Home Business The Easy Way - BLa Update http://www.blogmoneymiracle.com en-us EasyRSS
by Joy Gendusa

The United States Post Office in the past had some trouble with its finances and their solution was to raise the postal rates. Whether or not you agree with this approach to trying to stay in business, like the weather and government in general, it’s something you have to live with.

Many companies have used this as a reason to send out fewer or smaller mailings in an attempt to keep their costs down.

Here’s a quote from an issue of Direct Marketing News:

“Despite a string of healthy annual increases, the growth of direct mail expenditures is expected to slow over the next four years. Direct mail continued to grow in 2001 but slowed because of the anthrax scare," the study said.

The study also said, "Direct mail will continue to expand during the forecast period but at a slower pace than in the past because of the emergence of E-mail marketing and postal rate hikes, which will force marketers to limit mailings."

The question is: should you agree with this and follow the trend, or should you turn it to your advantage?

Just think, with fewer mailing pieces arriving in your customers’ or prospects’ mailboxes, your glossy, full-color postcards are going to stand out even more and have a greater chance of producing the desired response.

When you start looking at what you have to gain by increasing the amount of direct mail marketing you do and what you have to lose by cutting back, there really isn’t a question as to which way to go.

Of course you should be smart about your mailings. Make sure they are well targeted and put a little more thought into the design and content so as to make sure they carry impact.

That just makes sense.

So, while others are cutting their own throats by cutting back on direct mailing, you can benefit by increasing yours and sending your postcards into a less heavily glutted marketplace where they will receive more attention.

Win-win.

Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania (www.PostcardMania.com) in 1998, her only assets a computer and a phone. By 2005, the company did over $12 million in sales, employed over 100 people and made Inc. Magazine’s prestigious Inc 500 List as one of the 500 fastest growing companies in the nation. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy

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by Jan Verhoeff

Are you lagging behind the competition, wishing you could grasp some of their high-performance marketing efforts and tag along as they speed down the information highway to success?

Decadent Marketing Strategies offer Succulent Metaphors that will Wrap your Business in Wealth and Prosperity from Internet Marketing Success.

Teaching Internet Marketers the secret of prosperity and success development isn't difficult when you know how to get Mega Results from a basic Marketing Concept. Rolling along the Article Marketing Trail of success will bring you more of what you're looking for in less time, but you'll have to hang with the big boys to get success fast.

Being effective online means getting into the right niche and hanging on for the ride. You'll want to be there, participate in the race, and join in the winner's circle when the race is over, but... how will you find them?

When you're looking for a network of successful people online, simply search the keyword and add "forum." For instance, "Internet Marketing Forum."

You may not find anything and need to search a different keyword within your niche, or you may find exactly the group you're looking for along with a few interested participants in your next group venture.

You'll learn absolutely nothing from the sidelines. You may think you're learning, but honestly, the real information is in the trenches, on the playing field, where you'll be knocking down some competition and making plays of your own. You might learn a thing or two on the sidelines, but you'll be sleeping when the ball comes your way if you're not involved.

Grab the ball and run for the right goal.

If you aren't sure which way to run, you'll be making goals for the wrong team. Often the logger end is that you have to create your own product and have something to sell your market.

Whether you're good at selling someone else's work or not, doesn't really matter, you'll need your own work to get the job done and win the goal, because without it, you're just running with the ball. No goal posts in sight.

When you win the game, keep playing, don't stop to celebrate.

Contrary to popular belief, you can't stop when you arrive at the goal post. There is no time out. You must keep moving, grab the ball and run for the next goal. If you always have goals in the oven (new products churning) you'll always have a new item to hedge your market and make more money with.

I recently heard you need one new product a month to create success with your online business.

If you're having a problem creating those products, get on over to http://ebookinfo.cn and claim your FREE ebook about "5 Simple Steps to Write Your Own Ebook" and Subscribe to Ebook Info Ezine for FREE.

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by Joy Gendusa

Where to Start:

Most novice marketers have definite fixed ideas about direct mail that are way off base - most often in the area of what to spend and how much to do.

You should determine what you are able to spend for your marketing budget, spend it, and determine the maximum number of leads that you can create. For instance, I’ve heard this statement quite often: "We aren’t that large of a company. How could we send out 2,000 postcards all at once?" because "What if they all call?"

Seems like a valid concern, right?

Here is the reality behind it: Unfortunately, they won’t all call. However, a good deal of them very well may and making sure that your traffic is not more than you can handle is something to think about.

Truthfully, there is no sure way to tell exactly how many people will call if you haven’t done this type of marketing before. Think of it this way: What would happen if they did all call? You may not be able to handle all of them, but you would handle as many as you possibly could, right?

In this scenario, you would have maximized your income for that time period, providing you could close all those callers! You can also explore the idea of expanding your operation to handle the number of leads that you can create.

What if you didn’t max out your promotion at the very start? You can afford to send out 4,000 pieces every two weeks but you think that you will simply get too many calls to be able to handle them all. You, instead, send out only 2,000 and the response is decent. However, you still have some down time where you are having to try to “manufacture” sales.

You saved $400 in marketing money but you had enough down time where you could have closed quite a few more sales than you did. The question now is "Which gives me more money in my pocket? Saving $400 on marketing or closing quite a few more sales and earning an extra couple of G’s potentially.”

More than likely, the answer is to spend as much as you possibly can on your marketing, right?

By spending all that you can afford on marketing when you start a program you maximize your income almost immediately.

Okay, Time to Track Results.

Hopefully you have more than one way that you try to recruit new customers. So -- how do you know which ones are working and which aren’t?

Set up a system to track the results.

Let’s take, for example, a situation in which you decide to start a Postcard Marketing Campaign for your business. The first week you send out 3000 postcards. When they start hitting homes you get 30 calls.

Did all of these leads come from the postcards? Probably not. Because the week before you got 8 calls and hadn’t sent out any postcards yet.

So how can you tell who actually got a postcard?

The Answer: All you have to do is ask them. "So how did you hear about our company?" The hard part is making sure that any employee in your company who answers the phone and may talk to a new prospect remembers to ask the question every time.

The fewer prospects who answer this question, the less accurate your information will be when making future marketing decisions.

Now let’s assume that you have been sending out postcards for a while and you have a good number of calls coming in. If you ask the question "So how did you hear about our company?" they may respond, "I got your postcard in the mail." But, by now you have mailed postcards to 4 different lists, 3 times each.

How do you tell which list and which mailing this customer was from?

The Answer: Put a marketing code on the postcards that will tell you which specific postcard they received and when it was mailed.

Give each list a name and work the date into your marketing code as well. And the only thing your representatives have to ask is "Would you mind reading me the marketing code above your address?"

This code should give you all the info that you need to know and help you keep your Marketing Results Tracking as accurate as possible.

Try not to operate off of assumptions about “how to market” if you haven’t educated yourself. And make sure you collect all the data and make your future marketing decisions based on the facts.

Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania (www.PostcardMania.com) in 1998, her only assets a computer and a phone. By 2005 the company did over $12 million in sales, employed over 100 people and made Inc. Magazine’s prestigious Inc 500 List as one of the 500 fastest growing companies in the nation. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy.

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by Brandon Cornett

Direct mail postcard marketing is one of the most versatile forms of marketing available. With its versatility, postcard marketing can serve small businesses and large companies alike.

But, as with any form of marketing, you only get out of it what you put into it. To help you get the most from your postcard marketing efforts, I've assembled 55 tips for success.

Obviously, some of these tips will not apply to your particular postcard marketing needs, but with 55 of them ... there's bound to be something in there for you!

Upfront Considerations

1. To keep yourself on track through all of the steps to follow, create an overall postcard marketing plan. After reading this article, you'll know exactly what to put into it.

2. To save yourself time, headache and hassle, turn the logistics over to a professional postcard printer.

3. To find the company that's best for you, create a list of postcard service providers and begin comparing them on the points that are most important to you (cost, services, easy of use, etc.).

4. Begin thinking about the various elements of postcard marketing and who will handle them (the copywriting, the design, etc.).

5. Track down some colleagues who have used postcard marketing in the past. Buy them a cup of coffee and pick their brain about lessons learned, vendor recommendations, etc.

6. Start reading up on direct mail marketing in general, and postcard marketing in particular.

7. Create a postcard marketing budget that allows for multiple mailings.

Goals and Objectives

8. Gather your marketing folks together to define your marketing goals.

9. Avoid generalizations. Be specific with your postcard marketing objective. Determine the type of response you want, as well as the volume of response.

10. Set realistic goals and objectives. Get an idea of what postcards can do for marketers, and set your goals within those parameters.

11. Set objectives that are based on some form of response (as opposed to branding, awareness, or some other immeasurable trait). Postcard marketing is a response generator, not a brand builder.

Powerful Ideas

12. Create a reason for sending postcards before you send them (a promotion, a special offer, a news flash or announcement).

13. Come up with a big idea that will get people's attention. Avoid mediocrity at all costs.

14. Strive to be different from other postcard marketing messages you've seen in your industry.

15. Build value into your message and your offer...

16. Just realize that true value starts with the product or service, not the postcard.

17. Make it your goal to make people say, "Gosh, I'm glad I got this postcard."

18. Don't rely on yourself to come up with a big idea. Get your top "thinkers" together.

19. Seek outside input on your ideas. Run them by some of your best customers. Make sure that what you think is a "wow" isn't really a "yawn."

List Considerations

20. Obtain your mailing list from a reputable source.

21. Find out how often your list provider updates their data. Make sure your list is as current as possible to increase deliverability.

22. If you plan to use your in-house database, check the list for accuracy, duplications, etc.

23. Divide your mailing list into segments to allow for a more targeted message (current customers vs. prospects, for example).

Your Target Audience

24. Create an audience statement that outlines the people to whom you are mailing your postcards.

25. Expand your audience list to include their wants, needs, fears and concerns — everything you can think of that pertains to your audience.

26. Write down the various ways you (or your product) can satisfy their wants and needs.

27. Keep your audience statement handy as you develop your postcard message (next item).

Marketing Message

28. Pull out your audience statement from earlier. Craft your message in a way that bridges the gap between your audience and your objective.

29. Take your big idea from earlier (item #13) and inject it into your message.

30. Remember, the better your product (or the bigger your idea), the easier it will be to write about.

31. Create a message that solves a problem, presents a solution, and offers value.

The Postcard Headline

32. Create a direct mail headline that directly identifies your primary audience. Call them by name, if necessary.

33. Offer a strong benefit with your headline. Describe the value of the message and offer that follow the headline.

34. Write your headline clearly and honestly. Avoid the use of jokes, puns and complex language. Keep it simple so people get it right away.

35. Make your headline interesting. You can't bore people into contacting you.

36. Whenever possible, use numbers and other eye-catching specifics. Avoid generalities.

Postcard Design

37. Hire a professional graphic designer to create your postcard design. At the very least, start with a well-designed template and then customize it. Don't ever mail a postcard that reflects poorly on your organization.

