Are you making money online yet? Many people claim they are. The truth is, what works for one will not necessarily work for everybody. At lot of the so-called easy ways to make money online simply do not work. So, who is making money online?
Some people are making good money with websites. Selling products or information can be very lucrative for many. Affiliate marketing is a proven program for making money online. The key is to know how to market a website because you won't sell a thing if potential customers don't know about your site or can't find it.
Another group making money online is freelance workers. These include freelance writers, graphic artists, typist, accountants, webdesigners and just about any other freelance service you can thing of. There are many sites with bulletin boards and forums devoted to freelance jobs. Some of them allow freelancer to bid on projects. A lot of web designers and copywriters are making very good money doing this.
Others are making money through auction sites. Some supplement the auction site with a storefront. It's possible to make a lot of money this way. You can get items to sell from rummage sales, clearance sales and wholesale distributors at really cheap prices. Start small and build your business with the profits.
It's not easy income, but many people are making a comfortable living doing it. Once you choose a way to make money online, then do a lot of research on the best way to get customers. It takes time, focus and a lot of effort, but the rewards are well worth it. You'll be really glad you found a way to make money online.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Larry Ware is owner of WareSoft Consulting and
Webmaster of Work At Home Ideas And Opportunities
at http://www.waresoftconsulting.com
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Are You Ready To Work At Home?
Tired of your mundane, boring job? Or your so-so wages, the nerve grinding commute in traffic or the grouchy slave driver you work for? Maybe you like your job, but are just itching to be free of the routine and be able to work your own hours from home and be your own boss.
Don't quit your job yet! Whether you are looking for freedom or just want to earn extra money from home, there are many jobs and opportunities to make money working from home. But it will take some work and dedication. With a computer and internet access, just about anybody can find a work at home job. But be careful! You can be overwhelmed with offers promising you riches overnight. It's just not going to happen that way.
The possibilities are endless. There are paid surveys, data entry, eBay marketing, multi-level marketing selling products, services, web domains, etc. Keep looking until you narrow it down to something you would enjoy.
Don't spend any money on anything until you have checked it out thoroughly. Cut through the hype and find something that really interests you. Then quit looking and get to work. It's not going to happen overnight.
Be prepared to work it every day religously. Don't get discouraged and hop to something else. Quitters never succeed. When the going seems to be crawling, put your blinders on and keep at it. Don't be lured by another "pie in the sky" promise.
Signup for some helpful newsletters, join some forums or chat rooms with people doing the same thing or very similar. There are many people making a very good living working from home, but they all worked very hard and consistently at it to reach where they are now.
Your opportunity is out there. Go for it.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Larry Ware is owner of WareSoft Consulting and
Webmaster of Work At Home Ideas And Opportunities
at http://www.waresoftconsulting.com
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box.
Don't quit your job yet! Whether you are looking for freedom or just want to earn extra money from home, there are many jobs and opportunities to make money working from home. But it will take some work and dedication. With a computer and internet access, just about anybody can find a work at home job. But be careful! You can be overwhelmed with offers promising you riches overnight. It's just not going to happen that way.
The possibilities are endless. There are paid surveys, data entry, eBay marketing, multi-level marketing selling products, services, web domains, etc. Keep looking until you narrow it down to something you would enjoy.
Don't spend any money on anything until you have checked it out thoroughly. Cut through the hype and find something that really interests you. Then quit looking and get to work. It's not going to happen overnight.
Be prepared to work it every day religously. Don't get discouraged and hop to something else. Quitters never succeed. When the going seems to be crawling, put your blinders on and keep at it. Don't be lured by another "pie in the sky" promise.
Signup for some helpful newsletters, join some forums or chat rooms with people doing the same thing or very similar. There are many people making a very good living working from home, but they all worked very hard and consistently at it to reach where they are now.
Your opportunity is out there. Go for it.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Larry Ware is owner of WareSoft Consulting and
Webmaster of Work At Home Ideas And Opportunities
at http://www.waresoftconsulting.com
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
10 Secrets Of The Super-Affiliate Mindset
By Anik Singal
Contrary to popular belief, super-affiliates don’t really DO things
differently than affiliate underachievers. Super-affiliates promote
the same products. They use the same SEO techniques. They have the
same headaches. And they work just as hard.
But super-affiliates THINK differently. Their minds and attitudes go
far beyond the commission check. For them, affiliate marketing is not
just a business. It’s a CAREER. And that professional mindset makes
a huge difference in how and when they take action in the marketplace.
I’ve worked side by side with many super-affiliates. I’ve even helped
create a few. They all share a special kind of mindset. So as you
read these 10 characteristics of affiliate super-achievers, ask
yourself, “Could I learn to think this way?”
#1 – Super-affiliates think creatively.
You know what you’ll get if you do what everyone else does? You’ll get
what they get... only you’ll be splitting it with them, and all their
imitators.
In today's Internet marketplace, you need to be a leader, not a
follower. So super-affiliates don’t follow the crowd. They sell TO
the crowd. They take the most successful marketing techniques, apply
them to selling the most popular products... and then add a unique spin.
It could be as simple as offering one unusual, but highly valuable
bonus. It could be as sensible as using low-cost offline marketing,
while everyone else is breaking the bank on expensive PPC. It could
be as innovative as dumping the sales letter, and substituting a quiz
or contest. But super-affiliates always, always, ALWAYS look for ways
to be alittle more creative than their competitors.
#2 – Super-affiliates learn the hard stuff.
Less than 10% of people who start their own business are successful.
Why? Most fail because they lack direct sales experience, don’t bother
with a marketing and business plan, or get into debt promoting products
that don’t have a market. In other words, they flunk when they get
tested on the really tough aspects of business.
Super-affiliates are different. They learn how to do all the “hard’
things other people shy away from. They learn about selling and they
get good at it. They set goals, make daily and weekly plans, and
measure their progress. They don’t waste time creating huge content
sites unless they have hard evidence that those sites will eventually
bring them BUYERS (not just browsers or researchers).
And most of all, they keep their eye on PROFITABILITY. Not just traffic,
not just visitors. Super-affiliates look for a return on their investment
of time and effort, as well as money.
#3 – Super-affliates follow up.
Most affiliates can attract prospects. A few can convert prospects into
customers. But only super-affiliates turn existing customers into repeat
customers.
Super-affiliates know that the person who has already bought from you is
the most willing prospect for your backend products, upsells, and cross-
sells. These current customers are also the cheapest to sell to. So super
-affiliates are always thinking of the lifetime value of a customer...
and always offering them the best value and deals.
#4 – Super-affiliates give before receiving.
Super-affiliates invest time and money giving something of REAL value.
Before they ask for the sale... and before they seal a JV. Maybe they
give away useful content. Maybe they offer a valuable resource. Maybe
they offer to put in some sweat equity for a piece of the action. Maybe
they offer customers a chance to win something... or a smile.
But no matter WHAT they give, super-affiliates do business in a spirit
of openness. It’s not about beating the other guy. It’s about networking
and making alliances. It’s about viewing the Internet marketplace as one
great big “small town.” It’s about saying “let’s talk.” And it’s about
putting something – money, effort, or reputation – on the table BEFORE
making demands.
#5 – Super-affiliates know how to receive.
Giving is the best first step – but it’s only the beginning. Once they’ve
hammered out a deal or given something of value, super-affiliates also
know how to take what they rightfully deserve.
That means they don’t just pre-sell... they ASK prospects for the sale.
They’re not afraid to capitalize on a good deal. They LIKE profits and
don’t apologize for being successful. And if they’re working on a JV,
they state their expectations clearly, forthrightly, without a lot of
fuss... and don’t de-value their list or reputation with cheesy offers.
Yes, the best super-affiliates receive their just rewards graciously,
without throwing their egos around. And they not only say thank you.
They look for ways to turn a “thank you” into an opportunity to generate
more customer loyalty and more sales down the line.
#6 – Super-affiliates think strategically.
Affiliate marketing isn't a game of chance. It's a profession. Super-
affiliates are just as savvy about their industry, and just as uninvolved,
as other expert professionals.
Which means super-affiliates spend quality time thinking, planning,
preparing, and evaluating. They analyze their sites, products, and
sales. They try to understand WHY one technique works and another doesn’t.
They think about trends and ponder the mentality of their customers.
Bottom line is, super-affiliates LOVE their work.
#7 – Super-affiliates test and analyze.
Profit, profit, profit... super affiliates are hard-headed about profits!
They split-test carefully. They think about WHY one ad pulls better than
another... and they try to duplicate the results. They analyze their traffic,
stats, and user purchase patterns. They’re fanatics about knowing their
visitor to sales ratio on a daily basis. And they’re obsessed with ROI.
If you want to say goodbye to the ranks of affiliate underachievers,
learn to love the numbers like the super-affiliates do.
#8 – Super-affiliates know when to go for volume over commission.
Here’s a very well-kept secret of some super-affiliates: you can earn a
fantastic income from cheap untargeted traffic. Believe it or not, not
every super-affiliate is brilliant at creating content or opt-in marketing.
Some just concentrate on traffic -- more and bigger traffic -- and make
money off of sheer volume sales and contextual advertising.
Here’s the basic formula, oversimplified of course: Let’s say that on a
given web site you get 1000 unique visitors per day, or 30,000 visitors
per month. If your average monthly profit from that site is $1500, then
each visitor is worth 5 cents ($1500 divided by 30,000 visitors).
So in this example, if you spend 5 cents to attract a visitor, all you can
do is break even. But if you can spend a lot less to get a visitor -- say
only 2 cents -- you’ve got the potential to make some terrific profits on
cheap traffic! Sure, it’s not going to be tightly niched traffic. But it’s
also the kind of traffic that fits well with products that have mass-market
mass-appeal, or even commodity products.
#9 – Super-affiliates work a plan.
Successful affiliates have a simple business model: they replicate their
success. Once they find something that works, they tweak it slightly, test, evaluate, and repeat. Some of the most profitable affiliate empires follow
this simple, repetitive pattern. Consistent effort tends to yield consistent results, especially online, where certain types of marketing (like SEO)
take time.
And more importantly, super-affiliates follow a schedule. So much activity
per month, so many promotions, so many sales. When they fall short of their
goals, they figure out why. If they can’t, they cut their losses and try
again.
Working a plan all boils down to discipline. Organization, tracking, and
daily project management are a way of life for super-affiliates.
#10 – Super-affiliates never quit.
They may ruthlessly dump under-performing products. They may cut their
losses if the profits don’t flow. But super-affiliates don’t give up.
They assume that they’re going to have some bumps and hard times. They
look at setbacks as essential learning experiences that, in the end,
help them build a stronger business.
=====================================================
This article is written by Anik Singal, founder of
AffiliateClassroom.com. Anik Singal has developed
his own affiliate system that helped him earn well
over $10,000 in just 60 days. Now, he's looking
for a few students to train one step at a time.
Sign up for a FREE course and find out more:
Affiliate Classroom Free Course
Contrary to popular belief, super-affiliates don’t really DO things
differently than affiliate underachievers. Super-affiliates promote
the same products. They use the same SEO techniques. They have the
same headaches. And they work just as hard.
But super-affiliates THINK differently. Their minds and attitudes go
far beyond the commission check. For them, affiliate marketing is not
just a business. It’s a CAREER. And that professional mindset makes
a huge difference in how and when they take action in the marketplace.
I’ve worked side by side with many super-affiliates. I’ve even helped
create a few. They all share a special kind of mindset. So as you
read these 10 characteristics of affiliate super-achievers, ask
yourself, “Could I learn to think this way?”
#1 – Super-affiliates think creatively.
You know what you’ll get if you do what everyone else does? You’ll get
what they get... only you’ll be splitting it with them, and all their
imitators.
In today's Internet marketplace, you need to be a leader, not a
follower. So super-affiliates don’t follow the crowd. They sell TO
the crowd. They take the most successful marketing techniques, apply
them to selling the most popular products... and then add a unique spin.
It could be as simple as offering one unusual, but highly valuable
bonus. It could be as sensible as using low-cost offline marketing,
while everyone else is breaking the bank on expensive PPC. It could
be as innovative as dumping the sales letter, and substituting a quiz
or contest. But super-affiliates always, always, ALWAYS look for ways
to be alittle more creative than their competitors.
#2 – Super-affiliates learn the hard stuff.
Less than 10% of people who start their own business are successful.
Why? Most fail because they lack direct sales experience, don’t bother
with a marketing and business plan, or get into debt promoting products
that don’t have a market. In other words, they flunk when they get
tested on the really tough aspects of business.
Super-affiliates are different. They learn how to do all the “hard’
things other people shy away from. They learn about selling and they
get good at it. They set goals, make daily and weekly plans, and
measure their progress. They don’t waste time creating huge content
sites unless they have hard evidence that those sites will eventually
bring them BUYERS (not just browsers or researchers).
And most of all, they keep their eye on PROFITABILITY. Not just traffic,
not just visitors. Super-affiliates look for a return on their investment
of time and effort, as well as money.
#3 – Super-affliates follow up.
Most affiliates can attract prospects. A few can convert prospects into
customers. But only super-affiliates turn existing customers into repeat
customers.
Super-affiliates know that the person who has already bought from you is
the most willing prospect for your backend products, upsells, and cross-
sells. These current customers are also the cheapest to sell to. So super
-affiliates are always thinking of the lifetime value of a customer...
and always offering them the best value and deals.
#4 – Super-affiliates give before receiving.
Super-affiliates invest time and money giving something of REAL value.
Before they ask for the sale... and before they seal a JV. Maybe they
give away useful content. Maybe they offer a valuable resource. Maybe
they offer to put in some sweat equity for a piece of the action. Maybe
they offer customers a chance to win something... or a smile.
But no matter WHAT they give, super-affiliates do business in a spirit
of openness. It’s not about beating the other guy. It’s about networking
and making alliances. It’s about viewing the Internet marketplace as one
great big “small town.” It’s about saying “let’s talk.” And it’s about
putting something – money, effort, or reputation – on the table BEFORE
making demands.
#5 – Super-affiliates know how to receive.
Giving is the best first step – but it’s only the beginning. Once they’ve
hammered out a deal or given something of value, super-affiliates also
know how to take what they rightfully deserve.
That means they don’t just pre-sell... they ASK prospects for the sale.
They’re not afraid to capitalize on a good deal. They LIKE profits and
don’t apologize for being successful. And if they’re working on a JV,
they state their expectations clearly, forthrightly, without a lot of
fuss... and don’t de-value their list or reputation with cheesy offers.
Yes, the best super-affiliates receive their just rewards graciously,
without throwing their egos around. And they not only say thank you.
They look for ways to turn a “thank you” into an opportunity to generate
more customer loyalty and more sales down the line.
#6 – Super-affiliates think strategically.
Affiliate marketing isn't a game of chance. It's a profession. Super-
affiliates are just as savvy about their industry, and just as uninvolved,
as other expert professionals.
Which means super-affiliates spend quality time thinking, planning,
preparing, and evaluating. They analyze their sites, products, and
sales. They try to understand WHY one technique works and another doesn’t.
They think about trends and ponder the mentality of their customers.
Bottom line is, super-affiliates LOVE their work.
#7 – Super-affiliates test and analyze.
Profit, profit, profit... super affiliates are hard-headed about profits!
They split-test carefully. They think about WHY one ad pulls better than
another... and they try to duplicate the results. They analyze their traffic,
stats, and user purchase patterns. They’re fanatics about knowing their
visitor to sales ratio on a daily basis. And they’re obsessed with ROI.
If you want to say goodbye to the ranks of affiliate underachievers,
learn to love the numbers like the super-affiliates do.
