Guest post by Crissy Herron

Teaching an online class can be a great way to grow your business, connect with your customers, and share the skills and knowledge you have with others.

So, how exactly does this happen? Read on for more info!

Attract New Customers

When you offer an online class, you attract new customers into your business. There are many people who would like to learn the skills you have – and that can be anything from creating great copywriting, using social media, customizing WordPress and so forth.

It’s true that you could simply offer these services, but that would only allow you to reach customers who want to hire someone to do the work for them. There is a whole market of people who want to do the work themselves, and by offering to teach them the skill, you are opening up your business to a new type of customer.

Make Connections

As you know, building relationships is one of the keys to success in doing business online. When someone goes into a local business, they can chat with the owner or clerks, and over time, they get to know them. The customer forms a connection with that business and doesn’t think about doing business elsewhere.

This effect can be hard to achieve online. However, when you offer a class, it is hard not to make a connection with the participants! While you may choose to work with them through email coaching, phone conferences, or web chats the effect is still the same.

At the end of the day, you will be working with them, coaching them, helping them to step out of their comfort zone, and teaching them a new skill. The participants will feel connected with you, and that connection will lead to a life long relationship. These people will turn into loyal, life long customers.

Earn Extra Income

Creating your own online class allows you to earn extra income in several ways. First of all, it’s a new product, so just by offering it, you are creating extra income.

As was mentioned above, offering an online class can introduce your business to new customers who may not have purchased your services in the past. So, that right there opens up a new source of extra income.

The third way that offering an online class helps you earn extra income is that it allows you to earn more per hour. For example, let’s say that you are a copywriter who charges $125 for a simple sales page, and that it takes you two hours to create it. Your average wage would be $62.50 per hour.

Now, let’s say that you are offering a 4 hour workshop where you teach copywriting. You charge $100 for the workshop and 15 people sign up. Let’s say that it takes you four hours to create the materials and, of course, four hours to deliver the classes for a total of 8 hours. If you divide that by the $1500 you earned from the class, your average hourly wage is $187.50 — which is triple the amount of writing a sales page.

Of course, this is just one example. You may charge different rates and have a different outcome. But as you can see, working with several people in a group setting will increase your income.

Creating your own online class can be very beneficial to your business – and your bottom line. Now it’s your turn to think about what you would like to teach and to get your own class started!

Would you like to learn more about holding your own online class? Crissy Herron, the author of this post, will be teaching a four week workshop that will walk you, step by step, through the process of creating your own class. By the time the workshop is over, you will be ready to enroll your own students!

Click Here for more information and to register

In case you’re not on my mailing list, (though you really should be ) I thought I would post the email that I sent out to my subscribers earlier today for you here:

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Is it just me, or do you feel like you’re moving at a snail’s
pace too?

Yeah, I guess summer does have the annoying habit of provoking
laziness in even the most dedicated of us business owners

And as nice as it would be to keep up our idle ways, you and I
both know that it’s time to shake off the fog and start planning
for the fall if we want to meet our year-end goals.

So with that in mind, I woke up Monday morning, sat down with
my coffee and indulged in a crazy brainstorming session.

A session that I want to share with you, but more on that in
just a minute.

Using a combination of pen and paper, MS Word, and mindmapping
software, I created an ACTION plan for one of my sites that
will greatly increase the current monthly over the next few
months.

And predictably, the glue holding it all together is content.

I know content. I write it, I use it to market my business,
I have memberships sites based on it. It works.

Of course everyone says it works, but what they don’t tell you
is:

-> How to come up with content ideas
-> How to create content for search engine traffic
-> How to use content to convert prospects into customers
-> How to reuse and repurpose your existing content
-> How to grow your mailing list and readership with content

You know, all the really important stuff.

So when I realized how big a part content was going to play in
my business plans this fall, I figured maybe it was time to
learn how to create a long-term content marketing plan.

Naturally, I went to Alice Seba first, to take a closer look
at her interactive content course. Mainly because I want to
be focused and I want to take action. I don’t want useless
fluff, and I don’t want to learn stuff I already know.