38. Be original. Create a "purple cow," not just another brown one.

39. Design your postcard in a way that enhances your message and makes it more readable. Don't ever let the design obscure the message.

40. Create the kind of eye-catching postcard that bursts from the mailbox.

A Strong Offer

41. Create a strong postcard offer to motivate your readers and improve your response rates.

42. Build an offer that's related to your product or service in some way. Avoid offers that will attract unqualified prospects and "freebie hunters."

43. Make sure your postcard offer is relevant and valuable to the reader (your target audience).

44. Whatever you are offering, position it in a way that showcases its value.

45. Offer something different / better / more unique than what the "other guys" are offering.

46. With the offer in mind, revisit your headline to make sure it relates to the offer. Make the entire message cohesive and focused.

47. Follow your offer with a specific call-to-action (next item).

Evoking a Response

48. Tell people what to do next. Use your call-to-action to move the reader forward.

49. Make your call-to-action stand out from the copy around it.

50. Repeat your call-to-action on both sides of the postcard (using callout boxes or starbursts as needed).

51. Make it as simple as possible for people to respond. Give them more than one way to respond.

52. Restate the reason they should respond. Restate the value of your offer.

Testing and Tracking

53. Make sure you have a way to track and test your postcard response rates. You can't improve your results until you know what they are.

54. Try to learn something from each and every postcard you mail out. Change one element at a time to measure the difference in response. This is how you create "super postcards."

Further Education

55. Spend some time on the website below to further your postcard marketing education.

* You may republish this article online if you retain the author's byline and the active hyperlinks below. Copyright 2007, Brandon Cornett.

Brandon Cornett is the publisher of PostcardSmart.com, one of the Internet's largest libraries of postcard marketing advice. For more tips on direct mail marketing with postcards, visit http://www.postcardsmart.com

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by Des Smith

It's no big secret that affiliate marketing can give you a lucrative income, but did you know that you can create a seven figure income with it? People are doing this right now, making incredible amounts of money as super affiliates -- and you can, too. All you need are a few effective affiliate marketing ideas and a little work and you're set.

When you decide to pursue online affiliate marketing, you will make money -- as long as you do it right.

You can have a very profitable home-based affiliate business and it is simple to do. Once you find your affiliates -- at least two-tier, and those with the best payouts -- you begin marketing.

There are many ways to market your affiliate business. Some of the best ways won't cost you much or they are entirely free.

Blogs and E-mail Marketing:

These are popular affiliate sales methods today. These venues are probably the easiest to do. Write about related content in your blog and include links to your Webpage or directly to your affiliate Website.

You can also include a link in your E-mail signature line. This is a free and easy method of promotion.

Forum Postings:

You can post to forums, answer questions, establish your reputation as an expert and -- now and then -- include your affiliate link. You do not want to do it often, because you do not want to be labeled a spammer. Just mention it now and then and include a link in your profile, as well as in your posting signature line.

Social Networking:

This is a great affiliate Internet marketing method. Social networking, on sites such as MySpace, Tagged and other similar networks, can give your affiliate business tremendous traffic and drive traffic to your site.

Link Exchange:

A link exchange can cost you money, or it can be free, based upon credit exchanges. You determine how much of an investment you want to make in your affiliate business-driven lead links. Marketing Internet affiliate programs through this method can be extremely effective, as it will draw traffic to your site.

If you get a link exchange that is very targeted, you can ensure that the traffic that is drawn to your site is relevant.

Google AdWords:

This method generally requires an investment, if you want to purchase keywords. This will bring very relevant, specific traffic to your site and boost your rankings in the search engines. Many affiliate marketing programs include this type of marketing and provide you with the tools to get it going. It is highly effective.

Once you learn how to do online affiliate marketing, the sky is the limit. You can promote your site, drive traffic to your affiliate programs and get tons of sign ups. Do it correctly and you stand a good chance of earning that amazing seven-figure income through affiliate marketing.

Take time to learn the ropes of affiliate marketing so that you can best utilize the opportunities that are available. It may take some trial-and-error to find affiliate marketing strategies that work best for you and your business.

You Too Can Become A Seven Figure Super Affiliate Marketer.. http://www.learnonlineaffiliatemarketing.com/recommends/affiliate1.

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by Simon Davies

You’ve heard the classic formula, AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

But, how do you grab attention, turn interest into desire and prompt an action that’s sure to get the phones ringing?

Here’s 20 tips to ease you through the trauma of getting strangers excited:

Grabbing the reader's attention...

Short of saying "Hey, you!" at the top of the page, how can you get more than a passing glance from a busy reader?

1. Avoid using "Dear Sir or Madam." Tie a householder to your product with "Dear Holidaymaker" or "Dear Shopper." For a business, try "Dear Manager" or "Dear Sales Director." (It's true, important people can be just as vain as the rest of us!)

2. Don’t be too clever with headlines. Just get your point across so your reader will keep going. Avoid wordplay at all costs - most people hate puns, and your reader might need to know your product before they’ll get the joke. Wordplay also slows down the reader's inference, which is the last thing you want to do.

3. Don't fall for gimmicks. Headlines in clever fonts and wobbly lines of text can look pretty naff and a little amateur. And whatever you do, steer clear of WordArt – especially the blue wavy font, it’s been done to death!

4. Tantalise. If your prospects have been suitably profiled, you already know what they long for. So write a headline that puts it within their grasp. They'll read on to find out if they really can have it.

5. Use impressive facts or case studies. It's a great way to grab the reader’s attention, and it gives you something to refer back to when you're rounding off the letter.

Turning attention into interest...

Once you've grabbed the reader's attention, you need to keep them reading. At this stage your style of writing plays as big a role as the message itself.

6. Empathise. Show the reader you understand what bothers them. Get them on your side. They don't want to know about your business, but they are interested in how your business can solve their problems or meet their aspirations. Once you’ve got the reader focused, you're free to show how your product meets their burning desire.

7. Keep it personal. Assume you’re chatting to a friend, not writing to the bank manager. You don't want to be over-familiar, but remember important people are still human beings who respond to a warm, friendly approach.

8. Choose your words carefully. Say "and" instead of "but," "when" instead of if" and "will" instead of "might." And keep it customer-focused by using "you" and "your" more than "I" or "my."

9. Stress the key points. Use sub-headings, indent important paragraphs or italicise vital words. But AVOID CAPITALS and exclamation marks!!!!! And don’t emphasise too much - or nothing will stand out.

10. Make it easy to read. Keep your sentences short. Like this. Keep paragraphs to half a dozen lines or less. And leave plenty of blank space on the page. If it's daunting for the reader, it goes in the bin.

From interest to desire...

You've got the reader's attention and used enough hooks to keep them reading. They're focused on why they need your product. Here's where you make them salivate...

11. Sell the benefits, not the features. By and large we don't care how something works as long as it does the job. Unless you're writing to experts or hardened enthusiasts, lengthy product specs will only slow down the read.

12. Focus on the end result. Give the reader something to dream about - look beyond the product and show how it's going to change their life forever! Insurance buys you peace of mind. A car buys you freedom. A new sofa gets you precious moments at the end of a busy day. This is where you take the reader to the end of the rainbow, where their woes are distant memories!

13. Banish doubts. Part of building desire is silencing that nagging voice that says "there's a catch." So prove your credentials with qualifications, testimonials or a no-risk offer.

14. Set yourself apart. By now the reader's fairly keen, but why get the product from you? Be careful of rubbishing the opposition - no one wants to get caught in a bitching crossfire between you and your competitors. Focus on the positives and hammer home your unique selling point.

15. Imagine life without it. Now the reader's imagined life with your product, take it away from them! Remind them how bleak life can be without your miracle solution. Can they carry on without it?

Desire becomes action...

You're nearly there! You've built up an opportunity, but every word matters as you move in for the kill...!

16. Use subliminal closing. When you finally ask for business, you don't want it to read as a sudden jolt or change in tone. So fill the letter with casual assumptions that you will be doing business. Positive phrases like "When you call us" and "You'll see the difference" ease the reader gently into the right frame of mind.

17. Don’t be shy asking for what you want. When the time comes, be bold. You may be looking for a sale or just a chance to quote. But if you don't qualify what you want, no one will second guess you. Make your call to action clear and make it easy for the reader to respond.

18. Add an incentive. It's fairly obvious, but your greatest enemy is apathy. Even a warm prospect could put you on the back burner unless you give them a compelling reason to get in touch today.

But -- remember -- that needn't mean offering a discount. Adding value with a second product or service is better for your image. And your bank balance.

19. Your signature matters. Make it legible and sign in blue ink so it doesn't look mass-produced. And if you're a Sales Manager, remember many readers will be put off by your job title - far better to send the letter from the MD or Head of Customer Services.

20. Add a PS. Letter writing protocol demands that we sign off formally, but in doing so we lose momentum. A PS is a chance to re-excite the reader, where you re-state a key benefit or add one final incentive. By the end of a good PS, your offer should be way too good to resist.

Happy Scribbling!

Simon Davies is the co-founder of Wales-based copywriters EarthMonkey Media. He and partner James Daniel have over 30 years experience as journalists, copywriters and scriptwriters. Their site can be found here: www.earthmonkey.biz.

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by Ba Kiwanuka

Professional snipers (and well-equipped soldiers, for that matter) use night goggles or night scopes to sight their targets.

When driving at night, people flick on their headlights (unless, of course, you're Paris Hilton) -- so they can see where they're going.

Veteran online marketers use sophisticated tracking software and scripts to analyze and evaluate the results of their marketing campaigns and promotions.

The average everyday Internet marketer effects their marketing strategy on hearsay, hope, trial and error! You don't have to be a genius to figure out what's wrong with that picture.

In defense of the average struggling marketer, until fairly recently, having access to top-of-the-line tracking software meant shelling out a hefty monthly or yearly fee. It was only well established marketers with bottomless deep pockets who could afford to use such software.

That has all changed! Now, anybody and everybody who so wishes has access to such software -- and it's free!

WHAT TRACKING SOFTWARE CAN DO FOR YOUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN

VISITOR ORIGIN

Wouldn't it be great if you could tell how your visitors got to your Website; you could see whether they got there via a search engine, another Website referral or from a forum.

How about if you knew their country of origin, or even the city from which they hailed? You could then concentrate your promotional efforts in those areas that readily maximize your profit.

In the same vein, once you know which search engines are sending you traffic and which ones aren't, then you can better focus your SEO efforts on the ones that are generating revenue rather than waste time blindly attempting to optimize for all of them at the same time.

KEYWORD OPTIMIZATION

Ever heard of the term "Long-tail Keyword?"