#8 – Super-affiliates know when to go for volume over commission.
Here’s a very well-kept secret of some super-affiliates: you can earn a
fantastic income from cheap untargeted traffic. Believe it or not, not
every super-affiliate is brilliant at creating content or opt-in marketing.
Some just concentrate on traffic -- more and bigger traffic -- and make
money off of sheer volume sales and contextual advertising.
Here’s the basic formula, oversimplified of course: Let’s say that on a
given web site you get 1000 unique visitors per day, or 30,000 visitors
per month. If your average monthly profit from that site is $1500, then
each visitor is worth 5 cents ($1500 divided by 30,000 visitors).
So in this example, if you spend 5 cents to attract a visitor, all you can
do is break even. But if you can spend a lot less to get a visitor -- say
only 2 cents -- you’ve got the potential to make some terrific profits on
cheap traffic! Sure, it’s not going to be tightly niched traffic. But it’s
also the kind of traffic that fits well with products that have mass-market
mass-appeal, or even commodity products.
#9 – Super-affiliates work a plan.
Successful affiliates have a simple business model: they replicate their
success. Once they find something that works, they tweak it slightly, test, evaluate, and repeat. Some of the most profitable affiliate empires follow
this simple, repetitive pattern. Consistent effort tends to yield consistent results, especially online, where certain types of marketing (like SEO)
take time.
And more importantly, super-affiliates follow a schedule. So much activity
per month, so many promotions, so many sales. When they fall short of their
goals, they figure out why. If they can’t, they cut their losses and try
again.
Working a plan all boils down to discipline. Organization, tracking, and
daily project management are a way of life for super-affiliates.
#10 – Super-affiliates never quit.
They may ruthlessly dump under-performing products. They may cut their
losses if the profits don’t flow. But super-affiliates don’t give up.
They assume that they’re going to have some bumps and hard times. They
look at setbacks as essential learning experiences that, in the end,
help them build a stronger business.
=====================================================
This article is written by Anik Singal, founder of
AffiliateClassroom.com. Anik Singal has developed
his own affiliate system that helped him earn well
over $10,000 in just 60 days. Now, he's looking
for a few students to train one step at a time.
Sign up for a FREE course and find out more:
Affiliate Classroom Free Course
Monday, February 06, 2006
A Comprehensive Review Of James Martell's "Revisited" Affiliate Marketers Handbook - 2005
As someone who regularly reviews written works, it is rare that I stumble across published materials that I believe are truly well written and offer extreme value to the reader. After reading James Martell’s Affiliate Marketers Handbook, this previously justified view has changed, and so have I!
Martell’s Handbook is a must for anyone working to better understand affiliate marketing and even how the Internet works in general, making it as beneficial to the amateur Internet entrepreneur as it is for the already successful Web-based businessperson. What’s more, it is clear, concise and easy to understand, making it as refreshing as it is valuable!
Without a doubt, this is the affiliate marketer’s guide you want if you are looking for success in this field and for straight-talk that serves as a catalyst for a quick, high ROI (Return on Investment).
Martell is a surprisingly good writer who sorts through all the hype and provides readers with thoroughly explained tips, techniques and proven facts. And, because he shares with readers exactly how he has used affiliate marketing to carve out a very successful business and an enviable lifestyle, paired with the simple fact that he continues to practice what he preaches in this handbook every day, provides an up-to-date guide that enables anyone to achieve his high level of success, all from the comfort of their own home, by using a computer that accesses the Internet (and his handbook, of course).
In short, there is not a better resource to affiliate marketing available anywhere (online or off) and there is not a more credible, reliable source in this field than James Martell.
The handbook starts with a brief, interesting look at Martell and how he got into affiliate marketing. Reading the introduction, you are sure to be impressed with Martell’s insight and how he took what was in the beginning just a hunch, and turned it into a very successful affiliate marketing business.
Martell has proven once gain to be ahead of the curve, relying on his past entrepreneurial experiences and successes to lead him through what was once a confusing maze (at least years ago when he first ventured into the great World Wide Web and affiliate marketing). And, taking notes every step of the way, penning what worked and what didn’t, he was able to take his five-year journey and develop a guide that is detailed roadmap for anyone looking to navigate through this too-oft confusing field (which took Martell six months to write, simply because his standards are so high and he was committed to crafting a guide that is uniquely comprehensive and leaves no question unanswered).
And, recognizing that technology continues to evolve almost daily, Martell posts up-to-date changes and revisions to an easily-accessible 'Updates' page that purchasers of the Affiliate Handbook can readily access, making sure everyone who has read the handbook remains on top of the ever-climbing Martell information curve and is equipped to utilize and make the most of every Web tool available.
If that’s not enough, as I read through this training manual, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he also offers a unique audio newsletter, appropriately entitled “James Martell’s Affiliate Buzz,” every two weeks. Martell uses the Affiliate Buzz to deliver insightful 30-minute conversations with associate Charles Johnston to discuss expanding the affiliate marketing business and how to successfully publish revenue-generating websites, proving that despite his unparalleled success, he remains accessible, hands-on and committed to sharing information, further setting him and his work away from the ever-growing pack.
In fact, the updated version of the Affiliate Marketers Handbook boasts two and a half years of updates and reflects Martell’s commitment to sharing the same knowledge that made him a success years ago, and the same knowledge that continues to make him a success today (and undoubtedly well into the future)!
Almost 350 pages, Martell’s Affiliate Handbook is broken down into smart, well thought out chapters that makes the material a dependable and extremely quick reference guide for any topic or question the reader may need as he or she ventures down the affiliate marketers path, even well after the initial read (or, as Martell says, if and when you “get off track”).
Particularly interesting are the chapters on keyword density, which detail, among many things, how to use Wordtracker software tracking tools. For, no matter how much I have read about these topics in the past, I have come away confused or with more questions than I feel I can ever have answered. With this handbook, this is not the case.
For instance, when Martell explains exactly how to develop a keyword list using Wordtracker, he includes everything; and I do mean EVERYTHING! As he says in the handbook, “ This was an eye opener for many who hadn’t realized this data was available – OR that there were so many different ways that people searched the Net. for the same thing.” And, he couldn’t be more right.
Of course, the original section that details Wordtracker information is still quite valuable for those who’ve never built a keyword list (even I understand it), but this previously published information has been added to and expanded upon in this revised edition. Now, it includes everything from details on the numerical totals (count), which represent a fractional amount and not a true count (or, in other words, each list shows the comparative results) to knowing that the actual amount doesn’t really matter (because, as Martell expertly points out, if any keyword was searched 6088 times, you can be sure it was ACTUALLY searched many times more! Simple enough, but who knew, right?
Knowing this, and the other pertinent information Martell shares in this book enables successful affiliate marketer wanta-bes to finally understand that the keyword list is the very backbone of a successful site, especially if the goal is to have the pages located and accessed through “natural search” (meaning surfers find your pages naturally in the FREE listings).
Considering this, did you know that, as a rule of thumb it should take about 5 to 10 hours to comprise a thoroughly researched keyword list? Probably not. Learning from Martell, widely considered the master of affiliate marketing, provides you insight into this area and many, many more. The result: a realistic plan to carving out your affiliate marketing success.
And, as he cautions, affiliate marketers need to remember their purpose if they desire such success. And, according to him, this purpose is simple: each keyword selected by you eventually becomes the Primary Keyword for a different page of your site. And search engines rank “pages” not sites. This said, a keyword list of 300 phrases becomes a website with 300 pages and each page has a shot at a ranking! This point is further emphasized in Martell’s audio report, entitled “Google Mastery,” that Martell prepared exclusively for readers of his handbook.
Martell’s Handbook even shows exactly how to develop keyword rich text and points you toward reputable, affordable authors in the event you (like most) experience writer’s block or just don’t have the time or know-how to regularly craft the necessary copy. And, he shares with readers one of his golden rules, which is to ensure site visitors are able to quickly and easily get the information they want/need, for this ensures an affiliate marketer’s success.
And, if you use Martell’s measuring stick of online success which is somewhere near 30,000 pages of online content, you’re sure to see that measuring up is going to take some time, but with the tools and know how he graciously shares in his manual, readers are sure to make promising protégés.
Take his notes on Keyword Density. As he shows us, his original formula still works. Even so, in this revised edition, he shares with readers new-found ways to increase his Google rankings by as much as 30% with some adjustment to the original formula. These new rules include: optimizing each page for keyword density by including “Primary and Tier-1 Secondary Keywords” in the following ways: Primary Keyword: use once in the headline and again, just once, in the first paragraph. Now, do not use this keyword again anywhere else on the page. For “Tier-1 Secondary Keywords: use once in the first or second paragraph, then nowhere else on the page.”
Martell follows this with proven solutions and use of keyword variations (individual words that are based on your Primary and Secondary Keywords) all written in a manner that translates into a thorough understanding, which lends itself to strong results.
Take Martell’s advice on a simple 300-word article. In his Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook, he explains that keywords should be used repeatedly in the following density: no less than 24 times; no more than 36 times. Martell advises to “extrapolate the above ratio on longer articles and to randomly included Tier-2 Secondary Keywords throughout the text in no particular density, but added only as they would naturally appear editorially. This is followed by very intuitive clarifications, advice and tips that further demonstrate why Martell remains a cut above the rest.
He also takes a look at the latest technology, including Google’s new “stemming” technology and makes even this cyber-jibber make perfectly good sense.
Martell’s Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook also boasts a wealth of information on website design, including buying website templates (complete with links to simple, effective templates designed specifically for affiliate marketers) from which you can easily and economically build from in a flash.
Martell de-myths Internal Linking (I previously thought this was some sort of inner-office dating service) and makes backlinking (which I though was something even less desirable than internal linking) as understandable as it is important in this highly specialized Web arena.
And speaking of Web arenas and cyberspace, I’d be remiss not to point out that Martell’s explanation and use of “Artificial Intelligence” is cosmic, to say the least!
As for site submission, the horrors once associated with this are a thing of the past, thanks to Martell’s documented trials and errors. He expertly (yes, again) explains how to submit each of your sites to all the major search engines through a fantastic service called SelfPromotion.com. Once submitted, the search engines will spider your sites automatically each month looking for additional content – a real bonus!
But to find out Martell’s even better way to submit, you’ll have to read his Affiliate Marketer’s handbook. However, I’ll go ahead and give you a clue. It includes leaving a certain box unchecked and the results this little step yields are remarkable!
Now, as you read the handbook, you’re sure to agree that Martell is as resourceful as he is smart. Unfortunately, most of us lack his intuitiveness and the sheer genius with which he approaches and breaks downs affiliate marketing. Fear not. Martell shares his best secrets for creating a more resourceful you and even shows you how to search for potential merchants at CJ.com. In fact, he walks you through this process step-by-step. And, as he says, “With the knowledge of how to do this you can now go to another commission network and get their ad copy (even though they might have different protocols), and do a Google search if you want other options; for instance, if you’d like to see if you could get a better commission with an independent merchant. Cha-ching!
About this time, Martell starts talking about “wiggle room,” something we all need more of. Anyway, he shares some of the best information available today on simplifying web design and understanding publishing tools, showing exactly what he deems “resourceful” and what he terms “wiggle room.”
Perhaps one of the highlights of the handbook is the section on Revenue Links, after all, this is the name of the game, right?
And while I could go on and on about the meat and potatoes of Martell’s Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook, suffice it to say it is a feast, one I will gorge on over and over again as I make my own way through each succulent course (and build each of my new sites), savouring every bite of the rich information, looking forward to the next tip or technique, mouth watering as I devour every chapter, every appendix, every workbook page, topped off with a dessert of the richest kind – luscious, sought-after updates and ongoing support information that rounds out one of the few truly perfect meals.
So pull up a chair and get ready for a life-changing experience. Trust me, your future never looked so good. And, if you don’t believe me, just ask your taste buds! You’ll be feeding them very well on the income you can make with Martell’s Affiliate Handbook, your own persistence and what I hope is a strong desire to succeed.
See you on the World Wide Web...
For more information, see www.work-at-home-net-guides.com.
About Kellie Fowler
Kellie is an award-winning copywriter, editor and reviewer who crafts copy for Associated Press, PR Newswire, the BusinessWire, Fortne 500 companies, national business and healthcare magazines, well-known corporate newsletters and publications, countless high-traffic Websites and more. She spends her free time in the home she shares with her boyfriend of six years and their family of six rescue animals on the Rideau in Eastern Ontario, where she enjoys kayaking, fly fishing, gardening, cooking, reading in her hammock and, of course, writing. Kellie, a native of the Southern U.S., is the owner of Write Solutions, a full service writing and editing company.
Martell’s Handbook is a must for anyone working to better understand affiliate marketing and even how the Internet works in general, making it as beneficial to the amateur Internet entrepreneur as it is for the already successful Web-based businessperson. What’s more, it is clear, concise and easy to understand, making it as refreshing as it is valuable!
Without a doubt, this is the affiliate marketer’s guide you want if you are looking for success in this field and for straight-talk that serves as a catalyst for a quick, high ROI (Return on Investment).
Martell is a surprisingly good writer who sorts through all the hype and provides readers with thoroughly explained tips, techniques and proven facts. And, because he shares with readers exactly how he has used affiliate marketing to carve out a very successful business and an enviable lifestyle, paired with the simple fact that he continues to practice what he preaches in this handbook every day, provides an up-to-date guide that enables anyone to achieve his high level of success, all from the comfort of their own home, by using a computer that accesses the Internet (and his handbook, of course).
In short, there is not a better resource to affiliate marketing available anywhere (online or off) and there is not a more credible, reliable source in this field than James Martell.
The handbook starts with a brief, interesting look at Martell and how he got into affiliate marketing. Reading the introduction, you are sure to be impressed with Martell’s insight and how he took what was in the beginning just a hunch, and turned it into a very successful affiliate marketing business.
Martell has proven once gain to be ahead of the curve, relying on his past entrepreneurial experiences and successes to lead him through what was once a confusing maze (at least years ago when he first ventured into the great World Wide Web and affiliate marketing). And, taking notes every step of the way, penning what worked and what didn’t, he was able to take his five-year journey and develop a guide that is detailed roadmap for anyone looking to navigate through this too-oft confusing field (which took Martell six months to write, simply because his standards are so high and he was committed to crafting a guide that is uniquely comprehensive and leaves no question unanswered).
And, recognizing that technology continues to evolve almost daily, Martell posts up-to-date changes and revisions to an easily-accessible 'Updates' page that purchasers of the Affiliate Handbook can readily access, making sure everyone who has read the handbook remains on top of the ever-climbing Martell information curve and is equipped to utilize and make the most of every Web tool available.
If that’s not enough, as I read through this training manual, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he also offers a unique audio newsletter, appropriately entitled “James Martell’s Affiliate Buzz,” every two weeks. Martell uses the Affiliate Buzz to deliver insightful 30-minute conversations with associate Charles Johnston to discuss expanding the affiliate marketing business and how to successfully publish revenue-generating websites, proving that despite his unparalleled success, he remains accessible, hands-on and committed to sharing information, further setting him and his work away from the ever-growing pack.
In fact, the updated version of the Affiliate Marketers Handbook boasts two and a half years of updates and reflects Martell’s commitment to sharing the same knowledge that made him a success years ago, and the same knowledge that continues to make him a success today (and undoubtedly well into the future)!
Almost 350 pages, Martell’s Affiliate Handbook is broken down into smart, well thought out chapters that makes the material a dependable and extremely quick reference guide for any topic or question the reader may need as he or she ventures down the affiliate marketers path, even well after the initial read (or, as Martell says, if and when you “get off track”).
