The Official Internet Marketing Sweetie Blog

Friday, March 30, 2007

Spring Cleaning for Your Autoresponder - Download This Free

If you've been told that autoresponders are a profitable and automated tool for your business and you can set 'em and forget 'em...I'm sorry you haven't been told the whole truth.

YES - Autoresponder can be profitable.
YES - Autoresponders are largely automated.

NO - You can't set 'em and forget 'em forever.

I've put together "11 Spring Cleaning Ideas to Increase the Profitability of Your
Autoresponders"

Grab yours by clicking here.

Price Going Up April 1, Get In Today!

Just a reminder, tomorrow is the last day to become a charter member at All Marketing Content.

Here’s an email we received from one of the first members to join. We thought we’d share it to show you what all you get and how other marketers are using the content they receive each month to grow their business.

Hi Mila & Alice,

The content looks good and it will definitely make the life of anyone with a business/marketing website easier! The "how to" and the "reviews" will be good additions to their websites, with a little modification, the members can make it looks like their own unique and sticky content. Members can even choose to selectively monetize with their affiliate links in the "reviews" if they choose to.

Overall, I am very pleased to be a member of your new business/marketing PLR membership. The way you guys go about running your PLR membership sites is exemplary.

Thanks and Warmest regards,


Adam Lok
Singapore
AllenSaysSecrets.com


Hurry over and grab your All Marketing Content membership today before the price goes up and the availability of memberships goes down. Sign up for your charter membership here. We’re looking forward to working with you.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Operation Spring Clean Up Countdown


Earlier today, I announced the 6-Week "Spring Cleaning to Maximize the Profits of Your Online Business" and it's great to see a number of people coming on board. I can't wait to get started! If you signed up your Lesson #1: Taking Your Business Inventory, all your goodies and information will arrive on Monday.

I have 34 spots left and registration deadline is Sunday, April 1, 2007...which ever comes first. I'll update the site shortly, but if the sign up page is available, that means you can still join us.

Learn all about it by clicking here.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

2007 is 1/4 Done - Where Are You?

A few days until the end of March and "Spring has sprung," as they say. Time sure flies. Now that we are a quarter of the way through the year, it’s a perfect time to look at your goals. How are you doing with your business goals?

Me personally, I’m feeling pretty organized and on track. I’ve been cleaning house, like I mentioned yesterday and it’s amazing what a few changes can do. I have gotten more organized and accomplished quite a bit so far this year and it feels great.

If you are on track with your goals, congratulations! Keep up the momentum. If you’re running a bit behind, that’s ok too. Just don’t lose your focus and buckle down.

Sometimes the warmer weather makes it too easy for us to walk away from our business more. I’m all for enjoying more time away from the computer, but don’t leave your business hanging by a string in the process or you just may come back to a mess you didn’t intend to create.

Here are some tips for staying on track with your goals, while enjoying the nice weather too.

- Schedule time each week to spend on your business. Determine what tasks need to be done in order to reach your goals and pencil that time into your days. Even if it’s only 15 minutes a day, don’t stop working completely.

- Use rainy days to your advantage. April showers are a given, so when you find yourself stuck inside for a day, use that time to get ahead on your goals, then when the sun comes out again, you’ll have extra time to spend outdoors.

- Take your laptop with you. I don’t recommend you do this every single day, but if you have a small task that can be done on your laptop in a few minutes, why not take it with you? Once you’ve completed that particular task, unplug and relax.

- Outsource some of the work. You didn’t think I was going to leave this one out did you? :) If you’ve got things that take up a lot of time like submitting articles or creating graphics, hire someone else to do them for you. You can find someone who specializes in those areas and won’t need to spend as much time on them as you might, leaving both of you with plenty of time to get away for a bit.

Business doesn’t have to take a halt just because the weather is nice, but that also doesn’t mean you have to enjoy the sunshine from inside in order to keep your business moving forward. Feel free to leave any tips you have for having some fun in the sun, without neglecting your business in the process.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

A Sweetie's Daily Success Habits

Wendy from Creation Thoughts has tagged and challenged me to:
"list the top 5 to 10 things you do almost every day that help you to be successful. They can be anything at all, but they have to be things you do at least 4 or 5 times every week."

