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Why You Should Blog!

 

Why You Should Blog!

Word Count:
1609

Summary:
I have been blogging for just over two months now. Many of my mentoring students have been asking my advice on blogging. I have so far hesitated to teach much about blogging, because it's not something I feel I "know" yet. I feel much more comfortable teaching about things I know.

Well… I took a look at Alexa today and noticed that this blog almost hit the top 10,000 most visited sites on the Internet today. I have been seeing success with many of the methods that are uniq...

Keywords:
marketing, blog, blogs, information, product, advertising, traffic, webmaster, ecommerce

Article Body:
I have been blogging for just over two months now. Many of my mentoring students have been asking my advice on blogging. I have so far hesitated to teach much about blogging, because it's not something I feel I "know" yet. I feel much more comfortable teaching about things I know.

Well… I took a look at Alexa today and noticed that this blog almost hit the top 10,000 most visited sites on the Internet today. I have been seeing success with many of the methods that are unique to blog promotion. I felt it was time to write a post about blog promotion… BUT… WAIT! I haven't even explained why I have this blog thing. I can't really jump into getting traffic to your blog without explaining why I have a blog and why you should have one too; now can I?

Let's go back to my history. I "made it" online without many of the tools you see me offering today. I had no products. I had no copywriting ability. My search engine ranking data was my key to my original success on the Internet. I would simply create high ranking web-sites for some market and sell the traffic from those sites directly to those who did have copywriiting ability and products. Obviously I no longer recommend that. Having your own product and copywriting ability are both multipliers to knowing how to get traffic. Now-a-days I focus on all three aspects of your Internet business and recommend that you do the same.

With that said… don't underestimate the traffic business. Consider this. Who is the richest man in the world? Right. Bill Gates. He sells software. Software is a good business! Consider this though. Who are the 3 leading sites on the Internet? Go check Alexa if you don't know. OK; don't check. I'll just tell you:

1. Yahoo

2. Google

3. MSN (Microsoft)

Now take a look at that third one. That's the company that Bill Gates (the richest man in the world; remember?) started. Now he's messing around on the Internet in the #3 spot.

Now; let's take a jump here. What do those three sites sell? Ok; take a minute on this one. There will be a test.

That's right. They sell traffic (or they mostly sell traffic… Yahoo and MSN are a tiny bit more diverse than that).  Now isn't that interesting… The richest man in the world… who go that way by selling software… now wants to sell traffic.

OK; that was a diversion. We'll come back to that later. What I wanted to tell you about was my experience selling traffic (which is still the largest part of my business). I made a mistake. I sold traffic anonymously under corporate names. None of my traffic customers know who I am. They just buy traffic from XYZ Corporation because it converts to sales for them. XYZ Corporation has no personality. In fact, it's fully automated and most of my customers seem to like it that way.

I tried to change that a couple of years ago. I started sending them emails teaching how they could get the most out of my traffic service. I was too late. They didn't know me and they didn't want to hear from me.

Then I tried one last attempt (I'm glad I did) by offering them a special on traffic that month. I think I did a two for one deal or something like that. Over 25% of my customers bought a new campaign that day. I made over $60,000 in one day with that one email. I thought that was cool! I still do. I can write a single email and make thousands of dollars in a single day. I think a lot of marketers like that.

The power of your customer list is incredible! If you can convert 2% of strangers into customers with a sales page, you can convert 25% of your existing customers into customers of another product with that same sales page. That's powerful!

I tried it with another product. It was a good product. It was mine. It was the search engine research itself that lead to the traffic those customers were buying. In effect, I was offering to teach them how to generate the same traffic that I was selling to them. It flopped miserably. No-one bought. I tried several other products. Nothing. Why?

Some of the responses told me right away. Even though I was writing under the company name, they didn't know me. I'll repeat that. They didn't know me. They knew my company. They knew that my company delivered great converting traffic, but they simply didn't know me. An endorsement of one company by another isn't very powerful. It isn't nearly as powerful as an endorsement by an individual.

