At The Internet Marketing Hardware Store
Filed under: The Big Debate - Article vs Video Marketing, Web Tools
This past week has been spent looking for tools that will benefit me in saving time as well as make my efforts more efficient in general.
I have some exciting new discoveries to share soon – but do want to make sure I give these tools the full run through before letting you in on what is working and what does not. These tools include keyword research, article organization, plugins for blogs, and the list keeps growing.
Finding the right tools for your marketing efforts can take time. There are so many softwares out on the market, and some will take care of one function while others can cover multiple tasks. Figuring out that perfect combination that will save you time, money, and give you the desired results is certainly a job in itself. Typically the type of tool you need will become obvious as your internet marketing journey takes course.
Once finding a tool you think will help you, it can be a whole new ball of wax to take the time to learn how to use it. Practice makes perfect, and giving yourself a reminder of what tools you have on hand when creating your plan can be a good idea.
While it is possible to do a lot of the things these tools do manually, my 300 Challenge I fear would not be possible within the alloted time frame.
Another side note, I use a Macintosh. The tools I will be sharing with you either will work for PC and Mac or just Mac or will run server side. In general, the majority of IM tools tend to run on PC only. This has always irked me. Mac users in particular may find this blog of great use in the future as you will not have to spend the time that I have in finding what will definitely work for you.
Originally posted 2009-12-26 11:45:20. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Finally Chose a Domain
Filed under: Article Marketing, internet marketing plan, Market Research, The Big Debate - Article vs Video Marketing, Video Marketing
The big deadline for the work of 300 articles and 300 videos will be here March 17th. I’ve had roughly 9 days to do some organizing and planning whilst running another business that is in desperate need of some viral marketing of its own.
I had been debating how to get the best results from my 100 articles about article marketing, and where I was going to point those links to.
If you don’t know it already, I’m actually not too keen on articles. I typically feel some restraint – but I am going full blast into becoming the best expert I can on the topic and sharing freely as much on the subject as I can. I am giving it my honest best go to soak up as much as I can.
At one point I was just going to do this with the topics of article marketing and video marketing, but now have some wild card topics for the last 100.
Someone in my hot poll thread at the WF asked,
So, you’d be making 75 videos and 75 articles for each product?
The problem I see with this is: How do you make 75 videos about video creation without already mentioning basically everything that matters for video creation?
I mention this because my reply to the concern was,
How do you make 75 articles about article creation without already mentioning basically everything that matters for article creation?
In actuality, there will be 100 articles about article creation/marketing, etc. – not sure what happened to the math that day.
Anyway, much of what is needed for video creation such as the answers is already on the web somewhere. And same with article marketing and article creation.
It boils down to a “time” factor.
People are willing to pay for information that is actually “free” if it has been assembled and collected nicely into a package that will save them time looking it all up. Time is that one thing we can never get back.
Back to the plan, I want to have a site to showcase all my articles and information about article marketing, and I want to have a site to showcase all my videos and information about video marketing. Makes sense right?
The real question then lies in the monetization plan. Initially I wanted to just promote a course on article marketing, and one on video marketing. I have access to BOTH – but I will be already exposing and sharing a lot of information on those topics. The sensible thing to do is to offer those things, but also offer things that are not just digital information. For instance, what would be a useful tool for an article marketer? What would speed up their process in creating articles? Just doing a Google search, there are all kinds of tools that can help you assemble and create articles quickly.
There is article creation software, article submission software, and other tools to assist.
The same is true with video. People need access to photos, video loops, music, and even video creation software for those who really want to get into it.
I would be silly to limit the number of products offered to just courses. At the same time, I need to investigate best I can anything I do recommend. And it would not be wise to sell something in every email sent by an autoresponder.
I will funnel traffic to two blogs. Each blog will have a sign up for something “free” that will help my new subscribers. I will be able to judge this contest partly with the number of sign-ups.
Here is where things get a little crazy, and some “creative” tracking needs to be done. Let me explain.
Lets take that 100 articles about article marketing. I need to track how many subscribers come in from my articles on Ezine, and how many are directed to the sites from Youtube. Keep in mind, there will be 100 articles about article marketing, and 100 videos about article marketing. I can either split this into two squeeze pages, or 2 blogs, or a squeeze page directed from youtube and perhaps just a link directly to the blog from ezine as they are very specific on landing pages offered int the links and really want to see valuable content on the sites.
To save myself some time and avoid duplicate content issues on the Articles blog (which will be located at http://articleparticles.com) I will be installing Steven Fullmans WP Unique, which makes the article appear as unique content in the eyes of google. I will also need there to be some unique content initially to get the blog approved by Ezine as a site worthy of linking to.
