Come On Article Marketers - Be Reasonable!

Even though article marketing has been a viable strategy for years, it certainly has become increasingly popular with release of software like Article Announcer and more and more people talking about article marketing.

And just like any marketing "fad" (and the current state of the article marketing frenzy does seem like a fad), people are just taking it too far. I know that recently, some of my subscribers and blog visitors became a bit livid at me when I recommended some private label articles. My recommendation came from the perspective of a person who uses content like this legitimately and with the sole purpose of providing quality content to my website visitors.

I am fully aware of the spammers...and I think they suck. And article marketing seems to be bringing out the real ugly in people. Or maybe it's just that people don't know what they're doing. I guess I'll give them the benefit of the doubt...so now it's time for a bit of education!

My Internet Based Moms newsletter editor, Linda Stacy, recently emailed me:

Subject: Article Submissions Gone Wild...

...... or Spammers Ruin EVERYthing.

In about 5 weeks time, over 300 articles were submitted using the website form. I just spent a half hour doing nothing but reading the titles and deleting the ones that are completely inappropriate. I now have 153 articles left that I need to look at to decide if they will be reprinted.

I'd like to just completely shut down submissions for a while (a couple of weeks at least) until I can come up with a solution. Okay with you? I'll put a note on the submissions form saying something like....

We have temporarily stopped accepting article submissions while we search for a more efficient method of reviewing submissions. Please check back in late February.

Here's a sampling of articles I just deleted without looking past the title.

How to Avoid Speed Traps

A Sport The World Loves

How to Choose a Radar Jamming Device

How Is the Right Time to Consolidate Student Loans

What can get your car insurance canceled

Choosing The Right Binoculars For You

Changing Hotel Locations Can Help You Save

The Differences between Laser and Older Radar Detectors

Errors in the healthcare begins with Scheduling

How Orchids Grow

Cheap Mobile Phones

Diseases and Orchids

A HOLY TERROR - OUR FREEDOM IS AT STAKE

Cure Your Crystal Meth Addiction Before It's Too Late!

How To Choose A Wedding Tent

Wall Mounting Your Flat Screen TV - Part 1

Mizuno Golf Clubs reviewed

New UK Pension Plans to be Unveiled

Learn to Play Guitar Online - Discover Guitar Lesson Tools.

Choosing the right Yamaha generator

Archery Ideas For The Beginner

Your Rights when a Bailiff Visits

Your Guide to Hearing Aids

Evaluating snow blowers to meet your needs

Choosing The Perfect Fishing Destination

What the Heck Are Polymers and Do I Want Them on My Car?

Medium to High Volume Reaming

History Of Picture Framing

Buying Property in Bulgaria

Thanks,

L.

Well, at least if I'm ever in the need to buy property in Bulgaria or need to understand my UK pension (I'm Canadian, of course), I can do all that while relaxing in my favorite fishing destination. And for certain I'll be using the right binoculars for all the nature-watching I'll be doing.

That's all well and good, but how useful are these articles to a website with Internet marketing information? Tools like Article Announcer or other submission programs are meant to save your time, but you still need to have consideration for the time of the sites and groups you're submitting to.

Hmmm...Maybe This Isn't Such a Good Idea

Mike Filsaime posted this on another forum and I thought it might interest you. Apparently some dude in Boston posted an online ad to offer cocaine for sale. Any guesses on how that turned out?

And the Idiot Award Goes to...

Fewer Goals, Smaller To Do Lists - More Success!

I was on a teleconference last week and I asked about my goals for 2006. I had some overall goals for the entire year and I mapped out in great detail my goals for the first 6 months of January. As I said them out loud, I realized that a couple years ago, I would have tried to cram the 6 months' worth of goals into 1 month.

So what's the deal? I was getting more work done when I had more goals...right? Perhaps I'm a little lazy in my old age? ;-)

NO. A couple years ago, I was doing a mediocre job of achieving my goals. Now that I've given myself time to really work on each goal, I am able to do a better job on each one, have less stress and my family really appreciates the extra time I have with them.

So, if you have a goal list for this year...take a second look. Rome wasn't built in a day and your online business doesn't have to be either. Take the time to perfect (or at least nearly perfect!) each aspect of your online business before you move onto the next thing. Besides, there are so many more important things to concentrate on in life!

What's with the Wardrobe Changes?

