Archive for March, 2009:
The Secret To Generating Affiliate Marketing Leads
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
One of the best ways to get affiliate marketing leads is by using mailing lists. We’re not talking about the mailings lists people used to use, where you purchased a list of 1000s of names for a price and then sent offers through the mail to each one of them.
But opt-in email mailing lists. You don’t have to buy names—people will give you their names, for free! Here’s an example.
You have a simple website where you offer helpful information about how to train pet birds to behave well or talk.
Through that site you promote one or more affiliate marketing programs. Maybe you link to a CD that helps teach birds to talk and you make profits (or hope to) from the sales your link generates through affiliate marketing.
Or maybe you link to a pet shop that sells bird supplies and you get a small commission on each person that clicks through or registers on their website.
Whatever type of affiliate marketing you have in place, as long as you have visitors to your site looking for information, you can generate affiliate marketing leads by using your own mailing list. It’s easy to get started.
There are many different software programs available online to help you manage a mailing list, from expensive programs with all the bells and whistles to free online programs.
Choose one that fits your budget and your anticipated demand. You won’t need to spend a lot of money when you’re first starting out and if the operation expands dramatically you can always transfer your list to a higher-end provider later.
Once you have your mailing list software or service ready to go, it’s time to get affiliate marketing leads to go into it. If your site is about birds, as mentioned above, then you’re obviously providing information about birds to draw visitors there to click on your affiliate links.
Simply ask people to register at your site, or to sign up for a mailing list or occasional mailings, with more of that great information.
You can’t just throw a register box in there and hope, you have to entice a person to want to sign up. Maybe when they do, you’ll send them 10 tips on how to keep a bird from biting, or tips on the best way to make a quiet bird talk.
Find something of value to your specific customers that you can offer to get them to sign up, or opt-in, to your list.
Once people opt-in, you have a ready-made audience for your affiliate marketing links. You no longer have to wait for them to visit your site.
Write an article about birds or bird care, put together some tips, even just tell a bird story, include links to the programs you want to promote, and deliver it straight to their inboxes.
This is an excellent way to generate affiliate marketing leads of people who are receptive to the products you’re selling.
Article Marketing is a Visibilty Strategy
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
One of the areas I’ve been sadly neglecting in my online visibility strategy is article marketing. I’m sporadic at best. My intentions are good, yet I create so much content on blogs and twitter and for classes, that my article marketing always seems to take a back seat.
Yet, it’s a powerful way to create a ton of traffic to your designated site or blog and it positions you as a credible thought leader in your niche. You can automate the process of posting your articles on Twitter via EzineArticles.com and extend your visibility reach hundreds of times over when people retweet your links.
My colleague Jeff Herring, and I taught a mini-telecourse about creating online visibility with article marketing.
Yet, I hate to admit it, but I haven’t posted an article in months. Today, I decided to invest in Jeff Herring’s Instant Article Templates. He’s taking them off the market on March 31 and offering 37 templates at a 50% discount for $47. I know a good deal when I see one so I jumped on it. I know Jeff’s templates will streamline the article writing process for me and make it a lot easier to repurpose the tons of content I’ve developed over the years.
The idea is to make your expertise findable everywhere, no matter where a prospect may land and then drive them back to your home base (<a href=”http://www.buildabetterblog.com/2008/10/stop-<a href=”http://www.gordonwebbo.com/go/blogging”>blogging.html” target=”_blank”>your blog) where they can get to know you better, subscribe to get updates, request your free report, register for a teleclass and become a raving fan and client.
By the way, Jeff just started an article writing challenge, free and open to everyone: 100 Articles in 100 Days. That ought to get you going!
Twitter Tools to Maximize Your Experience
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
In the Social Media Marketing Industry Report that was released this week, one of the findings of the 900 people surveyed, was that 57% surveyed wanted to learn more about how to use Twitter.
Among my twitter friends, yesterday a link was being retweeted (like forwarding an email) to a list of 27 Twitter Applications Your Small business Can Use Today. It’s an excellent list that culls 27 of the best apps (out of hundreds that have been developed).
While I don’t use nearly all of the featured apps, there are some I would say are essential in addition to Tweetdeck (not mentioned, but without which I would not be able to deal with Twitter at all! It’s my TOP twitter pick. My other picks from the list are…
TwitPic - Share your favorite pictures on Twitter. This would be a good way to introduce your new product to your network of followers.
