How To Sell Kindle Books On Amazon

Market Selection

Picking the right market, especially in Kindle, is half the game. There’s a balance that you have to strike between finding a niche that you can dominate, and selling enough books in that niche each month that it matters. The best way to assess market size is by looking at “Amazon’s Sellers Rank”
figures. (This figure can be found under every book).

There’s a Kindle Sales Rank Calculator over at: http://www.kdpcalculator.com …that will tell you, with pretty decent accuracy, how many books are being sold in Amazon for any title at any given time, but here are some general “rules of thumb” so you can get a sense of how “Sellers Rank” can help you determine sales volumes.

Based on my research, books with a Sellers Rank of 1000 to 3000 average 20 – 30
sales per day.
Books in the 10,000 Sales Rank range tend to sell 3 - 6 copies per day, and books in
the 30,000 range only sell 2 – 3 copies per day.

Again, for more accurate estimates you can use KDPCalculator.com …just remember that any number is an estimate, at best, because Amazon keeps their data proprietary.
Either way, if the top books in your category all have a Sellers Rank above 30,000,
that’s probably a market that will be fairly easy to own.

The KPD Select Program

Amazon has a program called the KDP Select program that I found to be a very useful tool in the promotion of Kindle books. You can choose to enroll your book in KDP Select as the very first step in the upload process…
But this program is not without its “gotchas”…

#1. Amazon requires 90 days of exclusivity for any ebook you enroll into KDP Select. In other words, you can’t sell or give away your book on any other site (including your own) for a full 3 months. That means you have to wait to publish your book on other channels such as Apple,
Barnes and Noble, Android and Sony. This is definitely a bummer, but as you’re about to see it’s a sacrifice worth making…

#2. Amazon Prime members are allowed to borrow your book without purchasing it. This sounds bad, at first, but fortunately they do pay you for these free “Borrows”…
Currently this fee is ranging between $1.40 and $1.70 per book borrowed, which is certainly better than a sharp stick in the eye. In addition to the extra money, Amazon also allows KDP participants to give away their book for free for 5 days every 90 days as a promotion.

Here’s the big zinger. Amazon counts those books that are downloaded for free as sales, and allows reviewers from those sales to be listed as verified purchasers in the reviews. In other words, you can let people download your book for free and then give a review of your book as if they paid money for it. These reviews go a long way with Amazon buyers.


The Goal

There are really two goals that you should keep in mind if you decide to make a free promotional run on your book.

#1 Downloads – The sheer number of downloads a book gets seems to make a big difference in how well it sells after the free download period. Based on research, you will sell between 3% and 5% as many books in the 1st month after a free promotion as you gave away, and that number tends to hold for 3–4 months. In other words, a book that you give away 10,000 copies should sell between 300
and 500 copies the next month. And the really good news is that by the time the book sales begin to slow, you’ll have another 5 day giveaway period to re-promote it…and the cycle continues.

#2 Reviews - Reviews sell books.

7 Proven Promotional Ideas

Now let’s talk about how you actually promote your book both during the free promotional time and after the book is in paid status. Remember, the number one objective is to give away a lot of books and there’s no better place to do that and on freebie sites.

1. Freebie Sites
One of the easiest ways to “juice” your Kindle downloads is to offer your book for free on one of the many “freebie” sites on the web. Here’s a list of a few freebie sites:

http://www.TotallyFreeStuff.com
http://www.icravefreebies.com
http://www.FreeStuffUnlimited.com

NOTE: You can Google “free stuff” and “freebies” for even more sites and forums just like the ones above.

The good news is the people on these sites do download a lot of books. The bad news is they don’t really read them, so reviews will be low and future conversions will be even lower. For this exercise it really doesn’t matter. Right now, all you want is downloads so you can push your book higher and higher in its category. Once it’s at the top, the “real” readers will start buying…

2. Free Kindle Sites
The very best place to promote your book during the free promotional period are freebie sites designed specifically for free Kindle books. Here’s a list of some of the ones that you should approach:

http://www.PixelofInk.com
http://www.BookReaderNewsToday.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Kindle-Books/489529967728474

But before you approach these “Free Kindle” websites, there’s something you need to keep in mind…
Most of these sites don’t accept advertising and will only promote your book if they like it or you. I would not approach the sites until your book already has at least 5 positive reviews. And above all else, remember that the site owners are doing you a favor…so be nice.

