Thursday, December 30, 2010

“Don’t Pay for Pricey Graphics”

One of the most important pieces of real estate you'll ever have on the 'net with your name and product on it. Squeeze pages are where the rubber meets the road as far as growing your list of leads and potential customers. merle_eyeball

Most marketers invest a lot into squeeze pages in order to make them as attractive as possible to the reader – the person whose name and email address the marketer wants to collect.

This can involve fancy banners and buttons, images that are meant to excite and compel the reader, and colorful and inspiring headers and footers. This means that graphics and images are needed but professional graphics can be expensive, and when you're starting out in your marketing entrepreneurship, you might be on a tight budget.

Here's what you can do:

First of all, remember that while fancy graphics are certainly eye-catching and that you do want to get the full attention of your reader, you can approach the situation from a different, less expensive angle. You only need to think outside of the box a little.

If you want to use images on your squeeze page, or any other page for that matter (and believe me, you should want to do this), check out some of the great websites that offer free stock photos. There are some convenient websites where you can get small images, which actually aren't all that small, to use however you see fit.

Resources:

Search the Free Stock Photosphere

Free Photos Bank

Free High Quality Clipart

Every Stock Photo

Royalty Free Stock Photos

The photos you'll find are nice and there are thousands upon thousands available, either for free or a very reasonable price. Once you get your photo images, you can insert them on your web pages or your autoresponders and add your own text.

Another option you have is to use open source graphic programs. These are programs that give you access to all that you need to create your own graphics. Granted, these might require you to have a little bit of computer knowledge, but some open source graphic programs are very user-friendly and allow you to create some great images that can include banners and buttons, icons and everything else you might need to build the look and feel that is right for your squeeze page or other pages.

Finally, don't forget that there are websites that offer free or very affordable clip art. Gone are the days of lame clip art that looks elementary in nature. You can find clip art graphics that convey meaning and help to build confidence among your readers.

The whole point of using graphics on your squeeze page isn't to overwhelm or even impress your readers, really. It’s to give them a feeling of excitement. Interesting images, photos, icons and banners can do that, as can headers and footers that announce your place in the world of marketing and the quality of your products along with the viability of your opportunity.

Graphics are important, but they don’t need to be budget-busters. While you're on a budget, you can still have graphics that light up your web pages and make your readers want to take the next step of providing you with their contact information or of making a purchase or joining your opportunity.

Your squeeze page is one of the most important pieces of real estate you'll ever have on the 'net with your name and product on it. Squeeze pages are where the rubber meets the road as far as growing your list of leads and potential customers.

Most marketers invest a lot into squeeze pages in order to make them as attractive as possible to the reader – the person whose name and email address the marketer wants to collect.

This can involve fancy banners and buttons, images that are meant to excite and compel the reader, and colorful and inspiring headers and footers. This means that graphics and images are needed but professional graphics can be expensive, and when you're starting out in your marketing entrepreneurship, you might be on a tight budget.

Here's what you can do:

First of all, remember that while fancy graphics are certainly eye-catching and that you do want to get the full attention of your reader, you can approach the situation from a different, less expensive angle. You only need to think outside of the box a little.

If you want to use images on your squeeze page, or any other page for that matter (and believe me, you should want to do this), check out some of the great websites that offer free stock photos. There are some convenient websites where you can get small images, which actually aren't all that small, to use however you see fit.

The photos you'll find are nice and there are thousands upon thousands available, either for free or a very reasonable price. Once you get your photo images, you can insert them on your web pages or your autoresponders and add your own text.

Another option you have is to use open source graphic programs. These are programs that give you access to all that you need to create your own graphics. Granted, these might require you to have a little bit of computer knowledge, but some open source graphic programs are very user-friendly and allow you to create some great images that can include banners and buttons, icons and everything else you might need to build the look and feel that is right for your squeeze page or other pages.

Finally, don't forget that there are websites that offer free or very affordable clip art. Gone are the days of lame clip art that looks elementary in nature. You can find clip art graphics that convey meaning and help to build confidence among your readers.

The whole point of using graphics on your squeeze page isn't to overwhelm or even impress your readers, really. It’s to give them a feeling of excitement. Interesting images, photos, icons and banners can do that, as can headers and footers that announce your place in the world of marketing and the quality of your products along with the viability of your opportunity.

Graphics are important, but they don’t need to be budget-busters. While you're on a budget, you can still have graphics that light up your web pages and make your readers want to take the next step of providing you with their contact information or of making a purchase or joining your opportunity.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Free Report- PLR FAQ for Bloggers

If you’re a blogger and short on time, who isn’t these days, PLR (private label rights) can be one of your best friends. These are reports, and or short articles that are purchased and can be modified and used as your own. The hard part is finding high quality PLR as there’s a lot of junk out there. plrforbloggers-sm

So once you find it, how do you use it in the course of your online biz. Let Nicole guide you along in this 18 page report “PLR FAQ for Bloggers” Download it and give it away from your own site or blog.

Some of the topics covered include:

Who can benefit from PLR?

What are the Pros and Cons of PLR?

Rewriting/Tweaking PLR.

Why should you customize your PLR? What’s the benefit?

What is the best way to customize PLR for your own use?

Can you tell us step by step how to customize it?

PLR and the Search Engines

Will using PLR content hurt your search engine rating?

PLR & Duplicate content penalties...truth or fiction?

How to Use PLR in your Business

What are 2 simple ways to use PLR articles?

Download it now:

http://www.merlesworld.com/e-books/PLR_FAQ.pdf

Related Resources:

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Friday, November 26, 2010

"Place Search: Google’s New Local Search"

Have you heard the latest Google News? They have essentially merged the organic listings with the local listings and restructured the page, calling it "Place Search". Listen in as Brian Combs, the CEO and Founder of Ionadas explains it all.


