Monday, February 28, 2005

10 Classic E-zine Advertising Tips



Hello everyone and welcome back to your business tips blog. Todays home business tip is one dealing with advertising via E-zines. It is an article that I found very informative for anyone seeking to do some ezine advertising, which is a great way to advertise your business.

OK, I will stop blabbing and let you read it!

Here you go...

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10 Classic E-zine Advertising Tips

1. Target your advertising.

The more targeted the e-zine is for your offer, the greater your response will be for your proven ad.

2. Track your ads.

Don't leave your ad campaigns to guesswork. Use ad tracking to show you exactly which e-zines and ads are most profitable.

3. Run your ad for multiple issues.

You'll get a better response, and possibly save money as many publishers offer special deals on bulk advertising.

4. Spend lots of time writing your headline.

An effective headline will successfully grab your reader's attention and target your audience.

Your winning headline will also get people to read the rest of your ad, leading to more traffic and sales.

If you're new to writing headlines, and need some help check out my "9 Power Packed Headline Formulas" at: http://www.scstats.com/r.cfm?i=5652

5. Don't try to sell your product from your ad.

Write your ads to create interest and get people to visit your site.

From here, your powerful sales page will do the selling for you, and you'll be able to get people to join your e-zine or mailing list for successful follow up.

6. Don't use all caps in your headline.

You'll appear like your yelling at your reader, and your ad will come off as amateurish.

7. Include a "call to action."

At the end of your e-zine ads, include a call to action that tells your reader what you want them to do next (i.e., visit your site or subscribe to your
e-zine).

8. Don't be cute or funny with your ad.

You might put your reader in a good mood, but don't count on that translating into more visits to your site or more sales.

9. Offer something for free.

Provide an incentive for visiting your site such as a free ebook, sample chapter, or trial.

10. Subscribe to or view the archives of the e-zines you would like to advertise in.

You'll be able to see the quality of the content provided, how many ads are published in each issue, and you'll get a good idea of the products those readers are interested in by the ads being run.

About the author:

Article by Ken Hill. Ken's articles have been published in numerous e-zines and web sites all over the net. Keep up to date on his latest articles, and get more new valuable tips by visiting him at: http://kenhill.blogspot.com

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Dedicated to your home business success,
Trent Brownrigg

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Monday, February 21, 2005

Professional Traffic Building Tips



Let’s face it; the Internet is cluttered with all sorts of guides about increasing traffic to your web site. Unfortunately, most of these guides are outdated or incomplete. In fact, many of the techniques being touted in them will get you in serious trouble. Wouldn’t you like to build up quality traffic that will stand the test of time? The key phrase is “test of time”. You don’t want to be a flash in the pan.



FIRST THINGS FIRST



Before you rush out to tell the world that your brand new web site is open for business, set it up properly. Do not even start to think about traffic if your web site still has broken links, empty content, and other unfinished business. While patience can be a hard thing to control, having some will pay off later. Once your web site is completely operational from top to bottom, you are ready to flood it with traffic.



SEARCH ENGINES



While there are many web sites out there which claim to be search engines, you only need to be concerned with a few of the major ones like Google, MSN, etc. You do not need to submit your web site to these engines—they will find you on their own once your web site is being linked from other web sites. Never pay for a service or software that does this function because it will be a complete waste of money. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either trying to sell you a product or lacks real experience on the matter. The goal is to get your web site linked on other related web sites, which will cause the search engines to index your web site and visit somewhat often to look for changes.



DIRECTORIES



Your first step to building a solid traffic foundation is to submit your site to good directories. Doing so will increase your incoming links, page rank and traffic. Many directories charge a fee for a listing—most are one-time fees. Following is a breakdown of some of the more important directories to get listed in.



The ODP (Dmoz.org)



Submission to this directory is free and it is one of the best to be listed in. It is extremely important that you read their guidelines. All submissions are reviewed by an editor and the approval process can take weeks to months. Many web site owners have waited a long time before having their web site added. It is worth the wait.



Yahoo.com



Adding your web site to this very popular directory will cost $299 annually. Because of the price, you will want to think about this one. Experiences with Yahoo listings are on both sides of the aisle. The best thing to do is see where your web site will most likely be listed and evaluate the conditions for that section.



sbd.Bcentral.com



This is Microsoft’s business directory and it will be a solid listing for you. The current listing fee is $50, which includes the use of their web site tuning service. This service will evaluate your pages and let you know if the page is ready to submit or contains errors such as under-optimization and spam alerts. It can help you optimize your pages for the keyword phrases you are interested in.



SevenSeek.com



This directory has a great page rank and many back links. As will all directory submissions, pay attention to the guidelines. The fee for submission is $40. Seven Seek is a general directory so just about any web site will fit here.



