The Official Internet Marketing Sweetie Blog

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

We’re Moving on Up!

Next week I’ll be busy moving into our new digs. Thank goodness, the Internet has been good to us. We can actually afford a house in the crazy Vancouver real estate market.

I find myself distracted with packing, getting rid of the junk we've collected over the years and online furniture shopping...when I should be working! ;-)

It's a good fresh start. I plan on designing my new home office in the Fall, but for the summer, I’m taking work to the backyard and getting some good use out of the new patio set I’ve already picked out. Honestly, I’m actually going to be spending as much time away from the computer this summer as I can.

In fact, I've already started reading my gardening books. Wish me luck because my thumbs are as far from green as can be. Which is a good indicator that I’ll probably end up killing just about everything I attempt to grow, but I'm determined to make it work.

How about you, what's up with you this summer?

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

FAQ Update: How Do I Create $100 a Month?

The FAQ section has been updated to answer the following question from one of my readers:

“How do I create a site that makes $100 per month? I know how to design a website, but what I need to know is what business can generate that amount and how it can be done?” – Ram

I’ve given Ram 5 specific ways, along with a few overall tips, to make $100 (or more) a month with his website in my answer. You can find them all here.

Ready for a Scrapventure?

Aside from the cute title and it involving a really fun way to preserve your memories, this is serious business!

According to the Hobby Business Association, more than 13 million Americans participate in scrapbooking as a pastime...and that number is growing every day. This is definitely a lucrative and fun market to get into, especially since no serious scrapbooker ever stops at just one scrapbook! It's something they keep doing over and over again.

Whether you join a scrapbooking direct sales business or you want to get into the market a little more independently, a very unique and step-by-step coaching program to help you start your online scrapbooking business starts this coming Monday.

The Scrapventure Coaching program is the brainchild of Vera Raposo who has many years experience in the scrapbooking industry, retail and online business to share.

The 7 intensive weeks include:

1. Research & finding your niche in the scrapbooking industry.

2. Planning your website and getting it up and running.

3. Finding scrapbook suppliers and plenty of products to sell.

4. Using online auctions to build your business.

5. Marketing your business and forming important partnerships.

6. Mastering the profitable art of Internet Marketing.

7. Making a definitive plan to serve you long into the future.

The registration deadline is this Friday, June 1, so definitely check it out as soon as you can:


Click here for all the details.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Are You Missing Out on a Huge Market? (Moms)

Speaking of moms, have you ever read the book Trillion Dollar Moms by Maria Bailey?

Moms control the purse strings in the majority of households today. The food their families consume, the clothes they wear, the products used to clean their homes and even where and how they save their money. Moms play a huge part in when and where the family’s money goes and will continue to do so for future generations.

In her book, Maria talks about companies, selling a variety of products who try to target all kinds of obscure groups...but neglect one of the biggest ones right under their nose…Moms!

At All Mom Content, we help online business owners reach moms on a variety of topics, through articles, products reviews, and more. Catering to moms is a wise business move and our members realize just how profitable it can be to their businesses.

Moms are on the net researching and buying for their families all the time and the numbers are going to grow more in the future. So, how can you reach this market in your business?

Want to Reach Over 8,000 Moms with Your Advertising?

If your target market is moms, here’s a great opportunity to reach thousands of them all at once. The Work at Home Mom’s Community (WC) mini magazine, will reach over 8,000 moms in the US and Canada in July of this year.

Starting out as a paid subscription, WC editor Kelly McCausey has since decided to offer the full print mini magazine for free. Kelly’s desire to reach as many work at home moms as possible and to help them work their business instead of it working them has continued to grow.

Kelly knows what it’s like to be a work at home mom and sometimes you never seem to get a chance to relax because your mind is always “talking shop”. She knew that if she could allow her fellow WAHMs to continue to think business, but still get the relaxation in they deserved then she had accomplished what she set out to do.

"The WC was birthed from a great desire to enjoy my couch." – Kelly McCausey

And from the growth of the magazine to over 8,000 subscribers I’d say she is doing just that. So, if you target moms or WAHMs specifically, the WC is a perfect opportunity to do so.

