Archive for May, 2009

Internet marketers love special reports. They’re quick to make and easy to sell, which means you can make money from them – fast. Plus, there’s more than one way to earn with special reports. In fact, here is a list of 30…no 31 ways!

But first, if you think you need a hand making your own special reports, check out the Special Report Club. – and use the code “save10” to get $10 off your first month.

So here are those 31 GREAT ways:

1. Sell it – and keep all of the profits. The most obvious way of making money with special reports is to sell them.

2. Sell it through affiliates – and keep some of the profits. This is the similar #1, but your affiliates lead buyers to your sales page and pocket a commission from the sale.

3. Sell it through affiliates – and give them all of the profits. How does this make you money? Well, you build a list of buyers plus you can earn money on the back-end, either by promoting other products in the report itself, or as part of the sales process, or both.

4. Give it away – and build your list. Use the special report as an incentive for people to join your list.

5. Give it away – and make affiliate sales. Embed affiliate links in the report, and you can earn commissions by giving it away. Just add a “Resources” page or sprinkle affiliate links where appropriate.

6. Break it up into blog posts. A blog needs regular content. Write blog posts easily from a special report.

7. Give it away as a bonus to a paid product. Increase the perceived value of a paid product by including a special report – or several – as a bonus.

8. Combine reports into an E-book to sell. Turn each special report into a chapter, add an introduction, conclusion, new title and cover, and you’ve got a brand new E-book to sell.

9. Combine related special reports into an E-book, to give away. Same idea as #8, but you give it away for list building and/or affiliate sales.

10. Combine related special reports into a physical book, to sell. Turn the E-book from #8 into a book that buyers can publish-on-demand, such as on Lulu.com.

11. Use it as a basis for an article. Get the most actionable points from the special report, turn them into an article, and submit it to Ezine Articles or another online article directory.

12. Create an audio version to give away, or sell. Some people prefer audio products they can listen to while they’re on the go or doing other things. Give in to their demand by converting the special report into an audio report.

13. Use a special report as the basis for tutorial videos - to give away or sell. Videos are hot nowadays, so turn a special report into video format for increased value.

14. Combine the audio and video versions into CDs and/or DVDs – and sell physical products. Physical products don’t cost a lot to produce, but have higher perceived value than digital products.

15. Use the special report as the basis for a series of marketing videos to build your list and/or drive traffic to your site. Get 3-5 top tips from the special report and turn them into a video you post on YouTube and other video sharing sites, for instant traffic for your blog or site.

16. Use it as the basis for videos to promote affiliate products. Similar to #15, but use the videos to drive traffic to products you’re affiliated with, using your affiliate links.

17. Make it a prize on your Twitter giveaway. Want to get more Twitter followers? Offer a special report to all your new followers.

18. Give it away in exchange for answering an online survey to do market research. Set up an online survey and give respondents a free special report for their time.

19. Make it a surprise bonus for your customers or subscribers. Delight your existing customers with a free special report they didn’t expect to get and make them loyal to you, for life.

20. Create a teleseminar out of the special report. Create a list of frequently-asked questions the special report addresses, and set up a teleseminar.

21. Make it a monthly resource in a paid membership program. Add useful special reports in the members’ resource area, or make it the featured content of the month.

22. Break it up into an E-course, to sell or give away. Chop up a special report to create an E-mail course or pre-recorded audio course.

23. Use the special report to create free Web 2.0 sites, such as Squidoo and Hub Pages. Create content for Squidoo lenses, Hub Pages and other Web 2.0 sites that promote your products and/or services, or affiliate products.

24. Break it up into autoresponder messages for your subscribers. Use the special report to give your subscribers useful information regularly.

25. Rewrite it to cater to a different or more specific niche. With a few tweaks, you can make a special report appeal to a completely different niche or market. For example, turn a general business report into one just for work-at-home Moms.

26. Use the content to create a mini-site for affiliate marketing. Set up a mini-site (5 pages or less) to promote an affiliate product. Get content from a special report.

27. Create a podcast. Use a special report as the basis for a podcast, which can be in audio or video format.

28. Use it as an upsell or downsell to another paid product. Offer a special report to buyers of a related product.

29. Turn it into a brandable report for your affiliates to use to promote your product or service. Let affiliates give away a special report to draw leads to your site or list.