Long-tail keywords are the various word combinations that people use naturally and unconsciously every day, to query search engines. These are word combinations that are rarely listed by keyword research software and, if such word combinations are ever listed, they tend to be way down at the bottom of the list, jumbled up into unnatural incomprehensible arrangements that only a machine would ever consider.

Those long-tail keywords tend to have fantastic conversion rates, but you'd never know it unless you had excellent tracking software to apprise you of the fact.

These days, the search engine algorithms are really smart critters! They have matured to the point that they can identify and combine separate far-apart-spaced words on any Webpage to comprise long-tail keywords that people actually type in as search engine queries.

The search engine algorithms then qualify that Webpage as optimized for that combination of words (long-tail keyword).

The real bonus here is that, most times, you'd never even think up such keywords, let alone optimize for them, even when using keyword research software!

VISITOR DURATION ON YOUR SITE

The best tracking software avails you of stats illustrating how long people spend on your Website (individual time-frame stats for each page, no less!), so you can easily know whether changes you've made to your site have improved conversion performance or, conversely, decreased it.

In this manner, you can readily determine which version of your sales copy or Web page content has a higher conversion ratio.

To summarize, without statistics compiled from sophisticated tracking software, much of your promotional efforts would hinge upon trial and error which, basically, is tantamount to aiming blind.

Get your free tracking software from the author here: http://www.internetbusinessmart.com/got-google-analytics-yet.htm.

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by Felton Thompkins

Do you need to automate?

In the Internet marketing business, this is one of those questions that deserves to be answered with a question.

The answer (question) is ... "Do you wish to make any money?"

I'm assuming the answer is "yes" to both questions but, in order for you to automate your business, you must have an autoresponder system in place.

What is an autoresponder?

An autoresponder is a system that allows you to just about "set and forget" your E-mail advertising campaigns, newsletters, E-courses, or just about anything you set it up to respond to.

The autoresponder, simply put, is a computer software program that will automatically answer any E-mail request sent to it. A perfectly good autoresponder will also automatically send you an E-mail notification that will inform you each time someone sends you a request for information.

When choosing your autoresponder service be sure it gives you that option.

You have a choice between a very simple autoresponder service or a very complex one, and the prices vary as such. You also have the option to set up your own system, or you can outsource the service. Outsourcing is highly recommended.

Your autoresponder is by far one of the most important pieces of software that you will need and use for building your E-business.

A word of caution before we continue, however: When choosing your autoresponder system, be sure that you're planning to use the system for the long haul, because your list will depend on it.

You may be tempted to choose a system that costs less but, as the old saying goes, you generally get what you pay for. A good service will cost you about $20.00 per month, and it's well worth the investment, if used properly. In this case, less is not always best!

Is an autoresponder the magic pill to all of your needs as an Internet Marketer? No. But it is a very important piece of the puzzle.

Let's just look at some of the benefits of adding an autoresponder to your business efforts.

INCREASE YOUR REVENUES!

Allows you to convert your Website visitors into subscribers.

Allows you to convert your subscribers into paying customers.

BUILD YOUR MAILING LIST

Add a simple Web-form to your Website in 2 minutes to build your list, boost your traffic, and get more customers.

DELIVER YOUR NEWSLETTERS

You can launch your E-mail marketing campaigns with advanced newsletter hosting features and top E-mail deliverability.

TRACK YOUR RESULTS

You have the ability to track your E-mail marketing clicks, visitors, open rates, undeliverables, sales and sign ups!

BUILD TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE AND BLOG

You know what? Buzz comes and goes. With your autoresponder, you can retain your traffic by automatic mailings to your visitors whenever you update your blog.

You will benefit from unlimited E-mail marketing and autoresponder features, follow ups, mailing lists, and broadcasts.

These are just a few of the benefits that you receive by having your system in place.

Copyright 2007 by Felton Thompkins - The Newbies Advocate. If you are in search of a very good system to automate your marketing efforts, here's an excellent place to start: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felton_Thompkins .

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by Janice Hoffmann

A recent American Demographics survey concluded that 75 percent of American adults crave more customizable products and services, and 85 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds feel the same way.

THE TEST:

When you come in contact with one of your clients or colleagues, in what ways can you 'personalize' the experience?

1. SHARE A LAUGH:

Laughing releases even more endorphins than smiling. It also releases enkephalins, which are natural pain suppressors.

2. PAY SOMEONE A COMPLIMENT:

Praise stimulates the brain. Look for the good in others, and learn to appreciate small things.

3. HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE:

A Patient-focused medical study showed that optimists are able to cope more effectively with stress. They tend to look on the bright side of things, and take extra steps to circumvent or diminish obstacles.

4. SEND THANK YOU NOTES:

'Management guru', Tom Peters writes, "send them by truck loads." A good will message strengthens the importance of a relationship and validates an interest in the product, service, and collaboration. It's common courtesy, and you'll stand-out.

5. FOWARD AN ARTICLE ON A TOPIC OF INTEREST:

Have you ever talked about movies, travel, or sports with a colleague or a client? If so, clip out a review of a movie they've enjoyed, send them a hot tip on a restaurant in a city they frequently travel, or pass on an inspiring story. A fun note, a newspaper clipping, or an article on a recent business trend, can send a message that you've been listening carefully.

THE RESULTS:

You affect others profoundly & people want more. WOW!

Janice Hoffmann is founder of SUCCESS IS SWEETEST, a New York City based Career & Lifestyle Coaching Boutique www.successissweetest.com .

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by Roger Hall)

If you're reading this, you're probably already advertising on Google. Or at least considering it.

Am I right?

What if I told you there are a couple of alternatives to Google AdWords Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising that could only cost you between 10% and 33% of what you would pay for those same clicks at Google?

How can this be?

It's no secret that Google has the vast majority of click traffic on the Internet -- and, as unhealthy as that is, its not going to change any time soon. Most PPC specialists will tell you, if you're not advertising on Google, you're history.

But, with some clicks going for more than $15 each (for high-end and lucrative products and services such as computer servers and credit card merchant accounts), isn't it time to look for effective alternatives?

Serious advertisers should consider alternative pay-per-click services.

Two that I have been trying recently for my own advertising are and Enhance Interactive and 7Search (disclosure; I am in no way affiliated with either of these companies).

Enhance Interactive, based in Provo, Utah:

Enhance Interactive's partner network receives more than one billion queries each month. I've found their program to be an easy, effective way to purchase PPC (pay-per-click) advertising.

You can pick both the keywords for your ad and the price you're willing to pay for someone to click on it (as little as $0.03).

Like Google, you only pay when your ad is clicked on.

Enhance Interactive's Guaranteed Inclusion service allows you to submit URLs which are guaranteed to be in the database of highly-visited search engines such as Excite and Dogpile, as well as smaller directories.

What's more, you can set a per-click price on any keyword and it will be significantly less than other large pay-per-click search engines.

Even better -- Enhance's system allows you to see your competitor's bids ... something Google does not allow. That's handy!

Your first deposit at Enhance Interactive is a minimum of $50, all of which is directly applied to clicks. There is no minimum monthly spend at Enhance Interactive. One disadvantage is that you have to pay in advance, whereas Google allows you to make a $5 deposit and they charge you every two weeks or a month for past clicks.

An interesting feature available on Enhance, which is not available on Google, is a feature called 'LogoLink,' where you can upload an 80x40-pixel image that's no larger than 8 KB in size. Animation is not accepted. This image will then be displayed alongside your PPC ad.

Very cool! Feedback from users who use this feature is positive.

While not as sophisticated as Google, conversion tools are available on Enhance, after you've installed some simple html code into your Web pages you wish to track.

Overall, I'm impressed with Enhance Interactive's service and prices, which I've found to cost only 20%-30% what a Google click would cost for the same keyword. I suggest you give them a try on a small scale. You won't have to stop your Google campaigns completely -- just cut back a bit and purchase some clicks from Enhance to give them a try.

7Search:

Moving a little down the click-quality scale, yet still worth a try, is 7Search.

With over 1.5 billion searches per month and no minimum keyword bids (starting at one cent per click), the 7Search product is an enticing alternative for advertisers weary of Google's high bid prices.

Like Enhance, Chicago-based 7Search allows you to see your competitor's bids, and select the ad position you wish to take.

One major potential "fly in the ointment:" you can't select what countries your ads will be shown in on the 7Search network. That can be a real deal-breaker for an advertiser who wants to target a particular region or country.

Why?

Click fraud and useless clicks are likely to increase. But remember; on 7Search, click prices are also a lot cheaper than Google, so it may be worth a try. As with Enhance, you pay in advance for clicks.

The 7Search interface feels a bit 'clunky' when compared with Google or even Enhance Interactive. But, if you're willing to slog through it for 30 minutes or so, you'll likely be able to figure out what to do. And you will be paid for your effort with low-cost clicks delivered to your landing page.

While 7Search does not provide a conversion tool, Google Analytics will track clicks that come from other search engines so, if your Google Analytics code is installed correctly, you can track a 7Search click, or most other search engines for that matter.

Summary

Let's not desert Google entirely -- it's still a good (if more expensive) tool. As always, even if you decide to choose Google alternatives, remember you can track most, if not all, the clicks arriving at your site with Google Analytics.

Towards becoming a more efficient business, give some thought to Google PPC alternatives.

Just remember: Using proper PPC ad writing and construction strategies is vital on the cheaper PPC service providers. The proven secrets apply on these cheaper services, as much as they do on Google.

About the Author

Roger Hall, Author of the new book, "37 Killer AdWords PPC Secrets Exposed," develops programs and pay-per-click ads to help you succeed. Discover how to create Google campaigns that work, save you money and beat your competition with his popular FREE AdWords Tips for advertisers. Available at: => http://www.37AdWordsSecrets.com .

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by Lydia Ramsey

A day in the life of a business person can be filled with joy and satisfaction or it can be frustrating and stressful. When things go wrong, some people lose control. Holding emotions in check and reacting professionally under fire are not always easy. It's particularly difficult to be nice to people who are not being nice to you.

So -- what do you do to keep your cool when the customer is chewing you out? Most of the time, it's not even your fault.

It could be that the problem was with a product or a service delivered by someone else in your organization. You're getting the blame because the unhappy person found you first, and it's not pleasant.

When faced with angry people, there are four key steps that will help diffuse the situation.

Step one is to apologize. "But," you say, "it's not my fault." It doesn't matter who's to blame; apologize anyway. As a representative of your company you have a responsibility to see that things go well. Your willingness to be accountable will have a positive effect. After all, it takes two to have an argument. If one of you refuses to be disagreeable you can't have a disagreement.

You're not accepting blame -- you're simply saying, "I'm sorry about the problem." You are wasting your breath unless you apologize with complete sincerity, so be sure that your tone of voice matches your words.

Step two is to sympathize with the irate customer. Let the person know that you can identify with his feelings. Say that you understand the frustration of receiving a faulty product or poor service. The angry person begins to feel better as soon as his reaction is validated.

