Is it Time to Let Go?

Many of us hang onto projects, even when they aren’t working as well as we had envisioned in the beginning. We refuse to give up for whatever reason, whether we just can’t seem to let go or because we don’t give up easily and refuse to resign to and admit failure.

Warrior forum member, Karl, isn’t one of those people. He is making a very courageous move by starting over. He is scrapping everything he once was and reinventing his internet marketing self.

Sometimes, as hard as it might be, we need to learn to move on with those things in our business that are bringing us down or aren’t bringing us the potential earnings or fulfillment they once were.

If your first projects haven’t taken you where you want to be in a reasonable amount of time, use them as learning experiences. By hanging onto to these things, you are just draining your time and energy. This is time and energy that can be applied to new ideas and concepts that you’ve taken the time to plan out in detail with the resources you’ve gained along the way. This crucial step will help you avoid making the same mistakes made in the past.

Content or Promotion which is Most Important?

While browsing at growing in popularity and quite interesting CopyBlogger.com I came across an interesting post about content and promoting that content.

The topic of which is more important, content or promotion, reminds me of the “Which came first; the chicken or the egg?” debate. Without one you can’t have the other, right?

Let’s think about this for a minute, shall we? We all know that in the Internet marketing arena, content is king. No arguments there. But, you can have all the content in the world and if you aren’t promoting it (and yourself) the odds of you getting the outcome you are hoping for is very limited. I say limited because it isn’t completely impossible to have a good amount of content and still receive visitors to your site, due to SEO techniques.

The bottom line is in order to reap the most benefit, you must have quality content AND promote it correctly. So, don’t put all your eggs (or your chickens) in one basket.

If you’re looking for quality content, check out All Private Label Content.
If you are looking for ways to promote content, check out How to Use PLR Articles.

Affiliate Management: Keep It Fresh without Short Circuiting Their Brain

If you sell anything online, whether physical products, information products, or even services such as coaching, setting up an affiliate program is an excellent way for your business to grow and profit to its fullest potential.

My affiliate manager, business partners and I have been working very hard to make sure we are giving our affiliates the material they want and need in order to convert their customers and visitors to buyers.

One of the biggest mistakes I see with many affiliate programs is when product owners throw a few graphics and links on their site and leave the rest to the affiliates. The first problem with this is that the product owner ASSUMES everyone is a master at affiliate marketing. Not the case at all. Many affiliates are new to the affiliate marketing world and need guidance. If you aren’t there to offer them that help, how can they become great affiliates and sell your product to their potential.

That said, I’ve also noticed that some affiliate programs assume that their affiliates know zilch about affiliate marketing. They bombard them with emails telling them exactly how to do everything. They make it a long drawn out process that those who are experienced in affiliate marketing get sick of seeing. Many times, this can cause a possible super affiliate to leave the program because they just don’t need information on a daily basis. I’ve seen it happen.

Similarly, brand new affiliates may get overwhelmed with all the information if you give them too much at once, defeating the purpose altogether when they don’t promote because they can’t make sense of everything soon enough.

Now, I’m not saying don’t let your affiliates know what to do and I’m also not saying that you should just leave it up to them. What I’m getting at is that you need to have material for both ends of the scale, without burning any of them out before they get started. They should also be able to choose a learning track that's most appropriate for them. If you want to send them "how to" emails, get permission to do so first.

Another great tool that has been working for myself and a number of other online business owners I work with is a dedicated website set up as an affiliate center that houses all of your promotional material as well as training material for those who need it. You can also include a blog with all the affiliate updates, so if email gets lost or your affiliates want to comment or ask a question, they can do so.

Once you have that set up you need to concentrate on 2 things when it comes to your affiliates.

First, be available to them. Whether it’s you or an affiliate manager, be there if and when they need you. If you show them how important they are to you, they will produce better results. They will feel that sense of trust and willingness to help them succeed and not just put money in your pocket.