To be honest, I was pretty confident her course wouldn’t be
for me, but her satisfaction guarantee meant that I wouldn’t
be out anything if that turned out to be the case.

So I got in touch with Alice and asked if she could extend
the lifetime course option to me so I could check it out.

Well, she did better than that…not only did she re-activate
the lifetime access option, she also gave me a coupon for $20
off the cost – so I dug in.

And now I have to admit that I was wrong. Her course turned
out to be nothing like I expected.

For someone who knows content the way I do, I’m doing some
serious learning over here, and more importantly, applying
what she teaches to my business.

The course even includes some cool videos (loved the video on
how Alice uses her iPhone to create content and get ideas) and
tons of supplemental learning materials, like planning sheets,
swipe files, templates, etc.

Anyway, now you’re probably wondering what the heck happened
to the brainstorming session I was talking about, so here it
is…

Remember how I said that content was the glue that held my
brainstorm together?

Well, the way I see it, handing over my personal brainstorm
isn’t going to do you much good if you struggle with content.
So here’s what I want to do…

I want you to join me as a content marketing student and we’ll
work side-by-side.

Sign up for just $1.00 TODAY, and I’ll send you a copy of my
business brainstorm mindmap next week.

Go here to get signed up (clear your cookies first):

http://internetmarketingsweetie.com/content-marketing.html

Then send a copy of your receipt to melissa @ sweetiemarketing.com
and I’ll get that to you.

*** SAVINGS & EXTRA BONUS ***

If you want to give it your all like I did, grab your lifetime
membership which gives you access to all the lessons, materials,
videos, audios, etc. for just $77.

Coupon code: sweetsweet
Expires: July 30, 2010
Discount: $20 off lifetime access

AND not only will you get a copy of my business brainstorm
mindmap, you’ll also get INSIDER ACCESS to my call with Alice
Seba this September where we’ll be talking about:

“Cashing in with Free Reports: How to Get Traffic, Build
Your List, and Make Money With Free Reports.”

Just forward a copy of your receipt to me personally at
melissa @ sweetiemarketing.com and I’ll be in touch with all
the details

Here’s that link again:
http://internetmarketingsweetie.com/content-marketing.html

Here’s to a successful and profitable fall season!

Warmly,
Melissa Ingold
The Internet Marketing Sweetie

P.S. If you already signed up, don’t worry, you’ll get access
to the call too.

I am in tears and utterly speechless by the outpouring of love, prayers and support that has been sent our way. I just can’t believe it. Thank you seems like so little after being given so much by you all.

Early death wasn’t just a possibility for Kyle, it was a reality. But we always believed that it would be a slow decline, that he would eventually require hospitalization or round the clock nursing. That we would know it was coming. That we could prepare for it as best as anyone could.

Never once did we believe that one night I would put a smiling, giggling little boy to bed and wake to never see him alive again. The horror of that moment will live with me forever. It replays over and over in my mind like some horrible, broken record. The “what ifs” tripping all over themselves in my thoughts. My emotions shift from one extreme to the next. It’s hard.

No one is ever prepared for the day they’ll have to bury their child. Just thinking about it was enough to send the denial racing back, enveloping me in its sweet rose colored arms. I couldn’t live with the clouded thoughts of loss, and now it fills my days.

In light of the fundraiser that my friend Kelly McCausey put together for my family, I know many of you may be thinking, “But isn’t she a successful online business owner, doesn’t she make good money?”

The truth is, I like to think so and I do. But that’s only part of the story.

Earlier this year we made the decision to sell our house, and move back to our hometown to be among friends and family again. Raising a special needs child is both physically and mentally exhausting. The constant care, the medical appointments, and the stress and fear of what’s to come can drown you. And when you live in a city where you have no friends or family to support you, you start to lose yourself.