Monday, November 15, 2010

“How to Plan & Profit From Facebook Advertising”

This free PLR report will show you the ins and outs of advertising on Facebook. What looks like a difficult subject is broken down so that anyone can understand and implement an ad campaign. facebook-128

Here’s what’s included:

1) 8 page Report

2) Printable Planning Sheets

3) Squeeze Page for Building a Mailing List

4) Professional Ecovers


Topics covered:

What are your Goals?

Who is your Audience?

Design Your Ads

Establish Your Budget and Pricing

Track the Data

Download Your Copy Now and get your Facebook ad campaign up and running today:

http://www.merlesworld.com/e-books/Facebook_Adv_PLR.zip

Friday, October 29, 2010

" Free Report- 7 Reasons Why You Need to Offer Your Own Coaching Program"

Interested in offering your own coaching program?  Download this free report that lays out the steps for you. From inside:

Free Report!
"This report operates under the assumption that you already have an online business and are looking for opportunities to grow and increase your bottom line. Coaching offers this potential and much more. If you’re not familiar with coaching or the coaching concept, take a few minutes to learn about the industry."

http://www.coachingplrcontent.com/members/go.php?r=57&i=l3

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

“Free Ebook- How to Get Incoming Links?”

If you have a website and want traffic it “aint gonna” happen without links. Yes, that’s right. Without other related sites linking out to yours Google won’t even look at it. The more incoming links, the more popular your website is considered and the higher it will move up in the search engine rankings.merle4_Cartoonizer_1 Yes, links are good people. You need links.

So how do you get these incoming links? There’s plenty of ways, but you have to be creative about it. The days of just asking for a link and getting it are long over. You can write short reports and ebooks, write short articles, guest blog, post on forums, comment on other blogs. The list goes on and on.

In this short ebook Nicole Dean got Experts to Talk about Link Building
and share their best tips and tricks, for getting those incoming links you so desparately need.

Download it and give it away to others if you like it.

Right click on this link to save it to your own server.

http://www.mcpromotions.com/ebooks/LinkBuilding.pdf

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Sunday, October 10, 2010

“Advanced Article Marketing Skills”

Now that you have a few articles under your belt and have a handle on basic techniques for promoting them, it's time to take a step up and tackle some advanced skills. These activities will take your article marketing efforts to a whole new level: Twitter bird (3)

1. Approach editors directly. 

Once you've proven your ability to put out high-quality articles on a consistent basis, it's time to see if you can bypass the middleman (the article directories) and provide regular content to a newsletter, blog, or website. Locate editors of publications or blogs in your niche. Pull together a short list (with links) to some of your favorite pieces that would be appropriate for their audience, and email them a short note introducing yourself, presenting the links to your material, and asking if they'd be interested in receiving regular, exclusive content from you for publication. The benefit for them is that they know they can count on quality content that isn't appearing elsewhere on the Internet; the benefit to you is that you can reach a target market on a regular basis, thereby compounding the "expert" effect.

My favorite resource that teaches this method can be found at:
http://www.ebookprofitscoach.com/how-to-blog-tour.php

2. Include appropriate keywords.

Keywords are words or phrases that a potential reader would use in an online search engine to look for information on a specific topic. By using keywords, you have a greater chance of someone being linked to your article from an online search engine, thereby potentially increasing the traffic to your site.

The key to keywords (pun intended) is to think like your reader would think. For instance, if you want to draw people to your handmade greeting card site, you might want to include keywords and key phrases in your article and title such as:

greeting cards
greeting card use
sending greeting cards
occasions to send greeting cards
selecting greeting cards
handmade birthday cards
anniversary cards

While keywords are no guarantee that your article will become the number-one ranked link on Google, it will certainly help people find you in the vast wasteland of the Internet.

3. Re-use your articles in other media formats.

Once you have a group of targeted articles, re-use them by recording them as audio or video and releasing them online. Some people simply respond better to other forms of communication, so by providing a variety of media types, you expand your reach. It's just another way you can connect with your target market in the way they prefer.

Article marketing is a rich and complex strategy for drawing your audience to your site. There are so many different ways to continue to market your articles that you could spend all your time finding new ways to leverage the work you've already created. The best part is, there's something for everyone!

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Monday, September 27, 2010

"Postup.com: Sorting Through the Noise on Social Networks"

Free twitter badge

Image via Wikipedia

Long before there was Google Adwords it was Overture, and before pay-per-click search engine marketing was even born, there was a website called Goto.com. If you've been marketing products/services online for more than 10 years, you might remember that Goto.com was the original and one of a kind when it came to bidding on keywords and ranking for them in search results.

Fast forward to today, and the same man responsible for Goto, Bill Gross, the team at Idealab and other investors, are attempting to strike gold twice with the invention of Postup.com. A concept very similar to Google Adwords, but this time for Twitter and other social networking platforms. When first launched, they were called Tweetup and were only for Twitter, but they've since changed the name and included other social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn.

It is a self service bid-based marketplace that runs on a patent-pending platform. At the time of this writing, it's only available to those in the U.S., but eventually plans to go international.

The concept is simple really. You sign up, bid on keywords and  your posts will appear in Postup's sponsored results when a search is done for that phrase. They'll also appear on a number of particular sites and other Twitter third party apps, such as Twitterfeed and Tweetdeck. Partners also include Answers.com, Seesmic, Popurls, TechCrunch and more. They've also recently purchased Twitdroid, a Twitter app for Android phones.

With the help of multiple distribution channels, Postup's search results will be widespread and viewed by millions. This is a great way to not only display sponsored posts, but also grow your base of Twitter followers and "friends" all at the same time.

To sign up, you'll need a credit card, although initially it won't be charged as all bids are set to “0” by default. Unless you decide to place a bid, they'll remain that way. An email is sent that must be confirmed to complete the account activation process. Right now it's based on CPM, cost per impression, but that may change down the road into cost per
click.

