I have just started to play with WordPress 3.1 today.  One of the biggest updates that people will either love, or love to hate is the new admin bar that is displayed across the top of your website when you are logged in.  It gives you quick and easy access to some of the most popular administrator features of WordPress.  What if you do not like it? There is a pretty simple way to disable it from showing up.

From the admin bar in WordPress you can click on your name to be taken to your profile editor or from within the admin section of WordPress go to, Users > Your Profile. Next, look for where it says, "Show Admin Bar" and simply un-check "when viewing site".  You can also select to view the new WordPress admin bar in your dashboard too.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click on the Update Profile button.  You are done!

To learn more about WordPress 3.1, be sure to check out the feature I wrote over on the Site5 blog. There I go into a few more of the new abilities that WordPress 3.1 has to offer.

Having an active presence in Facebook and Twitter will give you instant access to your current audience and customers, and the potential for many more is huge. When someone becomes a Facebook Fan or Twitter Follower of your brand, it will be knowledge which is obtainable for all the friends and followers of that individual. This gives you the opportunity to establish further name recognition. So instantly your company or blog name is in front of many more people than just your current audience. Chances are some of those people will become Fans and Followers too. The number of people can snowball quickly. If you are able to drive a portion of these new found Fans and Followers to your site, you’ll get a boost in traffic and have the opportunity to convert these Fans and Followers into your regular audience.

If you are seeking ways to increase your social marketing audience, here are three ideas worth exploring.

1. Entice followers with coupons. Let your potential customer base know that you’ll offer special coupons only available to social network followers. These coupons can be announced with tweets and status updates. Many retailers have had success with reaching their online customer base by offering percentage off discounts in this manner.

2. Give things away. Who doesn’t like free stuff? There is one success story where a franchise dangled $15 gifts out to the first 100,000 individuals who became a Facebook Fan. The strategy worked like a charm. In less than four days the 100,000 Fan mark was achieved. Analytic tracking indicated that many of those new Fans went on to make purchases in subsequent months. The franchise now had 100,000 new eyeballs to read regular status updates and target for future purchases.

3. Don’t be afraid to just ask for followers. Placing the recognizable Facebook and Twitter Icons on your website will let your current audience know that you are engaged in the social marketing world. They are already at your site, chances are they’d like to be up to date on what you are doing and offering. The icons offer easy access, in just a few clicks they can begin following you, and you’ll be thee beneficiary.

Leslie Handmaker has a site specializing in gifts for friends and celebrating friendships. She also offers marketing support and project management to small businesses on a contract basis.

8-Bit Mashup Wallpaper

So a black mage, Mario, Kirby and Mega Man walk into a bar (and stop me if you have heard this one) and happen to make some really cool wallpaper in world 1-1 of Super Mario Bros. OK, maybe I need to work on the punch line but while we are talking about great wallpaper, I wanted to share this with you.

Super Wallpaper (for Any Man)

How could I share Batman wallpaper with you, without tossing in some Superman wallpaper into the mix too?  Filed under a random Google image search, this background is actually pretty nice in comparison with some of the dull Superman backgrounds you can find out there.  Worthy of any super desktop, no matter if you are from Earth or Krypton.

Over 70 Fun Instant Sound Effects

The instant sound effect web sites are always fun, but I think Instants took it to a whole new level.  This web site has over 70 sound effect buttons you can play with to annoy your coworkers or keep handy for a special occasion.

Wallpapers Organize Desktop Icon Clutter

Looking for a very simple way to organize your mess of icons on your desktop?  Look no further than this very slick and simple wallpaper I ran across a few weeks ago.

Find the Perfect User Name

Need an easier way to find the perfect user name?  When looking for a user name, you want one that has not been taken before, and is available via all the popular social networks – and maybe even as a domain name.  If you are in search of a helping hand in your search, NameChecklist is the place to check first.

20 Best Multimedia Plugins for WordPress

WordPress is a great publishing platform to use when you want to circulate your own collection of video or images on the Web.  Thanks to a few great plugins, you can take your dull text-based blog and really snaz it up with some great internet imagery.  Want to great a photo gallery?  Want to plug YouTube into your web site?  I have collected twenty of the best multimedia plugins for you to use with your own WordPress powered web site.