I would like to be able to display the articles and videos of each for each site. The videos will play at the top, with the option to scroll down to actually read the materials.
Here is what I will have. A blog about article marketing that shows videos, and has article about article marketing, and I need to know what traffic was generated from ezine, and which from youtube. Let’s say I have 10 people visit from Ezine, and 10 visitors from Youtube – how do I really know which ones are “buying?” Do I just run this as a traffic experiment or traffic to conversions? The best way I can think to break this down is into 2 landing pages that are DIFFERENT lists. Through Aweber I can track the clicks on links in my autoresponders, and will need to have 2 affiliate codes for each product.
What a pickle eh?
My original poll question was:
If you had to choose between getting 300 videos, and 300 articles, which do you think would convert better and lead to more sales?
While some of this is obviously a traffic game, should I disregard conversions? Are article readers and clickers buyers? Are my video watchers going to click and ultimately buy something?
It is of no point for me to toot the benefits of video marketing if it brings traffic, but the traffic does not buy.
While I could just buy some cheap dot info’s and skip the whole list building thing, would I not just be throwing away traffic? It would be the easy path, but I’m not so sure it is the best for long term benefits of the work going into this challenge and plan.
I don’t even want to go into the mess of tracking and analyzing my results.
Fortunately some affiliate programs (IE clickbank) do allow you to create a unique tracking code for campaigns you put in place.
As you can see, there is a lot of pre-planning needed for this experiment aside from the creation of 300 articles and 300 videos. I dare say the creation of those is the “easy” part at this point.
I hope to be back soon with a nice method in place. I have only 91 days to my deadline.
Originally posted 2009-12-16 10:59:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
IM Sutra Bonus – Infoproduct Creation And Marketing Course
While there are many ways to make money online, ultimately owning your own product is really the best case scenario. I recently had a chance to review IM Sutra – an infoproduct marketing course.
IM Sutra takes you by the hand with step by step videos that will show you just how to find the right niche to promote, to creating a product that niche is craving, and setting it up to sell in several formats for ultimate marketing success.
The course does go into SEO, but because the course covers so much ground already it is just a basics course on traffic and search engine optimization.
Looking into the course, I was able to find a complete rounded course, and have created a private members site which begins with roughly over ten hours of video on proper SEO – not just the basics of it but the how to actually do it.
Let’s face it – no matter what you are marketing and selling or what monetization model you decide to follow you will ultimately need traffic.
Here is a video about my bonus, and where you can find it:
If you are looking to create a long term business on the web that you can really set on autopilot, I can’t recommend IM Sutra enough.
You can learn more about IM Sutra if you click here.
And to get in on my IM Sutra bonus click here.
Originally posted 2010-01-29 09:28:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Mindset – The First Element To Any Plan
Before one can implement or even devise a solid plan, be it online or off, one needs to have the proper mindset.
But what is mindset? And how does one achieve it?
Mindset is determination to accomplish a specific goal or task. Typically, motivation plays a big role in solidifying ones mindset.
Let’s say I want some dinner. I have no food in the house. My mind is set on getting something to eat. Where is my motivation? Well, I could be getting hungry. I know if I don’t get something I’m going to become more and more hungry eventually.
I can dream about a steak dinner any time, but if I’m not hungry I’m not likely to do much about it.
It is one thing to dream about making things a reality. But without some kind of action and necessary motivation, many things remain just dreams.
The beginning of many plans starts with looking inside oneself and asking the basic question. What do I want?
You have to be very specific with this answer. The more specific, the better one can plan and analyze what is needed to accomplish a goal.
One of the next steps is to actually write down this goal. For some it is also a good idea to write down that motivation as to remind oneself why they are doing what ever it is they intend to do.
In order to nourish and keep a mindset focused, repetition comes into play. Daily reading of these goals can most certainly help one stay on track and in the right direction.
Visualization can also work wonders. If you tell yourself something over and over, and actually see it in your minds eye, it becomes a truth for you.
Once you know what you want, and can see it coming true, it’s time to start writing. You can start with writing out the end goal, and in the fashion of a backwards planner you write down the steps you took to get there. Fill in as much as you can – and once you’ve written as much as you can simply reverse the order to see where it is you need to start.
Don’t worry if there are holes in your initial plan. These are now clear areas you need to work on and can work out the details of before you get there.
Don’t wait to fill in the gaps before you begin. Just start the plan, and remember that your plan will be somewhat fluid and there is always room for improvement or change – as long as it leads you to that end goal.
Originally posted 2010-11-16 12:25:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Stuff Happens – What Day Is It?
Well, I stopped by here the other day only to notice the dates on this blog are incorrect. Stuff happens. I’m not sure how to fix things back, and not sure just how it happened on this blog and not my others, lol, c’est la vie.