You'll notice my list isn't just business-focused...it's focused around my family and personal life too. Running a business from home means that home-life is always part of work and work is always part of home life. Although my day is organized to separate business and personal tasks, it all has to work together in a way that's good for the pocketbook and good for everyone in my life too.
  1. Planning: Every day begins with planning and every night ends with planning the next day. As a busy mom and business owner, without coordinating everything that needs to be done in a given day or week, I'm in deep doo-doo. Long-term planning is also important to ensure I'm on track with everything.
  2. Systematization: You should see me, whether it's getting the laundry done or planning a new information product, everything is done according to a precise plan (ahem...except email. I suck at organizing my email!).
  3. Getting Help: Okay, I do a lot of the laundry (there is just soooo much of it around here), but I definitely get help around the house from a housekeeper. I also know I only have 24 hours per day and 7 days per week and I definitely can't run my business for all of them, so I outsource to other work at home businesses as well.
  4. Time for Fun: Stress won't get me down. Whether it's playing with my kids, a date-night with hubby or a movie with friends...there's also plenty of time alloted to fun. Time away from the computer and away from thinking about business keeps me from burnout and helps me stay focused when I get back to work.
  5. Time to Unwind: Everyone deserves a little pampering and relaxation. Whether it's a candle lit evening watching Desperate Housewives, a pedicure at the spa or sleeping in while hubby watches the kids, it's gotta be done.
That's it! So, now it's time tag some of you:
Let us have your keys to success!

Do You Clean House? Your Internet Marketing House, That Is.

Are you guilty of building and building your online empires, but forget to stop now and then to clean house and do a little remodeling? I'm not just talking about making your website pretty (although, a makeover sometimes can do wonders if there is smart marketing behind it)...but really looking at your business and shaving off the unnecessary extras and improving upon what is working.

With Internet marketing, more is not necessarily better. You can’t continue to add new sites without taking care of the old ones too. In honor of spring I’ve got a few business spring cleaning tips for you today.

- If you’ve got a website that is nagging you and it just doesn’t seem to fit into your overall business plan; sell it! Get it off your plate, so it stops nagging at you to work on it.

- How long has it been since you’ve dusted off your autoresponder? Go through each of your autoresponder messages and make sure your offers and information are current. Test out some new offers in place of outdated, non-performing ones. Rework or add a few messages to your sequence to give your customers more.

- Add tracking links to your website, emails, etc. to determine which programs and offers perform well. Trash the ones that aren’t converting well and replace them with ones that are.

- Remodel and upgrade your current products. Make what’s good even better! Adding to your products with new and updated information will result in your customers being even more satisfied and also gives you reason to increase your pricing. Can’t argue with more money, can you? :-)

- If you’re in need of some changes in big areas like traffic or SEO, take the time to study and implement changes little by little. Rome wasn’t built in a day, remember?

Monday, March 26, 2007

Who is Responsible for Your Success?

I visit a few forums regularly and there is one in particular that seems to be populated by extremely jaded Internet Marketers (but amongst the complaining, there is some good info...so I keep going back). These pessimistic marketers want to blame others for their lack of success.

They blame this "guru" for that or that "guru" for this. Or they say, they've purchased "every" eBook imaginable, but they already know the information or say it's just the same old "rehashed" information. I just don't get it - if people know what to do, why don't they do it? Or if it's all rehashed, why do they keep buying it?

Knowledge is power yes, but that knowledge is nothing without action. You can purchase all the learning material in the world, but unless you apply the knowledge you gain from these things, how can you possibly think you’ll succeed?

Ultimately, YOU are the one who is responsible for the success of your business. If what you’ve tried in the past isn’t working or bringing you the results you had hoped, then make the choice to do something about it. Change what needs changing, apply and test the techniques you feel are the best for your business. Chances are once you’ve applied the knowledge you’ve gained, you’ll see a difference in your efforts.

