I've posted several lists lately - who to follow on Twitter, which Internet marketing experts are worth listening to, who are the best women on the Internet right now. And I've received some feedback. Some of it agreed with my recommendations. Some didn't. And some readers stated that while my list was good, I missed several people they thought should be included. So now I'm interested. I try to keep up with the best and the brightest online, but obviously I can't keep track of everybody. But if there is someone out there beneficial to my readers, then I would like to know more about them.
I've decided to devote the next couple of posts to you - and your recommendations. Tell me who you think is worth mentioning here. Whose advice do you trust? Whose suggestions do you follow? Whose tweets do you read without fail? Comment here and I will check them out. I'll devote a post to each of them. Either a guest post by you since you're recommending them, or if you prefer, I'll do the writing and give you the credit for the recommendation.
I'm looking forward to making some great new connections and finding fabulous new resources for me and my clients and subscribers!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
From Flower Girl to Duchess Through the Power of Communication
"One day I'll be famous, I'll be proper and prim. Go to St. James so often, I will call it St. Jim..."
May 20th was Eliza Doolittle Day, and yes, theater buff that I am, I'm still singing some of my favorite songs from "My Fair Lady" three days later. If you are not familiar with it, it's a musical about rather snobbish phonetics professor, Henry Higgins, who wagers that he can take a cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, and pass her off as a member of high society by teaching her to speak properly.
I know that you would love to hear about our Eliza Doolittle Day celebration or perhaps more about the musical. And I would love to share all that with you. But that is not my purpose here. What inspired this post was the discussion we had at our little get-together. In the movie, Henry Higgins turns Eliza Doolittle into a woman able to pass herself off as a duchess by helping her learn to speak proper English. Our discussion concerned whether people are still judged today by the way they speak. And that led to a discussion of the importance of good communication skills, including proper grammar - and to a consensus that since these are no longer taught in school, it's important to learn them elsewhere.
In business, it is critical to be able to communicate your ideas quickly and clearly. You may have the most brilliant idea, one-of-a kind service, or valuable product on the market today, but if you cannot make me understand that, your idea, service, or product is useless.
Communicating effectively requires many different skills. Proper pronunciation, grammar, spelling, and punctuation are vital. There are many books and classes available that teach these basics. I don't have a particular favorite. At the risk of betraying my age, I went to school when grammar, punctuation, and penmanship were still taught in elementary school. I have seen several books on these subjects at the local Barnes & Noble, however, and most of them seemed likely to be effective. If someone has a resource to recommend, please feel free to post it in the comments.
Another crucial factor in effective communication is vocabulary. You don't need to memorize the dictionary. But you do need to have a large enough vocabulary to always have the right word at your disposal. When I was 13, my grandmother gave me a subscription to Reader's Digest for my birthday. Believe it or not, I was thrilled. This magazine held a wealth of treasures for me, including a feature called "It Pays to Increase Your Word Power." Each issue came with 20 words, their definitions, and an example of their usage in a sentence. It was an easy way to increase my vocabulary by 20 words each month. Reader's Digest still carries this feature and they have an online version on their website.
Perfect grammar, extensive vocabulary, proper pronunciation - is that everything? No. Unfortunately, you can have all of this and still not be able to get your point across. Fortunately, this is also a skill that can be learned. And I happen to know the only person I would recommend to teach you.
Before I continue, in keeping with all of the current laws, I must state that I am an affiliate for the products I am about to recommend, and the link is an affiliate link. And now that we have that out of the way, let me also state that the only reason I am an affiliate is because I can make this recommendation with no hesitation at all. So where do you go to learn to put all of the basic skills together into an effective package? Felicia Slattery's Communication Transformation. Felicia is a communication consultant, speaker, and coach specializing in training busy professionals to succeed by communicating effectively with clients and prospects. You've seen her mentioned in many of my blog posts as one of the people whose opinions and input I value and trust. If you really want to learn how to get your message across, she is the one person who can help you.
Learn to speak and write clearly and concisely. Practice the skills necessary to communicate with ease and confidence. Who knows what might happen?
"One evening the King will say, Oh Liza old thing. I want all of England your praises to sing. Next week on the 20th of May, I proclaim Liza Doolittle Day."
May 20th was Eliza Doolittle Day, and yes, theater buff that I am, I'm still singing some of my favorite songs from "My Fair Lady" three days later. If you are not familiar with it, it's a musical about rather snobbish phonetics professor, Henry Higgins, who wagers that he can take a cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, and pass her off as a member of high society by teaching her to speak properly.