Step three is to accept responsibility for the situation. Be accountable to the customer. Let him know that you intend to do whatever it takes to make things right. You can't help what has already happened, but you will come up with a solution to the problem or you will find someone who can.

The last step is to take action. Decide what you can do and tell the customer.

You will replace the defective or incorrect product as quickly as possible. If the issue was poor service, deliver better service. Whenever you can offer a bonus of some sort or waive fees, the tiger before you is transformed into a pussycat.

Use the acronym "ASAP" to remember these four steps for calming upset customers. Each letter stands for part of the process.

A is "apologize."
S represents "sympathize."
A stands for "accept responsibility."
P means "prepare to take action."

Nothing will be solved by becoming argumentative and reactionary. Instead, diffuse the client's anger by being apologetic and sympathetic and focus on positive steps that will resolve the situation. Before you know it, your adversaries will become your allies.

Oh yes -- remember to smile. It will make everyone feel better and behave better.

Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about her programs, products and services, E-mail her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com or visit her Web site www.mannersthatsell.com .

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by Kevin Sinclair

One of the greatest thrills in business is acquiring a new customer. Many businesses get too caught up in the excitement of acquiring new customers, then don't spend enough time or money on unlocking the value of their existing customer base. It surprises me how often businesses fail to regard their existing customers as one of their most valued assets.

There may not be the same excitement getting orders from existing customers but, this is where the real profits are made. It's generally accepted among most marketing experts that it costs at least five times more to acquire a new customer than it does to get an order from an existing customer.

There are many ways that you can unlock the value of your existing customer base. Let's explore some now.

The first thing a business needs to do is develop the mindset that their customer base is their most valuable asset. Customers need to be treated like gold because that is what they are to your business. Responding to the needs of your existing customers must take priority over prospecting for new customers.

To unlock the value of your customers requires that you have a range of products that will fulfil their needs. Products should be carefully chosen to ensure they are of the right quality and will meet customer needs.

Your customers will often tell you what they need if you listen to them carefully and with respect. This can save you a lot of time and cost in market testing new products.

Stay in contact with your customers. There are a variety of ways to do this and the Internet provides a cost-effective means to do so.

A regular newsletter for customers providing them with useful information is the most common way to do this. However, you need to know what your customers want to make this truly effective.

Gather the preferences of your customers and monitor their buying habits. This can provide you with very valuable information.

To get valuable ideas, look at some of the things Amazon does. For example, Amazon allows people to subscribe to updates on various different types of books and products. That way, they are able to provide information on a regular basis that the customer is interested in.

Amazon also has an author update service. You tell them who your favourite authors are and, whenever there is anything new by that author, you receive an E-mail notification. They also have a facility that suggests other titles or products you may be interested in. This is based on what you are considering purchasing and what others who purchased the same item also purchased.

Do these features generate more sales from their existing customers? You bet they do! How can you use these concepts to unlock the value of your customers?

Consider ways that you can make it easy for your customers to re-order. Simple things such as not having to fill in all their details again on the order form, help a lot. That way, customers only need to advise you of changes to their details and the order process is a lot quicker.

Regularly review your customers' buying habits. This can reveal information on offers that you can make that meet their needs. Providing them with a solution to their problem will lead not only to further sales but it will also build strong goodwill.

Customer service can be one of your strongest weapons in the battle to retain your customers. Make every effort to personalise responses to customer enquiries. Don't send standard form E-mails if you can avoid it. While this will take more time, the rewards will be far greater.

Be quick to honour guarantees. This will show that you mean what you say and will build strong credibility. Too often, tardiness and slow responses lead to lost credibility and lost future value of a customer.

When you're treating your customers as the most important people to your business, they will find the experience rewarding and will return often.

Each business is different and has its own specific ways that can generate greater value from their existing customer base. I hope I've helped you to start thinking more about how you can unlock the value of your customers.

Remember, the more you put into looking after your business's major asset, the more profit you will make. A side benefit is that your customers may even refer their friends and associates to your business, resulting in a steady flow of new customers with a very small customer acquisition cost.

Kevin Sinclair, CPA, of Personal & Business Success Resources. Visit his Website at www.ksinclair.com .

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by Daryl Campbell

In the movie Jerry Maguire, Cuba Gooding Jr. uttered the phrase that has now become part of our lexicon: "Show me the money."

Whether intentional or not, every person involved in affiliate Internet marketing is thinking the same thing. That's understandable. Unfortunately, many people spend their time looking for the good fairy of affiliate business -- that magic product or service (courtesy of central casting) that will explode their bank account instantly, without having to do much work.

This may explain why the majority of affiliates don't make any money. They don't treat their business like a business.

With the emergence of blogs, video and Web 2.0, marketers have more tools to reach their target audience. However, there are still some old school techniques you should be using in your production.

1. One Site/One Product

Ever visit an affiliate Web site that's offering a ton of different products? For most people, too many choices lead to confusion. It also increases the chance your potential customers will simply click to another site.

The point of one affiliate Web site per product is to limit the choice of your visitors to either buying, leaving their contact information or clicking away from your affiliate site.

Place a review on your Website, along with testimonials from people (get their photos, if possible) who have used the product or service.

You can find previous reviews of the product you're affiliate advertising by searching E-zines and article directories -- but it's best to write your own.

The keys are to:

a. Write a good headline
b. Showcase the benefits
c. Fill each paragraph with just enough information to get your visitors to keep reading
d. A call to action

Make sure it does not come across as a blatant sales pitch. Walk your visitors through understanding the product and how it affects them directly.

2. The Free

According to Overture. 357,000 people per month search the Internet using only one keyword: free. You can get some of that action. Offering a free report is a terrific affiliate marketing tool. Place it at the top of your Website, so visitors can't help but see it.

You can also offer it to your opt-in E-mail list and invite them to pass the report along to others. Make sure your name and Website are branded on the report.

3. Targeted Traffic

There are any number of ways to drive visitors to your affiliate Web site. The question is, once they get there, will they be interested in your offer?

I mentioned before you should write your own product reviews. You should also write articles. Not only will it get you noticed, but you can also find specific article directories, blogs, E-zines and forums where your target audience is most likely hanging out.

Try to write at least 1 article per week -- 400 to 600 words in length. This is a great way to bring targeted traffic to your affiliate Web site immediately and for many years to come. Article marketing combines useful information, free advertising (without looking like advertising) and marketing viral into one powerful package.

Using these tips can help you get through the maze of affiliate Internet marketing and create multiple streams of steady income. Focus on building an affiliate business first, so that when you tell merchants to show you the money, they will!

Daryl Campbell is your Internet Marketing guide for more free tips, tools, coaching, resources, video and up-to-the-minute information to help grow your business. Find out more by clicking now. Affiliate Marketing -- http://winthemarket.com/internet-marketing-guide/affiliate-marketing-and-the-ninety-five-percent/

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by Jay Conners

Having to deal with angry and upset customers is by far one of the worst responsibilities we must face on a day-to-day basis in the world of sales and business. However, this responsibility, like so many others we must face on a daily basis, just comes with the territory.

Customers become angry for all sorts of reasons. Some are legitimate reasons. Some are not. In any event, it's our job to defuse the situation. Here are a few tips on how you can calm your customer down and put them at ease.

1. Give them your hand to shake

When I was in the banking industry, I worked many years as a branch manager. A customer’s body language would speak volumes as they approached my office. This body language allowed me to prepare for what was to come.

It's not difficult to tell when someone is angry. Their face scrunches. Their lips tighten, and their brow wrinkles. They walk quickly with a purpose in their step, and you know they mean business.

My reaction to this type of body language was to reach out my hand to them as an offering of peace. I did this before they had an opportunity to start venting their anger.

I would then calmly introduce myself and ask how I could be of help to them.

This technique will catch your customer off guard, and your acts of professionalism and sincerity will ease the tension and put the rationale back into your customers thought process. This technique is by far the best way to begin any conversation that has the potential to be blown out of proportion.

2. Apologize to your customer

Once you have your customer seated and have allowed for them to vent, the first thing you want to do is apologize on behalf of your company for the way they have made them feel, or for the inconvenience they have been put through.

It really doesn’t matter if your customer is right or wrong, by apologizing to your customer you are being empathetic to their situation. This gives the customer the feeling that you are on their side.

Remember, when a customer has an issue, what they want more than anything else is for someone to listen to their problem and have an understanding of where they are coming from.

There is absolutely no need to take a bad situation and make it worse.

3. Resolve the problem

The last and final thing you want to assure your customer is that the problem will be resolved, or at the very least, the problem will not happen again.

To leave a problem unresolved and your customer hanging will only lead to more confrontations and wasted time down the line.

Remember, when time is wasted, money is wasted.

Again, putting out fires on a daily basis comes with the territory. The sooner you put out the fires the better. Never take a customer complaint personally. Act as your customers' advocate, and you will always prevent a bad situation from escalating.

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of www.jconners.com .

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by Keith Thompson)

So -- you've decided to take the leap into deep water and go into business for yourself, specifically into Internet Marketing. Congratulations!

This was a smart decision, one that will eventually reward you with all the dreams you can dream. Your challenge now is to survive that 1st year.

Hopefully, you're reading this early on in your endeavors, and can make the adjustments necessary to keep your enterprise afloat and your bank account bouyant. Here are several things the "gurus" neglected to mention along the way to building your own internet marketing empire!

1 - Who are you listening to?

There are a lot of people who've made a lot of money, and they're all too eager to tell you about it, frequently in the form of their latest product. It's very easy to find yourself tuning in too many voices, instead of riding one horse till it either gets you there or is spent.

Find a niche that interests you, find products that are either yours or through an affiliate program, and focus entirely on your plan, not allowing yourself to chase rabbits.

2 - What is certain!

The real money to be made in Internet marketing is produced in the following ways: owning your own site(s), your own products, your own opt-in mailing list, and your own vision! Think about it! Not one of the Internet millionaires to whom we look for advice has lacked any of these for very long.

You bought their products off their sites, joined their mailing lists, and, to one degree or another, shared their vision. If you haven't already, begin immediately to build your own empire. Build a site, start learning about traffic, linking, opt-in lists and all the other essentials necessary for long-term success.

Affiliate marketing will only take you so far. In fact, most of the top affiliates have several of their own products!

3 - The learning curve.

There is a certain amount of information you simply have to either learn (or pay for). Don't discount the fact that this will take a little time. One doesn't discover how to build and market a fully- optimized Web site in a month. Or three! This is; and because of the fluid nature of the web; always will be a work-in-progress.

Do what you can do every day and come back tomorrow for more. Don't be discouraged when the money takes a while to appear; if you do this right, when it does show up it will be worth the wait!

4 - A support system.

Get one. Don't plan on supporting yourself from your business right away. It took the best at the very least several months to start seeing any real money.