GoGuides.org



Go Guides is another great directory to get your web site into. Their web site is crawled by all the bots daily, which is a great plus. Submission is $40 for this general directory.



Wowdirectory.com



Wow Directory is a large general themed directory. Web site submissions are free but approval can take some time. They offer an express submit for $20 that will ensure your web site is listed within 24 hours.



There are many more directories out there but these are some solid ones to get into first. In time, your web site will begin to appear in the major search engines. Most directories that charge for submission have adopted the policy started by Yahoo where the fee is for “review” only. It is absolutely vital that you read over all the guidelines to be certain that your web site will be accepted.



ARTICLES



A great way to generate traffic and back links to your web site is by writing articles. Here is the general process of how it works:


* You craft a great article.

* You submit that article to web sites geared towards web site owners needing content.

* Owners grab your article, which contains a link to your web site, and use it on their web site.


As you can see, the process is very simple. When other web site owners place your article on their web site, you will be generating incoming links all over the Internet with no work at all. This will not only lead to possible traffic but help to establish the value of your web site to the search engines—so better rankings.



It is very important that your article is written well. If not, quality web site owners are much less likely to use your article and it makes you look bad. Most web site owners skip this important step in traffic building because they can not craft effective articles. If this is you, do something about it—visit Jason A. Martin right now and click on the “Articles for your web site” link. For a small fee, articles can be generated for you—and you retain full rights. Once received, simply slap your name on it and submit to places like Ezinearticles.com, goarticles.com, etc.



This is perhaps one of the most important steps of all and after your article is written, it takes no work. The results can be extremely fast. Many articles out there are not crafted well so it is important to not formulate your writing style and perception blindly on the work of others. While many web sites that offer articles claim to “edit” them, it is more of a casual edit.



TEXT LINKS



The goal here is to increase the number of links from related web sites. For example, if your web site is about hot dogs, you will want to obtain links from web sites that are about such topics as: hot dogs, eating, hot dog buns, hot dog toppings, hot dog contests, etc. Obtaining a link from Joe’s Engine Parts will not help much and may actually hurt in regards to search engine rankings.



After thinking up words and phrases that are related to your main topic, visit your favorite search engine and search for those items. Visit the web sites that come up and try to get your link on them. Some might exchange a link with you, some might offer a link on their web site in exchange for payment, and some might simply say no. Keep at it.



IN THE END



By completing these tasks, your web site will have established a solid foundation that will withstand changes the future holds. I invite you to read about ways to promote your web site, improve ad copy, and much more by visiting http://www.internetbusinessentrepreneur.com - Remember to always keep a sense of pride about your web site. Resist the temptations to do actions which will hurt your web site and build it with the future in mind.



©2005 Jason Andrew Martin LLC


About the author:

Jason A. Martin has been conducting business on the Internet for 11 years. He is a free-lance writer on many topics and is currently working on obtaining a degree in Journalism and Law. His official blog can be viewed at: Jason A. Martin

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Wednesday, February 16, 2005

The ONE Thing YOU Should Focus On Right Now



Let me just start out by saying that I cant tell you what that "one thing" is. It is for you to choose, and for you to do.

There's a lot of talk out there among the 'experts' - about how to get rich, how to become successful, how to do this or how to do that. It's very easy to get distracted, and even easier to become overwhelmed. "Information Overload", they call it.

The truth is, there are A LOT of viable business ideas out there. There are MANY ways to become successful - or wealthy. There is TONS of potential in online marketing. And there's still PLENTY of room for you to step in and claim your fortune.

The question is: What are you going to do?

You could:

- write a book or an ebook
- promote affiliate programs via PPC
- sell products on eBay
- create & optimize content-rich sites in niche markets
- build an empire of mini-sites
- become a public speaker
- be a web designer, copywriter or VA

That list could go on and on... and on. What I see all too often is that many people try to do 'the whole list'. Or at least several at once. And that can be okay if your focus is one and the same in all things that you are doing. Or it can be disastrous. A recipe for failure.

Maybe you can relate to this scenario: You set out to do something, and it takes longer to earn the amount you had hoped for... and then you see another option. You try it out, it does pretty well, so you put some time and energy into it. Something happens - rules change, markets fluctuate, algorithms change - and you're moved two steps back. You're introduced with something new, more stable, and you focus on that instead.

This is a familiar story. If you haven't experienced it yourself - you've certainly heard about someone who has. And they'll tell you that the business idea they started out with originally was a failure, or that there was 'no m0ney in it' or 'too much competition'.

You've probably heard that you shouldn't have all of your eggs in one basket. That you should create 10 micro-niche websites that earn $1,000/month instead of one larger website that will earn you $10,000/month. In less than one hour of surfing the 'net, you might be told to do this, do that, promote x and build z. All of it sounds good. All of it could work. Try to do all of it at once and you're going to be in trouble.