Even if you aren’t a mom business owner, you are welcome to submit your business opportunity, coaching services, mom related products, etc. to the WC. Take a look at the various advertising options to find one that fits with your budget here.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Direct Sales Possibilities - Make Up & Home Décor Are Not Your Only Choices

Direct sales is a great way to start your own business without having to carry an inventory, create products from scratch or spend huge amounts of time away from your family. Direct sales businesses are constantly growing. It used to be that make-up and interior decorating were what everyone thought of when the term direct sales was thrown out there, but today there are many more than Avon, Mary-Kay, Tupperware and Pampered Chef. Here are just a few direct sales business opportunities that are available to choose from.

- Health and Wellness Products
- Jewelry
- Candles
- Pampering Products
- Clothing
- Gifts

We’ve added two new sites to DirectSalesDirectories.com.

Clothing and accessories are huge sellers. After all, we all need clothes right? A quick search at Amazon.com proves that with over 151,000 products in just the apparel category alone.

To get more information about starting or growing your own clothing and accessories direct sales business, check out
Clothing and Accessories Business.


Another popular item that fits perfect in a direct sales atmosphere is gifts.

We all have birthdays, holidays, and other occasions we need to buy gifts for. The possibilities are endless with the types of gifts you can offer your customers in a gift sales business. You can even incorporate more than one theme by offering seasonal gifts, just thinking of you gifts, birthday gifts and more.

Learn more about starting (and growing) your own gift sales business by clicking the link below.
Gift Sales Business

ForAGreatCause.Org - It's for a Good Cause BUT...

Hmmm...I just received a private message on a forum from a member of Stephen Pierce's staff for his great fundraiser at ForAGreatCause.org. The money's collected go to "Feed the Children" and it's NOT your typical fundraiser.

Stephen Pierce is not asking for your money.

He is going to donate a plate of food on your BEHALF when you give him your name and email address. In return, you get his report, "The Power of Third Influence".

You can get it here:
http://www.foragreatercause.org

But here's where I have a problem. In the PM I received (whether I was handpicked or part of a mass contact, I don't know), his staff member showed me a page where you can promotion tools, etc. He also gives you a list of forums and blogs where you can post the fundraiser. My blog was one of those listed and recently, I did have someone post the fundraiser into my comments area in a completely unrelated post. Even though I believe in the cause and commend Stephen for his work, this does not sit right with me.

Fundraiser or not, there is no excuse for what I feel amounts to abusing the Internet marketing community. For example, if Mike Merz (whose blog is also listed as a place to post) is posting about a JV offer for a new product and a fundraiser supporter posts about ForAGreaterCause.org in the comments area - isn't that completely irrelevant and kind of downright rude? And what about that forums? Sure, if the forum allows advertising, post it in the advertising section, but there is no instruction to do that. It simply says, here's a list of forums you can post to.

As of late, I've seen Mr. Pierce's staff and partners out in full force on forums, posting in appropriately about a few different projects he is working. I don't think that's cool.

Let's feed the children...but let's respect the Internet marketing community at the same time.

(NOTE: I am not posting the link to the page with the forums/blogs listed because I don't want to encourage any forum/blog abuse...but if you received an information to promote, you would have seen a link to this on the promo tools page)

Review of: PLr Product Reviews

Here's an email Mila and I sent out to our All Private Label Content members. If you're always on the lookout for good PLR or product reviews, this will be of interest to you, so I thought I'd post it here:

---------------------

In just a few days, new content will be available in your monthly
memberships and we'll send you an email as soon as it is all
loaded.

In the meantime, we have had a few members ask about a fairly new
PLR membership available called PLR Product Reviews

Here's the website:
PLR Product Review Membership

It certainly looks like the ideal solution if you're always on
the lookout for more product reviews. As you probably know, when
you bring targeted traffic to product reviews..they can convert
very well to sales.

We have taken some time to review and use some of the content provides in the membership and wanted to pass our thoughts on to you:

- The reviews are half-decently written. We're a bit picky, but
some of the language is kind of awkward and some rewriting was
necessary to suit our standards.

- The reviews suggest many affiliate programs in CJ (Commission Junction). Problem is, we were instantly rejected on a number of
the programs or we had to wait for manual approval. That process
can be frustrating when you want to add content to your site now
and can't.