3. Niche Forums
If your book is on a niche topic niche forums are a great way to give away your book.

4. Facebook Fan Pages and Groups
Facebook is a powerfully viral tool for the Kindle publisher. There are literally hundreds of pages dedicated to freebies, free Kindle books, and niche passion topics. Participating these groups is easy. Simply search your topic as if you are looking for an old friend on Facebook.
To find the most powerful pages you may consider doing a Google search (Search string: “keyword” facebook.com)

5. Remnant Ads
If you have a few dollars to spend, remnant ads are a great choice. “Remnant ads” are ads that have gone unsold, so you’re able to lock them down for dirt-cheap prices. These types of ads are typically not very effective at selling products, but when you’re giving away a Kindle book for free they can be VERY powerful. And again, they’re wicked cheap…Check out a site called Sitescout.com that allows you to buy banner ads at around $.10 - $.20 per 1000 impressions…

6. Press Releases
Getting your book into the press will help you in two different ways. First, it will get the word out about giving away your book for free. Most of our press releases will drive between 300-1000 clicks back to our Amazon sales pages. The service that I like using the most is the press release syndication from Webwire.com…

7. Private Masterminds
Probably the most powerful tool in the arsenal is having friends who are also Amazon publishers, which would be a number of private masterminds that is formed of writers and publishers who have agreed to download and review each others’ books during their 5-day promotional periods.
This absolutely ensures the success of most books. And the bigger the network, the higher your chances of success.

After Free Promotions

Once your book switches to paid, things change quite a lot. You should be earning roughly $2.06 per $2.99 book that you sell, which means just a dozen or so sales a day could very well cover your car payment. Not bad, eh? Here are a couple of ways that we promote books after they go to the paid category.

1. Google PPC
Yep, good old Google AdWords: http://adwords.google.com While Google will not allow you to run ads directly to your Amazon page, they will allow you to run ads to your own web page where you can then direct folks over to Amazon. Experiment with sales letters that send people over to purchase your Amazon books. The sales letters should only last 3 to 5 minutes and can be created with PowerPoint in 30 minutes or less.

2. Facebook Ads
Similar to Google Adwords, Facebook ads are another effective way to drive people to buy your book. While Facebook ads are typically less expensive per click than Google, they usually don’t convert as well so the ROI winds up working out more or less the same. There are a number of tricks that you can use to increase your conversion from any PPC Amazon campaign. One of the bigger ones is making sure that your buyer realizes when they click the buy button are going to Amazon. That way they know they’re going to a retailer they trust, and there are no up-sells or shenanigans.

3. YouTube
The little mini video sales letters I talked about above are working quite well in some niche topics in YouTube. And it’s fairly easy to get a YouTube video to rank high in Google (especially if you
utilize the Press Release method I talked about earlier), so if you play your cards right you could end up having both a YouTube video and your Amazon page in the top of Google for your primary keywords. Using YouTube to sell Kindle books that are below $5 is a very effective strategy and
one that we will be using in volume in the future. But fair warning: It doesn’t work nearly as well if you price your book above $10.

4. SEO
While SEO has become increasingly difficult for websites, it’s still quite easy to use basic SEO tactics to rank Amazon pages in Google because Amazon.com is such a high-authority website.

Key Takeaways

Here the big takeaways that you should remember from this report.

Number 1. Nothing is better than having a community of friends to help you promote your books. With enough people supporting you, you can absolutely rule your category.

Number 2. If you have to spend a few bucks to promote your book you’ll only have to do it for a short period time to prime the pump. Remember, Amazon is the greatest bookseller in the history of mankind. Get your book to the top of listings and Amazon will sell for you.

Number 3. Getting your book in the hands of thousands of people for free is far easier than you think, and getting those people to give you reviews will be faster than if you sold your book one at a time.

Number 4. Kindle is here to stay. I’m sure if you’ve read this far, you have to agree that Kindle is ruling (and will continue to rule) the book and ebook markets for some time to come.

Number 5. You have a level playing field, at least for a while, to compete with the big boys like Simon & Schuster and Random House.








Well, good luck! Start publishing!


Don't forget to subscribe to my blog!


Regards,

Drew
The Guido Guru

Google Adsense...Getting Paid From Google

Google Adsense, Get Paid From Google

Did you know you can make money using Google Adsense for your website(s), blog(s), video(s) and mobile apps? Once you've signed up and placed your ads, others who click on that add will contribute to your earnings through Adsense.

I myself have installed this feature, which brings in extra income. It will vary with the amount of "click through rates" for each site you've implemented ads on, and the more traffic you have passing through, the more you'll get paid.

Check it out here: http://www.google.com/ads/publisher/


Don't forget to subscribe to my blog!

Google Adwords

Advertising Using Google Adwords

One of the methods I use to promote my websites is Google Adwords.
These are the little ads you see off to the right hand side whenever you do a search for
something on Google.

If you have a domain name, or several domain names which point to the same website, you should try this exercise in testing your ad performance:

Constantly tweak and change things in your marketing to improve its performance
and optimize it over time. The most common way to do testing is a simple A/B split test.
This is where you take two identical versions of something (an ad, a sales script,
whatever) and you change just one thing, one variable. Then you use both versions for a
given amount of time or a given amount of actions (a sale or a click for example) and you
see which one performs better. That way you know exactly what change made the
difference. You ditch the loser and keep the winner. This is one of the biggest secrets to
business success
.
So, when you put together one of these ads on Google, you’re able to choose your
“display url” which is the website address that people actually see on your ad.
And when you run these ads, you’re able to track what’s called your “click-through-ratio”
(CTR). This is simply the number of times your ad was clicked.

