Is it Time to Let Go?

Many of us hang onto projects, even when they aren’t working as well as we had envisioned in the beginning. We refuse to give up for whatever reason, whether we just can’t seem to let go or because we don’t give up easily and refuse to resign to and admit failure.

Warrior forum member, Karl, isn’t one of those people. He is making a very courageous move by starting over. He is scrapping everything he once was and reinventing his internet marketing self.

Sometimes, as hard as it might be, we need to learn to move on with those things in our business that are bringing us down or aren’t bringing us the potential earnings or fulfillment they once were.

If your first projects haven’t taken you where you want to be in a reasonable amount of time, use them as learning experiences. By hanging onto to these things, you are just draining your time and energy. This is time and energy that can be applied to new ideas and concepts that you’ve taken the time to plan out in detail with the resources you’ve gained along the way. This crucial step will help you avoid making the same mistakes made in the past.

Content or Promotion which is Most Important?

While browsing at growing in popularity and quite interesting CopyBlogger.com I came across an interesting post about content and promoting that content.

The topic of which is more important, content or promotion, reminds me of the “Which came first; the chicken or the egg?” debate. Without one you can’t have the other, right?

Let’s think about this for a minute, shall we? We all know that in the Internet marketing arena, content is king. No arguments there. But, you can have all the content in the world and if you aren’t promoting it (and yourself) the odds of you getting the outcome you are hoping for is very limited. I say limited because it isn’t completely impossible to have a good amount of content and still receive visitors to your site, due to SEO techniques.

The bottom line is in order to reap the most benefit, you must have quality content AND promote it correctly. So, don’t put all your eggs (or your chickens) in one basket.

If you’re looking for quality content, check out All Private Label Content.
If you are looking for ways to promote content, check out How to Use PLR Articles.

Affiliate Management: Keep It Fresh without Short Circuiting Their Brain

If you sell anything online, whether physical products, information products, or even services such as coaching, setting up an affiliate program is an excellent way for your business to grow and profit to its fullest potential.

My affiliate manager, business partners and I have been working very hard to make sure we are giving our affiliates the material they want and need in order to convert their customers and visitors to buyers.

One of the biggest mistakes I see with many affiliate programs is when product owners throw a few graphics and links on their site and leave the rest to the affiliates. The first problem with this is that the product owner ASSUMES everyone is a master at affiliate marketing. Not the case at all. Many affiliates are new to the affiliate marketing world and need guidance. If you aren’t there to offer them that help, how can they become great affiliates and sell your product to their potential.

That said, I’ve also noticed that some affiliate programs assume that their affiliates know zilch about affiliate marketing. They bombard them with emails telling them exactly how to do everything. They make it a long drawn out process that those who are experienced in affiliate marketing get sick of seeing. Many times, this can cause a possible super affiliate to leave the program because they just don’t need information on a daily basis. I’ve seen it happen.

Similarly, brand new affiliates may get overwhelmed with all the information if you give them too much at once, defeating the purpose altogether when they don’t promote because they can’t make sense of everything soon enough.

Now, I’m not saying don’t let your affiliates know what to do and I’m also not saying that you should just leave it up to them. What I’m getting at is that you need to have material for both ends of the scale, without burning any of them out before they get started. They should also be able to choose a learning track that’s most appropriate for them. If you want to send them “how to” emails, get permission to do so first.

Another great tool that has been working for myself and a number of other online business owners I work with is a dedicated website set up as an affiliate center that houses all of your promotional material as well as training material for those who need it. You can also include a blog with all the affiliate updates, so if email gets lost or your affiliates want to comment or ask a question, they can do so.

Once you have that set up you need to concentrate on 2 things when it comes to your affiliates.

First, be available to them. Whether it’s you or an affiliate manager, be there if and when they need you. If you show them how important they are to you, they will produce better results. They will feel that sense of trust and willingness to help them succeed and not just put money in your pocket.

Second, keep the material fresh. Now, I don’t mean you have to post something new for them every single day or even week, but don’t just throw your site up and leave it without updating and adding new material. Make sure you have plenty of resources available to help them should they need it without having to contact you directly. Some people just don’t want to have to wait for their answers and if you give them those answers right there on your site, they won’t likely forget about it or get busy waiting for you to tell them how. Create a FAQ section or step-by-step instructions telling them how to re-direct their links.

These are just a few of the ways you can keep your affiliates happy, because if they aren’t happy they aren’t productive.