So, I went on to do the Freedom Events. You know how they went. Based on the endorsement of a few well-known Internet marketers, they sold out. Lesson learned. To get that 25% number, you need one of the following:

1. To be marketing to your customers as a company and selling a special offer on the product of your company that your customers already know about.

2. To be marketing to your customers as a person and selling a special offer on any product that you personally endorse… and have never given a bad endorsement on a product to your customers before.

I wanted to do the latter with my own customers… not those of another Internet marketer.

What is the best way to do that? As I look around, a blog is the absolute perfect vehicle for that. As I sell products (and cross-promote them on the owner's pages), I also promote this blog. I do it very early in the process. It is mentioned on the owner's page and is also mentioned in the very first email most people get after purchasing one of my products.

They buy the product from a stranger, but I introduce myself as the creator of that product very early by pointing them (you) at this blog.

Then, I don't hide the blog behind some corporate image. You do buy my products from a corporation, but do you even know the name of that corporation? Who cares what it is called? I want you to get to know me. That's the purpose of this blog.

Now some folks are finding this blog before they purchase one of my products. That's OK too. Some people buy a product based on the sales page. Some buy because they know the author never produces junk. Some have a combination of those reasons.

OK; so… yes… you should have a blog. I suggest that you create your blog between your 3rd and 4th product in your primary market. That's when I created this blog. That is also when you want to start cross-promoting your 3 or 4 products on their owner's pages.

Here are some other things that I think are important:

1. Register your name for the domain for your blog.

2. Put your name at the top, not some cutesy blog name.

3. Share of yourself. Do not post to your blog like you are a customer service rep answering the phone for a large company… never revealing anything of yourself… only the corporate script. Chat with your customers like they are dear friends. Don't give out your home address or phone number, but within the context of the blog… what are you afraid of? Let your blog readers get to know you.

4. Post often. People can get into the habit of doing something daily or hourly very easily. It is much more difficult to get into a weekly or monthly habit. Post at least daily so your blog readers can get into a daily habit of reading what you have to say.

5. Don't worry about giving away secrets of your products. That's one reason I only sell software, video and mentoring products right now. It's simply not possible to accidently give away too much in text on your blog. Software and video are both more robust mediums than text. I can explain in words all day long how to do something… it will still be useful to buy the software to automate that task and/or buy the video to actually see how it all works.

6. Get a subcribe link up on your blog (and all of your content sites). Some people will want to follow your blog, but won't remember. You need to give them a way to allow you to send them reminders when you post. This will dramatically increase your number of repeat visitors over time.

OK; I think that answers the question about why I have a blog and why you should too… and how you should set it up. Now, I can jump into the specific ways to get traffic to a blog that only exist for blogs… not other types of sites. I'll do that in a future post.

For now, go register your name and get Wordpress installed on that domain. Get your subscribe link up. Write an article and submit it to your blog… and then submit it via Artemis Pro with your blog mentioned in the resource box of your article. That's how I started just a little over two months ago and as of today… I'm almost in the top 10,000 most visited sites on the Internet. See if you can beat me in the next couple of months.

 

Why Entrepreneurs Fail

 

Why Entrepreneurs Fail

Word Count:
860

Summary:
True entrepreneurs struggle with their business opportunities for a variety of reasons. Among the most obvious are a lack of capital, lack of understanding about marketing, and personnel issues. However, from my own entrepreneurial experience and knowledge of others, there are three major reasons individuals fail in entrepreneurial ventures.

Keywords:
entrpreneurs, business development, sales, success, small business

Article Body:
In my 25 + years working with professionals in Business Development, universally I've discovered that they have learned to think like entrepreneurs.  This is what has allowed them to rise to the top of their profession. Each would tell you that along the way they have learned how to think differently. 

True entrepreneurs struggle with their business opportunities for a variety of reasons. Among the most obvious are a lack of capital, lack of understanding about marketing, and personnel issues. However, from my own entrepreneurial experience and knowledge of others, there are three major reasons individuals fail in entrepreneurial ventures.

 They tie the success of their business with their own self worth.
 They neglect to set realistic goals and plans for themselves and their business.
 They are not prepared to pay the price of success.

