Learn Internet Marketing Sweetie Style

Learn Internet Marketing: Do I Need a USP?

One of the first things we learn when we start our own business is that we have to create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) if we want to be successful.

Your USP is basically the thing that makes you stand out from everyone else, and shows your market why your business is better than the competition. And even though this makes perfect sense, I have to wonder; do you really need to know your USP before you start selling products and/or services and building your online business?

Now don’t get me wrong, I know how effective a USP can be because it enables you to target your sales efforts. But I also know, that the little details like coming up with a USP can hold you back, not to mention that you and your business are apt to change in the early years.

…The products you sell change
…The way you represent yourself online could change (like your business name)
…Your market might change

The truth is; it can take a while for you to figure out exactly what you want to be doing online. You might start out selling services, then move onto information products, and again to affiliate marketing, coaching, etc. You might already have years of experience behind you, and you’re still not sure what you want to end up doing.

I truly believe that you can be successful online without determining a USP first.

How do I know? Because I didn’t have one for a long time and did just fine. My friend Nicole Dean just said to me the other day that after 5 years, she finally figured out her USP.

I see so many people struggle over the little details, like creating a USP, that they never move ahead and do anything.

For the past few months I have been super focused on taking action. In fact, in the most recent edition of my Essential Biz Notes, I talk about how we can get stuck in the planning phase for ages, instead of taking action. And as related to products, I listed 3 ways to get your products out there and selling instead of just sitting in that rut.

My point is, don’t let the pressure of not having one eat you up, instead just get on with your business.

Ready, Fire, Aim…Take action first, direct later once you know what it is you want to do.

Social Media Enthusiasts – Let’s Look at the Big Picture

It’s the dawning of a new age. 32.4%* (or perhaps more) of the people  using the Internet are “social media experts”. They promise you riches  beyond your wild dreams, so long as you open a Twitter and Facebook  account.

(*Yes, I completely made that statistic up…much like many of those experts are making things up as they go along too!)

While I absolutely don’t dispute the positive influence social media can have on a business, I am  alarmed by some of the advice that flies by me and  countless others in the course of their day.

Let’s take this past Sunday as an example. As I lay in bed, I opened  up Twittelator on my iPhone. It’s what I do when I’m bored, feel like  seeing what people are up to or when I feel like making some silly  observance or remark.

Although the problem I speak of is ongoing, two things stood out on  this lazy Sunday that were particularly alarming.

#1 Myth: Email is a Dying Art

A friend tweets about what could be a useful guide on backing up  your Twitter account. But the marketing was misleading and one  statement stood out like a sore thumb (like a thumb that had been  bulldozed over and over, at least 436 times). The sales page said:

“Email is a dying art.”

I could make this a long-drawn out post, extolling the power of opt-in  email marketing (it’s direct, everyone has an email address and the effectiveness of a targeted opt-in list has not diminished in the last 8 years I’ve been using them)…but  let’s forget about that for a bit.

We all know (or we should know) that the best way to make more sales  is to sell to existing customers…instead of putting all our efforts into getting new ones.  When people purchase from you, you get an email address and that’s how  to keep in touch with them. It’s how you follow up…it’s how you sell  more.

Let me repeat – everyone has an email address, at least anyone who is going to make an order from you (i.e. YOUR customer). That’s why you ask for an email address when someone buys  from you. You can suggest they follow you on a social media site, but  Twitter, Facebook or X social media site will never become the  standard of communication. Email is a standard that runs across all  kinds of platforms, plus it offers:

• Private communication: It’s how your customers can ask questions and get support. And even if you use a ticket system, it’s still in conjunction with email. And yes, while some companies provide basic help to customers through Twitter and other platforms, detailed and private help comes directly through you.

• Privileged communication: Let’s face it, our customers should be treated in a privileged manner. They’ve shown they’re interested and that they are willing to spend money. You want to give them special offers, advanced access and other perks you don’t give to just anyone who becomes a Facebook fan. You can make a TON of cash, just by treating your customers better than everyone else.

• Direct communication of any length: No 140 character limits with email. Say what you want and how you want to say it…no extra clicks to the sale required. THAT is priceless.

• Continuous access: Not everyone checks email every day, but you can bet  that IN GENERAL the consistency with the average individual checks it is more consistent than with social media accounts. Of course, there are exceptions for those who live and breathe social media, but we’re talking about the general public here. And yes of course, you need to understand your own market to know what is best for you and for them.