Click here to get started:  http://www.google.com/ads/adwords2/#sourceid=awo&subid=us-en-ha-aw-bkhp:14916276965&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-bkhp&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=%2Bgoogle%20%2Badwords&utm_campaign=en


Don't forget to subscribe to my blog!

Should You Prospect?

Building Relationships Through Prospecting

Here's my philosophy on the subject...You shouldn't really have to "Prospect" anyone. THEY should come to you!

Ok Drew, "Mr Guido Guru"...what do you mean by that exactly? -- It's what most of you are asking yourselves right now, I can see your facial expressions of amused contempt and mild skepticism...

Let's put it to you this way...people need to know they can trust your leadership. Period. It all comes down to that in a nutshell. Your knowledge must benefit them to their greatest advantage, and when it does, THEY will seek you out.

Now, I've never been out to make a quick buck. So let's just say that I'm genuinely looking out for YOUR best interest. 

When I post about affiliate marketing for instance, I choose only those products that are worth promoting. It's from extensive research and experimentation that I do so, not just from a "spur of the moment" impulse. I actually USE most of the products I promote, because they work really well. For years now I've been marketing using state of the art tools, and I share that whenever I can. You all know what they say, "word of mouth" advertising...(it's the best!)

Getting on with building relationships through prospecting...Effectiveness is the big picture here, efficiency is the minute details. Efficiency means becoming excellent at performing any given task. It could be anything, but being efficient just means being able to perform a certain job well, with a minimal amount of effort.

But being effective means taking the overall objective into consideration and figuring out
which activities are the most important to reaching that goal and then doing them. Nothing Else In A Business Matters If Good Sales And Marketing Aren’t Being Used. The wealthiest and most prosperous people in any field all have one thing in common:
They know how to sell. Themselves… their products… their services… their ideas.

So, to put all of this in a way that’s more meaningful to your business: The job of your
marketing is to bring you qualified prospects. The job of your sales process is to close the
deal and build a relationship with the best ones.

All Good Sales And Marketing Begins By Putting The Other Person First. I learned that a marketing-centered business is an entirely different kind of operation than a product-centered business. And I discovered that the ability to sell, and more importantly, understanding how and why people do what they do, is by far the most potent money-making skill you can ever acquire. It’s the beginning and end of all business success.

All Good Sales And Marketing Begins By Putting The Other Person First. The best way to get someone to like you is to focus the entire conversation on them, because everyone loves talking about themselves to someone who is genuinely interested! Good sales follows the same pattern. It Starts By Getting Information…Not Giving It.

Always remember this: People buy for their own reasons, not yours. It is so easy to forget this rule, even for sales pros who’ve known it for years. It’s something you have to constantly remind yourself of because it’s just second nature to assume that what’s important to you will be important to the next person.

When It Comes To Selling, Far Too Much Emphasis Is Put On The Product, And Far Too Little
Emphasis Is Put On The Person Doing The Buying! When you focus the entire conversation on the prospect, you’re making an ally out of them. You’re building a relationship. And you’re opening the door that will allow you to give them information.

So here then are the four major reasons why people won’t buy from you. (And remember: Your opportunity is one of your products. I feel it’s necessary to repeat this every now and then because I know sometimes it’s hard to think of your business in these terms).

Reason #1 – They don’t know about you.
Reason #2 – They don’t want what you’re selling.
Reason #3 – They don’t want what you’re selling more than what they would have to give up to

get it.
Reason #4 – They don’t believe you.

Together these four reasons encompass every possible variation of why a prospect won’t
do business with you. If you can conquer every one of these, you will succeed. People want to work with someone who’s honest, realistic and isn’t afraid to give it to them straight. Someone who’s not blowing hot air.

It’s when you stop caring about the opinions of everyone that you truly reach your full potential. I really encourage you to take this to heart. In business, you have to have a hide as thick as a rhino. Ignore the cynics and move on. It’s all just a part of what we do...

I hope you've gotten a sense of my business philosophy, I'm very proud to share my thoughts with you all on how I try to practice my "Online Business" methods, and I respect and follow others who I feel share the same principles as I do. 

Please feel free to subscribe to my blog, and share it with others you feel could benefit from my experience and ideas in general.

Regards,

Drew

The Guido Guru

The Best in Webinars!

EasyWebinarPlugin

Webinars were designed to create a trust and bond with your customers and prospects to ultimately close more sales. But the problem with running webinars is that:

A. They can be Hugely Expensive.

B. Technical blunders are generally inevitable.

C. They are not a Scalable business.

Let me explain C.