Particularly interesting are the chapters on keyword density, which detail, among many things, how to use Wordtracker software tracking tools. For, no matter how much I have read about these topics in the past, I have come away confused or with more questions than I feel I can ever have answered. With this handbook, this is not the case.
For instance, when Martell explains exactly how to develop a keyword list using Wordtracker, he includes everything; and I do mean EVERYTHING! As he says in the handbook, “ This was an eye opener for many who hadn’t realized this data was available – OR that there were so many different ways that people searched the Net. for the same thing.” And, he couldn’t be more right.
Of course, the original section that details Wordtracker information is still quite valuable for those who’ve never built a keyword list (even I understand it), but this previously published information has been added to and expanded upon in this revised edition. Now, it includes everything from details on the numerical totals (count), which represent a fractional amount and not a true count (or, in other words, each list shows the comparative results) to knowing that the actual amount doesn’t really matter (because, as Martell expertly points out, if any keyword was searched 6088 times, you can be sure it was ACTUALLY searched many times more! Simple enough, but who knew, right?
Knowing this, and the other pertinent information Martell shares in this book enables successful affiliate marketer wanta-bes to finally understand that the keyword list is the very backbone of a successful site, especially if the goal is to have the pages located and accessed through “natural search” (meaning surfers find your pages naturally in the FREE listings).
Considering this, did you know that, as a rule of thumb it should take about 5 to 10 hours to comprise a thoroughly researched keyword list? Probably not. Learning from Martell, widely considered the master of affiliate marketing, provides you insight into this area and many, many more. The result: a realistic plan to carving out your affiliate marketing success.
And, as he cautions, affiliate marketers need to remember their purpose if they desire such success. And, according to him, this purpose is simple: each keyword selected by you eventually becomes the Primary Keyword for a different page of your site. And search engines rank “pages” not sites. This said, a keyword list of 300 phrases becomes a website with 300 pages and each page has a shot at a ranking! This point is further emphasized in Martell’s audio report, entitled “Google Mastery,” that Martell prepared exclusively for readers of his handbook.
Martell’s Handbook even shows exactly how to develop keyword rich text and points you toward reputable, affordable authors in the event you (like most) experience writer’s block or just don’t have the time or know-how to regularly craft the necessary copy. And, he shares with readers one of his golden rules, which is to ensure site visitors are able to quickly and easily get the information they want/need, for this ensures an affiliate marketer’s success.
And, if you use Martell’s measuring stick of online success which is somewhere near 30,000 pages of online content, you’re sure to see that measuring up is going to take some time, but with the tools and know how he graciously shares in his manual, readers are sure to make promising protégés.
Take his notes on Keyword Density. As he shows us, his original formula still works. Even so, in this revised edition, he shares with readers new-found ways to increase his Google rankings by as much as 30% with some adjustment to the original formula. These new rules include: optimizing each page for keyword density by including “Primary and Tier-1 Secondary Keywords” in the following ways: Primary Keyword: use once in the headline and again, just once, in the first paragraph. Now, do not use this keyword again anywhere else on the page. For “Tier-1 Secondary Keywords: use once in the first or second paragraph, then nowhere else on the page.”
Martell follows this with proven solutions and use of keyword variations (individual words that are based on your Primary and Secondary Keywords) all written in a manner that translates into a thorough understanding, which lends itself to strong results.
Take Martell’s advice on a simple 300-word article. In his Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook, he explains that keywords should be used repeatedly in the following density: no less than 24 times; no more than 36 times. Martell advises to “extrapolate the above ratio on longer articles and to randomly included Tier-2 Secondary Keywords throughout the text in no particular density, but added only as they would naturally appear editorially. This is followed by very intuitive clarifications, advice and tips that further demonstrate why Martell remains a cut above the rest.
He also takes a look at the latest technology, including Google’s new “stemming” technology and makes even this cyber-jibber make perfectly good sense.
Martell’s Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook also boasts a wealth of information on website design, including buying website templates (complete with links to simple, effective templates designed specifically for affiliate marketers) from which you can easily and economically build from in a flash.
Martell de-myths Internal Linking (I previously thought this was some sort of inner-office dating service) and makes backlinking (which I though was something even less desirable than internal linking) as understandable as it is important in this highly specialized Web arena.
And speaking of Web arenas and cyberspace, I’d be remiss not to point out that Martell’s explanation and use of “Artificial Intelligence” is cosmic, to say the least!
As for site submission, the horrors once associated with this are a thing of the past, thanks to Martell’s documented trials and errors. He expertly (yes, again) explains how to submit each of your sites to all the major search engines through a fantastic service called SelfPromotion.com. Once submitted, the search engines will spider your sites automatically each month looking for additional content – a real bonus!
But to find out Martell’s even better way to submit, you’ll have to read his Affiliate Marketer’s handbook. However, I’ll go ahead and give you a clue. It includes leaving a certain box unchecked and the results this little step yields are remarkable!
Now, as you read the handbook, you’re sure to agree that Martell is as resourceful as he is smart. Unfortunately, most of us lack his intuitiveness and the sheer genius with which he approaches and breaks downs affiliate marketing. Fear not. Martell shares his best secrets for creating a more resourceful you and even shows you how to search for potential merchants at CJ.com. In fact, he walks you through this process step-by-step. And, as he says, “With the knowledge of how to do this you can now go to another commission network and get their ad copy (even though they might have different protocols), and do a Google search if you want other options; for instance, if you’d like to see if you could get a better commission with an independent merchant. Cha-ching!
About this time, Martell starts talking about “wiggle room,” something we all need more of. Anyway, he shares some of the best information available today on simplifying web design and understanding publishing tools, showing exactly what he deems “resourceful” and what he terms “wiggle room.”
Perhaps one of the highlights of the handbook is the section on Revenue Links, after all, this is the name of the game, right?
And while I could go on and on about the meat and potatoes of Martell’s Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook, suffice it to say it is a feast, one I will gorge on over and over again as I make my own way through each succulent course (and build each of my new sites), savouring every bite of the rich information, looking forward to the next tip or technique, mouth watering as I devour every chapter, every appendix, every workbook page, topped off with a dessert of the richest kind – luscious, sought-after updates and ongoing support information that rounds out one of the few truly perfect meals.
So pull up a chair and get ready for a life-changing experience. Trust me, your future never looked so good. And, if you don’t believe me, just ask your taste buds! You’ll be feeding them very well on the income you can make with Martell’s Affiliate Handbook, your own persistence and what I hope is a strong desire to succeed.
See you on the World Wide Web...
For more information, see www.work-at-home-net-guides.com.
About Kellie Fowler
Kellie is an award-winning copywriter, editor and reviewer who crafts copy for Associated Press, PR Newswire, the BusinessWire, Fortne 500 companies, national business and healthcare magazines, well-known corporate newsletters and publications, countless high-traffic Websites and more. She spends her free time in the home she shares with her boyfriend of six years and their family of six rescue animals on the Rideau in Eastern Ontario, where she enjoys kayaking, fly fishing, gardening, cooking, reading in her hammock and, of course, writing. Kellie, a native of the Southern U.S., is the owner of Write Solutions, a full service writing and editing company.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Dotcomology -- the Science of an e-Entrepreneur
Do you have what it takes to be an e-entrepreneur?
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
Author of "Dotcomology - The Science of Making Money Online"
These days, it seems like everyone wants to work
from home and make money on the Internet. But
before you even turn on your computer, the first
question you have to ask yourself is whether
you’re cut out for this kind of work.
The fact is, building a home-based business isn’t
for everyone. Some people like the commute. They
really do enjoy having a boss who tells them what
to do, and they like the routine of working
nine-to-five for an ordinary salary that can
barely pay the mortgage. Personally, I think
they’re nuts.
More reasonably, there are people who are
concerned about the risk of starting up their own
business. They’re not sure it’s worth the
investment of time and money, and they’re scared
of the responsibility that comes with running
their own company. They wonder if there is
another way to escape the rat race.
I’m sure there is. You could win the lottery or
wait for your Aunt Sue to keel over and leave you
her condo. Or maybe you could sit down with a pen
and paper and draw the blueprint for "The Next
Big Thing". Anything can happen... Right?
For me, what happened was creating a successful,
self-running Internet marketing system. It didn’t
happen without effort. It didn’t happen without
at least some initial investment of both time and
money and, of course, it doesn’t happen now
without me making sure that the taxes are filed
and the paperwork is done. But it happened.
I’m my own boss. I work from home according to my
own schedule and I get to pocket all the cash my
business makes. If you’re prepared to give an
e-business the time, the work and the money it
needs to get started and get growing, it can
happen for you too.
Article excerpted from "Dotcomology":
Don't Pay A Dime For Any Ebook, Marketing
Course, Software Program Or Anything Else Until
You've Read This Groundbreaking Document...
Click Here to Discover "Dotcomology" Now!
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
Author of "Dotcomology - The Science of Making Money Online"
These days, it seems like everyone wants to work
from home and make money on the Internet. But
before you even turn on your computer, the first
question you have to ask yourself is whether
you’re cut out for this kind of work.
The fact is, building a home-based business isn’t
for everyone. Some people like the commute. They
really do enjoy having a boss who tells them what
to do, and they like the routine of working
nine-to-five for an ordinary salary that can
barely pay the mortgage. Personally, I think
they’re nuts.
More reasonably, there are people who are
concerned about the risk of starting up their own
business. They’re not sure it’s worth the
investment of time and money, and they’re scared
of the responsibility that comes with running
their own company. They wonder if there is
another way to escape the rat race.
I’m sure there is. You could win the lottery or
wait for your Aunt Sue to keel over and leave you
her condo. Or maybe you could sit down with a pen
and paper and draw the blueprint for "The Next
Big Thing". Anything can happen... Right?
For me, what happened was creating a successful,
self-running Internet marketing system. It didn’t
happen without effort. It didn’t happen without
at least some initial investment of both time and
money and, of course, it doesn’t happen now
without me making sure that the taxes are filed
and the paperwork is done. But it happened.
I’m my own boss. I work from home according to my
own schedule and I get to pocket all the cash my
business makes. If you’re prepared to give an
e-business the time, the work and the money it
needs to get started and get growing, it can
happen for you too.
Article excerpted from "Dotcomology":
Don't Pay A Dime For Any Ebook, Marketing
Course, Software Program Or Anything Else Until
You've Read This Groundbreaking Document...
Click Here to Discover "Dotcomology" Now!
Friday, October 14, 2005
Your Home Business: Turning Pennies into Dollars
Your Home Business: Turning Pennies into Dollars
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
Henry Ford taught us that to simplify the
manufacture of automobiles, that the best way to
do so was to install the assembly line. That one
change revolutionized the auto manufacturing
industry permitting the industry to build cars at
a cost whereas the average person could afford to
buy one.
The lesson we should take from this is that
having the ability to improve the process of
getting the job quicker and cheaper, without
compromising the quality of the job being done,
will help catapult the person who simplified the
process to the top of his/her field.
Pennies saved in your home business can turn into
dollars at the end of the day, and dollars can
quickly multiply into hundreds or thousands of
dollars over time.
Doubt me if you will, but let me ask you a
question. Do you think a saving of two fifths of
a penny could make any real difference in the
profit margin of a home business? Of course
the right answer is "it depends on how many
transactions are done in a year, utilizing the
savings of the two fifths of one penny."
You only have to think back a couple of decades
to really appreciate this question. Do you
remember the nut that lived and died in a Las
Vegas hotel room? You know the one who was a
billionaire, and was so worried about germs that
he died of starvation? If you guessed Howard
Hughes (1905-76), pat yourself on the back.
Now Howard did not make all of his money on his
two fifths of one penny. He did however make a
ton of money from his two fifths of one penny. It
seems Howard owned a can manufacturing company.
And one day, Howard's team figured out how they
could make one minor change in the design of
their food can to reduce the amount of tin
necessary to make a single can.
As the story goes --- if my memory serves me
correctly --- the reduction in tin usage equaled
a saving of two fifths of one penny per can.
Howard --- being the really smart businessman
that he was --- decided that he would not be so
greedy as to keep all of the savings for himself.
What Mr. Hughes did do was to keep half of the
savings for himself, and give the other half
to his customers. The incredible thing about Mr.
Hughes decision is that by saving his customers
an extra one fifths of one cent per can, he
managed to take more market share away from his
competition --- netting his company an additional
and substantial portion of the total market share
in the canning industry.
Let us return our thoughts to your home business.
Have you ever gotten the feeling of excitement
--- when you read something or thought of
something --- that you could not wait to
implement this new idea? This could be one of
those moments...
In every home business, there are certain
processes that we do over and again. Sometimes it
may be possible to trim the time or expense of a
process which in turn will add pennies or dollars
to your bottom line. If it is a process that you
do hundreds or thousands of times per month, then
your savings will multiply into hundreds or
thousands of dollars in monthly savings.
Imagine what running a home business was like
BEFORE the computer...
Before the personal computer, we had to hand type
all letters and invoices. Now, we can setup a
letter or invoice that we send out quite often,
and we can save it in our word processor so
that when we need to use it again, we can print
it quickly and efficiently. There is no longer a
need to type the document again from scratch.
The computer has simplified our business
communications and has provided us the
opportunity to reduce our costs of doing business.
Think about all of the other processes that the
computer has enabled us to do for far less
expense than what we could in the past.
In this case, the computer is a tool that permits
us to save time and money.
So, my challenge to you is to begin examining the
processes in your own home business and look for
ways in which you can save yourself time and
money. It is far better for you to contemplate
on this matter than it is for me to do so for
you. Simply put, you know your business better
than anyone on the planet does. Therefore, you
are in a better position than anyone to find
those extra dollars that will decrease your costs
and increase your profits.
The extra pennies and dollars you could extract
from your business could spell the difference
between success and failure for your home
business enterprise.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
Henry Ford taught us that to simplify the
manufacture of automobiles, that the best way to
do so was to install the assembly line. That one
change revolutionized the auto manufacturing
industry permitting the industry to build cars at
a cost whereas the average person could afford to
buy one.
The lesson we should take from this is that
having the ability to improve the process of
getting the job quicker and cheaper, without
compromising the quality of the job being done,
will help catapult the person who simplified the
process to the top of his/her field.
Pennies saved in your home business can turn into
dollars at the end of the day, and dollars can
quickly multiply into hundreds or thousands of
dollars over time.
Doubt me if you will, but let me ask you a
question. Do you think a saving of two fifths of
a penny could make any real difference in the
profit margin of a home business? Of course
the right answer is "it depends on how many
transactions are done in a year, utilizing the
savings of the two fifths of one penny."
You only have to think back a couple of decades
to really appreciate this question. Do you
remember the nut that lived and died in a Las
Vegas hotel room? You know the one who was a
billionaire, and was so worried about germs that
he died of starvation? If you guessed Howard
Hughes (1905-76), pat yourself on the back.
Now Howard did not make all of his money on his
two fifths of one penny. He did however make a
ton of money from his two fifths of one penny. It
seems Howard owned a can manufacturing company.
And one day, Howard's team figured out how they
could make one minor change in the design of
their food can to reduce the amount of tin
necessary to make a single can.
As the story goes --- if my memory serves me
correctly --- the reduction in tin usage equaled
a saving of two fifths of one penny per can.
Howard --- being the really smart businessman
that he was --- decided that he would not be so
greedy as to keep all of the savings for himself.
What Mr. Hughes did do was to keep half of the
savings for himself, and give the other half
to his customers. The incredible thing about Mr.
Hughes decision is that by saving his customers
an extra one fifths of one cent per can, he
managed to take more market share away from his
competition --- netting his company an additional
and substantial portion of the total market share
in the canning industry.