However, many of the products suggested are often available at
Amazon and elsewhere...so it's easy enough to put in a different
link than suggested.

- The reviews are in a variety of categories each month. If
you're focused into one market, you might not be able to use all
the reviews, but there seems to a decent amount of generic
products that could fit into a variety of markets.

Overall, we find the service useful and a good starting point for
posting a large number of reviews to our websites. As long as
you're willing to do a bit of rewriting (which might be good for
search engines anyway) and find some of the affiliate programs on
your own, it could be very useful.

For $47 per month, you receive 100 product reviews, but we
recommend going for the yearly subscription which saves you over 50%. That is the option we chose and it definitely helped boost
the value we're getting out of the membership, given the minor
deficiencies we found.

Note: The site is run by Anik Singal of
Affiliate Classroom, a well-established and noted affiliate
traning center...so there's no worry he'll be disappearing within
a year's time.

To learn more and sign up, go to:
PLR Product Review Membership

All the best,
Alice Seba & Mila Sidman
AllPrivateLabelContent.com

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Look Who's on CNN Today!

No, I'm not talking about Anna Nicole Smith or Joey Buttafuoco who is dating Amy Fisher again (what the?!)...it's me. ;-)

Read this article, Internet Moms: Getting the Best of Both Worlds. First is Jenni Hunt, who is a fellow Internet mom and Mom Masterminds member and then it's a little bit from me.

Interestingly enough, the writer interviewed me over a month ago and I didn't know when the article would be published...but she emailed me today. I am actually in the process of transferring the site mentioned (internetbasedmoms.com) to Mila Sidman, who is the new owner of the site.

Mila and I will continue to work on our projects together, including Moms Talk Network, All Private Label Content & All Custom Content...but the first site I ever made, Internet Based Moms, is all Mila's baby now.

Hope you enjoy the article.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Love Audio & Video Marketing? You Might Be Closing Some Doors Better Left Open

Here's an email I sent to my subscribers just a few moments ago. If you're using audio and video in your marketing - here's something to consider:

Internet marketing is getting all the more high-tech. It seems like everyone’s podcasting, getting into video and using all kinds of different mediums to reach their prospects.

And amidst all the new technology still lies the undeniable fact that a large part of your audience still likes to AND/OR needs to READ. In your pursuit of the high-tech, don’t alienate a large part of your target market. If you use audio or video in your marketing, you’ll want to read on…

1. If you’ve ever listened to a podcast or been to a teleseminar and a few days later wished you could remember the exact piece of information the speaker told you about a topic, then you already know how important it is to have a written transcript to pinpoint the information you want to recover.

2. It’s something most online business owners forget, but always be considerate of the hearing-impaired and others with disabilities that could keep them from viewing or listening to your recordings. And these don’t even have to be physical disabilities. Realize there are still a ton of people on dial-up worldwide who simply cannot listen to your audio or view your videos.

3. Have you ever considered just how valuable that audio or video really is? Transcribing your audio or video is the perfect basis for creating an ebook, workbook or study guide that you can add to an existing product or create a whole new one. You’ve already done the hard work, why not make the most of it?

In short, you AND your readers/customers get more value out of your work when you offer transcriptions of your recorded materials. But how do you get transcriptions done?


How to have your recordings transcribed…

You can certainly do the transcripts yourself, but without experience, it’s a slow and cumbersome process and your time is definitely better spent elsewhere.

If you’re hiring someone, be sure to test a new transcriptionist out on a small job to determine the quality and timing of her work. In most cases, you want to make sure you are getting “cleaned up” transcripts that remove any ums and uhs and fix up confusing sentence structure and grammar. The fact is, what sounds good in audio sometimes doesn’t translate well to the written word. Make sure your transcriptionist can handle this.

As far as paying for transcription work, most transcriptionists charge per word or audio minute. There are some who charge hourly, but be weary of this option…if they work slowly, you’ll be paying too much. By paying for the amount of audio you need transcribed, you’ll have a better idea of exactly what you’re getting into.


Not sure where to get your recordings transcribed?

