2008 June | Nicksblog

List Building Explained

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If you want to excel in internet marketing, then list building is one of the things you have to know. You could do list building online, as well as offline. List building will help you grab hold of your customers and make them closer to you.

As many say, there is money in the list, especially if you are in a e-business. And because of this, your list should be effective and productive as well. To help you out in this, here are some guidelines and tips for you.

First, you should always make people visiting your site sign up there. Make the sign up sign visible to all to attract more people. Also make a squeeze page listing all the benefits that the customer could get. Now on the personal information part, you should only ask reasonable questions. You could also put promotion to your list to draw more people to it. Better yet, you could also opt to include pressure related things like saying that the subscription would only last for a limited period. And when the customers key in their name and contact details, it would be very easy for you to reach them and make them your regular customers.

List building could also be done offline. How? You could do this by giving away postcards with return addresses. You could also make a log book and let customers sign there with their name and contact details. From the time that you had their contact details, it would now be easier to tell them and send them updates and news about your product.

There are also some other ways to do an effective and profitable list building. You may want to consider the Jimmy D. Brown System or the PROFIT system. First, promote your list. You could do this by having sign ups online or offline. Next is to reward the persons who would sign up by giving them freebies like free newsletters. Third is to offer them proposals or deals. You could also do promotion to catch their attention. Next is to get their attention, instigate a response from them and finally, get a hold of spam filters. Don’t let spam filters hinder your success.

For a fact, there is really money in the list. List building would make you business more profitable than ever. A list is actually a list of people saying they are interested in buying and availing the products you offer. Without the list containing these people, it’s very hard to continue business. So what are you waiting for, try list building for yourself.

June 30th, 2008 Posted by kennick | Internet Marketing | 5 comments

Review of “Mini-Site Profits Exposed”

Most Internet marketers understand that having mini sites is the fastest and easiest way to make money online. They don’t require a lot of time, energy, or money to set up, and once you’ve got one up and running, you can sit back and just collect money from all the sales you’re making.

At least… that’s how it’s supposed to be, right?

The truth is that mini sites really ARE easy to set up. They really DON’T require much time, energy, and money to set up. So why is it that so few people actually make money with their mini sites?

The answer is that they never learned how to actually turn their mini site into a profitable moneymaker that runs completely on autopilot. The good news is…

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YOU’RE ABOUT TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT!
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Here’s what this is all about: My colleague Michael Rasmussen has just released a brand new video course that will walk you through the process of creating a killer mini site from the ground up, and then he’ll also teach you how to actually start making money with it right away and into the future.

If you’ve been looking for help with monetizing your mini sites, then this is exactly what you need. The best part? The videos are FREE! I’ll tell you more about that later. First, let’s talk about the videos themselves.

If you’re in a hurry, you can just check the videos out right now for free. Here’s the URL:

http://tinyurl.com/6glras

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OVERALL QUALITY
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It’s important to note that these are online videos that you access from your web browser. Michael uses Camtasia Studio to create these videos, which is the premier software program for creating screen capture tutorials such as these.

The first thing I noticed when I hit the play button on the first video was the incredible production quality. These are NOT your ordinary screen capture videos. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone make videos that are this high quality before.

He uses beautifully created graphics to pass his wisdom along to you, and the sound quality is the highest you will ever hear in an Internet marketing product. They sound like they were recorded in a professional studio.

Michael explained to me that he was sick and tired of seeing all the low quality videos out there, and so he set out to create something different in order to raise the bar in our industry. I think that, when you see Mini Site Profits Exposed for yourself, you’ll agree that he has succeeded.

Now let’s move onto…

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THE ACTUAL VIDEOS
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Here’s a brief summary of each video. Obviously it’s impossible to list every single thing here, but I want you to get a feel for what each one covered, and how well it covered it.

If you’re in a hurry, you can just check the videos out right now for free. Here’s the URL:

http://tinyurl.com/6glras

VIDEO 1 - INTRODUCTION

This videos introduces you to the entire course, as well as the teacher himself. You’ll learn what you can expect from the course, and why it’s structured the way it is.

