Affiliate marketing doesn’t have to be so hard as it might seem to some people. Using these tips, I hope you provide you with an easier approach that should result in you securing more sales that you might do otherwise.
Remember with affiliate marketing, that it’s not really your job to close the sale. Your role is to pull in the traffic and then get your traffic warmed up and ready to view the product that you want to promote to them. Any well respected vendor will have already optimised their sales page to be the strongest that it can be for closing the sale. It’s just your job to send targeted traffic to it. In this article, I’m going to share with you an approach that will help you on your way to getting the traffic.
So assuming that you already have a website or you have planned where to add content about your product, then I’m going to share with you the first step on your route to pulling in the customers. This first step is research. What I suggest that you do is to look for the product online. If the product sells on Amazon then go to the page for it and read the reviews there. Take notes on what you find, you’re going to use this material in the next step. If the product is sold through Clickbank, then you might have a tougher time, but still invest some time looking for authentic reviews from people who really have purchased the product.
One of the other sites that you can use for research purpose in your affiliate marketing is YouTube. Look for a video of the product that you want to sell. Once you have found one that has been viewed by as many people as possible, scroll down to see what the comments read. These comments will hopefully be from people who have questions or even answers about the product in the video. Again, I want you to take notes on this. Look for trends and important questions and answers that are related to this particular product.
Just one more place that you might want to check for more material is in forums. You can use the product name and then add inurl:forum next to it in a Google search. This will bring back all the comments in forums about that particular product.
The next step for you to take is writing content. Use the material that you have collected in the reviews to create supplementary information about your product. Write the important and frequently asked questions that people have asked with an answer. Don’t be afraid of adding a little bit of negativity too – this will only help towards making your information be more authentic.
Finally, you’ll need to promote your content across the web as you would with your other pieces of marketing material. Perhaps you want to create a Squidoo page, write an ezine article or even use forums and …
2 Ways To Make Money With Your Opt-In Email List
Do you know how to make your email marketing campaigns profitable? This is something that I struggled with for a long time until I finally got the hang of it. I realized that short emails are best, and getting straight to the point is something that is the difference between sales, and non-sales.
To make a profitable email list, a few things need to be in order. In today’s lesson, we’re going to look at the most common ways to monetize your email list. All of these techniques are simple and easy to do, and it’s something that you will want to implement in your business today.
If you’re currently not using email marketing, you could be missing out on a lot of sales in your business. It’s just so integral in your business that not using it could mean a lot of loss sales for you.
But let’s get right into it. Here’s the first way to make money with your email list starting immediately:
1) Use confirmed opt-in
There is much debate about this, and some people have said that this has increased their conversion rates, while others say that there is no difference in terms of results when using confirmed opt-in. If you’re stuck in limbo about whether or not to use confirmed opt-in, I think you should test to see which one is more profitable for you.
But do you know what confirmed opt-in is? It’s simply having your new email subscriber confirm that they want to be on your list. After they sign up to your website, they will get an email that says “please confirm your subscription”. Then they will have to click a link to confirm that they want to be on your list.
To be honest with you, you will get a lot less subscribers using this technique, but it can potentially increase your conversion rates. This is something that is worth testing in your business today. Here’s another email marketing technique you will want to use.
2) Build a large list
With a large list, you can create your own meal ticket. If you can build up a list of like 5,000 subscribers, you’ll start to see sales coming in on a daily basis. This is something that you should be excited about. All of your hard work would finally pay off, and you can land yourself in the land of profitability.
Now building a large list isn’t easy. Well, I take that back… if you have the funds to advertise, building a large is incredibly easy. But if you’re operating with no funds, then you will have to build up a large list the old grunt work way. This is via free advertising. It works, but it’s just slow. Doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work… it just takes a lot of time.
These 2 tips for making your email marketing campaign a success are things that can put you into the profit zone. Success won’t come overnight, but with a …
The Heart of an Entrepreneur
The United States of America was founded by entrepreneurs. Without the vision, persistence, innovation, and relentless pursuit of something better portrayed by the entrepreneur, our world would still be in the dark ages. So let’s learn about these very special people, and learn how to bring out the heart of the entrepreneur in you.