We all have traded time for money. Webinars as a business system require essentially time for money. But what if you had a solution to where you didn’t have to trade your precious time for money anymore? What if you could automate your business to work for you while still being able to engage with your customers?

Casey Zeman has created the Easy Webinar Plugin. A simple to use Webinar platform that works with your already existing WordPress site to create dynamic and intelligent sales funnels, giving you more time and more money without having to trade anything.

Learn more here...

 

Start Creating Your Webinar seconds after the easy upload. No FTP required or help from a developer or programmer!

A Library of Eye Popping Webinar Page templates to choose from that can be simply redesigned and branded to fit your needs as well as a full customizable option.

Dynamic Options where your registrant can choose:

• - Everyday
• - Specific Date
• - One Day a Week
• - Selected Days in the week

Tools:

Delayed event and call to action settings, Select a multiple number of delayed events within the webinar video for a greater interaction with a media library of several different call to action buttons to choose from. 

With EWP unique video player, video upload has been made simple. If you have an existing amazons3 account you can simply add in your credentials and upload your video directly into the platform, or We will host your videos for you.

Email Notification system. Notifying your registrants can be quite a task. We have made it simple with our own customizable Email Notification System that will send out notifications to the registrants 3 days before, 1 day before, 3 hours before, 15 minutes before, and when the webinar is starting.

EWP Widget-This exclusive feature allows you to add a registration box to any site. (perfect for adding to your Main site.

Dynamic display of the list of attendees that sign up for the webinar event. Displaying the registrants name at the top of the list. 

The In-Real-Time Chat box feature allows registrants to ask questions while the Webinar is going, then notifying you immediately when this occurs. This allows you to respond right away, without having to be at the webinar, which in turn builds personal attention and attainability with your customers.

EWP Social Sharing tool. On the thank you page after someone signs up to the Webinar, you can create a call to action in order to "spread the word" of the event.


Easy Webinar Plugin integrates with all Wordpress versions and themes.

Click here for purchase: http://guidoguru.cszinc.hop.clickbank.net

Click here for a free webinar tutorial:  http://easywebinarplugin.com/go.php?guidoguru&1

 

Own an iPAD? This is Awesome!

From iPAD Pete...

Are you ready to get the most out of your iPAD? Then this is for you!

Apple Forgot Your Manual?

What was the first thing you looked for when you opened your iPad box? Were you like me… surprised and disappointed that there was no instruction manual in there? I thought it was a mistake and the Apple factory forgot to pack my slick glossy full-color instruction book.
Apple’s whole model is “ease of use”. The statement they tried to make was that you don’t even need a manual. And, maybe that’s true if you’re just going to use your iPad as an overpriced email checker. But, it’s not just a giant iPhone. You want to get more out of your iPad. You want to unlock it’s full potential.
But unfortunately, if no one actually shows you some of the iPad’s less-obvious tricks and tips, you’ll probably never discover them on your own. And, that is your iPad’s one BIG flaw.

Click here for access to this awesome course...http://5130fb6fl9nhte1ct1ooxzoj6b.hop.clickbank.net/

Let A Super-Geek Show You the Way

Don’t you secretly wish you had some super-geek friend who bought his iPad the day it came out? He could come over your house and show you how to do all the coolest stuff. Well, Pete is that geek friend! He's recorded video lessons for you that cover every single feature and benefit of your iPad.
How many times have you said to yourself, I haven’t used that feature yet. But, I’m going to learn someday soon. Well, today is that day.

Click here for access to this awesome course...http://5130fb6fl9nhte1ct1ooxzoj6b.hop.clickbank.net/

In Just 11 Minutes a Day

 

You can watch your iPad Video Lessons at your own convenience. If you just watch 11 minutes a day during your ritual cup of coffee, you’ll quickly and easily gain an understanding of your iPad.
Plus, he'll show you untapped features that you would never even think to google-search.
Admit to yourself that you’ve already struggled a bit figuring out some stuff on your iPad.

	Learn at Your Own Pace – Stop, rewind, replay – Didn’t catch something? Review it over and over till you get it. Watch once without your iPad, then rewind and follow along using your iPad.
	Learn New Innovative and Productive Techniques – Discover new ways to be productive throughout your day with these iPad tips and tricks.
	Lifetime Membership – Lifetime membership keeps you up to date with future changes and new video lessons.
	Available 24/7 – Middle of the night. You need a quick answer on how to get a task done on your iPad. Jump online and watch the video on that feature. Problem solved.
	Grow Your iPad Skills – Invest in yourself, let me help you start learning today.
	Clear, and Comprehensive Training – I’ll clearly guide you app-by-app & tap-by-tap through every last feature of your iPad. I have a passion to teach and share my iPad knowledge and experience with you in a straightforward, candid way.
	Have Some Fun – I’m here to help you better understand and maximize your iPad. But, we’ll have a few laughs along the way as well.
	Over 100 Videos Watch over 100 videos online to master everything you want to do on your iPad.