3 Best WordPress Cheat Sheets

Working with WordPress is almost like learning a new language.  Not only do you need to learn some of the basic fundamentals of PHP, but you also need to learn what WordPress tags go where, and what they do. Since nobody has the time to do that these days, I thought it would be about time to break out my WordPress cheat sheet collection.

3 More Masterful Zelda Wallpapers

The search continues for some of the best Legend of Zelda wallpapers out there on the Web.  Having shared two with you already, I figured I would bundle these three find together and share them with you too.

Fat Princess: Fat Roles DLC Review

Ready to battle as giants, ninjas and pirates?  The PlayStation Network game Fat Princess finally got its first slice of downloadable content, and I do have to say it has made the game a whole lot more fun.   Fat Princess: Fat Roles is out and is a lot of fun.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Fat Princess

I have spent a lot of my free time the last few months playing Fat Princess, a PlayStation Network game for the PlayStation 3.  Over time, you come to lean a few things you should do – and a few things you probably shouldn’t do, to keep the experience enjoyable.

Hope you enjoyed this list and you keep enjoying Mitchelaneous throughout 2010, 2011 and beyond! Thank you for your support!

Everyone is a Marketer brings you some of the most popular advice, suggestions and tips I have shared with you in the past year all together in one convenient spot for you to download.  Within the 22 chapters, you will be able to learn really simple marketing techniques that anybody can use.  I do not care if you are starting out on day one of your business or day 141, I have suggestions and help here that can do anybody who reads it some good.

Go learn more about the eBook and download it (in the handy PDF format).

• Get the Free Marketing eBook for Beginners!

I would also love to hear your feedback too.  So if you have any reviews, thoughts or your own marketing tips you would like to pass along – be sure to send them my way.  I might even publish them here for the world to see.  This holiday season, I know we are all looking to save a buck or two – so let me give you this eBook for free.  The only thing I ask in return is you let me know what you thought of it once you’ve unlocked all the marketing secrets that are within the pages.

Just a few years back, most people would tell you that you want to create your own hub of information and keep it private, safe and hidden for only your visitors to check out.  These days though, to be discovered – you sometimes have to leave your confines and go out where the people are gathering. 

Take Your Content to the People

You want to use content aggregation websites, like YouTube an an example, and take your content there for the people to see.  Rather than diving people to your home, you are taking your content and bringing it to where the people are.  Lets say you made your own movie. Older promoters and marketing gurus might say your best way of getting noticed would be to get people to come to you to see the movie.  In modern times – you have to take the content to the people. A place like YouTube is a comfort zone for people, where they like to spend their time and they know what they are getting.  If you can get your content nested in there, it could mean you have a better chance of getting noticed.

Take your content out to as man content aggregation sites as possible.  If you are promoting a video or commercial, YouTube is the perfect place to make sure it is uploaded.  People use YouTube to search for videos – so you want to make sure your video is there too.  In turn, you are creating one more gateway for people to come in and notice you and your own domain, projects and more.

You are correct in assuming that coupons alone are not that great of a marketing gimmick.  They are short, gimmicky and only give you a little fulfillment before you remember the stark reality that you have been hooked in. In that way, it is kind of like finding a half eaten chocolate bar on the road. Sure it is half gone, and you don’t know who was eating this last – but hey, at least it is free.

So what makes a coupon or deal an effective marketing tool, and should you be careful of?

I am going to break this down into two parts.  The things that make coupons and deals effective, and the things that make the customers want to sit on their hands and not really act at all.

Effective Coupon Marketing Tactics

These days, especially with the economy the way it is, you need to play with discounts and see where you can get the most signups and still make the most profit.  It is a balancing act that might take a few tries before you find the perfect mix – but just remember, everybody else is trying the even out the scales just like you are.

Also, try swapping out discounts for special deals or services.  You could upgrade the clients to a better service, give them something extra and more.  Get creative and see what you can give away for free (that looks interesting) before you cut into your profits you get for selling this, that or the other.

Not So Effective Coupon Marketing Tactics

Now, you might ask yourself, "How does somebody mess up a coupon?" when it is one of the simplest ways to get a new client or customer to sign up?  Well, I have seen it in action – so let me tell you my tale.  I once worked for a place that would leave a coupon or special up on their front page for four or six months. 