30. Cull out the most actionable tips from the special report and turn each one into a Twitter Tweet. Shazam, you’re an instant expert.

31. Turn special reports into hand-outs, checklists or even main resource materials for a coaching program.

Ready to make money with special reports? You can jump-start the process with a special report, sales page, e-cover and more done for you month after month. Find out how at the Special Report Club website. And don’t forget to use the discount code “save10” (without the quotation marks) to get $10 off your first month with Special Report Club.

Then all you’ll have to worry about is which of these 31 ideas you will do to earn from special reports!

Man, I thought safelists were dead. Seems they’re back with a vengeance and a new twist on Twitter.

You probably know I’m not the type to go all crazy for social networking sites, but I LIKE Twitter. Well, I used to like it a lot more. Now, I just think some Internet marketers have gone a little nuts, cheapening the experience for everyone.

I’m also not one to tell people how they should Twitter. I may have my opinions, but I think people should use it the way they’re comfortable. HOWEVER, I draw the line when people’s use of Twitter (or any site) impinges on the ability of others to enjoy their experience too.

The cool thing about Twitter, until recently, is that you had complete control over your own experience. If you get annoyed by spam followers, don’t auto-follow back. If you don’t like all the welcome DMs…don’t follow so many people. If you don’t like what someone tweets, unfollow them. It’s as simple as that.

But then I realized something the other day (and forgive my naivity until this time – I was enjoying my Twitter bubble). Here’s how it happened:

On Monday, my father-in-law said to me, “So I joined that Twitter thing because you said it was simpler and better than Facebook.”

I said, “Oh yeah?”

He replies, “But I think I made a mistake.”

“A mistake?”

“Yeah, I made a mistake and followed you because as soon as I did, I had all these people following me. [My wife] was wondering who all these people were and wanted to know why I had so many friends!”

He was joking on the wife thing (my MIL wasn’t annoyed or anything, but curious!), but I realized. Damn! People are mining my follower list (some near instantly) and following people that follow me.

Now it would be one thing if people were looking at his profile after seeing him following me and decided he was follow-worthy. But here is his profile (I’ve blacked out some information to protect the innocent and not-so innocent):

Why the heck would people be rushing to follow him? There’s NOTHING there. NOTE: He’s down to 2 followers because it’s been several days and I guess the people who auto-followed him have removed him for not following back.

What is This Madness?

Are people really this desparate to look popular or have they truly been duped into thinking that random people are going to increase their business? Hmmm…I’ve got an email list of 30,000 I can sell you for $20 if you’re interested. LOL!

Of course, this is all still just my opinion, but I think it’s downright rude and slimy. Think of the average person coming on Twitter who happens to follow an Internet marketer. BAM…suddenly, they’ve got all these followers who are so obviously trying to sell something. Not cool.

I was really surprised by the people who are doing this, but then I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s often people with really high follower counts who also follow tens of thousands of people (but obviously, this isn’t a instant indicator of such activity).

What I’d Like to Do About It

The other day I asked:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To which I got the kind reply:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And LOL, I did check Asfaq’s profile to see if he might guilty of such actions, but he looks like a fully human Twitterer to me.

So I proceeded to block those who were using this technique. I was really upset by one of them as I enjoy her tweets, but when you start to make others who know me feel uncomfortable – sorry. You gotta go.

So Please, Do Me a Favor If You Use This Technique

If you use this type of script that mines followers, post a comment here with your Twitter ID, so I can block you. Or simply send me an @ message on Twitter, so I can block you.

Yes, I’m serious. I won’t say anything bad about you, single you out or anything. I just don’t want to participate in your numbers game. Now, I don’t care if you try to amass a bunch of followers and look at my follower list to see who might be of interest. But this automated garbage isn’t cool with me.

NOTE TO MY LEGIT FOLLOWERS:

I’ve felt a bit overwhelmed by the noise on Twitter for a while. At first, I just followed everyone who followed me, but then I got to 900 people I was following and I realized:

• This is TOO much noise.
• I’m following people who really have no interest in me. They just want to pump up their follower numbers.