Click here for access to this awesome course...http://5130fb6fl9nhte1ct1ooxzoj6b.hop.clickbank.net/

 

Course Contents

 

Module 1 – All About Your iPad
Module 2 – Web Tips and Tricks
Module 3 – More About Mail
Module 4 – Reading on Your iPad
Module 5 – App Fun & Productivity
Module 6 – Listen to Music & Podcasts
Module 7 – Organize Your Photos
Module 8 – Watch Video on Your iPad
Module 9 – Exploring Maps

NEW BONUSES!              

iOS5 Training
iCloud Training
Wireless Updates, Backups & Syncing
Reminder’s App
Using Notifications
iPad Magazines
Beginner’s Bootcamp
PLUS LIFETIME UPDATES!!!!
iOS6 Tutorial Videos Coming this Fall!

 Click here for access to this awesome course...http://5130fb6fl9nhte1ct1ooxzoj6b.hop.clickbank.net/

Enjoy your iPad the way it was designed to function!

Regards,

The Guido Guru

 

Affiliate Marketing with Infusionsoft

Affiliate Marketing: Infusionsoft

As I've stated before, I'm into affiliate marketing. It's one of the best ways to make money online, without having to invest any money up front. I'm affiliated with many different marketers and companies out there, and they all bring in a passive income.

If you're one who's interested in promoting yourself with social media, here's a great program designed just for you. Take a few minutes to check out the links below to further educate yourself on how the program works, then decide on whether to join up and/or sign up as an affiliate as well...

Don Crowther is one of the leading experts on social media, and I've partnered up with him using his program to my own benefit. It's a great program that will enable you to make an online income as well.

Great news! The doors are finally open on Don Crowther’s 3XSocial.  He’s just supplied 4 great content videos. In the last one alone, several people who are crushing it with his Content Methods, shared their success stories.

Go here right NOW to start making money on social media!!
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/3XSales1/Othellopazzo

In 3XSocial, Don walks you step-by-step through the only 3 strategies you’ll need to create your streamlined social media System in the new landscape of social media…making you a content rockstar to your niche. This way, they don’t just “like” you, they actually buy stuff from you.
AND if that isn’t enough, Don is giving you access to his killer new software that practically builds and runs your social media system FOR you. (This app is SO cool, I can hardly believe he is including it. You’ll want to get your hands on this NOW.)

Go here right NOW to start making money on social media!!
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/3XSales1/Othellopazzo

Oh, and hurry  — because there are some AWESOME fast-action bonuses (including thousands of dollars worth of individual coaching!)  that I don’t want you to miss out on. A lot of people are hearing about this today, so those coveted spots may well be gone in a couple of hours.

P.S. Again, this is no-fluff: Don’s only goal with 3XSocial is more money on YOUR bottom line! But here’s the REAL bottom line: if you are on social media and not seeing any extra zeroes from it, you just can’t afford NOT to be in on this program.

Go here right NOW to start making money on social media!!
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/3XSales1/Othellopazzo

Click on this banner below to enroll today!

 

Here's to your success! Happy Socializing and watch your bank account get fat!

Regards,

The Guido Guru

Video Marketing

VIDEO MARKETING | Setup time: 1 hour (excluding video creation)

Video marketing is simply publishing your message online through videos. Videos could be just about anything—you talking, a product demo, a promotional campaign, or anything that highlights your company or product/service.

These videos don’t have to be professionally made—even inexpensive cameras will work. The key is to create buzz around your video. If it is clever, funny, interesting, relevant, or unique in any way, it will get traffic. Get creative … and have fun!

Once you create your video, post it to YouTube. Be sure to include a robust description of your video including keywords. Link the video back to your website too. Then you can promote the video on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter, etc. Encourage others to share it too.

A few simple videos can dramatically increase your exposure on the Internet and help drive more traffic to your website.

Note:

Youtube is not the only free video platform available. There is Dailymotion, Metacafe, Vimeo, and others you can use as well. The more popular ones are by far Youtube and Dailymotion.
Here you can watch me explain in greater detail what to expect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjrfPalqluU&feature=youtu.be

Email Marketing

EMAIL MARKETING


Email marketing is a great, inexpensive way to reach the people on your list. If done correctly, this type of marketing will take your business to the next level and bring a great ROI (Return On Investment), for years to come. Here are the most important things you can do to improve your email marketing.


GET BETTER OPEN RATES


Are your emails getting opened? Before we get there, it might be good to know if you’re even tracking your email open rates. If not, start doing so immediately. Your email marketing provider should have this information available, and you should definitely start paying attention.
Once you determine your open rates, you’ll probably want to improve them. There are several reasons why your emails might not be getting to the inboxes of your prospects and/or not being getting opened.