And above all, stay focused. Don’t blame the “guru” for bringing out a new product about a new marketing technique and you just can’t resist. It’s your responsibility, and yours alone, to know what’s good for your business and what you can pass on.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Have You Read Jason Potash's 900-Pound Report?

You may remember, Jason from Article Announcer fame and know that he's a guy that definitely knows content. He's written a very fresh and free report about using content in 2007.

Grab it here and let me know what you think.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Selling Your Content

Did you know that you can sell your content as a way to bring in an income? Today, I want to give you ideas on what types of content you can use to bring in money.

Writing for Pay

A great place to start earning an income from home is through writing for pay. Do you have a knack for writing articles, web copy or newsletters? If so, you can easily set up shop as a writer specializing in that area.

Private Label Content

Sell private label content memberships, bundles and/or packets. You can start out writing them yourself or you can go big and hire writers to compile the content for you. Be sure you’re giving your customers fresh, quality content on a consistent basis.

First Rights

Selling first rights to your content gives the person who purchases the content the right to publish it before anyone else. For example, a magazine may pay to be the first to publish your article. After a certain amount of time, you are free to publish it elsewhere. You don’t usually get paid as much as for “exclusive rights”, but this means you can use your content again elsewhere.

Info Products

Create your own information products. Good examples include eBooks, video tutorials, interviews and teleseminars. These are all content that you can create for your market, but once you’ve established your expertise in an area, keep going with it. Don’t just create one eBook and leave it at that.

If you need help on how to create info products, you can grab a copy of Information Product Sweetie complete with a training guide, checklists and more.

Pre-written Coaching

Take what you’ve learned on a particular topic and turn it into pre-written information to help others. Give them homework you check each week as they work through the course. They get extra help and you can charge a premium price.

Be creative, keep the focus on your target reader and the information they are looking for and you’ll see just how powerful a tool content can be in your business.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Tips for Working with Contractors to Create Content

Many Internet marketers use writers to create content for their websites. I’m frequently asked for suggestions on working with contractors. So, today I’m going to answer some of the more common questions on the subject of hiring a writer. By the way, in the next week or two, Mila and I will have complete and free downloadable guide about outsourcing your content. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready.

How do I find the right person for the job?

When first looking for a writer, you might be tempted to go with the cheapest one just to save a few dollars. Cost should not be your only concern. This person is going to be writing as you and you should feel comfortable putting your name on the work they do. Here are some things to do to find the best fit for you.

- Request samples of their writing. This will give you a feel for how they approach different topics, the amount of time they put into making sure the content is informative and engaging to your readers, as well as if they have an understanding of the subject.

- Request references. Ask around your group of networking friends. Have they used the particular writer? Was the writer timely and did they ask questions for clarification? Were they happy with the outcome of the content? Did they need to tweak the article more than normal?

Another way is to look for testimonials from past clients on their site. Do they have more than a few? Keep in mind they won’t be posting any negative feedback on their site, which is where the checking of references will come into play.

- Test their work. Give the writer a small assignment so you can see how they work. Do they take constructive criticism well? Do they make certain they understand the assignment before beginning by asking questions? Do they need hand holding throughout the entire process or do they complete the project with very little direction?

What about payment?

How payment to the contractor is handled will be something the two of you should discuss up front, before any work is passed back and forth. You should find out the following from the contractor regarding payment:

- What are their rates? Do they charge by the hour, per page, per word, etc?

- Do they offer discounts for on-going work or client referrals? Keep this in mind for future projects.

- When do they invoice clients? Do they bill once the project is complete, weekly, or monthly? What are your payment terms? We’ll discuss how soon you should pay them later.

- Is a deposit required? If so, how much do you need to initially put down? Although paying a deposit is ok, never pay 100% upfront. I like to think the majority of contractors are honest and ethical, but it there is always a possibility a contractor will accept payment in full and then never complete the work. Give them an incentive for completion; payment or remainder of amount due.

