ANNOUNCEMENT: New ShopBuddy Integration for Search Engines

We already know that ShopBuddy is an amazing feature on SHOP.COM that really helps us leverage the power of our comparison shopping platform to help get you the best deals out there. Our team is always searching for new ways to help make our shopping experience even better – and we’ve recently made some great updates to ShopBuddy that makes this incredible tool even better.

With our latest innovation, you will now see the SHOP.COM “S” Logo next to your internet search results that display any of our partner stores. For example, if you visit Google and do search for “luggage,” you’ll see in the results below that any SHOP.COM Merchant is signified with the SHOP.COM Logo!

This is just one more way to help insure that you never miss out on getting Cashback from SHOP.COM! Install ShopBuddy on your computer today, to make sure you’re not missing out on the best deals and opportunities for Cashback!

Keep Growing!

-JR Ridinger

4 Tips for Adding to Your Savings Today!

If you’re overwhelmed by handling your personal finances and not saving enough money, this advice will put you on the road to a solid financial life. We’ve come up with 4 tips for adding to your savings that you can start today! Adopting even one or two of these strategies will leave you ahead of the game, whether the economy is soaring or suffering. 

Use an Automatic Savings PlanIf you find it impossible to save any money, you are not alone. Your safest choice to start saving money is an automatic savings plan. With a bank savings account, you can have the money automatically withdrawn from each paycheck and funneled into your savings. That’s a relatively painless way to force yourself to accumulate money.

Invest in a Money Market FundMoney market funds have been considered to be almost as safe as bank saving accounts and tend to pay higher interest rates. To find a money fund, check out websites like www.bankrate.com and www.imoneynet.com, which provide a list of the highest interest rates currently being offered. You can set up an automatic transfer from your checking account once or twice a month so it’s as easy as saving in a bank savings account!

Consider Investing in Stocks and BondsYou can choose to get more aggressive with your investments by taking advantage of stocks and bonds. The downside of it is that they’re riskier than money market funds. You can lose money by investing in them, so make sure you decide carefully how much risk you are willing to take for the chance to earn higher returns over time.

Start Contributing to a Tax-Favored Retirement Saving PlanYou may think retirement is too far away, but saving money in a retirement plan is one of the smartest things you can do – especially if you are young. If you work for a company that offers a retirement savings plan like 401(k), you should take advantage of it. If not, you should start investing in an individual retirement account (IRA). The most you can contribute to an IRA as of 2009 is $5,000 annually. If that is possible for you, contribute the maximum amount every year.

These are just a few tips on how to start saving more money, but now we want to hear from YOU! How do you make sure you keep adding to your savings? 

Carin & Lee Roberts: A Success Story with a Lasting Effect

When UnFranchise® Owners Carin & Lee Roberts were first introduced to Market America, they dreamed of the lasting effect their financial success would have on their family. Meeting Dennis Franks for the first time three years ago aboard Utopia, the Roberts shared their goal statement: to be able to give their daughter a check to cover her college loans when she finished school in May 2013. 

This year their daughter graduated (with top honors!) and they surprised her with the very check they mentioned three years ago. Speaking to Carin last week, I learned some insight into how hard she and her husband worked in order to make this gift happen:

“When my daughter left for college 4 years ago we starting realizing that we were in no way prepared to help her pay her student debt. This was the only business we owned that had no limits, so I decided it was time for me to attend Market America University. I went to EVERY training over and over… I hit EVERY local, regional, TLS Challenge and 1 nutraMetrix Challenge. It has been an amazing journey. I have found my passion and purpose with TLS and Market America. Helping others achieve their goals physically AND financially has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. The best part about my journey is that my daughter is so proud of me and wants to one day make a difference in people’s lives the way that I am… It’s time for me to create a new goal statement!”