Avoid Spam words...

If your emails contain a lot of spamrelated words (such as free, cheap, %, work-from-home, click here, discount, coupon, special offer, limited time), chances are slim that your prospects are even getting them. Spam filters are becoming more and more sensitive, and they can remove your email before it even gets to the inbox. Try to avoid words that might sound like spam, even if you think you’ll be safe this time.

Subject Lines and Sender...

Once your email gets through the spam filters, your readers have to decide whether or not to open it. The subject line and “from” address will be big factors in leading them to make that decision.
Make sure that your subject lines are intriguing, but that they don’t overpromise. Consumers have been jaded by companies promising the world and not delivering. Avoid sensational subject lines that claim “800% increase in sales” or “I lost 200 pounds in 1 week.” Besides being unbelievable, these subject lines probably wouldn’t make it past the spam filters. Be real, be convincing, be a little mysterious. Subject lines are only half of the equation. Be sure that the “from” field is full of useful information too. Typically, your company name is a good way to ensure recognition and trust.

Personal names work too, provided that they are recognizable. Don’t insert a name that your prospects or customers won’t recognize. Avoid using “noreply” or “systems” addresses—these are not at all personal and are less likely to be opened.

Send Relevant Content...

When you send an email, make sure the content is of value to your prospects. A valuable email could contain a special offer that appeals to the buyer, useful educational content, entertainment, or content that gives requested information.

Emails should also be sent to current lists. And your marketing isn’t relevant to people who didn’t ask for it. Don’t use outdated lists, purchased lists, or lists that aren’t yours ... that is a sure-fire recipe for
spam complaints and poor open rates.

Frequency...

Sending out too many emails will make you a nuisance that ends up in the trash bin almost immediately. Waiting too long in between emails might cause your prospects to forget you and will also land your “unrecognizable” email in the trash bin. Find a happy medium where you can stay in touch with prospects without bombarding them with daily emails.

But the only way to know how often you should be sending is to ask your contacts. You may be in an industry where they want an email a day. Or maybe once a week is appropriate. Take a survey and find out what your contacts are looking for.

Make Sure Your Emails Are Interesting

Your emails should be interesting. This starts with the subject line, but it also includes the headline, design, and content. It is important to be personal—think of your target audience as if they were sitting in a room with you. Be yourself and be different. You have to differentiate yourself from the other emails sitting in that inbox.

You don’t have to include everything in the email. Build anticipation by offering a brief explanation and then sending them to a landing page, blog post, product page, or other destination that can give them more information.

If you are promoting an event, build anticipation by sending reminder emails or emails that prepare your prospects for the big day. Send a little bit at a time and gain their trust by offering valuable information each time.

To get your contacts looking forward to more emails, try this technique: Tell them you’re sending them a gift in the mail … so keep an eye out. Then when that gift arrives, you can bet your contacts will be looking forward to the next email from you—to see what other surprises you have in store.

Your content should also walk your customers down the path toward a sale. Everything you write should help the prospect get answers, clarify misconceptions, climb over stumbling blocks, and otherwise help them arrive at your product/service, ready to buy.

Use Permission-Based Marketing

Prospects need to opt-in in order to receive email communications from you. This is called permission-based marketing, and it is crucial if you want to do it the right way. When a prospect opts-in to your list, he/she should know what to expect from your future communications. Tell them whether you are going to be sending weekly tips, occasional promotions, or daily offers. Be sure to spell out both the frequency and content matter of your future emails.

It is also important to allow your prospects to easily opt-out of communications when they desire. Allow them to manage their data, including the option to stop receiving all communication.

Create an Email Strategy

Sending one-off emails to friends and family works great, but it doesn’t work well for marketing. Each email you send out should fit into a greater scheme, and they should all work toward a common goal.

For example, you can create an email series that highlights the “3 secrets to success in cold weather gardening.” Each week, you can send out another email packed with data, stories, and links relating to one of the secrets. At the end of the series, you can ask recipients to buy your book, attend your garden show, or come in for a special discount on tulip bulbs. The emails work together, building anticipation along the way, and culminate with a call to action.

You can do the same thing with long-term follow-up sequences, new lead education, or any other marketing campaign. Best of all, you can write, create, and load these emails ahead of time. As you get new leads, you can put them into whichever sequence is most appropriate.

Use Multimedia and Links

Email marketing is a good way to communicate with your list, but it isn’t always the best way to educate, entertain, or sell. Including links to videos, podcasts, entertaining articles, social media campaigns, contests, or surveys, however, is a great way to reinforce your message in a unique way.

Don’t try to say it all in the email … use all of your resources together. Email is just a great way to get the word out. Different prospects respond to different forms of communication, so don’t be
afraid to try different strategies.