Michael realizes that you may not have heard of him, and so he spends some time establishing his credibility with you by sharing some of his biggest successes. It doesn’t come across as bragging at all. Michael explains that, in order for you to get value from the teachings, you need to have faith that the teacher actually knows what he’s talking about. By the end of this video, you will have no doubt.

By the way, this is a good lesson for all of us product developers. If you want people to accept you as an authority on any subject, you first need to establish your credibility with the reader. That way he’s willing to relax, and trust that what you’re telling him is sound advice.

VIDEO 2 - THE BASICS

This video will introduce you to the basics of mini site marketing. This will set the foundation that all future learning will rest upon, so it’s important to pay close attention to this one.

You’ll learn:

* What mini-sites are, and what makes them different from regular content sites.

* Which businesses they work well for… and which ones they don’t.

* The right mindset to have when it comes to creating mini sites as part of your online business strategy.

* And the different tools you need to get started.

This was a great video, and did an excellent job of kicking things off, and building the foundation for the rest of the course.

VIDEO 3 - SQUEEZE PAGES

This is probably one of the most useful videos of the entire course. Every Internet marketer needs to build an email list, but how do you do it? What is the best way to capture the most opt-ins? The answer is ’squeeze pages’. This video will teach you:

* Why using a squeeze page is far superior to other opt-in methods.

* The single most important thing you must include at the top of your squeeze page to skyrocket your opt-in rate.

* The secret structure of a squeeze page, and why most marketers get it wrong (which costs them a LOT of money).

* The most important to include in your opt-in process that will make sure that people actually receive your email.

After watching this video, you’ll know everything you need to know to start building a massive opt-in list right away. This will probably be the first video that you ‘take action’ on. You’ll be so excited about the possibilities, that I guarantee you’ll go and create your own squeeze page right away.

VIDEO 4 - MINI SITE COPYWRITING - PART ONE

Nothing happens until the sales copy is written. Graphics alone will never sell a product, but sales copy alone WILL. This video begins to demystify the mysterious process of writing words that make people whip out their credit cards and buy.

Specifically, you’ll learn:

* Why you need to learn copywriting, even if you “hate to write”

* What a compelling offer looks like, and how to tell the difference.

* How to write an eyeball-grabbing headline that practically forces your readers to go through your entire page.

* A simple trick you can use in your opening to make your reader want to learn more.

There is no skill that is more important to your success than the ability to write killer sales copy. Make sure you pay extra attention to this video, as well as…

VIDEO 5 - MINI SITE COPYWRITING - PART TWO

This video dives right into the individual components of a killer sales letter. You’ll learn how to create the “secret structure” of a mini site sales letter that makes big money. Specifically, you’ll learn:

* How to create captivating body copy that draws your reader into the sales letter.

* Bullets that force your reader to keep reading the whole page, and makes them insanely curious and want to buy your product

* How to take the risk off people’s shoulders, so they’ll feel safe buying from you.

* How to craft your ‘call to action’, and get people to whip out their credit cards and buy immediately.

* The secrets of writing a killer P.S. that helps seal the deal, and flip your prospect into a buyer instantly.

This video covered a surprising amount of detail, especially considering that this course is not specifically about copywriting. Michael Rasmussen is definitely someone who overdelivers in his educational products.

VIDEO 6 - HOW TO AUTOMATE THE DELIVERY OF YOUR INFOPRODUCT

Unless you want to be chained to your computer, you must learn how to put your mini sites on autopilot. The only thing you should be doing is driving traffic, and letting the site itself do all the work, including the work of instantly delivering the product to the customer.

This video will walk you through the process of automating your product delivery, so you can just relax, and collect the money. The best part is… once you have this automated system set up, you never have to touch it again.

VIDEO 7 - HOW TO “GROW” YOUR SALE

This video is guaranteed to be an eye opener for almost everyone who watches it, even the experienced marketers. Michael dives into some of the most effective ‘upselling’ techniques that I’ve ever seen.