- Will you be paying them via paypal, check, or some other method? Paypal is pretty standard in today’s virtual world, but not everyone does it this way, so be sure to double check.

How do I assure I keep a contractor that does a good job?

When you’ve found a writer that fits well with you and your business, you had better keep them. Some tips for keeping them include:

- Give them continual work. Don’t just throw them a task or two a month, when you need something and expect them to stick around forever. They can and will move on to bigger and better projects if they don’t have on-going work from you.

- Be patient during the learning curve.

- Pay them on time, every time. Swift payment makes them want to work with you more because they know they don’t have to worry about whether they will receive their money.

- Offer additional work.

- Allow them to correct any mistakes they make…don’t just fix it for them.

Using a contractor to create content for your business is a wonderful thing, once you find someone that works well with you. Take the time to be patient during the learning curve that comes with working someone else, but if you come across someone who just will not work for you, don’t sweat it. Let them go and move on.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Using Content to Make a Sale

Yes, I’m on a content kick this week and today we’re going to continue by discussing ways that using content can help you sell. Unlike offline, when you run a business on the web, words speak louder than actions. What your potential customers read is what will ultimately determine if those people make the decision to buy from you.

Show them what to do and what tools they need to get the job done.

Readers love “How to” articles and you can create some great content around showing people how to do certain things. As you create these types of articles, give enough detail so they know what they should do and recommend the tools that will help them get the job done.

Choose your link text wisely.

Don’t end your article with simply “Buy Here” or “Visit xyz.com” People have a tendency to scan an article before reading and if they see a something that looks like you are selling something right off the bat, they ignore it or they will immediately move on. So, instead of giving them instructions to buy, instead use phrases like "Further Recommended Reading”, “Further Recommended Study", “Learn More”, etc.

I find keeping it highly informative sounding inspires plenty of clickthroughs and sales.

Include links to your products within your articles.

Some article directories don't allow promotions within an article, but these are often the most powerful, so make sure to sell in the articles you publish on your site and when submitting to other publishers that do allow links in the body of your article.

Extra Tip – If you’re distributing your articles for publication, ALWAYS allow people to substitute your links with their affiliate links in your article. It's an extra incentive for them to publish your article over someone else’s.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Tips for Writing Your Own Articles

Yes, you CAN write your own articles, even if you think you are incapable of doing so. The fact that it does the following things for your business, should be reason enough to at least take a stab at it (or hire someone to write for you).

Writing your own articles benefits your business by:

- Establishing yourself as an expert in your field.
- Building relationships (current and potential customers included)
- Promoting your products as well as affiliate products
- Giving you content for other areas of your business, such eBooks, information products, blogs, newsletters, etc.

The first thing you need to realize is that writing articles for your online business has nothing to do with whether or not your aced your high school or college grammar classes. You’re in a completely different sea of folks now and the majority of them could care less if you’ve placed your commas in the grammatically correct places. That being said, you do need to keep in mind that spelling errors and typos can make you look unprofessional if they happen frequently, so be sure to proofread your articles.

Just a few simple things to remember when writing your own articles:

Be Approachable
The way you write will aid in building relationships with your readers. Write the article with a conversational tone and let them get to know you by adding your thoughts on the topic.

Be Informative
Use the article to give your readers the information (not the sales pitch) they are looking for.

Show Your Expertise
You obviously know something about the market or niche you’ve chosen, so show your readers that knowledge. The more you help them, the more responsive they will be.

Use Reader Friendly Formatting
Write with short simple to understand sentences and paragraphs. Break things up a bit by using focal points such as headlines and sub-headings. A great way to do this is with Top 5, 7, or 10 list articles.

These are just a few tips to help put you on the right track. Make the most of your article writing by picking up my free guide and email tips here.

"Providing Great Content to Your Prospects for Massive Lead Generation: How to Market Your Website with Articles"

Getting Your Visitors to Willingly Give You Content: Part 2

On Friday, we touched on a few ways you can get people to happy to give you useable content and I told you I’d be back again with more. Here I am. Let’s talk about reviews and article submissions today.