Consistent Follow-Up

One of the major reasons small businesses fail is that they don’t follow up with leads and prospects. In general, it takes several communications with a prospect before he/she is ready to buy. But most businesses give up after one or two emails. That won’t get the job done.

Stop leaving money on the table and start following up with all of your prospects. If you can stay in front of them, educating and building trust along the way, they’ll come to you when they are ready to buy.

One of the best ways to have consistent follow-up is through an email sequence. If you put a new-lead campaign, a long-term nurture sequence, and a new-customer campaign into place, you will see dramatic improvement in your conversion rates. The best part? You have to write these campaigns only once.

When you're ready, automate the process and grow. You'll know when it's time, as you'll feel overwhelmed by these daily tasks to the point where you'll have no other choice but to do so.

CONTACT MANAGEMENT

CONTACT MANAGEMENT

We spend a lot of time trying to get prospects to our website, making sure it looks appealing when they get there, and capturing their information. But unless we have a good place to store this information and an easy way to retrieve it, the leads won’t do us much good.

We’ve discussed the importance of using some sort of database to organize your leads, prospects, and customers. As your business grows, you will likely need to switch to a more robust organizational
tool. A customer relationship manager (CRM) is a necessity for most businesses.
These databases store all of your information in a system that facilitates easy retrieval and accurate reporting. You can add notes, tasks, and a variety of other details that will help you lead your prospects through the sales cycle and your customers through the retention cycle.

There are many benefits that come with a good CRM, as listed here:


EASY DATA ENTRY

A good CRM should allow you to easily input data. Your CRM should be linked to your webform, for example, to minimize manual data entry. Many times, a CRM will be a good storage facility for your information, but getting it into and out of storage takes more work.

Make sure that the CRM you use allows you to easily capture information. Manually entering information is okay at first, but once your list starts growing it will be difficult, if not impossible, to keep up with the demand.

GET MORE DETAILS

It is also important to put your CRM to work in labeling your prospects and customers with as many details as possible. You should be able to add data that will help you know them better. Depending on your business, you may want to know and track details such as age, gender, marital status, location, propensity to read emails, purchase history, time spent on your website, webinar attendance, and more. The more details you know about someone, the better your marketing will be. So how do you collect more data about your prospects and customers?

Here are a few ideas:


• Do a survey
• Take a poll
• Hold a contest
• Give something away
• Jot down notes when you have a conversation with someone
• Send an email asking contacts to update their info
• Invite them to take part in your new email series

Real-time information can also be very helpful in marketing to your prospects. Would it be helpful to know when a prospect is watching your demo, for example, and call them immediately? Or to know which products have piqued the interest of a certain prospect? Think of the things you can do with accurate, real-time information. That’s where a powerful system comes into play.

BEYOND ORGANIZATION

A CRM will host all of the information about your prospects and customers you need to see. Using a CRM for a static list of information, however, is greatly underutilizing the power of a central database. Utilizing a CRM to segment your prospect list into targeted groups will help your marketing process. You should be able to, for instance, categorize your list by the actions they’ve taken (such as watching an online demo or ordering an ebook), what they’ve purchased, when they last talked to you, where they live, etc. With this information, you can easily send out targeted marketing campaigns that speak directly to the individual and his/her interests.

TARGETED MARKETING

Once you know details about your prospects, it’s time to send out targeted messages. Use this information to send out emails, direct mail, invitations, coupons, or whatever else will encourage them to act. Set up automatic sequences that can be applied to prospects who fit certain criteria.If your CRM has the capability to communicate with your marketing activities (such as email marketing), that’s even better.

NO MORE MASS-MAILERS OR EMAIL BLASTS

With a good CRM, you’ll know what interests your prospects and what information they’ve already received. There’s no need to send out generic email blasts or postcards to your entire list. Work on sending out different messages depending on the group. Pinpointing your marketing will get you a much greater return for your efforts.

Which CRM Program you end up using is ultimately up to you. You must do your research to see which one best fits your needs and budget. Google "CRM" or customer relationship manager to get a listing of suppliers.

List Building

LIST BUILDING

Building up a list of leads is an important part of marketing. Whether you capture them through your website, incoming phone calls, speaking engagements, or simply a business card, leads are what eventually bring in sales. These tips will help you build a great list of prospects that will accept
your marketing messages and hopefully buy your products/services.

 ORGANIZATION—CONTACT MANAGEMENT | Total time: 1–4 hours


No matter how you get your leads, you need to have a way to organize them. Organization is the key to effectively marketing to these leads in the future. Your lead organization can be done in a variety of ways. You can use a spreadsheet, such as Excel, to list your leads and include a few vital pieces of information. You might choose to use an organizational tool like Outlook or Gmail’s Contact Manager. Whatever you choose, you’ll want to keep your leads organized and accessible.

