Today marks a month’s worth of Something for the Weekend entries dedicated to the students of Alex Jeffreys. This is testament to the sheer amount of quality content which is being published on their blogs and it is fantastic to watch the progress everybody is making as the weeks go on. The level of achievement has been remarkable considering some students had no prior knowledge of blogging. So, without further ado, here are what I believe to be 10 of the best blog posts from the past seven days.

For the second week in a row, the students have gone crazy for video marketing. Promoting yourself and your products by video is the way to go and there is no chance even those students who are less experienced at internet marketing are going to fall behind if they keep coming up with stuff like this:

Paul Hooper went straight in for the kill and asked outright, is video marketing the new article marketing? With videos now showing up in the search results for highly competitive keywords and phrases anyone who isn’t marketing via video is missing out on a boatload of free traffic. I think a combination of traditional article marketing and the newer methods of video marketing could drive an avalanche of traffic to your blog.

Anyone who is unfamiliar with Youtube needn’t worry because Stewart Boardman created a video tutorial on how to set up a Youtube channel. He also revealed on Thursday night’s coaching call this video ranked highly in Google for a related keyphrase in less than 12 hours of submitting it. Incredible stuff and please keep us informed on what level of traffic this video sends to your blog, Stewart.

Paul Wilson shared his blog traffic but also revealed a technique he is using to increase his friend count on Youtube. The thougth behind this is the more friends he makes on Youtube, the more views his videos receive and the more traffic should be pushed to his blog. I have asked Paul to write a follow up post about how his traffic is being affected by this Youtube technique.

One student taking the video marketing concept to the next level is Iain Buchanan, who has set up a new video sharing website specifically for the internet marketing niche. Nobody is expecting the website to take over the likes of Youtube, but building a related, keyword rich video hub could assist with search engine optimisation and boost traffic, which is something we all want!

Gary Simpson, who was part of Alex Jeffreys 1.0 has kept a string of internet marketing videos which he recorded during the meet up in Las Vegas under wraps until now. I love them – marketing wisdom combined with a crazy Vegas backdrop, what more could you ask for?

Moving away from video, Heidi Passey wrote about the importance of hosting WordPress blogs yourself rather than going for the free hosting option at WordPress.com. Hosting your own blog means you have full ownership and control of your content and you can also take advantage of the numerous WordPress plugins available to enhance your blog.

Sean Beardmore wrote a passionate post asking why did you set up an internet marketing business? I believe Sean is going to succeed online because he understands that online success does not happen overnight and is in this for the long haul. His admission that even as little as 12 months ago he would have bought a “get rich quick” rather than think about creating a sustainable, long-term business proves just how far he has come.

One student who looks like he has it all figured out is Matt Wolfe who blogged about how to make money online. Now, before you all rush over there looking for the ticket to instant riches he is of course talking about the importance of building a list and then marketing to your subscribers.

Andrew Vaughan wrote about how he is generating traffic to his blog during the coaching traffic competition. He is already doing the right things, e.g. commenting on other blogs, submitting videos to Youtube and using Twitter. Keen to take this further he has started posting on forums and is delving into social media. Good stuff Andrew, keep up the good work.

Finally, Steve Snow put a spin on the welcome videos the students had been creating by offering anyone who watches his a virtual beer. It was just Steve, sitting in a boat on a lake, drinking beer. Simple, but I found it very entertaining and can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

If you have anything to say about this week’s list or if you think I have missed out a worthy inclusion, please leave your comments below!

I am proud to present a special Something for the Weekend post this week. The reason it’s special is not only because it includes 10 great links rather than the usual five, but all the posts have been produced by my fellow students on the Alex Jeffreys coaching program. The standard of posts have  been nothing short of astounding, especially when you consider some of the people involved are completely new to blogging. Anyway, enough of me trying to steal their thunder, here are the posts which have really stood out for me this week. Enjoy.

A lot of the early coaching has centred around a solid foundation of planning so it is no surprise that a lot of blog content has reflected this so far. One post which caught my attention was by Alan Harris, who took this a step further and produced a video showing how he has used the wall in his hall as a gigantic planner board! It really is something else and I don’t think the missus would be too happy if I tried the same thing at my house!

A thought provoking post came from Karen Kalata who based an article around Alex’s quote: “an idiot with a plan will always beat a genius without one“. Unfortunately I have been that genius for way too long. I am happy to say that my days of flitting from one money making escapade to the next have come to an end!

Gil Dotan continued the planning theme with his #1 reason people fail online. It’s so easy to become a victim of information overload and you need to focus on what needs to be done rather than getting lost among the noise.

A lot of Alex’s coaching focuses on building a super responsive list and I enjoyed Andrew Vaughan’s nine things you need to create a list while Paul Hooper also produced a good video on list building.

Talking of videos, I cannot fail to be anything but impressed by Marcus Passey and his determination to succeed. He set a precident this week with not one but TWO introductory videos and I am looking forward to watching his on-screen presence grow in the coming weeks.

Neil Marsh weighed in with a rather hefty post on the art of blogging. His article includes 10 powerful tips on producing an effective blog and I particularly agree with his point on adding value to other people’s blogs. Since I have started commenting on other blogs, comments to mine have increased significantly!

Search engine optimisation is something all bloggers should consider because a lot of traffic will come via Google et al and Keith Purkiss outlined the importance behind ranking top for your name on the search engines.

Matt Wolfe, who has been blogging like a madman over the past two weeks, revealed some “sneaky” marketing tricks. Well, not so much sneaky, but ways you can add value to your customers in order to maximise your chances of earning affiliate commissions.

Finally, Roger Edwards wrote a great blog post about the first brainstorming session we had with Alex on Thursday night. Roger has proven himself to be a great story teller and I am looking forward to more of his writing.

Do you think I made the right choice with this week’s selection or do you think I missed out some great content by another student? Whatever your thoughts, please leave a comment below!