right sidebar you’ll see the ad for her Christmas graphics…click it! Be patient, it may take a while for the page to load because there are SOOOO many graphics. When you get to her checkout page, enter coupon code XMAS30 for 30% off.Both of Wendy’s offers expire on December 15th.

Now I’ve got just one more set of offers from Melissa Ingold. She’s offering a discount on her Special Report Club so instead of the usual $19 per month, you’ll only pay $12.97 per month. Just leave me a comment or drop me an email (April@AprilTara.com) and I’ll send you the signup link that’s exclusive to this special price.

Melissa’s also offering a great price on her content marketing kit, Earn With Content, for just $12.97. That’s $83 worth of info for less than $15! That deal also includes a copy of her soon-to-be-released “Earn With Product Descriptions” pack when it becomes available.

Melissa BEST deal, by far, is her copywriting package. This package includes:

Sales letter
Opt-in page offering sample, free gift to build list
5 related articles for article marketing or to provide to affiliates
Keyword research
3 blog posts for marketing or to provide to affiliates
5 pay-per-click ads
5 forum/email signatures
5 day ecourse to capture visitors who don’t buy. Ecourse will give them tips/info, and refer to your product.
1 promotional email
1 follow-up email (sent after promo email)

Now usually she provides these services for $997…but she must be totally into the holiday spirit (or the eggnog!) because she’s offering all of that for just $500! That’s almost HALF of the usual price! Wow. Just use this link to sign up for the discounted amount, but you better make it quick because all of Melissa’s offer expire on December 16th.

And, of course, I am joining in all of this holiday discount stuff. Throughout the month of December, any purchases of a Blog Design Package or Blog Makeover Package will include a free Custom Graphics Package consisting of three matching graphics to promote your website, blog or services. You can choose from any combination of a 125 x 125 button, 468 x 60 banner, or any other specific size you may need.

So check out all of these special offers from these amazing ladies, treat yourself and your business to some holiday deals, and get 2009 off to a GREAT start!

Just a quick update

April — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:41:44 +0000

I’m in the process of redeveloping my business and taking on some new opportunities which means that over the next week or so, I’ll be making some changes to both my services and my websites, Advantage Virtual Assistant and AprilTara.

Stay tuned for updates!