Let us return our thoughts to your home business.
Have you ever gotten the feeling of excitement
--- when you read something or thought of
something --- that you could not wait to
implement this new idea? This could be one of
those moments...
In every home business, there are certain
processes that we do over and again. Sometimes it
may be possible to trim the time or expense of a
process which in turn will add pennies or dollars
to your bottom line. If it is a process that you
do hundreds or thousands of times per month, then
your savings will multiply into hundreds or
thousands of dollars in monthly savings.
Imagine what running a home business was like
BEFORE the computer...
Before the personal computer, we had to hand type
all letters and invoices. Now, we can setup a
letter or invoice that we send out quite often,
and we can save it in our word processor so
that when we need to use it again, we can print
it quickly and efficiently. There is no longer a
need to type the document again from scratch.
The computer has simplified our business
communications and has provided us the
opportunity to reduce our costs of doing business.
Think about all of the other processes that the
computer has enabled us to do for far less
expense than what we could in the past.
In this case, the computer is a tool that permits
us to save time and money.
So, my challenge to you is to begin examining the
processes in your own home business and look for
ways in which you can save yourself time and
money. It is far better for you to contemplate
on this matter than it is for me to do so for
you. Simply put, you know your business better
than anyone on the planet does. Therefore, you
are in a better position than anyone to find
those extra dollars that will decrease your costs
and increase your profits.
The extra pennies and dollars you could extract
from your business could spell the difference
between success and failure for your home
business enterprise.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Understanding the Different Methods of Online Promotion
Understanding the Different Methods of Online Promotion
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
Did you realize there are only three types of
online promotion?... This statement may seem odd
and even untrue in your mind, but I am speaking
in more general terms than you might be thinking.
Let me explain.
The three types of promotion are Junk, Active and
Passive promotions.
JUNK PROMOTIONS ARE MONEY PITS
Junk promotions are those that seem to produce
results, but by their very nature are really only
illusionary promotions.
For example, let me begin with FFA (Free For All)
pages. You might find yourself subscribing to a
submission program that tricks you into believing
you are submitting your links to tens of
thousands search engines.
Yes, you can submit your URL to a FFA page, but
FFA’s usually only permit 100 or 1000 links on
their page at any one time. So, if ten thousand
people are submitting a link to an FFA page on a
daily basis, then the average life of your link
is between seven minutes and 144 minutes. I
suspect the actual number of submitters is much
higher and the results are much worse. Given
that few people surf FFA pages, the chances of
your submission being of any real value is
practically nothing!
Most of the people telling you that you can
submit your site to tens of thousands of search
engines are truly only submitting your site to
FFA pages! Beware of the false promises.
Another junk promotion method is Safe Lists. A
safe list is a mailing group that is signed up to
be received by people who want to submit their
own ads. Now, most safe lists have thousands of
subscribers who are able to submit their ads daily
or weekly. The person signed up to receive the
list will receive anywhere from twenty to 140+
messages a day from the list. These messages will
be received by people only interested in promoting
their own thing who do not have the right
motivation to open, let alone read Your
Advertising. As a result, thousands of messages
go out daily or weekly that will never be seen by
anyone but the sender of the ad. Where is the
value in that? There is none.
ACTIVE PROMOTIONS
Active promotions are the type that require you
to go out on a daily basis or a weekly basis and
put out your advertisements. With active
promotions, you will either place your advertising
or you will not sell your products or services.
Your choice is simple --- work or starve.
Examples of active promotions include Pay Per
Click Search Engines (PPCSE’s), Direct Email,
Ezine Advertising, Solo Ezine Ads, Newsletter
Publishing, Ezine Ad Swaps, Classified Ads,
Auctions, Site Sponsorship and Banner Ads.
Some people are able to utilize these methods
very productively, while others are destined to
drop their money into the bottomless pit of
failed Internet promotions.
PASSIVE PROMOTIONS
Passive promotions are those promotions that can
continue to provide results for you long after
you have invested the work to make them available
to the Internet community.
Examples of passive promotions include: Link
Exchanges, Articles, Ebooks, Content Exchanges
and Writing Testimonials for others.
Let’s look at articles as a solid example of my
point.
You are reading an article that I have written to
promote my own business. This article is timeless
and therefore could have been written five years
ago and still have been as valuable as it is
today.
Due to the fact that the article is timeless, it
can and will be placed in newsletters/ezines and
their accompanying online archives, on websites
and in ebooks for many more years to come.
As a result, this article will continue to serve
me well beyond the time in which I wrote it and
submitted it to publishers and webmasters for
public consumption and publication.
This is the best example I can give you of an
excellent passive promotional method.
AVOID THE MONEY PITS
Many try and even fewer succeed to conquer the
Internet and to produce their dreams of online
wealth.
My hope is that you will be one of the people who
conquer the challenges before you and to make a
nice living while working online. It will take
drive, determination, study plus trial and error,
but you can make it work for you.
Please continue to educate yourself so that you
can avoid the money pits - instead, strive to
find the money barrels. It can be done. I am
living proof.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
Did you realize there are only three types of
online promotion?... This statement may seem odd
and even untrue in your mind, but I am speaking
in more general terms than you might be thinking.
Let me explain.
The three types of promotion are Junk, Active and
Passive promotions.
JUNK PROMOTIONS ARE MONEY PITS
Junk promotions are those that seem to produce
results, but by their very nature are really only
illusionary promotions.
For example, let me begin with FFA (Free For All)
pages. You might find yourself subscribing to a
submission program that tricks you into believing
you are submitting your links to tens of
thousands search engines.
Yes, you can submit your URL to a FFA page, but
FFA’s usually only permit 100 or 1000 links on
their page at any one time. So, if ten thousand
people are submitting a link to an FFA page on a
daily basis, then the average life of your link
is between seven minutes and 144 minutes. I
suspect the actual number of submitters is much
higher and the results are much worse. Given
that few people surf FFA pages, the chances of
your submission being of any real value is
practically nothing!
Most of the people telling you that you can
submit your site to tens of thousands of search
engines are truly only submitting your site to
FFA pages! Beware of the false promises.
Another junk promotion method is Safe Lists. A
safe list is a mailing group that is signed up to
be received by people who want to submit their
own ads. Now, most safe lists have thousands of
subscribers who are able to submit their ads daily
or weekly. The person signed up to receive the
list will receive anywhere from twenty to 140+
messages a day from the list. These messages will
be received by people only interested in promoting
their own thing who do not have the right
motivation to open, let alone read Your
Advertising. As a result, thousands of messages
go out daily or weekly that will never be seen by
anyone but the sender of the ad. Where is the
value in that? There is none.
ACTIVE PROMOTIONS
Active promotions are the type that require you
to go out on a daily basis or a weekly basis and
put out your advertisements. With active
promotions, you will either place your advertising
or you will not sell your products or services.
Your choice is simple --- work or starve.
Examples of active promotions include Pay Per
Click Search Engines (PPCSE’s), Direct Email,
Ezine Advertising, Solo Ezine Ads, Newsletter
Publishing, Ezine Ad Swaps, Classified Ads,
Auctions, Site Sponsorship and Banner Ads.
Some people are able to utilize these methods
very productively, while others are destined to
drop their money into the bottomless pit of
failed Internet promotions.
PASSIVE PROMOTIONS
Passive promotions are those promotions that can
continue to provide results for you long after
you have invested the work to make them available
to the Internet community.
Examples of passive promotions include: Link
Exchanges, Articles, Ebooks, Content Exchanges
and Writing Testimonials for others.
Let’s look at articles as a solid example of my
point.
You are reading an article that I have written to
promote my own business. This article is timeless
and therefore could have been written five years
ago and still have been as valuable as it is
today.
Due to the fact that the article is timeless, it
can and will be placed in newsletters/ezines and
their accompanying online archives, on websites
and in ebooks for many more years to come.
As a result, this article will continue to serve
me well beyond the time in which I wrote it and
submitted it to publishers and webmasters for
public consumption and publication.
This is the best example I can give you of an
excellent passive promotional method.
AVOID THE MONEY PITS
Many try and even fewer succeed to conquer the
Internet and to produce their dreams of online
wealth.
My hope is that you will be one of the people who
conquer the challenges before you and to make a
nice living while working online. It will take
drive, determination, study plus trial and error,
but you can make it work for you.
Please continue to educate yourself so that you
can avoid the money pits - instead, strive to
find the money barrels. It can be done. I am
living proof.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Understanding the Different Methods of Offline Promotion
Understanding the Different Methods of Offline Promotion
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
No business can survive the long run without some
form of consistent advertising. As a result, most
business owners will eventually consider using
advertising to promote their business.
The toughest part of the advertising equation is
in determining where and how to spend your
advertising dollars. If you do it wrong, you
could plunk down your entire advertising budget
and receive absolutely no return on your
investment. But, if you do it right, your
advertising could continue to bring a nice return
for years to come.
HOW DO I MAKE THE RIGHT ADVERTISING DECISIONS
In order to make good decisions concerning how to
spend your advertising budget, you must first
have a good understanding of the different types
of advertising and promotion available and what
can be expected to be achieved by each.
· You must understand which markets the different
media's can reach.
· You must understand the demographics of the
media's consumers.
· You must understand the buying habits of the
consumers reached through the media.
WHAT OFFLINE ADVERTISING & PROMOTION MEDIA'S
SHOULD BE CONSIDERED
The media's that people think of most often are
television, radio, newspaper and magazine
advertising. Of course, these are the big boys
that big businesses use regularly.
Other methods of promotion include trade shows,
press releases, direct sales, telemarketing, word
of mouth, branding and billboard advertising.
CONSIDERING THE BIG MEDIA OUTLETS
The big boys of advertising media's generally
cost big bucks. Given certain circumstances, the
big media's can be bought for very little money.
Take for example, television, radio and
newspapers cost big bucks during their prime
times, but can be bought for pennies on the
dollar during non-primetime hours.
Television primetime is between 7pm and 10pm.
Radio primetime is between 7am and 6pm. With
newspapers, the primetime is Wednesdays and
Sundays.
If you intend to hit a media during prime time,
get ready to drop some bucks. Primetime means
that you will be able to hit more consumers
during these times. So, in most cases, a
primetime buy will enable you to reach more
people with your advertising.
Non-primetime hours can still deliver a lot of
eyes and ears to your message, and sometimes,
these off-hours can be bought for a bargain
basement price.
GETTING MILEAGE FROM EVENTS
Trade shows and press releases are more
event-driven. The trade show is the event, while
the press release generally exploits an event.
Trade shows are an exceptional tool when you deal
directly with potential sellers of your products
or services. Other shows are directed at the
consumer, and those can be very valuable avenues
for sales as well.
The press release is aimed towards gaining
attention for a business by distributing
newsworthy information about the business.
Sometimes the appearance of a business at a trade
show or other show can provide the necessary
angle for a press release. But most often, a
successful press release will actually require
more noteworthy information than the appearance
of a business at a show.
Yet, even the most mundane of information could
be spiced up to give the real air of importance
necessary to get your press release read and
printed.
The great thing about a press release is that
might permit you to get relatively inexpensive
promotion on television, radio, newspapers and
magazines; for far less than what it would cost
you to buy advertising in those same outlets.
UTILIZING A SALES TEAM
Depending on what type of business you run and
the consumers you are trying to reach, you might
find direct sales and telemarketing to be very
lucrative ways to drive sales to your business.
Both are very similar in nature. Direct sales can
be very expensive, as it requires a great
investment of time to accomodate. Telemarketing
seeks to minimize the time expenditure, but it
often leads to a smaller degree of respect and
attention.
Depending on your product or service --- and
always depending upon the people you employ to
the task --- each method will be more suited to
each business on an individual basis.
BRANDING YOUR BUSINESS
I grouped branding and billboard advertising
together in my original list for a reason. I did
this because billboard advertising serves most
businesses best by helping to support the process
of branding.
Branding is the process of establishing your
business as the supplier of a certain product or
service, or in emphasizing a certain USP (Unique
Selling Proposition) as it pertains to your
business.
If branding and USP seems to be a confusing
concept, think about Wal-Mart and their tag line:
"Always Low Prices, Always."
Think about Ford Motors, "Quality is Job One."
Think about the Visa Card, "It's Everywhere You
Want To Be."
You see, these top corporations have managed to
make their USP part of their branding.
Even if you are only competing in a local
marketplace, your USP can and should fit snugly
into your branding strategy.
NO MATTER THE MEDIA OR METHOD
Whichever method or media you should choose to
employ in your advertising and promotion, you
should become knowledgable about your market, and
the consumers reached by each media. It is
important to understand which consumers can be
reached by a certain media, and in what
quantities.
However you choose to spend your advertising
dollars, you should always track the results of
your promotional efforts. Failing to track
successes and failures will ultimately lead to
the failure of a business.
When you know whom you are trying to reach and
how you think you might be able to reach them,
you will begin to learn how to use advertising
and promotion to make your business successful.
That is a good thing --- after all, that is why
you got into the business in the first place,
isn't it?
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
No business can survive the long run without some
form of consistent advertising. As a result, most
business owners will eventually consider using
advertising to promote their business.
The toughest part of the advertising equation is
in determining where and how to spend your
advertising dollars. If you do it wrong, you
could plunk down your entire advertising budget
and receive absolutely no return on your
investment. But, if you do it right, your
advertising could continue to bring a nice return
for years to come.
HOW DO I MAKE THE RIGHT ADVERTISING DECISIONS
In order to make good decisions concerning how to
spend your advertising budget, you must first
have a good understanding of the different types
of advertising and promotion available and what
can be expected to be achieved by each.
· You must understand which markets the different
media's can reach.
· You must understand the demographics of the
media's consumers.
· You must understand the buying habits of the
consumers reached through the media.
WHAT OFFLINE ADVERTISING & PROMOTION MEDIA'S
SHOULD BE CONSIDERED
The media's that people think of most often are
television, radio, newspaper and magazine
advertising. Of course, these are the big boys
that big businesses use regularly.
Other methods of promotion include trade shows,
press releases, direct sales, telemarketing, word
of mouth, branding and billboard advertising.
CONSIDERING THE BIG MEDIA OUTLETS
The big boys of advertising media's generally
cost big bucks. Given certain circumstances, the
big media's can be bought for very little money.
Take for example, television, radio and
newspapers cost big bucks during their prime
times, but can be bought for pennies on the
dollar during non-primetime hours.
Television primetime is between 7pm and 10pm.
Radio primetime is between 7am and 6pm. With
newspapers, the primetime is Wednesdays and
Sundays.
If you intend to hit a media during prime time,
get ready to drop some bucks. Primetime means
that you will be able to hit more consumers
during these times. So, in most cases, a
primetime buy will enable you to reach more
people with your advertising.
Non-primetime hours can still deliver a lot of
eyes and ears to your message, and sometimes,
these off-hours can be bought for a bargain
basement price.
GETTING MILEAGE FROM EVENTS
Trade shows and press releases are more
event-driven. The trade show is the event, while
the press release generally exploits an event.
Trade shows are an exceptional tool when you deal
directly with potential sellers of your products
or services. Other shows are directed at the
consumer, and those can be very valuable avenues
for sales as well.
The press release is aimed towards gaining
attention for a business by distributing
newsworthy information about the business.
Sometimes the appearance of a business at a trade
show or other show can provide the necessary
angle for a press release. But most often, a
successful press release will actually require
more noteworthy information than the appearance
of a business at a show.
Yet, even the most mundane of information could
be spiced up to give the real air of importance
necessary to get your press release read and
printed.