Don't despair if you turn out to be mortal, too. Give yourself a chance at this; the rewards are simply too great. I'll leave you with a quote that sustained me many a night: "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship." - Louisa May Alcott

(c)2004 by Keith Thompson

Keith Thompson is the Webmaster of Internet Marketing Here and Now!, featuring the latest and best tools for your internet marketing business. (http://www.internetmarketinghere.com) Email - keith@internetmarketinghere.com.

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by David Cooper

Here's something every affiliate marketer should understand: All keywords aren't created equal. Some are worth a lot more than others.

I can hear you now: "No kidding. Everyone knows that!"

Fine. The idea that some keywords are more valuable than others may not be a great new revelation. What might surprise you is how you should be differentiating between the power keywords and the also-rans.

Before you click away from this article, realize that the difference between the best keywords and the dead-enders has nothing to do with search volume.

Surprised? I thought so. Most people think of keyword value in terms of search volume. If millions of people are going to Google to look for "widgets" every day, it would be nice to own the top slot for "widgets," right?

Of course. However, snagging traffic on the basis of "widgets" might not be that easy. Every affiliate marketer in the universe will be going after those high-competition terms. Additionally, a relatively scant percentage of "widget" searchers will be serious potential buyers. There may be a lot of people out there searching for "widget" or "widgets," but not all of them are in a shopping mood.

So, by the time you duke it out for that high-volume keyword and then deal with a relatively small conversion percentage, you're apt to discover that the difference between awesome keywords and duds has little to do with search volume.

Two people sit down to do a Google search. One types "widget." The other types "where to find a good red widget."

Which of those searchers would you prefer to send to a sales page? Obviously, the second searcher is much more likely to make a widget purchase than the first.

So, even though "where to find a good red widget" may not secure a million searches per day, it converts much more than the generic keyword. And a smart affiliate marketer can own a top slot in the SERPs for it rather easily.

Less work. Higher conversions. It makes sense.

Those lesser-used keywords are buying keywords. They're the ones that will get you big checks in the mail from affiliate programs. The high-volume terms are search keywords. They'll get more traffic, but won't produce sales like the buying keywords will.

There's a marketing theory that's been applied to search engine use and keyword selection known as "the long tail." The idea is that it's easier to own those smaller-volume terms and the net effect of targeting the right ones will swamp the income potential of going after the bigger search term.

If you can learn how to apply that theory to your affiliate marketing business, you'll be able to experience success that will escape all of those other affiliates who are still focused merely on search volume.

Don't worry about the search keywords. Go after the buying keywords!

Their mistakes are your GOLD MINE! David Cooper knows how to discover the blunders of others and then use them as a way to create a snowball effect that ends in an Affiliate Avalanche (http://www.affiliateavalanche.com/) of cash!

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by Michael Laleye

Traffic on the freeway is bad. Traffic on the Internet is good. With over 60 million Web sites on the Net, you need a solid strategy for steering customers to your home business Web site.

Search Engines

Search engines are the yellow pages for a home business Web site. Over 80% of Internet surfers use search engines to find information on the Web. To get the most traffic to your site, list with the big search engine players Yahoo, Google, and MSN. Smaller search engines also get results from the big three, so you'll be covered in case customers visit less popular engines.

Looking Good

Your home business Web site can be simple or complex, but it must be functional and attractive. Make sure your site does what it's supposed to do - provide customers with concise, useful information about your product or service. Be wary of making things too complicated. The site should be easy to navigate or customers will look elsewhere.

Your home business Web site should also look professional, not cheap. If you aren't design savvy, spend money on a good Web designer. The investment will pay off by attracting more people to your Web page.

Online Ads

The Internet has many sites where you can list your home business Web site for free. To guarantee the greatest exposure, place your ad on several (20 or more) sites and repeat the process every month.

Banner advertisements can be as effective as TV spots in increasing customer awareness of your business. A banner ad should be direct, i.e. promote a benefit, rather than just the name of the product or service. Try participating in a banner exchange program such as LinkExchange, that connects your home business Web site to other company sites that have similar customer bases.

Affiliate programs offer an excellent opportunity to promote your home business Web site. Affiliate businesses post links to your Web page on their sites. You pay them a commission or a set fee, based on the amount of traffic sent to your Web site. Pay arrangements vary and can be based on the number of people who visit your site or the number of customers who purchase your product.

Bloggin' It

Bloggers are the hot new information medium. Getting them to write about your home business Web site is an excellent way to gain exposure to potential customers.

Technorati Blog Directory provides a listing of blogs by industry. Do your research here to determine which blogs might be interested in writing about your business. Send a short, personal E-mail to a few blog writers describing your Web site and asking the blogger to write about it. Offer the writer something in return. For example: free product or a link back to his blog on your Web site.

Offline Ads

Cruising Down the Highway

Your car is a moving billboard for a home business Web site. Window decals and bumper stickers are inexpensive ways to get the word out about your Web site. Spend a few extra dollars for a personalized license plate with your Web address.

Old Media Standby

Regardless of what the bloggers say, people still read the printed page. Run ads in the classifieds of large and small papers, trade magazines, and free weeklies. Your choice of print media will depend on the product or service offered and whether you do business locally or nationwide.

Make money online - Complete money making site set-up FREE! Go To: http://www.myaffiliatestarter.com/pips.html Read more great articles like this at: http://www.myaffiliatestarter.blogspot.com Get started today!

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by Rick Roberts

A Little Background:

I have been involved in Internet Marketing and Affiliate Marketing since 1994. I must admit, however, that I am a lazy marketer. Maybe a better word is "sporadic."

By this I mean that, from time to time, I will find a product or service that appeals to me and, for a few days or weeks, I will pursue marketing it. Usually, at first, there is some level of success associated with my efforts -- but not always. Believe me, I have squandered more money on Internet marketing E-books than I have ever made from them.

In my marketing endeavors, I always wanted to find a product or service that could be set on "auto-pilot," or self running, and make an extra few bucks a month. Let me tell you -- that's hard to find.

Mostly because the world of Internet marketing is ever-evolving -- and what sells today may be a non-selling item or service next month. To date, I have found only one that both works like this and stands the test of time sensitivity. You can read more about this from the link in my Bio/Resource box with this article posting.

Affiliate marketing is a waiting game

One thing I've learned through my experiences is that affiliate marketing is a big waiting game for any return on investment. Take, for instance, being an Amazon Associate. With Amazon, you earn an overall 4% - 10% commission off of any referral sale.

Not bad on the surface, but a big drawback is their sales reporting system. It's always a 24-hour lag getting stats from your promotions, which makes pay-per-click advertising a real gamble with Amazon. The biggest catch, though, is the wait-time for any commission earned. It takes 60 days from your first referral sale to get a check or direct deposit from them.

So, again, you really have to be careful with any paid promotions for referrals to Amazon. But, if you have the money or other resources to promote Amazon referral links and can wait 60 days on your return, you can make a fairly good chunk of extra income.

Last month -- March 2007 -- I made $202 in commissions after a $96 investment in PPC advertising.

Clickbank, on the other hand, is still an iffy proposition for affiliate commissions. The plus side of Clickbank is that you get a commsion check every two weeks on the prior two weeks' referrals. So, the inital wait on your first check is about 4 weeks. But there are two main drawbacks to Clickbank.

One is that almost every product you can promote is promoted to death on the Internet, which means you are fighting like cats and dogs over getting sales from your advertising. PPC advertsing is really a gamble with the products there because the good traffic keywords are so expensive to get decent position with.

Expect to pay $1 - $5 per click for good position with Clickbank PPC advertsing.

The real money-making promotions

Of all of the things I've tried to market on the Internet, the biggest money-maker is selling either your own products, such as physical items or E-books you've written, or reselling other E-books that you have master reseller rights to.

Having master reseller rights means that you collect all of the proceeds from the sales and you can advertise the product on your own Website with your own HTML pages.

Another easy money-maker and potential big money-maker is viral marketing.

I know it sounds like an evil thing but it's not. Viral marketing is the process of giving away something that links back to your actual sales pages or affiliate links.

The two most common viral marketing methods are:

* Giving away an E-book that has your links embedded within them to either your sales page or an affiliate link to another sales page. I've found people love free items and will snap them right up with little promotion at all.

* Submitting articles written by you to article directory sites that contain links to your own sales pages or affliliate links.

Summary

To summarize, I would have to list these points:

1. If you're new to Internet or Affiliate Marketing, expect to experience a fairly healthy learning curve in figuring out what to promote and how to efficiently promote the product or service.

2. Expect to invest a sometimes sizable amount of real money in PPC advertsing. In fact, if you're new, I wouldn't recommend this approach to promotion at all. Wait until you've figured out the ropes first before gambling with what money you do have.

3. Look for products you can sell that you have complete control over in both the commsions and sales approach, master reseller rights products.

4. Don't ignore viral marketing. It's the cheapest and most bang for your buck in promoting any product or service. Plus it's enduring. An E-book can float around the Internet for months or years, providing residual on-going income.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I would like to encourage you to check out the link in my Bio/Resouce box for a product that does work on auto-pilot and, best of all, incorporates both master reseller rights and viral marketing into one easy-to-promote package. It won't make you rich, but it will provide you with a residual income for months or even years, possibly.

Rick Roberts is an Internet marketer that manages several Websites across the Internet. Get the greatest viral marketing idea of all time and it's free to download http://www.daelectronics.com/ultimate. You will be amazed at how simple and brilliant this idea is. Plus, it has a surprise twist on the last pages of the E-book.

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by Tellman H. Knudson

How important is list building? I know I ask that question a lot, and some people just don't get it. List building is everything! Without a list, you probably won't make much money. But with everyone out there asking for names and E-mail addresses, what are the chances you'll be able to compete, if you've just started out online?

Very bad. You have to snatch people's attention away from the newest product or program and get them to join your list instead of theirs, right?

A really great way to do that is with video. You may say to yourself, "Are you nuts? I'm not putting my face out there for the whole world to see." Well, why not? Almost every video I've seen has average people in it, just like you and me.

If you're worried about how hard it is or installing the software, get over it! You're wasting time. Pay someone to do it for you and to show you how it works.

I probably don't need to tell you how hot video is online right now. I mean, if it wasn't, would Google have spent $1.65 billion to buy up You Tube? No! Forget the doubts. And if you're shy, don't worry. You can even stay off camera and make video work for you.

But, if you're going to be in the video, you need at least a Webcam, or a camcorder. Even some cell phones have video cams in them these days. It doesn't have to be a Hollywood-quality film; the information has to shine. Just get a way to record your film. You can also use a program like CamStudio to do a Webinar-type presentation. Once you have the recording equipment, then hit the button, you're ready to go!

When you're finished with the video, you'll probably want to edit it. If you're on a PC, no sweat. You already have Windows Movie Maker installed because it's an accessory in Windows. It's pretty straightforward and very easy to operate. Play with it a while and you'll soon see what you can do.