At the time of this writing, Postup is still collecting stats and bids, but they are live on a limited number of partner sites. Right now, search results are organically optimized, but in the future bidding will open on keywords and you'll have access to an account page to edit settings and bid on keywords. Many factors are used to determine relevance such as how much is re-tweeted, popularity of posts and more. They also give users what is called "Authority Ranking" based on the topic they mostly post about. The best posts will go to the top of search results.

You'll also want to make sure your social network bios are up to date and reflect your areas of expertise, as it's used by Postup's search function to help establish the quality of your postings and ranking. Third party Twitter clients and websites who partner with Postup to display their sponsored posts do receive a cut of the ad revenue. There are four formats to choose from.

1) PostUp API- For apps and clients
2) PostUp Twidget- For Content Pages
3) PostUp Search Field- Search without leaving your site
4) PostUp Sign-Up Widgets

As you can see, for Postup to be a success, they need to have a multitude of distribution and partner sites. They've been hard at work getting all of their "ducks in a row".

As everyone knows, Twitter has launched their own "Promoted Tweets" program which now puts Postup as a direct competitor. Twitter has also announced they will not allow third party networks to place ads in their timelines. Twitter users are able to, just not third parties. According to Twitter, they made this decision to preserve the integrity of the user experience. Twitter's chief operating officer stated:

"We will not allow any 3rd parties to inject paid ads into a timeline on any service that leverages the Twitter API."

So how will these new rules affect Postup, if at all? Well, third party apps can still run next to and around Twitter feeds, even next to Twitter search results, but they must be separate. This does put Twitter in control of who's running ads in their timeline, and they can block the API access of anyone not playing by their new rules.

According to Postup's Blog they state they do comply with Twitter’s new terms of service. For more, see their blog at http://blog.postup.com

So for now it looks as if Postup has found a way to work with Twitter's new rules. It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out. This may also explain why they've decided to branch out into other social networks,
and not put all of their eggs in one "Twitter basket."

The Internet is often compared to the Old West Gold Rush days, and in some ways maybe it is. Goto.com was a brilliant concept back in the day, and it's possible that by taking the popularity of Twitter and other social networks, and merging it with sponsored ads, gold may be struck twice. I for one can't wait to find out.

For more information see: http://www.PostUp.com or
follow them on Twitter at
http://www.Twitter.com/PostUp

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

“Kindle”- The King of Reading Devices and My New Toy

Amazon Kindle e-book reader being held by my g...
Image via Wikipedia
I've been wanting a Kindle for years. So when they came out with the latest version, (3) which includes 3g and wireless I finally broke down and bought one.

Due to the demand for the nifty new gadget I had to wait about a month to receive it.
The day it arrived in my mailbox my heart was pounding with delight as I opened the little brown package. There it was in all its glory. A small marvel of a machine capable of holding about 3,500 ebooks. Wow!

Say goodbye to overstuffed bookcases and books on the floor. Now it's possible to carry a complete library right in the palm of your hand. My first impression was that it was a bit heavier then I thought it would be but still light enough for prolonged use.

Now I must admit I'm a "book junkie". I love paper and buying books from Amazon is one of my many obsessions. So how will I feel with e-books no longer being allowed to touch and smell a "real book"? Only time will tell.

So far I'm impressed with the battery life. I charged it when I first got it and it's been weeks and I've yet to plug it in. Amazon states that with wirelss off, battery life should be about a month. With it on, about  10 days. That's still a long time. With so many electronics it's annoying to reach for one, only to find it has a dead battery. So far the Kindle has always been ready when I am.

The unit I purchased comes in at 7.5"x 4.8"X0.335" with the screen size about 6". I paid 189.00. There is a cheaper unit for 139.00 and the Kindle DX at 379.00. My logic was to choose the middle buying point as it seemed to have all the features I was looking for.

One of the improvements with this new model is the high contrast E-Ink screen thta boosts 50% better contrast. It's also 15% lighter and weighs less than a paperback.  The Free 3G Wireless has no monthly or annual contracts and gives you global coverage. 

The built in Wi-Fi allows you to connect at Wi-Fi hotspots. There also were some enhancements made to the PDF reading ability. And I'm really excited about the new WebKit-Based-Browser which allows me to browse websites. Amazon has not overlooked the importance of social media and now allows you to share meaningful passages of books with friends and family via Twitter and Facebook integration. 

If I'm particularly lazy I can choose to have whatever I'm reading read out loud to me in a male or female voice. Pages turn automatically when content is being read. Great, no physical labor on my part.

Now I admit I'm hoping to find a lot of free ebooks (and so far I have)  and not have to spend a ton of money obtaining reading material so the free book samples are great. I can download a sample chapter and decide if I really want to part with my hard earned cash for the rest of it. Anything I do purchase is automatically backed up for me at the Kindle Store in my personal library. I can delete books off my Kindle and re-download them at anytime.


Charging of the device can be done via plugging it in or with the USB port on your computer. Now I admit my vision is not what it use to be so I do like the fact that text size is totally adjustable. There are also three different font styles to choose from. It's also easy to add personal notes to text or export certain passages. It may not be a yellow highlighter but hey, it works.

Documents can be emailed to your Kindle with the personalized email address Amazon gives you with your purchase. The Kindle can read documents in these formats: HTML, Txt, Word Docs, PDF Docs, and pictures in Jpeg, Gif, PNG or BMP formats.
I don't think I'll run out of reading material anytime soon as Amazon has over 670,000 books for  my downloading pleasure.  Including over 1.8 million free out-of-copyright titles. The Kindle includes 4G of storage so I don't think I'll run out of space either.


Listening to music and podcasts is also possible and can be played in the background while reading. Transfer of files can be done with the included USB cord.
Look, there are a lot of choice when it comes to choosing a book reading device but I'm loyal to Amazon. They were there in the beginning and I believe they'll be there in the end. It's a strong company that makes buying books a breeze so when it came time to purchase a reading device it was an easy decision.