This is a definite disaster. 

The basic idea of a coupon is the expiration date attached.  The thing that draws people in, other than the discount or the deal is the fact that they have a limited time to act. You also can not keep discounting the same customers or clients.  When you offer a discount, you take a bite out of your profits.  So, with that said – if you turn around and give somebody another discount, who has already had a discount, your profits get knawel into a second time around. Offer cuts in prices if you have to, but you also have to know when to draw the line and cut the coupon junkies off.  Overall though, if you have an excellent service you provide, 99.9% of the time, people will be happy to pay for it.

Over all you have to remember that a coupon or deal is something special, something quick, something that gets the attention of the masses, and gets them to act now, while supplies last.

When you find yourself in a business where everybody has the same thing to sell, you have to find ways to make yourself stand out from the rest of the crowd.  One way of accomplishing this goal is to sell the service, as well as the product.  The idea is that you could get the mysterious product X from anybody out there, but you should get it from this place because of this, that or the other.

Selling a service, rather than a product, does take a little ‘bit of thinking outside the box.  Rather than trying to say how great your product is, you want to sell people on the experience of getting the product through you.

How Do You Sell the Service?

Now selling the service might vary from business to business, so I will try to make my suggestions here fit the most situations as possible.  You must paint a vivid picture of why your service is better.  Give details about how you treat your customers, guarantees for the services you provide and all the details you can about your company.  People like to know who they are doing business with – so the more details you give, the better chances you will have that they will be able to relate with you more.  

Customer testimonials are excellent for selling the service because it lets people see real customers giving their feedback and experiences on what they really enjoyed, when it comes to doing business with you. If your existing satisfied customers don’t offer testimonials on their own – feel free to ask them.  If they are really happy, they will often be delighted that you asked.

Best Example of Selling a Service

Here is an example situation.  I often order things online through Amazon.  Now sure, I could get the latest video games or techie devices through any online retailer out there, but Amazon has won me over with their Amazon Prime service.  With it, I can get next day deliveries at a really cheap price, or two day deliveries for free.  As you can see, they are not bringing me back by making their products better.  They are bringing me back to do business with them, because the experience is better.

I hope that helps some with your own marketing plans when it comes to selling your service.  Just remember that people are not just looking for the best products, they are also looking for the best place to get the products.

So we know the Pirates in Fat Princess dance a little jig, and do say, “Arr!” in a really cute way. How do you really play at the Fat Princess pirate?  Hopefully, this guide will help you out in that department.

As with the giants and the ninjas; to play as the pirate, you must pick up the special purple hat from inside your base or from within the base of the opposing team.  When you hit triangle, on your controller, you can keep rotating till you see your Fat Princess character dressed in his finest pirate costume.  The pirate class has six hearts for health and moves at a medium pace.  You might not get to upgrade this class, but you do get to send a cannon ball flying down from the sky onto whatever or whomever you target.

Attacking with the Pirate’s Sword – The pirate class’s sword is kind of like the warrior’s basic sword.  As you double tap on the attack button, you will hack and slash in close combat.  However, you might elect to use the Pirate’s charged hand gun attack more times than not.  The Cutlass sword is really only for close combat emergencies.

Attacking with the Pirate’s Hand Gun – The hand gun (or Flintlock, or pistol) is your charged attack option as the pirate.  If you hold down the attack button, you can charge the shot up.  Then just target somebody on the other team and take aim.  It is quick to recharge, however is not as accurate as other ranged weapons or attacks in the game.

Make Them Walk the Plank

The best part about playing as a pirate is using the pirate’s special move.  The cannon barrage is the special attack for the pirate class.  When you hit triangle (after your special meter has fully charged) you can select where the cannon ball will come crashing down at.  The damage done to other players is around three to four hearts – so this attack is a very powerful one if you learn how to do it right (which really just takes practice and aim).

More Pirate Class Tips and Tricks

Still lost?  Here are a few more Fat Princess pirate tips that should help you along in the game.

