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Do you know who your audience is? Are you asking the right questions? Sometimes we get caught up in doing the routine that we forget about our purpose. As we think we know the marketing part, we go out there and think we are hitting the mark the results show, we are missing something.
We want to be serving their needs, what do they want from us?We need to be relating to our audience. So, maybe we need to be asking the questions. Kimberly Bordonaro has some ideas. Check it out.
By Guest Contributor, Connie Ragen Green
Keyword research is crucial to marketing your eBook on the internet. In fact, the online world revolves around using the exact words and phrases that people use to search for your niche topic, so learning how to use these keywords to your advantage is a valuable use of your time. I will explain more of how you can get started in this area today.
Google has a free tool call the Keyword Tool External. Just Google this term and it will come up at the top of your search. This tool will give you everything you need to know about which words and phrases you need to be using in marketing your eBook online. [Read more...]
By Guest Contributor, Sean De Graaff
Internet marketing is a very diverse niche with many components. For those who are just starting out, the landscape can be overwhelming at first glance. The question is, where do you start? The basis for any good online marketing campaign is content. Content creation is the single most important element in determining your online success or failure.
OK, that’s a lot of pressure to put on you especially if you are brand new. The good news is that content creation does not have to be that complicated. With a solid game plan you can be creating quality content that will keep your audience coming back for more and more. To set up your game plan you are going to have to brainstorm and ask yourself some questions. [Read more...]
How To Get Started Online The Right Way. When I got started online I signed up for every giveaway I could get my hands on that looked like it could provide an elusive puzzle piece to how to build an online business and make lots of money quickly.
This resulted in total information overload! It would take me hours to get through my inbox every morning, then again mid day and before I went to bed just to be able to keep up with all the offers coming in to my inbox.
Of course with these offers came free webinars and teleseminars to promote these offers. I had to see what they were all about. After all, I couldn’t miss out on the thing that was finally going to be my big break. [Read more...]
Have you been thinking that you should have a more cohesive recognizable look across your website and all of your social media?
You’re afraid you can’t afford to hire a branding expert, but your lack of knowledge and fear of technology has stopped you from branding your online business on your own?
Don’t miss out! Register below to reserve your spot on this free training class now!
Celene Harrelson and expert Brand and Social Media Manager, Juliet Johnson Will Show You How Easy Branding Your Online Business Really Is!
You’ll learn:
Get Your Questions Answered!
DATE & TIME: Tuesday, November 15th at 1:15 pm Eastern
FORMAT: Webinar
Let’s do lunch! Grab a sandwich, your favorite beverage, prop up your feet, kick back and Lunch n’ Learn with us!
How would you like to get visible online so people are telling you that they see you everywhere they go?That should be your goal. You should be leaving your virtual footprint everywhere you go! So just how do you go about doing that? There are lots of ways.
First, are you crystal clear about your niche?
Do you know who your ideal customer is, what their problems are and how you can help them? [Read more...]
Welcome to the very first Q and A Friday – Your Blogging and Marketing Questions Answered! Every Friday I will be answering questions from my students and readers. Please submit your questions in the comments, reply to my emails or hit the contact button above. That’s pretty self explanatory, so without further adieu, here we go!
Question:
“I have accumulated home made beauty recipes and meditation exercises and from may different books. l would like to use them to create my own eBook to use as a free giveaway. Should I give footnotes, acknowledgements or just change things up a bit to make them my own?”
Answer:
It is never a good idea to use others copyrighted material without written consent. [Read more...]
Building an online business could result in a much brighter future for you and your family. Things are different in the workplace today. Employers are able get by with things they never could have in the past because of the unstable job market and economy. After reading the story I’m about to tell you, ask yourself, “Could this happen to me?”
I have a very close friend (I’ll call her Jane) who is a single mother and the sole supporter of her family. The community that we live in is a very tiny rural area with no opportunity. She must commute 60 miles one way to go to work. I’ve known Jane a long time. We have worked side-by-side many times. In fact, she used to work for me. Jane is an exceptionally hard worker. She is one of the most honest and forthright women I know. Jane is an office manager for a branch office of a large corporation. She has received numerous good reports, e-mails of gratitude from her superiors and a perfect score on her annual evaluation less than a month ago.