Submitting Reviews

One way to get people to submit reviews is to have a site dedicated to reviews of specific types of products. For instance, products used by internet marketers or products for gardeners.

You can have the whole process automated with a script, so that people can submit aytheir comments and ratings.

To get the momentum going, you might pay for people to write reviews or allow them to submit their affiliate links. Once things get going, people will willingly add their reviews just to voice their opinion.


Add Contributors to Your Blog or Newsletter

Find experts that would appeal to your audience and invite them to become contributors. They create additional content for your site and give your readers more valuable information regarding your topic. This also is a great way to free up your time to focus on other traffic getting efforts.

You set the guidelines as to how often they need to post, what topics they can post about and more. An example of this is my Because Mom Said So Blog. I have various contributors who all have information to share that is informative and of interest to my readers and I don’t have to worry about whether I’m creating enough content to keep readers and search engines, visiting.


Article Sites

Article directories abound now-a-days, but there is always room for more. If you create an article submissions site, be sure, just as you do with review sites, that you are accepting articles on a specific topic.

Make the rules specific as to who can submit and the types of articles you accept. This will not stop some from submitting inappropriate articles or blatant spam (SIGH!)), but that’s why you should have an approval process for all articles in place.

I’ll be back later with some tips on how to write your own content and articles.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Getting Your Visitors to Willingly Give You Content

On Wednesday we talked about letting someone else create your content for free and I told you that it doesn’t just happen; you have to work at it. Let’s start with a few suggestions for getting people to comment on your blogs.

Get Them Commenting on Your Blog

The first thing you need to realize is that it takes time so if you don’t have tons of comments right off the bat, don’t be discouraged…just keep at it. You’ll even see from this blog, that comment numbers fluctuate.

Just like with any other marketing you do for your business, you need to first build a relationship with your blog readers. Blog readers need to feel like they “know” you and the more you post and the more real you come across to your readers the easier it will be for them to approach you and build that relationship.

Make your blog convenient for your readers by setting up a feed. You’re busy and so are your readers, so don’t waste their time by making them check everyday to see if you’ve posted something new. Give them the standard feed option and let them choose how they want to receive the feed.

Give your readers something to talk about and respond to by asking questions and voicing your opinions on hot topics. When given the invitation to communicate with you more will do so.

Getting People Involved in Message Boards

A message board or forum is a wonderful thing, but without interaction from users with similar interests it will not grow. Having 4 message boards of my own, I know it’s a challenge to get things going, but it can be done. Here’s a few suggestions to get the ball rolling.

Advertise your forum on other sites, including your main site. Put a link in your navigation that tells your site visitors they can talk to others with the same interests on your message board.

Action Results in Reaction


People want to know you’re a real person with real ideas and helpful information. Give it to them. Networking isn’t just for you to do on other sites. By being a part of things, you’ll create even stronger relationships with your members.

Pay or Bribe Someone to Get Things Started


If you’re just starting out with your forum, don’t shy away from paying someone to post topic starters and responses for the first month or so. You could also offer bribes to other website owners, such as offering some opportunities for self-promotion.

Next time I’ll be back to discuss other ways to get people involved in submitting reviews, article sites, and more. In the meantime, you can get more quick and easy tips for getting your blog readers to interact with you by signing up for Blogging Sweetie Tips.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Get In On Our Newest Content Membership

Well today’s the day…March 15th, and if you came by for a visit last week, you already know that means that we are launching our newest monthly PLR membership over at All Private Label Content.

Today, we’re so excited to introduce AllMarketingContent.com.

Just like all the memberships available to you at AllPrivate LabelContent.com, All Marketing Content gives members 50 pieces of new content, including 30 business-related articles, 10 “How To Sheets”, and 10 Product Reviews, each and every month. You’ll also get help for findingways to use your private label content to your benefit and don’t forget that everyone who holds a membership has access to the private members forum.

Whether you are a Virtual Assistant, web host, Internet marketing teacher/guru, graphics designer or business coach...your clients and potential clients will thank you for this.