After editing, you'll want to upload it to Google Video and You Tube, at least. Because those sites get the most traffic, they're prime, but you may also want to upload to places like DailyMotion, Flurl, and Blip.tv. There are actually a ton of sites out there, but it does take a while for a video to upload, so decide how much time you want to spend.

The more times your video is seen, though, the better off you'll be.

"Are we list building yet?" you wonder. Well, yes. Now, we'll be list building because with every video, you also upload "tags," as you do with any other Web 2.0 site. So, if your niche is baseball, you'll have a video about a batting stance, for instance, and your tags will be "baseball, sports, etc."

Those tags are how people will find you. Be sure the URL to your list building page is in the video, too, either by way of captioning, or even, hold a sign with the URL on it in front of you while you're speaking. Just be sure to use that list building page address. It's vital.

But, if you're still shy, you don't need to show your face at all. Use pictures. A static picture can make a nice backdrop for your video. Or use a slideshow. They work well, too. Still, don't forget to include the URL to your list building page on each picture. You can edit that into your picture in a program like Photoshop.

The audio doesn't necessarily need to be fresh, either. If you've done any teleseminars and recorded them, you can just snatch a clip of one for video. Be sure to keep the length of your chat to about three minutes, though, or you'll lose some of your audience. Things move fast online.

Be sure to track your visitors, too. See how effective your video is. I think you'll be surprised. But you have to try new things. Don't let the technology stop you. Otherwise, you'll be left far behind with no list at all.

Tellman Knudson is an Internet Marketing coach and CEO of Overcome Everything, Inc. Find more of his incredible list building secrets at http://www.myfirstlist.com/ .

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by Jason Tarasi

When writing copy for your Website, always keep in mind the famous saying, "it's not what you say, it's how you say it." This very concept is how you turn casual visitors into customers.

Your Website content should convince visitors that your service or product is either unique or superior to that of your competitors in terms of quality -- or that it is competitively priced. Show how your product or service will solve their problems, answer a dream, enrich their lives, and/or improve their businesses. You are the dependable expert that they want and need!

Your Website copy plays a major role in establishing and growing your customer base. Web site copy creates the "voice" of your company or product. The look and feel of a site puts a "face" on the company, and on otherwise intangible products and services.

On an e-commerce site, the copy plays a key role in closing sales as well as in up-selling and cross-selling products and services. Good copy delights first-time visitors, encourages return visits and propels both customer acquisition and loyalty.

People read a Web page differently than they do a brochure or a newspaper. They scan, scroll, click, hit the "back" button, and hit the "forward" button. "Reading" is all about moving around and being in control.

You have one chance to make a first impression - to quickly convey the benefit of staying on your Web site. I can't overstate the importance of first impressions, which, in Web-time, are measured in milliseconds. The layout, functionality, message and overall look and feel of your Web page determine who stays - and who clicks away.

Remember - a confused visitor, is a lost customer.

Most people have a short attention span. You must grab their attention right away, and then hold it like a vise. Your story should be clear and to the point. Say what you have to in the least amount of words possible and never confuse your visitors.

The goal of any Web page should be to get the visitor to DO something: to move on to the next step in a purchase sequence or to click for more information about a product or service. Without readable, compelling copy and clearly organized hypertext links, visitors are much less likely to complete a transaction - and return to your site again.

Writing for your Web page should always start from your visitor's perspective. What is your Web site visitor looking for? Why is he/she there? How can you make his/her visit as quick and efficient and positive as possible? You should take the time to clarify the goal of each page before starting to write. If the page is part of a transaction sequence, identify what may be hindering the buying process. Be sure instructions are clear and easy to read.

You must create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) in combination with a strong, unique feature of your business. It should answer that most difficult question:

Why should potential customers buy from you?

Tell your customers what you are selling and explain what your service or product provides. What is the key benefit(s) to your customers? What pain does it cure, what solution does it provide? Compare your service with that of your competitors and highlight what makes you stand out from the competition? Keep working on this until you can clearly separate yourself from the field. As stated earlier, there must be a convincing reason for doing business with you, instead of your competitor.

Summarize the above into one tight, powerful, motivating phrase that will persuade your customer to do business with you and to trade their money for the benefits delivered by your service.

If you're going to promote your service and expand your customer base using your Website, potential clients have to be able to trust you. Their confidence in you and your products has to be boosted. Endorsements on your Website from a valued friend or colleague, or a referral from a strategic partner are the types of "leads" that boost your credibility. You and your service must be perceived as being trust-worthy before your visitor will be confident enough to contact you or even buy your product.

Show prospects that you have their best interests at heart and that you can adapt or customize your service to meet their individual needs. Foster an ongoing relationship that steadily increases their trust levels and cements a view that you are an "authority" in your field.

Finally, be wary of broadening the theme of your site too much. Try not to dilute your product or service's targeted niche simply to expand your base of merchant partners. Remember; focus on selling your product or service. That's where the "meat and potatoes" of your business will come from.

Looking for quality resale rights products? Michael Rasmussen and Jason Tarasi own and operate one of the Net's premiere resell rights memberships. To grab your free resell rights package, click this link now - Free Resell Rights (http://www.resellrightsblowout.com/).

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by Gil De Palma

Burning Man is a simple HTML website that tells the story of a 23-year-old artist afflicted with a mysterious chronic burning disease who discovers that the flames killing him little by little have miraculous healing powers.

Many people have said that this Website is really weird and ugly, but they keep on coming back just the same.

They read the compelling stories. They view whimsical art works. They join blog campaigns. They react. They leave comments. They buy stuff. They recommend it to others.

And they even profit from the FREE success secret it revealed!

But, really, the Website is the secret. It is like some kind of "curiosity central." It is a potent people magnet. And, yes, it is the stuff of super affiliates. It gets thousands of hits daily without really trying.

Perhaps being weird and ugly is really its revenge for being so.

You can learn a lot from its success. Discover the secret right now...

"Frankly, it’s technically weird and ugly."

Although no one can say exactly what it looks like when a Website is weird and ugly, a Web designer actually E-mailed 23-year old artist Burny Madden with an offer to "beautify his Website technically."

Indeed, in the Internet – where the word "techie" is synonymous to godling, and the word "newbie" is almost an insult – a "technically cool" Website seems inevitable.

Whether a Flash eye-candy Website with animated buttons, titles, images, streaming video, cinematic sound effects, pop-ups, and techie cool what-have-yous is visually distracting is beside the point.

Never mind what you’ve heard about beauty in simplicity. In cyberspace, techie cool is what’s beautiful.

Burny and his best friend Nona have built a Website to tell his life story to the world. Burny is afflicted with a mysterious chronic burning disease that causes parts of his body to ignite at random. Burn scars constellate his body. He walks with a limp. He is too mortified to be with people. Some even call him a freak.

Then, he discovers that the flames killing him, little by little, have miraculous healing powers. His life has never been the same again, especially after going online.

But, now, Burny and Nona feel that if a Website is called weird and ugly; it probably looks a lot like their Burning Man story site.

It certainly feels that way when people say the Website will have tremendous potential if they show a short animated feature about the story. It certainly feels that way when they receive e-mails asking in so many ways why the site is "sooo static." And it certainly feels that way when they read this message from a returning site visitor: "Hey, no offense guys, but I think your old Flash Website looks a lot better than this dead mind-numbing stuff."

Burning Man is an offshoot of a fancy Flash Burny Madden Website, their newbie attempt at being Webbies. It was an absolute "techie beauty." Cinematic intro. Scrolling text. An array of moving thingies. Even an animated page-turner. All this plus some Hollywood-style effects. It gave that peculiar feeling of watching a mystery movie.

But where’s the rest of the story? That was the question of most site visitors.

Burny and NonaI intended to tell the Burny’s story in that Website. Trouble is, the animated page-turner limited them to a maximum of sixteen pages – about 106 pages short of the site’s designed content.

Their first Website became some kind of an unfinished visual treat that people would visit once or twice at the most, and then never again. Adding more animated effects served like a one-time adrenaline boost for the site, that’s all.

Requesting those who purchased the ebook to recommend it to others led some people to accuse them of spamming. They even tried using sophisticated linking software to increase its exposure to no avail. Webmasters would visit, but only a handful would link to it. Their Website traffic seemed to trudge to a dreary drumbeat – one…two…bye.

They built it and they came, and they left forever.

It took an unusual degree of humility for them to accept that the techie beauty they were so proud of did not actually work for them. After all, it revealed to them the extent to which people responded to the Website’s story more than its looks.

They discovered that, although head-turning imagery and special effects raise Web design to a higher level, they will only work if they are built on a good concept. The cool stuff is in the content. When an idea translates into a compelling content with which audiences can relate, it causes them to hook up psychologically to the Website. When it makes an emotional bond by showing people an idea or experience they’ve had, an idea or experience they’d like to have, or the information they’ve been looking for, real cool content stuff happens.

The Website connects to the audience.

In this case, the premise of Burny’s story connected to the audience. And it turned out that they wanted more.

You never really appreciate a story until you enter the door of a character’s head and walk around in it. But, Burny’s original Website was a beautiful door that opened up to nothing!

So, Burny and Nona said "goodbye" to the techie beauty and built the Burning Man Website. Simple HTML. No cool effects. It only uses Burny’s original artworks to illustrate the story. The only thing that moves in it is the visitor’s cursor.

In this new Website, they continue telling the story, revealing that while Burny’s mother insists that his burning condition is a symptom of demonic possession, his stepfather is forcing him to burn and heal others for a huge fee.

Because of this, Nona has launched an online campaign to save Burny from burning to death.

Here’s Nona’s Save A Burning Man message:

"PLEASE HELP ME SAVE MY BEST FRIEND WHO IS AFFLICTED WITH A MYSTERIOUS BURNING DISEASE.

"PLEASE READ HIS STORY, POST A MESSAGE TO HIS CRUEL STEPFATHER WHO WANTS TO USE HIM TO MAKE MONEY, OR SIMPLY FORWARD THIS MESSAGE ON.

"I hope that if people pass this on, his stepfather will get tons of petitions asking him to stop this madness before he forces my friend to burn to death.

"My childhood friend, Burny Madden, is a young artist who is burning little by little to death. Something unexplainable is causing parts of his body to ignite for no apparent reason at all.

"Burny usually bursts into flames when he is too upset or too excited. And the burnings are getting worse every time. Now I’m afraid that if he burns again – he might die.

"A few weeks ago, a weird incident involving a dead dog that has allegedly sprung back to life when Burny touched it with his flaming hand, caused his stepfather, Stanley "Stan" Lucierno, to conclude that the fire has some kind of healing power. Stan is now trying to force Burny to burn – threatening him, hurting him, abusing both him and his mother in sickening ways – so he could cash in on it.