True entrepreneurs with the right thinking prevail over a period of time.  They have learned to understand the axiom Roles, Goals, and Tolls.

Roles
Successful entrepreneurs, in contrast to those who struggle, have learned to separate their roles in life from their self worth or self-identity.  They understand that role performance or failure with their own venture is not a judgment of them as an individual.  People who tend to equate their self-worth to their composite role identity are inherently risk-adverse and look to maintain the status quo.  Being able to differentiate these two identities allows them to be risk prone vs. risk adverse, a key ingredient to success as an entrepreneur.  Individuals who have risked failure, experienced it, and learned from it, have not only learned how to differentiate their role identity from their self-identity, they have learned the lessons of risking and failing.  They understand that early failure in ventures is a natural part of successful startups. They are able to embrace those experiences, learn from them quickly and move on.  This is critical to success as an entrepreneur.  They must be willing to face and deal with early failures in order to prevail over time. 

Goals
Even though much is said and written about goals and plans being necessary for success as an entrepreneur, few people learn the mechanics of successful goal setting and planning. It's not the plan but the planning that is important, and the goal setting process allows them to develop the confidence to take risks and fail.    Successful entrepreneurs are not only goal driven and goal oriented; they have learned to execute the process of strategic and tactical goal setting and planning.  Visualizing goals, writing them down and putting together a detailed plan for achievement provides the confidence and motivation to prevail.  More than just business or operational plans, they have goals and plans for all the important roles in their life.  They have learned early that if they aren't working their own plan they are probably part of someone else's goals or plans.  They chart their own destiny, embrace risk-taking leadership positions, make adjustments as required and prevail over a course of time. 

Tolls
Finally, entrepreneurs understand that there is a toll to pay.  To be successful in any role in life you must be prepared to pay full price one time.  There are really no overnight successes as an entrepreneur.  In fact, I've heard it said that overnight success generally takes 15-20 years.  One of the early tolls that entrepreneurs are quite often forced to face is the "re-making" of themselves that can include growing beyond their current circle of contacts.  Since most people tend to stay within their own psychological comfort zone, they begin to lose identity with the risk taker.  They are comfortable with the type of person who is more like them. Quite often the entrepreneur moves on to a different circle of associates who understand the journey.  Stepping out, being your own person and venturing into the risk prone unknown is lonely by itself.  Consequently, there can be a newfound stress in old relationships.  It's been said before that pioneers get shot in the front and the back, and only through a process of differentiating role performance from self-worth, being risk prone, prevailing through adversity, sticking to your goals, and adjusting your plans will you be prepared to pay the daily toll.  

An entrepreneur has much to learn in order to be successful, including the day-to-day mechanics of running a business, producing products, delivering services, making money and dealing with people.  The biggest challenge of all is developing an understanding of themselves. They come to grips with what they want and what motivates them; this sustains their willingness to prevail over the long term against adversity.  Successful entrepreneurs have learned to transform their thinking, allowing them to prevail where others fail along the way. 

Data Entry From Home For Money

Data Entry From Home For Money

Word Count:
524

Summary:
We have all seen the ads. Type Data Entry for dollars, Typing Simple Data Entry from home, Data Entry Income and more. Can Data Entry from home really earn real cash?

Keywords:
Data Entry from home for money, Home Based Data Entry, Type at home, Typing Simple Data Entry

Article Body:
We have all seen the ads. Type Data Entry for dollars, Typing Simple Data Entry from home, Data Entry Income and more. Can Data Entry from home really earn real cash?

If you are comfortable typing on a computer then Data Entry Jobs may be for you. There are misconceptions when doing data entry that you will be typing endlessly to earn nothing. The truth is data entry is an easy work at home job if you feel comfortable on the computer. If you can type at a good speed and be accurate this can be an easy source of income. Of course today with the tools available like spell check, grammar check etc, it makes it a lot easier. In fact it's possible to earn over $40 per hour doing data entry jobs on line.