The key is to have a FOCUS.

Choose one thing and do it WELL. For example, if you have a content-rich website, you can also offer an ebook on the same topic. You can capitalize on affiliate sales, or Adsense click-through's. You can build a highly targeted 0pt-in mailing list. You can incorporate an 'upsell' and backend sales into your shopping cart. You can set up your own affiliate program.

Basically, you want to build on the foundation you already have - and make it stronger, make it bigger... make it more profitable! Sure you can implement all of these new methods and strategies that you learn. But don't set out to do something completely NEW when you have already invested the time and energy into a project you haven't yet completed. Instead, focus on making it the BEST.

Once it is running smooth on its own, and completely automated, you may want to build another - or focus on something entirely different. But if you're trying to build on 10 things at once, or find yourself working in entirely too many directions... it's time to take stock, go back to the foundation, and decide how you can best finish building on that original idea of yours.

And that's it. That's the ONE thing that YOU should be focusing on right now.


About the author:

The author, Lynn Terry, offers a free brainstorming resource for those that want to turn websites that cost money into websites that make money. Join Lynn's interactive newsletter & discussion forum where you can Learn Internet Marketing, free: http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com

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Focus Your Efforts on the Amazing Opportunity that is taking the Internet by Storm! Empower Yourself to Succeed... Recommended Home Business
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Dedicated to your home business sucess,
Trent Brownrigg

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Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Powerful Insider List Building Secret Is Out...



I can still remember the day every list building technique I had in my toolbox suddenly became obsolete.

I was blown a way when I discovered that top marketers have an insider secret list building method that almost nobody knows about.

While I was definitely excited (now that I was in on the secret), part of me was a little bit ticked off.

Why? Because I had been led to believe that it takes a long time to build an opt in list of any significant size.

The experts say you have to submit articles, drive traffic to your site with Pay Per Click and master search engine optimization so your site
ranks well in Google.

Geez. That's a lot of work! I know, I've done it.

It's true it can take months or years to build up even 10,000 names using these 'slower' methods because it takes a lot of work to drive the traffic and convert it into a meaningful number of subscribers.

That's why I was stunned to find out that the big players don't just rely on those methods --they have a secret way to get huge numbers of subscribers to opt in all at once. I'm talking about hundreds of thousands of subscribers here (even millions).

So it's about time you knew what they're doing because if you're serious about your marketing this could be the most cost effective way for you to build your list of subscribers in a hurry.

And I say cost effective in terms of money and TIME. The sooner you have a responsive list that buys enough from you to support you, the sooner you can quit your day job and live the Internet Marketer's dream. Live on your own terms and create cash every time you click 'send'.

For many who struggle to build a list for months and years, this is an impossible dream. But I'm going to change all that and blow the lid off this secret list building method and level the playing field so you can focus on your marketing,not your list building.

What the insiders don't want everyone to know is that most of the guru's who have lists of 50,000 to 500,000 or more didn't write articles or use pay per click ads exclusively to get the bulk of those subscribers.

Nope.

They just went out and paid someone else a dirt cheap fee to do it for them.

Literally, in a matter of weeks, tens of thousands,even hundreds of thousands of names, can be opted in to your list.

That's right, so why should you struggle to add 50 to 100 names a week or less to your list when you can pay a nominal fee (cheaper than pay per click, usually) to just build the list for you?

Imagine how much time you would be able to save on all the list building efforts if you could just go out and buy one. Now, there is nothing wrong with traditional list building methods and you'll want to keep up with them in the future, too.

But if you can go out and get thousands of targeted subscribers to opt in to your list for cheap all at once, that's a no brainer.

And that is what the insiders do. They place ads on sites with traffic geared toward what they are selling and they agree how many names they want and at what price each (typically about 10 cents or less per name).

Then people visiting the site see the 'ad headline', typically when they are requesting information on something else or registering for something.

What you end up with is a list of opt in subscribers that have just requested more information on your topic so you can follow up with them over and over with content and offers.

These lists are called 'coregistration lists' because the subscriber was registering for something on the site where your ad was placed, and they decided to 'register' for more info when they saw what you had to offer.

Because the new subscriber requested to get more information, he or she is an opt in lead on yournew list. If you get your list from a good provider,you will have the time, date, and IP address for each subscriber.

Also, if you get your list from a reputable provider,your list will comply with the new federal anti-spam laws, which will give you peace of mind. You will have an opt in list, which is so important in marketing today.

Unlike search engine ranking, which seem like the equivalent of Internet alchemy, or the mercenary pay per click ranking battles you have to fight to buy traffic - coregistration lists are simple.