I know that you would love to hear about our Eliza Doolittle Day celebration or perhaps more about the musical. And I would love to share all that with you. But that is not my purpose here. What inspired this post was the discussion we had at our little get-together. In the movie, Henry Higgins turns Eliza Doolittle into a woman able to pass herself off as a duchess by helping her learn to speak proper English. Our discussion concerned whether people are still judged today by the way they speak. And that led to a discussion of the importance of good communication skills, including proper grammar - and to a consensus that since these are no longer taught in school, it's important to learn them elsewhere.
In business, it is critical to be able to communicate your ideas quickly and clearly. You may have the most brilliant idea, one-of-a kind service, or valuable product on the market today, but if you cannot make me understand that, your idea, service, or product is useless.
Communicating effectively requires many different skills. Proper pronunciation, grammar, spelling, and punctuation are vital. There are many books and classes available that teach these basics. I don't have a particular favorite. At the risk of betraying my age, I went to school when grammar, punctuation, and penmanship were still taught in elementary school. I have seen several books on these subjects at the local Barnes & Noble, however, and most of them seemed likely to be effective. If someone has a resource to recommend, please feel free to post it in the comments.
Another crucial factor in effective communication is vocabulary. You don't need to memorize the dictionary. But you do need to have a large enough vocabulary to always have the right word at your disposal. When I was 13, my grandmother gave me a subscription to Reader's Digest for my birthday. Believe it or not, I was thrilled. This magazine held a wealth of treasures for me, including a feature called "It Pays to Increase Your Word Power." Each issue came with 20 words, their definitions, and an example of their usage in a sentence. It was an easy way to increase my vocabulary by 20 words each month. Reader's Digest still carries this feature and they have an online version on their website.
Perfect grammar, extensive vocabulary, proper pronunciation - is that everything? No. Unfortunately, you can have all of this and still not be able to get your point across. Fortunately, this is also a skill that can be learned. And I happen to know the only person I would recommend to teach you.
Before I continue, in keeping with all of the current laws, I must state that I am an affiliate for the products I am about to recommend, and the link is an affiliate link. And now that we have that out of the way, let me also state that the only reason I am an affiliate is because I can make this recommendation with no hesitation at all. So where do you go to learn to put all of the basic skills together into an effective package? Felicia Slattery's Communication Transformation. Felicia is a communication consultant, speaker, and coach specializing in training busy professionals to succeed by communicating effectively with clients and prospects. You've seen her mentioned in many of my blog posts as one of the people whose opinions and input I value and trust. If you really want to learn how to get your message across, she is the one person who can help you.
Learn to speak and write clearly and concisely. Practice the skills necessary to communicate with ease and confidence. Who knows what might happen?
"One evening the King will say, Oh Liza old thing. I want all of England your praises to sing. Next week on the 20th of May, I proclaim Liza Doolittle Day."
Monday, May 3, 2010
Who "Tweets" You Best?
I have to admit it. I was a bit slow in jumping on the Twitter bandwagon. And I probably still don't spend as much time there as I should. But Twitter is a fabulous way to build your business. I know I was skeptical when @BobtheTeacher told me I needed to get involved. What can you possibly say in 140 characters that has any value? Plenty - as I soon discovered.
One of the first challenges when joining the Twitter family is deciding who to follow. Some people tell you to follow everybody who follows you. I don't personally subscribe to that theory. If I'm giving my time to something, it has to have value for me. I'm not being selfish - just practical. And so I'm very selective in choosing who to follow. I follow a wide variety of people - each for a different reason. But the one thing they all have in common is this - when they "tweet", it's usually worth reading.
There are literally hundreds of lists of who to follow on Twitter. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion. So do I. These are the people I follow; the ones who share info I can use. You may be surprised at some of my picks. One thing I did discover - just because you're a successful business person, that does not make you a wonderful "tweeter"!
The 22 Best Business People to Follow on Twitter - if you really want to learn something!
1. Denise Michaels (@DeniseMM): Denise is a marketing and empowerment expert. I have learned much about "softer, gentler" marketing techniques through her insight and I am a huge fan of Empower U Academy!
2. Felicia Slattery (@feliciaslattery): Communication Expert, Speaker, and Coach. Felicia is a powerhouse who always has something to worthwhile to share. I know what she has done for my own communication skills. She can do the same for you.