Another misconception is that data entry jobs are scams. This is probably the "too good to be true" adverts with promises of overnight riches working from home. A few people will join a Data Entry program and think that the money will start flowing in. If it doesn't then they call the program a failure. Like most things in life, you won't get something for nothing. There are legitimate data entry work programs available. One simply needs to narrow down the field by choosing from the best programs available with a money back guarantee. When doing this it's a win - win situation. It's nice to know you have the protection if it's does not work out for you. It is not very expensive to get started in one of the Data Entry Programs so the risk / reward is very good in my opinion. So what do you have to do to get started?

1. Review the available Home Based Data Entry Programs
2. Narrow down the choices to 1-3 programs
3. Find out which ones have a money back guarantee
4. Use your charge card if possible for further protection
5. Sign up & start making money!

It may be that it is simply not a good fit for you. Everyone has different skill sets, but you don't know if you don't try.  Always remember that behind every successful person are a lot of small failures. You have to try to have a chance at success or failure.

There is enormous potential in the data entry arena. There are many companies worldwide that outsource data entry. Many people are making $1000 - $3000 a month additional income. In order to get to this level of income it is important that you understand the skills that you'll need and where to look for data entry programs. As I mentioned earlier, you need to research the Top Data Entry programs and don't be afraid to give yourself a chance. The fee's to get your Home Based Data Entry Business going is very low in my opinion.

Please feel free to visit my web page for Data Entry product reviews. If you decide to try one of our programs, please let me know your opinion of the whole process. Your opinion is important to me. I also have a FREE Email Newsletter series, which gives you the Top Rated Data Entry Programs.

 

 

Business Organizations - Finding The Best Ones To Join

Business Organizations - Finding The Best Ones To Join

Word Count:
369

Summary:
Business organizations are a great place to do some relationship marketing. To find the best organizations for you check out the web, the library, your contacts and be proactive in your search for business organizations.

Keywords:
Business organizations, Business-organizations

Article Body:
Business organizations are a great place to do some relationship marketing.   By joining business organizations you meet key business owners and leaders in your community.  By getting active in these business organizations you can use relationship marketing to its full potential.

The most common business organization we think of joining is the Chamber of Commerce.  There are a number of other organizations out there however that are worth checking out.

Finding Business Organizations

Read your local newspaper and watch for mentions of business organizations in your community.
Subscribe to a business journal in your area.
Visit government offices, business assistance officers, and economic development offices and ask for referrals to business organizations that people join for economic purposes.
Research the Gal Group Encyclopedia Associations.
Ask the reference librarian the names of some good business organizations in the area.
Use your network. Ask everyone you know whether they know of an appropriate business organization you could join.
Start with national organizations and then drill down to the state, country and city level.
Look at Business Referral Networks to get leads on business organizations.  Two good ones are BNI.com and bltip.com
Don't forget civic organizations. They aren't business organizations per se but lots of business owners are members.  Some popular ones are Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions.  Don't forget religious based organizations like the Knights of Columbus.
Then there are the specialty business organizations:
Minority business owners associations
IT related business organizations
The ICCA, Independent Computer Consultants Association
International Association of Microsoft Certified Partners for Microsoft certified partners
The "F" group, which is one of the bigger IT related business organizations for resellers

The Bottom Line on Business Organizations

Business Organizations are a great way to meet other business owners and potential clients.  Don't stop your search at the local Chamber of Commerce.  There are many business organizations out there and one may be perfect for you.  Check out the web, the library, your contacts - be proactive in your search for business organizations.  Your payoff will be lots of good leads and great opportunities to network and use relationship marketing.

 

Business Groups - Make the Most of Your Membership

Business Groups - Make the Most of Your Membership

Word Count:
503

Summary:
Business groups provide excellent marketing and networking opportunities. Finding the right group and getting used to the experience are key to maximizing your membership with the business group.

Keywords:
Business group, Business-group

Article Body:
Business groups provide excellent marketing and networking opportunities.  There are many different ones to join.  What you need to do is make sure you join the right business group for you and your needs, and then you need to be an active member of the business group.

There is usually more than one business group in your area.  You don't want to spend all your time going to different business group meetings so you need to choose carefully.  When you are looking for a  group to join one rule is almost always universal:

The bigger they are the better they are.  Big business groups will pull more active members out to networking events.  Generally the more people that are in the room, the better the odds are that you are going to connect with the right kind of person who could be a future sweet spot client.