For more ideas on how to make your affiliates love you and excited about promoting your products, grab your free affiliate management tips here
=> Affiliate Manager Tips

Web 2.0 Myths & Why It’s Time to Go Back Home

Lately, is seems everyone is on the Web 2.0 and social marketing bandwagon. It reminds me of those eager beavers that come to any old forum and think everyone there is their potential customer. Spam here…spam there…spam everywhere.

We Internet marketers are getting a bad rap because of some stupid marketers who think it’s their job to simply reap as much profit out of anything they can get their hands on.

Marketers everywhere are developing software to spam MySpace users to get more friends on their list like FriendBot and MySpace Promoter, just to name a few. It’s automated software to abuse the add a friend privileges on MySpace for the purposes of sending out promotional messages to a massive friends list.

MySpace is now in the process of suing a spammer who allegedly inserted viruses into spoof log-in pages that gave him access to those people’s friend’s lists. What will these idiots think of next?

Squidoo contributors are complaining that ”Internet Marketers are Taking Over”. They accuse Squidoo Lensmaster’s of artificially boosting their rankings and putting their Internet marketing topics in the Top 100. Reading through that crazy thread (Margaret and the Scammbuster are a piece of work, aren’t they?), it’s clear that innocent people are being accused, while the true scammers often go unscathed.

There are tons of ebooks coming out on how to spam social bookmarking sites. Ick! Read this article by CNET News branding Internet marketers as nasty creatures polluting Digg, a popular bookmarking site. And they’re right! There are plenty of Internet marketers acting like the whole Internet is their playground they can do anything they want on it.

No matter how much people tout Web 2.0 and the marketing potential it carries, it’s an INFORMATION vehicle, period. Try to change that and you’re sure to annoy a very vocal group of annoyed users.

I’m not saying social networking sites shouldn’t be used, but put your used car salesman in your back pocket if you do. If you want to use social networking as your opportunity to market to your heart’s content, create your own social networking site. Then you decide the rules. Marketing messages are always best saved for your own web space where you have the run of the house and your visitors expect you to market to them. Why force it down people’s throat in a place where you don’t belong?

Working with a VA: Tell Her When She Sucks!

A few days ago I had someone come to me upset over a situation with her VA. The person was frustrated because her VA did not complete a task as she requested. The VA didn’t follow the instructions given and this person wasn’t sure how to handle the situation.

When I first heard this, it all seemed rather foreign to me. I honestly couldn’t figure out why she wouldn’t just tell the VA. Then I remembered what it was like early in my outsourcing journey, treading on eggshells with virtual assistants. I quickly learned that you can’t be that way and expect your business to prosper. You also can’t expect to have a good relationship with your VA if you sugar coat everything or simply ignore the problem.

When you work with virtual assistants, especially when you are just beginning to outsource or the VA is new to the work, you have to remember one thing above all else. A virtual assistant is a business owner, just like you.

Good VAs have a thick skin and take feedback and move forward with it, improving where necessary. When mistakes are made, they don’t expect a scolding for it, but IF they are told about the error they can fix it and do their best not to repeat it in the future.

For me personally, I think it’s a disservice to your VA NOT to tell her. She is a professional and wants to ensure she’s done a good job. If she didn’t perform to your expectations and you don’t tell her, she’ll never know. You can’t expect her to correct a problem if she doesn’t know there is one.

Also, be sure that you are clear in your instructions. Sometimes it’s just a matter of miscommunication. Be sure that your VA knows if at any time she needs clarification, all she needs to do is ask. Be open to helping her out until she fully understands what is expected of her and what the outcome of each project should be.

I know the title of this blog entry is over-the-top, but the point I’m trying to make is that communication is key with a virtual assistant (or any assistant for that matter). So, for her sake and yours, don’t hold back for the sake of feelings, when things are not done up to par. Without proper communication, the work relationship CAN’T grow. A VA worth it will take the feedback as constructive and will improve on it. If not, that VA probably isn’t one you want to work with in the first place.

On the flip side of the coin, when your VA does a good job, make sure she knows it and that you appreciate the work she does. Positive feedback is always a good thing and you just might be impressed with the outcome of future projects when the VA knows how valuable she is to you.

Web Users are Creatures of Habit – Don’t Confuse Them!

When I released Copywriting Sweetie earlier in the month, I told you about a special, limited time only bonus that I am including. I am offering my personal copywriting feedback and help to anyone who needs it, but only if you get on board by January 20th. Well, tomorrow is that day, which means you’ve only got today and tomorrow to submit your request.