The great thing about a press release is that
might permit you to get relatively inexpensive
promotion on television, radio, newspapers and
magazines; for far less than what it would cost
you to buy advertising in those same outlets.
UTILIZING A SALES TEAM
Depending on what type of business you run and
the consumers you are trying to reach, you might
find direct sales and telemarketing to be very
lucrative ways to drive sales to your business.
Both are very similar in nature. Direct sales can
be very expensive, as it requires a great
investment of time to accomodate. Telemarketing
seeks to minimize the time expenditure, but it
often leads to a smaller degree of respect and
attention.
Depending on your product or service --- and
always depending upon the people you employ to
the task --- each method will be more suited to
each business on an individual basis.
BRANDING YOUR BUSINESS
I grouped branding and billboard advertising
together in my original list for a reason. I did
this because billboard advertising serves most
businesses best by helping to support the process
of branding.
Branding is the process of establishing your
business as the supplier of a certain product or
service, or in emphasizing a certain USP (Unique
Selling Proposition) as it pertains to your
business.
If branding and USP seems to be a confusing
concept, think about Wal-Mart and their tag line:
"Always Low Prices, Always."
Think about Ford Motors, "Quality is Job One."
Think about the Visa Card, "It's Everywhere You
Want To Be."
You see, these top corporations have managed to
make their USP part of their branding.
Even if you are only competing in a local
marketplace, your USP can and should fit snugly
into your branding strategy.
NO MATTER THE MEDIA OR METHOD
Whichever method or media you should choose to
employ in your advertising and promotion, you
should become knowledgable about your market, and
the consumers reached by each media. It is
important to understand which consumers can be
reached by a certain media, and in what
quantities.
However you choose to spend your advertising
dollars, you should always track the results of
your promotional efforts. Failing to track
successes and failures will ultimately lead to
the failure of a business.
When you know whom you are trying to reach and
how you think you might be able to reach them,
you will begin to learn how to use advertising
and promotion to make your business successful.
That is a good thing --- after all, that is why
you got into the business in the first place,
isn't it?
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Understanding the Difference Between Marketing and Promotion
Understanding the Difference Between Marketing and Promotion
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
Are you an online marketer? Or do you simply
promote affiliate programs? Marketing is truly
the most misunderstood word in use today on the
Internet. Let me see if I can clarify this issue
just a bit.
In Marketing 101 at your local university,
marketing is actually the process of Product,
Place, Price and Promotion.
PRODUCT
No business can exist without a product or
service to sell.
In a nutshell, entrepreneurs are the people who
believe in a product, service or idea, so much
that they are willing to invest their lives into
the development of their dream.
Historically, every major corporation in the
world was started by an entrepreneur with a dream
and the drive to make it a reality.
However, there comes a time in the life of every
corporation when those who fear the gambling
nature of their founder, squash the
entrepreneurial drive that made the company a
viable concern in the first place. The
entrepreneur will either submit to the careful
nature of the stockholders, or he will be forced
to leave the company he created.
The only entrepreneurs who withstand the pressure
to move more carefully are those who have
maintained majority control over their companies.
PLACE
In the offline world, place is defined by
location. On the Internet, place is defined by
domain name and the web hosting service chosen.
Both online and offline, place can make or break
a company without respect to the quality and
value of the product, service or idea.
PRICE
Selecting a price is determined first on a basis
of whether the company wants to be seen as a
discount or a value company.
Take for example Wal-Mart and Staples.
Wal-Mart is the lead discounter in the
marketplace. Staples on the other hand is the
specialist in office supplies.
Both sell a significant number of office supplies
despite the fact that the lowest price can
usually be found at Wal-Mart. As a value dealer,
Staples can afford to charge more for their
products than Wal-Mart.
So the question for you is whether you want to
position your company as a discount or value
company.
Testing has shown that products and services can
be sold at any number of prices and still reach a
significant number of people.
The challenge of selecting the best price for
your product or service will require a certain
amount of testing.
UNDERSTANDING THE PRICING EQUATION
Let's assume we are selling a product. Let us
also assume that we know that the product can be
sold for $10 or $50. Let us also assume that if
the price dips below $10 or rises above $50, then
the product sales fall off significantly.
Our challenge is to determine the best rate at
which to sell our product.
Testing has shown us that we can sell 1000 items
a week at $10. Testing has also shown that we can
sell 500 items per week at $50. And testing has
shown that we can sell 650 items per week at $45.
At $10, our projected weekly earnings are
$10,000. When we sell the product at $50, we know
that we can earn $25,000 per week. Most
importantly, we know that we can earn $29,250
when our product is priced at $45.
With the imaginary testing we have done on our
imaginary product, we can easily see that selling
our product at $45 per item will earn us more
money over the long haul.
Thus, when we make the decision for a national
rollout of our product, then we will price our
product at $45.
Of course, this is a very simplistic analysis of
the point I am trying to make. Though simple, I
believe this analogy will help you understand the
methods of developing a product's prices.
PROMOTION
Promotion, on the other hand, is the process of
notifying the consumers for your product or
service of your availability to serve them.
Methods of promotion vary distinctly and should
be arranged to meet very specific goals.
As with product, place and price, promotion
should not be left to chance. You should test
every ad, every media, and every price point to
determine the best bang for your promotional
dollars.
HEADS UP!
If you are an online promoter or marketer, please
factor in the most important element concerning
the cost of your promotions.
What element is that? Your time!
Value your time at a certain dollar amount, and
figure in your time into the cost of your
promotional accounting.
I say this because too many online promoters lose
sight of this concept and spend 20 hours to
generate one sale while using free advertising.
Even if you rate your time at the federal minimum
wage, then you will have invested $105 of your
time for one sale that might only net you a gross
sale of $45!
ARE YOU TRULY A MARKETER OR ARE YOU JUST A
PROMOTER?
Most people who run a business on the Internet
call themselves marketers. Yet, most of these
same people are really just promoters wrapped in
the label of a marketer.
True marketers do not promote without a lot of
advance work. They spend time planning, testing
and measuring their actions and results to get
the most out of every dollar spent and earned.
Entrepreneurs finesse the art of marketing as
they build their company into a major enterprise.
If you are a promoter who does not keep an eye on
the total marketing equation, then you are bound
to fail.
If you do call yourself a marketer, then do what
a professional marketer does. Make sure that
every dollar spent is spent well. Make sure that
every dollar earned is put to good use. Market
well so that when the people of the next
generation look at your life, they will see a
fine example of a successful entrepreneur that
they will strive to emulate.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
Are you an online marketer? Or do you simply
promote affiliate programs? Marketing is truly
the most misunderstood word in use today on the
Internet. Let me see if I can clarify this issue
just a bit.
In Marketing 101 at your local university,
marketing is actually the process of Product,
Place, Price and Promotion.
PRODUCT
No business can exist without a product or
service to sell.
In a nutshell, entrepreneurs are the people who
believe in a product, service or idea, so much
that they are willing to invest their lives into
the development of their dream.
Historically, every major corporation in the
world was started by an entrepreneur with a dream
and the drive to make it a reality.
However, there comes a time in the life of every
corporation when those who fear the gambling
nature of their founder, squash the
entrepreneurial drive that made the company a
viable concern in the first place. The
entrepreneur will either submit to the careful
nature of the stockholders, or he will be forced
to leave the company he created.
The only entrepreneurs who withstand the pressure
to move more carefully are those who have
maintained majority control over their companies.
PLACE
In the offline world, place is defined by
location. On the Internet, place is defined by
domain name and the web hosting service chosen.
Both online and offline, place can make or break
a company without respect to the quality and
value of the product, service or idea.
PRICE
Selecting a price is determined first on a basis
of whether the company wants to be seen as a
discount or a value company.
Take for example Wal-Mart and Staples.
Wal-Mart is the lead discounter in the
marketplace. Staples on the other hand is the
specialist in office supplies.
Both sell a significant number of office supplies
despite the fact that the lowest price can
usually be found at Wal-Mart. As a value dealer,
Staples can afford to charge more for their
products than Wal-Mart.
So the question for you is whether you want to
position your company as a discount or value
company.
Testing has shown that products and services can
be sold at any number of prices and still reach a
significant number of people.
The challenge of selecting the best price for
your product or service will require a certain
amount of testing.
UNDERSTANDING THE PRICING EQUATION
Let's assume we are selling a product. Let us
also assume that we know that the product can be
sold for $10 or $50. Let us also assume that if
the price dips below $10 or rises above $50, then
the product sales fall off significantly.
Our challenge is to determine the best rate at
which to sell our product.
Testing has shown us that we can sell 1000 items
a week at $10. Testing has also shown that we can
sell 500 items per week at $50. And testing has
shown that we can sell 650 items per week at $45.
At $10, our projected weekly earnings are
$10,000. When we sell the product at $50, we know
that we can earn $25,000 per week. Most
importantly, we know that we can earn $29,250
when our product is priced at $45.
With the imaginary testing we have done on our
imaginary product, we can easily see that selling
our product at $45 per item will earn us more
money over the long haul.
Thus, when we make the decision for a national
rollout of our product, then we will price our
product at $45.
Of course, this is a very simplistic analysis of
the point I am trying to make. Though simple, I
believe this analogy will help you understand the
methods of developing a product's prices.
PROMOTION
Promotion, on the other hand, is the process of
notifying the consumers for your product or
service of your availability to serve them.
Methods of promotion vary distinctly and should
be arranged to meet very specific goals.
As with product, place and price, promotion
should not be left to chance. You should test
every ad, every media, and every price point to
determine the best bang for your promotional
dollars.
HEADS UP!
If you are an online promoter or marketer, please
factor in the most important element concerning
the cost of your promotions.
What element is that? Your time!
Value your time at a certain dollar amount, and
figure in your time into the cost of your
promotional accounting.
I say this because too many online promoters lose
sight of this concept and spend 20 hours to
generate one sale while using free advertising.
Even if you rate your time at the federal minimum
wage, then you will have invested $105 of your
time for one sale that might only net you a gross
sale of $45!
ARE YOU TRULY A MARKETER OR ARE YOU JUST A
PROMOTER?
Most people who run a business on the Internet
call themselves marketers. Yet, most of these
same people are really just promoters wrapped in
the label of a marketer.
True marketers do not promote without a lot of
advance work. They spend time planning, testing
and measuring their actions and results to get
the most out of every dollar spent and earned.
Entrepreneurs finesse the art of marketing as
they build their company into a major enterprise.
If you are a promoter who does not keep an eye on
the total marketing equation, then you are bound
to fail.
If you do call yourself a marketer, then do what
a professional marketer does. Make sure that
every dollar spent is spent well. Make sure that
every dollar earned is put to good use. Market
well so that when the people of the next
generation look at your life, they will see a
fine example of a successful entrepreneur that
they will strive to emulate.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Tracking Offline Advertising Success by Measuring ROI
Tracking Offline Advertising Success by Measuring ROI
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
The great promise of online advertising has
always been that advertisers will now be able to
effectively track the successes and failures of
their online advertising efforts. This promise
has been met.
Yet, for those of us who still employ offline
promotions and advertising methods, we must
consider the various ways in which we can
effectively track our results in the old-world
media.
TRACKING RESULTS BEFORE THE INTERNET AGE
How long has it been? Ten Years? Believe it or
not, it has been less than ten years since the
Internet went mainstream.
Companies still utilize the same methods to track
results as they did before we laid our hopes on
the Digital Superhighway.
TV advertisers ask you to call extension X. Radio
advertisers offer you additional savings if you
tell them you heard it on XYZ radio station. In
newspapers and magazines, advertisers suggest you
clip the attached coupons.
Why do you think advertisers employ these tactics?
Simple. They need to know what advertising is
bringing customers in the front door and to their
cash register.
By understanding what advertisers are bringing
them customers and dollars, they have a better
understanding of where to spend their next wave
of advertising dollars. Additionally, they can
do a side-by-side comparison of their Advertising
Return on Investment (ROI) to determine which
method brings them the most percentage of return
per dollar spent.
UNDERSTANDING HOW WE SHOULD MEASURE
The truth is that we really do need to know how
people are deciding to visit and buy from our
business establishment.
Some consider this idea silly or even a waste of
their valuable time. Far too many people, who
think of tracking in this fashion, end up
searching for a job at some point in their
future. Unless pure dumb luck is on the side of
the business owner, a business simply cannot
survive if it does not track the effectiveness of
its advertising.
Somehow, some way, a business owner or his
marketing staff must look at their advertising
and promotion budgets, and look at their
advertising mediums and find a way to know which
is doing the job for them and which is not.
DISCOVERING WHAT MOTIVATES OUR CUSTOMERS
Somehow, we must get our customers to tell us how
they found us and what ad motivated them to come
in and purchase our product or service.
Everyday, businesses motivate their customers to
tell them how they learned of them by having the
customer call a certain extension, offer them an
additional discount to tell them which
advertisement they had heard, or to offer them a
coupon to use.
Others motivate their customers to tell them how
they had learned of their business by offering a
very specific product in their advertising. They
know that if someone shows up at their business
to buy a certain product, then they will know how
the person had heard of their business.
This is why you should make your radio
advertising focus on a different promotion than
your newspaper advertising. Different mediums
should focus on different leader pieces so that
you can see which medium provides the best
results.
UNDERSTANDING WHY WE SHOULD MEASURE RESULTS
We measure advertising results so that we can
learn how to not waste our money and to learn how
to get the most bang for our advertising dollar.
Return On Investment or ROI is the key
measurement utilized to determine the value of
our advertising.
It is best to show in an example how ROI is
measured.
Cost of Newspaper Advertising: $150
Number of Items Sold As a Result: 60
Retail Price of Individual Item: $ 10
Profit on Individual Item: $ 3
Gross Income on Items Sold: $600
Gross Profit on Items Sold: $180
In this example, you have spent $150 to make
$180. Your ROI is 120%.
Cost of Radio Advertising: $ 300
Number of Items Sold As a Result: 50
Retail Price of Individual Item: $ 20
Profit on Individual Item: $ 6
Gross Income on Items Sold: $1000
Gross Profit on Items Sold: $ 300
In this example, you have spent $300 to make
$300. Your ROI is 100%.
Utilizing these two examples, you can quickly
discern why and how we are calculating ROI.
Now, some people would consider both to be good
investments of their advertising dollars. In
fact, many believe that so long as their
advertising generates enough sales to break even
as the radio example did, then they consider the
investment to have been in their future rather
than their present. So long as you do not lose
money on the transaction, then you should at least
be willing to continue with the advertising
medium that was used.
However, over time, you might find that the
newspaper advertising will continue to provide
the 120% ROI. If that is the case, then your
newspaper advertising should take more of a
center stage in your advertising efforts so that
you can develop more profits which can be used to
increase your dollar investment into your
advertising.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF TRACKING YOUR OFFLINE
PROMOTIONS
With this introduction, you should now have
available to you the knowledge necessary to
introduce tracking into your marketing efforts.
Those who take the time and effort to advertise
and track their results will benefit more than
you can imagine.
Truth be known, a single person with a dream
today started every big corporation in the world
many years ago. Each of these corporations grew
from a fledgling operation to a economic
powerhouse by tracking and tweaking their
Advertising ROI.
Every corporation and small business who will
remain in business through the long term will be
tracking their advertising and promotional
efforts today. It is an investment into their
future success. If you make the same kind of
investment of time and cash resources, you too
will be making an investment in your future
success.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
The great promise of online advertising has
always been that advertisers will now be able to
effectively track the successes and failures of
their online advertising efforts. This promise
has been met.
Yet, for those of us who still employ offline
promotions and advertising methods, we must
consider the various ways in which we can
effectively track our results in the old-world
media.