We Heard This Dying Song & Dance Years Ago

All these email marketing is dead myths seem all too familiar.  Rewind about 4-6 years ago and people were saying it then. At that time,  they said RSS would obliterate email. But that never saw the light of  day, for many of the same reasons social media won’t replace email as  a marketing tool. Let’s look at the RSS thing:

i. Not everyone uses RSS or even knows what it is. Same issue with  social media today.

ii. As a business, you can’t directly market/sell as well through an RSS  feed. What you blog about and what you email about is not likely to be the same. Email allows for direct marketing and  selling…and you should take advantage of that. Today, social media lacks the same powerful direct marketing possibilities.

#2 Myth: Social Media Can (or Should) Be The Backbone of Your Business

Another friend posted a link to some guy who was looking for case  studies that would prove “social media cam be the backbone of a  business”. Nope, not a baby toe bone or even a little knee cap…a  full-on backbone! He said he felt businesses could run most of their  daily operations through social media. I assume (although his blog post didn’t clearly say), he meant that sales, support and customer relations could be run completely through social media.

Now I must admit, starting my business prior to this golden age of  tweeting, gives me a different perspective. I can empathize if it
feels like social media is a relatively easy way to get some bites for your business. I think it’s very valuable for that, but if you get stuck on social media as being the crux of your business, you put your business in the hands of other companies who have other agendas in mind.

So here’s my advice to you, if you are relying on social media to  build your business, make sure you have a core business plan in place to ensure proper growth and maturation of your business on your own terms. That is, if you don’t want to work like a slave and have a business  that grows and thrives over the long term.

You need mailing lists (including a highly-treasured CUSTOMER list), you need to focus on marketing methods that don’t have you sharing  this morning’s breakfast for hours on end. And most of all, your business is yours. It depends on you, your assets and skills…it  should not depend on the latest social startup.

Is This Online Business Thing Really So Easy?

Right this minute, hundreds of thousands of people are desperately searching for their “pot of gold” on the Internet. Certain that all they have to do is click the right link, and poof, they’ll uncover the rainbow that takes them right to their big payday.

And why wouldn’t they think that?

You’ve likely been told, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but you do. After all, the cover is the first thing you see, and it’s almost impossible not to form an impression at that moment.

When it comes to online business, the successful make it look easy. You see their success from the outside; the recognition, the obvious lifestyle, and their ability to make things happen with seemingly no effort at all.

Is it so shocking then that 99% of online business ventures go bust?

I believe that it takes a certain kind of person to learn Internet marketing and make it online. Just like life in the outside world, the virtual one can be complicated, judgmental, and even a little lonely. You have to put yourself out there and take risks, not hide behind your computer waiting for someone to tell you what to do to succeed.

Successful entrepreneurs make it look easy because they’ve been in business for a long time. They didn’t just hop online yesterday, click their mouse and today they’ve got it made.

Still, even though we know better and all the hype of the early days has fallen to the wayside, this belief that it will happen overnight continues to thrive. And this ingrained belief could very well come from the way we tend to associate “work at home” with “easy” for no other reason than what the term “home” signifies.

Just take a look at the way strangers react to the mention of “work at home”, or why a spouse can’t understand why the house looks like a disaster zone and there’s nothing for dinner when work is done at home on the computer.

It’s a common assumption that working at home is effortless, unlike a real world job. And so it really surprises a lot of people who start a business, to realize how difficult it is to build it, manage it, make money from it, AND effectively merge it with daily life.

I’ve heard from countless people who say they’re giving up this whole “making money online thing”, that it’s not working, that they’re spending too much, etc., and it’s sad really, but I also know that they’re right to quit.

A little harsh…maybe, but I’m just telling the truth as I see it. Only the strong survive and prosper within this complex world we call the Internet. Quitting is never an option when you have a burning determination to achieve your dreams. You don’t back down when times get tough, when people get tougher, it just makes you even more dogged in your pursuit to have exactly what you want.

You never think you can’t do it, because you’re too busy finding ways that you can.

I think at some point every entrepreneur reaches that crucial breaking point in business, where you finally understand just how hard it really is and you’ve got to make a choice.

99% of online businesses will fold and call it a day, while the other 1% will take the leap and do whatever it takes to make it.

“So I have to wonder, when faced with statistics like that, are we using the phrase “easy” too loosely online when it’s anything but?”

How To Edit & Customize Your PLR

There’s no doubt about it, using PLR (private label rights) content is one of the easiest ways to add content to your website, blog, newsletter, and even your information products. The not so easy part, is making the content unique.

It’s a common myth that rewriting PLR takes a lot of time, and is more of hassle than it’s worth. And I only have one thing to say about that…WRONG!