3. Ken McArthur (@KenMcArthur): Best Selling Author and Marketing Expert - and the guy who got me started down this crazy path called entrepreneurship (Wait! Felicia - is that a word?)
4. Beverly Mahone (@babyboomerbev): Founder of Boomer Diva Nation and BoomerDiva TV. This woman has done more to show me how to promote myself than just about anyone I know. Thanks, Bev!
5. Bob Jenkins (@BobTheTeacher): Introduced me to Twitter, Instant Teleseminar, and a host of other wonderful tools. If he tweets it, you need to read it!
6. Wendy Y. Bailey (@wendyYbailey): Creator of Group Coaching Mastery. Wendy was one of my first teleseminar guests. She taught me 3 little words that made a huge impact on my business. Want to know what they were? Guess you'll have to follow her and ask!
7. Heidi RichardsMooney (@HeidiRichards): Author and Coach. Always has something of interest to share about social networking, marketing, and sucess.
8. Paulette Ensign (@pauletteensign): Who knew that a simple tips booklet could be so profitable?
9. Jeff Herring (@JeffHerring): If you want to understand article marketing, this is the gentleman to follow.
10. Carrie Wilkerson (@barefoot_exec): I'm not sure she realizes it, but the idea for BoomerBizCoach came from talking to Carrie at a jvAlert Live event. Thanks, Carrie! Follow this woman! She's amazing!
11. Olalah Njenga (@olalah): Marketing strategist. Always has something useful to share.
12. Bob Proctor (@Bob_D_Proctor): Motivating. Inspiring. It's Bob Proctor, for Pete's sake!
13. Sandy Forster (@WWealthy): Her book, How to Be Wildly Wealthy Fast, was the first one I ever read about how your mindset can impact your success. I've been a fan ever since.
14. Vicky Lyn (@vickylyn): Love her blog. She's been posting quite a bit about Twitter marketing lately. You don't want to miss it.
15. Willie Crawford (@WillieCrawford): Are you kidding? It's Willie Crawford. 'Nuf said.
16. Gina Gaudio-Graves (@JVQueen): Founder of DirectionsU.com which I love. If you need help finding your way around the world of internet marketing, you need to follow her.
17. Kim Duke (@SalesDiva): Sales expert shares her tips. What? You're not in sales? Guess again. If you're in business, you're in sales.
18. Kathleen Gage (@kathleengage): Internet marketing and teleseminar training specialist. There is a right way to do this stuff, and she shares it with you.
19. Darren Rowse (@problogger): If you want tips on blogging then this is the guy to follow.
20. Joel Comm (@joelcomm): Author of Twitter Power. If you haven't read it, you need to.
21. Michael Angier (@MichaelAngier): Founder of SuccessNet.org. I've been a suscriber forever. He always has good info to share.
22. Mike Litman (@MikeLitman): Taught me not to be afraid to try. "You don't have to get it right, you just have to get it going."
One of the first challenges when joining the Twitter family is deciding who to follow. Some people tell you to follow everybody who follows you. I don't personally subscribe to that theory. If I'm giving my time to something, it has to have value for me. I'm not being selfish - just practical. And so I'm very selective in choosing who to follow. I follow a wide variety of people - each for a different reason. But the one thing they all have in common is this - when they "tweet", it's usually worth reading.
There are literally hundreds of lists of who to follow on Twitter. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion. So do I. These are the people I follow; the ones who share info I can use. You may be surprised at some of my picks. One thing I did discover - just because you're a successful business person, that does not make you a wonderful "tweeter"!
The 22 Best Business People to Follow on Twitter - if you really want to learn something!
1. Denise Michaels (@DeniseMM): Denise is a marketing and empowerment expert. I have learned much about "softer, gentler" marketing techniques through her insight and I am a huge fan of Empower U Academy!
2. Felicia Slattery (@feliciaslattery): Communication Expert, Speaker, and Coach. Felicia is a powerhouse who always has something to worthwhile to share. I know what she has done for my own communication skills. She can do the same for you.
3. Ken McArthur (@KenMcArthur): Best Selling Author and Marketing Expert - and the guy who got me started down this crazy path called entrepreneurship (Wait! Felicia - is that a word?)
4. Beverly Mahone (@babyboomerbev): Founder of Boomer Diva Nation and BoomerDiva TV. This woman has done more to show me how to promote myself than just about anyone I know. Thanks, Bev!