I personally love Amazon and have been buying books from them from the very beginning. I'm a loyal customer, period. As the weeks fly by I'll share my thoughts and experiences with my new favorite toy and where free books can be found. So far I’m pleased as punch!

Buy your own Kindle using the link below:

Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6" Display, Graphite - Latest Generation


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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

“Top 10 Article Directories”

So you’ve written a great article that you’d like to use to drive traffic to your website, but how do you get the word out? Fear not my friend, Merle is here to once again save the day. Ok, that might be a bit dramatic, but it sounds good. pencils

Article directories are the key to getting your article in front of editors, bloggers, and newsletter publishers who are in need of high-quality content for their audience. There are literally hundreds of possible directories, some large and some small, some targeted and some general. To save you some legwork, here's an overview of the ten largest online article directories, and details on their submission process.

1.    http://EzineArticles.com

Ezine Articles is by far the largest and most popular article directory. Ezine Articles is one of the oldest article directories, and its age serves it well. Since its inception in 1999, millions of users have logged on to submit and download articles. There are more than 30 parent categories with dozens of sub-categories on every imaginable topic. Don't let the size scare you; this is one of the first stops when editors need content, so your chances of being picked up are high. And the sub-categories and search functions make it easy to target articles. Submission is free, although you are allowed ten article submissions to start. Further submission credits are awarded, based on quality.

2.    http://ArticlesBase.com

ArticlesBase.com has one of the highest site traffic rankings from among article directories, and it boasts more than two million articles. Front page listings include “Editor’s Picks," highlighting six of the most popular articles, and “Latest Free Articles,” which is updated frequently. Writers can find Article Writing Tips and an Author Spotlight which showcases the talents of various writers.  Submission is free.

3.    http://ArticleSnatch.com

ArticleSnatch offers a huge selection of free reprint article categories including several less-common sub-categories such as Humor, Language, Philosophy, Poetry, Ethics, and so on. These well-defined sub-categories make it easier to categorize your articles according to your specific niche. Submission is free.

4.    http://www.GoArticles.com

More than 185,000 authors have submitted more than two million articles to GoArticles.com since it was founded in 1993. As part of the Jayde Online Network, GoArticles.com considers itself “The Web’s Largest Free Content Article Directory.” Whether that’s true or not, it is one of the largest and definitely a place to submit your articles for potential publication on other sites. Submission is free.

5.    http://www.ArticleAlley.com

Article Alley offers dozens of categories, including automotive, business, dating, fashion, and music. Submission is free.

6.    http://www.ArticleDashboard.com

Article Dashboard has one of the largest category listings for free reprint articles online with thousands of available articles. What really sets this site apart, however, is their free Article Dashboard software. The software allows users to start an article directory of their own at no cost. Submission is free.

7.    http://www.IdeaMarketers.com

This one is my personal fav. While IdeaMarketers is one of the top-ranked article directories, they are much more focused on quality than similar sites. Not only is the layout more professional than many other directories, but IdeaMarketers offers a Bid-For-Promotion System that lets writers pay for more prominent placement of their articles, which can dramatically increase the number of times an article is published. Basic submission level is free. This is also a great place to archive all of your documents in one place.

8.    http://www.Amazines.com

Amazines is one of the oldest article directory sites with hundreds of thousands of free articles in a multitude of categories. In addition, they also offer a huge free ezine directory, blog directory and article feeds that webmasters can use to add automatically updated content to their sites in minutes. Submission is free.

9.    http://www.ArticleRich.com

Article Rich is a clean, easy-to-navigate article directory that’s been online since 2005. Boasting over 360,000 articles by more than 75,000 authors, the site includes a number of popular categories. In addition, the front page highlights 20 featured articles as well as two featured authors, adding the potential for greater exposure for you and your articles. Submision is free

10.    http://www.SearchWarp.com

Another long-time Internet resident, Search Warp allows a variety of topic categories. But unlike some of the other article directories, they don't accept what they consider to be “high-spam topics” or those promoting such concepts as gambling, casinos, pharmaceuticals, prescriptions drugs, lending, mortgages, credit cards, SEO, affiliate marketing, network marketing, MLM, and several other taboo subjects. Submission is free.

There are many more article directories available online, but consistently submitting your site to these top 10 article directories will ensure you a tremendous amount of exposure and help build your online reputation as you attract targeted traffic to your website or blog.

Additional Resources:

Create Video for your articles with voiceover, animations, all the graphics and submit it to 17+ top video sites in 3 minutes flat- Click here to find out how http://www.articlevideoroot.com/specialoffer/msmerle

Just a quick note to let you know where you can get 75 free private label articles: http://www.mikesteup.com/x.cgi?a=r&id=1&aid=6172&p=9

Do You Write Articles? Do You Want To? Grab This Free Tool And Start Cranking Out Articles In 10 Minutes Or Less! http://articlewritingassistant.com/members.php?id=5960

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Thursday, September 2, 2010

“Why spend over $1,000 when you can learn online copywriting free?”

Have you seen the prices on some of these copywriting courses lately?  $600, $800, $1,500!  Whether you’re an aspiring copywriter, a new freelancer looking to improve your skills or a website owner/manager who writes your own online copy, that’s a lot of money to spend. 0314000019a

Why spend over $1,000 when you can learn online copywriting free?

You can lay a firm foundation for online copywriting simply by attending this free, 10-day event.  It runs September 1 – 10, 2010 and is produced by Chris Cobb and Karon Thackston.  They decided to broadcast each session free for 24 hours so as many people as possible could hear this vital information.

That’s almost $300 worth of expert teaching for absolutely nothing.  No strings attached.

Are the sessions taught by nobodies?  Absolutely not!  Here’s the lineup of speakers.  I’m sure you’ll recognize more than a few of these names.