As always, the first members in get a great discount and are grandfathered with the low-low price. Membership is limited and the discounted price won’t last long so hurry and grab your spot today.

All Marketing Content Membership

If you’re already a member at All Private Label Content, simply login to your account here and add All Marketing Content to your membership.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Let Someone Else Create Your Content and Don’t Pay Them a Penny to Do It!

Yesterday, I wrote about content and it’s place in helping to drive traffic to your site. But, many of us just don’t have enough hours in the day, not to mention the patience or skills required, to write all that content ourselves. So what do we do? Yes, you can hire a ghostwriter to churn out articles for you, but obviously there are expenses involved and you need to find a reliable writer to keep churning out the content.

There’s an even easier way to get the content you need and the best part is you don’t have to pay a dime for it. There are tons of people out there waiting to give you the content your readers need and today we’re going to cover ways you can get those people to do just that.

Message Boards

Message boards are full of people dying to give their opinions on all sorts of topics. Create a forum on your site and you’ll be amazed at the ideas that are sparked from and the discussions that occur on, them…all revolving around your market.

Reviews

Reviews are also a great way to add content to your site. If you’ve got a product or service for sale, why not allow your customers to submit their review of that product or service? Or post reviews of products through an affiliate link and allow your visitors to post their own opinions. This creates not only content, but if you’re doing your job right, it will also help boost sales because potential buyers can view the opinions of past customers and make a more informed decision on their purchase.

Comments

Allowing readers to comment on your blog or articles is another way to add content to your site. You are in giving your readers a chance to voice their opinions, while adding to the content you have given them with their own thoughts. You can then take those comments and expand on them in an article for your website.

Article Submission

Speaking of articles, adding a section for readers to submit their topic appropriate articles for placement on your site will create more targeted content to your site. For instance, if you have a health site for men, then set up an article bank on your site that allows other webmasters to add their articles upon approval. By doing this you are giving your visitors even more content to fill their need for information. Just remember to review the articles before you actually post them on your site to make sure they are in the scope of your business/site and something your readers will be interested in.

User Blogs

You can even go so far as allowing others to create their own blogs on your site. You’ll see similar things on iVillage.com and Squidoo.com. If you’re looking for a broad range of topics for a particular group, this can work very well. Squidoo is on a wide variety of topics for all kinds of groups and that can be a challenge, but iVillage has a common voice of women.

Social Networking

One final way to get people to add content to your site without paying for it is to go full blown with social networking. Of course we’ve all heard of the social networking giant, MySpace.com. By allowing their readers to create their own blogs and be “friends” on other members blogs, MySpace has set itself up with so much content that no matter what a person is searching for, they are bound to find a MySpace user with similar interests and quality information regarding that subject.

Disclaimer: It Takes Work!

Of course, it can be a challenge to get things going and getting people to participate, but I’ll be back Friday with tips to help you out with that too!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

How Do I Get More Traffic? That's EASY...with content!

I’m asked quite a bit how people can get more traffic to their website, set themselves apart from their competition, and generate more leads for their business. Of course, there are many things that play a factor in this, but one of the simplest ways to do all of the above is with content.

Many of us already know this and use content readily, but every day, new questions are submitted to my Internet Marketing FAQ by people who are desperate for traffic, but aren’t utilizing content in their marketing strategy.

We’ve all been told content is king and we know it’s true in online business, but have you sat down and thought about why? What makes content the one important thing that a website owner needs to have in order to move forward with and grow their business? The benefits of using content go beyond just having a huge website with lots of information.

Let’s start at the beginning of the content journey.

Whenever someone sits down at their computer looking for information on a topic they go to their search engine of choice and enter a targeted phrase that describes the information they’re seeking. The more targeted content you offer your readers, the greater the chance of people finding you for the various phrases they enter.

Once they’ve found your content, they’ll read it and hopefully take your product recommendations and/or sign up for your mailing list…and thus a new relationship builds.