TRACKING RESULTS BEFORE THE INTERNET AGE
How long has it been? Ten Years? Believe it or
not, it has been less than ten years since the
Internet went mainstream.
Companies still utilize the same methods to track
results as they did before we laid our hopes on
the Digital Superhighway.
TV advertisers ask you to call extension X. Radio
advertisers offer you additional savings if you
tell them you heard it on XYZ radio station. In
newspapers and magazines, advertisers suggest you
clip the attached coupons.
Why do you think advertisers employ these tactics?
Simple. They need to know what advertising is
bringing customers in the front door and to their
cash register.
By understanding what advertisers are bringing
them customers and dollars, they have a better
understanding of where to spend their next wave
of advertising dollars. Additionally, they can
do a side-by-side comparison of their Advertising
Return on Investment (ROI) to determine which
method brings them the most percentage of return
per dollar spent.
UNDERSTANDING HOW WE SHOULD MEASURE
The truth is that we really do need to know how
people are deciding to visit and buy from our
business establishment.
Some consider this idea silly or even a waste of
their valuable time. Far too many people, who
think of tracking in this fashion, end up
searching for a job at some point in their
future. Unless pure dumb luck is on the side of
the business owner, a business simply cannot
survive if it does not track the effectiveness of
its advertising.
Somehow, some way, a business owner or his
marketing staff must look at their advertising
and promotion budgets, and look at their
advertising mediums and find a way to know which
is doing the job for them and which is not.
DISCOVERING WHAT MOTIVATES OUR CUSTOMERS
Somehow, we must get our customers to tell us how
they found us and what ad motivated them to come
in and purchase our product or service.
Everyday, businesses motivate their customers to
tell them how they learned of them by having the
customer call a certain extension, offer them an
additional discount to tell them which
advertisement they had heard, or to offer them a
coupon to use.
Others motivate their customers to tell them how
they had learned of their business by offering a
very specific product in their advertising. They
know that if someone shows up at their business
to buy a certain product, then they will know how
the person had heard of their business.
This is why you should make your radio
advertising focus on a different promotion than
your newspaper advertising. Different mediums
should focus on different leader pieces so that
you can see which medium provides the best
results.
UNDERSTANDING WHY WE SHOULD MEASURE RESULTS
We measure advertising results so that we can
learn how to not waste our money and to learn how
to get the most bang for our advertising dollar.
Return On Investment or ROI is the key
measurement utilized to determine the value of
our advertising.
It is best to show in an example how ROI is
measured.
Cost of Newspaper Advertising: $150
Number of Items Sold As a Result: 60
Retail Price of Individual Item: $ 10
Profit on Individual Item: $ 3
Gross Income on Items Sold: $600
Gross Profit on Items Sold: $180
In this example, you have spent $150 to make
$180. Your ROI is 120%.
Cost of Radio Advertising: $ 300
Number of Items Sold As a Result: 50
Retail Price of Individual Item: $ 20
Profit on Individual Item: $ 6
Gross Income on Items Sold: $1000
Gross Profit on Items Sold: $ 300
In this example, you have spent $300 to make
$300. Your ROI is 100%.
Utilizing these two examples, you can quickly
discern why and how we are calculating ROI.
Now, some people would consider both to be good
investments of their advertising dollars. In
fact, many believe that so long as their
advertising generates enough sales to break even
as the radio example did, then they consider the
investment to have been in their future rather
than their present. So long as you do not lose
money on the transaction, then you should at least
be willing to continue with the advertising
medium that was used.
However, over time, you might find that the
newspaper advertising will continue to provide
the 120% ROI. If that is the case, then your
newspaper advertising should take more of a
center stage in your advertising efforts so that
you can develop more profits which can be used to
increase your dollar investment into your
advertising.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF TRACKING YOUR OFFLINE
PROMOTIONS
With this introduction, you should now have
available to you the knowledge necessary to
introduce tracking into your marketing efforts.
Those who take the time and effort to advertise
and track their results will benefit more than
you can imagine.
Truth be known, a single person with a dream
today started every big corporation in the world
many years ago. Each of these corporations grew
from a fledgling operation to a economic
powerhouse by tracking and tweaking their
Advertising ROI.
Every corporation and small business who will
remain in business through the long term will be
tracking their advertising and promotional
efforts today. It is an investment into their
future success. If you make the same kind of
investment of time and cash resources, you too
will be making an investment in your future
success.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Starting Your Home Based Business on a Shoestring Budget
Starting Your Home Based Business on a Shoestring Budget
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
Whether seeking a supplemental income or a
full-time income, many folks have undertaken the
task to discover a viable home based business
solution to meet their personal needs.
For most folks who contemplate a home business, a
low-cost or no-cost solution is not only nice,
but also very necessary. Many also seek to find a
home business that will permit them to maintain
their regular day job in order to protect their
base income.
Taking the cautious approach to a home based
business and keeping one's job during the
start-up period is often a very good decision. By
maintaining one's job, one can maintain the
health of their personal finances while
permitting their home business grow healthy and
strong.
Fortunately, most home based businesses can be
started with little or no cash, can be maintained
on a shoestring budget, and can be operated
successfully with only a part-time investment.
One day, the business will be strong enough to
support itself and its owner. When that time
comes, it will make good sense for the business
owner to leave his or her outside job to dedicate
more time to growing and maintaining their new
thriving home based business. You will know when
that time has finally arrived.
The nature of a home based business makes it easy
and very realistic for most folks to take the
plunge into home business ownership.
Yet, many folks put off starting their own home
based business, because they have the
misconception that they will have to risk
thousands of their own hard-earned dollars at
start-up. Then later, if their business fails,
they fear they may be forced to take out a second
mortgage on their house just to stay out of
bankruptcy.
Are you one of these folks? Do you let your fears
of failure keep you from reaching for your dreams?
If so, then allow me to introduce you to a few
home business ideas that you can start for less
than $100 and can be started and operated very
profitably as a part-time business.
THE LIFEBLOOD OF ALL SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES
First of all, let me advise you to search out a
business model that will deliver steady and
repeat business. It is the one thing --- above
all others --- that will assure that your company
can survive the test of time.
HOME-BASED MAIL ORDER:
Home-based mail order is a good example of how
one can quickly grow a home business income. Mail
order is a low cost start-up business that can be
launched for around $100 USD.
With proper planning, your home-based mail order
business will not require up-front inventory
purchases. In the mail order business, it is not
uncommon to rely upon drop-shippers for product
fulfillment services.
By utilizing drop-shippers, we can sell the
products, collect the money and then purchase the
products from the wholesale outlet. The wholesale
outlet will then put a return address for your
company on the product packaging and deliver the
product directly to your customer.
Your primary expense in the mail-order business
is advertising. Classified advertising tends to
be a relatively inexpensive form of advertising
with thousands of outlets available to the small
business owner.
WHOLESALE BUSINESS:
Buy low --- sell high. You can acquire high
quality, top-of-the-line merchandise for a
fraction of the retail cost. Starting a wholesale
business would require a Wholesale Dealers
Directory as your source for merchandise. You can
find a Wholesale Deales Directory by using any
search engine to look up the term.
AUCTIONS:
Auctions can be an excellent source for buying
cheap and selling high. Both government auctions
and Internet auctions can lead to some excellent
profit opportunities. Auctions are an excellent
tool for both acquiring and selling merchandise.
MAKE AND SELL YOUR CRAFTS:
Crafts are a hot seller at country fairs, swap
meets or anyplace where people gather. Make your
own crafts and sell them for a tidy profit!
SELLING INFORMATION:
Selling information by mail is another good
example of an inexpensive home based business
start-up. One can gain the resale rights to
information for usually about $50 USD. Other
costs will include printer cartridges, paper and
postage. There are plenty of free classifieds
sites on the Internet, in which to successfully
advertise your information.
WRITE INFORMATIONAL BOOKLETS:
Write and publish your own informational
booklets; sell them at a high price! All you need
is a little know-how, a printer, paper and
stamps. This is a GREAT home business idea! You
can also sell the resale rights to others, for
extra profits. In this age of the Internet, you
may also take advantage of the fact that selling
information is one of the most profitable
endeavors one can pursue online.
OFFICE SERVICES:
Offer office services for hire in your local
paper. You'll be surprised at the amount of
regular office business that can be gleaned from
one little classified ad. Word processing, typing,
accounting, data entry, proofreading,
transcription, promotional letters and
newsletters. All these tasks can be accomplished
right from your own home office.
AVON REPRESENTATIVE:
Yes, Avon's been around for eternity, hasn't it?
Then it's not such a bad prospect as a home based
business, is it? I once knew a woman who did so
much business as an Avon rep. that she had people
calling her and knocking at her door wanting to
order products at all hours of the day and night!
Once you are an established Avon representative,
you, too, will turn a good profit.
CONCLUSION:
On your search for the ideal home based business,
try not to get caught up in any scams that will
run off with your money. There are thousands of
scam artists out there just waiting for the
next sucker to come along. Remember, if it sounds
too good to be true, then it probably is. Just
use your good judgement and invest wisely in
proven methods of earning extra income.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
Whether seeking a supplemental income or a
full-time income, many folks have undertaken the
task to discover a viable home based business
solution to meet their personal needs.
For most folks who contemplate a home business, a
low-cost or no-cost solution is not only nice,
but also very necessary. Many also seek to find a
home business that will permit them to maintain
their regular day job in order to protect their
base income.
Taking the cautious approach to a home based
business and keeping one's job during the
start-up period is often a very good decision. By
maintaining one's job, one can maintain the
health of their personal finances while
permitting their home business grow healthy and
strong.
Fortunately, most home based businesses can be
started with little or no cash, can be maintained
on a shoestring budget, and can be operated
successfully with only a part-time investment.
One day, the business will be strong enough to
support itself and its owner. When that time
comes, it will make good sense for the business
owner to leave his or her outside job to dedicate
more time to growing and maintaining their new
thriving home based business. You will know when
that time has finally arrived.
The nature of a home based business makes it easy
and very realistic for most folks to take the
plunge into home business ownership.
Yet, many folks put off starting their own home
based business, because they have the
misconception that they will have to risk
thousands of their own hard-earned dollars at
start-up. Then later, if their business fails,
they fear they may be forced to take out a second
mortgage on their house just to stay out of
bankruptcy.
Are you one of these folks? Do you let your fears
of failure keep you from reaching for your dreams?
If so, then allow me to introduce you to a few
home business ideas that you can start for less
than $100 and can be started and operated very
profitably as a part-time business.
THE LIFEBLOOD OF ALL SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES
First of all, let me advise you to search out a
business model that will deliver steady and
repeat business. It is the one thing --- above
all others --- that will assure that your company
can survive the test of time.
HOME-BASED MAIL ORDER:
Home-based mail order is a good example of how
one can quickly grow a home business income. Mail
order is a low cost start-up business that can be
launched for around $100 USD.
With proper planning, your home-based mail order
business will not require up-front inventory
purchases. In the mail order business, it is not
uncommon to rely upon drop-shippers for product
fulfillment services.
By utilizing drop-shippers, we can sell the
products, collect the money and then purchase the
products from the wholesale outlet. The wholesale
outlet will then put a return address for your
company on the product packaging and deliver the
product directly to your customer.
Your primary expense in the mail-order business
is advertising. Classified advertising tends to
be a relatively inexpensive form of advertising
with thousands of outlets available to the small
business owner.
WHOLESALE BUSINESS:
Buy low --- sell high. You can acquire high
quality, top-of-the-line merchandise for a
fraction of the retail cost. Starting a wholesale
business would require a Wholesale Dealers
Directory as your source for merchandise. You can
find a Wholesale Deales Directory by using any
search engine to look up the term.
AUCTIONS:
Auctions can be an excellent source for buying
cheap and selling high. Both government auctions
and Internet auctions can lead to some excellent
profit opportunities. Auctions are an excellent
tool for both acquiring and selling merchandise.
MAKE AND SELL YOUR CRAFTS:
Crafts are a hot seller at country fairs, swap
meets or anyplace where people gather. Make your
own crafts and sell them for a tidy profit!
SELLING INFORMATION:
Selling information by mail is another good
example of an inexpensive home based business
start-up. One can gain the resale rights to
information for usually about $50 USD. Other
costs will include printer cartridges, paper and
postage. There are plenty of free classifieds
sites on the Internet, in which to successfully
advertise your information.
WRITE INFORMATIONAL BOOKLETS:
Write and publish your own informational
booklets; sell them at a high price! All you need
is a little know-how, a printer, paper and
stamps. This is a GREAT home business idea! You
can also sell the resale rights to others, for
extra profits. In this age of the Internet, you
may also take advantage of the fact that selling
information is one of the most profitable
endeavors one can pursue online.
OFFICE SERVICES:
Offer office services for hire in your local
paper. You'll be surprised at the amount of
regular office business that can be gleaned from
one little classified ad. Word processing, typing,
accounting, data entry, proofreading,
transcription, promotional letters and
newsletters. All these tasks can be accomplished
right from your own home office.
AVON REPRESENTATIVE:
Yes, Avon's been around for eternity, hasn't it?
Then it's not such a bad prospect as a home based
business, is it? I once knew a woman who did so
much business as an Avon rep. that she had people
calling her and knocking at her door wanting to
order products at all hours of the day and night!
Once you are an established Avon representative,
you, too, will turn a good profit.
CONCLUSION:
On your search for the ideal home based business,
try not to get caught up in any scams that will
run off with your money. There are thousands of
scam artists out there just waiting for the
next sucker to come along. Remember, if it sounds
too good to be true, then it probably is. Just
use your good judgement and invest wisely in
proven methods of earning extra income.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Promoting Your Business with Copper Wire? Think Again!
Promoting Your Business with Copper Wire? Think Again!
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
So many people launch their first or second
business with the misconception that they can
survive without advertising. It is their fear of
failure that almost single-handedly assures their
failure. They fear spending the money that they
need to get and keep their business running
during those early years of their operation.
Let’s face it, when you start in business, money
is usually pretty darn tight. So, you must figure
out how to get off the ground without throwing
your money down the drain. Every single red cent
is important enough to hang onto with a tight
fist.
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO REINVENT COPPER WIRE
I am reminded of an old joke a friend used to
tell about himself.
My friend had always told me that both he and his
brother were the inventers of copper wire. He
insisted that the two of them were fighting over
a penny one day and managed to stretch it out
into the first strand of copper wire known to
mankind.
Indeed, now is not the time to try to reinvent
copper wire.
ADVERTISING IS A NECESSARY COMPONENT OF A
SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
The point of advertising is to notify your
customers of the existence of your business. It
is necessary to tell people that you are in
business and to tell them what products and
services you are offering.
Unless people know that you are offering a
certain product or service at a certain price, no
one will knock upon your door to buy your wares.
If you fail to attract customers and dollars,
your business will die. Therefore, advertising is
a must for the success of your business. Sure,
word of mouth can take you places, but it can
only take you so far. Advertising is designed to
pick up where word of mouth leaves off.
ATTRITION IS A DEFINITE FACTOR TO CONSIDER
Attrition is a factor in all businesses. A
business is able to pick up so many customers and
dollars on every advertising or promotion
venture. Yet, a certain portion of your old and
new customers and dollars will drop off over time.
You simply cannot rest on your laurels. You must
continue to generate new business and new dollars
or your business will die.
EZINE PUBLISHING DELIVERS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF
COMMERCIAL ATTRITION
If you have ever published an online ezine, then
you will have seen attrition first hand.
You can spend all week advertising your ezine and
note that your efforts have generated for example
500 new subscribers. Yet, by the end of the week,
your subscriber base has only climbed by 250
subscribers. What went wrong?