Nowhere else on the Internet have I seen such a thorough tutorial on how to increase the ’size’ of your orders. You’ll learn:

* The psychology of ‘upselling’, and how to use it make your customer spend even more money with you. The best part? He’ll think it was his idea!

* The absolute best time to upsell your customer. This one will surprise you when you realize how much money you’ve been leaving on the table by skipping thisstep.

* 5 simple techniques to increase your profit by up to 100%.

If you’ve already got a mini site that’s up and running, this video will make a big difference for you right away. Use any of these ‘plug and profit’ strategies to increase your income literally overnight!

VIDEO 8 - CREATING AN AFFILIATE SALES FORCE

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed that all successful marketers have in common, it’s that they have a great affiliate program. They create a program that allows other people to make good money by promoting their products, and they get to just sit back and relax, while everyone else is doing the hard work of promoting FOR them.

If you’ve ever dreamed of having an army of motivated sales people working hard to make you money, then you’re going to love this video. Michael will teach you:

* What an affiliate program is, and how to set one up very quickly.

* Exactly what tools you need to give your affiliates (most people miss the mark here, so pay extra
attention to this part).

* Why merely having an affiliate program is NOT enough to convince people to sign up, and what you can do instead to have people eagerly trying to become one of your affiliates.

* How to motivate affiliates to sell for you.

VIDEO 9 - MINI SITE MISTAKES TO AVOID

Let’s face it… it’s not enough to explain what you should do. You also need to know what mistakes you
should avoid. Michael has already made these costly mistakes, but you don’t have to. You’ll learn:

- Why people do judge a book by its cover… and how to capitalize on that for your mini-site

- The single biggest reason people don’t buy from a mini site, and how you can apply this ‘instant fix’.

- The single biggest thing that will kill your mini-site (it’s not what you think, and making this mistake is a surefire way to drain money from your bank account FAST!)

- Two list building mistakes that’ll cripple your long-term profits.

VIDEO 10 - SECRETS OF CREATING A PRODUCT FUNNEL

This video will walk you through the process of designing a product line that will make you a TON of money. There’s a lot more to it than you’d think, which is why this important concept (which was taken from direct marketing) gets it’s own video.

After watching this video, you’ll understand why you can’t just have a single front end product, and you’ll know exactly what to do in order to get your customer to keep buying more and more expensive products from you… completely on autopilot!

This video is a MUST for any serious marketer who wants to make a lot of money from their online business.

VIDEO 11 - OUTSOURCING SECRETS FOR WORKING LESS, AND MAKING MORE

The title of this video says it all. You’ll learn all of Michael’s secrets for getting top notch freelancers to help you create your mini site empire in record time.

Let’s face it, you can’t be an expert at everything that mini sites require. For example, it’s really tough to be a top notch graphic designer, while also mastering HTML, and then becoming a killer copywriter, on top of also creating the product itself.

And the list goes on and on. If you want to be efficient, and begin making money as fast as possible, outsourcing is the secret to making it happen. This video will show you exactly what to do, as well as some common (and very expensive) pitfalls to avoid.

VIDEO 12 - OUTSOURCING SECRETS FOR WORKING LESS, AND MAKING MORE

Let’s face it… it doesn’t matter how great your mini site is if you don’t get any traffic coming to it. Getting traffic can be one of the most confusing and mysterious parts of making money online IF you don’t get the proper education.

Thankfully, Michael really dives in, and gives you a lightning fast education in this area. Specifically, you’ll learn:

* How to use Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising to get targeted traffic fast.

* 3 ways to get targeted traffic without spending a dime.

* 2 ways to leverage the experience and contacts of other people to explode your traffic.

* 3 traffic strategies to avoid like the plague!

By the time you’re done with this video, you’ll know what to do right away to begin driving targeted visitors to your mini site.

Wow, you get all those videos for free? Click here to check out the “Mini Site Profits Exposed” course for yourself:

http://tinyurl.com/6glras

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DELUXE VIDEOS
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Mini Site Profits Exposed comes with 12 videos, and has more content than most 300 dollar home study
courses. And did I mention that it’s free?