I've noticed a lot of people change their blog templates frequently. It kind of reminds of a Cher concert or something. Wardrobe changes of notable frequency include Nell Taliercio and Andre Chaperon. What's up guys? Should we start a pool to see when you'll change next? ;-)

Email is Dying! The Sky is Falling! Email is Dying!

Recently, somebody asked my opinion on article that was recently published in the SiteProNews (I do not endorse this publication in any way, but am mentioning it as point of reference). The article had one paragraph that read:

"In 2005, marketers were told in no uncertain terms, if they are not using syndication and RSS, they will not survive. Well, they have one more chance to get it right. In 2006, marketers must use RSS as an alternative communication channel. It will no longer be cutting edge, it will be a must to survive. Web surfers no longer expect to provide personal information (an email address) for marketing materials, they expect to have a choice about how they wish to receive the content."

Frankly, I'm tired of people telling you and me that email is dying and RSS is soon to replace it (you'll notice the people that say this, usually have an RSS service or product to promote, so it's in their best interest to have you believe this). I realize that's not exactly what this article is saying, but it certainly has that same doomsday flavor. She is saying that RSS must be provided as an alternative to email or businesses will not survive. Certainly, it makes sense to provide an RSS alternative (but in some markets it's possible you'll just confuse your visitor, instead of helping them)...but to say if you don't use it, your business will die is simply ludicrous.

First of all, the average Internet user is not ready for the "high-tech" world of RSS. Even in my savvy Internet marketing market, I have about 160 subscribers to my RSS feed, yet I have thousands on my email list. If I'm going to make it in 2006 with 160 RSS subscribers....I can't wait. I may as well delete my mailing list right now. ;-)

Second, email is how people communicate online. Yes, instant messenger is starting to compete heavily with email (for personal communication - not business communication), but RSS is not a common communication method by any means. People are nowhere near abondoning email as a way to communicate.

As long as people continue to use email, it will remain a viable marketing medium. And let's face it, far more people use email than even have a clue about what RSS is. So, don't be fooled in thinking that your mailing list isn't as important as it used to be. It is and very likely always will be one of your biggest marketing assets.

Got Video to Distribute - Google Video

I just finished writing about Google Blogsearch when I discovered a new cool tool from the search giant itself -- Google Video. It's a big marketplace of videos available for sale and for free (nudge...nudge...viral marketing opportunities). And as an added bonus, Google doesn't charge you anything to stream your video.

Here's an article on the topic from Jim Edwards (if you didn't receive it via email already):

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Google's Video Store Premiers

- by Jim Edwards

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The trend for selling video on the Internet "vending-
machine-style" got a huge boost with the announcement by
search giant, Google, that their online video store opened
for business.

On the surface, it appears they'll just sell old episodes of
the "Brady Bunch," "Twilight Zone" and NBA games you missed.

However, on closer inspection, Google's online Video Store
represents a whole-scale shift in communications power.

For those of you who might have missed it, let me quickly
catch you up.

Last year, Google started publishing TV news content on
their http://video.google.com site.

A short time later, they started accepting content from
anyone with a video camera and something to show.

In very little time, Google started developing a huge grab
bag of everything from community access TV clips to video
game instructions to yoga tips - all on video streaming over
the Internet.

In my opinion, this first stage served the purpose of
gauging market interest and whether enough people would
submit /watch video to make it worth taking the next step
(selling video online).

Obviously, Google thought enough people had enough interest
in consuming video online, because Friday, January 6, 2006
they announced the opening of their Video Store at
http://video.google.com

The store functions like a virtual vending machine, allowing
visitors to stream video right on their computer screens.

If the copy protection is turned off, Google also enables
users to download some paid video to their iPods and Sony
PSPs to view on the go.

The individual publishers of the video content determine
whether the copy protection gets turned on or off.

Also, content publishers determine the prices for their
videos but, at the moment, most video still comes free of
charge.

I will say, however, that Google's video service isn't
perfect, but it works and, like everything else they do, it
will get better because they operate with enough cash to
make it work (if consumers want it).

With that said, what does all this mean to the individual
content provider / information marketer?

What does this mean for distribution and consumption of
video content?

First, it opens up a distribution channel for small content
publishers (1-man shows) who could create excellent content,
but, until now, lacked the technical expertise or server
resources to deliver the video over the Web.