Tweet Later - This one application contains several Twitter productivity tools. You can track keywords, track replies, schedule tweets, send welcome direct messages, and much more.
HelloTxt - Update your status to several social networking sites in one simple step. You can choose from over 35 social sites to post to including Twitter. (I actually use Ping.fm to do the same thing, and I know a lot of people love HelloTxt.)
Bubble Tweet - This unique application lets you post a short video message that pops up on your Twitter profile in a bubble shaped player. You can personally introduce yourself and/or your business to anyone who visits your profile. (I haven’t used this yet, but it looks like a lot of fun so I’m including it. Stay tuned…you may see a bubble tweet pop up on my twitter profile soon!)
Make sure you check out the entire list. You may find the perfect app for your business purposes.
Are we connected on Twitter? Follow me and I’ll follow you! 
Related Posts
<a href=”http://www.buildabetterblog.com/2009/03/social-media-marketing-time-trap-or-opportunity-magnet-new-study-reveals-the-answers.html”>Social Media Marketing: Time Trap or Opportunity Magnet? New Study Reveals the Answers
<a href=”http://www.buildabetterblog.com/2008/11/twitter-helps-y.html”>Twitter Helps You Build blog Traffic
<a href=”http://www.biztipsblog.com/2009/03/is-twitter-secure.html”>Is Twitter Secure?
<a href=”http://www.biztipsblog.com/2009/01/maximum-visibility-for-teleseminars.html”>Getting Maximum Visibility for Your TeleSeminar
Beginner Investing
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of Top-Web-Entrepeneurs-Plan-It.com:
This is beginner investing in its safest form.
This investing strategy is sure to reconcile you with the concept of investing for profit.
Look into it especially if the word investing has become a dirty word in your mind;-)
Please note. This is not for speculators!
Click here for complete details.
Make Money Teaching E Commerce
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
If you understand the concept behind e commerce, that its simple definition is the electronic exchange of goods or services, you can making money teaching e commerce to business owners. You can do this in several different ways.
If you already have a website set up for any kind of e commerce, you can use that as an example to show other business owners. In your local community there are several small businesses who might not yet have an Internet presence.
You can contact these business owners and discuss with them their need to put their presence online, even if just to offer information to those who might be searching on the products they have for sale, even if they don’t plan on selling any items through their website.
Small local businesses have their regular stable of customers, but they need to constantly bring new customers in as well.
Even if the business owner doesn’t want to put items for sale online and deal with that aspect of the business, a website that offers information to Internet searchers can increase their business.
With some study of Internet marketing and search engine-operation including how keywords figure into search results and search engine rankings, you can offer the business owner the relevant information for a fee.
You can charge for a consultation in which you lay out a plan for the business owner to create a presence online to draw in more customers.
If you’re thinking that teaching e commerce is something you’re not qualified to do, consider that there are dozens, maybe hundreds, of e commerce packages already available online.
For one price, a business owner can purchase a website hosting plan, an advertising package, information about how to promote and rank high in the search engines, and create the website, usually with the help of software that does all the technical work for you. You don’t even have to understand most of what the package offers, in order to profit from it.
If you understand e commerce, and can convey a little information to the business owner about how a good website can increase his business by teaching him e commerce and the advantages it has over regular commerce, you can profit from the packages that other people have already created through affiliate marketing.
One of the ways the people and companies who create these all-in-one packages sell so many of them is through affiliate marketing.
This is a simple concept—they create the package, then they allow other people to promote the package for them.
When a package is sold thanks to the effort of someone else (tracked by the link the purchaser used to get to the package) the seller, known as the affiliate marketer, is paid a percentage of that sale.
Once you follow the directions at the site of the package you want to market, you can market it online, and also profit by teaching e commerce and selling packages to local businesses.
Five Things Not to Do on Your I-Banking Internship
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
5. Be Late
Coming in late is the worst disservice a summer analyst can do to his career. You must be the first person to come in, in the morning and the last one to leave in the evening. Also make your presence felt greet people as they come in appear busy through the day especially evenings. Tell people how much work you plan to put in before leaving for home. Project a Busy image.