What exactly is an entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur is a person who has the ability to recognise opportunities of benefit to an enterprise, and the will and capacity to undertake appropriate innovative action while accepting the associated risks.
That is the technical definition anyway…
There are many qualities that make up a true entrepreneur, one of which is an unbreakable will. All successful entrepreneurs are willing to accept the risks involved in anything they undertake, learn from their “failures”, and capitalize on their gains. In fact, at the heart of the entrepreneur is the ability and willingness to actually be inspired by embrace learn from then move on to create something better.
In fact, the great Thomas Edison was quoted as saying, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”, while he was going about the arduous work of inventing the electric light bulb.
say you want to be an entrepreneur…
Are you willing to persist long after all others have given up? Are you willing to work long, arduous hours? Are you able to see the good and locate the opportunity in any given situation? Are you able to deal with adversity? Can you handle being insulted and even laughed at by people who have no understanding what-so-ever about what it is you are trying to accomplish? Are you ready to listen to desperate attempts to “give you advice” from people in your life who are not qualified to give you advice in the area in which you are working?
If you are prepared to endure all this and still willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, congratulations, you have the heart of an entrepreneur.
The truth is, we all have an entrepreneur within us. It’s that creative individual in your head who is always looking into the future, always innovating, always looking for answers. The problem is that the entrepreneur has two annoying room mates who live inside the same head…these are the manager and the they tend to drive the entrepreneur nuts. In fact, none of these three room mates were designed to work together very well. So therefore a fourth person needs to enter the mix, and that is the mediator.
The entrepreneur, the manager and the worker can in fact work together as long as there is a mediator to keep them in balance, and to keep them out of each others way.
You see, the entrepreneur tends to work in the future…always innovating, inventing, planning, dreaming. The manager tends to work in the past…always being careful, organizing, demanding more productivity than before, keeping things in place, avoiding change. The worker tends to work in the present…always …
3 Article Marketing Mistakes That Must Be Avoided
Article marketing has long been accepted as the best way to drive traffic to your website for free. In just about every affiliate marketing manual, there is a section that discusses the basics of writing and submitting articles.
However, most of these manuals don’t tell the whole story. They make it look like a very simple process. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. In most of the tutorials, the only instruction you get is to “write a 300-500 word article and submit it to several free directories”. I’m unsure why the most important details are often left out.
The fact is if you blindly follow those instructions it won’t be long before several directories delete your account. At the very least, your articles will constantly be rejected. This will undoubtedly lead to discouragement and frustration. Here are some important tips that will ensure your articles get accepted.
1. Only Submit Original Content
This is probably the golden rule of article marketing. Write your own content and make it original. It’s perfectly alright to consult other resources for information, however. Nobody knows everything there is to know about any given subject.
If you do consult outside resources to get information, do not copy anything written word for word. Interpret the information as you see it and then write it down in your own words. Plagiarism is morally and legally wrong, and it can get you into lots of trouble.
If you use any information that came from the research of another, the source must be cited in the article. If it’s a research paper or book, it’s a good idea to contact the author and ask for permission to write about their ideas or discoveries.
2. Avoid Duplicate Content
There is an ongoing argument between search engine optimization experts as to whether or not you can be penalized for submitting duplicate content. Many contend your article won’t be indexed, but there really isn’t evidence to corroborate this belief.
However, one thing that is certain is that most article directories don’t appreciate duplicate content, and some can even suspend or delete your account if you submit too much of it.
The article directories are in the business of providing unique, original, and informative content to webmasters who need it. Many article directories also rely on paid advertising revenue to survive. If the majority of their articles contain duplicate content then webmasters will stop using them to obtain content. They also fear the search engines may blacklist them and they could lose much of their advertising revenue due to loss of traffic.