• Right before the pirate launches his special attack (cannon barrage) you can hear him yell, “ARRRRG!”.  This is your clue to get the heck away from any pirates you see near.
• There are several pirate versus ninja PS3 trophies to get, if you really want to master your pirating techniques.  Annihilate 20 ninjas, kill 200 enemies as a pirate, obliterate 100 enemies with the Pirate’s cannon balls.
• Make sure when you attack with the pirate’s special move you don’t accidently take out your own teammates.  I’ve seen a number of games where an accidental cannon ball has become as commonplace as an accidental bomb or chicken potion.

I hope that helps you out the next time you decide to play a game of Fat Princess.  The pirates are really fun to play as in the land of Titania.  The cannon barrage makes them really handy at keeping the enemies doors down, when you are in a pinch, too.  Have any more tips to share?  Make sure to leave them in the comments!

If you want to grow your user base and market to your user base, then you have to know where your user base hangs out.  Today, I will share with you the three social networks any business or person should be hanging out at, so that they can find out what is being said to and about them.

Twitter

Now, the first one on my list would have to be Twitter.  You should try to establish a Twitter account that matches up with your name or your brand.  If you are marketing you, then search for your name.  If you are marketing a brand or a website, then you might want to get a Twitter account with that brand name or Twitter name.  Next, you need to start monitoring searches for your name or brand to find out what others are saying, and to reply back to those who might have questions or comments.

Facebook

Second on my list would be Facebook.  Now, the most obvious place to start would be to set up your own profile on Facebook – which just about everybody and their grandmother has done by now.  Some people though like to separate their personal profile from their business or brand.  This is where a Facebook Fan Page would come in handy.  You can set up a Facebook Fan Page to organize your user base a ‘bit more and give them a place to congregate via Facebook.

Google Buzz

Last but not least, I would suggest you set up a Google Profile, and start pushing your updates and news to Google Buzz.  I know Google Buzz does not have a huge following just yet – however, there are people using it to promote and share their thoughts.  Getting in and establishing yourself here early might give you a leg up down the road, should Google Buzz ever take off. There has also been rumored that Google Me, Google’s own secret social network project, might take your established profile on Google Buzz and flesh it out into a better social networking platform.

Now, there might be other social networks to join if it is popular in your niche.  For example, I am also set up on LinkedIn due to the fact that many people in the web hosting industry use this tool.  This way, I have one more way to connect to that niche group of users too.  Getting yourself set up on the three services above though will go a long way in establishing a backbone for your own online presence.  Once you are established, then you have a whole new way to marketing your ideas and products to the masses.

We had seen concept art for ninjas and pirates, but how do you storm the enemies’ castle with a giant?

To become the giant in Fat Princess, you must pick up the special purple hat from inside your base or inside the base of the opposing team.  You then hit the triangle button until you see that you are the giant.  Like the pirate and the ninja, the Giant has six hearts for health, but moves really slowly.  Rather than being able to switch to an upgraded class, the giant gets the special attack of being able to eat somebody from the opposing team.

Attacking with the Giant – The giant has no real weapons, other than his fists.  I am sure there is a Chuck Norris joke in there somewhere.  You can target somebody and rapidly hit the attack button to slap and punch them into submission.

Giant Earthquake – When the giant’s attack is fully charged, he will pound the ground multiple times, causing small earthquakes for anybody next to him.  It will do some big damage if you can wack a few people on the opposite team with it, once you unleash the charged attack.

Eating the Competition

Since the giant can not heal by sitting down and eating cake, your special attack lets you eat a player from the opposing team. Once your special attack is fully charged, just go up to the enemy and press triangle.

More Giant Class Tips and Tricks

From the online battles of Fat Princess I’ve been in, it seems like the Giant class has gotten a lot of love.  Not one games goes by when I don’t see a couple of Giants defending the princess or an outpost.  Here are a few more giant tips to help you along the way.

• Don’t go on your own.  The giant is slow, so he is easily taken out.
• The giant makes a great defense class for keeping either princess guarded as the clock ticks down.
• If you are about to go as a group to rescue the princess, put a giant in front and let him bulldoze his way though anybody from the other side that gets in your way.

I hope my advice here comes in handy when it comes to battling as the Giant in Fat Princess.  I am really happy with this “surprise” class Atomic Operations has developed.  The Giant class really is becoming one of my favorite classes to play with.