5. Bob Jenkins (@BobTheTeacher): Introduced me to Twitter, Instant Teleseminar, and a host of other wonderful tools. If he tweets it, you need to read it!
6. Wendy Y. Bailey (@wendyYbailey): Creator of Group Coaching Mastery. Wendy was one of my first teleseminar guests. She taught me 3 little words that made a huge impact on my business. Want to know what they were? Guess you'll have to follow her and ask!
7. Heidi RichardsMooney (@HeidiRichards): Author and Coach. Always has something of interest to share about social networking, marketing, and sucess.
8. Paulette Ensign (@pauletteensign): Who knew that a simple tips booklet could be so profitable?
9. Jeff Herring (@JeffHerring): If you want to understand article marketing, this is the gentleman to follow.
10. Carrie Wilkerson (@barefoot_exec): I'm not sure she realizes it, but the idea for BoomerBizCoach came from talking to Carrie at a jvAlert Live event. Thanks, Carrie! Follow this woman! She's amazing!
11. Olalah Njenga (@olalah): Marketing strategist. Always has something useful to share.
12. Bob Proctor (@Bob_D_Proctor): Motivating. Inspiring. It's Bob Proctor, for Pete's sake!
13. Sandy Forster (@WWealthy): Her book, How to Be Wildly Wealthy Fast, was the first one I ever read about how your mindset can impact your success. I've been a fan ever since.
14. Vicky Lyn (@vickylyn): Love her blog. She's been posting quite a bit about Twitter marketing lately. You don't want to miss it.
15. Willie Crawford (@WillieCrawford): Are you kidding? It's Willie Crawford. 'Nuf said.
16. Gina Gaudio-Graves (@JVQueen): Founder of DirectionsU.com which I love. If you need help finding your way around the world of internet marketing, you need to follow her.
17. Kim Duke (@SalesDiva): Sales expert shares her tips. What? You're not in sales? Guess again. If you're in business, you're in sales.
18. Kathleen Gage (@kathleengage): Internet marketing and teleseminar training specialist. There is a right way to do this stuff, and she shares it with you.
19. Darren Rowse (@problogger): If you want tips on blogging then this is the guy to follow.
20. Joel Comm (@joelcomm): Author of Twitter Power. If you haven't read it, you need to.
21. Michael Angier (@MichaelAngier): Founder of SuccessNet.org. I've been a suscriber forever. He always has good info to share.
22. Mike Litman (@MikeLitman): Taught me not to be afraid to try. "You don't have to get it right, you just have to get it going."
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Creating Your Marketing Game Plan
When starting your online business, it is essential that you have a marketing plan. You wouldn't start on a trip without a map, would you? Why would you want to start marketing your business with some idea of where you are going?
There are different ways to create your plan. There are several marketing plans software packages available to help you with the process. I have never used any of them, so I cannot recommend one in particular. I am more comfortable just creating my plan myself. If that interests you, then read on to see how I do it.
There is a suggested order to your marketing plan elements and I encourage you to learn it. If you ever decide to look for outside financing or a business partner, they will expect to see all of these elements. For my own use, I am not quite as formal. I will teach you everything, though, so you can get familiar with it.
The first part of your plan should always be an "Executive Summary". This is the who, what, when, where, and how of your marketing strategy. Although it is the first part of your written plan, it is typically created last, after all of your marketing analysis has been completed.
Yes, I said marketing analysis. You will need some information about your industry and your competitors before you launch your marketing campaign. This should be the second part of your marketing plan. You will want to research the strengths and weaknesses of your industry as a whole, plus your competitors. You need to find out as much as you can about them. Trust me - if they are successful in the business, they know all about you!
The third part of your marketing plan should focus on your products or services and your target markets. Information such as target market demographics, industry trends, societal/cultural trends, and the needs/wants of your target market go here. If you don't know how or don't have the time to do this yourself, you can purchase the information. Again, I have never done so. My husband loves spending countless hours on the internet researching this stuff for me, and he works cheap so I let him do it!
Next you will want to outline your actual marketing strategy. How will you get the word out to your target markets? What promotional activities will you use? What type of marketing programs? Will you be strictly online or will you use some offline marketing? What pricing strategies will you use for each of your products/services? State your overall marketing objective and then describe how you are going to get there.