I don’t recommend submitting the same article to more than one directory, but if you must, re-write it first. Don’t just change a word here and there. It’s certainly alright to keep the subject of the article intact, but the words and sentences should all be changed so the article is completely new.
I think you’ll find that by submitting so much original content, more of your articles will get indexed and …
Social Networking Tips – Are You Spending Too Much Time on Twitter?
Everybody loves Twitter. I get. Heck, even I spend some time on it each day. The operative word being “some.” I do not live there. I do not make it my home away from home like some of you marketers do. And the question that has to be asked is this. Even if you are getting a following on Twitter and making some cash from doing so, are your efforts worth the time spent when maybe you could be doing something else that would bring you a bigger return? This article takes a look at that issue.
I’m going to throw some hypothetical figures at you here in order to illustrate my point. These are in no way meant to reflect actual reality because the truth is, everybody is going to be different. But this should give you some idea of whether or not your time is being utilized properly.
Let’s for argument sake say that you spend two hours a day on Twitter chatting with your followers and getting new followers. Okay, great. Let’s say that those two hours a day, after a 30 day period, bring you in an additional $500 a month. That comes out to about $17 a day more or less. So you’re working two hours to make an additional $17 or at a rate of about $8.50 an hour. Now I don’t know about you, but I can make more than that working at a McDonalds.
Now, I know what you’re going to say. If you didn’t spend that two hours, you’d have $500 less at the end of the month. if you were to spend those two hours a day writing articles and submitting them to directories instead. With the proper niche research, two hours of article writing a day could easily mean an extra $1,000 a month. That’s twice as much income as what you’re making chatting on Twitter.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use Twitter. I use it. I use it all of about five minutes a day and that’s been good enough to increase my blog readership by four times. But I’m not going to put an exorbitant amount of time into Twitter when I know that for that same amount of time, I could be doing something that will bring me more money.
Too many people don’t value their time, and that’s the problem. They look at their time as free. It’s not. In fact, once you’ve spent your time on something, you can never get it back. Money, you can always get back from a decent return on your investment.
Think about this the next time you decide to fritter away your day on Twitter.
To YOUR Success,
Steven Wagenheim…
Article Marketing Tips – Nobody Cares About Your Crap
I can see the hate email pouring in from this one. Well, quite honestly, I couldn’t care less. In fact, I’ll even post my email address at the end of this article so you can tell me what a jackass I am. In the meantime, you might want to read this before you even consider getting into article marketing. Why? Because the rules have changed and, quite honestly, nobody cares about your crap.
You’re probably wondering where this rant is coming from. Well, here is the back story so you can understand where this is coming from. It certainly isn’t from a relaxing evening at Sardi’s. Oh, and by the way, from what I hear, the scallops there aren’t all that great. But back to the main topic at hand.
So I’m at the Warrior Forum and some idiot asks if article marketing still works and wants to see PROOF that it works. He wanted one of the best article marketers on the planet, one Alexa Smith, to reveal one of her hard fought for niches in order to PROVE that she’s not full of it.
Well, I couldn’t help but stick my nose into this confrontation and give this pigs feet for brains moron a piece of my mind. For starters, since Alexa’s not trying to sell him anything, she doesn’t have to PROVE to him anything. I then went on to give him the straight poop about article marketing. And if you’re smart, you’ll make a note of all of this.
The biggest problem with article marketers is that they think they can write about any old crap, slap it up on an article directory, and it’ll bring in LOADS of traffic. My friend, those days died along with the Ford Pinto and Circuit City. Today, it’s a whole new ball game. So, I’m going to give you a list of things that you better do if you’re going to have ANY chance at all of making it as an article marketer.
1. You have to write about stuff that people actually care about.
2. You have to write in a way that is engaging and doesn’t put your reader to sleep. You can be controversial and even a little arrogant like me, but for crying out loud, don’t be a snooze fest. In short, LEARN HOW TO WRITE.