There are plenty of transcriptionists out there. You can ask fellow Internet marketers where they get theirs done and follow up on those leads.

If you want to remove all that legwork, check out the service Mila and I created at All Custom Content. Mila has many years experience in professional transcription and we’ve assembled a terrific team for accurate, timely and professional work at All Custom Content.

It really doesn’t matter where you get your transcription done. You can work with us or go somewhere else. The message I really want to get across is that in this age of growing technology…sometimes we need to get back to the basics.

Alice Seba
Your Friend & Partner in Online Success

P.S. If you recently read a report by a high-profile marketer who said that video is the way to go, I REALLY encourage you to check this page out:

See…even the big guy on the left side of the page understands the importance of the written word. ;-)

Monday, May 21, 2007

Are You an Affiliate Marketing Beginner?


If so, here's some great news for you. We've just put together a 17-page FREE guide with all the basics to get you started.

The guide covers:

- What affiliate marketing is
- The benefits of being an affiliate marketer
- How to start earning with affiliate programs
- Creating content
- Helpful tools and more

If you need a headstart, click here to download the guide.

If you are a seasoned marketer already and don't need the guide, but know others who might...there's an opportunity to brand the guide and get it out to your readers too.


Friday, May 18, 2007

Reasons You Might Be Losing Subscribers

My friend and business partner, Kelly McCausey, posted something on her blog that I think deserves a bit of attention to everyone in Internet Marketing. Her post, Too Much Flipping Email (who could resist a title like that?), talks about one of the reasons, a big one actually, that makes people unsubscribe from a list….and that’s as the blog title said, too much flipping email.

If you bombard your list with emails, no matter how good the information, you *MIGHT* overwhelm them…but you need to understand your list and see what is the optimum for them. Some lists may want more frequent information, some may work best with less. You don’t know ‘til you try. And don’t take one subscribers word for it. If one person complains it’s too much, that doesn’t mean you should act on what they say. Analyze and track your results for your list as a whole.

But in Kelly’s case not only were they cramming her inbox, but they were also filling it with irrelevant information. That’s just silly. Why alienate your readers like that? One of the most important things in your Internet marketing is RELEVANCY. Always be relevant, on-target and deliver value…and you’ll do well.

There’s a Reason It’s Called Internet Marketing

While perusing the Internet, I came across and article called
You Can Build it, But They May Not Come
which talks about content and how it’s not EVERYTHING in your website.

Interestingly enough, I thought about all the talk of content I’ve been doing here over the last few months. I firmly believe that without quality, unique content you aren’t fully taking advantage of this information-marketing medium called the Internet.

That being said, I realized that the talk about content may give the “If you build it, they will come,” message to my readers. To set the record straight, I wanted to re-iterate what was said in the above-mentioned article.

Content is necessary for you to take full advantage of reaching and serving your target market, but there is much more to it than just creating a great site full of content your market craves and then sitting back and waiting for the huge amounts of traffic to come in.

Creating your sites and filling them with awesome content is just one step in the process. Once you have your site ready for your market, how will they find out it even exists if you don’t tell them? You must get your site out there for people to hear about and see. After all, it’s not called Internet Marketing for nothing!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

If This Is True, Yet another Reason Sweetie-ism (and Hard Work) Pays Off

I was making my routine browse over at IM News Watch and found a blog post that talks about another form of Google Slapping that involves a site’s Page Rank.

The post by Neil Shearing, here, lead me on the ‘all too familiar’ chase to find out what exactly he was talking about. So, I went to the source, Matt Cutts’ (of Google) blog.

After reading all the talk about PageRank and Google Slaps, I am even more thankful that I did not start my online business with the likes of shady Internet marketers as my mentors.

If you are doing things the right way (i.e. putting in the actual work necessary) and with a bit of integrity there is no reason you should have to buy your way up the search engine ladders, as many have done with Google by buying links.

Ahh…just another reason I love the sweetie approach to online business. :-)

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

FAQ Update: When to Have a New Site for a Product

Here's a question that a lot of people ask and knowing what to do can be quite confusing:

Could you clarify for me when it is helpful to feature 2 or more products on a website? Which products should I feature on my main website and which should have their own website?