Regardless of the exact business group you join you have to actually attend the meetings.  You won't make contacts through osmosis.  When I hear someone say that they tried a business group and it didn't work for them 9 times out of 10 they went to one meeting; for whatever reason they didn't like the meeting and never went back. 

Business group marketing is no different than any other type. If you are going to do a cold call campaign and the first person is rude and hangs up on you, do you retreat to the woods never to be heard from again?  No.  Here are some tips to help you find, persist with, and make the most of your business group membership.

Don't go into a meeting with a negative, intimidated or apprehensive attitude.  This will show through to the business group members.

Check out all the business groups within a one-hour radius.  Don't settle on the first one you come across.

Go to at least two business group meetings before you decide it is right for you.

Be patient.  Don't go in expecting to meet your magic client within an hour.

Force yourself to move out of your comfort zone and mingle and schmooze with the best of them.  Seek out other people who look awkward and start by talking to them.

Find the accountants, engineers, controllers, operations managers; all those analytical types who aren't tremendously gregarious or who aren't born talkers.  All these people make fantastic contacts for future referrals and business because a lot of them are the IT decision makers in small companies.

The Bottom Line on Business Groups

Business group membership gives you access to the decision makers in the companies your business is targeting.  The most important thing to remember is that you will get out of your business group experience what you put in.  Don't give up at the first sign of disillusionment.  Find the right business group to join and make the most of every meeting.

 

Beware - Borders and Boundaries

Beware - Borders and Boundaries

Word Count:
434

Summary:
Have you ever had someone get right up in your face when they are talking to you? So close in fact that a letter "S' results in an unwanted shower? Often when we are out networking, we find ourselves in a loud environment as people try to talk louder to be heard over people trying to talk louder to be heard. This results in a roar that makes regular conversation difficult.

Keywords:
networking, manners, etiquette, psychology

Article Body:
Have you ever had someone get right up in your face when they are talking to you? So close in fact that a letter "S' results in an unwanted shower? Often when we are out networking, we find ourselves in a loud environment as people try to talk louder to be heard over people trying to talk louder to be heard. This results in a roar that makes regular conversation difficult.

The temptation in this atmosphere is to get very close to another person so they can hear you and you them. This can result in being too close to another person sometimes making them very uncomfortable. This discomfort is heightened when we have been consuming alcohol and the person we are talking to have not.

Each of us has our own comfort zone boundary. This is a space around us that when another person enters we begin to feel uncomfortable. A good way to relate to this is to remember if you have ever had an argument where someone got right up in your face and possibly even pointed their finger very near to it. Remember how that made you feel? In most cases it makes a person feel more angry.

In a networking environment it is important to maintain a distance from a person that you are talking to. This distance should be almost an arms length. Most peoples comfort boundary is about the length of their arm. If you find yourself getting very close to someone in conversation, imagine if you raised your arm and that is the distance that you should be from the other person. If they move closer to you in the course of conversation, it is acceptable to them to be closer. If it is acceptable to you then continue with the conversation at that distance.

You can sometimes tell if you are standing too close to someone if they seem to be moving back while you are talking to them. If they appear to be getting further away from you, do not move to be closer to them. They will stop when they reach the distance that they are comfortable with. If they turn and walk away of course it is time to find someone else to talk to.

To be most effective in your attempts to build relationships with others, it is most important to keep these things in mind. Remember that it makes no difference what you say to a person if they are not engaged in the conversation. Good observance of boundaries can give you the edge you need to make networking work.

 

Are You Shooting Yourself In The Foot?

Are You Shooting Yourself In The Foot?

Word Count:
625

Summary:
Have you ever been at a networking function talking to someone when during the conversation you felt very self-conscious trying to say the right thing?

Keywords:
business,networking,self-esteem,success,failure,marketing

Article Body:
Have you ever been at a networking function talking to someone when during the conversation you felt very self-conscious trying to say the right thing? Were you afraid that maybe if you said the wrong thing the person might not find you likeable, and therefore not want to do business with you? If you have, I am about to tell you why you should not worry about it. Like the obnoxious song "Don't Worry - Be Happy" from years ago, I want to share with you the reason why being careful about what we say works against us in the networking environment.