Second, keep the material fresh. Now, I don’t mean you have to post something new for them every single day or even week, but don’t just throw your site up and leave it without updating and adding new material. Make sure you have plenty of resources available to help them should they need it without having to contact you directly. Some people just don’t want to have to wait for their answers and if you give them those answers right there on your site, they won’t likely forget about it or get busy waiting for you to tell them how. Create a FAQ section or step-by-step instructions telling them how to re-direct their links.

These are just a few of the ways you can keep your affiliates happy, because if they aren’t happy they aren’t productive.

For more ideas on how to make your affiliates love you and excited about promoting your products, grab your free affiliate management tips here
=> Affiliate Manager Tips

Web 2.0 Myths & Why It's Time to Go Back Home

Lately, is seems everyone is on the Web 2.0 and social marketing bandwagon. It reminds me of those eager beavers that come to any old forum and think everyone there is their potential customer. Spam here...spam there...spam everywhere.

We Internet marketers are getting a bad rap because of some stupid marketers who think it’s their job to simply reap as much profit out of anything they can get their hands on.

Marketers everywhere are developing software to spam MySpace users to get more friends on their list like FriendBot and MySpace Promoter, just to name a few. It’s automated software to abuse the add a friend privileges on MySpace for the purposes of sending out promotional messages to a massive friends list.

MySpace is now in the process of suing a spammer who allegedly inserted viruses into spoof log-in pages that gave him access to those people’s friend’s lists. What will these idiots think of next?

Squidoo contributors are complaining that ”Internet Marketers are Taking Over”. They accuse Squidoo Lensmaster’s of artificially boosting their rankings and putting their Internet marketing topics in the Top 100. Reading through that crazy thread (Margaret and the Scammbuster are a piece of work, aren’t they?), it’s clear that innocent people are being accused, while the true scammers often go unscathed.

There are tons of ebooks coming out on how to spam social bookmarking sites. Ick! Read this article by CNET News branding Internet marketers as nasty creatures polluting Digg, a popular bookmarking site. And they’re right! There are plenty of Internet marketers acting like the whole Internet is their playground they can do anything they want on it.

No matter how much people tout Web 2.0 and the marketing potential it carries, it’s an INFORMATION vehicle, period. Try to change that and you’re sure to annoy a very vocal group of annoyed users.

I’m not saying social networking sites shouldn’t be used, but put your used car salesman in your back pocket if you do. If you want to use social networking as your opportunity to market to your heart’s content, create your own social networking site. Then you decide the rules. Marketing messages are always best saved for your own web space where you have the run of the house and your visitors expect you to market to them. Why force it down people’s throat in a place where you don’t belong?

Working with a VA: Tell Her When She Sucks!

A few days ago I had someone come to me upset over a situation with her VA. The person was frustrated because her VA did not complete a task as she requested. The VA didn’t follow the instructions given and this person wasn’t sure how to handle the situation.

When I first heard this, it all seemed rather foreign to me. I honestly couldn’t figure out why she wouldn’t just tell the VA. Then I remembered what it was like early in my outsourcing journey, treading on eggshells with virtual assistants. I quickly learned that you can’t be that way and expect your business to prosper. You also can’t expect to have a good relationship with your VA if you sugar coat everything or simply ignore the problem.

When you work with virtual assistants, especially when you are just beginning to outsource or the VA is new to the work, you have to remember one thing above all else. A virtual assistant is a business owner, just like you.

Good VAs have a thick skin and take feedback and move forward with it, improving where necessary. When mistakes are made, they don’t expect a scolding for it, but IF they are told about the error they can fix it and do their best not to repeat it in the future.

For me personally, I think it's a disservice to your VA NOT to tell her. She is a professional and wants to ensure she's done a good job. If she didn't perform to your expectations and you don’t tell her, she'll never know. You can’t expect her to correct a problem if she doesn’t know there is one.

Also, be sure that you are clear in your instructions. Sometimes it’s just a matter of miscommunication. Be sure that your VA knows if at any time she needs clarification, all she needs to do is ask. Be open to helping her out until she fully understands what is expected of her and what the outcome of each project should be.