You will also need to describe how you are going to measure whether your strategies are succeeding. Most formal marketing plans include this information in a separate section. Since no one sees my marketing plan except me and my husband, I just include it with the information above. But you do want to describe how you will monitor your progress and make adjustments if necessary.
The last part of your marketing plan is your forecast. This is where you will forecast your growth and financial analyses. Information to include: What does it cost to produce your product/service (including all overhead costs and other expenses)? How many of each product/service will you need to sell to make a profit? How long will it take to make a profit? What will you do if you don't sell enough? What will you do if you sell more than expected?
You can learn to do all of this by reading books on marketing plans. One of my favorites is "Breakthrough Marketing Plans: How to Stop Wasting Time and Start Driving Growth" by Tim Calkins. It's a couple of years old, but it still has great information. I also suggest you explore WebsiteMarketingPlan.com. This information-based site includes articles written by a variety of consultants and authors, each with a unique approach and view on marketing planning.
Make your plan then follow your plan and you'll be on your way to a successful business!
There are different ways to create your plan. There are several marketing plans software packages available to help you with the process. I have never used any of them, so I cannot recommend one in particular. I am more comfortable just creating my plan myself. If that interests you, then read on to see how I do it.
There is a suggested order to your marketing plan elements and I encourage you to learn it. If you ever decide to look for outside financing or a business partner, they will expect to see all of these elements. For my own use, I am not quite as formal. I will teach you everything, though, so you can get familiar with it.
The first part of your plan should always be an "Executive Summary". This is the who, what, when, where, and how of your marketing strategy. Although it is the first part of your written plan, it is typically created last, after all of your marketing analysis has been completed.
Yes, I said marketing analysis. You will need some information about your industry and your competitors before you launch your marketing campaign. This should be the second part of your marketing plan. You will want to research the strengths and weaknesses of your industry as a whole, plus your competitors. You need to find out as much as you can about them. Trust me - if they are successful in the business, they know all about you!
The third part of your marketing plan should focus on your products or services and your target markets. Information such as target market demographics, industry trends, societal/cultural trends, and the needs/wants of your target market go here. If you don't know how or don't have the time to do this yourself, you can purchase the information. Again, I have never done so. My husband loves spending countless hours on the internet researching this stuff for me, and he works cheap so I let him do it!
Next you will want to outline your actual marketing strategy. How will you get the word out to your target markets? What promotional activities will you use? What type of marketing programs? Will you be strictly online or will you use some offline marketing? What pricing strategies will you use for each of your products/services? State your overall marketing objective and then describe how you are going to get there.
You will also need to describe how you are going to measure whether your strategies are succeeding. Most formal marketing plans include this information in a separate section. Since no one sees my marketing plan except me and my husband, I just include it with the information above. But you do want to describe how you will monitor your progress and make adjustments if necessary.
The last part of your marketing plan is your forecast. This is where you will forecast your growth and financial analyses. Information to include: What does it cost to produce your product/service (including all overhead costs and other expenses)? How many of each product/service will you need to sell to make a profit? How long will it take to make a profit? What will you do if you don't sell enough? What will you do if you sell more than expected?
You can learn to do all of this by reading books on marketing plans. One of my favorites is "Breakthrough Marketing Plans: How to Stop Wasting Time and Start Driving Growth" by Tim Calkins. It's a couple of years old, but it still has great information. I also suggest you explore WebsiteMarketingPlan.com. This information-based site includes articles written by a variety of consultants and authors, each with a unique approach and view on marketing planning.
Make your plan then follow your plan and you'll be on your way to a successful business!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Baby Boomer Biz Coach
Did you know the economy is on the mend? That's what it said on the news this morning. Too bad someone forgot to let us all in on it. So many of my friends and acquaintences are still struggling with the effects of this recession. Many of them have been laid off or downsized or have just seen their employers close their doors. And if you think it's hard finding a job in today's market, try being a baby boomer and looking for work! Although age discrimination is illegal, it still exists. What's a boomer to do?
Fortunately, there are options. And yes, starting your own business is one of them. There are so many ways to get into business for yourself today. With the power of the internet at most boomers' fingertips, you can be up and running in no time.
How do you start your business? What are you good at? What are you passionate about? That's where you want to start.
I had to start my working from home when my father came to live with us. He needed round the clock supervision and I could not afford someone to watch him. Since nursing homes were out of the question, I had only one option - find a way to stay home with him. I started out working for a company that let me work from home, learned my way around the internet, found some great friends and mentors along the way and today I run several online businesses. Trust me, old boomers can learn new tricks!