Our goal in business networking should be to establish new relationships and through the process of follow-up develop them over time. As with any relationship, being honest plays a very important role in that development.

When we meet someone for the first time, we want to make a good impression. Often we put on our "party face" so that we do. This can often cause us problems that we do not expect. One problem is that when we try to appear to be something that we really do not feel inside of us, we often have a fear that we are going to be "discovered". This fear causes us to feel uncomfortable about the situation and though we may be smiling, we are really cringing inside.

Most people worry that if they just be who they are, that no one can accept them. I argue that if we do not just be ourselves, sooner or later who we really are will slip out and then we will have to deal with the consequences of being discovered. This then leads to a feeling of distrust between people.

Have you ever been in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex where you did not tell them something important early on and later had to reveal it or even worse it was revealed by accident? It leads for difficult times after that and a lot of shuffling and apologizing.

In my opinion, it is better to risk being who I am up front. To let people know exactly how I feel. People, for the most part, have a forgiving nature. They actually want to forgive. If you make a mistake and say something that can be potentially embarrassing, you can always apologize for it and be forgiven. But if you say something that is not necessarily true and are discovered later, your credibility may be permanently damaged.

If you go into a networking environment prepared to be relaxed and genuine, you will find that it is a lot more fun to be there. If you have a plan of action to really get to know people, you will be much more productive in a shorter amount of time. People will feel comfortable talking to you and you to them. In an environment of truth, more people will want to do business with you and to be around you.

Authentic enthusiasm is contagious. You will always appear to be more attractive when you are excited about what you are doing. When you are not worried about making mistakes, you will appear to be happier. Being happy about the situation will help you to smile more, and the smiling face is a natural human attractor.

So next time you attend a networking function, just be yourself. Your results will improve and you will feel better when you leave to go home. Over time, the difference will be measurable in more ways than just your income. You will find that you have more friends than you had ever imagined possible. When it comes time for the referral, your friend will remember you because friends really do refer friends.

AdvancedNetworX, Inc.: A New Network Integration Company Opens In Morrisville, NC

AdvancedNetworX, Inc.: A New Network Integration Company Opens In Morrisville, NC

Word Count:
278

Summary:
Founded in 2008, AdvancedNetworX, Inc. is a network integration company focused on selling and supporting Advanced Technologies and Services. The company's mission is to forge long-term relationships and to serve as a trusted advisor to its clients.

Keywords:
advancednetworx, services, business, team, network, clients, security, cisco, senior level, advancednetworx inc, clients across, professionals,

Article Body:
AdvancedNetworX, Inc., a network integration services company, announces a new business headquartered in Morrisville, NC focused on the delivery of advanced technology solutions to clients across North Carolina and into Virginia and South Carolina.

The President of AdvancedNetworX, Deborah Shaw, and the Vice President of Professional Services, Robert Roesch, rounded up the talented team, which includes four senior level engineers (all Cisco Certified Internetworking Experts or CCIEs), two sales professionals, and two operations professionals. "Our goal is to provide our clients with the senior level consulting and assistance they expect from larger Cisco partners, but with the agility and complete devotion to their satisfaction that comes from working with a smaller partner," says Shaw.

"The talent of the engineering team that we have constructed is second to none for companies like ours in North Carolina," says Roesch. "We intend to focus our business on a targeted set of high-level technologies and to provide services in those areas."

The focus of AdvancedNetworX will be primarily around Advanced Technologies, including Routing and Switching, Unified Communications, Security, and Wireless. They will be working with clients across all verticals and sizes.

At AdvancedNetworX, your business IS our business. We work closely with you to determine the technology solution that best matches your needs. We then design, implement and support that solution, striving all the while to exceed your expectations.

Because the quality of your business depends on the quality of your network, security and voice services, count on AdvancedNetworX to be an extension of your team. We have the knowledge and experience to keep your company's network services at 100%.

For more information about AdvancedNetworX, Inc.,