And so, 2 weeks before Kyle passed away, we found the perfect house and signed a contract to buy it. A week later we put our house up for sale. With our savings and my income for the next little while tied up to make this happen - Kyle passed away, adding yet another financial obligation to the pile – a hefty funeral bill.

I can honestly say that if we could get out of our house buying/selling contracts, I wouldn’t do it. I can’t sleep in my bedroom anymore, where Kyle’s crib was and where he died while I was sleeping. This house is where we’ve spent the last 2 years fighting and hurting for Kyle. We need to get out. It hurts too much to stay.

And it’s you, all of you, who are making it possible for us to continue moving forward. To get back on our feet through your generous donations. To ease the pain of our loss with your heartfelt thoughts and prayers.

So you can see why saying a simple thank you will never feel like enough.

From my heart to yours,

Over the years, while helping website owners improve their website copy, I’ve seen a lot of copy. Some was great, some pretty good, some mediocre and I’m sorry to say…some pretty bad. In this journey of helping people improve their online marketing messages, I’ve come to see that many people make a lot of the same mistakes over and over again.

So I wanted to share my 7-page guide with you to help you cut your learning curve and eliminate those mistakes that are so easy to make.

CLICK HERE to download your FREE copy of my guide to uncover the common copy mistakes.

My life has been so nuts lately that it feels like my business is growing dusty and I’m missing out on great opportunities.

Do you ever feel like this?

I would love to hear about your own experience and how you manage it all. Please share your story with me in the comment section.

I’ve been a long time follower of Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero of Red Hot Copy, and credit my own success with copywriting to her skills as a teacher. I’ve bought a lot of her products and I’m still on her mailing list. 

Lorrie is an award-winning marketer, world-renowned copywriter and creator of “The She Factor®”. She has a reputation as the top female copywriter in the info-marketing industry. She has written award-winning home study courses, conducts a world-famous virtual copywriting training, holds live workshops, and is authoring the original book, The She Factor based on her own She Factor Marketing System. Lorrie is dedicated to teaching the world it is possible to shift from the hype-filled sales to a more modern version…marketing written with authenticity, trust, and rapport.

Phew! Like I said, she’s one incredible woman

Anyway, because I’ve been on an affiliate marketing kick myself, I wanted to share her expertise on writing affiliate emails. So here’s what Lorrie had to say about “Writing Emails that Generate Cash”…

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Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, RedHotCopy.com

Have you ever really believed in a product so much you wanted to tell the world about it? Me too! (And while you’re at it, there’s nothing wrong with making a little percentage back for goodwill, right?) After all, you are doing a service for spreading the word about something you believe in and you’re help the product creator by sharing it with people he/she may never have been able to reach.

But how do you get your own subscribers to open an email – even an important one – much less respond? Well, save this email! I’m about to reveal to you some of my best kept secrets to getting my emails read versus going to trash heaven.

1. Start with a provocative subject line. Your subject line is like the headline of an email. If it doesn’t get attention, it doesn’t get read. I want to jump out of my skin when I see lame subject lines from people who should know better that simply have their ezine title included with nothing enticing the reader to dig further. The goal of the subject line should be to inspire enough curiosity to get the reader to open the email. BUT there should be a relationship to the subject line and the content. For example, don’t write, “Paris Hilton” unless you refer to Paris in your email. You can be creative though with a timely topic like Ms. Hilton if you actually tie the topic relevantly back into your email. Some of my most responded to emails were, “dog farts,” “another traffic ticket,” “my first day without a job.” Which brings me to point number 2.

2. Open with a brief story. When you write more personally in your emails, you have a much better chance of getting read. Think about what you actually read and I’ll bet when it comes to stories you’re much more absorbed than when you’re smacked in the face with hype and empty promises. Stories are more memorable. Plus they lower sales resistance.

3. Identify their problem early on. While you want to get them reading with an engaging story don’t forget that it’s always ultimately about “What’s In It for Me.” There’s a fine line between getting attention and over-indulging. So ask yourself before you start writing, “What problem does this product solve for my prospect?” If you can identify with what keeps your prospects up in the middle of night with worry, and what you’re offering can fix it, you can easily connect that emotion to a solution. But don’t wait too long to bring up the benefits or they’ll never get that far.