To help me manage my Twitter better, in the next few weeks, I will be unfollowing people I don’t immediately recognize. This is NOTHING personal. If you’re a subscriber, blog reader or customer of mine, just @ me and ask me to follow you (we will be searching names against our database before removing, but we may make some mistakes). I’ll be happy to do so. I simply JUST want to hear from people who have some interest in conversing with me.

Thanks to those that put their entries in for Crissy’s giveaway. We’ve drawn three winners for the packs. Each winner gets:

 How to Give Good Blog: This audio and workbook shows you how to make the most of your blog by attracting your target market, building relationships and earning from your blog. 

 How to Get Great Press: This video and workbook package takes you through writing your press release and setting up your publicity campaign.

And the winners are:

•  Marcia Jones from Texas.
• John Masulonis from Idaho.
• DOH! Missed one….Ray Posner of Wauchope NSW, Australia. (Thanks to Luca for letting me know I only posted 2 winners!)

Congrats…you must claim your prize by emailing news @ internetmarketingsweetie.com [subject line: "I'm a Good Publicity Pack Winner"] within 7 days or we’ll draw another winner.

If you didn’t win:

Don’t fret…these packs are cheap to pick up, but offer valuable information in return. Pick up How to Give Good Blog, How to Get Great Press or both.

If you’ve got about 3 minutes, drop by for our new quiz. This one is all about improving your sales pages to get more of your FIRST-TIME visitors to say YES to your offer.

Here’s the quiz.

It’s quick and easy 8 questions (they’re multiple choice for ultra-simplicity!). Upon completion, you get a customized action plan based on your responses.

—— IMPORTANT ——

IMPORTANT: The quiz is delivered via email and your customized plan will be in that email. Due to the length of the email and other factors, it’s possible it might end up in your junk box…so check there if you don’t see the email right away.

If you still have problems…just let us know. The best place to submit your request is at  http://www.internetbasedsupport.com – be sure to include the email address you entered for the quiz and note which quiz you took (The “Sell More to Your First-Time Visitors” quiz).

————————

Again, the link to the quiz is at:
http://www.copywritingsweetie.com/quiz.html

If you’re tired of wasting your hard-earned traffic, take the quiz and get more customers…the FIRST TIME they visit your web page.

And pssst…quiz takers receive a pretty sweet offer themselves when they complete their quiz. You don’t want to miss it!

Here’s a handy giveaway can help you generate great publicity for you and your business. This two-pack includes help for your blog (an awesome self-publicity opportunity) and for getting press from other media.

Each Prize Package includes:

 How to Give Good Blog: This audio and workbook shows you how to make the most of your blog by attracting your target market, building relationships and earning from your blog. 

 How to Get Great Press: This video and workbook package takes you through writing your press release and setting up your publicity campaign.

…and we’ve got 3 packs for 3 lucky winners! 

Here’s How to Enter

Take a look at the How to Give Good Blog and How to Get Great Press packages. If you can use these for your business, move onto step #2.

Write a comment below with your full name, state/province and country stating that you’d like to enter. Please include one sentence (or more) on why you’d like to get your hands on this prize.

Deadline for entry is 10 PM PST Tuesday (May 26, 2009 – Click here to see what time it is in PST).

By random draw, we’ll pick 3 winners and announce them on Wednesday. You MUST claim your prize within 7 days or we will draw another winner.

Good luck!

I’ve got a focus secret to share and it’s as simple as a yoga class. More specifically, I’m talking about Bikram Yoga…also commonly called “Hot Yoga”.

(Ummm…actually, I have two secrets to share. I’ll tell you more about the focus thing in a sec, but nope that pic to the left looks nothing like me when I’m in my yoga class. Imagine me much redder, sweatier and with a much smaller smile. It’s TOUGH. Oh and that pose to the left happens to be my least favorite, but I still enjoy a challenge.)

Anyway, back to the actual topic…

If you’re not familiar with Bikram Yoga, it’s a sequence of 26 postures completed in 90 minutes. It’s the same postures each and every time, but here’s the catch – you do it in a room heated to over 100 degrees farenheit. And despite the fact that you do the same 26 postures each time, you can continuously challenge yourself to do more and each time you go to class, it’s a totally different experience. Sometimes it’s easier, sometimes it’s harder…you never know, but you work through it.

