Steve Guttridge: aka Stay At Home Bum Marketer

by: Nick Singh

For those of you who are lucky enough to have budgets for internet marketing, in the current climate, one has to ask where to get the best value for money. With prices for placements becoming more competitive, and budgets dwindling, money needs to be spent, but where should your cash go?

In the last year, much has been said about paid links. Google has cracked down on the use of such things like sponsored blogs, and web links, as it sees them as unnatural and unethical because of the way they have been obtained. But there are many other routes that you can take if you have been scared off by this claim.

If you haven’t already set one up, an AdWords campaign could provide the key to nailing those hard to reach terms whilst the natural positions come up the search engines. Although with Google AdWords you can spend quite a bit, if you choose the right keywords and use long tail niche terms, the campaign can be quite valuable. One of the benefits of using this tactic for search engine marketing is that you have the ability to choose what terms to bid for, what page they should point to, how long to bid for them, and what position you would like them to appear. If you have enough budget you can quite easily bid for the top position for quite a while.

There are numerous other paid advertising services out there, another, which is gaining respect very quickly, is Bing. Again, working along the line of AdWords, you pay for your positions in the engines and can choose where you would to appear if you have enough cash to burn.

There are options to have your website placed on industry related magazine sites, forums, directories and a whole host of other sites. But it totally depends on what industry you belong to and what you wish to get out of the link. At the end of the day, it is best to have a natural balance of different types of links. And as long as they are relevant and add some sort of value, Google will be drawn to the site and crawl it more often.

About the Author:  Nick Singh is one of the top Strategic Internet Marketers in the UK and is the Senior Search Engine Marketer at Netcallidus Ltd, that has helped Numerous Business increase their profits Online.For further information, please visit http://www.netcallidus.com/

Article source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/marketing/article_4836.shtml

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by: Neil Asher

Over the years, I’ve gotten kind of famous for doing e-mail marketing. One reason is because I was among the first to really use a landing page widely to help build a list. I created a proprietary opt-in database, expressly for the purpose of e-mail communication.

Creating a public site that you couldn’t get into unless you entered your name and e-mail address was a breakthrough 15 years ago. It allowed me to discover models for building different types of newsletters, and those worked really well.

I have to thank my friend, the Internet marketing expert Dean Jackson for helping me with all this. A lot of it was his original architecture, and the concepts that I executed were based on his original thinking and designs.

Even today, 15 years later, you can hear me saying, “E-mail is still the ‘Killer App’ of the Internet.” When you look at all the people who make money online, most of their money is made through Internet marketing that relies on e-mail. E-mail carries information through the Internet the way blood carries oxygen through out bodies.

Look at all the big product launches that are going on right now. The announcements you see are still carried through e-mail. And as far as I can tell, there isn’t any sign that e-mail won’t be the dominant force in information marketing for the coming few years. At least, that’s my perspective.

So it’s very important when you start an online business to master e-mail. And I don’t mean just the basics. I know when a lot of people think about e-mail, they think it’s primarily a sales tool. They’ll say, “I’ll write a promotional email. I’ll write an auto-responder, and I’ll tell people to go buy my information products.”

Well, that’s not the way I think of e-mail. It’s really not all that great as a sales tool, because people have been spammed into numbness with product offers. But I do think of e-mail as being sensational as a relationship builder.

What I do, when I’m setting up my e-mail program, is to sit down and ask myself, “What would I do if I could go over to this person’s house in person? What would I say if I knew I would be going there every day for the next week, or for a month or a year or however long my series is going to be?”

That’s right. I treat my e-mail as if I could sit down with that person and have a conversation. If this wasn’t Internet marketing, what would I do or say to build a relationship? How would that go?

Maybe the very first time I went over to their house, I’d knock on the door and they wouldn’t know who I was. So I’d want to tell them, “Hey, let me tell you who I am.” I would give them a little background. I’d probably bring them some stuff for free, too. I’d show them some things to build credibility and some trust.

Then what would I do the next time I visited? Maybe I would go over, two or three days later, and I’d say, “Hey you know what? I’ve got this great thing that I use in this area that we’re both interested in. It’s one of the best things that I’ve ever put together. I just want to give it to you as a gift. Try it out and let me know how it works!”

Then I’d come back again, two or three days later. I’d sit down and say, “Hey! How did that work for you? Let me tell you a couple of stories about how other people are using that thing.”