4. Crib
No one likes a cry baby! No matter what, absolutely do not whine. If your work sucks, your boss is mean or you are homesick, just grin and bear it. There were times I would be cursing people in my mind but I would put in a smile and even say ‘Thank You’! Even if you have to run errands such as ordering breakfast/lunch or make coffee for your boss be at your most congenial self.
3. Submit Work with Errors
Apart from coming in and not crying you are also expected to work! Make sure you double check what you submit. Do not rush to your MD for clarifications all the time. Make good use of all the Analysts, Associates and VPs around you in that order. Most of them are the smartest people around and would be ready to help you. Mail them your query before you approach them. Even phone chats with the friendlier ones is a great option because physically going to their desks might disturb their rhythm during the trading hours. This is not to say that do not reach out to other people, exercise your judgment, try to be sensitive what would be suitable when.
2. Get Drunk
Ok its important to bond with people on your desk and others as well. My desk regularly took me out for breakfasts, lunches and even evening snacks. Be as energetic as possible. Always say yes to any such suggestions! Make it a point to grab a beer or two with your team. Drink heartily it reminds them of when they were young, do anything but DON’T GET DRUNK. I suppose all interns would be tested on this, not once but many times over. Clear this one to prove that your tongue doesn’t loosen with a few drinks and are a man (or woman) who can be trusted.
1. Not Circulate
The worst thing that you can do is to not build connections. I Banking is much more fluid than it ever was. Nobody is secure including your boss. You might be the blue eyed boy at your desk, but what would you do if the entire desk was to be dissolved. Seek out people who would be friendly to you. Establish strong ties. Trust me you’ll need them.
All the Very Best !
~The author of this article has worked for bulge bracket I-Banks besides having an MBA from a top College
How To Build An Internet Marketing Business with Article Marketing
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
Article marketing is something that has been around for many decades. Collaborations existed between newspapers and companies, where the company would write article content, which the newspaper would get to publish.
In exchange for the article, the newspaper would publish a little bio piece on the company. This exchange has been around for a while, and the internet has only made it easier to match up companies with writers.
With the internet came internet marketing, a broad category that encompasses article writing. These two concepts blend together since article marketing needs to be a part of internet marketing, and internet marketing needs article marketing.
Article marketing is a way to get advertising for free. businesses can advertise through the creation of articles, and internet marketing campaigns benefit by the creation of content, which raises the presence of the company behind the internet marketing campaign.
Internet marketing covers many fronts, but most of them are costly, and do not provide the symbiotic benefit that the combination with article marketing provides.
Within the world of ecommerce, the union of internet marketing and article marketing provides both parties with the means to get content and links back into the participating companies.
If you want to build a powerful internet marketing business, one of the best ways for you to achieve this is through article marketing.
While most forms of internet marketing are not powerful enough on their own to achieve results, article marketing can create astounding results in a small amount of time because the powerful things that it does.
Not only does article marketing build powerful and important one-way links from popular sites with high page ranks, but it also gives potential viewers new avenues for reaching your website, and simultaneously establishes you as an authority on the subjects that you are writing about, allowing potential visitors and customers to trust you enough to sign up for your newsletter or buy your products.
If you want to create an effective internet marketing business, using article marketing would be a wise choice. Many companies have been successful implementing only article marketing strategies, showing just how effective these strategies can be.
They will allow you to create powerful one way links to your website, which will give search engines a larger reason to continue indexing you, raising your search engine results in the process.
They will allow you to turn valuable and informational articles into a means of becoming an authority figure, so that customers will come to trust your word.
And they will create numerous new avenues for visitors to pursue to find your website, often from places that they normally would not even be looking.
If you want to create an effective internet marketing business, article marketing can make that happen for you.
Social Media Marketing Industry Report (free!)
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
Just released: Social Media Marketing Industry Report…
Michael A. Stelzner, the king of white papers and CEO of WhitePaperSource, surveyed over 900 
- 88% indicated they were using social media for marketing purposes
- 72% have been using social media marketing for a few months
- 64% of marketers are using social media for 5 hours or more each week
- 39% are using it for 10 hours a week
- 81% say the number-one benefit is generating exposure, followed by increasing traffic and building new business relationships
The report is totally free to download. No opt-in required. You can also get access to a one hour social media class with Mari Smith, Chris Garrett and me, interviewed by Mike Stelzner. Check it out.