The Roberts’ hard work & dedication is admirable and a true testament to the UnFranchise® Business system, but what’s even more touching is the thank you note they received from their daughter following her surprise gift:

“Mom & Dad- I want to thank you for several things. For making my graduation weekend so special- truly. I am blessed to have a family like you who cares so much & is so supportive. You guys have given me the best gifts ever, I just hope you really know. First, you brought me up not giving me the whole world, only things that I deserve which taught me to be responsible, hard working and appreciative when you did give me things or help me out. Growing up & especially looking around at the kids I’ve met in college I’ve come to know how truly amazing, special & rare this gift is. I really owe my good traits to your upbringing and parenting, so thank you for that. This is something I will never forget, especially when it comes time to raise my own kids. And of course- now, when I am appreciative for the things I have and receive, you have given me the best gift ever- to be debt free. I cannot tell you how thankful I am that I can actually keep my hard earned money that I’ve been saving for literally ever, ha! I just can’t tell you enough how thankful I am for the gifts you have given me over the years to now. You guys should give parenting lessons, I swear! I would not have wanted to celebrate the weekend with anyone else. You’re the best. Thank you so much.”

As UnFranchise® Owners, you have the opportunity to make a lasting change in your own life and the lives of your children and other family members. The Roberts paved the way to financial freedom for their daughter and found personal fulfillment in doing so. We can’t wait to hear what their next goal statement will be!

If you have a similar story, please share it with us by emailing socialmedia@marketamerica.com. We love sharing your successes with our Market America family!

Isotonix® OPC-3®

Our product of the month for July is none other than bestseller Isotonix® OPC-3®. You and have shown us time and again that it’s your favorite product, so we’ll be talking about it all month long with spotlights on ingredients, special social media content, giveaways, and Live Meets and webinars with our product management team. Today, I’m bringing you our short list of 5 reasons we love Isotonix OPC-3 plus important information on how you can stay up to date with all things Isotonix OPC-3 this month!

Reasons We Love Isotonix OPC-3
1. It contains the only isotonic form of Pycnogenol® in the world.

2. Studies have shown OPCs to be up to 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals.

3. OPC-3 protects against free radical damage.

4. Helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

5. Supports immune health (nobody likes getting sick!).

Make sure you’re keeping an eye on the Isotonix Facebook page this month. There, you’ll discover facts about the product and its ingredients and have the opportunity to win your own bottle!

Because Isotonix OPC-3 has been such a staple to our product line, we’ve branched out to include it in other forms as well. Don’t forget about:

Isotonix OPC-3® Beauty Blend

Might-A-Mins® Spectrum Isotonix® OPC-3

PetHealth™ OPC Formula with Glucosamine

What do you love about OPC-3? Leave a comment and let us know!

Snap™ Heavy Duty Concentrate

I’m here today to share a great testimonial from UnFranchise Owner Meghan Kostro* who has found Snap™ Heavy Duty Concentrate to be the best cleaning solution for her son’s baseball uniform.

“My favorite Snap Product is the Heavy Duty Concentrate. Our 13 year old son is a pitcher for 2 baseball teams. He has to wear white pants at every game. Most people don’t realize that on a true ball field the red of the pitcher’s mound is made up of sand, crushed red bricks and water. Until discovering this product, I could never get the knees or butt of the white pants clean. Now, with the spray nozzle on the bottle I spray the dirty area, let it sit for a few minutes and in the wash the pants go. I LOVE this stuff because I no longer have to use a chlorine bleach on Kyle’s pants. He hates the smell of bleach. Smell is not an issue with the Heavy Duty Concentrate!”

If you’d like to try out the Heavy Duty Concentrate for yourself, you can purchase it HERE on SHOP.COM. Also note that Snap offers an All-Purpose Natural Concentrate as well, which may suit your cleaning needs.

Fallen in love with a Market America product and want to shout it from the rooftops? Send your own testimonial to socialmedia@marketamerica.com for a chance to be featured on the ma Blog and our social media channels. 

*The persons sharing their stories are Independent Distributors of Market America products.