Second, it allows content providers to target micro-niche
audiences who cannot be reached profitably through
traditional advertising or distribution channels (Wal-Mart
doesn't carry "Chihuahua Training Tips" videos).

Third, it creates a unique outlet for individual creativity
like never before and will expose consumers to a whole new
world of thought and content.

Though the service has its detractors, the video isn't
high-definition, and the system has some kinks to work out,
Google Video's approach will win out in the end.

Google's model has always been to "keep it simple!"

By making it simple for consumers to find and view video, as
well as making it simple for content providers to upload and
distribute video, Google will find itself at the center of
an online video revolution comparable to the "golden age" of
television in the early 1950s.

--
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
creator of an amazing course that will teach you step-by-
step and click-by-click how to finally create your own
money-making mini-sites...

-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Finally! A Quick and Easy Way For YOU to Painlessly Set Up
Your OWN Moneymaking 'Mini' Websites... Without Being a
Computer Geek, Buying Expensive Software, or Paying
Outrageous Fees To A Webmaster!"

Click Here => http://www.HowToMiniSite.com
-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Contextual / PPC Affiliate Bandwagon

There is no doubt that Google Adsense (which will be celebrating it's 3rd birthday this year) changed a lot of people's online businesses. It was a great boost in income for many and it was also the START of any income for many people who had busy websites, but no income streams. It was and still is, definitely a winner.

It seems now that everyone is trying out by creating a contextual ad network or some kind payout-per-click affiliate program that you can join. But let's face it - most of these programs will never match the earning potential of Google Adsense. A big exception may be Yahoo's contextual ad program, but the last I checked...they would only take me if I was a U.S.-based publisher. I'm a busy gal, so if that's changed, please do let me know.

Anyway, back to the point.

Getting paid per click seems just too good to be true, and in most cases it is. Many of these new ad networks don't have the advertisers to serve you relevant ads with good payouts. Some of the networks are founded on faulty principles where the companies *think* that they will have money to pay their publishers...but in the end they don't and they fold.

It reminds me of the "glory days" of pay-per-click afiliate programs that ended soon after I started my online business. Many of these programs folded because of fraudulent clicks. Technology is much better now to detect fraud - but so many more folded because they just simply couldn't afford to pay their affiliates per click.

Of course, I'm not saying don't try any of these new programs...just don't drop everything to dedicate yourself to something that may not pan out. I also don't recommend rushing out to tell all your friends about the program and tell them it's great...unless you KNOW it's great and you've been paid a few times.

I saw this happen recently with Chitika and I'm partly to blame. I waited to try Chitika until others reported good results and received payments. I tried it out and saw half-decent results (nothing like Adsense and I clearly said so) and told my subscribers it's worth trying out, but I didn't promise anything. Now, we're discovering that Chitika has done some huge auditing of accounts where many affiliates lost nearly all their income. In addition, they have not completed their audits for November and their payment is behind. We shall see...I hope that Chitika recovers and gets things back on track. But who knows, it could end up in the payout-per-click graveyard.

If you're going to try one of the ad networks, here's my recommendation:

1. Don't overhaul your entire site to test the ads out. Test it on a few high-traffic pages and pages you'd expect a high payout on. See how they pay out per click; what your clickthrough rate is and how it compares to Adsense or other programs you may be using.

2. Wait until you get a few payments, especially if this is a new company. You never know if you're going to get paid. And even if you get paid the first month, you never know what will happen the next.

2. If you do make big changes and place the ads throughout your site, make sure you use something like server-side includes (SSI) or if you use FrontPage, you can use "included content" files. For most networks, it's likely you'll be taking the ads down because they don't work out very well. You want to be able to make changes from more central locations throughout your website.

Again, it's okay to experiment, but don't lose all your valuable time and potential earnings doing it!

Stop Complaining and Make a Change

I am going to write something that may not be popular, but if it offends you in anyway, it probably means that I’m writing this for you. I’m writing this to help you…not to criticize or belittle you. I want every entrepreneur to continue to grow throughout his online career and sometimes when we don’t accept change…we stop growing. I don’t want that to happen to you.

Lately, I’ve seen a lot of online service-based business complain that cheaper alternatives are driving them out of business. I’ve seen virtual assistants angry that anyone would work for US $10 per hour. I’m surprised by that anger because $10 is above the minimum wage in every single state in the U.S. and province in Canada . Yes, I know running a VA business carries expenses, but many people working online just want enough to be able to stay home, instead of trudging to a crappy job. Good for them for being resourceful.