Its creator, Bikram Choudhury is pretty unconventional – even in yoga circles - and some may balk at the huge medical claims that Bikram and his instructors share. But I don’t necessarily do it for the medical benefit (other than the fact that my hip pain has all but disappeared and my back pain is minimal now)…I do it for the increase in strength, flexibility and most importantly, the general feeling of focus and wellbeing that comes from it.

Now I know it may not sound attractive to exercise in Las Vegas weather, but here’s how Bikram Yoga is helping with business (and seriously, I’m only a couple of months into it after a year and half hiatus…so I expect these benefits to grow):

• Your very first class is OVERWHELMING (as is one’s first foray into Internet marketing). You may feel sick, overheated, frustrated and even angry (I wanted to swear at my instructor!), but all they ask you to do the first day is to stay in the room for the entire class. In part, this is not to disturb other students, but also to build your determination and to make you realize it’s really NOT that bad. And then at the end, even though you may not have completed all the postures your first time, you feel great and proud of your accomplishment.
• You forget everything else. During class, you are encouraged to clear your mind of other distractions, worries, etc. All you’re supposed to do is focus on your yoga. Sometimes it’s difficult if you have a lot on your mind, but when you do it, it’s an amazing break from your hectic day and hectic thoughts.
• It’s a continuous road to improvement. As I mentioned, you do the same 26 poses each and every class, but you continue to push yourself hard, stretch more, go deeper. Even people who have been doing it for years, work toward perfection each and every class. This is the same for Internet marketing…I am dedicated to continue to improve everything I do and everything I already have. I don’t always need to find something new, but take what I have and make it better (much as I discussed in this blog post).
• You aren’t allowed to talk during class…there are to be no interruptions and distractions. As a chatty person (my report cards in school always had good grades, but teachers always commented on my talking in class) with an almost uncontrollable desire to make quips every chance I get – it was tough for me. But now, for the most part, I relish in the concentration and focus for the 90 minute class. I like to bring this to my work too, where I simply focus on a task at hand…no distractions, no multi-tasking (it’s HARD sometimes) and just get ‘er done. No Twitter, no forums, no checking email or stats…just plain old fashioned work.
• Then there’s savasana, which is a period of stillness (rare for most of us) between many postures. And as you move from standing poses to ones on the floor, you are forced to lie on your back, hands by your side and feet together for 2 minutes. Now on the surface that may sound easy, but when you’re dripping with sweat, overwhelmed by the effort you just put in…it’s anything but easy. You’d rather wipe off sweat, scratch an itch or just run right out the door. However, through continued effort, this stillness becomes a habit and is just one more of those many things that helps bring focus and determination to all areas of your life.

It’s amazing to see the benefits – mind and body – that come relatively quickly. I love exercise, hitting the gym regularly, but it’s not quite the same.

Now, I’m not preaching that you should get on board with Bikram, yoga or anything like it (this is not an advertisement for the Bikram cult!). It’s up to each of us as individuals to find what works for us. For me, I’m looking forward to continuing on this journey of well-being, improvement and focus – as it applies to my business and my entire life.

If you’re doing this online thing full time, do you ever think or even dream about going back to your old job?

Despite the fact that the pay and the hours suck, I admit I do think about the simplicity of the 9 to 5 grind. You go to work, get your work done (or if you work for the government like I did…get as much of it done as you can in your set hours) and you go home. Period. It’s done until the next day. Problem is, you have to come back the next day, put in a solid 8 and that kinda sucks. And you miss your kids like crazy.

What about you? Do you have any daydreams like this?

Most of us have heard the saying “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

According to Wikipedia: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket is a idiomatic phrase meaning that one should not focus all one’s resources on one hope, possibility or avenue of success. It can also mean not to treat everything in one category the same, and not to view everything as the exact same.”

In many cases, it can apply to a variety of things in our life.  If we don’t have a backup plan, things can go badly. The phrase can also apply to our online businesses. For example:

• A website that relies solely on free search engine traffic can be in for a rough road when a lot of that free traffic dries up.
• A business that has only 1 single-purchase product and has nothing else for satisfied customers to buy.

