Marketing

When I first started my recruitment company in 2005, companies were still paying top level (and sometimes mid-level) sales professionals (discipline I started with) $100,000 a year and up. For me, this meant that even though in my ramp-up period my business volume was low (not many customers), my revenue wasn’t, as there is somewhat of a direct relationship between employee compensation and recruiter compensation for finding that individual.

Those days are gone. My company receives over twenty times the amount of hiring inquires compared to when I started the firm, but we get about the same total number of high-paying sales positions.

As long as you don’t count sanity as a requisite for survival, I survived and I guess one could say thrived. Here are eight tips based on the mentality that built an employment-related company when I’m sure many thought it could not be done.

1. If There’s Not Much To Feast On, Many Are Going To Suffer Famine

… But it doesn’t have to be you.

What I’ve learned is that many who are not happy with the performance of their business are used to an old economy in which they could cut basic corners and still do well. That is no longer the way of the world.

The only way to remain intact these days is to have a rule that every piece of work you have to do can be nothing short of better than your last and better than what you thought you could do.

Stick to this rule and you may often be frustrated, but rarely will you be disappointed in the results.

2. Stay Away From Negativity

… And always be around ambition.

Human beings are imperfect animals and one of our most universal faults is blaming outside forces for what has gone wrong instead of taking accountability for our actions.

This imperfection is in abundance and when the economy is not going well, it blooms like so much toxic algae.

Understand that we make our own destiny – not an economy, not others, but ourselves.

When possible try to stay away from people who are not upbeat, passionate and energetic, as cynicism is a success killer.

3. In Many Instances, Tenacity Is A Virtue, Not Patience

Never rely on what you did yesterday regardless of how grand, because if you don’t produce with the same tenacity, you’ll never grow.

When you own a business, procrastination must become a thing of the past.  We are creatures of habit and this is one that you must break to survive.

“I’ll do that tomorrow,” becomes a sigh followed by “I’ll brew a cup of coffee.“  Let the other guy procrastinate, keep at it and see how quickly you begin to get the jump on these individuals.

4. Don’t Like, Don’t Love, Become Infatuated With What You Do

Many don’t think this is possible, but many people don’t want to be entrepreneurs.

Make it possible by choosing a business that combines the two “P’s” which are your “passion” for _______ and the ability for that passion to lead to realistic “profitability.”

If either variable is less than 30%, I would recommend taking a second look prior to starting your venture.

Employees can love their jobs; entrepreneurs must make a job a lifetime masterpiece.

5. Let Your Work Promote You, Not Your Words

… And don’t let the amount of money you make control your perceived self worth.

Self promotion is for losers and if you’re doing it, learn to stop.

People are too wrapped up in their own lives to really care about what you’re doing, how much money you’re making, etc., unless it somehow involves or interests them.

Regardless of how successful you are, it’s best to remain humble.

It has become a frustration of mine that I see someone and the first thing they bring up is how well they are doing in business. It comes across as insecure and, even though it’s not meant to, it alludes to the fact that I am ignorant enough to judge individuals by how successful they are.

6. Your Ambitions Must Be Larger Than Life, Your Ego Is A Different Story

When starting a business, you must be filled with a driving ambition and check your ego the same moment you register your corporate domain.

To hire my first employee, I had to get on Monster.com (a tool I had for the recruiting biz) and begin cold-calling applicants who would hang up, not call back, and treat me as if I were somehow lower than them because I worked out of an apartment.

Last open job my company posted, we got… see #5.

7. Read, But Question The Writer, Listen But Question The News

When I began writing, I would read articles by “entrepreneurs” that were as egotistical as they were inaccurate.

Prior to buying into what an entrepreneur says, determine whether:

a) The person has a successful company or whether they are blogging about a list of future projects and “it just wasn’t the right time” flops.

b) They make as much money as they say.

c) You agree with their advice.

Television, including reality TV, follows the same rules as online writing… plus, if you’re aspiring, you should not be watching TV; read a book.

8. Believe That The Work You Are Doing Will Pay Off

The reason why many don’t start their own business is because they mentally cannot get over the doubt as to whether the work that they are doing will pay off.

Eventually, that doubt (which has not a bit of merit) leads to forfeiting one’s dreams.

I’ve had this doubt and I’m sure all entrepreneurs have at one time or another, though this is the work that can and will lead to your masterpiece; your freedom from having a boss.

Remember that just because it doesn’t pay, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t pay off.