Customizing your PLR should only take you a few minutes, if you spend more than that, well, you might as well just write the content yourself

Nicole Dean of EasyPLR.com put together a quick video that shows you how you can effectively and quickly rewrite your PLR content. Check it out:

If you’re in need of articles or reports, Nicole has some awesome topics available right now at EasyPLR.com, and her PLR is always top-notch. I’m not just saying that either, because I’m regular customer myself!

FREE REPORT DOWNLOAD: 21 Traffic Tips for Online Business Owners

There’s tons of buzz about how to get traffic to your website. The buzz is nothing new, but the problem is, it takes work and consistent effort to build. But if you have a plan in place, you can get a lot done in a shorter amount of time AND boast great results.

Download This No-Cost Report:

To help you kick start your traffic building efforts and make it more effective, I’ve put together an 11-page report for you with 21 traffic tips.

Click Here to Download this Report (.pdf format)

“Do You Work?”

Many times in the past, I’ve found myself in a position where I was asked about my career background, or do I work, what do I do, and all the other ways of asking if someone if they have a job.

For a long time I just said I was at home with my kids, because it was too complicated to get into with someone who has a 1% chance of knowing what you’re talking about. But as the world of technology continued to advance at an incredibly fast rate, and it was getting rare to hear of anyone who didn’t use the Internet, I become more outspoken about what I did.

Even so, the first time I decided to speak up and answer with a, “Yes, I work at home,” when asked if I worked. It felt great to get it out there, to feel like I was more than just somebody’s mom. And looking back, I’m not sure what I expected, but the response I received in return just made me feel like a complete moron…

First she laughed like she found the whole idea hilarious, and then went on to babble about how being at home with the kids is work, it’s the hardest job there is, and blah, blah, blah. I was speechless. Did she really think that I considered my choice to be at home with my kids as work?

And much to my disappointment, that wasn’t a fluke reaction. In fact, everyone thought the same thing – that I wasn’t talking about the work I do at home to make money, but rather that being at home with my kids was the work.

Slowly my answer to the big question evolved to where I would say, “Yes, I’m in marketing,” and most of the time it would get left at that. If they wanted to know where I actually did this ‘marketing’ work, I would tell them my home office to which they would say “oh” and that would be that.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been asked the “do you work” question, so I was caught off guard this past Friday.

Now that my kids are older and comfortable going to the dentist, I made the decision to move them from the child-oriented dentist located over an hour away to my local dentist. This was no big deal, but since my last check-up less than 9 months ago, my dentist sold his practice to another dentist in the same building, which means she took over his patients and I hadn’t yet met anyone in her office.

That day, after the hygienist was done with my son, she asked me to come back to meet the new dentist and as we were waiting for the dentist to finish with another patient, she was asking me questions, during which I told her I had 3 kids the youngest just shy of 19 months old. But the questions eventually led to asking if I worked, and without thinking I said I work at home. You guessed it; she thought I was referring to my kids.

So I have to wonder, is the offline working world still completely clueless about the online one?

Or does it go deeper than that…

Do people working regular offline jobs simply refuse to believe that someone without much of an educational or working background, can work from their home a few hours a week, and make a six figure income, because it’s…unfair?

Personally, I think it’s a little of both. A lot of people really are unaware of the online business world, and the potential it has to help you create the lifestyle you want. And then some are just plain ‘ole spiteful about your claims of working at home.

Nevertheless, here you are. YOU chose to see hope and be inspired by the impossible. To question “work” in the normal sense, and become conscious of what you really wanted from your life.

Do you shuffle along the same worn and predictable path as everyone else; or step off of it into the unknown and forge your own path?

Somewhere among the ignorant and unpleasant feedback to what you do, you find peace with who you are, what you’re doing, and how you choose to live your life. How others decide to see you shouldn’t matter because you know what’s real and right for you; and you can smile knowing that you had the courage to break the mold and shape your life into whatever you wanted it to be.

So here’s to following your dreams no matter how much everyone else wants to hold you back!

All my best,

What is With All the Guru Retirement Emails?

Have you heard the one about the guru who said he was retiring? Yes, it’s starting to sound like a joke to many marketers who learn from those who have paved the way for our success.

It seems like it’s the trending thing to do – send out an email that says you’re leaving Internet Marketing, followed by an email that gives a last chance to buy sale, ending with a “let me clarify” email.

Why is this happening? For some, who follow in the footsteps of their competitors, it’s just a case of mimicking others to be part of the same crowd. For the rest, it’s an opportunity to make a large sum of sales right before switching gears into something else.