What is really interesting is the top post I saw the other day is not the post that appeared at the top as I just came back in to make a post. That post is actually something I wanted to address.
http://www.internetmarketingplan.me/finally-chose-a-domain/
That 300 challenge was never accomplished. One of the main reasons was my inability to figure out a proper tracking system.
Thanks to a Warrior, I have found a script which will give me data needed for this experiment.
About that domain…
I picked up a new and independent domain for this experiment. I needed something generic and something that would work with a mixture of products. I’ll actually be able to use the domain and one single blog installed on it to see which traffic came from Ezine or Youtube, and it will track directly out to clickbank for me and reveal which sales originated from which source.
The main blog will post each article with its accompanying video on just one post.
While I could have run 2 sites and 2 lists, I should also be able to use this new script to tell me which new subscribers are Ezine and which are Youtube. I do think I’ll need to go into clickbank independently and figure out which sales get credited to which – manually by matching up names. This will be a bit of work if a lot of sales happen, but a necessary evil to the experiment.
So now with a tracking system in place, it’s a matter of creating the content for both sites meaning writing the articles and shooting the videos. The blog was just installed a few moments ago but will need some customization and tweeking. And the autoresponder series of course.
I had chosen some products at the beginning of the year. Not all of these are clickbank, so I’ll be revisiting the list and looking for some new products to fill in the gaps.
Any products recommended on the site will be ones I’ve personally used or had the chance to examine.
So, that’s the update for now. This is one project that I’ll now be spending some daily time to put together and launch by the New Year.
This of course is just one project.
Originally posted 2010-11-14 19:05:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Affiliate Marketing to Start Your Business
So, you want to begin your journey into internet marketing, but need a place to start? When you don’t yet own a product or service to sell, affiliate marketing can be a great way to start your business.
Affiliates are basically the middle man between a product and the end user. Odds are if you want to go long term with your internet endeavors you will either become an affiliate or employ them at some part of your journey.
Many of the tasks you will need to perform as an affiliate will be carried into the plethora of other tasks associated with all IM fields.
Affiliate Marketing can be an entire IM business all on it’s own. Everyone has the opportunity to choose from physical or electronic products to promote. The theory is most lucrative of these two are the information digital downloads as they require no shipping, and offer instant delivery to the end user.
Most marketers are drawn to places like Clickbank, Paydotcom, or Ejunkie – but don’t be fooled. These are not the only places to find great quality digital products to promote.
With all internet marketing plans, the most important factor is finding that profitable niche. The same is true with affiliate marketing. To find programs related to your interest all one needs to do is google the name of the niche with the word “affiliate.” Some programs will appear through large vendors while other programs will be quite private. Should you find a private program, be sure to investigate a bit further to make sure the program is legit.
If you are beginning your online ventures with a modest budget, working as an affiliate is probably the only way to start your business with as little as zero investment and possibility of the greatest returns. Of course this will all be reliant on your creativity and ability to adapt quickly to the online world.
If you are still exploring all your possible options, consider diving in to get your feet wet by using affiliate marketing to start your business.
Originally posted 2009-09-18 09:28:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
The Role of Niche Selection
The role of niche selection is the first and foremost important decision to creating your internet marketing plan. Simply defined, the niche is your area of expertise. Defining your area will be necessary whether you are planning to sell your own services or the services of others. When deciding a niche, further consideration will be needed to refine into a sub-niche. These initial considerations should be completed before purchasing your domain name.
For example we’ll consider something some may not associate much with the internet – the farming niche. We’ll assume the planner has an interest in farming or owns a farm. Farming would be a valid niche. It is an extremely necessary service that will always be in demand. Someone who owns a farm may want a website to provide information on what their farm sells, while someone with a simple interest in farming may be interested in promoting more of a sub-niche such as farming equipment or seeds, or product produced by the farm.
For the farm owner, the plan will begin with the choice of using branding for the website name. Branding can be given an extra defining factor as well. Instead of “Bob’s Farm” one better thought would be “Bob’s Honey Farm” and even better defined might read “Bob’s Organic Honey Farm.” Keywords within this niche will be important to incorporate into the final selection of a domain name.
As someone who does not own a honey farm but perhaps has an interest in promotion of the honey farm niche, a choice will need to be made as to how far you’ll need to expand within the niche and if this is the only product and or niche you’ll be promoting. If you’re planning to promote organic honey it stands to reason you will want to be the best organic honey promoter there is. You may wish to explore how many ways you’ll be able to promote the organic honey, ie: will you be selling honey available world wide or just within a specific state? If you are promoting a saturated niche, you may be better off concentrating on one geographical area. At the same time, this one area may not be enough to monetize on to full potential. You may decide you will need to add honey related products such as honey spoons, straws, and bears. These considerations should affect your branding and domain choices as well. Instead of branding as “Joys Organic Honey” better considerations may be along the lines of “Joys Honey Spoon” or to even drop the personalization to “New York Organic Honey Suppliers” which could encompass a wider variety of products targeting a specific region.