Well, this is how it works. Keep in mind this is
only an example to make my point, but if you have
ever published an ezine, then you will know I am
right on the money with this observation.
In one week:
· 500 people sign up for the first time.
· 40 of those people unsubscribe after the very
first issue because they do not like the content.
· 30 people quit after the first issue because
their only purpose in subscribing in the first
place was to get the freebie you had offered to
new subscribers.
· 30 of those people unsubscribe because they do
not remember subscribing to the ezine in the
first place.
· 80 email addresses bounce due to ISP email
filters.
· 20 people bounce because they did not pay their
Internet bill.
· 35 people have simply changed their email
addresses without submitting a change of address
to you.
· 15 people have quit the Internet altogether.
In the final analysis, 100 of your new
subscribers, or 20% of your newcomers are gone
after one week. Another 150 subscribers were
long-time subscribers who are gone for other
reasons.
If you make the mistake of stopping your
advertising, your ezine list will eventually wind
down to one subscriber --- you. In our example,
150 long-time subscribers disappear every week,
and there is nothing you can do to stop it. You
must absolutely keep a fresh flow of new
subscribers coming into the ezine in order
to stay ahead of the attrition curve.
STAYING AHEAD OF THE ATTRITION CURVE
An ezine or a business, what is the difference?
Not much. Your business will suffer the same fate
as the ezine if you do not advertise. I don’t
know how to make it any more clear than this.
Yes, you must be careful not to throw your money
away on advertising that does not generate
results. But you cannot afford to throw the baby
out with the bath water.
Carefully, pick your advertising, study your
results, and put your money back into what is
working for you.
In conclusion, you must decide. Do you want to
advertise your business, or do you want to watch
your business die? The decision is yours and
yours alone. Well, what are you going to do?
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
So many people launch their first or second
business with the misconception that they can
survive without advertising. It is their fear of
failure that almost single-handedly assures their
failure. They fear spending the money that they
need to get and keep their business running
during those early years of their operation.
Let’s face it, when you start in business, money
is usually pretty darn tight. So, you must figure
out how to get off the ground without throwing
your money down the drain. Every single red cent
is important enough to hang onto with a tight
fist.
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO REINVENT COPPER WIRE
I am reminded of an old joke a friend used to
tell about himself.
My friend had always told me that both he and his
brother were the inventers of copper wire. He
insisted that the two of them were fighting over
a penny one day and managed to stretch it out
into the first strand of copper wire known to
mankind.
Indeed, now is not the time to try to reinvent
copper wire.
ADVERTISING IS A NECESSARY COMPONENT OF A
SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
The point of advertising is to notify your
customers of the existence of your business. It
is necessary to tell people that you are in
business and to tell them what products and
services you are offering.
Unless people know that you are offering a
certain product or service at a certain price, no
one will knock upon your door to buy your wares.
If you fail to attract customers and dollars,
your business will die. Therefore, advertising is
a must for the success of your business. Sure,
word of mouth can take you places, but it can
only take you so far. Advertising is designed to
pick up where word of mouth leaves off.
ATTRITION IS A DEFINITE FACTOR TO CONSIDER
Attrition is a factor in all businesses. A
business is able to pick up so many customers and
dollars on every advertising or promotion
venture. Yet, a certain portion of your old and
new customers and dollars will drop off over time.
You simply cannot rest on your laurels. You must
continue to generate new business and new dollars
or your business will die.
EZINE PUBLISHING DELIVERS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF
COMMERCIAL ATTRITION
If you have ever published an online ezine, then
you will have seen attrition first hand.
You can spend all week advertising your ezine and
note that your efforts have generated for example
500 new subscribers. Yet, by the end of the week,
your subscriber base has only climbed by 250
subscribers. What went wrong?
Well, this is how it works. Keep in mind this is
only an example to make my point, but if you have
ever published an ezine, then you will know I am
right on the money with this observation.
In one week:
· 500 people sign up for the first time.
· 40 of those people unsubscribe after the very
first issue because they do not like the content.
· 30 people quit after the first issue because
their only purpose in subscribing in the first
place was to get the freebie you had offered to
new subscribers.
· 30 of those people unsubscribe because they do
not remember subscribing to the ezine in the
first place.
· 80 email addresses bounce due to ISP email
filters.
· 20 people bounce because they did not pay their
Internet bill.
· 35 people have simply changed their email
addresses without submitting a change of address
to you.
· 15 people have quit the Internet altogether.
In the final analysis, 100 of your new
subscribers, or 20% of your newcomers are gone
after one week. Another 150 subscribers were
long-time subscribers who are gone for other
reasons.
If you make the mistake of stopping your
advertising, your ezine list will eventually wind
down to one subscriber --- you. In our example,
150 long-time subscribers disappear every week,
and there is nothing you can do to stop it. You
must absolutely keep a fresh flow of new
subscribers coming into the ezine in order
to stay ahead of the attrition curve.
STAYING AHEAD OF THE ATTRITION CURVE
An ezine or a business, what is the difference?
Not much. Your business will suffer the same fate
as the ezine if you do not advertise. I don’t
know how to make it any more clear than this.
Yes, you must be careful not to throw your money
away on advertising that does not generate
results. But you cannot afford to throw the baby
out with the bath water.
Carefully, pick your advertising, study your
results, and put your money back into what is
working for you.
In conclusion, you must decide. Do you want to
advertise your business, or do you want to watch
your business die? The decision is yours and
yours alone. Well, what are you going to do?
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Networking Your Home Business within Circles of Influence
Networking Your Home Business within Circles of Influence
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
When you need an auto mechanic or an air
conditioning repairman, where do you turn for
help? Sure, some people turn to the yellow
pages. But most will turn to friends and family
and ask if they know of anyone who can do the
work.
The best place for your business to be positioned
is to be the business on the tips of the tongues
of the people asked to make the referral.
THE 300 RULE
Preachers, funeral directors and people in a few
other professions have learned "the 300 rule"
through their own personal experience.
"The 300 rule" states that the average person
knows 300 people on a friendly level. Wedding
planners tend to make reservations for 300
guests. Funeral directors tend to need to make
room for 300 mourners. You get the idea.
DOODLING WITH CIRCLES OF INFLUENCE
Imagine your circle of friends, family and
acquaintances, a.k.a. your circle of influence.
Now, draw your circle of influence as a circle on
a blank piece of paper.
Next, contemplate the people in your parents'
circle of influence. Some people who know your
parents also know you. Therefore, you will share
some influence with the people your folks know.
Now draw your parents' circle of influence on your
piece of paper.
Your circle and your parents' circle will
intersect in one area, although the larger
majority of the two circles will not intersect.
If you are like most people, the two circles on
your page at this point looks very similar to the
MasterCard logo.
Now imagine drawing a page full of intersecting
circles, each circle representing the circle of
influence of the people who are within your own
circle of influence. Imagine trying to
encapsulate an accurate rendering of where your
circle and the circle of your friends will
actually intersect.
Some circles will share a large area of space,
while others will barely cover one another.
Actually, you can only imagine at this point what
your piece of paper will look like. The actual
layout of the circles imagined in this analogy is
simply too overwhelming for the mind to
comprehend.
THE BIG PICTURE
300 multiplied by 300 equals 90,000. By using the
analogy of doodles in the previous section, the
average person can actually network with up to
90,000 people! Even factoring in the overlap,
one can still probably network with 50,000 people
through their own circle of influence!
Simply amazing, isn't it?
HERE IS THE SECRET TO YOUR SUCCESS
There are 300 people on this planet whom you have
a reasonable amount of influence. Take advantage
of this fact. Make darn sure that every person
within your own circle of influence KNOWS that
you are in business for yourself, and make sure
they understand what your business offers.
When your friend is asked to make a referral,
they will recommend you.
PASSIVE VERSUS ACTIVE REFERRAL NETWORKING
When people ask your friends for a referral and
your friend mentions your business, that is
passive referral networking.
Active referral networking is when you can get
your friends go directly to their friends and say
"Hey, I have a friend who just started a
business. If you are in need of what he offers or
you know someone who will need his services,
would you please give my friend a call or make
the referral to his business?"
If you can get even a portion of the people in
your own circle of influence to actively refer
your business, then you have built the foundation
to build an advertising campaign even more
effective than the average local television
advertising campaign.
Think about that for a moment.
Most people only dream of reaching 50,000
potential customers with their television
advertising dollars. You now have the knowledge
to reach 50,000 people without spending a single
penny.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
When you need an auto mechanic or an air
conditioning repairman, where do you turn for
help? Sure, some people turn to the yellow
pages. But most will turn to friends and family
and ask if they know of anyone who can do the
work.
The best place for your business to be positioned
is to be the business on the tips of the tongues
of the people asked to make the referral.
THE 300 RULE
Preachers, funeral directors and people in a few
other professions have learned "the 300 rule"
through their own personal experience.
"The 300 rule" states that the average person
knows 300 people on a friendly level. Wedding
planners tend to make reservations for 300
guests. Funeral directors tend to need to make
room for 300 mourners. You get the idea.
DOODLING WITH CIRCLES OF INFLUENCE
Imagine your circle of friends, family and
acquaintances, a.k.a. your circle of influence.
Now, draw your circle of influence as a circle on
a blank piece of paper.
Next, contemplate the people in your parents'
circle of influence. Some people who know your
parents also know you. Therefore, you will share
some influence with the people your folks know.
Now draw your parents' circle of influence on your
piece of paper.
Your circle and your parents' circle will
intersect in one area, although the larger
majority of the two circles will not intersect.
If you are like most people, the two circles on
your page at this point looks very similar to the
MasterCard logo.
Now imagine drawing a page full of intersecting
circles, each circle representing the circle of
influence of the people who are within your own
circle of influence. Imagine trying to
encapsulate an accurate rendering of where your
circle and the circle of your friends will
actually intersect.
Some circles will share a large area of space,
while others will barely cover one another.
Actually, you can only imagine at this point what
your piece of paper will look like. The actual
layout of the circles imagined in this analogy is
simply too overwhelming for the mind to
comprehend.
THE BIG PICTURE
300 multiplied by 300 equals 90,000. By using the
analogy of doodles in the previous section, the
average person can actually network with up to
90,000 people! Even factoring in the overlap,
one can still probably network with 50,000 people
through their own circle of influence!
Simply amazing, isn't it?
HERE IS THE SECRET TO YOUR SUCCESS
There are 300 people on this planet whom you have
a reasonable amount of influence. Take advantage
of this fact. Make darn sure that every person
within your own circle of influence KNOWS that
you are in business for yourself, and make sure
they understand what your business offers.
When your friend is asked to make a referral,
they will recommend you.
PASSIVE VERSUS ACTIVE REFERRAL NETWORKING
When people ask your friends for a referral and
your friend mentions your business, that is
passive referral networking.
Active referral networking is when you can get
your friends go directly to their friends and say
"Hey, I have a friend who just started a
business. If you are in need of what he offers or
you know someone who will need his services,
would you please give my friend a call or make
the referral to his business?"
If you can get even a portion of the people in
your own circle of influence to actively refer
your business, then you have built the foundation
to build an advertising campaign even more
effective than the average local television
advertising campaign.
Think about that for a moment.
Most people only dream of reaching 50,000
potential customers with their television
advertising dollars. You now have the knowledge
to reach 50,000 people without spending a single
penny.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Keeping Your Email Box Organized & Ready for Business
Keeping Your Email Box Organized & Ready for Business
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
Learning how to get the most organization from
your email software is very likely the most
important skill you can learn to conduct a
successful online home business.
There are three primary email applications on the
market that folks use to manage their incoming
POP3 email. Those three are:
· Microsoft Outlook Express
· Eudora
· Netscape Mail
In order to get the most from your email
software, there are three key processes that you
should learn. These processes are concerned with
data organization, saving time and email database
management.
SET UP EMAIL FOLDERS
Organization is key to any emails that you intend
to save. Having 2000 emails in one folder is a
sure-fire road map to confusion and lost
communications and information.
You are the best judge as to how to organize your
email into topics that provide an easy method of
retrieval of the information when you need it
most.
Fortunately, the primary email browsers make it
easy to organize your information. By allowing
you to create folders within your email software,
you can file specific emails into folders
dedicated to the topic of the email.
To create new folders:
OUTLOOK EXPRESS: 1. Click File - Folders - New ---
alternatively, you may also right click an item
in the Folder window --- and then type in the
name of your new folder. Highlight the folder
above where you would like your new folder
to be placed, and then click OK.
EUDORA: Click on Mailbox - New --- or right click
on Eudora in the folders window and then click on
New. When the window opens, type in the name of
your new mailbox and click OK. If you want to
create a folder to place other mailboxes into,
click the checkbox before clicking OK.
NETSCAPE MAIL: Click File - New Folder. Then from
the drop-down menu, select the folder that you
wish to be the folder directly above your new
folder, before clicking OK.
FILTERING EMAIL
Email filters are a tool to help you save time
and frustration. Have you ever lost an incoming
email under the deluge of email coming into your
mailbox? With filters, you can direct the
important email or not-so-important email into
certain pre-ordained folders.
As part of the war against spam, most ISP's use
filters every day in an attempt to keep the spam
out of your mailbox. In fact, I even use filters
to sort my incoming mail trying to catch the spam
my ISP missed.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you need some
special software to filter your email. Setting up
filters is actually quite easy.
To setup email filters:
OUTLOOK EXPRESS: Click on Tools - Message Rules -
Mail. A wizard will open to help you create your
new email filters. Just follow the instructions
provided to direct mail based on certain criteria
into certain folders.
EUDORA: Click on Special - Make Filter. Once
again, just follow the instructions in the Filter
wizard.
NETSCAPE MAIL: Click on Edit - Mail Filters. Then
click on New in the wizard. Once you click on
New, you will be taken to a new wizard window.
Follow the instructions here, then when you are
done, click on OK. This will return you to the
first window where you will set up the sorting
order of your filter.
CLEANING AND COMPRESSING YOUR MAIL DATA
This is an important part of your email
management. When you no longer need an email, it
should be deleted. When you first delete an
email, your software will send the email to the
Trash Bin. Your email is not actually deleted
until you first empty your trash bin.
Emptying your trash bin compresses the mailboxes
from where the email was originally filed. This
is absolutely paramount to the protection of your
email data. If you go too long between
compressing your email data, then your email data
could become corrupted and you might need
assistance in recovering your email data.
Even after you have emptied your trash,
Compressing Folders is a recommended step to
prevent other data corruption. Once you
understand that an email does not actually move
from one folder to another until the folder is
compressed, then you can better appreciate this
advice.
As an example, when Email A comes into your main
Inbox, the data connected to Email A appears in
two files. One file contains the header and body
of the email. The other file contains only the
email header information.
When an email is moved from one folder to the
other, only the header information is actually
moved. The body information will not be deleted
from the original folder until which time the
original folder is compressed.
This explains the purpose of emptying the trash
AND compressing folders. If the email was simply
moved from the Inbox to another folder, then
emptying the trash is not enough. The original
placement of the email is not actually removed
from the file that contains the body information
until the message has been designated for
compression.
To empty your trash:
OUTLOOK EXPRESS: Click on Edit - Empty 'Deleted
Items' Folder. To compress the remaining folders,
click on Tools - Options, then click on the tab
for Maintenance. Then click the button that says,
"Clean Up Now". Once the compression is completed,
click OK.
EUDORA: Click Special - Empty Trash. To compress
the remaining items that need compression, then
click on Special - Compact Mailboxes.
NETSCAPE MAIL: Click on File - Empty Trash
Folder. To compress the mailboxes, click on File
- Compress Folders.