All the while, at the end of each visit, I would say, “Thanks a lot. It’s been great getting to know you. I’ve got these products over here. If you ever want to just take the fast route, you can get a shortcut to the knowledge you’re looking for. We’ll just skip all the preliminaries and—BAM!—you’ll get all the knowledge.”

Over time, I’d keep building that relationship. I’d just keep going deeper and deeper. I would keep talking to them and building trust and credibility. Eventually, they’ll come around to buying one of my information products, because by then they will know and trust me and rely on my advice.

So that’s why I think e-mail is still the Internet marketing’s once-and-ever “Killer App.” You just have to know how to use it effectively.

About the author:

Neil Asher (http://www.neilasher.com/freestuff.htm) has built five multi-million dollar companies from zero, including one he took to $8 million in sales in under two years. He has created and sold successful franchises in England, Italy, Ireland, Australia and South Africa. Visit his web site for access to 17 FREE videos, 6 FREE books and two hours of audio training, revealing “How To Make BIG Money Selling Information Products On The Internet…Even If You Don’t Have A Website And You’ve Never Sold Anything On The Internet Before.

Article source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/marketing/article_4828.shtml

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by: Neil Asher

Those of us involved in information marketing often like to think we are different from traditional marketers. But we can still learn a lot from the experiences of retail advertisers, especially the giants who paved the way in the last century.

One of the basic tenets of mass marketing is something known as “positioning.” In Internet marketing terminology, it’s what we like to call “establishing your niche.”

There’s a classic example of positioning that I’d like to share with you. It involved the company Johnson & Johnson, years ago. I learned about this from Al Reis and Jack Trout, the “positioning guys” who created Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Shampoo.

Anyone who knows this product will agree that Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Shampoo is a great shampoo. They could’ve taken their shampoo and said, “You know what? This is so good. Why don’t we call it “Human Shampoo?” There’s a lot bigger market for human than for babies, right?

Or they could’ve even zoomed out and said, “This is Animal Shampoo.” Humans are animals, too, so why not market it as “critter shampoo.” It’s shampoo for all of life—a huge market including all living things. That would have been fine, because it works for critters, humans, kids, and whatever else.

But Reis and Trout were very savvy. Instead of “thinking big,” they narrowed their niche. They positioned the shampoo as just for babies. Their reasoning was that it is so gentle that it won’t make your baby cry if it gets in her eyes.

Now that’s a powerful and very emotional driver. It was the perfect positioning. Johnson & Johnson’s became the #1 baby shampoo worldwide.

Then what happened was something that no one would have guessed. But this is what happens when you become a great marketer. Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Shampoo became the #1 selling adult shampoo, too!

People reasoned, “If it’s good enough for babies, and it doesn’t make them cry, it’s good enough for me, because I don’t like shampoo in my eyes either.”

So what can we learn from this and apply to information marketing? In three simple words: Know your niche.

The mistake most people make when they start an online business is to try and expand their niche or widen it. As an example, let’s say that you’ve lost 30 pounds and kept it off. You want to create an information product to help others lose weight. Then you start thinking, “All the things that I do to lose weight are actually the same things you do to get really healthy. Why don’t I just make a book about health? I’ll expand my market. Then it’ll be interesting to everyone.” Your information morphs into “How To Be Really Healthy.”

Well that’s good logic, but it’s horrible marketing. It’s DOA…dead on arrival.

Instead, you should stick to your knitting and be narrowing your niche. Your customer doesn’t want something that’s good for everyone; they want something that was created just for them. They want to feel like you made it just for them. Ask yourself, “Who could I help lose weight? Men or women? How old are they? Are they married or single? What do they want?”

Answer these questions. Narrow it down to where you’ve identified the core market: “Well, it’s mostly women, and they’re mostly middle aged. They’re overweight and getting insecure. They don’t want their husbands to leave them.”

Now you’ve got a market. You’ve got an information product that focuses in on how to lose weight for middle-aged women so that they’ll become more attractive to their husbands who will in turn never leave them. That’s going to be so much more compelling to potential customers—a hundred or a thousand times as compelling as the generic book about health.

So, there you go. Know your niche. Narrow it down. Base your niche on an emotional driver like Johnson & Johnson did. That’s how you position your information products for success.