BoomerBizCoach was developed to provide my fellow baby boomers with information, ideas, and support to help you start earning an income on your terms. No more worrying about whether this job will last or that employer will hire you. Whether you want to be strictly online, or employ a combination of online and offline techniques, I can teach you the skills you need to get started.
How do you get started? Well, if you already know what you want to do, you're halfway there. Now you just need to learn the skills needed to get your business prospering. This blog and and my others, Don't Trip Over Your Brain!, focusing on building a successful network marketing business; and BoomerBizCoach Recommends, a site devoted to bringing you the best resources and experts available; will teach all you need to know. If you want more indepth coaching, then check out my coaching programs and find the one best suited to your needs.
If you have absolutely no idea of what you want to do, that's still not a problem. Sign up for my Turn Your Passion into Profits program. It's just an email away and it's free! We'll give you a skills and interest assessment to determine what your strengths, weaknesses, passions, and dislikes are. Then you'll receive a personal 1 hour session with me where we'll work together to determine just the right business model for you. A little research to make sure it's a viable business idea - and you're on the way.
I suggest you also join the BoomerBizCoach mailing list. Members receive marketing strategies, ideas, tips, and recommendations to help grow your business. And did I mention that it's also free?
I've been asked why I offer so much free support to my clients. And I've even been discouraged from doing so. Yes, I do have to make a living. But I received so much help and guidance when I was starting, that I feel obligated to repay it in the only way I know how - by helping others achieve what I have.
Don't let this current economic misstep sidetrack your plans and dreams. It's never too late to get started.
Fortunately, there are options. And yes, starting your own business is one of them. There are so many ways to get into business for yourself today. With the power of the internet at most boomers' fingertips, you can be up and running in no time.
How do you start your business? What are you good at? What are you passionate about? That's where you want to start.
I had to start my working from home when my father came to live with us. He needed round the clock supervision and I could not afford someone to watch him. Since nursing homes were out of the question, I had only one option - find a way to stay home with him. I started out working for a company that let me work from home, learned my way around the internet, found some great friends and mentors along the way and today I run several online businesses. Trust me, old boomers can learn new tricks!
BoomerBizCoach was developed to provide my fellow baby boomers with information, ideas, and support to help you start earning an income on your terms. No more worrying about whether this job will last or that employer will hire you. Whether you want to be strictly online, or employ a combination of online and offline techniques, I can teach you the skills you need to get started.
How do you get started? Well, if you already know what you want to do, you're halfway there. Now you just need to learn the skills needed to get your business prospering. This blog and and my others, Don't Trip Over Your Brain!, focusing on building a successful network marketing business; and BoomerBizCoach Recommends, a site devoted to bringing you the best resources and experts available; will teach all you need to know. If you want more indepth coaching, then check out my coaching programs and find the one best suited to your needs.
If you have absolutely no idea of what you want to do, that's still not a problem. Sign up for my Turn Your Passion into Profits program. It's just an email away and it's free! We'll give you a skills and interest assessment to determine what your strengths, weaknesses, passions, and dislikes are. Then you'll receive a personal 1 hour session with me where we'll work together to determine just the right business model for you. A little research to make sure it's a viable business idea - and you're on the way.
I suggest you also join the BoomerBizCoach mailing list. Members receive marketing strategies, ideas, tips, and recommendations to help grow your business. And did I mention that it's also free?
I've been asked why I offer so much free support to my clients. And I've even been discouraged from doing so. Yes, I do have to make a living. But I received so much help and guidance when I was starting, that I feel obligated to repay it in the only way I know how - by helping others achieve what I have.
Don't let this current economic misstep sidetrack your plans and dreams. It's never too late to get started.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Affiliate Showcase a Scam!
I just received that news in my email. Someone - who doesn't have the guts to identify themselves by the way - just informed me of this fact. Affiliate Showcase is a scam!
It seems they read some of my blog posts on affiliate marketing. If you have read them, then you know that I am a huge fan of Ken McArthur and his Affiliate Showcase. I recommend it every time I talk about affiliate marketing.
I normally don't respond to anonymous emails. But this one upset me greatly since I have known Ken and
have been a member of Affiliate Showcase for a number of years. It's how I got started in affiliate marketing. In Ken's own words: If you've got 5 minutes, he will show you how to plug into hundreds of products that will pay you commissions of up to 50% or more - and the best part... You don't even need your own web site! And I can vouch for the fact that it will work - if you do!
