Archives for October 2009

Write for Readers, Not for Google

October 19, 2009 by

If you’re an internet marketer, or even just someone who runs a blog for fun, you know how important Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is for getting lots of free and targeted traffic to your website. After all, there’s a reason why people who are great at SEO can essentially charge whatever they’d like in consulting fees and still be in high demand.

That being said, you have to make sure you keep in mind that when you’re writing your content, you’re not writing for just the search engines. In fact, writing for the search engines should be the furthest thing from your mind!

While it may seem obvious or even a bit corny, you have to remember that you’re writing for your readers. Your readers – not spiders or bots – are the reason your blog gets any traffic or makes any sales, so it’s vitally important that these people are at the forefront of your mind whenever you’re writing content for your site.

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Filed Under: Marketing

New FTC Changes Aren’t That Bad for Bloggers

October 13, 2009 by

First off, I need to throw this out there: this is not legal advice in the least bit, rather my thoughts on the changes. If you want to get advice on how to handle these changes, please speak to a lawyer.

Ok, now that the disclaimer is out of the way, basically what I want you to take away from this post is from what I can gather, the new FTC changes regarding “Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” really aren’t all that bad, and really aren’t going to change the way most of us conduct our day-to-day business and activities.

That being said, please don’t take these changes lightly.  Beginning December 1, 2009, if you are found to not be in compliance, you may be fined up to $11,000 per instance.  Obviously, that’s a pretty steep fine!

After reading the FTC press release as well as the text of the new regulations, here are the two biggest things to come about due to the new regulations:

1) If you’re selling a product as an affiliate you need to disclose your relationship with the manufacturer/creator/seller/distributor/etc. whether you’re getting paid to write the review or are just trying to earn commissions from affiliate sales.  Basically if any sort of compensation is going to change hands, it needs to be disclosed.

Furthermore, let’s say you were given a product for free and simply asked to write a review on that product, you need to disclose that you were given the product for free in exchange for writing the review because a receiving a free product is the same thing as receiving compensation.

2. The way people can use testimonials on their sites has changed forever. The days of highlighting out of the norm testimonials – “I lost 800 pounds following this program,” or, “I made $25,000 overnight using these methods” – and then putting some small disclaimer saying “results not typical and your results may vary” are done.

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Filed Under: Marketing

Outsource Method Review – Is Outsourcing Right For You?

October 9, 2009 by

Outsource Method Review

I just purchased Outsource Method, a new program by Daniel Turner and Marc Lindsay, and I have to say that so far I’m incredibly impressed, and I’m really excited to start implementing the techniques I’ve learned thus far.

(Please note, I used Outsource Method when it had a $1 trial period.  The current price for membership is $995, which may seem steep, but because you are given so much information, Outsource Method is still worth consideration.)

Outsource MethodI have been looking at outsourcing techniques for a while now because to be perfectly honest, working a full-time job and then working another four to six hours each night on building my online business was becoming quite a drag, both mentally and physically.

While I enjoy writing and site building, if I could outsource the grunt work to other people, I would be freed up to work on marketing and other “higher level” business activities, not to mention being able to get more beauty rest.

This is where Outsource Method comes in, and walks you though the process of how to outsource the grunt work. Basically Outsource Method teaches you how to work smarter – not harder – and shows you how to get more results with less effort on your part.

Here are some key things you learn from Outsource Method:

  • Why outsourcing is critical if you want to grow your business and have free time
  • How to go about selecting the right people to outsource to
  • How to put together proposals that get you exactly what you want while saving you time and money
  • How to successfully pull off your first outsourcing job and where to go from there

If you’re anything like me, you have a tough time letting to and “assigning” work to other people. However, since there are only 24 hours in a day, there’s really only so much that we can accomplish on our own.

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Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, Miscellaneous, Starting a Business Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Be Bold and Mighty Forces Will Come to Your Aid

October 6, 2009 by

I’m sitting here on my 12th floor balcony overlooking the ocean and I’m starting to feel a little bit antsy.  Not in a bad way (how can it be bad, I’m at the beach?!?), but it a “what are some simple ways I can get more traffic and improve my conversions” sort of way.

What can I say, it’s difficult for me to turn it off.

Anyway, I thought back to Marshall Wayne’s guest post, which got me thinking about one of my favorite quotes of all-time:

“Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” – Basil King (not Goethe, as many believe thanks to Almost Famous)

This quote can help you become a better blogger on a couple different fronts.  In continuing with Marshall’s theme, writing bold and catchy headlines will certainly grab readers and, at the very least, get them to read the first paragraph or two of your article.

Next, being bold and semi-outrageous in your copy will keep people on the page long enough to actually finish your post.  Over the past decade or so, it seems like it has been beaten into our heads that we need to be as politically correct and down the middle as possible so as to not offend anyone.

While that’s certainly great, it’s not going to gain you many long term readers.  After all, there are probably thousands of other blogs out there that give a middle of the road perspective, regardless of your niche.  But, if you pick a side and (most importantly) are adamant about the stance you’ve taken, you’re going to strike a chord with your readers whether they agree with you or not.

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Filed Under: Marketing, Social Traffic, Traffic

What The Beatles Can Teach You About Blogging

October 1, 2009 by

“All you need is blog.  All you need is blog.  All you need is blog, blog is all you need.”

(Ok, so that’s not really how the song goes, but it’s a fitting introduction.)

What can The Beatles, one of the greatest and most well know bands in history, teach you about being successful in your online business?  They can teach you the two most fundamental (although seemingly contradictory) lessons that will take you and your blog or website to the top and help keep you there.

BE CONSISTENT

Can you think of a Beatles song that you genuinely don’t like?  Probably not.  It’s safe to say that The Beatles consistently put out great music.  Their music stuck with people; not only was the music catchy, but the lyrics spoke to people.

In order to become a successful blogger or internet marketer, you need to consistently put out great copy.  Your words not only have to grab people’s attention, but your words need to resonate long after people stop reading.

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Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Traffic