Find out if you need a new site for each new product on the FAQ.

I Had a Blast, Let’s Do It Again (IM Spring Cleaning)

If you received my email last week, you’ll already know that I’ve had so much fun with my IM Spring Cleaning class over the past 6 weeks that I decided to open up registration for a second time.

I knew I was going to do the class again, but wasn’t exactly sure how long between the first course and the second I would wait. I really enjoyed helping all of my students get rid of the junk in their Internet marketing business trunks and moving forward in their businesses. It is a great feeling to know you are moving forward in your own business, but to watch my students do so is an even greater feeling.

I am now accepting new students for IM Spring Cleaning 2. Classes start May 21 (next Monday) and there are some spots left. Hurry on over and sign up to seal your seat today before they are all filled up.

Register for IM Spring Cleaning’s Second Class Here

Friday, May 11, 2007

To My Fellow Online Entrepreneurial Mamas…


Working at home has given Mother’s Day a whole new meaning. As work at home moms, we get to be with our kids every day and many would think that makes Mother’s Day a bit less special, but on the contrary, I think it makes it all that more enjoyable. I wouldn’t trade working from home and being with my boys for anything in the world. I know that my fellow online mom business owners know exactly what I’m talking about.

I hope that each of you has a wonderful and relaxing Mother’s Day, whatever your plans are. I’ll be relaxing at home enjoying the company of my kids, my mom and my sister. No working what-so-ever, heck, I’m not even going to THINK about work and I hope you do the same.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

FAQ Update: Outsourcing for Service Providers & Customer Support of the Live Kind

Two more common questions I receive have been answered and added to the Internet Marketing Sweetie FAQs.

The first question revolves around outsourcing in your service-based business. Many people think they can’t outsource tasks when they provide a service because their client’s won’t receive the quality of work they have come to know and love from the business owner.

Q: Do clients have to be aware that you outsource?

Our second question asks about customer support and though I’ve never used live support in my business, I realize a lot of people do. I asked around and got some suggestions from a few online business owner pals about which live systems work well.

I’ve also given some tips for how to go about setting up your live support customer support system so that you aren’t up all hours answering requests or paying gobs of money to assistants to work 24/7 either.

Q: Is there a way that I can chat directly with my customers? Do you recommend any specific instant communication tools that allow me to talk “live” with them?

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Press Release Profits Software: Get it Before It Costs You

I just wanted to pop in quickly and remind you that today is the last day to get the Press Release Profits software I told you about last week at no extra charge. If you’re not already a student of Press Release Profits, this is the final day to sign up as one and get the software included for free.

Tomorrow the cost of the course will go up to reflect the added value of the software. So, while you’re thinking about it, jump on over and sign up now.

Sign Me Up, Please! Press Release Profits

Profit from All That PLR Content on Your Hard Drive

Here’s some good reading for a Tuesday. Jimmy D. Brown and Nicole Dean have combined forces to create a 43 page report titled Private Label Rights (PLR) Secrets: How to Use PLR Products to Create a Money Making Small Reports Business.

In this two-part report they not only tell you how to use PLR, but how to turn all the content you have just sitting on your computer, taking up space into small 7-15 page reports that can make money.

It’s quite a timely topic since it seems everyone is living in fear of duplicate content and Google slapping them silly. If you’ve been concerned about using PLR on your websites, this report gives you an ingenious way to do it without having to worry about Google and increase your bottom line at the same time.

Download your free copy of the report here and start putting that unused private label rights content to use once and for all.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Web 2.0 Gone Too Far - What's up with That 2CO?

I've used 2Checkout (2CO) as one of my payment processors for a few years. They have some quirks in their system and to this day, it is still IMPOSSIBLE to get a proper downloadable report out of the system.

Yet, it seems they've decided (apparently) that they should invest some cash and go Web 2.0. In my opinion, this has just made a mess of their home page. Whereas you used to go to:

2checkout.com

..the page now redirects to...

2checkout.com/community

It looks like this:




This bizarre page takes you to a cluttered blog, a bunch of links all over the place and the log in is hidden way over to the right. As a long-time user, I was like - what the heck do I need all this stuff for? Then, I thought...well, what if I was a new client and was interested in the service. Would this help?