In Closing

Regardless of how many doors may be shut and despite the odds that are against you, opening a business in any economy is possible.

It’s your choice, do you want to be a Pirate of Silicon Valley or one with a sunken ship?

Ken

Photo courtesy of EvelynGiggles

The photo to the left was taken at Affiliate Summit last year. That’s me with Rosalind Gardner, the woman who turned ME into a Super Affiliate – and of course a well-known and successful Super Affiliate herself.

Finally getting to hang out with her in person was a real pleasure. She’s brilliant, successful, FUN… and a foodie like me.

Earlier today we were discussing BlogWorld, which is coming up in June, and we’re planning to meet up there and hang out so we can hit some good restaurants. And of course attend the event, LOL. You can still get tickets super cheap by the way, until February 22nd. You should join us!

People often ask me what the term “Super Affiliate” actually means. They seem to be a different breed, don’t they? They waltz into a product launch, or launch a new affiliate site, and blow the socks off everyone else. What is it exactly that makes them so different than typical affiliates? That’s what we’re going to discuss today…

What is a Super Affiliate?

In any affiliate program, it’s the top percent of affiliates that make the majority of the sales. These are the super affiliates. There’s no standard industry definition, but super affiliates are those in the top earning tier & winning affiliate contests.

The majority of affiliates in any given affiliate program make very few sales, if any at all. The earning curve is steep, with a very small percentage earning the majority of commissions – and everyone else nickel ‘n diming it.

Don’t let that discourage you, though. It just means there’s more room at the top.

The Top 6 Traits of a Super Affiliate

You might think it’s in the research, the tools, or the niche selection. But that’s not the case. While super affiliates do consider profit potential, a true Super Affiliate can work with just about any product in any niche.

So what is it that really sets them apart? Six things…

• They ENJOY their niche, and LOVE their market. A genuine interest shows, and it attracts your market to you. The more personality you have, the more you humanize your brand. Going the extra mile comes easy when you enjoy your work, and it pays off with a strong loyal fan base. One that links to your content, shares your content, and takes your content viral FOR YOU.

• They take ACTION. Super affiliates come up with a plan, and they work it. They don’t just sit around and dream up ideas, read blogs & guides, then hope they’ll one day be successful. They implement *everything*, keep what works, and constantly move forward.

• They’re committed to their promotions. They don’t just send out an email or write one article, post something on Facebook once or set up a PPC campaign for a few short hours. They get behind their product promotions 100%. They review them personally, test them, publish case studies, create bonus products, welcome questions from their market and help them make a smart buying decision, etc.

• They choose products carefully. A super affiliate doesn’t always go with the highest commission rate, or the easiest sale. They choose products that are a good match for their market, and products they use and believe in themselves. They’re in it for the long haul, and know they are putting their reputation on the line with every recommendation.

• They don’t give up when things don’t work. They figure out why, fix it, and/or try something different. It’s never about something not working. It’s about WHY it didn’t work, and finding a solution. Super affiliates DO make mistakes, and they DO have “flops”. It’s learning from those and moving onward & upward that sets them apart.

While today’s super affiliates have an advantage, it’s because of these traits that they HAVE that advantage. There’s nothing stopping you from becoming one of tomorrow’s super affiliates.

Super Affiliates are NOT Genetically Special…

Super Affiliates weren’t born wearing a big red SA cape, or knowing all the tricks. They are just like you, and have the same resources available as everyone else. They learn by trial and error, get seriously committed, pick products that sell and markets that buy, take action… and follow through.

Join Us In The Top Earning Tier!

Rosalind Gardner’s Super Affiliate Handbook was the very first ebook I ever purchased online. I’ve shared before how I waffled over that purchase for a couple of weeks.

Which is funny in hindsight, LOL. I mean, seriously. It completely changed my business… and my life.

And psst: it’s still on sale for only $27!
I paid almost twice that – and believe me, it was worth 100x that to me, minimum!

And if you can get to New York in June, join both of us at BlogWorld!

Super Affiliates are fun to hang out with.

Best,

p.s. There’s nothing magic about Super Affiliates. And there’s nothing magic about Rosalind’s Super Affiliate Handbook either. The magic is in learning, implementing, and in YOU taking action!

There’s no better time than TODAY to up your game!

Category: Affiliate Marketing

In yesterday’s post I mentioned a great event, and a great guide. Both of which I highly recommend. But you may be in a place where you can’t afford to invest money into your biz.

And I’m not talking about just feeling unsure (or waffling) about spending the money, like I was when I bought my very first ebook (which still cracks me up, lol).