I’ve seen article writers and article distribution services annoyed that new software and automated process are cutting into their bottom line and causing them to lose clients. It seems the hay days of getting paid $100 plus per article are gone…or are they?

If you’re letting your business die because lower cost services are coming in – it’s time for a wake up call. Complaining isn’t going to get you anywhere, except possibly bankruptcy. As more and more people come to work online, there’s going to be a lot of people working for what you think is chump change. As programmers get more creative with technology, more processes will become automated.

A smart business person will make competition irrelevant…or as irrelevant as is humanly possible. If you are trying to get your typical “Internet marketer on a budget” to hire you for $25 per hour to answer his emails…you probably will lose out to the moms who just want to earn an hourly wage to stay home with their kids. But if you set yourself apart and target a market that doesn’t want to nickel and dime and perceives more expensive services as more professional --- your client list will grow. If you have satisfied clients paying $25 per hour, they can always refer more clients who will pay $25 per hour.

If you’re a writer and you think it’s fair to charge $100 to write an article (and honestly…well written articles ARE that valuable), realize how much money you could be making by writing articles for your own use. Plus, you don’t have the headache of dealing with clients.

This is the realization I had to come to in 2003. I was a copywriter for hire. I didn’t charge top dollar (and a few copywriters complained to me about that)…but I wasn’t at the bottom of the heap, as far as rates went. I thought if somebody would pay me $75 to optimize one website page for them…why was I wasting my time letting them earn the residual income from it? If someone would pay me $150 to write a short page of sales copy…just how much money were they earning from it to make it worth their while?

After thinking about that, I decided to quit taking clients and focus my efforts on using my own writing skills to earn me residual and passive income. Now, I make about 5 times much as I did back then and I work a lot less. Best of all, I have no clients do deal with. You see, when hire yourself out for pay…you have to keep working to earn that pay and it can be a real drain on your time and energy.

If you’ve been complaining about external changes affecting your business, really think about how you can change your own approach to make it work for you. Every business has to evolve to keep up with changing times. After all, McDonald’s did once say they’d never offer a veggie burger. ;-)

Kids & Internet Marketing

You may know that for a while now, I have had a little side project at Internet Based Kids where I provide advice to parents on how to get their kids started in Internet business.

My friend Kelly McCausey even passed on some hilarious graphics to help promote the site. Check these out:





(I must admit, they don't 100% fit in with the theme of the site - which is affiliate marketing, but they get a good chuckle and get noticed. And the point is, these are kids who have an entrepreneurial spirit!)

Until now, I haven't had a lot of time to work on the site...but I did just complete a 9-page Parent's Getting Started Guide (PDF) which shows parents how to help their child get started online. It was a lot of fun to complete. You'll see it contains great information, but also promotes my site builder as a viable option for kids to get started. If you'd like to get a rebranded version of this guide, so you can earn a residual commission by recommending the site builder...please make sure to be signed up for my site builder affiliate program. I will have the rebrands available some time next week and will email all my affiliates.

I think this document, in my humble opinion, is a great example of reaching a new target market with your product. Is there a possibility that you might be able to create a similar type of promotion to get to a new target market with your product?

I Love This Guy!

I don't usually seek out on motivational speeches or books, but I have to say Jimmy D. Brown gets me motivated! I hope you enjoyed the free ebook from Jimmy that offered yesterday and now he's released a cool 12 minute and 38 second video entitled:

How to Get Everything You Want in Business and Life in 2006

I love it! Check it out as soon as you can...it's only up temporarily.

The Keys to Focus & Profits in 2006

Here's a great 21-page ebook from Jimmy D. Brown. It outlines 3 steps to help you start earning the income you want in 2006. If you're not familiar with Jimmy, he's a very motivational Internet marketing teacher - who always explains in detail the steps you need to make your projects a success.

(Personal Note: I have been applying Jimmy's weekly checklist idea and it WORKS. Personally, I hate schedules, but it's amazing how this simple idea of routine can really get you movin' along! And amazingly enough, it reduces your workload because you keep your focus.)

Download the ebook (no charge) here:
http://www.aliceseba.com/6figures.pdf (PDF)

And, don't be shy, when you're finish reading it...let us know if you might be a car-pusher mentioned at the beginning of the document. You are NOT alone. ;-)