"I built a Web site for Burny and published his story so that, through the Internet, people may know about his terrible situation and help me save him.

"PLEASE HELP ME STOP BURNY’S STEPFATHER.

"Please visit Burny’s Website, read his story, and E-mail Stan. I will make sure that your messages get to him.

"Also, please drop Burny a line, if you can. He is in pain, afraid, and very lonely. He really could use a kind word right now.

"I WILL GIVE A FREE T-SHIRT (MADE BY BURNY HIMSELF) TO THE ONE WHO WILL SEND THE E-MAIL THAT BURNY WILL LIKE BEST. I will even pay for delivery to anywhere in the world. It’s the least I can do for a childhood friend.

"PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. IT WILL ONLY TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO SAVE A BURNING MAN.

"Thank you very much.

Nona http://www.burning-man.palmagick.com/index.htm"

The Burning Man Website generated five times more hits in just one month than what the old Flash Website made for an entire year. This time, people are coming back to the Website several time a week. They are sending Burny and Nona E-mails. Some of them post messages on the blogs. A lot of them are buying Burning Man stuff.

It’s almost a real success story, except for the fact that Burny and Nona are not real persons.

I am a writer, an artist, and a filmmaker. Burny Madden and Nona are just characters from my screenplay "BURNY." I decided to put them online to help me develop their characters and write the story. I am also a newbie and the real owner of the Burning Man Website.

Burny and Nona still do not know that they are just fictional characters. They are still running the Burning Man Website, posting new content, reading and answering E-mails. If you visit the Website and click the "author" button, you will understand why.

I passed on Nona’s letter to a few friends who got so amused by it – they passed it on to others. Without really trying, it became a form of word-of-mouth advertising via E-mail. The Website got over 50,000 hits the next day!

So, if you receive Nona’s letter from someone you know, he or she probably got this forwarded E-mail from a friend or colleague or even a family member who also got it from someone, who also ... well, you know.

Here’s a little secret. As a Psychology major back in college, I have understood that people have a subconscious desire to communicate about things that have no relevance to their primary needs for existence. The urge to tell others about the Burning Man is actually working for the Website.

I think Nona’s letter has gone round the world much farther and faster than any advertising I could hope to do at the moment. Now people are asking if Nona has new letters. It still amazes me.

I am yet to hear somebody say that Burning Man is a beautiful Website. People keep on giving Burny and Nona tips on how to improve it, instead. One site visitor even gave a link to a free Flash tutorial! Nice guy.

I’ve seen the word "ugly" in several E-mails, though.

I guess a techie beauty is not a bad idea at all. Stretching one’s imagination to push technology far beyond its comfort zone to create the coolest visually stunning Websites in cyberspace is certainly a big thrill to the senses. Hey, I like them, too. But I’d like them even more if they fulfill what I believe is the primary mandate of a Website – to connect to the audience.

The Burning Man did it with a simple interactive story. It may be weird and ugly, but I guess it is its own revenge for being so.

"You’ve got great content," the persistent Web designer said in his recent E-mail to Burny, "even I keep on coming back to know what happens next. It’s a shame that you didn’t give its overall design much thought."

"Yeah, it’s a shame," I thought to myself.

Burny did not hire him.

Palmagick http://www.palmagick.com/burnymadden/index.htm

Gil De Palma is a writer, artist, filmmaker, and the CEO of Palmagick Entertainment. He is the author of "BURNY" (http://www.palmagick.com/burnymadden/) and creator of the superhero pack TAEKWONDOGGS (http://www.taekwondoggs.com/).

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by John Young

"I’m amazed at this! I put very little effort into this online business, and already I’m making over $14,000 a month!"

We’ve all heard these testimonials in ads for “starting your online business.” We are then offered a "turnkey" Website already designed and filled with widgets to sell on the Web.

The ads lead us to believe that hordes of customers will flock to our site, wallets in hand, ready to avoid the downtown mobs. We’re promised an overnight fortune with little or no effort. We purchase the site and set up the store, only to find that reality falls well short of expectations.

The "SNAFU" Of Online Marketing:

Perhaps one of the greatest disappointments for the novice online marketer is to discover that the effort she has put into designing and publishing a monetizing Website may very well be wasted because no one comes to it.

In the real world (as compared to the virtual one), a business is generally set up by first renting space (hopefully in an area with heavy traffic, such as a shopping mall or on main street), designing and setting up the store, filling it with inventory, displaying the merchandise, and advertising to bring in customers with wallets ready to buy.

While location is important, most effort is directed at bringing the customers to the site, not the other way around.

In the virtual world, however, one has to bring the Website to the customer. Every potential customer sits in front of the same computer – essentially the same physical location for ALL businesses on the Web.

The business that can effectively bring itself to that customer will succeed. All others will fail.

7 Ways To Bring The Store To The Customer

Let’s say you do a search for a Google keyword such as “luggage.” You’re likely to come up with tens of thousands, if not millions, of potential Websites, some selling luggage, others giving product reviews.

Will your site be among the ones Google or Yahoo finds? Not too likely, and if your site doesn’t appear in the top 10 or 20, on page one or two, the potential customer is not likely to go to page 3. Expecting her to find your site on page 150 is pretty much out of the question. She simply isn’t going to go there to find your store.

Consequently, you MUST bring it up in the search ranks … to her, where she is sitting, in front of the computer.

Ranking Your Site

Today, most people find what they're searching for using Google.

Google ranks your site primarily by how many links are located on other sites pointing to it, and the context in which your link is found. For example, if your site is about dogs, and your link is found in the context of dogs, that link will be more valuable than if it is found in some other context or in no context.

Bringing your store to your customers by improving your rankings requires a few techniques, and a lot of hard work. Here are seven suggestions for methods that are not “Catch-22,” i.e. don’t require traffic to get traffic.

1. Writing and marketing articles.

Google and other search engines rank a Website by how many “one-way” links point to it from other sites. Writing an article and publishing it in the many E-zine barns (and having it picked up by online E-zines specialized for your keywords) is an excellent way to get these one-way links

2. Reciprocal linking.

Find other Websites with similar subject matter to your own. Contact the Webmaster and arrange to post a link to your site in exchange for reciprocating -- posting a link to theirs on your site.

3. One-way links.

Do a search on your keyword and “add URL” or “add your site.” You will find sites you can add your link to.

4. Join a forum.

You can get banned by putting a link to your site in your posts, but if you put it in your bio and then post information frequently on the forum, you can go up in Google rankings.

5. Blogging.

Set up your own blogs with links to your sites to gain Google rank. Free software exists to do this.

6. Search Engine Optimization

Make your site “keyword rich” by including a written introduction with searchable keywords in it, optimize the site and submit it to the minor search engines. Software exists to help you with search engine optimization. Google analyzes rankings in minor search engines when assigning site rank.

7. Advertising with Google Adwords.

Adwords can put your site in front of the customer – on the right side of the search page, not on the left. People read from left to right, and will see the results of their search on the left first. Depending on your bid for the keywords, your ad may appear at the bottom of a stack of Adwords advertisements. Adwords can bring in sales, but costs can get out of hand and ultimately be disastrous.

Work Smart ... and Hard

Ninety-five percent of all Internet businesses fail. Articles have been written simply stating that this is due to lack of “hard work” on the part of the owner, who thought she was going to have a “turnkey” business that would immediately reap “astounding profits.”

While this may be true, there’s an old saying: “Work smart, not hard.” In the case of an Internet business, you're going to have do both. You're going to have to work smart by knowing the most effective means of bringing your store to your customers, and work hard …

John Young is a writer and editor living in Santa Barbara. He is inviting submissions to his new E-zine, Explode Your Affiliate Checks at http://www.explodeyouraffiliatechecks.com devoted to all phases of online marketing. He has a second site at: http://www.ebook-marketing-software.com .

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by Kevin Gibbs

Using the Internet to its highest potential when it comes to indexing and promoting your Website is vital to your business. No matter whether you provide a service or a product, getting the word out about it is your primary goal.

Google, being the world's most popular search engine, is naturally going to be one of the places you want to submit your Website URL to, and Google offers free submission opportunities.

However, merely submitting your Website isn't the answer to instant rankings and visitors. It takes hard work, patience and search engine optimization know-how to achieve a top ranking with Google. The easier your Website is to find by Google "spiders," the more chance you'll have of reaching better positions in the Google ranking index.

Google is the most popular search engine in the world today, and earning a top ranking there is definitely a feather in anyone's cap. Taking advantage of several different options will help you to obtain your goals. Determination is the key when it comes to achieving high rankings in Google, and it's not an endeavor for the weak of heart.

One of the most important things a Webmaster or Web business can do to enhance rankings is to write and distribute articles relating to your topic, service or product to article directories throughout the Web. Embedding links to your article, called back links, will get your Website noticed by Google spiders, but don't overdo it. Try to limit your back links to one per article.

Articles should be written well, grammatically correct and include keywords or keyword phrases that relate to your product or service. (These keywords should also be listed in the Meta Tags used to design your Website).

When writing SEO Google content, keep in mind the following factors for success, not only in obtaining ranking with Google, but with the success of your content in its ability to do what you have designed it to do; inform and get people back to your site.

When searching through Google's ranked pages, certain factors become immediately apparent. The most successful written content has these things in common:

1) Content is comprised of paragraphs that are fairly brief, with between 3 to 5 sentences each. White space around paragraphs and content allows for easy reading and addresses short attention spans when it comes to reading on the Internet.

2) Proper grammar and spelling is used in the content. As always, make sure that you proofread your work before submitting to article directories and banks. Make sure that use of punctuation, quotations, and sentence structure and flow are correct and proofed. If you are aware of your own shortcomings in the writing department, have someone else proof your material.

Content that is poorly written is more damaging to your reputation and that of your Website than no content at all.

3) Many articles submitted to Google, and to other search engines, are written with bulleted lists. This serves to break up large areas of text as well as to provide precise information related to a specific topic.

4) Most highly ranked pages on the Internet are updated regularly, and by regularly, that means ideally about once a week, or at least twice a month.

5) Sentence structure is varied, which means that short and long sentences are mixed together.

6) Keyword density is over-rated these days, but using keywords in your content is desired.

However, don't stuff articles with keywords when their usage doesn't add flow to the text or is too obvious. Make sure that the keywords you are using make sense within the overall focus of your article.

Choosing the wrong keywords, or choosing highly used and common keywords or phrases won't help you much, so it pays to be knowledgeable about how to go about determining how popular or unpopular particular keywords are before you even start writing.

Keyword stuffing, or overusing certain keywords in any given article, will only defeat your purpose, as search engine spiders, especially those launched by Google, seem to know every trick out there.

Bottom line: have a professional look over your text before you launch your Website. Be aware that having someone write SEO content for you doesn't mean they will do it correctly, either. Good SEO writing means more than focusing on keyword density, placement and catchy article titles. Good SEO content should contain useful, correctly structured sentences with proper grammar and spelling.