3. Don’t make your writing sound like you’re trying to sell something to your reader. People don’t want to be sold stuff. They’re looking for information when they’re looking for articles. The selling stuff part comes in your signature or at your web site. Just give them info that they can actually USE. For crying out loud, help them to solve their problem or at least give them more insight into their problem.
4. Don’t just rely on article directories. I’m sorry, I love these guys but Google has basically said, if you rely solely on them, you’re not going to get the optimal results. Put your articles on …
Network Marketing Tips – For Momentum, This Works Like Crazy
There’s way to much noise out there in the internet wonderland, in case you haven’t noticed. Everyone’s yelling and screaming about what it takes to become a success in network marketing. Well, as I see it, as I discussed in a previous article, having the correct mind set is the first and foremost when it comes to success in this great industry.
In other words, it will really make or break you. However, MOMENTUM is the next best on the list. Why? because what good is a great mind set if you’re doing the minimums or nothing, for that matter? In essence, “peak” states of mind mean nothing without “peak” performance.
In case you didn’t know, taking action alone won’t lead you to success, taking it to the next level will, and that, my friend, is…momentum! You’re about to discover the three tips to take your network marketing business to the pent house. These three tips development, field development, and massive action!
Self Development
Well, let’s assume that you’re doing what it takes on a daily basis to keep your mind set in check. You know, running your energy in a quiet place everyday visualizing what you want to be, do, and have, as I eluded to in a previous article. That’s all well and good, but, what are you feeding your mind to maintain and expand upon that?
You see, you must be setting aside time each day to read books, listen to audio, and watch videos regarding self development. You can choose the best way to interpret the above mentioned or any combination there of. Of course, the best is to internalize this mind set stuff is to implement all three methods; read, listen, and order to increase your network marketing momentum.
Do whatever works for you, but, just do it! Start off indulging in self development for at least thirty minutes a day and increase it as you retain more information.
Field Development
Are you feeling better now after saturating your mind with all of that good stuff from all of the great minds of the past and present? Now here’s where it starts to become intense. You must always block out time in your day to “hone” in on your craft.
This is what will separate you from the pack. In so many words, you must ALWAYS be studying about your industry and specific marketing strategy or strategies, period! Do not just depend on your company provided sales and marketing materials.
That’s a great place to start, don’t get me wrong, but, again, in order for you to excel beyond your wildest dreams, you’ll have to assimilate, manifest, and APPLY information from other colleagues, systems, and companies. Which leads us to the final and most powerful tip.
Massive Action
This is where the rubber meets the road. This is what separates eagles from seagulls. This is what separates good from this is what separates you from the masses. It doesn’t matter what marketing strategy you’re using, …
Search Engine Marketing Tips – 3 Reasons Why You Must Do It
It is true that not 100% of all businesses will work well with search engine marketing, however, we will look into the reasons why you must consider search engine marketing for your business.
Fast Active Searchers
In sales, is it easier to sell something to someone who may not want to buy your product or is it easier to sell something to someone who is actively looking for the products, services or solutions that you provide. When people are actively searching for you, how hard can it be for you to sell something! Talk about target marketing to super targeted visitors & it can all happen very quickly online!
Quick Inexpensive Research
The search engines are the most common thing people use to search for stuff, either they want some information, they want to buy something or they are seeking a solution to their problem. Now, you can simply reverse engineer & find out how much searches are there for a given keyword or phrase. Never in history can we find out the demand of a marketplace simply by using a few inexpensive or even free tools.
Fast Inexpensive Testing
For every marketing campaign to be profitable, you must first run a test. Where else can you get inexpensive web traffic to test your offers other than paid search engine. The best part, it can all happen in just in a few minutes. No other advertising media is that fast!
Summary
With active & targeted visitors, quick market research & super fast testing, search engine marketing is an important skill that you simply cannot ignore.…
10 Great Strategies When You Establish An Online Business
Building an online business is an exciting time. There is so much to look forward to – and a lot to get wrong as well.