Seriously, I doubt it would. There's just too much on the page and to find the info I needed, I'd have to get way over to the right side to even get a glimpse of the service info. It just doesn't make sense.

Web 2.0 or 11111.38496, doesn't matter. If you're selling, sell. Even if you're using information to sell...you still have to sell and avoid confusing your visitor. This new page is just a mess...use the blog for current clients or even as lead generating content...but not on your main page that has always been reserved for selling.

Maybe I'm wrong and this will work wonders for 2CO (but PayPal hasn't seemed to join on this feeling - their main page is still selling the service). If it does do wonders for 2CO, all I've got to say is they'd better invest in proper reporting systems, for goodness sakes!

Good News for Press Release Profits Students

If you’re a current Press Release Profits owner, I’ve just added some new step-by-step software to the download area for you. It is already in the course download area for you to pick up and you should have already received an email about it yesterday. If not, just submit a support request and we’ll take care of you.

No, the software doesn’t let you click a few mouse buttons and have a completed press release. Although, that would make it incredibly simple, the drab press release the software produced wouldn’t be likely to get you any attention. Instead, this easy-to-use software guides you through each part of your release and formats it correctly for you. It’s a definite timesaver and comes in handy by ensuring you don’t miss anything in your press release.

The software allows you to choose from either a plain text or printable press release. Whether you are sending your press release for publication online or need to send a HTML formatted release to your local media, the software will create it accordingly.

Simply insert your specific details in each step and get a properly formatted press release ready for distributing.

The software is being provided to existing Press Release Profits students at no charge. If you’re not a student yet, no worries…you can also get the software at no extra charge when you sign up by Tuesday, May 8. After that, the price will go up to reflect the additional value of the program.

Sign up for Press Release Profits Today!

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Another 5 Year-Old Copywriting Lesson

Last week I posted about my son learning the power of the word ”today”.

Well, he’s learning even more and I’m seriously thinking that writing copy just might be in his future. He’s taken to saying “Exclusive” now. I’m not sure where he picked this one up and when I asked him he says he thinks it was a commercial.

I asked why he says it. He said, “I like how it sounds.” I really need to get this boy to work! :-)

FAQ Update: Publicity Questions Answered

As a retired press release writer for pay, I still receive plenty of questions about press releases and publicity. I thought I’d share 2 of the more popular ones with you today.

1. Is there a difference between writing articles for distribution and writing press releases?

2. Don’t you need a publicist or do a whole lot of groundwork to get good publicity?

While your competition stays obsessed with search engine rankings, trying to find sites to link to them…you can start a smart press release campaign and get tons of free exposure for your business.

(By the way…I’ll have an update for Press Release Profits students shortly, so keep an eye on your inbox!)

IM Spring Cleaning 4 Weeks Down: Only 2 to Go!


This week marks the start of Week 5 of the Internet Marketers Spring Cleaning. Wow! Time sure flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?
Here’s what one of my students had to say about the coaching:

“Thanks Alice for the great instruction I received during the Spring Cleaning Coaching course! I had to pinch myself many times over just because you offered this course and I was able to join…I was not disappointed. The course was tough, but it forced me to really analyze by business structure and all of the projects, web sites, and domains I had accumulated.

You helped me to see with clarity what I was doing that was working and more importantly what was NOT working for me. It was all right there for me to see, but I was so engrossed in my business that I forgot to look at the big picture and I really needed to take that step back, clean out the junk, find the hidden treasures I had pushed aside and forgotten, and begin fresh. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders thanks to you and this amazing course.

The best part is, my profits increased before the course was even over. I am excited to continue my business now on a better footing and I am confident that it will be able to grow like never before. Thank you!”


Tiffany Washko
NatureMoms.com


Next week is the last week of the course and my students and I are all getting so anxious to take a look back over the 6 weeks and see the improvement!

Although, I’m not currently taking on new students, registration will be opening again soon. If you missed the class this time around, it’s not too late. If you sign up for the priority notification list you’ll be the first to know when I open the doors again.

Internet Marketing Spring Cleaning Priority Notification List

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments area below.