Recently and without notice, Jane’s branch manager informed her that she would no longer be the office manager. Instead, she would be a driver for the company on the midnight shift. No explanation, no reason, no choice. The very next day the branch manager’s best friend started her new career as the new office manager. Now, Jane’s little children have to sleep at a babysitter’s house while she works midnights. Jane has a family to feed, a roof to keep over their heads and no options.
I am so grateful that I work for myself from home for a myriad of reasons. A few of the top ones are; I work on the projects I want, when I want, as much as I want. I’m the boss. I know I have to be disciplined in order to create the income I need, but no one decides what, when, where and how much. That is for me to decide. In this day and age and this economy nothing is a sure thing. In a slow job market such as the one that we are in, you’re lucky to have a job. Being selective is not an option. Employers take advantage and get away with much more than they could just a few short years ago. Injustice runs rampant in the workplace today.
If you’re wondering “Could this happen to me?” you do have options. Now Jane is working nights and spending a couple hours a day learning how to build an online business. She has decided to take control of her future by learning to be her own boss. It may take her a while to be able to quit her job, but she’s on her way! I’m very proud of her for making this decision.
If you’ve been thinking about working from home and taking control of your future, there’s no time like the present. Whether you want a full-time career or extra income, you can learn how.
To get started online, I suggested that Jane learn the basics of Internet marketing so she could create a fairly quick income producing business that she could build on. These same things could work for you. My friend is much more confident about her future today than she was just a short time ago. You can be to.
I encourage you to share your story with us. Please scroll down and leave your comments below.
I think Dr. Suess must have been a closet Internet Marketer because he sure describes building an online business to a T. He seems to hit the nail on the head with his poem Oh! The Places You’ll Go! I thought I’d read it to you in honor of Dr. Suess’ 107th birthday today. Click below to listen:
I hope you take encouragement from this funny whimsical poem about life. Bless you Dr. Suess wherever you are.
Please leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite verse is!
Building your online business or a brick and mortar business requires you know your business model. Do you know yours?
There are basically 5 types of business models:
Information Marketing
If you want to0 start making money online, this is a great way to do it by creating and selling information in the form of written, audio or video. This can be done by digital download or CD and printed materials.
Affiliate Marketing
This is the promotion and sales of other peoples products. You receive a commission for sales resulting from your efforts. Affiliate marketing is perhaps the easiest business model to get started with, as you don’t have to have your own products or even a website to get started. There is little to no start up money needed for this model unless you use Pay Per Click, which I strongly advise you not to do until you are a seasoned professional. PPC is a crap shoot even for the pros. You have to have money to lose to be able to make money with PPC. If you don’t have money to lose, don’t go there.
Teaching and Coaching
Teaching and training others about something you know about. For instance I teach beginners how to build a business online. I do not offer one on one coaching programs.
Ecommerce
This model is where you have an online store that sells tangible items.
Service Business
Web services and graphic design
All businesses that promote anything or sell anything online falls under the umbrella of Internet Marketing. All types of the 5 business models are a form of Internet marketing. So, let’s get that straight right away, if you are building a business online, you are an Internet marketer.
Most Internet marketers have more than one business model, creating multiple streams of income from a good marketing mix. Mine for example are Teaching and Coaching, Information Marketing and Affiliate Marketing. It’s really important that you get really good at one type of business model before starting another. You don’t want to become a jack of all trades and master of none.
So, what’s your business model?
Whether you have a brick and mortar business that you want to take online, are a stay at home mom or you find yourself in need of supplemental or full time income, an online business is do-able with minimal investment.
Here are 3 steps to starting an online business.
Step #1
Decide what kind of business you want to start. What kind of work and life experience do you have that others might want to know about? What do you love to do? What are you passionate and knowledgeable about?
Step #2
Chose a business model. Do you want an online store to sell physical goods? Are you going to sell information products? Are you a teacher or coach? Do you provide a service? Are you going to do affiliate marketing where you sell other people’s products for a commission?
Step #3
Chose a niche. Who is your ideal customer? Age, gender, single or family oriented. For instance, if weight loss is your niche, be more specific such as; post pregnancy…for women who want to get rid of the baby fat. Know your target market and narrow it down as much as possible.
In the next post I’ll got through steps 3-6 with you so make sure you bookmark this page.
Anyone can build a web business. I know because I’m an average person just like you. If I can do this, you can too!
I’d love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment or a question in the comments below. Also, how about sharing this on social media? Thanks!