  • Kevin Hogan on the Science of Persuasion
  • Michel Fortin on Sales Letters 2.0
  • Lynn Terry on Blogging
  • Jeff Herring on Article Writing
  • Shannon Cherry on Press Release Writing
  • Brian Massey on Landing Page Creation

and

  • Karon Thackston on Knowing Your Target Audience, Basics of Online Copywriting, Headline Creation and SEO Copywriting

Get all the details and the complete schedule when you click over to Online Copywriting 101 now http://onlinecopywriting101.com/dap/a/?a=1424

You’ll also get your free pass to this world-class beginner’s copywriting event so you can attend at no cost to you.

Here’s to your success!

Merle

http://onlinecopywriting101.com/dap/a/?a=1424

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Monday, August 30, 2010

"Living without Facebook, Twitter, and IM – Is It Possible?"

"Facebook, Twitter, and Instant Messaging have become natural parts of our everyday life. They also play key roles in many businesses. But is there a downside? Can they dominate too much time?" Watch the video and see if you have a problem


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Thursday, August 26, 2010

Digg Gets an Update""

If you're a fan of Digg.....you're going to really like the recent update and facelift. Upon logging into your account you'll be given the opportunity to "follow People". Hey, sounds like Twitter. Anyway, after picking those you'd like to follow, you can also add RSS feeds for your blog or newsletters. Digg gives you a piece of code you'll have to paste into your blog post to verify the feed. Now all of your posts will be  submitted to Digg automatically. Nice...very nice.

All stories you submit are also sent to those who follow you. This is slick and I like the way it looks.  If you don't have any followers you'll have to ask people to start. All in all I think Digg did a nice job making Digg a little more socially friendly.
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Saturday, August 21, 2010

Free Ebook- “Words That Make Them Buy”

Basic creditcard / debitcard / smartcard graph...

Image via Wikipedia

People usually buy something not because they need it but based on emotional reasons. A good copywriter knows how to weave in just the right words when crafting copy that makes someone reach into their pocket and pull out that credit card number.

With this 17 page pdf ebook you can find out what those trigger words are so you can start using them when writing your own content. It’s not magic, rather a science that makes a person want to buy from you.

Download “The Top 10 Words that Say Buy and Why They Work” at

http://www.mcpromotions.com/ebooks/words-that-say-buy.pdf

If you like it download it to your own server and give it away to your site or blog visitors. It’s good stuff Maynard!

Helpful Resources:

Red Hot Copy's retiring award-winning, step-by-step copywriting 
system Speed Copywriting Workshop Home Study at 50% off! http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1120620&u=www.redhotcopy.com/scwcourse.htm

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

“How To Stand Out From Your Competition For Extra Sales”

Many information marketers have the erroneous belief that if they find a market with too many competitors, they shouldn’t write an ebook for that audience. To the contrary, competition can be beneficial for a variety of reasons including – * Researching. If there IS a lot of competition, you can reasonably expect there this to be a lucrative marketplace. Thinking of you

Generally speaking, a large product and service line means there is large consumer interest and demand. I encourage you to LOOK for markets with lots of competition as it’s a shortcut to researching where revenue is available. * Partnering. The more competition there is, the more likely you can find other like-minded marketers to partner with in cross promotion efforts, co-op advertising, and other related joint ventures.

This is especially true if your ebook is “related” to other ebooks without DIRECTLY competing with them. (I.E. Raising metabolism is “related” to cutting calories in that they are both agents of weight loss.) * Educating. Another reason why competition is good is simply because your target audience is educated, at least in part, on someone else’s dime. That is, the marketing materials of your competitors educates the market on why the products are necessary or beneficial.

A good example is this: many marketers “educated” consumers on the need for using audio and video on their web sites, opening the door to a variety of related products and services to be sold. So, competition isn’t always a bad thing. It can be a good thing for these reasons and a handful of others. But ... The challenge comes in when you want to stand out among the competition so YOU can get marketplace interest.

There are many ways to stand out by creating your own “USP” (Unique sales proposition) that could be covered here, but I want to mention is this – Create a demographical version of your ebook.

Let me give you an example – Let’s suppose you are going to write an ebook entitled, “Weight Loss Secrets”. So, you write it and then you create a “demographical version” that is entitled, “Weight Loss For Christians”. Other examples might include – * Time Management For Homeschoolers * The Internet Marketer’s Diet * The Senior Citizen’s Guide To Investing * How Ace Your First Teacher Interview * How To Get A Hot Date: College Student Edition * Fundraising For Youth Groups

All you would need to do in order to create this “demographical version” of your ebook is take the same exact ebook you’ve written (your “regular” version) and add some specific references and ideas that relate to the particular demographic you’ve chosen. * If you decide to create “How to Get A Hot Date: College Student Edition”, then you’d add in a few references to specific places a college student can find a date that wouldn’t apply to your regular audience (I.E. Frat party), as well as pick-up lines, first-date ideas, practices and other content that apply only to college students.

In other words, you share the same content, but you speak THEIR specific language and provide ideas that THEY can put into practice in their setting. The PRINCIPLES of finding dates may be the same across the board, but the PRACTICES of finding dates are completely different for college students and widowed senior citizens! And if you can get creative in your content, you can make your demographical version even more appealing. Your “regular” version may have 5 main practices for time management. But in your “demographic version” those practices become 5 “Homeschooling Habits”.

So, what’s in this for YOU as the author? Let’s take a look at a couple of noteworthy advantages - Firstly, you STAND OUT among your competition. As a Christian, I can tell you that if 20 ebooks were available on weight loss and one of them specifically mentioned being for believers, I’d immediately take a look at that one.

Secondly, you EXPAND OUT among your competition. Now you can market your ebook to TWO entirely different audiences. For example: You can look for “weight loss” ezines and buy advertising in them. But, you can also look for “Christian” ezines (that have NOTHING to do with weight loss) and buy advertising in them. This allows you to reach audiences that you likely would have never been able to reach! Then, it’s simple a matter of doing it again for other demographics.