Top News Stories From Around the Web

There’s always something new and exciting happening in the world of social media! Whether it’s an updated feature on Instagram or an insightful article about getting more repins on Pinterest, there’s always something new to read, learn about, or explore. Keeping up with all of the latest social media news can be a daunting task, so we’re here to help! Read on for a quick run-down of last week’s top social media news stories you need to know about.

12 tips for getting social on social mediaIf you’re still new to social media, this Inc.com article is for you! Check it out here to learn helpful tips that even a social media novice can implement right away.

There’s a secret to getting more repins on Pinterest, and this is it.This blog post and accompanying infographic presented by Hubspot breaks down which pins on Pinterest get the most engagement and why. If you pin for business or just for fun, make sure to check this out for easy tips you can apply right away to get more engagement.

7 simple tips for growing your social networkHaving a strong social network that you actively engage with is so important in today’s world. If your social network is looking a bit shabby and could use some more connections, check out this article for 7 tips that will help you grow your online network.

A detailed explanation of the purpose of hashtagsWhen you hear the word hashtag, what do you think of? If you said, “You mean those weird symbols that aggravate the heck out of me and fill up my home feel with a jumble of pointless words and phrases?!” Then this article is for you. Don’t ask questions; I promise you will thank me (an maybe even embrace hashtags!) later.

What is all the fuss about Video on Instagram?Last Monday we posted this article on our blog about the newest feature on Instagram. To learn more about Video on Instagram and how it differs from Vine (Twitter’s video app), check out this straightforward infographic presented by Social Media Today.

LinkedIn’s newest update will help improve user experienceLast week, LinkedIn unveiled two site updates that will help facilitate engagement with your network connections and associated networks. Users will now have more opportunities to connect with other people who have similar interests, as well as see how their network interacts with their profile and content they share. Read more about these updates here.

These are just a few of top social media news stories from the past week, so  if we missed one you think we should share, tell us! Post the link to the article and your thoughts on it in the comment section below. 

Take Advantage of Daily Deals

Earlier this year we rolled out a new feature on SHOP.COM: Daily Deals. Our team has had a blast checking the page each day for our favorite deals to share with you. But it’s time for us to stop doing all of the work! Here are 5 quick tips for navigating Daily Deals on your own and scoring big savings on everything from phone cases to vacations, spa treatments, jewelry and more! 

Choose Your Location
While you can browse National Deals that are available in all states, you can also easily select your location to receive more personalized deals that are offered exclusively for your town. Look at the top of the page and click to change your city. If you’re going to be traveling soon, consider browsing cities you’ll be spending time in. You may be able to find a great deal!

Use Your Cashback
Daily Deals features price points across the spectrum. For lower priced items ($12 for two magazine subscriptions, anyone?), select “use Cashback” when you check out and your total will be deducted from your available Cashback. It’s simple and easy to score these deals for free with the Cashback you’ve earned elsewhere on SHOP.COM. Hint: You also earn Cashback on purchases through Daily Deals!

Gift the Deals
Many Daily Deals allow multiple purchases per user so that you can stock up and gift them to your friends and family! If you a deal you can’t live without and think your best friend will love too, feel free to purchase a second! Consider this a source for birthday gift shopping as well as a must-shop for upcoming holidays. Be sure to check the fine print under the “What you need to know” tab on each deal for specifics:

Shop by Category
There are a LOT of Daily Deals available to you, so enhance your search be shopping via category instead of scrolling through a long page of all types of deals. Categories appear at the top of every page you visited, noted in the photo below inside a red box.

Pay Attention to the Countdowns
Daily Deals don’t last forever! When you’re browsing the site, look for the timer under the photo for each deal. It will tell you (down to the second!) how much time you have left to buy. Even if there are 8+ days left on the deal, it’s possible that it could sell out ahead of schedule, so it’s always best to buy sooner than later if you’re debating a purchase.

Are YOU taking advantage of Daily Deals on SHOP.COM? If so, we want to hear from you! What deals have you purchased? What could we do to make the site easier to use? Comment below and talk to us! And if you want to chat via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, make sure to use the hashtag #DailyDeals.