I know the title of this blog entry is over-the-top, but the point I’m trying to make is that communication is key with a virtual assistant (or any assistant for that matter). So, for her sake and yours, don’t hold back for the sake of feelings, when things are not done up to par. Without proper communication, the work relationship CAN'T grow. A VA worth it will take the feedback as constructive and will improve on it. If not, that VA probably isn’t one you want to work with in the first place.

On the flip side of the coin, when your VA does a good job, make sure she knows it and that you appreciate the work she does. Positive feedback is always a good thing and you just might be impressed with the outcome of future projects when the VA knows how valuable she is to you.

Web Users are Creatures of Habit – Don’t Confuse Them!

When I released Copywriting Sweetie earlier in the month, I told you about a special, limited time only bonus that I am including. I am offering my personal copywriting feedback and help to anyone who needs it, but only if you get on board by January 20th. Well, tomorrow is that day, which means you’ve only got today and tomorrow to submit your request.

So far, I’ve had many requests for feedback on pages that have been built with and without the software included and have been happy to help lead those who have submitted their requests in what I hope is a more profitable direction. Feel free to ask any question you may have regarding copywriting and I’ll be more than happy to offer my advice, which comes from my personal experience copywriting for the web for over 5 years.

One support request was from a student who wanted suggestions for how to make multiple subscription options at a site less confusing for visitors.

“We have 3 different subscriptions, and it seems to always be confusing as to what you get with each subscription, since they overlap so much. Would you suggest that we completely restructure the site BEFORE making all the (smaller) big changes to headlines, rewording content, adding pictures, etc. etc? (I have a HUGE list of things to do after going through your copywriting info.)”

When I reviewed the copy I noticed there was a call-to-action for her readers, but it wasn’t immediately noticeable. That is one of the most important elements when writing copy for the web. You must give your visitors something to do. Make your call-to-action clear and tell readers exactly how to do it.

This particular student has 3 different subscription options and her call to action was for visitors to click the links to the subscriptions. However, the links were not immediately recognizable as links. The text was black and the links were not underlined, so it looked as though it was just part of the rest of the writing.

One of the things I want to stress is how much Internet users are creatures of habit. People are used to blue, underlined link text. Readers will see the blue (at least some version of blue) underlined (not just on mouseover - not everyone reads while moving their mouse) text and know right away it’s a link. Therefore, cutesy, different colored links are not going to produce the results you are hoping for.

A simple, but important point.

As much as I would love to be available to each and every one of you on a personal level all the time, I am a busy mama. I created my online business so that I could spend time with my family above all else; therefore,I can not offer one on one coaching on a regular basis.

Hurry and get your copy of the course complete with opt-in, sales, survey and thank you page builders now. Then tell me your burning questions, before the sand runs out in my personal assistance hourglass.
http://www.CopywritingSweetie.com

Finding People Who are Interested in What You Have to Offer

I received this question the other day and wanted to address it here on the blog today.

"What is the best way to set up a site to get people to be interested in contacting me for more info? I have a candle business with Mia Bella and my goal is to make it a second income. I am trying to work it offline but I feel that if I get it online too I can work it from every angle to max business.” - Erica

First, I want to congratulate Erica for seeing the potential of bringing her business online. Many more doors can open for her as she learns how to “set up shop” on the internet and applies those methods to her site.

My suggestion would be to use an opt-in page or possibly two opt-in pages. One to target opportunity seekers and the other to target people who love candles. The business one could include information about starting a candle business, promote her company and other business tips. The customer list could include information about home decorating, using scents in the home, decorating with candles (the ones she sells), how to get coupons for purchasing those candles, etc.

No matter what the main reason for moving your business online, the success of that will depend on how you market yourself and your business. Opt-in pages allow you to create a targeted list of people who are interested in what you have to offer. It really allow you to get your feet wet quickly, focusing on two things - building your list and getting to know your target market. Then you can add more things to your marketing. Start simple and grow from there.

You can find an opt-in page builder included in the Copywriting Sweetie package. http://www.CopywritingSweetie.com

Autoresponders Only Work if Used Correctly

You can’t possibly answer every email or request for information from your website immediately. Unless of course you have found a way to run on no sleep and everything else in your life all but goes away. So, what’s a website owner to do? Why, use autoresponders of course.