Rinse. Repeat. Reprofit. Start with ONE demographic and move on to many others ... * Christians * Homemakers * Senior citizens * Students * First-timers * Newlyweds * Office Workers * Teachers * WAHMs The list could go on and on. Most information products can be custom-tailored for different demographic groups to STAND OUT among the competitors ... and open up the door to new contacts that might never be reached through other means. If you want to STAND out and EXPAND out then create one or more “demographical versions” of your ebook. Like a screaming child at the library, you’ll get attention!




Monday, August 16, 2010

" 3 Steps for Creating a Social Media Strategy"

"Social media is all about engaging with people whether it be clients, friends, or relatives. As Li Evans of Serengeti Communications explains, “Everybody likes to share, and they like to share a story.” Let's listen in.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

"More New Sales- Tips for Sales Success"

20 Best Sales Tips-

1. Make contact

Make contact with all of your customers who either haven’t bought yet, or have only recently bought.
If it’s a potential customer, find out what you can do to move them along in making their decision. Not the used car sales guy-high pressure way, but by trying to sincerely serve them. How can you help them? You are trying to solve a problem they have, and whether they called you or you called on them…if they wanted to hear your sales presentation, they need or want what you’re selling. Make it a problem solving expedition, and SERVE the best you can.

This is tip #1 because it’s easy, and it’s a great place to jump in. Talking to customers is the only way you’re going to sell. Call them. Drop in. Make contact. Sell.

2. Trial close

Closing is the most important thing you can do. If you don’t ask for the business, you’ll lose more sales than you make. That’s the obvious part.

The not-so-obvious part is when to start closing. Almost every training course discusses this so you probably already know it, but it’s one of the biggest ways to find out how far along the decision making process the customer is at any time.

Ask questions throughout. “Will this option meet your needs? Is this component something you are interested in? Will this meet your need, and/or am I on the right track?”

Trial closes accomplish two things. 1.) Let you know if you are heading in the right direction. 2.) Keep you from over-shooting the buying decision. If the customer is ready to buy, you don’t want to talk yourself out of a sale. Close throughout the sales call…it’ll make it easier to close at the end.

3. Capture trust

In order to close effectively, you must earn trust. This means many different things to many different people, but to you it means the difference between selling and “giving a quote”. How do we capture trust? What do clients want from us?

Part of this goes back SERVING. You’re going to hear this a lot in this sales, because service is at the heart of any successful sales venture.

Service during the initial presentation

Service during the sale

Service after the sale and product delivery

Service any time the customer needs you. ANY TIME.

Deliver on your promises. Do what you say you are going to do. Return calls, answer questions completely and honestly. Nothing is worse than nailing a sale and then losing it all on a technicality. Don’t be “that guy (or girl)”. Don’t lie…it won’t work out in the long run.

Answer calls in a timely manner

Call back with solutions

Be on time

Follow up

Be honest

Be friendly and positive

Be confident in your knowledge without belittling theirs

Capturing trust is at the heart of sales. Whether you’re asking someone to part with their own hard earned money, or asking a corporation to narrow its profit margin with an added expense…you must deserve the business. If they trust you…you’re one step closer.

4. Answer objections appropriately

At some point and time, most customers will have questions that can lead them to either wait to purchase, or purchase from someone else. Or they can talk themselves out of buying altogether. These questions are actually objections. Sometimes the customer doesn’t even know it. Sometimes the objection is completely different than the question being asked. You need to know what is stopping the customer from buying.

Sometimes the “objection” is a smokescreen. Just an excuse not to buy because the customer is not comfortable with you yet, or your product. Re-state the objection, ask questions about it, respond appropriately with a real solution. Cushion, probe, respond.

5. Probe

I know, we all hate this word. It’s been used in alien abduction movies, doctor’s offices…it’s never a good thing. You’ve also probably heard it over and over again in every sales training course.

There’s a reason for that…IT’S IMPORTANT!

This can be a make or break moment in the sales call, and it comes early. You could spend a ton of time working with a potential client who’s already decided they’re not buying from you. Or, you could blow right by serious concerns and never address the real need, losing a valuable sale.

Start early. Don’t bombard the client with questions, but you do need to probe to find out how you can serve them. Listen to the answers. Take notes. Make sure they know that you are sincere in your desire to find a solution custom fit for them. Effective probing is the key to unlocking the best possible sale in each and every circumstance.

6. KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

First and foremost, don’t talk yourself out of a sale. Don’t “show up and throw up” by reciting every detail about your product every time.

If you’ve done your probing and found out what the customer needs, you can simply tailor the presentation to the points they need to know about. If there is additional information that relates to an important point, by all means throw it into the mix.

Just the basics, then get them involved. If you refer to your notes on the customer, you can get them to ask questions, and then you’re helping them instead of feeding them a pitch.

7. Feature/Benefit

I shouldn’t even have to say it, but every feature should show the customer a benefit. It’s Sales 101. If you don’t know about this part of sales…find a basic sales class and sign up. You’re not ready to talk to customers.

Even though it’s a no brainer…I HAVE to mention it here. It’s crucial. Features mean cost…benefits mean solutions to needs, wants, or problems.

8. Expand Your Knowledge

You MUST know more than the other salesperson. You need to learn everything you can about your product or service, and every part of your business that relates to it. You also must learn your competition inside and out.

If your customers can’t tell that you are the expert, it’ll be up to them to make the decisions. If they rely on you as the best source of information, they’ll be more comfortable with you making decisions for them, ultimately leading to a successful close.

9. Use “Best Practices”

In pharmaceutical sales there is a huge emphasis on sharing “best practices”. Every week we would get voicemail from regional directors or area vice presidents with attached messages from some of the nation’s best performing districts. These messages would be “best practices”. Or…”how they are doing so well.” What is working for them in the field? What resources are they using? What is resonating with a particular kind of client? It works the same way in every other kind of sales, too.