In the report, you’re going to also learn the top 10 questions marketers have about social media marketing. This is gold.
When you click through to download the report, watch the video intro. Stelzner really knows how to use video. And check out all the ways you can share the report. It’s a masterful presentation of valuable content that is already getting a lot of attention and it’s only been available for a few hours (at the time of this blog post).
Whether you’re an experienced online marketer or just getting started, this is an important report for you to read and study.
Go get your copy of Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers Are Using Social Media to Grow Their businesses.
All You Need is Sell
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
Selling is perceived by many people as a bad thing. Often, when we think about a salesman we imagine someone who has dollar signs in his eyes, someone that will do anything to get into our wallets and take our money away. We imagine something bad and we feel rejection. It is true that there are some salesmen that behave exactly like that, which is sad. Yet, whether we want it or even know it, we are all without exception active salespeople.
We keep on selling every day, all day. We sell to our communities, families, colleagues, friends, pets, authorities, clients and even to ourselves. We are each our own best client. Whether we do it successfully or not is a different question, but there is no doubt that we are salespeople.
Selling is much more than trading merchandise for money. That’s just one, private way to sell that falls under the broader umbrella of selling. Selling has more to do with the exchange of ideas. When person A persuades person B about an idea, a sale has occured. For example, right now as you read I am selling. I am selling you the idea that you are a salesperson.
Let’s have a look at some more examples:
- A father needs to put his children to sleep. The kids are busy with their end-of-the-day celebration, shouting and running wild all over the place. If he wants to make it happen he will need to sell to his kids that the idea of going to sleep is a good idea for them. He can entice them by promising candies, or a bedtime story. He can also frighten them by suggesting a punishment for those who will not obey. Either way he sells.
- A classic selling event is a bunch of ladies having coffee together. An enormous amount of ideas are being exchanged. Many women are simply amazing in sales. While they chat they show continuous interest in each other. You will often hear questions like: “Where did you get this awesome haircut?”. “You look fabulous, Where did you buy this dress/boots/earrings/whatever?”. They share opinions: “I think you are making a huge mistake by staying with this guy. You deserve much more”. “This chicken is just delicious, you must give me the recipe”. They always sell.
- An employee wants to get a raise in her salary. She needs to sell her boss the idea that she deserves it and that the company will actually benefit from her getting more money. She can either explain why this will increase her productivity and hope that the boss will buy the idea or either increase her productivity and that alone will sell the idea she deserves more. Depends on the boss…
- A young guy is going to a party. He’s shorter than most of the girls at the party, so this small dude doesn’t feel comfortable flirting with any of them. He even ignores the smiles that some beautiful women flash at him. Society sold this guy the idea that short men are not attractive, and he chose to believe in this idea and since then he keeps selling it to himself over and over again.
As we can see selling is everywhere and we are always busy with it. If so, isn’t it extremely important that we become successful in the art of selling? Isn’t it crucial for us to constantly develop and sharpen our selling skills? After all, this can make the difference between being a leader or being led. This may determine if we will get what we want in life or not.
Now that I’ve praised this fine art of selling, it would be a crime not to offer some initial steps for those who want to acquire this skills. Here are my tips for you:
- Work in sales. This is a little scary for someone who’s never done it before. Don’t worry, your anxiety is natural. Many people find it hard to get rejected. But be persistent, and it won’t be long before you’ll feel comfortable with people saying no to you. Remember that no one is rejecting you - they are rejecting your ideas. This occupation is like standing in front of mirror because you always get immediate feedback on you behavior. After a short time you will discover that you have earned money and at the same time you have learned a lot about yourself and this can be very rewarding.
- Listen. Life gives us a little hint. We are given two ears, but only one mouth, as if to say that listening is at least twice important than speaking. This is one of the most difficult tasks to implement. We are so used to interrupting each other with our own stuff. This is so mind-closing. Try selling something to someone you just cut off. Your chances have declined dramatically. Always let the other person finish speaking. While he speaks, listen carefully and feel his presence, observe his body language. What is he saying? What is his mood? Only allow yourself to answer when the other person has finished. Chances are that if you do, your response will be much more to the point, and your chances to sell increase.