Google itself offers a terse explanation of how to get your Website content highly ranked: Good content. It's so simple that most people don't believe it's true.

A Website owner can sit down and research keywords, keyword density and Google algorithm factors until they're blue in the face, and it won't make a difference if the words don't make sense or the spelling is so atrocious that visitors will take one look, laugh and click away.

Submitting articles to article directories and providing free articles, with your Website back link in them, of course, is a great way to get noticed, but keep in mind that sometimes dozens of articles or more must be written and submitted before you're going to get noticed.

This doesn't mean just writing about anything, it means carefully choosing and selecting appropriate keywords that will get your content noticed by search engine spiders and thereby bring you the results you're looking for.

Website HTML coding and proper use of Meta tags is essential in creating Google SEO results and, as it is with anything worth having, it takes time, patience and determination to learn. There are no easy shortcuts when it comes to creating SEO content that will fly with Google and gain you a coveted page ranking.

Take advantage of the opportunity to submit your articles to free directory listings, especially at Google, as well as writing numerous, free articles for submission purposes and properly using back links. This will get you started on your way to success.

Utilizing Google tools and accessing their news, site directory, helpful hints and forum boards will help hopeful Webmasters achieve their goals when it comes to obtaining a long and enduring, and hopefully beneficial relationship with Google, whose influence reaches to the far corners of the globe.

Kevin Gibbs is the founder of articlestamp.com a successful article directory that provides user's the opportunity to improve their traffic performance. You can contact Kevin at kevin@articlestamp.com for more info on article writing.

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by Tyler James Ellison

The first thing you need to do when writing a press release to help drive targeted traffic to your Website is to put away your advertising glasses and put on your journalism cap. If your release sounds like advertising, it will not be read by many people and will be accepted by even fewer distributors.

You must sound like an objective third party as you write and it needs to sound like you have nothing to gain from the people who choose to visit your Website.

You should also tell an interesting story. It is a bad idea to go on blabbing about the features of the product or service on the Website you're promoting. That just doesn't qualify as interesting news.

What does qualify is a success story? Telling how a real person had a real problem that your product or service solved is very interesting and is way better than any ad you could buy.

You should also use statistics in your release as much as possible. Keep it simple, unless you plan to submit it to a technical journal, but showing real numbers does a lot to back up your claims and win you credibility.

Compare two example headlines for a moment. The first one says, "Lives saved in burning building." The second one says, "47 lives saved in burning building." It's obvious that the second is much more interesting. The number allows people to understand the scope of the event in much greater detail.

There is a right way to slip a little advertising into your press release. This sounds like I'm doubling back on myself, but not really. Don't include promotional language in the main body of the press release, but do include it as if quoting an expert on the subject.

Quoting somebody else does nothing to hurt your reputation as a writer and, if the quote is relevant, then it deserves to be included. Quote yourself, if you have to, but include quotes as the subtle way of getting a little advertising into your press releases.

Finally, when you write press releases online, usually the company will want to charge you to include clickable links with keywords embedded. You can save money by giving up the keywords in your clickable link and simply state somewhere, in the body of the release, the full URL of the Website you're promoting.

This will often (although not always) get your link, clickable, on the publication pages, without having to pay. You sacrifice the benefits of having keyword backlinks for Search Engine Optimization purposes but, if your budget is tight, then this is an excellent workaround.

There are plenty of places to submit for free, such as ArriveNet, I-NewsWire, Free-Press-Release, and OpenPr. Do some searching on your own for publications that are specific to your niche and you can submit there.

You should avoid getting your hopes up with this method, but persistence will get you one or two chances, which you can later refer to for credibility purposes. This will enhance your Website conversion ratio dramatically and you will start attracting links and traffic you never even tried to target!

Tyler Ellison is a successful entrepreneur who teaches automated marketing strategies (http://www.youcanworkthenet.com/) and encourages others to join the community at Little Guy Co-op (http://www.littleguyco-op.com/).

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by Matthew Hesser

It sounds too simple to be true, but it really is ... A well-targeted and timely PRESS RELEASE to the media is the most powerful form of marketing and advertising on the planet!

A high quality press release, with the proper targeting and distribution to reach the correct media members, could have many businesses sailing on a sea of new sales and profits. Just one feature or a mention in a popular or targeted business publication has the potential to cause some business's phones to literally be ringing off the hook!

The next big question that arises, "How do you go about writing a quality press release that will grab the attention of the media and your particular audience?"

Here are some tips to help you succeed:

* Pick a "Newsworthy" Angle.

Press releases are not an advertisement. Do not try to sell your product or service. Do not use "hype" in press releases. Instead, give the media what they want and they will give you what you want.

What the press and media really want is a story! Just provide the "Who, What, When, Where" and "How" with regards to the uses of your products and/or services in a story format. Show examples of ways that people have used your products and services to their benefit. If you can include some emotions in your story, all the better.

Ask yourself: "Would this be something that I might read in a newspaper?"

* Get a Good Start.

The headline and the first few sentences of the first paragraph are the absolutely most important part of the press release. If you don't catch the reader's interest here, you will lose your audience. The best way to do this is to use your most hard-hitting information FIRST rather than build to a climax. This may be opposite to what you would normally do when writing other material - but it does work! What follows in your press release are the details that SUPPORT your story or theme.

* Write to the Media.

Remember, a journalist, editor or reporter, not necessarily a client, is reading your press release. It's not your job to sell them your product or service. It IS your job to give them an interesting story or piece of news that they will be happy to share and announce to their audience.

* Keep your release short and to the point.

It should contain no more than about 500 words and no more than two pages.

Include your contact information. Provide full contact name, company name, full address, phone number, E-mail address and Web site URL. The contact name should be someone who is knowledgeable and available to answer any questions by media members, such as editors, reporters and journalists.

Targeted press releases to the media have helped thousands of companies succeed. They are the most powerful form of marketing and advertising on the planet!

Remember: One article is all it takes!

For more information on how you can get a quality targeted press release written or have your press release distributed to the targeted media contacts in our 600,0000 press and media contact database, please visit our Advanced PR department at Majon International.

Matthew Hesser is President and CEO of Majon International, one of the most popular Internet marketing and advertising companies online, located at: http://www.majon.com . To get a high-quality targeted press release written and/or distributed to the press and media, as well as get GUARANTEED media and press coverage for your business please visit: http://www.advanced-pr.com

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by Lensmaster Lewis Smile and Citizen Squid

MySpace is one of the most popular Websites on the Internet and, if harnessed correctly, it can send more traffic to your Website than the search engines currently do -- and you can do this at very little cost and with surprisingly very little time commitment.

SEO was the buzz word of yesterday. Social networking and Web 2.0 are the buzz words for tomorrow.

Here is how to harnass it correctly and get 1,000,000 friends fasat:

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1. THE SIMPLE.

Join MySpace.

This is obvious. To get 1 million myspace friends, you must first join MySpace. It is free, and it's simple to sign up.

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2. THE BEAUTIFUL.

Create an attractive MySpace profile.

MySpace allows you to create a profile page for yourself. Having a MySpace profile which takes a full minute to load just won't cut it if you want to grow your friend numbers.

On your profile editing page, you are allowed to insert HTML code, in order to change certain aspects of the page, or to completely revamp it.

If you want to completely revamp it, you will need what is called a MySpace overlay. An overlay is the simplest way to make your page attractive, clean-cut, simple, and user-friendly. If you don't already know what an overlay is don't worry too much. If you do know what an overlay is, make use of one.

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3. THE SLOW.

Start adding the people you know.

If you visit the profile page of someone you already know, you will not only be able to add them as your friend, but you'll also be able to see who they have as friends and you'll be able to add them, too.

Add someone you know, then find one of their friends who you also know, add them, them add one of their friends, etc etc. Do this with only people you know until you get to between 30 - 50 friends.

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4. THE TURBO-CHARGED.

The problem with MySpace is that you have to add friends one-by-one. Trying to get a meaningful number of connections using this method is painfully slow at the best of times, so programmers have created numerous software applications which will speed up the process for you and allow you to type in the location, gender, age, interests, etc, of your target friends and it will add them for you. Automatically.

I recommend the application Badder Adder. You can get a free trial at http://www.bwcard.co.uk . The full version is $47. It gives you unlimited upgrades, and will let you "chain" accounts together."

This means, basically, that you can send more than the 450-friend-requests-per-day limit. You just set it to go, and it does the rest.

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5. THE COMMUNICATION.

The key to getting up to 1,000,000 friends is also by commenting on other people's profiles. A link to your own profile is then set up and people interested in your picture can click and add you.

You can use Badder Adder to send out comments to all of your myspace friends in bulk, so you don't need to do them one-by-one anymore. So long as you don't spam other users and you treat them with respect, this feature alone will get you incredible visibility on myspace and should provide a constant stream of friend requests.

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If you do each of these 5 points, your MySpace page will explode in popularity and will be seen by thousands of people every day.

What will this mean for you? More affiliate sales? More CD sales? More book sales?

You'd better get started!

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Lewis Smile is a Squidoo Lensmaster and Citizen Squid, and has written about how to get one million MySpace friends on his lens at http://www.squidoo.com/1000000-million-myspace-friends. His lens also features a Badder Adder Review.

To find out more (for free) or to contact Lewis, go to: http://www.squidoo.com/1000000-million-myspace-friends

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by Amit Kothiyal

Social bookmarking is a new trend in search engine optimization, which has gained recognition as part of a new type of Website optimization, termed "social media optimization (SMO)."

Social Bookmarking, also referred to sometimes as "social bookmarketing," is the term used for bookmarking sites on the Web and sharing them with friends. It is similar to bookmarking a site on your pc, in the "favorites" of your Web browser.

There are an increasing number of Websites available that provide this as a free service for bookmarking your favorite sites or blogs on the Web. These sites are known as social bookmarking sites. Once you have created a free account, you may begin adding bookmarks to your account.

The advantage is that, once you have bookmarked any site, then you can access them from anywhere on the Web -- and also share them with friends.

These are some popular social bookmarking sites:

del.icio.us, Digg.com, Simpy.com, blogmarks.net, feedmarker.com, myweb2.search.yahoo.com, lookmarks.com, bluedot.com, furl.net.

So -- how is social bookmarking useful for SEO?

Social bookmarking sites are "tag based" - which means you can "tag" them with keywords, so your visitors that bookmark your site can find them easily later. Search engines index these tags, as well as the link, so you are essentially getting free one-way links from high-traffic sites, with all of your keywords attached to them!

It's a great way to get your Website visitors working for you. However, choosing proper tag names is critical and plays a very important role, if you want to truly get social bookmarking to work for you in your search engine optimization process.

The interesting thing is that there are no limitations for the number of tags you can attach to your link. The extent to