They eliminate the hassles of traditional methods by allowing you to pick any size list you want,determine how much you can afford up front,pick any target market you want to reach,and acquire a list within a few weeks.

Now, you could try to entice a JV partner to offer your killer product to their "goldmine" list, but you better have a proven sales process and agree to hand over a hefty chunk of the revenue in exchange. Not only that, but you will in all likelihood need to offer a reciprocal mailing for your JV partner to your list as well.

What’s that? You don’t have a list?
Oh, then you’re back at square one.

So let’s take a closer look at coregistration lists.

Quite simply, you buy them from sites that have the targeted traffic that matches your offer. You place a text ad on the site offering valuable information next to a box the visitors can check off if they want to you to contact them.

They might opt in to your newsletter or you might offer them a valuable report.

Bingo, you have a prospect you have permission to market to.

Sure, you could tinker around with search engines for less up front cash, but only if your time is worth nothing would that be cheaper! It can take months to get any meaningful traffic unless you know the ins and outs of that game.

It can take some work to find the right sites and to negotiate the best rates for your new list. Which is why I teamed up with NitroMarketing to create a source for coregistration lists -- but we managed to negotiate the best deals in the industry with prices as low as a penny a name!

In fact, check out Nitro List Builder and I think you'll be amazed at the turnkey solution for buying and mailing to your new list.

We all know to market online you gotta have a list.

At Nitro List Builder we decided that you deserve to be able to build your list as fast and as big as you want. We offer a turnkey program.

In short, coregistration lists can save you a lot of time, money and headaches. Quietly, these lists are becoming the hottest thing to hit Internet marketing because they are within even the smallest budget and offer targeted prospects for your offers without costing an arm and a leg.

While you’re learning about these powerful list building sources, make sure you are putting together a killer offer because the time to kick your marketing machine into high gear will arrive sooner than you think now that you can just buy a huge list almost overnight!

About the author:

Craig Perrine is the List Profit Coach, author of "How To Turn Your Coreg List Into A Cash Cow In No Time Flat" and the popular ecourse,"How To Build A Massive Opt In List In Minimum Time". Craig runs NitroListBuilder -- the best deal on coregistration lists on the Net.

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Friday, February 04, 2005

Get More Links With a Viral Marketing Campaign



So you want to setup a viral marketing campaign, but where do you start? A viral marketing campaign is simply a strategy that you can use to get people who like your website and web materials to consciously or unconsciously promote your site while they’re going about their business online.

1. What to promote - The first step in your viral marketing campaign is to identify what you want to promote. Is it your main URL, your newsletter or your web products? The most successful viral marketing campaigns are consistent and promote one thing at a time. You might think that it is useful to put all 20 of your website URLs in your email signature, but it would be more effective if you used one and made it memorable.

2. Identify your tools – You can use email signatures, ebooks, free software, paid advertising, newsletter subscriptions, assorted freebies and privileged information, members’ only sites and more in your viral marketing campaign.

3. Start giving out your free goodies – advertise your freebies in free information directories or by giving away your articles to the many online article directories. List your free products on strategic web pages. You don’t want to list it on every page because you don’t want your free items competing with “for sale” items. The freebies will probably win most of the time. Whatever you give out, make it easy to download or transfer. Stick to quick downloads, secure ebooks and other items that are available directly from your website.

4. Give others permission to distribute your products – For the viral marketing to succeed, you must give other people permission to distribute your products. Free ebooks for example, can be posted on a website as long as the links remain in tact. Rebranding is also a good option. Customers can rebrand your product by adding their domain name and logos to the product, but an active link back to your site must be maintained on every page.

5. Be prepared – If you are creating your campaign to build up traffic, can you scale up quickly and add more bandwidth if your campaign is effective. If you are using multiple methods and multiple products in your campaign, traffic can spike or surge unexpectedly. Do you have the email capacity to handle the requests for more information? Is your site copy updated with FAQ’s to answer some of the most common questions that you will receive? Do you have a reliable shopping cart application to handle orders around the clock? These are just a few of the items that are necessary for you to take advantage of the resulting traffic and orders that you will get from a successful campaign.

6. Collect contact information – always have a way to collect contact information from each prospect that you gain. You can require a valid email address, for example, before a customer can receive a free item. This method is increasingly popular among internet marketers because it’s a great way to build up your mailing list and it’s an opt-in list. You can also reuse the list over and over again as you create new products or create subsequent editions of existing products. It’s a way to get more money from the same subscription base without investing the same amount of marketing money each time.

These are just a few the tools and strategies that you deploy to create your own viral marketing campaign.

About the author:

You can use or distribute this article freely as long as you have an active link back to http://www.rapidlingo.com

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