Work Yourself Up!

Email Marketing – Make It Personal

The technical options that you have make possible personalized emails from your autoresponder that can seem like the real thing.  Not every buyer knows about autoresponders, so give them the sense that you created an email just for each reader.

When you write each response, start with the name of a trusted friend and write as if the message was just for that friend. Then edit out the friend’s name and set up the message so that your autoresponder takes over and inserts the prospect’s name.

Personalization isn’t just for emails - use it as an intro to your ezine, too: “Hi, Susan, here’s some great new ideas for using the XZY Information system that I know you’ll appreciate.” Use the name that the prospect gives in the information gathering form.

Add the name naturally as it would occur in conversation. Internet marketers can make the mistake of over-using the name just because it’s easy to insert electronically. Read the message aloud.

Would you use the name that many times or does it sound phony?  Yes, people love the sound of their own names, but when it’s over used, the reaction is that you’re being a fake and that send the buyer fleeing.

Don’t let spell check defeat you. First, be extremely careful when you type a name into the autoresponder list. If the name was automatically added to a list, don’t change it. Some names are spelled differently on purpose.

There is an ongoing dispute between Teresa and Theresa as to which is the accurate spelling of the name. Answer: the way she wants it!  Also, be careful that the name isn’t changed in the final spell check.

Avoid the marital status question. Don’t add Ms, Miss or Mrs to any correspondence. For one thing, email isn’t that formal. You don’t need to guess on this one or you’ll surely be wrong more often than right.

While the generic “Dear Friend” or “Dear Internet Marketing Colleague” seems impersonal, at least it doesn’t make obvious mistakes that are humorous to some people and blatantly offensive to others.

Use the name when you ask for the order. Remember to be personal when you make the final pitch.  What’s more appealing to you: “Everyone needs this marketing package to increase sales” or “ I want to see you enjoy the kind of success I’ve had with this product - so, Stan, are you ready to make serious money online? If you are then click here. . . .but wait, Stan, I’ve got one more bonus that’s just what you need!”

That’s a personal close using the name and showing interest in the prospect’s success. So keep it real, keep it personal and keep making contact with your list so that the first sale isn’t the last one.

Yaro Starak on Making Money with Blogs

You've heard of Yaro Starak.  He's the guy who built a six-figure blogging business, working just part-time.

You might not make as much money as Yaro does, but he's got some great tips that can help to earn $5000 (or more) each month, working just a couple of hours per day.

So yes, you can do the exact same thing!

In this exclusive (and free) audio interview, Yaro explains everything you need to know about blogging...especially when it comes to generating money with it!

Here are just a few of the things you'll learn...

• The one vital skill that most bloggers lack, and how YOU can easily acquire it.
• Yaro's "Pillar Method" - Use this to create killer, unique content that Google loves!
• A simple trick to attain "expert status" in your field - This is the quickest way to bring in new customers
• How Yaro built multiple, ongoing streams of blog traffic using "Communication Channels"
• The 3 things you must do to generate money with your blog (they work every time!)
• The real reason blogs don't make money...and what to do about it
• A simple "linking" technique to start generating traffic now

Listen below and get more info on Yaro and his pro-blogging system here (opens in new window)...

Download a mp3 file of this interview.

Bum Marketing Blunders

When you need to make money, you’re ready to believe in a system of Internet marketing that’s so easy even a bum using a free library computer can do it. After all, if he can do it, you can do even better.

Granted, you can make money online with practically no cash out of pocket. Just avoid counting on the bum marketing method as the be-all and end-all for online marketing. Don’t fall into the bum marketing blunders that cost both time and money:

1.    Constantly searching for the “hot ticket product.” You can waste a lot of time roaming the Internet for the next big thing. You can make money with “evergreen” products that have an ongoing demand. If the product you’re promoting is too trendy, interest diminishes in a short time and you have to start the marketing process over again.

2.    Limited range of exposure.  ClickBank is a great place to find information products to promote, but it’s not the only game in town. If you depend on ClickBank without any other affiliate marketing efforts on your part, then you’re leaving money on the table. Don’t forget about other third party affiliate marketplaces such as PayDotCom.

3.    Working free to benefit others. A big part of Bum Marketing is submitting articles to free content sites like EzineArticles, Associate Content or ArticleBiz. Sure, this is a way to get exposure for your topic and maybe attract interest to your website as it appears in your signature line. Spending too much time writing free for these sites doesn’t give maximum return on your time investment – consider building up your own domain as an authority in your niche.

4.    Relying on one keyword tool. Online marketers have favorite research tools: Overture, SEO Toolbar, Word Tracker, Wordze or Google Labs. The mistake is in getting comfortable with just one keyword research tool. You need to use several research tools and compare results. If you limit yourself to one tool then you can miss important information.

5.    Do it yourself responses. If you have ten information requests daily, you can handle the email, but how will you handle 100 requests? Even if you spend hours at the computer, you won’t be as efficient as using an Autoresponder.  It’s a small monthly fee to save time and get out responses faster to your prospects.

6.    Depending on affiliate products. Using affiliate products is a quick way to get started, but don’t camp out there. Either purchase the rights or create your own products as soon as possible. Otherwise, you make a few bucks only to let your buyer become loyal to the affiliate product (and get on their email list for more products).

7.    Simple isn’t sloppy.  Use a template to create a neat, easy to read website. You don’t have to be a web guru, but you do need a site that’s attractive, even if simple. Don’t let low cost marketing look like it’s cheap. That impression cheapens the value of your product.