My guess, if I could ask my mystery emailer, is that you are one of those people who sign up for something and then sit back and wait for the money to come in, but don't want to do any real work. I'd be willing to bet that you didn't promote your site in any way. Any opportunity that says you don't have to work at it is a scam! Any REAL opportunity will take at least a small amount of work.
Please do all of us who strive to earn decent, HONEST, livings online a favor. Actually put some effort into your next business. Really pay attention to what you read and listen to the advice of those who, like Ken McArthur, have become successful and want to help you do the same. Try some of the techniques they suggest. Then email me again - and tell me how successful you've become. I'll be waiting to hear from you!
It seems they read some of my blog posts on affiliate marketing. If you have read them, then you know that I am a huge fan of Ken McArthur and his Affiliate Showcase. I recommend it every time I talk about affiliate marketing.
I normally don't respond to anonymous emails. But this one upset me greatly since I have known Ken and
have been a member of Affiliate Showcase for a number of years. It's how I got started in affiliate marketing. In Ken's own words: If you've got 5 minutes, he will show you how to plug into hundreds of products that will pay you commissions of up to 50% or more - and the best part... You don't even need your own web site! And I can vouch for the fact that it will work - if you do!
My guess, if I could ask my mystery emailer, is that you are one of those people who sign up for something and then sit back and wait for the money to come in, but don't want to do any real work. I'd be willing to bet that you didn't promote your site in any way. Any opportunity that says you don't have to work at it is a scam! Any REAL opportunity will take at least a small amount of work.
Please do all of us who strive to earn decent, HONEST, livings online a favor. Actually put some effort into your next business. Really pay attention to what you read and listen to the advice of those who, like Ken McArthur, have become successful and want to help you do the same. Try some of the techniques they suggest. Then email me again - and tell me how successful you've become. I'll be waiting to hear from you!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Top 5 Ways I Make Money on the Internet
My last post gave you the easiest way to find just the right business for you. Plus I shared some examples of clients and friends who have used this tecnique to create successful home businesses. Now I want to share internet businesses that are fairly simple and inexpensive to start. I have used each of these during my own online business career so I can tell you - they work!
1. Affiliate Marketing: The easiest way to get started online is through affiliate marketing. What's affiliate marketing? Promoting other people's products and/or services. This was how I started. In fact I'm still an affiliate for Ken Evoy's Site Build It!, Mike Dillard's Magnetic Sponsoring, and Rick Raddatz's Instant Teleseminar. To get started, look at the products you use and trust. Then find out if they have an affiliate program. Chances are they do. Then simply register to be an affiliate and you are on your way. If you don't know of any affiliate programs, a little online research will help you find them. Affiliate programs are free to join. If someone is asking you to pay to be an affiliate, beware! Most programs will also provide you with a website, training, and promotional tools. These are great to get started, but you will want to learn some web marketing skills to increase your income potential.
2. Blogging: I started blogging simply as a way to share my experiences with others. I never dreamed you could actually use your blog to may money until I met Darren Rowse aka ProBlogger. While participating in his 31 day Build a Better Blog program, I discovered that you can use the power of your blog to drive people to your websites, promote your affiliate programs, and even set up some advertising. Now my blogs are a main source of income for me. If you like to share your ideas and can express yourself well, blogging may be for you. If you are considering it, I highly recommend you check out the ProBlogger site. No one teaches the ins and outs of blogging better than he does.
3. Your Own E-Commerce Site: Once you have learned your way around the internet business world, you may want to consider setting up a site of your own to promote your own product or service. Infoproducts are especially easy to create and market and as Ken Evoy says - Everyone knows something someone else will pay to learn. If you aren't sure how to create and market an infoproduct, there is help available. Marlon Sanders has created the InfoProduct Dashboard. I use it and I like it so much that I became an affiliate of Marlon's products just so I could promote this product. You'll need to understand internet marketing, copywriting, networking, and a host of other skills - but that's why you started with affiliate marketing and blogging.
4. Freelancing: One of my businesses is the Travels with Bob shop. In in you will find all sorts of merchandise with designs featuring Bob - and soon, some of his friends. And if you think I created those designs myself, think again. I hired freelance graphic designers to do the work. In fact, all of my graphics on every site I own were designed by two wonderful designers - PopArtDiva and Karlyn. If you have a skill such as design, or copywriting, or web design, or programming, becoming a freelancer may be for you. And freelancing can lead to regular work. I started out as a freelance writer, submitting articles to various publications. That landed me a regular spot as a business columnist and travel writer on Boomer-Living.com!