Autoresponders can make your life 100% easier. However, if not used correctly, it can actually hurt your credibility and your business. Autoresponders were created to keep us from being tied to our computer 24/7, but that doesn’t mean you can set up a series of emails for your list and then walk away completely.

Sure, you could set up an ecourse with 5-7 emails and let that be that. Where’s the long term potential in that list if you never contact them again? Even with a specific amount of emails in your autoresponder you must be willing to keep in touch even after they have finished the course.

You have to be effective in how you approach your lists. Don’t be bland and always, always remember to make your emails personal. Don’t talk to your subscribers as a group, talk to each one individually. Make them feel like you are sitting down writing the email to your friend.

Be informative. The more information you give them (and I don’t mean information overload or a lengthy email they’ll never finish reading here) the more credibility you will build and the more likely they are to buy from you. If you just send them a few emails and then suddenly stop forever, you won’t come across as someone who is genuinely concerned about your readers.

For more on how to create an autoresponder that works for you instead of against you have a look at this article
=> How to Create Effective Autoresponders to Keep in Touch with Your Prospects

And don’t forget, you have to be nice about it! For more help on how to really connect with your readers check out my Email Marketing Sweetie.

Press Release Q & A: Getting Media Attention in Different Countries

I received a question from a subscriber regarding press releases and living in one country while targeting customers in other countries.

"I am from Malaysia and I have purchased your Press Release Profits. I am only targeting the US and the European market. I looked through your sample Press Release and on the top portion it has the name of the person, company name address, telephone number and others and it starts with the location where the person is from. I am from Malaysia. Can I still send a press release? Do I state I am from Malaysia?"

I can see how this person might feel discriminated against, but without knowing what type of product or business he has, it makes it a bit tough to give him precise advice on the situation. That being said, I do have some information that I hope helps him or someone else in a similar situation.

If the product or website is something very unique, being from another country may not pose any problem. For online media, you can certainly try to submit without an address or phone number. However, if your faxing or snail mailing to a media outlet that prefers that form of submission, you'd have to provide similar return information.

There are services that will receive and handle mail and phone calls for you. There are companies set up just for this purpose or a local Virtual Assistant might be willing to provide the service at a good price.

If you need more information regarding press releases for your business you can find it here => http://www.pressreleaseprofits.com

If You Could Turn Back Time

Over at my mom’s mentoring community, Mom Masterminds one of our newer members asked a great question a few days ago.

She wanted to know, if we had it to do all over again from the beginning, where we would start and what information we would put to use first?

The response was huge and everyone had their own opinions of what things they consider most valuable to their particular businesses. Almost all of those who replied had at least one thing to say about their lists and how they would have concentrated on that more. But that wasn’t the only thing the other members had to share. Here are just a few of the many replies.

“All in all I wouldn't do that much differently, I think making mistakes and learning from them as you go along is part of evolving as an entrepreneur. The trick is to know when to let go of something that isn't working and when to keep persevering.”

“I would have not spent so much money learning tactics that I did not apply only to find out none of it was the magic bullet.”

“Not wasting the lists that you do have.”

“Always be hungry. Never stop trying to be better, faster, more organized. Never get comfortable. Constantly challenge your plans and goals. Always acknowledge your weaknesses and embrace them by finding ways to minimize them. You can't do everything. You have to learn to let go.”

“Staying focused on one thing instead of splintering off into hot new ideas. I probably wouldn't change a thing because the process is just as important as the end result. It's who you become in the process of building a business that makes you successful... and some of us have to learn more than others!”

And for those of you who want it here’s my two cents on the subject.

I would have concentrated on building and working with my mailing list from the beginning. It took me a long time to realize how profitable my list can be. Don't get me wrong, my traffic and content have been excellent producers too, but you can really learn a ton by connecting with your list, by providing them with excellent content and getting them to buy stuff.

How about you? If you could jump into a time capsule and go back to the beginning of your online business ventures, what would you have done differently?

I Wouldn't Do That to You: The Copywriting Sweetie Builder DOES That!