So here are my top 10 considerations to think about when you are first thinking about starting out:
Tip 1 – Select a niche you are keen on:
You will probably be spending quite a bit of time on your new online business, so select a niche that you enjoy, not one that you just consider will make the largest profit. There is money to be made in pretty much every niche if you approach it sensibly, so you may as well enjoy the ride.
Tip 2 – Don’t get ahead of yourself:
There is a lot to take on board when you are starting out online for the first time. Take it one point at a time and only think about developing a new area of expertise when you have mastered the last one, otherwise you will end up struggling with "information overload" and begin making mistakes.
Tip 3 – Be mindful of the LARGER picture:
Whatever niche you select will have a direct influence on the overall size of your marketplace. Decide upon a relatively small sector and you will reach fewer potential customers than if you specialize in a bigger marketplace. It does not mean that you are bound to make less profit in a less significant niche, but you ought to think about your long-term goals and how big you want to eventually make your internet business.
Tip 4 – You MUST be prepared to work hard at it:
Developing an internet marketing venture is identical to building any offline business – you need to be ready to commit the time, effort and work at the beginning if you are wanting to benefit from the rewards later on. Do not expect to do well by devoting only half an hour here and there on your new venture, it will call for a more dedicated and consistent approach if you want to be successful.
Tip 5 – Grasp the basics before you start:
Getting appropriate internet marketing coaching and advice before you start is crucial. Spend time learning as much as you possibly can before creating your first blog. It will prevent disappointment and heartache later on and considerably improve your likelihood of success.
Tip 6 – Get your finances planned properly:
Building an internet business can frequently be accomplished on a surprisingly small budget, but you need to be prepared to "speculate to accumulate" as the saying goes. Work out a sensible budget at the outset and be ready to spend this if the need arises. You might wish to invest in a paid advertising campaign, or subscribe to a niche membership site, or outsource your content creation for example. If you have not allocated a budget to underwrite this expense, this may cause your new business to suffer a bit.
Tip 7 – Learn to test every bit of marketing …
Internet Marketing Advice No Matter What You Are Selling
When it comes to making money on the internet, you should know that one of the best kinds of products that you can sell is “information products”. An information product is simply a product where you deliver nothing but information. Typically, information products range from ebooks, books, CD’s, DVD’s, newsletters, membership sites, and etc. It’s a very lucrative business.
Now making money in this business isn’t a cake walk. You have to put your time and dedication in if you want to see more new sales and traffic coming in. You can’t just create a product, create a website – and hope for people to come and visit your site. You have to drive people to your site.
Now it won’t happen overnight (unless you got a $50,000 advertising budget and you spend it all on PPC, solo ads, and advertising on high traffic blogs and websites). If you want to achieve online business success, you should know that it will take time before your business succeeds.
Internet marketing is something that you will want to master, and learning how to drive traffic to your website is something that is vital to your success. Now you don’t just want “hits”… you can get hits from anywhere on the internet. Instead, what you want is “targeted” traffic.
You can get targeted traffic from a wide variety of sources. You have joint venture marketing, article marketing, forum marketing, affiliate program marketing, video marketing, social marketing, and more. The more you can utilize these techniques to get you the traffic that you’re looking for, the more likely you are to have online business success.
The beauty of the web is that you don’t have to invest a lot of money to start making money. In fact, there’s a business model in particular that you can use to earn money on the internet… 100% free. But you will want to focus on placement of your products and ads, so that the layout is something that brings you the most income as possible.
To have success with information products (or any product for that matter), you have to have diligence, patience, and persistence. These 3 key factors are things that are very important to the overall goal of your success. Don’t believe in the notion that “if they build it they will come”. This isn’t the field of dreams here, this is reality. And the reality is that if you can’t drive people to your website, you probably won’t be earning a lot of money anytime soon.
Be sure to take these tips and use them in your internet business today. No matter what you sell online, you can make it profitable. Be persistent in your marketing efforts, and you will see that online business success can be yours within a short period of time.
Whether it’s information products or any other kind of product, make sure you follow proven methods to drive traffic, capture new sales, and earn more money simply and easily. These …