Offering quality, targeted content is just one way you can use content to get more traffic. Just like any other business, word of mouth plays a huge part in your websites traffic. As visitors come to your site they will take in the content and if it’s informative and unique, they will pass the word on about your site. They may tell their friends and family about it or post your reprint articles on their site, bringing you even more traffic. By giving them something to talk about, you can position yourself ahead of the competition.

Just a bit of caution, regarding word of mouth…it works both ways. On the flip side of telling others about your great information, visitors will also pass on a suggestion to avoid your site if you don’t provide good content. The quality of your content is just as important as the content itself, so be sure you’re giving your readers the information they really want.

Content is a key tool in improving your traffic and your business growth, but use it wisely. Take the time to think through how you present your content to your readers and you’ll be busy sweeping the dirt off your site’s front door from all the new visitors!

Friday, March 9, 2007

FAQ Update: Affiliate Management Answers

The FAQ has been updated and I've included answers to the following questions:

Hope you'll find them helpful.

Looking for Work from Home? - We're Looking for You!

Mila and I are working on expanding our content-providing services and that means a potential opportunity for you. We’re currently searching for people with transcription and/or content writing skills.

We're looking for:

  • Writers
  • Transcriptionists
  • Proofreaders
  • Internet researchers
Learn more on our work from home page.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Coming soon!

Mila and I have received so many requests for marketing and business related content that we just couldn’t say no. On March 15, we will be launching a new Marketing PLR website just for those of you who asked for it.

Just a few details for now.

- In the spirit of providing top-quality content at All Private Label Content, you can expect the same in the new members area of the new site.

- Membership will be limited so that everyone under the Internet sun doesn’t have the same content as our members.

Stick around for more details coming on March 15th!

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Exercising, Even When You’re Busy & To Eliminate Stress

I had a really stressful week last week. Trying to get the final touches for Affiliate Manager Sweetiedone and having Mila on my butt trying to get our Marketing Content PLR and another project ready has been real taxing.

I do try to exercise as much as I can, but I’ve often given myself the excuse I was too busy. It’s kind of a vicious cycle. Exercise can greatly reduce your stress-levels and it’s the perfect thing to do when you feel to busy or stressed out.

So, to eliminate my “I’m too busy” excuse, I take my work with me. I plan some work that I can print out, grab a pen and my cell phone (it has email and Internet access) and head to the gym. I might proofread some copy or an eBook or write out some new ideas. I get a lot done in the hour or so I’m there and it just flies by as I’m moving my legs furiously and writing just as quickly.

Of course, you can’t do all exercises while trying to read or write. A while back, I had an email conversation with John Reese and he told me he tried to write notes on his treadmill once and nearly fell off.

Well, the treadmill is definitely not the best idea for writing, but you could set up a TV screen or monitor and watch some videos you’ve been meaning to watch.

My favorite piece of equipment to use while working is Precor’s Climber, like the one pictured above. You can buy your own for a few grand or join a gym that has one. There’s room for your water bottle, towel, notes, pen and cell phone.

Do you exercise when you’re stressed out or “too busy”?

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Affiliate Manager Sweetie: No Fluff Gets to the Point

By now you know that last week we introduced the newest of the Sweetie products, the Affiliate Manager Sweetie Course and whether you already have an affiliate program or are thinking of starting one, this course was created for you. Here’s what Affiliate Manager Sweetie will show you.

1. How to set up the right affiliate program for your business. If you already have your one in place, you’ll find out ways to improve your existing program.

2. How to maximize your profitability.

3. How to build a database of loyal affiliates.

I wanted to share one of the responses latest we received about the course already.
“Your Affiliate Manager Sweetie Course is AWESOME! It is truly a no-fluff straight- to-the-point guide on creating and managing an affiliate program. Your course gave me ideas, I never even thought about. The way everything was broken down into sections, made it really easy to digest the information.

I also liked the HOT TIPs that were sprinkled throughout the guide; it really gave me some new ideas to work with. The training guide itself was worth the package. This will definitely make training new affiliates much easier. The interviews were amazing. To be able to have access to the tools and the methods that the "big guys" are using is invaluable."