About the Author:

Neil Asher (http://www.neilasher.com/freestuff.htm) has built five multi-million dollar companies from zero, including one he took to $8 million in sales in under two years. He has created and sold successful franchises in England, Italy, Ireland, Australia and South Africa. Visit his web site for access to 17 FREE videos, 6 FREE books and two hours of audio training, revealing “How To Make BIG Money Selling Information Products On The Internet…Even If You Don’t Have A Website And You’ve Never Sold Anything On The Internet Before.”

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by: Michele Pariza Wacek
When people realize I walk marathons, one of the questions I frequently get asked is “how did you do it? How did you finish the marathon once you hit the point of ‘nothing helps?’”

Well, I can tell you it’s not easy. Lots of demons come out to play and you have to push past them.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Why would knowing how to finish a marathon have to do with your business? Because you might be having the same problems in your business — demons coming out to play and you throwing in the towel too soon and not seeing the success you deserve.

Let me explain. It’s been documented that lots of business owners quit too soon. They either quit the business altogether or they lower their goals (i.e. “I don’t need to make 7-figures, I’ll be happy in the low 6-figures”) or they drop a product or service that’s not selling.

However, many times the turning point in their business is just up ahead. They’re right there, the finish line is a half mile away, but they stop. They stop and they use all sorts of excuses as to why it was a smart decision to stop.

This happens to me all the time after I get past mile 20 in the marathon. It gets even worse once I hit the point of “nothing helps” — the pain is awful, I’m exhausted (a deep, deep exhaustion, so deep it makes it difficult to fall asleep for several hours after you’re done) and I’m extremely grumpy.

All the demons come out. “I’ve done this before. Why do I have to make myself miserable now?” (The first year it was “I can try this again next year when I’m in better shape and know what to expect.”) “Boy that pain in my knee feels bad — maybe I’m permanently hurting myself. I should stop.” “Look at all those other people in the medical aid tent, they’ve stopped I can stop too.” “Why the heck (or something stronger) am I doing this to myself again?”

And on and on.

So along with walking on despite the physical pain, you’re also battling mental demons. And this becomes an even bigger issue the longer you walk because at the end it’s all mental. There’s nothing physically left — the only reason why you’re staying on your feet is because you’re forcing yourself too.

Does any of this sound familiar in your business? “Why should I bother marketing and/or selling? People aren’t buying anyway. And the economy is bad. And my industry is struggling.” “I haven’t sent out a newsletter in months, I’m just too busy.” “I know I have a stack of business cards on my desk I should follow up with, but I’m just so busy. And besides, do they really want to hear from me anyway? It’s probably too late.” “This product launch was a disaster. Only 2 people bought. I guess no one is interested in this after all.” (Never mind you only sent out a couple of emails and called that a launch not to mention never sending out a newsletter.) “I’m almost done with my first product. I just have a couple more things to add/change.” (And you’ve been saying THAT for 3 years.)

And the most insidious of them all “I’ve been doing everything so-and-so said for months and it’s still not working. Maybe I’m not cut out to run a business. I should just quit and find a job before I run up any more debt.”

All of these are just variations of the same theme. You’re throwing in the towel before you’ve reached the finish line. And chances are, if you DO quit, success is most likely right around the corner.

Now this isn’t to say there is never a time to quit. Sometimes you really do injure yourself and you can’t finish the marathon. And sometimes a product or a service you’ve launched really isn’t a good fit for your target market and should be dropped. And sometimes things have so radically changed in your market you need to change something or you’re going out of business.

But, a lot of times the reason why things aren’t working is because you aren’t marketing enough (or marketing smartly). Maybe that product really isn’t a good fit. But if you only send out 2 emails to your email list that only hears from you once in a blue moon and call that your launch, you don’t know enough to say it’s not a good fit. You haven’t given it a fair shot.

What can you do to push through? Even when you feel like you’re doing everything you’re supposed to and nothing is working? Just do what I do after mile 23. Put your head down and keep walking. Don’t listen to the chatter in your head, just keep walking. Focus on the cheerleaders on the sidelines telling you you’re almost there and keep walking. The finish line really is just around the corner, and eventually you’ll get to it, but only if you keep walking. The moment you stop, you’re done.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting and marketing agency. She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services and boosting their business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.MichelePW.com. Copyright 2009 Michele Pariza Wacek.

Article Source:

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/marketing/article_4760.shtml

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