Find out what other successful reps are doing, and use their successes to create your own. Sometimes the difference is just a word or phrase, or a different approach with a certain client type.

10. Teach Others

Sometimes, the easiest way to learn is to teach. Having two kids, I learn more and more everyday. It’s the same it any situation.

If you want to be the expert for your customers, that should also set you up to be the expert for your peers. One of my favorite parts of selling was always going on sales calls with other people.

I especially enjoyed ride-alongs with new reps. I liked to share what I knew (imagine that). At the same time, a new rep can also be another resource for you. I always learned a lot while teaching others. Everyone brings something to the table.

How much do you know? It will become apparent when you have a “newbie” riding with you asking questions all day. It’s a good test. If you are teaching someone how to do what you do, it will reinforce your own knowledge base, and at the same time show you where you need to learn more.

11. Ride-Alongs – or “Co-selling”

One of my favorite ways to learn (or teach) is a ride-along. Go on sales calls with other reps at times. Sometimes, just the way a phrase is framed in a conversation can change the way you see a product, feature, benefit, or customer interaction.

Some reps are more laid back, some are more aggressive. Make note of which style works with each type of customer. Use what you learn to customize your own style of selling. If you are great at selling penny-pinchers, and your colleague is great at up-selling and nailing big ticket items…you can learn from each other!

12. Referrals

Face it, a large part of your business should rely on referrals. You MUST ask for them at every opportunity.
It only takes a minute, but it’s vital to your business. Use whatever technique you want to ask…be passive, direct, assumptive…whatever. Just make sure you ask the question.

If you’ve already SERVED, and the customer is happy with your service, they should be more than glad to refer others to you. You’ve already made the sale! You have nothing to lose. Ask for referrals. Every time.

13. Lead Generation

There are a number of ways to keep your lead quiver full. You need prospects to turn into customers.
Don’t be afraid to pay for leads. You can pay fellow employees a “bird dog fee” for sending leads your way, or you can use online paid lead services. Just Google “sales leads” and see how many hits you get.

The point is, you need to have clients to talk to, and the more pro active you are in getting them, the better your sales results will be.

14. Take Notes

Buy a digital voice recorder. Keep track of ideas you have throughout the day for leads, new customers, or things to do for current customers. Finish your day by checking through your voice notes and acting on them. It’s easier than stopping to write something down on the fly. Transfer to do lists into your planner as needed, but when you think of an opportunity, don’t put it off. Make note of it right away.

When I sold security, there was that one guy that kicked all of our butts. He was a small business sales guy. He made about twice as much as the rest of us. His biggest tip, best advice…the digital recorder. Any time he saw a new business or a business he wanted to call on…he spoke into his little doo-hickey. Then, when he had the time…he acted on it. That’s the key here…it’s not enough to record your ideas. Implement them.

15. Sell Outside Your Market

We tend to have labels. Residential, individual sales, small business, commercial sales, etc. Can you sell outside of your market and label?  Did you sell to a big business? Well, do they buy from or sell to small businesses?

Can those businesses use your product? Referral opportunity.

Did you sell to a small business? Can you sell to an individual? Depending on your product, you may be able to sell the owner or employees as well.

Did you sell to an individual? Where do they work? Can you sell to their business?

There are plenty of ways to look at it, but the main point is the old cliché…”think outside of the box”.

16. Play the Numbers Game

I always hated hearing this, but sales IS a numbers game. The more people you ask, the more presentations you make, the more you’ll sell. Get out and sell! It’s what you are paid to do.

I know this is probably an oversimplification, but the fact remains that you need to see more customers in order to close more sales. It’s not always easy, but the best way to deal with it is to get busy. Make them tell you no. A lot of them will also say yes.

17. Embrace “NO”

You must not be afraid to hear the answer “no”. IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. A lot, if you sell for very long. It’s not personal, so don’t take it personally. Embrace it. Learn to appreciate it.

You see, as with number 16 above, the more times you ask, and even hear “no”, the more opportunities you have to hear a “yes”! No’s can lead to yes’s. Sometimes a no can uncover a problem, objection, or issue that can be resolved and lead to a yes. Even with a definite no, if you’ve served your customer properly, you can take an opportunity to try and get referrals. Always sell. Always ask the questions. The no’s can’t hurt you if you don’t let them, but they can be a big help.

18. Leave Work at Work

This one isn’t going to directly get you more sales…but it will help your overall attitude, and that can definitely lead to more sales and a better career in general. It is VITAL that you have a good work/life balance, and that you leave work at work. Don’t carry all of the “no’s” home with you. Home is where, hopefully, the yes’s come out to play much more than the no’s.

Go home, have fun. Forget about that presentation or why you may have lost it. If you do all you are supposed to do to serve the customer, and they still say no, it’s not your problem anymore. Don’t brood over it. Don’t air it out too often at home. Make sure you have a hobby you enjoy. Spend time with people you love. Enjoy your time off. You should be working to live, not living to work.

19. Listen…

to the customer if they want to sell themselves. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own
expertise, our own plans, our own ego’s, we forget that the customer just might already know exactly what they want. Give it to them.

Yes, you still need to sell. You can up-sell, or make recommendations if what the customer wants is impossible or will not serve them properly, but don’t “sell” yourself out of a sale. Sometimes it’s okay to be an order taker.

20. Be Helpful

In all areas of your work life…and I mean ALL areas…aspire to be as helpful as you can. Help your customers, first and foremost. Help co-workers, other departments, even the competition in some circumstances (don’t give them a sale, of course!). The point is, if you are helpful, they’ll appreciate it. Appreciation and a good reputation go a long way.

Not only will this help you get More New Sales…it can help you sell yourself along the way, which could mean raises, promotions, or any number of things.

Plus…it just makes sense. Be kind, be helpful. You never know, maybe we are entertaining angels unaware…

Until next time, happy selling!