When deciding a niche, be sure to take the time to research the possibilities within the niche. Your efforts can make the difference in your niche domination and ultimate long term success in your marketing plan. This preliminary work will make the next step into domain selection and keyword research an easier task to accomplish.
Originally posted 2009-06-28 05:58:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Free Marketing Plan
Filed under: Free Plan Review, Membership Sites, Micro-Continuity
Is it really possible to find a free marketing plan? Yes! Absolutely.
Internet marketing plans can be found all over the web. It is only a matter of knowing where to look and knowing what you are looking for exactly.
Internet marketing itself can be divided up into many different categories and niches. Not every plan will be the right plan for what you are setting out to do.
One such absolutely free marketing plan to consider is the Micro-Continuity plan. This particular plan is one of many that revolves around creating a quick niche membership site.
As part of the promotion for Micro-Continuity, an ebook giveaway provides a detailed case study which actually gives away the full plan. This case study not only gives away the plan, but goes into much more depth as a full 34 page report – giving some very detailed notes of smaller actions required within the general outline.
The plan is explored completely with a case study done with student “Joy.” She had absolutely no experience in marketing online, yet managed to create her own product using video and even more impressive is the product she is promoting has absolutely nothing to do with the internet marketing niche.
Finding a plan for a proper membership site is not the easiest – but if you’d like to explore the possibility of creating your own mini sized membership ongoing stream of income, this is definitely worth the time to download. Even for someone who is not considering creating a members site, there are some great ideas which can be applied to the many different plans out there.
While some would argue “you get what you pay for,” in my review of the materials given away this is truly a diamond for those who take action.
To get your free marketing plan simply visit microcontinuity.com/joy.
Originally posted 2009-06-20 11:56:57. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Free Press Release Can Get You Exposure On New Products
Are you looking for more ways to get exposure other than just a Free Article Submission Service? How about a Free Press Release?
While articles are a great way to spread the word about what you are offering, the power of the press release is often overlooked by internet marketers. News organizations typically search press release sites over article directories when looking for the latest trends or fresh hot topics.
Creating a good press release is slightly different from just writing articles. While articles tend to focus on solving a particular problem, a press release presents the world with a new and exciting discovery or an update to an event.
If you are presenting a new product to the market, a press release can be one of your best new allies in getting a boost in exposure and a proper introduction on how you’d like your product to be portrayed.
Possibly one reason many shy away from using a PR in their initial campaign is the fear of the cost. While some press release sites can cost hundreds of dollars, you should know there are premium high traffic sites such as http://www.free-press-release.com that offer you submissions totally free of charge.
When putting together your first (or next) product launch plan, be sure to include your press release to get off to a great start.
Originally posted 2010-01-27 11:27:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Are You Ready For a Business Coach?
Just who needs a business coach or mentor?
Online marketing can be overwhelming in the beginning. Once you get past the technicalities of physically building your online business, you can finally focus more on the marketing side.
Some may think a mentor or coach is there to help you learn to build the site. In reality, great coaches and mentors are not all technical gurus, and this is not what you should be seeking out their advice for. Online digital coaching should not be confused with learning how to build web links.
A business coach is there to help you focus on the direction your business should be taking. If you have an idea for a business, a coach can assist you in refining your goals. If you have reached a plateau on sales and feel a bit stagnant, it also may be time to seek out some help.
What should you expect from your coach?
Your coach can help you create a new or refined strategy. They may suggest ideas you have not considered, and they may question which ideas you’ve already put into play. You and your coach may not always agree on a solution, but they will be there should things not go as planned to assist in analyzing the problem.
Your coach may point out to you your previous successes to motivate you when you carry self doubt. They can trigger you to consider higher ground that you might have thought out of your reach. The combination of an elevated confidence level and higher focus goals are what they will use to push you to new levels.
They remain impartial and non emotional, as they don’t have an actual investment in your business. They do however want you to succeed, as this can maintain income for them the further they are able to help you.
While email and current technology has put the ability to contact others on a 24/7 schedule, this will not be a proper request of your mentor.
Expect to schedule regular appointments, and limited time dependent on what you pay.
Not all coaches will be the right ones for your type of business. Seek out those who are familiar with your specific type of marketing for best results.
Before seeking out your coach or mentor, create a list of what your actual problems are. This will assist you in reviewing proper applicants for the position. A great business coach may take a little time to find, but the results for your business will be well worth the effort.
Originally posted 2009-11-27 06:51:23. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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