I’ve had a number of customers ask me how or even if they can save their work for editing later in the page builders included with Copywriting Sweetie. Absolutely! I work smarter not harder and I don’t want you to have to work yourself to death or do double work either.

If you read through the complete software/copywriting guide you’ll find instructions on how to save your work at the end of each builder chapter, but I’ll go ahead and give you the instructions here as well.

To save your work for further editing, you have to save the project in the builder software. Click “File” at the top left of the software and choose “Save as”. You can then choose where to save the “data file” on your computer. This will allow you to reopen the page and edit it at a later date. Here are two screenshots that show you how.

Sharing my Knowledge: Copywriting Sweetie Now Available

I’m excited to show you what I’ve been working on for what seems like forever now. Today is the day I launched Copywriting Sweetie.

Based on my own experience selling on the net for nearly 5 years, Copywriting Sweetie was born to give other online marketers (you) the tools necessary to make their customers eager to buy their products and wanting to learn more from them, without using down your throat or in your face techniques. I created this course and software combination based on what I’ve learned works over my years of writing copy on and offline. It’s hype-free and focuses on honest and informative selling that results in satisfied customers who know they are getting exactly what they want.

Just some of the tools included in Copywriting Sweetie are:

- Step by Step Web Page Builders and Guide
- Training Audios and Transcripts
- Video Critiques

If you order by January 20th I’ve got a special bonus for you too. You’ll need to go here to find out what that bonus is though.
http://www.copywritingsweetie.com

Shady CSS Users – You Can Run but You Can’t Hide Anymore

If you’re tired of the way your site looks and want a change, but don’t want to deal with changing your HTML, then CSS (cascading style sheet) files can be your best friend. You can easily give your site a face lift with the help of these files without having to spend hours on end adjusting your HTML code.

However, like all things, there are some web designers who have taken the use of CSS and gotten a little sneaky with it. Using CSS a site owner can easily hide content from their visitors. By filling their HTML code with keyword stuffed content, the search engines would index the site based on those keywords, but the visitors would never see all the keyword overloaded content.

Nothing like trying to pull the wool over a search engine bots’ eyes hu? Nice try guys, but you can’t hide anymore. According to an article I read at IMNewsWatch.com, it seems that to combat this problem, Google is now indexing CSS files. You can read the article here => Does Google Read CSS Files?

Not that you needed one, but there’s just one more reason tricky tactics don’t pay off in internet marketing.

Give Them Everything They Need

When you own a brick and mortar store, it’s easy to “be there” for your customers. You can greet your customers, see what items interest them and immediately help them with any questions they may have about your product or service.

Even though many people treat their websites the same way, it doesn't work that way online. Brief information with an invitation to email you or even call you for more information just doesn’t cut it.

In the clickable world of the internet, people don't stop to ask questions. Your website has to be your sales person. People have questions, but if your site doesn’t answer those questions without the customer having to work for the answer, more times than not, the visitor will move on to the next site.

You need to provide your visitors with everything they could possibly need or want including answers to their objections, product specifications, pricing, etc. right on your site. I know what you’re thinking now, “So Alice, how do you make sure your site has everything necessary to keep the customer AND get the sale?”

I’m going to show you exactly how…but not until Wednesday. Not only am I going to tell you, but I’m going to have the tools for you to do it!

Come back on Wednesday, when I announce the launch of Copywriting Sweetie, to get all the details. Even better, be the first to know when the product launches by signing up here => http://www.copywritingsweetie.com/tips.html

Free Blogging Calendar - COOL!

I wanted to just share a really cool resource from Lynette Chandler on blogging. It's 9-page guide called a "BlogCalendar" that provides you with tons of blogging topic ideas throughout the entire year. I tell you, this is going to be a lifesaver for me. There are no shortage of ideas!