4. Have ONE call to action. Your affiliate email has one purpose, and one purpose only – to get the person on the on the other end to leap into action. It’s been proven countless times that if you have more than one website to send them to or multiple offers your email does not get responded to. So give them two choices – click on the link, or click away. As silly as it sounds even two options can confuse the mind in email. And the confused mind does NOTHING.

5. Explore new horizons. You don’t have to restrict yourself to email notifications anymore. With Web 2.0 (the social media) in full force you can also share your messages via blogs, podcasts, FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Squidoo, etc. I’ve become somewhat of an expert in these arenas but I’m sure there are new ways to monetize these platforms. I’ll keep my ears open if you will.

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All my best to you and yours,

P.S. I highly recommend Lorrie’s copywriting products and training, because I did, and still do, use them myself – but they’re pretty pricey. Not to worry though…if you really want to brush up on your copywriting skills and start converting your window shoppers into buyers, Copywriting Sweetie is a budget-friendly option

Okay, so due to a flub on my part, Carrie’s response to last week’s roundtable chat didn’t get added in – oops, sorry Carrie!

So I wanted to share her response with you here today. Again, the question I asked was:

“For those business owners who haven’t started to outsource, but are interested in taking that step, budget is always a big concern. Often, they tend to avoid jumping in feet first, and instead, they’ll test it out with a minimal investment. So with that in mind, our business owners are looking to spend no more than $25/wk. ($100/month).

“With a $100 budget, where should they be putting their outsourcing dollars to get the most bang for their buck? Why?”

And here’s Carrie’s reply:

Carrie Wilkerson from BarefootExecutiveOnline.com says:

If you have a $100 to outsource with – then see where that goes the furthest to get you farthest ahead (that grammar may be ALL wrong…but you get my drift!

If you can get alot of blog promo buttons and social media buttons ‘on the cheap’ – but it would take you hours and hours to do them yourself – DO THAT.

If you can get 10 articles written or blog posts sourced…and it will save you HOURS, do that!

If it will secure you the amazing WP theme that you need to make everything else easier, do that!

Bottom line is — it depends on YOU! What my $100 buys will be different that what yours does!

Maybe you need to have some audio transcribed so you can configure a product for quick sale! Maybe you need to pay for a few hours of payment processor, 1ShoppingCart or SWIMCart or InfusionSoft.

Whatever it is – spend wisely…both your dollars AND your time!

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If you want to start outsourcing, go to www.OutsourcingSweetie.com to see how I can help!

I just an email out to my readers about how they can get help from me with their outsourcing, so I thought I would share it here too

Here’s what the email said:

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If you run an online business, you know what it’s like
to be busy, busy, busy…sometimes with no end in sight.

We all have our own reasons to start a business, but
most of us didn’t start for the opportunity to work
around the clock. Yet somehow, that’s exactly what
happened.

The good news is, there is definitely a way out and
you may have heard of “outsourcing” before. Outsourcing
allows you to find virtual helpers from around the
country or around the world to simplify and reduce the
day-to-day tasks in your business.

BUT…

* How do you make that happen without sacrificing the
quality you and your clients expect from your
business?

* How do you find reliable and qualified help?

* What if you’re on a budget?

* What if you just don’t have TIME to train people to
help?

Thankfully, it’s all easier than you think and I can
help.

As a busy mom of 3 young kids, one with special needs,
I knew it was do or die when it came to keeping
everything in my life and business afloat. Now, I want
to help you do the same.

I’ve created a unique opportunity to give you personal
help with your business at an incredible price.

Grab your spot at my BRAND NEW SITE:

=> http://www.outsourcingsweetie.com

If it’s time to stop slaving endlessly for your business,
I’ll see you on the inside.

All my best,
Melissa Ingold
InternetMarketingSweetie.com