Growth of your business means you’ll frequently be reassessing your opportunities and pursing things that make you more money, with less effort. Some marketers have speculated that these retiring gurus are just burned out, or have made enough money already.

Make no mistake about it – they don’t believe they can ever make enough money. That’s why they run these last ditch sales and make widespread announcements that they’re going to now be doing something else.

It’s the start of a new phase of branding for them. Some of the gurus are moving away from instructional teaching because the expectations have risen by consumers and they now have to work harder to keep refund rates low and meet the needs of those who purchase their products.

When you have more marketers entering this niche to teach, it cuts away at their income – and more people expect freebies and hand holding than they did five years ago. So if a marketer finds a way to outsource the development of technical tools that help marketers, like a keyword research tool they can sell, it makes sense to cash in on something like that where they retain their reputation as a leader in the IM niche, but not as much is required of them to succeed.

If a favorite guru of yours has announced that he or she is retiring, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It’s highly unlikely that their leave of absence will be as final as you might believe from the wording of the last email they sent out.

It’s also highly probable that the next trend you’ll see this year is the “I’m coming out of retirement just for this one quick guide because it’s something you must see” trend. And you can laugh when it happens because you’ll have known it was coming all along.

Sweetie Saturday: How To Do Market Research & Niche Your Business

First, watch the video that I put together for Lynn Terry’s blog about the Sweetie Saturay Report Club, then read what’s included in this month’s downloads.

It’s that time again -> Sweetie Saturday Report Club Time! 

The Sweetie Saturday Report Club has been updated with this month’s goodies. Inside, you’ll find (log in here): 

Not a Member Yet? Click here to find out about this super-affordable and value-packed membership. 

This month’s report (complete with resell rights):  

If there’s one thing we internet marketers quickly learn about the web, it’s that it is constantly changing – particularly when it comes to internet marketing, this last year!  We in the U.S. now have new FTC guidelines to comply with, and new software and sites bombard us, each claiming to be the next best thing we need in order to properly research our niches and beat out the ever-growing tsunami of competition.

However, if you apply solid business principles of researching your target market, you’ll find that many constants stay the same – no matter what tools you use, new or old. Your Quick and Easy Guide to How To Do Market Research & Niche Your Business will help you get inside the mind of your ideal customer. 

You’ll learn…

-> 4 critical questions you must have answered to find your ideal customer
-> The #1 secret to finding loyal customers who pay
->  How to develop a successful relationship with your market
-> A simple technique for doing niche research
->  The 3 magic ways to find out what your niche wants
->  How to avoid the biggest niche research mistake that could hold you back from success
-> An easy 3-step system of tools for finding hot keywords
-> How to take full advantage of your competitors, ethically and legitimately

…and so much more! 

I’ve included a written report plus full audio recording that shows you how to do market research and niche your business. It’s easy to read through this no-fluff guide. No sense in reading all day, when you can be building your business instead. 

Plus, you’ll receive…

This month’s Mini Course: “Outsourcing on a Budget” was created around a member submitted question. It includes a video where I talk to you about outsourcing, plus you’ll get the full transcription of the video. Along with the video & transcription, you’ll also receive a 6 page guide that will include more information and tips to help you outsource your business on a budget. 

This month’s Essential Biz Notes: “Ready, Aim, Fire!” Planning for your business is a good thing. In fact, a business without a plan is like taking a trip to a place you’ve never been without a map. But how do you know when to stop planning and when to take action and do something? 

In this month’s biz notes I talk about one of the most common areas where we tend to do more planning and take less action…Products! I’ll give you 3 ideas to help you get your products out into the market faster, so you can start earning money for your efforts.

This month’s Sweet Cheat Sheet: How to Do Market Research ~ A handy printable checklist to ensure that you haven’t missed any vital steps. 

This Month’s Step-by-Step Action Plan: This is your quick start plan to using the information that you learn in the report. Because sometimes, you read something and then think, “now what do I do?”
So this action plan will help you take what you learn and dive right in to the next step.

Stay Accountable & Learn More at the Club Members Only Discussion Forum: It’s one thing to get the information and tools you need to build and improve your online business, taking action is quite another. That’s why we’ve the private club members discussion area is available to you. Each month, you’ll find new discussions about the monthly materials. You’ll also find opportunities to share your action plans and stay accountable to sticking with your goals. We’re also going to be setting up monthly challenges, along with additional resources and tools you can use to grow your business.  

Now, there are no more excuses for NOT taking action. 

Not a Member Yet? Click here to find out about this super-affordable and value-packed membership.