5. Coaching/Consulting: Those that can, do. Those that have proven that they can and want to help others, coach. Or consult. Either way, if you have expertise in something, you can provide that expertise to others and get paid for it. BoomerBizCoach is my coaching business. I love sharing what I have learned with others. And thanks to my friend Wendy Y. Bailey, now I charge for that! You can too. (You can hear how Wendy helped me by listening to my interview with her on the BoomerBizCoach site). By the way, this is my first attempt a building my own site. That's another task I usually outsource. Why not this time? Long story. But I would appreciate some feedback on the site. Email me with your input and I'll send you a free internet marketing report.
These are the ways I make money online. There are others. If you have a unique business that you have taken online, we'd love to hear about it. I may even want to do a blog post about you or invite you to be a guest on my next series of interviews. Share your business in the comments. P.S. Commenting on other blogs is another great way to market your business. A tip I learned from ProBlogger!
1. Affiliate Marketing: The easiest way to get started online is through affiliate marketing. What's affiliate marketing? Promoting other people's products and/or services. This was how I started. In fact I'm still an affiliate for Ken Evoy's Site Build It!, Mike Dillard's Magnetic Sponsoring, and Rick Raddatz's Instant Teleseminar. To get started, look at the products you use and trust. Then find out if they have an affiliate program. Chances are they do. Then simply register to be an affiliate and you are on your way. If you don't know of any affiliate programs, a little online research will help you find them. Affiliate programs are free to join. If someone is asking you to pay to be an affiliate, beware! Most programs will also provide you with a website, training, and promotional tools. These are great to get started, but you will want to learn some web marketing skills to increase your income potential.
2. Blogging: I started blogging simply as a way to share my experiences with others. I never dreamed you could actually use your blog to may money until I met Darren Rowse aka ProBlogger. While participating in his 31 day Build a Better Blog program, I discovered that you can use the power of your blog to drive people to your websites, promote your affiliate programs, and even set up some advertising. Now my blogs are a main source of income for me. If you like to share your ideas and can express yourself well, blogging may be for you. If you are considering it, I highly recommend you check out the ProBlogger site. No one teaches the ins and outs of blogging better than he does.
3. Your Own E-Commerce Site: Once you have learned your way around the internet business world, you may want to consider setting up a site of your own to promote your own product or service. Infoproducts are especially easy to create and market and as Ken Evoy says - Everyone knows something someone else will pay to learn. If you aren't sure how to create and market an infoproduct, there is help available. Marlon Sanders has created the InfoProduct Dashboard. I use it and I like it so much that I became an affiliate of Marlon's products just so I could promote this product. You'll need to understand internet marketing, copywriting, networking, and a host of other skills - but that's why you started with affiliate marketing and blogging.
4. Freelancing: One of my businesses is the Travels with Bob shop. In in you will find all sorts of merchandise with designs featuring Bob - and soon, some of his friends. And if you think I created those designs myself, think again. I hired freelance graphic designers to do the work. In fact, all of my graphics on every site I own were designed by two wonderful designers - PopArtDiva and Karlyn. If you have a skill such as design, or copywriting, or web design, or programming, becoming a freelancer may be for you. And freelancing can lead to regular work. I started out as a freelance writer, submitting articles to various publications. That landed me a regular spot as a business columnist and travel writer on Boomer-Living.com!
5. Coaching/Consulting: Those that can, do. Those that have proven that they can and want to help others, coach. Or consult. Either way, if you have expertise in something, you can provide that expertise to others and get paid for it. BoomerBizCoach is my coaching business. I love sharing what I have learned with others. And thanks to my friend Wendy Y. Bailey, now I charge for that! You can too. (You can hear how Wendy helped me by listening to my interview with her on the BoomerBizCoach site). By the way, this is my first attempt a building my own site. That's another task I usually outsource. Why not this time? Long story. But I would appreciate some feedback on the site. Email me with your input and I'll send you a free internet marketing report.
These are the ways I make money online. There are others. If you have a unique business that you have taken online, we'd love to hear about it. I may even want to do a blog post about you or invite you to be a guest on my next series of interviews. Share your business in the comments. P.S. Commenting on other blogs is another great way to market your business. A tip I learned from ProBlogger!
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