- Add Value. Always be thinking about how you can add value to a situation. Let’s take the example of the employee who wants a raise. If she comes to her boss and starts telling him how life is expensive and that she needs more money, her chances will be low because she’s relying on her boss’s kindness, which may not always exist. But if she uses a different approach by showing the boss that he benefits by increasing her salary, then her boss will feel that he gets value for his money and will readily raise her salary.
- Timing. This is a very crucial aspect of selling. You need to cook the stew before serving it. You cannot just throw an idea at someone. Many times people have really great ideas. They can’t wait to tell (sell) them to the right person. They wait and wait and here he comes. They immediately jump on the poor guy and, full of enthusiasm, spit everything at him. The poor dude does not even listen. He’s just arrived, he is still not with them, and the idea falls apart because of bad timing. Had they waited just a little while and held the idea inside until the other person was prepared, the chances of selling would increase.
Selling is a power. Once you know how to sell, you can get anything. Like with every power you can either use it, abuse it or ignore it. I hope you bought the idea that I sold here and that you will choose to use it for improving your life and others. Use it to become a successful person. Use it wisely.
Position Yourself for More Business with LinkedIn’s Advanced Features
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
The following article is by guest author Raymond “Chip” Lambert who I will be hosting on a 90 minute training session about how to leverage LinkedIn to build your business on March 25, 2009.
I’d like to point out a few features that allow you to position yourself in virtual locations within LinkedIn® itself.
LinkedIn Groups
To find groups, log in to your LinkedIn® account, locate the navigation box in the upper right hand corner, and click on Groups Directory.
You will now be able to do a comprehensive search for all of your current affiliations such as:
- Your Alma Mater
- National or Local Civic Groups
- Non-profits or Charity groups
- Professional Organizations
- Special Interest Groups
- Groups for Your Ideal Target Market
Being a group member allows you to see other group members and to reach out and build relationships.
Research groups for your professional area, for the areas where your best referral sources participate, and where your best clients tend to come from.
Advanced searching in the “People” tab at the top of every LinkedIn® page allows you to find like minded people and see where they are affiliated – both online and offline. This means that you can discover what groups your connections belong to and “Join”. That way you can position yourself in the appropriate communities to be the “Go To” professional in those groups.
Questions & Answers
The Questions & Answers section of LinkedIn® allows you to reach out to people who are asking questions in your area of expertise.
Use Questions & Answers to establish a reputation and grow your professional network.
You can find Questions & Answers by logging into your LinkedIn® Account and clicking on “Answers”.
Browse topics for your area of expertise – ie. “Law and Legal.”
Answer questions that are being asked in areas where you have something to say.
People read these answers and often reach out to the authors for further clarification or for professional reasons.
If you are particularly technologically adept, you can subscribe, via and RSS Reader, to the sections that most pertain to you. That way you get a regular digest of the questions asked, and can answer them at your convenience. Questions stay open for a minimum of 7 days.
Answers are usually general in nature and quite a few people are asking for referrals to specific kinds of professionals in specific locations. If you can help people connect with an appropriate resource, they will remember you! And your “help” can earn your internal “LinkedIn® Expert” status if your answers are selected as “best.”
The other thing about the Questions & Answers section is that you can reach out and meet other professionals who are working LinkedIn® to form business relationships. Inter-professional referrals can account for up to 25% of an average firm’s referrals. Develop those relationships and watch your firm grow!
A Few Words About Strategy
We all know that to get good referrals, we need to build relationships with potential clients and referral sources before a matter manifests itself.
Use these strategies to build a presence and a reputation with people so that they approach you. Educate the right people about who you are, what you do, and how you can help them – all without “soliciting”.
When skillfully done, LinkedIn® presents an enormous opportunity for time strapped professionals to do the background work necessary to open the door to new sources of business, new relationships which can result in business, and increased perception as a valued member of the community.
We’ll talk more in depth about this and more on our March 25th class: How to Leverage LinkedIn to Tranform Your business and Explode Your Profits.
Hope to see you there!
Related Post
<a href=”http://www.biztipsblog.com/2009/03/use-linkedincom-as-a-business-development-magnet.html”>Use LinkedIn.com as a business Development Magnet
Raymond Chip Lambert, of Network2Networth, is a business Development
expert who works exclusively with seasoned professionals to leverage
their existing relationships through time tested business Development
strategies and online Social Media strategy thereby unlocking the value
of their existing network connections.