These are definitely good examples of potential problems with eggs in a single basket. But have you ever considered that in many cases, multiple baskets can actually be BAD for your business?

(Disclaimer: These are general comments…every business is different, so consider these thoughts as they apply to your own unique business.)

Although, I’ve talked about it before (and my opinion has NOT changed based on experience working with many Internet marketers), I have to mention it again:

Beware the Pitfalls of Hyper-Niche Marketing:

You know this one…the idea that you try to get into as many hot niches as possible to cash in. Unless you run a large operation, with dedicated staff/contractors for each market/business, you’ll likely do much better by focusing one highly-targeted market that you can really go deep with.

When you dabble in so many markets, you barely touch the surface and you don’t really get to know your audience imtimately. And if you don’t know them, it makes it harder to eke out maximum profits. When you take the time to know your market and dedicate yourself to serving them…you’re results will be far greater with less work (i.e. fewer mailing lists, websites, ghostwriters, support centers, etc…to manage).

But realistically, for most of my readers, I’m probably preaching to the choir. You’ve taken note and worked to focus on that profitable market…but then I noticed another alarming trend:

Too Many Products, Projects & Pursuits:

Let’s get to the nitty-gritty here. If we only have one basket of eggs and we drop it, we’re in for trouble. But seriously, if you’ve got a ton of baskets to carry…how the heck are you going carry all of them? It’s tough to do THAT many things well.

My head sometimes spins at how fast some people churn out new products and projects. I know that some people may feel the same way when they look at what goes on at Internet Marketing Sweetie…but most of what has been developed here has been done over several years and for the most part (yes, sometimes I have my weak moments of wanting to do it ALL), are put together with a clear and controlled plan in mind.

Why People Try To Do So Many Things: I am not a mindreader, but I do have the opportunity to see behind-the-scenes of a lot of online businesses and I pay attention to what Internet marketers (in all markets) say and do…so here’s what I think:

• They think if they have more products/projects, they’re likely to sell more. It’s following along with the long-tail idea, but many Internet marketers don’t follow the logic fully. The long-tail is not about half-heartedly selling or putting in so-so marketing efforts and then moving on. Take a look at your own serial product/project manufacturing…have you left some gems behind?
• They need more products to sell their current customers. Yes, every business needs repeat customers, but there are ways to achieve repeat business without launching product after product.
• They get bored with what they’re doing. Yeah, I feel you…but online business isn’t about whims….at least it can’t be all about them. Sometimes you’ve got to stick with what works, breath new life into it and make it fun again. And if it ain’t fun, outsource it!
• They can’t say no. When people ask them to work on a product or project, they feel like they can’t say no. Or you might be like me and have a thousand ideas you want to explore. Ummm…you gotta get over this one. One person can only do so much and you have to be able to say no to yourself and others.
• They think the grass is greener on the other side. Going along with the inability to say no, some people think that if they take this new opportunity, try this new thing…that will be it. Doesn’t always work that way.

If any of these apply to you, take a long hard look at where you’re going and if you really want to go there (stress, working too hard, juggling too many things). Here’s a few tips that might help…

How to Get Your Eggs More Organized

• Take a look at what you’ve really got going on in your online business. In fact, here’s an easy way to put together your online business inventory (it’s an eye opener!).
• Find the gems, polish them and focus on them. Forget the rest. This does not mean 1 product, 1 website, etc….not at all. Just stop searching for the latest and greatest when it’s probably already under your nose.
• NEW -> Work on Promotions/Marketing Instead of Making New Stuff: Create new promotions for your products, advertise, motivate and get your affiliates into action.
• Add continuity. Create products and services that have your customers/clients paying you month after month.
• Get them to pay more. Create a product funnel for your customers that increases the value they receive and the profit you get in return. You have less work to do and your customers are more likely to be more satisfied.
• Learn to say no and look away. Decide what’s really important to you (ex. making maximum money with minimum effort, more time with family, etc.) and learn to shape your decisions around that.

How you manage your eggs and your baskets is completely up to you…but don’t make it harder than it has to be, k?