I cannot stress enough how important it is that
you utilize the tools for emptying the trash and
compressing the mail folders. Protecting your
email data on a regular basis is good practice
for avoiding disaster in your mailbox.
So many of us rely upon our email software to
keep our online business running smoothly. Once
you master the tools provided in your email
software, your online business will run smoothly
also.
Let me share one important lesson I l've learned
about computer software. One should never be
afraid to try new things. Learning how to get the
most out of your software relies upon your
willingness to dig in and learn how to use it.
Once you learn how to use your software to its
full potential, then your life will be greatly
simplified and your effectiveness will be
dramatically improved.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
Learning how to get the most organization from
your email software is very likely the most
important skill you can learn to conduct a
successful online home business.
There are three primary email applications on the
market that folks use to manage their incoming
POP3 email. Those three are:
· Microsoft Outlook Express
· Eudora
· Netscape Mail
In order to get the most from your email
software, there are three key processes that you
should learn. These processes are concerned with
data organization, saving time and email database
management.
SET UP EMAIL FOLDERS
Organization is key to any emails that you intend
to save. Having 2000 emails in one folder is a
sure-fire road map to confusion and lost
communications and information.
You are the best judge as to how to organize your
email into topics that provide an easy method of
retrieval of the information when you need it
most.
Fortunately, the primary email browsers make it
easy to organize your information. By allowing
you to create folders within your email software,
you can file specific emails into folders
dedicated to the topic of the email.
To create new folders:
OUTLOOK EXPRESS: 1. Click File - Folders - New ---
alternatively, you may also right click an item
in the Folder window --- and then type in the
name of your new folder. Highlight the folder
above where you would like your new folder
to be placed, and then click OK.
EUDORA: Click on Mailbox - New --- or right click
on Eudora in the folders window and then click on
New. When the window opens, type in the name of
your new mailbox and click OK. If you want to
create a folder to place other mailboxes into,
click the checkbox before clicking OK.
NETSCAPE MAIL: Click File - New Folder. Then from
the drop-down menu, select the folder that you
wish to be the folder directly above your new
folder, before clicking OK.
FILTERING EMAIL
Email filters are a tool to help you save time
and frustration. Have you ever lost an incoming
email under the deluge of email coming into your
mailbox? With filters, you can direct the
important email or not-so-important email into
certain pre-ordained folders.
As part of the war against spam, most ISP's use
filters every day in an attempt to keep the spam
out of your mailbox. In fact, I even use filters
to sort my incoming mail trying to catch the spam
my ISP missed.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you need some
special software to filter your email. Setting up
filters is actually quite easy.
To setup email filters:
OUTLOOK EXPRESS: Click on Tools - Message Rules -
Mail. A wizard will open to help you create your
new email filters. Just follow the instructions
provided to direct mail based on certain criteria
into certain folders.
EUDORA: Click on Special - Make Filter. Once
again, just follow the instructions in the Filter
wizard.
NETSCAPE MAIL: Click on Edit - Mail Filters. Then
click on New in the wizard. Once you click on
New, you will be taken to a new wizard window.
Follow the instructions here, then when you are
done, click on OK. This will return you to the
first window where you will set up the sorting
order of your filter.
CLEANING AND COMPRESSING YOUR MAIL DATA
This is an important part of your email
management. When you no longer need an email, it
should be deleted. When you first delete an
email, your software will send the email to the
Trash Bin. Your email is not actually deleted
until you first empty your trash bin.
Emptying your trash bin compresses the mailboxes
from where the email was originally filed. This
is absolutely paramount to the protection of your
email data. If you go too long between
compressing your email data, then your email data
could become corrupted and you might need
assistance in recovering your email data.
Even after you have emptied your trash,
Compressing Folders is a recommended step to
prevent other data corruption. Once you
understand that an email does not actually move
from one folder to another until the folder is
compressed, then you can better appreciate this
advice.
As an example, when Email A comes into your main
Inbox, the data connected to Email A appears in
two files. One file contains the header and body
of the email. The other file contains only the
email header information.
When an email is moved from one folder to the
other, only the header information is actually
moved. The body information will not be deleted
from the original folder until which time the
original folder is compressed.
This explains the purpose of emptying the trash
AND compressing folders. If the email was simply
moved from the Inbox to another folder, then
emptying the trash is not enough. The original
placement of the email is not actually removed
from the file that contains the body information
until the message has been designated for
compression.
To empty your trash:
OUTLOOK EXPRESS: Click on Edit - Empty 'Deleted
Items' Folder. To compress the remaining folders,
click on Tools - Options, then click on the tab
for Maintenance. Then click the button that says,
"Clean Up Now". Once the compression is completed,
click OK.
EUDORA: Click Special - Empty Trash. To compress
the remaining items that need compression, then
click on Special - Compact Mailboxes.
NETSCAPE MAIL: Click on File - Empty Trash
Folder. To compress the mailboxes, click on File
- Compress Folders.
I cannot stress enough how important it is that
you utilize the tools for emptying the trash and
compressing the mail folders. Protecting your
email data on a regular basis is good practice
for avoiding disaster in your mailbox.
So many of us rely upon our email software to
keep our online business running smoothly. Once
you master the tools provided in your email
software, your online business will run smoothly
also.
Let me share one important lesson I l've learned
about computer software. One should never be
afraid to try new things. Learning how to get the
most out of your software relies upon your
willingness to dig in and learn how to use it.
Once you learn how to use your software to its
full potential, then your life will be greatly
simplified and your effectiveness will be
dramatically improved.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Advertising Your Home Business on a Budget
Advertising Your Home Business on a Budget
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
When you are starting out in a new home business
and no one knows who you are, one of the greatest
challenges you will face is how to drum up new
business.
If there were not people in your community or
marketplace that you knew who needed your
products or services, you probably would not have
started your business to begin with. But, once
you have talked to those who you personally knew
who needed your what you offer, then your next
task is to find others who will help keep your
doors open.
Many people know that they must turn to
advertising at some point in the future, but they
hope that day will be long down the road. For
some, this utopian concept will come to fruition.
But for the rest of us in the real world, we must
come up with creative solutions for meeting our
home business advertising needs while working
within our budget.
Most people have a misconception about having to
spend lots of money in order to advertise their
home business. When you start out, you honestly
will not have much money available for
advertising, and if you do, you should still
spend it wisely.
Before you jump headfirst into the world of
advertising, let me share some of the lessons I
have learned concerning this most important topic.
LESSON #1
It does not have to cost an arm and a leg to
advertise your home business, unless you fail to
plan and fail to test.
As much as is possible, you should always test
your advertising. If you jump in and start
dumping tons of money in to advertising without
first testing your advertising, you might find
yourself broke and without sales at the end of
the road. Most people who commit this error write
off their failure on the home business they chose
or the economy or any of a hundred other excuses.
But, if they are unwilling to take responsibility
for their mistake, they will never learn from
their mistake. Don't let this be you.
LESSON #2
All testing should be done in blocks. If you
begin to advertise simultaneously in newspapers,
radio and television, how will you know which
advertising is bringing people to your cash
register? You won't. All you will know that
something might be working, but you will not know
what is actually doing the trick.
Even if you tell people in your advertising to
tell you how they found you, my experience shows
that fewer than 10% of the people ever will tell
you anything --- and those people who do may not
even get the facts straight! You cannot rely on
your customers to tell you what advertising is
working for your home business. You must put in
the extra effort to know for yourself.
LESSON #3
Only when you have a proven and solid advertising
portfolio should you venture to drop big bucks in
an advertising campaign. Even then, you should be
careful to keep further measurements to determine
how much the maximum advantage of an ad would be.
Sometimes you might be able to reach ten times as
many people, but depending on the kind of media
and other factors, the additional exposure will
only generate twice as many sales. Keep your eye
attuned to situations like this to get the most
from your advertising dollars.
LESSON #4
As Lesson #3 illustrates, sometimes your best
advertising investment may actually cost you less
money. When you are first starting out, whether
you are running a home business or a business
outside of your home, you need to be able to get
people talking and thinking about your business.
If you are busy testing ads in media's such as
the newspaper, magazines, radio, and television,
you need to learn ways of promoting your business
that do not require large cash expenditures. A
few examples are:
· Word of Mouth
· Business Cards
· Press Releases
· Non-Primetime Ads on Radio and Television
Here is more information about each type of
low-cost advertising:
WORD OF MOUTH
This of course is the cheapest kind of
advertising on the planet --- it does not cost
you anything. Ask your customers if they know
anyone who could also use your products or
services. When they are happy with your offerings
and service, they will be willing to tell you
whom you can contact, and they will pass the
word for you.
BUSINESS CARDS
You can usually pick up 500 business cards for
about $20. When you do, hand them out. Do not
give more than a couple of cards to each person.
If they need more cards from you, they will ask.
Some people are known to network with others on a
regular basis. Some of these people are also
known to be always looking for an extra few
bucks. With these people, you can suggest to them
that if they write their name on the back of one
of your business cards and the card is presented
to you, then you will pay a referral fee to them.
You do not have to offer much --- sometimes one
dollar is enough. Look at your home business and
your offerings and decide how much would be a
good referral fee.
PRESS RELEASES
Press Releases are a good source for generating
news about your home business. The business
editor at your local newspaper is always on the
lookout for a good business story to fill the
business news section of the newspaper.
Of course, the business editor understands the
economics of running a paper and is more inclined
to run your story if you buy advertising in
his/her publication, but will still print
stories for special events and openings.
The important thing to remember about Press
Releases is that it must be constructed in the
form of a news story. Even if you are a sole
proprietorship, quotes from you should be written
in a third person format: John Doe said, "Your
quote here."
A Press Release should pack the most important
information at the beginning of the copy, and
leave extra details towards the end.
You should always provide the reporter who gets
the task a simple and easy way for him/her to
contact you directly. Often the reporter will
want to contact you to get details that will
enhance their take on your story.
NON-PRIMETIME ADS ON RADIO AND TELEVISION
Believe it or not, some of the best rates for
radio and television are on the overnight and
non-primetime venues. These target times are not
a total waste as they can easily keep the
infomercial people in business.
These off-hours are just less populated than the
primetime hours.
Don't be afraid to check your local radio and
television rates for non-primetime hours to see
what bargains may exist. With television,
primetime is 7pm to 10pm. With radio, primetime is
8am to 5pm. This sure leaves a whole lot of hours
available to advertise your home business at
discount rates!
IN CONCLUSION
When it comes down to it, there is a lot to
understand about advertising, but when you have
the basic knowledge down pat, everything will
fall into place and bring more dollars to your
bank account.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
When you are starting out in a new home business
and no one knows who you are, one of the greatest
challenges you will face is how to drum up new
business.
If there were not people in your community or
marketplace that you knew who needed your
products or services, you probably would not have
started your business to begin with. But, once
you have talked to those who you personally knew
who needed your what you offer, then your next
task is to find others who will help keep your
doors open.
Many people know that they must turn to
advertising at some point in the future, but they
hope that day will be long down the road. For
some, this utopian concept will come to fruition.
But for the rest of us in the real world, we must
come up with creative solutions for meeting our
home business advertising needs while working
within our budget.
Most people have a misconception about having to
spend lots of money in order to advertise their
home business. When you start out, you honestly
will not have much money available for
advertising, and if you do, you should still
spend it wisely.
Before you jump headfirst into the world of
advertising, let me share some of the lessons I
have learned concerning this most important topic.
LESSON #1
It does not have to cost an arm and a leg to
advertise your home business, unless you fail to
plan and fail to test.
As much as is possible, you should always test
your advertising. If you jump in and start
dumping tons of money in to advertising without
first testing your advertising, you might find
yourself broke and without sales at the end of
the road. Most people who commit this error write
off their failure on the home business they chose
or the economy or any of a hundred other excuses.
But, if they are unwilling to take responsibility
for their mistake, they will never learn from
their mistake. Don't let this be you.
LESSON #2
All testing should be done in blocks. If you
begin to advertise simultaneously in newspapers,
radio and television, how will you know which
advertising is bringing people to your cash
register? You won't. All you will know that
something might be working, but you will not know
what is actually doing the trick.
Even if you tell people in your advertising to
tell you how they found you, my experience shows
that fewer than 10% of the people ever will tell
you anything --- and those people who do may not
even get the facts straight! You cannot rely on
your customers to tell you what advertising is
working for your home business. You must put in
the extra effort to know for yourself.
LESSON #3
Only when you have a proven and solid advertising
portfolio should you venture to drop big bucks in
an advertising campaign. Even then, you should be
careful to keep further measurements to determine
how much the maximum advantage of an ad would be.
Sometimes you might be able to reach ten times as
many people, but depending on the kind of media
and other factors, the additional exposure will
only generate twice as many sales. Keep your eye
attuned to situations like this to get the most
from your advertising dollars.
LESSON #4
As Lesson #3 illustrates, sometimes your best
advertising investment may actually cost you less
money. When you are first starting out, whether
you are running a home business or a business
outside of your home, you need to be able to get
people talking and thinking about your business.
If you are busy testing ads in media's such as
the newspaper, magazines, radio, and television,
you need to learn ways of promoting your business
that do not require large cash expenditures. A
few examples are:
· Word of Mouth
· Business Cards
· Press Releases
· Non-Primetime Ads on Radio and Television
Here is more information about each type of
low-cost advertising:
WORD OF MOUTH
This of course is the cheapest kind of
advertising on the planet --- it does not cost
you anything. Ask your customers if they know
anyone who could also use your products or
services. When they are happy with your offerings
and service, they will be willing to tell you
whom you can contact, and they will pass the
word for you.
BUSINESS CARDS
You can usually pick up 500 business cards for
about $20. When you do, hand them out. Do not
give more than a couple of cards to each person.
If they need more cards from you, they will ask.
Some people are known to network with others on a
regular basis. Some of these people are also
known to be always looking for an extra few
bucks. With these people, you can suggest to them
that if they write their name on the back of one
of your business cards and the card is presented
to you, then you will pay a referral fee to them.
You do not have to offer much --- sometimes one
dollar is enough. Look at your home business and
your offerings and decide how much would be a
good referral fee.
PRESS RELEASES
Press Releases are a good source for generating
news about your home business. The business
editor at your local newspaper is always on the
lookout for a good business story to fill the
business news section of the newspaper.
Of course, the business editor understands the
economics of running a paper and is more inclined
to run your story if you buy advertising in
his/her publication, but will still print
stories for special events and openings.
The important thing to remember about Press
Releases is that it must be constructed in the
form of a news story. Even if you are a sole
proprietorship, quotes from you should be written
in a third person format: John Doe said, "Your
quote here."
A Press Release should pack the most important
information at the beginning of the copy, and
leave extra details towards the end.
You should always provide the reporter who gets
the task a simple and easy way for him/her to
contact you directly. Often the reporter will
want to contact you to get details that will
enhance their take on your story.
NON-PRIMETIME ADS ON RADIO AND TELEVISION
Believe it or not, some of the best rates for
radio and television are on the overnight and
non-primetime venues. These target times are not
a total waste as they can easily keep the
infomercial people in business.
These off-hours are just less populated than the
primetime hours.
Don't be afraid to check your local radio and
television rates for non-primetime hours to see
what bargains may exist. With television,
primetime is 7pm to 10pm. With radio, primetime is
8am to 5pm. This sure leaves a whole lot of hours
available to advertise your home business at
discount rates!
IN CONCLUSION
When it comes down to it, there is a lot to
understand about advertising, but when you have
the basic knowledge down pat, everything will
fall into place and bring more dollars to your
bank account.
About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-10030
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)
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