It doesn't cost a thing and you don't have to opt-in to anything. Just grab it at:

http://www.AliceSeba.com/BlogCalendar.pdf

Too Much Time on My Hands

Remember that Styx song?:

Too much time on my hands, its ticking away with my sanity
Ive got too much time on my hands, its hard to believe such a calamity
Ive got too much time on my hands and its ticking away from me
Too much time on my hands, too much time on my hands
Too much time on my hands

Sadly, I can't get that song out of my head because I have a similar problem. Over the holidays, I could barely get any work done with the boys home for the holidays. So, here I am now with an opportunity to catch up. The boys are spending the night with my parents-in-law and I can work all day. I have huge to-do list, a few product launches to get done ASAP, and I'm slacking off and unfocused.

It's funny, if I have two hours to get work done, I'm as productive as productive can be. Give me a whole day and I'm a mess!

T-t-t-t-too much time on my hands!

Can’t Wait to Share Another Goodie with You

If you loved Opt-in Builder, we have something special coming next week for you.

As you may or may not know, I started out as a copywriter for hire. After awhile I realized I could make more money writing for myself, so I slowly phased out of the service side of it and made my WahmCopywriting.com site an information site for other business owners. I took the skills I had accumulated while writing for others and used them in my own business where I have since honed those skills even more.

I always love to share what I learn with others and that’s why my new product came about. Copywriting Sweetie will be officially launched with some powerful software, copywriting help and other surprises. Launch date is Jan 10 - so be on the look out.

In the meantime, you can go get free copywriting tips here => http://www.copywritingsweetie.com/tips.html

Results Shouldn’t Justify Lack of Ethics & Integrity

Over a year ago, I posted a blog entry entitled Who Cares What You Think? At the time, I meant it and I still do in the context I wrote about.

One thing I have noticed on popular marketing forums is that people use results to justify just about every marketing technique.

They use it to justify misleading subject lines like: "Personal Email from XXXX" with XXXX being the sender's address. They use it to justify creating garbage website pages to get free traffic.

The list goes on and on, but what I’m getting at is this; there are people using their results to justify everything they do, no matter what the consequences of doing it. In other words, ethics and integrity don't matter. If it works, you should do it. I think that's just crap....

Sure it might work, but what works is not always what’s right. I’m a human being first and foremost and a business owner second. I don’t like to play games or mislead people and it’s sad that people do play games, all in the name of “it works”!

Bottom line is this; if a certain technique works use it, but show some class when doing so. Think about it from your customer’s point of view. If you wouldn’t want to see it, more than likely they don’t either. Save yourself the time, energy, and more importantly, your business reputation on the net and do things the right way. You’ll get much better results and probably make a few friends instead of a lifetime supply of enemies.

If you need help with approaching potential customers, have a look over to the right and sign up for any (or all) of my free Sweetie Tips to help put you and your business on the right track.

Review: SEOInc.com's SEO Toolbar v 2.0

This is an interesting free SEO toolbar that works with Microsoft Internet Explorer and has unique search and SEO research functions. It doesn’t appear to work with Mozilla Firefox and I didn’t try it with any other browsers.

Toolbar Features: Allows you to search -

- Google
- Yahoo!
- MSN
- AOL
- Alta Vista
- Teoma
- HotBot
- Dmoz
- Google Directory
- Yahoo! Directory

Just choose one at a time from the drop down menu on the toolbar. Personally, doing searches I’m happy with just my Google search and the default on this toolbar is MSN. Still, it appears it remembers your search engine preference…at least in the same browser session.



The remaining features of the toolbar are interesting and depending on how intense you are about SEO, they might prove quite useful. Visit any page in your browser and then you can gather a bunch of data about that page.

Here are some details about the other features:

1. Ranking: Visit a page in your browser and enter a keyword phrase in the search box. Here’s an example using eBay and the word “auction” and I chose to search all engines (it searches the top 3):



It’s a nice feature, but many other SEO tools will allow you to search for multiple phrases at once and produce reports you can save from your searches. This would be a cumbersome way to check multiple rankings.

2. Site Data: You can learn more about the page you’re visiting with the Site Data feature. Point your browser to a page you want to analyze, type a keyword in the search box and choose from Keyword Density, HTML validation or Site Analyzer.