I’m talking about being honestly broke and having to decide between groceries and a $27 download. Hey – I’ve been there. When I started over after my divorce, I didn’t just start from zero. I started below zero, with an overdraft account -lol.

I didn’t have tons of money to pour into my business. In fact, I didn’t have any in the beginning. But I still made it, and now run a very successful online business.

So I’m going to share one of my secrets with you that works – that will really help you get your internet business off the ground – and that won’t cost you a dime…

“I Can’t Afford The Help I Need, So I Can’t Succeed Online.”

You may have looked into coaching programs, hiring a mentor, training systems, products, membership sites etc and felt deflated because you couldn’t afford them.

Maybe it left you feeling hopeless, and thinking you may never be able to succeed online because you couldn’t get the proper start with these products/services.

I’ll tell you from experience that is not true. It’s just your perception. Because I made it without ever tapping into a single paid resource. It wasn’t until well after I had my business established, and a regular online income, that I began investing money back into my business.

That’s not to say *some* of those things aren’t incredibly helpful when you’re just starting out. But thinking it’s a “make it or break it” thing is just plain wrong.

Analyze Successful Marketers In Your Niche

You’d love to hire a coach or mentor, take a detailed training program, or join a private brainstorming group – but you truly can’t afford it right now.

No big deal. I’m going to show you another way to “learn from the best” – without even hiring them or buying their products. And this is a GREAT way to learn what you need to know, and kick start your online business idea…

Simply watch what they do, in great detail, which will often teach you more than any product or one-on-one time with them ever would.

This is how I started out, and it’s called being “self-taught”.

You can learn A LOT by observing the Market Leaders in your niche, and even by observing successful online marketers across a variety of niches. Here’s how…

1. Choose Your Mentors & Market Leaders Wisely

This is the most important point. Don’t just choose from the “Internet Marketing” pool. Choose market leaders that are actually successful at what they teach, outside of the IM space. (Note, it’s a much smaller pool – lol)

More importantly, look at the market leaders in YOUR niche. Who are they, why are they popular, and what are they doing? THAT is who you really want to study.

2. Set Up An Easy Way To Study Them

You want to do two things when you start this process. You want to set aside a specific amount of time for learning (vs working on your business) – say, an hour a day. And you want to set up a way to monitor their activity that doesn’t flood your inbox or clutter your virtual work space.

I like to set up a separate Gmail account just for monitoring market leaders, but you can also create a folder to filter their emails into. If you set up a separate Gmail account, you’ll also have a separate Google Reader account to browse their current blog posts. But you can also filter that as well if you prefer.

On Twitter & Facebook, you can put them into Lists so you can easily watch their updates as well. Just figure out a system that works best for YOU, set aside a specific time each day to study them, and make notes on things you observe or learn that you can apply to your own business model or niche.

3. Monitor Them Closely (What To Look For)

So what are you looking for exactly? How often they post content, what they post, what gets a response, where all they are active online, how they frame their “call to action”, what they’re promoting, what they offer in the way of products/services of their own, the flow of their funnel, headlines & copy that compel you, plugins & programs they’re using.

Basically just get a feel for what they’re doing and why, and what seems to be obviously working well for them.

4. Subscribe To & Monitor Their Mailing List

Take note of how often they mail their list, subject lines that intrigue you, their content, length of email messages, number of promos, format, etc.

You’ll find that each marketer may be totally different from the next in many of those elements. Make note of what you like, what you don’t like, and what appeals to you most on this side of the marketing message.

5. Observe Their Social Media Channels

How active are they on Twitter and Facebook? What other social media channels do they use, and HOW do they use them? What do they share, how often, and what types of updates get the most engagement?

6. Study Their Low-Cost Intro Products & Free Downloads

Most marketers have a lower cost introductory product to get you into their funnel and/or free downloads. Analyze their funnel, how it’s set up, what they offer on the back end, how they follow up – the entire process.

Also study their product, the layout & format, the quality of content, delivery method, etc. This is just as good as purchasing a guide that teaches you how to create & deliver an incentive or product.

7. Interact With The Market Leaders In YOUR Niche

While you’re studying the successful marketers in YOUR niche, interact with them. You’ll want to do this from social media accounts you have set up for you niche/business – not from a personal account. See How To Use Social Media

Share their best content, like their best posts, retweet their best tips, comment on their blogs, etc. This is a great way to “get on the map” in your niche, simply by leveraging the current market leaders (and their following).