If you decide that you want to continue your education, and get the biggest possible advantage, you can also upgrade to the deluxe course for a small fee. The deluxe course contains four full-length videos that each cover one advanced topic in great detail.

Here’s a breakdown of each video:

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VIDEO 13 - DESIGNING A KILLER BACK END THAT RUNS COMPLETELY ON AUTOPILOT
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This deluxe video could easily be a whole course in itself. It walks you though the entire process of setting up a back end that is completely automated using an autoresponder system.

You’ll learn how to set up your autoresponder to automatically remove a person from your prospect list
after he buys, and then insert him into your customer list. This is where your new autoresponder sequence will start promoting your back end products automatically.

Bottom line… if you want to make the big bucks like all the Internet marketing gurus, you need to create a back end that works hard for you while you’re out creating new mini sites and developing new products. This video will show you how.

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VIDEO 14 - LIST BUILDING SECRETS
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In this deluxe video, Michael will walk you through some of his best tactics for growing a massive list from your mini site. He’ll not only teach you what to add to your mini site, but he’ll also show you what you must REMOVE from your mini site in order to get the most possible subscribers.

Building a list is about SO much more than just offering a free newsletter. In fact, Michael shows you five different things you can offer your readers to get them to instantly give you their name and email.

You’ll also learn the best places to actually put the opt-in email form on your mini site. You’ll also learn
about pop ups and tell-a-friend scripts, as well as a bunch of other incredible tactics for growing your list.

I have a hunch that you’ll find yourself referring tothis video over and over again.

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VIDEO 15 - MARKETING ACTIVITIES THAT MAKE YOU MONEY
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When you think about all the ’stuff’ you can do to drive traffic to your site, it’s hard to know what you
should focus on first. This video will walk you through the four most important marketing activities you can do to drive traffic to your mini site.

Once you master these four, you’ll never have to wonder what you should do when you start a new mini site. You’ll have an easy-to-follow road map for driving tons of targeted prospects to your site, so you can begin making money ASAP!

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VIDEO 16 - MAKE MAXIMUM PROFITS FROM YOUR MINI SITE
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In this final deluxe video, Michael will reveal his best kept secrets for squeezing maximum profit out of any mini site. These are techniques that you have NOT seen before, so you’ll want to pay extra close attention to this one.

Think about it… if you’re going to put the time in, and set up a mini site the proper way (like Michael shows you in these videos), then it only makes sense that you’d want to make the most amount of money possible from it.

In this video, you’ll learn:

- How changing one sentence on your mini site could double your profits easily.

- How to instantly increase the dollar amount of your average order (which puts more money into your
pocket).

- The one thing you must add to your ‘download page’ that will instantly increase your income (with no
extra work, once this thing is put into place).

- How to turn your actual product into a money making machine!

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CONCLUSION
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Whew! That was a lot of information, and I hope it helped you decide to check out Michael Rasmussen’s Mini Site Profits Exposed video course. Remember the course is absolutely free, so you have nothing to lose.

Michael believes that it’s important for him to prove himself to you before he ever asks you to buy anything from him. He wants to show you that he will deliver you the absolute best education available anywhere, and he’ll gladly do it for free… just to win you over!

So go ahead and check out Mini Site Profits Exposed right now, and see what all the fuss is about. I highly recommend that you upgrade to the deluxe course as well. Here’s the URL:

http://tinyurl.com/6glras

Warmly,

Ken Nickless

June 17th, 2008 Posted by kennick | Copy Writing, Internet Marketing, PPC Advertising | no comments

Internet Marketing the Easy Way

Just like there are no magic weight loss cures or ways to earn money from home without a great deal of effort, there is no one simple solution to guarantee Internet marketing success. However, Internet marketing is not overly complicated and many business owners can enjoy at least some degree of Internet marketing success with only limited knowledge about the industry. This article will discuss some of the simplest Internet marketing strategies business owners can implement to promote their business online.