So far, I’ve had many requests for feedback on pages that have been built with and without the software included and have been happy to help lead those who have submitted their requests in what I hope is a more profitable direction. Feel free to ask any question you may have regarding copywriting and I’ll be more than happy to offer my advice, which comes from my personal experience copywriting for the web for over 5 years.

One support request was from a student who wanted suggestions for how to make multiple subscription options at a site less confusing for visitors.

“We have 3 different subscriptions, and it seems to always be confusing as to what you get with each subscription, since they overlap so much. Would you suggest that we completely restructure the site BEFORE making all the (smaller) big changes to headlines, rewording content, adding pictures, etc. etc? (I have a HUGE list of things to do after going through your copywriting info.)”

When I reviewed the copy I noticed there was a call-to-action for her readers, but it wasn’t immediately noticeable. That is one of the most important elements when writing copy for the web. You must give your visitors something to do. Make your call-to-action clear and tell readers exactly how to do it.

This particular student has 3 different subscription options and her call to action was for visitors to click the links to the subscriptions. However, the links were not immediately recognizable as links. The text was black and the links were not underlined, so it looked as though it was just part of the rest of the writing.

One of the things I want to stress is how much Internet users are creatures of habit. People are used to blue, underlined link text. Readers will see the blue (at least some version of blue) underlined (not just on mouseover - not everyone reads while moving their mouse) text and know right away it’s a link. Therefore, cutesy, different colored links are not going to produce the results you are hoping for.

A simple, but important point.

As much as I would love to be available to each and every one of you on a personal level all the time, I am a busy mama. I created my online business so that I could spend time with my family above all else; therefore,I can not offer one on one coaching on a regular basis.

Hurry and get your copy of the course complete with opt-in, sales, survey and thank you page builders now. Then tell me your burning questions, before the sand runs out in my personal assistance hourglass.
http://www.CopywritingSweetie.com

Finding People Who are Interested in What You Have to Offer

I received this question the other day and wanted to address it here on the blog today.

“What is the best way to set up a site to get people to be interested in contacting me for more info? I have a candle business with Mia Bella and my goal is to make it a second income. I am trying to work it offline but I feel that if I get it online too I can work it from every angle to max business.” - Erica

First, I want to congratulate Erica for seeing the potential of bringing her business online. Many more doors can open for her as she learns how to “set up shop” on the internet and applies those methods to her site.

My suggestion would be to use an opt-in page or possibly two opt-in pages. One to target opportunity seekers and the other to target people who love candles. The business one could include information about starting a candle business, promote her company and other business tips. The customer list could include information about home decorating, using scents in the home, decorating with candles (the ones she sells), how to get coupons for purchasing those candles, etc.

No matter what the main reason for moving your business online, the success of that will depend on how you market yourself and your business. Opt-in pages allow you to create a targeted list of people who are interested in what you have to offer. It really allow you to get your feet wet quickly, focusing on two things - building your list and getting to know your target market. Then you can add more things to your marketing. Start simple and grow from there.

You can find an opt-in page builder included in the Copywriting Sweetie package. http://www.CopywritingSweetie.com

Autoresponders Only Work if Used Correctly

You can’t possibly answer every email or request for information from your website immediately. Unless of course you have found a way to run on no sleep and everything else in your life all but goes away. So, what’s a website owner to do? Why, use autoresponders of course.

Autoresponders can make your life 100% easier. However, if not used correctly, it can actually hurt your credibility and your business. Autoresponders were created to keep us from being tied to our computer 24/7, but that doesn’t mean you can set up a series of emails for your list and then walk away completely.

Sure, you could set up an ecourse with 5-7 emails and let that be that. Where’s the long term potential in that list if you never contact them again? Even with a specific amount of emails in your autoresponder you must be willing to keep in touch even after they have finished the course.

You have to be effective in how you approach your lists. Don’t be bland and always, always remember to make your emails personal. Don’t talk to your subscribers as a group, talk to each one individually. Make them feel like you are sitting down writing the email to your friend.

Be informative. The more information you give them (and I don’t mean information overload or a lengthy email they’ll never finish reading here) the more credibility you will build and the more likely they are to buy from you. If you just send them a few emails and then suddenly stop forever, you won’t come across as someone who is genuinely concerned about your readers.

For more on how to create an autoresponder that works for you instead of against you have a look at this article
=> How to Create Effective Autoresponders to Keep in Touch with Your Prospects

And don’t forget, you have to be nice about it! For more help on how to really connect with your readers check out my Email Marketing Sweetie.

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