Free Resources To Help You Get Started

In addition to studying what the successful marketers are already doing, you can tap into free resources and get the help you need while you’re just starting out.

In fact, there are three easy ways to ask ME a question anytime you feel stumped or need technical help. You can tweet me a question to @LynnTerry, you can post a question on my Facebook wall, and you can brainstorm in the Main Internet Marketing Forum section of my discussion forum – which is free.

And don’t hesitate to post in ANY of those places – I love questions!

There are also tons of free tutorials here on ClickNewz such as how to set up your blog and how to write a blog post and how to write a product review – and plenty more, such as my Organic Marketing Strategy.

If you have a question and can’t find the resource or tutorial here, just tweet me with what you need and I’ll send you the link!

Best,

Category: Internet Marketing

Guest Post by the sterkly CPA network

Pinterest (which is pronounced pin-terest) is a social bookmarking site which enables users to “pin” their interests, as images, to categorized boards.

This relatively new digital sharing platform has thrived in the online jungle, where content is king.

This content is gleaned through user expression; sharing interests and making recommendations via pins, repins, votes, liking, and sharing to other social media platforms. The platform is easy to use, categorized extremely well and very present-future in the space-time continuum.

I would like to take a moment to let my inner-philosopher override the internet marketer in me to make a point of just how present-future positioned this social networking tool really is…

While most social media sites carry posts ex post facto (pun intended) that end up being pushed down a wall and ultimately getting lost in time, Pinterest does just the opposite. The philosophical idea behind Pinterest is more desire oriented, “what do I want…?” Is it a honeymoon destination? Or perhaps a DIY plant arrangement?

The categorized themes of Pinterest know no bounds and include everything from architecture to hair & beauty, graphic design to crafts, food to apparel and much, much more. Even weddings tend to be more inspirationally focused as compared to most past-present oriented social networking platforms.

Okay, enough of the love-fest. This is where I let my inner-marketer freak flag fly.

What’s really cool about Pinterest is that there are several ways affiliates can utilize Pinterest for offer promotion…

Let’s start with the most monetizable of these options: good ole’ display advertising – or in Pinterest terms, vision board referrals. With each pin, you are able to post images from the web to your board in just a couple clicks. You have the ability to link to wherever you’d like, and this is why affiliates can essentially use Pinterest as their direct traffic source or publisher site.

When first posting an image to Pinterest, the default link associated with the image post will actually be generated by SkimLinks, who serves as an affiliate to Pinterest to monetize on merchant offers.

Once you create a pin, however, you may immediately go back and edit the URL of your pinned offer to include your affiliate link and avoid the SkimLinks override. Please note that it will not suffice to insert your affiliate link during your initial pinning- rather, you must go back and edit the URL after your pin has been posted to ensure the conversion path includes your affiliate link.

It really doesn’t get any easier than to have pre-determined categories for targeting, paired with über amounts of demographic data to optimize with.

Pinterest is emerging as one of today’s fundamental forms of B2C marketing. Your pins essentially go into auto-pilot with features such as repining. Your pin could even go viral, in which fellow “Pinteresters” promote your brand awareness on a massive scale.

Also, by adding a “Pin It” button to your site, you allow visitors to pin offers from your site to their own Pinterest board.

Merchants may sell their products on Pinterest much like they would on Etsy by posting in the “gifts” section. Many merchants even hold repin contests to promote their offers. At the very least, the SEO benefits of backlinking to the #22 ranked site in America and #122 in the world (according to Alexa) cannot hurt.

Although every new platform is upsold in reviews for affiliate potential, Pinterest really stands out among its crowd in that it is able to keep users engaged for long periods of time and has the data to back it up.

A recent comScore study titled “What does the Louis CK Experiment Mean for the Future of Digital Content Distribution?” found that the average Pinterest user spends about 1.5 hours per month on the site and 15+ minutes per session. comScore also found that Pinterest’s unique visitor growth has proven to be outstanding. Check it out:

…not to mention current Experian Hitwise Data ranks Pinterest as the #5 top social networking site:

Taking into account their massive-yet-steady growth, their present-future minded theme, their simple pin-and-post display platform, and their religiously followed pre-determined categories, I’d say Pinterest is definitely worth a shot!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much would those thousand words cost you in a CPC campaign?

- – - – - – - – - -
This article is provided by the sterkly CPA network and software bundling program which is the pioneer in bundled software & plugin offers for publishers. Join the pride to get paid for promoting free software apps such as FreeTwitTube, Overapps and ezLooker, a craigslist browsing tool.