Participation in industry related message boards is one of the easiest ways a business owner can use the Internet as a promotional tool. Message boards are websites which provide a forum for Internet users who share a common interest to share information related to this subject or just socialize. Business owners may opt to join message boards which closely relate to their industry or the products or services they offer. This is important because doing this gives the business owners access to a group of Internet users who fall into the target audience for his products or services. It also gives the business owner the opportunity to promote his own website. Many message boards allow users to place a link to their own website in their signature. Business owners who do this and also contribute useful commentary on the message boards may attract potential customers via the link they place in their signature.

Additionally, some message boards may even allow users to post links in the body of the message. This gives the business owner the opportunity to offer his link in response to questions and comments when doing so is relevant and offers something of value to the online conversation. However, care should be taken to carefully review the terms of service and all guidelines on the message board before posting links to ensure this is not a violation of the policies of the message board. Failure to adhere to message board policies may result in removal from the message board or the posts being viewed as spam by other users.

Another simple, but effective, Internet marketing strategy is to hire a consulting firm with search engine optimization (SEO) experience to assist you in achieving high search engine rankings. While the concept of SEO can be rather complex and understanding the most effective strategies and how to properly implement them may take years of experience as well as continual education, the ability to hire a qualified SEO firm is as simple as knowing how to interview candidates and select the most qualified one. Handling your own SEO efforts can be rather difficult but hiring another firm to take care of this for you is not only easy but it can have a significant impact on your website traffic because high search engine rankings typically translate to improved web traffic. This is because Internet users trust search engines to serve the most relevant websites first and typically only visit the best ranking websites when they search for a particular term.

Similarly another simple way to enjoy Internet marketing success is to hire a consulting firm to plan and execute your Internet marketing strategy. Just like SEO, Internet marketing is essentially a full time job. Business owners may have a great deal of difficulty trying to run their business and organize their Internet marketing. Outsourcing this work eases the burden on the business manager and will likely produce more favorable results.

June 14th, 2008 Posted by kennick | Internet Marketing | 2 comments

Pay Per Click for Beginners

Pay Per click advertising is a great way to make money with affiliate programs. Unfortunately not every Pay Per Click engine is really effective. Sometimes you can get a lot of traffic but very few buyers. The best PPC advertising is Google Adwords. If you prepare your campaign properly you will get targeted visitors within hours coming to your site.

There are 2 sources that Google uses for these ads. Their search engine and different related websites (content). The most targeted is their search engine. From content you will get a lot of traffic but not as many actual buyers. Whether you include content or not, bear this in mind and consider your targeted market.

Steps for starting a Google Adwords campaign:

1. Make your account and watch for the confirmation link needed to activate it.
2. Start a new campaign by clicking the link “Keyword-Targeted” campaign.
3. Name the campaign
4. Name your ad group
5. Name the area, country, territory, regions, cities, or customized
6. Make your ad – it needs to have a high CTR (click through ratio). Take care to do this well.

Tips to improve your campaign:

1. Monitor your campaigns well and carefully
2. Join high paying affiliate programs to offset costs and make this campaign really effective
3. Use as many keywords as you can to attract all the people in your market

Mistakes to avoid:

1. Do not use mirror sites - for Google campaigns it is good to have a landing page for your program if possible.
2. No Pop ups or Pop under are allowed by Google
3. Do not bid too high - although Google will often adjust this and lower your bid

Google Adwords is very cost effective. It only takes a $5 deposit to start off your campaign. Read the entire tutorial that Google provides very carefully before you begin. Start with low bids and work up. Understand that some keywords will have high bids and others low ones. You will need to watch your campaign very well to ensure it is not going over your budget.

This campaign hinges on using targeted keywords. You can get keywords for your site at Good Keywords Google will also supply you with some basic ones based on your web address. You can then further define and narrow down the options by [ ] and “ “ etc.

You may take a little time to get the hang of this but once you do you will find affiliate programs and Google Adwords are indeed a match made in heaven.