The Site Analyzer (which would more accurately be called PAGE Analyzer, since it analyzes just the page you’re on) provides a lot of details (more than you’ll probably ever need) about the page including:

- Type of web server
- Page Size
- Load Time
- Meta Tag info
- Keywords Found in Anchor Tags
- URLs Found on Web Page
- Keyword Density (for keywords it picks up off the page itself)

3. Engine Data: This gives you similar information that the Google Toolbar can provide you, but from the 3 major search engines. Info includes: pages in the index, backward links and more.



4. Network: This feature can provide you data about a page’s IP, load time again, Ping, WhoIs data (VERY useful for finding potential JV partner info – Only problem is that the WhoIs data is from DNSStuff.com who is blocked by Network Solutions and possibly other large registrars) and response header.



Overall, it’s an interesting tool with some cool features that I’d personally use now and then. I do like the WhoIs look up feature, as long as my searches weren’t blocked. As far as checking keyword density, meta tag info and other page data, it’s a tiresome exercise that I’d do only in very rare cases. Since my SEO strategy is to create plenty of pages, targeting very specific, low competition phrases, it isn’t always necessary to go in to such detail.

Note: I have been compensated to provide this review of the SEO Toolbar, but as always, you’re getting my honest opinion regardless of whatever cash ends up in my pocket.

Short and Sweet Goes a Long Way

I am often asked what I recommend be included in a newsletter to make sure everything gets covered in the “right” way, but without over taking the owner’s time. Many people think there is a set checklist of sorts for setting up a newsletter. There are no set rules for newsletters, but here’s what I prefer and have found works best for me.

Personally, I’ve found a lengthy Ezine to be too much work. I would rather give my subs short, sweet, and to the point emails for a few reasons.

1. It’s easier, for me, to focus on one thing at a time. This in turn means my readers are only focusing on one thing at a time. By giving them less to do, they tend to act more. If I overload them with information all in one email, they can feel overwhelmed and therefore do nothing. Not exactly what I’m wanting.

2. By keeping my emails short I am not limiting myself to just one contact a week or month. I can send more if I find it necessary. If I were sending them a long winded newsletter and then needed to send them time sensitive information that I came across later that week the chances of them opening the email are low because they are either busy reading the newsletter and doing all the things in it or they don’t have time for yet another lengthy email from me.

3. It works better. Bottom line, I’ve tested both and the short and sweet emails allow me to give my readers good advice without all the hype. They appreciate that and therefore take the info I give them and put it to use. It doesn’t hurt that many more readers actually click thru to any product I’m promoting this way as well. Sales for me, knowledge for them. Win-Win!

Each newsletter is unique to the owner and the content inside, just like each market is unique. Some readers prefer a few short emails a week and others prefer to receive a jam packed Ezine only once a month. Find out which work best for you and the majority of your readers and you’ll have a winner either way.

Sign up for my free Email Marketing Tips for more help with your list.
http://www.EmailMarketingSweetie.com

You’re Not Missing This Are You?

We're having a great time at the All Private Label Content members-only forum. Our members have provided some great insight into how to use private label content and other content focused ideas.

Thanks to forum member webbiz22 who has given our members amazing insight into a way to bring those ever-expanding Adwords click prices down by using a blog.

He makes a great point about how Google’s intent is to give internet searchers lots of information and if you aren’t giving them what Google thinks is enough, you just might be hurting your wallet in the long run.

In response to what Google sees as your lack of information, they can up the price of Adwords clicks on you. In order to stay on top, you either pay the higher dollar or direct search engine users to a more content filled site instead. By sending your readers to your blog, which is full of fresh and informative content (like I know yours is, right?), you satisfy Google and keep your Adwords dollars down. Now, I know you’re wondering how that will help when where you really want to send those who click on your ads is usually something other than your blog, right?

Sorry, but you’ll have to visit the forum to get all the details. Come on, what would be the point of a members-only forum if I gave all the juicy details away here? ;-)

Head over to http://www.AllPrivateLabelContent.com and choose a PLR membership or bundle that fits your needs. When you do you get access to the forum and all the great tips and suggestions our members provide, absolutely free.