Category: Affiliate Marketing

Have you ever wondered why it is that some online businesses thrive and continue to do so, while others just fail miserably?

It is interesting to observe the differences between successful online businesses and those that, while they have a presence, just are not profitable at all!

Knowing the reason why these businesses are successful should ultimately allow others to also be successful, if they follow their lead.

While the keys to success can range from how well bloggers and online entrepreneurs manage to reach their target audiences, to the online technology they use to do so, and how they manage and expand their online presence, sometimes it is the very foundation of their business that is letting them down.

The reality is that as the time-poor people we are today, we don’t like to have to think too much. If we want to spend our money, we don’t want to be solving puzzles. We just want to be certain that we are making the right decision to purchase from the person who is the expert in what we want to know about.

Having said that, it is amazing how many online entrepreneurs manage to confuse what should be such a simple message.

1. Problem: Too Many Areas Of Expertise And Skill

Having more than one skill and talent is indeed advantageous. Today’s Gen X and Gen Y recognize the benefits in being skilled in more than one industry, and more often than not, take the opportunity to train and up-skill in different areas out of necessity, opportunity or simply interest.

However, I find that this very fact can be detrimental to business success if you make the mistake of including all of your areas of expertise on your website, particularly if they are far-removed. It is never beneficial to be thought of as a jack-of-all-trades and master of none!

Solution: Segment Your Skills

Consider whether all of your skills and abilities need to be in the one place. If you are, for example, a gardening blogger, confusing your audience by highlighting all of your experience as a marriage celebrant or private investigator will not serve you well.

If your skill set areas are from totally different sides of the spectrum, then you would be far better off creating two different identities, and profiles, for yourself.

Have one website for your gardening business and blog, and a different website for your private investigator business and blog.

I would then suggest focusing on your relevant experience for each area on the corresponding website. Talk up your gardening experience and qualifications in the bio for your gardening website, and your private investigator experience and qualifications in your private investigator website.

I am not suggesting you hide your experience or background in the other fields, just don’t focus on it. It is probably not of any relevance to your chosen audience for each sector anyway.

2. Problem: Offering Multiple Far-removed Products Or Services On The Same Website

People who make the first mistake tend to also make this one. How many times have you gone to someone’s website and noticed, for example, they are offering both online business products and toys for children and toddlers?

In this instance, it is so difficult to get a clear picture of the business, its expertise and what it actually specializes in, that more often than not, you choose not to do business with them and rather go with someone recognized for what they do.

Solution: Segment Your Products And Services

There is no problem if your products and services are somewhat related and identified as being related, but if not, then best to create a whole new business or website in which to offer these.

Keep in mind, though, that it can be difficult to juggle your time and energy between multiple businesses, so think carefully before pursuing a different stream of income. Even businesses that more or less operate by themselves still need a clear direction and some TLC occasionally.

3. Problem: Failing To Personalize Your Business And Brand

You may have heard me, or another business identity, say this before: people want to do business with people.

Technology has made the impossible a reality, and we can now connect and do business across the globe, at any time of the day or night with the click of a button. However, technology has also removed the personal touch.

In generations gone by, our ancestors used to do business locally, with people they had formed relationships with. Now that this element has been removed, we are forced to spend money with people we neither know nor trust. And while times have changed, our preferences and human instinct has not.

Hence the rise of the term ‘relationship marketing’. We are being encouraged to build rapport and trust with our current and intended customer base by sending them newsletters, emails and blogging directly to them.

With this in mind, it is interesting nonetheless how many bloggers and online businesses still hide their personal identity behind a logo.

Solution: Expose Yourself

In the nicest way possible of course!

If you are going to build a relationship and rapport with your customer base, now is not the time to be shy about it.

Receiving newsletters from “the business group” does nothing for me. But receiving contact from “Jane – the business connector” is so much more personal.

Suddenly, I have an identity – someone I can relate to. She is a woman, like me. She may choose to share how she enjoys walks on the beach, going to the gym, chocolate ice-cream and connecting business people from around the world. We have something in common! Right there is the relationship building I was talking about.

With this in mind, share who you are – your photo, your interests. Give your customers the opportunity to know you, to like you. Then, they will feel comfortable spending their money with you.

By following these key tips for building an online presence that stands out and really says something to your audience, you have the chance to create a truly remarkable online business.

Kerry

Photo courtesy of ocom