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Sunday, August 8, 2010

"What are 4 Things a Blogger Can Easily Outsource?"

WordPressImage via Wikipedia
Blogging is a great way to get started making money online – BUT – it’s work. (All good things come with some effort, right?)

The absolute worst thing a new blogger can do is to do nothing. Yet, that’s what happens to many bloggers when they’re first getting started. While waiting to get their blog just perfect, they do nothing and, instead, spin their wheels – stuck in one place.

Meanwhile, they get frustrated, their dreams fade, and they end up giving up before they even had a fighting chance. It’s sad, especially since many of them are talented writers, are passionate about their topic, and have a lot to share with the world.

So, what can a new blogger do to avoid this from happening?

Simple. Outsource.

But, what, exactly is “Outsourcing“?

Outsourcing is just a fancy word for getting someone qualified to quickly and efficiently do a job for you that you

1. don’t have time for,

2. don’t want to do, or

3. don’t have the skills to do.


But what can you outsource, and how? And, can you afford to?

All great questions. Here are 4 tasks you can immediately outsource for a modest price (and boost your blogging efforts at the same time).

1. Blog Installation and Optimization.

If you’re planning to blog, the one thing you’ll need is a web host. Why not choose a multipurpose web host that will also install your blog for you? Both MomWebs.com and ReliableWebs.com will install your WordPress blog for you. Why would they jump through these hoops? They want you to succeed so that you become a customer for many years. As part of their service, both web hosts will also recommend and install plugins for you for a reasonable fee.

There’s no point in getting paralysis by analysis. This is an easy decision to get over your first hurdle – actually getting your WordPress blog online and ready to roll.

2. Design.

One thing I outsource gladly is graphics. When I try to do my own, they look unprofessional and, downright tacky. When I pay a more talented professional to create my graphics, they look awesome! You can find a professional designer at Shelancers.com who can make your blog look snazzy – just look around. Of course, you can also search places like eLance.com, but I’d suggest that you ask for a recommendation from a friend (or even on Twitter) before going with someone totally untested.

3. Content Management.

Keeping your blog active with fresh content can be a feat in itself. BUT – there is a big secret that bloggers use to make their lives much easier. It’s called PLR content and it’s something that I’ve also used in the past.

What is PLR content? Basically, PLR articles are written by ghostwriters and sold at a very affordable price (usually around $1-2 per article) to multiple bloggers and website owners. So, as a blogger, you can purchase these articles, and stick them on your blog. Or, as I recommend, you edit them a bit before posting them to your blog. While PLR is not totally hands-free – it can help you to get over the hurdle of having to write all of the content for your blog all by yourself.

By the way, the place I recommend you look for PLR Articles is EasyPLR

Of course, you can save even more time by hiring a Virtual Assistant to add the PLR that you purchase to your blog for you so that it’s waiting in there the next time you face writer’s block (as we all do).

4. Community.

Do you ever hear the sound of crickets when you go to your blog? How do some bloggers get such a conversation going while others seem to be talking to themselves? The answer may not be what you think. Another big secret of top bloggers is that they sometimes “seed” conversations with their own assistants and friends. Yes, they have commenters who are paid to come by and leave comments to keep the conversation going. Pretty cool, isn’t it?

While you don’t have to go quite that far, it doesn’t hurt to be “comment buddies” with some friends and help keep each others blogs active with conversation.

What Next?

Learn More about Outsourcing at my Recommended Resource. Outsourcing can be a big scary thing if you’re trying to figure it out on your own. So, if you’d like to learn more about how to Outsource in your Online Business, I recommend this course: http://www.outsourceweekly.com/ You’ll see a free series of lessons on the top of that page.)

For more resources and a complete list of outsourcing resrouces see http://www.mcpromotions.com/outsourcing/index.htm

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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

“Tracking Your Article Marketing Results”

When developing your article marketing campaign – or any marketing campaign for that matter – it's a good idea to track your results to analyze what's working and what's not. Figuring out where you're getting the biggest bang for your buck helps you maximize your results and minimize your investments. There are many affordable and easy-to-use tools to analyze your web site traffic statistics to give you a better picture of your results. 0429001900b

The easiest way to keep an eye on your article marketing efforts is through your web hosting stats. If you're using a hosting company with a standard Cpanel, you can easily see where your traffic is coming from over time. If you're using a company like HostGator.com, ReliableWebs.com, or MomWebs.com, you're already set. Just log into your Cpanel and click on Awstats to look around. The important stats to look at are “referring” traffic to see where your traffic is coming from.

Another free way to track your success is with Google Analytics at Google.com/analytics/. Google Analytics will help you determine where your visitors are coming from, which article directories are referring the most traffic, and which of your articles are paying off. Their easy-to use interface allows you to also track your sales and conversions from articles, test a variety of resource boxes, measure your site's bounce rate and much more – all by installing a tracking code on your blog or website. 

Google Analytics’ features are too many to list here, but suffice it to say the service will help you fully and completely analyze your website traffic so you know exactly how to tweak your article marketing efforts for better results. In addition, Google Analytics interfaces with other Google tools such as Adwords and WebOptimizer. Using Google Analytics in conjunction with your article marketing strategy may also help you increase the effectiveness of your Adwords campaigns.

The next step is knowing what to do with the information that you uncover with these two tools. The first thing is to find all the sites are already publishing your articles (by looking at the “referring” sites) and contact them to see if they'd like more of your content. Also, find out which of your articles seem to be the most popular based upon the amount of traffic you're getting. Using these articles as guides, figure out what the commonalities are. Are they all on similar topics? Are they about the same length? Are their titles or resource boxes alike? Replicate what's already working.

By figuring out what you're already doing well, you can easily tweak your future efforts to be more and more successful over time. Just remember that gathering data is easy; putting it to good use is more complicated, but that's where the results come from.

Helpful Resources:

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