Jessica Colon
WeddingPlanningTalkRadio.com
North Bergen, NJ

Get started on improving your sales without doing all the hard work yourself today with the Affiliate Manager Sweetie course. You’ve only got until March 15th to get the course at the introductory price, so head over and grab your copy before we raise it. Affiliate Manager Sweetie Course Special Intro Price.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Feel Free to Swipe Them from Me: Swipe Files Are Ready?

They're all set! If you signed up as an Affiliate Manager Sweetie student, the swipe files have been added to your download area.

What's included:

- 15 page booklet for easy reading and UNDERSTANDING why you should approach potential affiliate in a certain way to achieve maximum results

- 9 easy copy-and-paste text files with customizable text to help you contact potential affiliates, get them to take action and to encourage a long-term mutually beneficial relationship.Enjoy!

If you haven't joined me as an Affiliate Manager Sweetie student yet, get in now while the special introductory offer is still available. Click here.

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Will There Be Swipe Files? - You Betcha!


Some people have asked me if I can include some sample emails to potential affiliates in the just released Affiliate Manager Sweetie. Although, the guide contains details on approaching potential affiliates, I can understand the need for some pre-written idea.

Therefore - YES - The Swipe Files will be ready Monday and provided to anyone who purchased the course prior to that.

Friday, March 2, 2007

Get Them There and Then Keep Them There

I was reading this article by Earl Williams a few days ago. In the article he tells you 10 ways to keep people at your site longer. The whole philosophy is that the longer they stay at your site the more likely the chance they will buy something from you.

He makes some valid points with some of his suggestions. For instance, if your site takes too long to load visitors will leave. The more “bling-bling” you have on your site, processor straining graphics or video for example, the slower your site will load. Remember, people don’t want to wait for information from you when they can easily find it elsewhere in a shorter amount of time.

Earl also brings up a good point about telling your visitors right off the bat what you have to offer. If they get confused and don’t really know what it is you’ve got on your site, they tend to leave before they can dig in and find out. Why waste time if they don’t have to, right?

But I also want to point out that unless you have done your research and determined exactly who your customer is and what they want, you’ll have a harder time getting anyone to stay at your site for long. You really need to understand your target market and this is something I cover in my Copywriting Sweetie course.

It’s a fact that when people come to your site, they are looking for something specific. So, before you worry about keeping those visitors at your site make certain you can answer the following questions, first.

Am I targeting the right customers for my niche?

If you aren’t taking the steps necessary to ensure you are reaching your target market, then nothing you say or do will get them to stay. Once they realize you don’t have exactly what they are looking for they will leave and quickly.

Do your research and find out first, who that customer is. Once you’ve done that you need to ask yourself this.

Am I giving them what they are looking for?

Once you’ve thoroughly researched your market and found there is a need for information in it, you next need to find out exactly what those needs are. Only then can you give them what they are looking for.

Once you have those two steps complete then move on to find ways that make them want to stick around.

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Come On Baby Finish What You Started…

Kelly McCausey posted an interesting topic on her WAHM Talk Radio Blog a few days back entitled “Do You Finish What You Start?” She posted a picture of a t-shirt that says, I Never Finish Anyth.

As an internet marketer it’s very easy to get stuck in a rut and start projects that you think are going to take off, but then never get around to seeing them through for various reasons.

Do any of these sound familiar to you? “I just don’t have the time to give that project the energy it deserves.” “I’ll get to it as soon as I finish this other project that has me all revved up right now.” “It’s there it’s just sitting on the backburner while I gather content for the site.”

The list of reasons things get started but never seen through to completion could go on. If you find yourself putting it off over and over, because something else is more important, you’ll never get it done. You need to ask yourself if it’s really something you want to do in the first place. Is it really true that you don’t have the time or are you just bored with it and ready to move on? Or is it simply a matter of outsourcing the things you don't want to do? If you can get those things off your plate, you can concentrate on what else needs to get done.

Now, this doesn’t apply to those who want to start something and then don’t want to put the time and effort into seeing it through just because they thought it would be a piece of cake in the beginning! :-)