Identify Your Marketing Assets

One attraction for an online business that sells information is that your car can still fit into the garage. If you were selling tangibles on a site like eBay, your car would be out in the rain because the garage would be filled with inventory.

That’s both costly and inconvenient.  With online marketing of information, your “inventory” of products can fit on the thumb drive in your pocket. Even if you sell actual deliverable products, you can have those sent from a reseller and have plenty of room at home.

Since your products don’t take up space, it’s easy to forget just how many “assets” your business owns. You need to keep an ongoing list of the “assets” for your Internet marketing efforts. Not only do these have an economic value, but you want to know what’s available and have it organized for your convenience.

It’s too easy for files to get lost on the hard drive and linger instead of getting revised and back on the market. Keep everything in separate folders or files and then make a back-up on a regular basis. It only takes on computer meltdown to lose your entire business in a flash.

Here are a few prompts to use in listing your online marketing assets so that you stay well organized:

•    EBooks – custom written, original product or collaboration.

•    PLR Products – articles, eBooks or courses that you own rights to resell

•    Articles and reviews related to your niche

•    Video or audio products that are marketed separately or with eBooks

•    Customer list of buyers

•    Prospect list of people who ask for more information

•    Product reviews and testimonials from satisfied buyers

•    Recommendations from influential people in your niche market

•    Sales letters, squeeze page copy and ad copy from successful campaigns

•    Graphics and logos identifiable as the “brand” for your site

•    Opt-in pages and forms from successful campaigns

These “assets” have a monetary value, but they’re nothing until you “monetize” them for online marketing.  By keeping track of your marketing assets, you discover what’s most profitable in your niche and what isn’t.  Make the most of your assets and you’ll get more income with fewer useless files (the electronic equivalent of the packed garage!).

A Great Time for Viral Videos

If it works in your niche, this is a great time to release a video which makes a political statement.  For example...

Twitter Your Way to Instant Traffic

Twitter is a different take on communicating that blends instant messaging with social networking.  With a mere 140 characters per post, you answer the burning question, “What are  you doing now?”

To answer this, you have to make the most of every word. You have to capture attention quickly in each “tweet” (the Twitter name for a post). Sign up for Twitter and send out notices to your friends and subscribers. 

The more people who follow your “tweets,” the more your following grows as their friends see your profile thumbnail on other people’s profile pages and click through to follow you as well.  Every time you post a new tweet, each of your followers receives it instantly on their computers or cell phones if they’ve set it up like that.

Sending regular tweets can help build loyalty among your followers. Don’t just send anything, make it count. If you write reviews on electronic games or develop accessories for Avatars, then you want to let your followers know when you have something new for them.

You can develop an almost fanatical group who are so intent on knowing what you have to offer that they hang on your every tweet. For info marketers, this intensity can develop into a loyal group of buyers who respond to your new offerings.

Friends who want to set up a meeting can use tweets to inform everyone of the time and place. You can also send a tweet to direct attention to your latest blog update or lens creation. Remember to save room to add the URL for your site.

This is important for creating interest in your site and developing your brand. Even with a short post, you can set up your identity in a way that draws more followers to your niche. Twitter is a delight to some and baffling to others.

You have to get into it to really get what’s happening. Look at other Twitterers and see how many ways they’re using tweets to set their brand, establish a persona, show expertise or drive traffic to their sites.

The instant gratification of Twitter is part of its addictive potential. When you choose to Twitter within your field, profession, hobby, sport or business, then you’ll see how to dispense an enormous amount of new information rapidly, one Tweet at a time.

Finding Affiliate Partners

You can always position your product in third party marketplaces like ClickBank and PayDotCom. They’re the most well-known markets for selling your products, but you also want to secure joint ventures directly with marketers who promote your niche topic, not wait for them to find your item on ClickBank.

Start by listing as many sites as you can where there’s strong interest in your niche topic.  That includes discussion forums, chat groups, membership sites, and Google groups. Don’t forget the social networking sites like Squidoo, Facebook and MySpace just to name a few very popular sites.

Listen to the social conversation going on. Ask a relevant questions and pay attention to the answers. Do you get comments and ideas or recommendations for an information product and website with more details?

From that information, go to the suggested sites. These are potential affiliate partners. Even if you don’t see any affiliate products on their sites, contact them and propose an affiliation.  It may be that the site owner is so focused on his or her niche that product affiliation wasn’t even considered.

Or they may not know how this can work to their advantage for new business. You never know until you ask.     When you discover another start-up site related to your niche, propose an affiliate JV opportunity. 

They may not have much traffic in the beginning, but you’ll grow with them. You can also propose a shared email campaign - agree to recommend their site to your list if they do the same for you with their list.

Now, here’s one source that new marketers tend to avoid: highly successful sites. As soon as you see the big site with powerful affiliate partners, don’t think there’s no room for you.  An established site has a large following and repeat visitors and the owner is always looking for ways to provide value and insight to his or her community. You can offer a special bonus or discount for the site owner. 

Identify the top 5 most influential people in your niche and study their websites.  Look at their products and promotion methods. After a thorough analysis, contact their centers of influence and propose your product as an affiliate.

Send your product for a review. Most new Internet marketers avoid the big guys thinking that people so well established in the niche wouldn’t bother with a newcomer.  You might be surprised at the result of simply asking.

Some of the biggest names in Internet marketing are great people who believe strongly in the “pay it forward” philosophy. Don’t hype yourself, tell it straight and ask for an opportunity. When you get the open door, you need to present your best quality product with excellent customer service so they feel comfortable sending their traffic to your site.