WEBFORMS | Total time: 1–3 hours

Once you have a system in place for organizing your leads, it’s time to start capturing some more leads. The best way to capture a lead from the Internet is through a webform. These forms, which usually ask for a visitor’s name and email address, allow you to build up a list of leads who have given you permission to market your product or service to them.

Your webform should be placed “above the fold” of your website. If the webform is hidden or hard to get to, site visitors will not be compelled to fill it out. The webform should also contain as few fields as possible. Typically, “first name,” “last name,” and “email address” are sufficient. When a visitor sees a webform with fields like “home address,” “phone number,” or “mother’s maiden name,” they start to get suspicious. Keep it simple and relevant to your purposes.

You should also be sure to set the expectations for your marketing practices and explain that you will honor their privacy. If you are clear about what will happen, they will be more willing to give their
information.

So it is time to get a webform on your site. If you don’t want to consult  webmaster, you can make one yourself at a free site such as www.wufoo.com or www.emailmeform.com. You will be able to
customize fields and receive reports of new leads that you can then import into your database.

You can use a webform for event registration, newsletter sign-ups, contests, surveys, polls, refer-a-friend programs, comments, or anything else that will help you gather information. And webforms shouldn’t be confined to your home page. You can also put a webform on your Facebook Fan Page to capture leads.

LEAD-GENERATION INCENTIVE PIECES | Total time: 2–8 hours

Now that you have a webform in place, you need to offer something in exchange for your leads’ information. An incentive piece is something of value that you offer website visitors, but only if they fill out a webform. This piece can be many things: an exclusive video, an ebook, a white paper, or a free consultation. But it must have value. Take your time in creating a piece that will really appeal to your target market.

Here are a few ideas for lead-generation pieces that you could offer:
• Free pricing quote
• Coupons
• Contest
• Drawings
• Free webinar (use a site like www.gotomeeting.com to host a great webinar)
• Free trial
• Special discounts

Make your lead-generation piece so appealing and your webform so easy to fill out that visitors can’t (and won’t) pass up the opportunity. Your list will be bursting at the seams in no time.

REFER-A-FRIEND PROGRAMS | Total time: 2–5 hours

A great way to build your list is through refer-a-friend programs. Getting others to promote your product or services greatly expands your reach. Plus, when your current customers recommend you, you gain instant credibility.

A good referral program must make it worthwhile for the person doing the referring. Offering incentives, such as free products, monetary “commissions,” or other rewards will give them a little extra motivation. You should also give them collateral to use when they “sell” your product, such as brochures, special landing pages, or other advertising pieces.

You will also need a system in place to track the new leads coming in and to pay those who made the referral. You can create a special field in your organizational system, whether it be a spreadsheet or another contact management tool. When your affiliate program gains traction, you should consider using a more robust affiliate module.

Hope you find this content helpful. I have. I will be adding more great content on a regular basis, so subscribe to this blog to keep up with the latest and best techniques to make money online!

Article Marketing

 ARTICLE MARKETING | Setup time: 1 – 2 hours (excluding article)

Article marketing, if done correctly, is an easy (and free) way to drive traffic to your site. Most likely, you have plenty of content about your business/industry compiled in articles, blog posts, ebooks, white papers, reports, or other media. (If not, now is a good time to start creating a few.)

You can put your content into article form (usually between 300–600 words) and distribute it to free article-hosting sites. As the author, you will usually get a byline that includes your name, bio, and a link to your website. You get instant credibility, exposure, and a little help with your search engine ranking too.

Start compiling your content into articles that will be ready for distribution. Each hosting site has different requirements, so you may need to tweak the articles just a bit to make them work. One thing should remain consistent, however: Don’t sell in these articles. Just inform, educate, entertain …
and then send them to your site to learn more.

Some popular article sites are:

• www.ezinearticles.com
• www.goarticles.com
• www.articledashboard.com
• www.isnare.com
• www.articlebiz.com

Website Configuration

Your website is your “storefront.” You should put as much thought into your virtual storefront as you would to the front window display at a traditional store on Main Street. Your website needs to attract customers and keep them coming backfor more. 

                                            Website Evaluation | Total time: 1–3 hours
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
WEBSITE EFFECTIVENESS 

Pull up your website. Pretend you are a new prospect and ask yourself the following questions. Or better yet, find someone who has never seen your site before and ask them to answer these questions:

1. Where do your eyes go first?

A visitor to your website typically has an attention span of only a few seconds. That means your website must “hook” them in that amount of time. Make sure the first thing they see/notice is something interesting enough to buy you more time.

2. Do you know right away what this website is about?

Again, you have limited time to get your message across. If there are too many distractions, a site visitor may not ever know what you are selling.

3. Is the important information “above the fold?”

Most site visitors want to know the details without doing a lot of work. If they have to scroll down to find the main idea, they will likely leave earlier than you’d like. Make sure that your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is clearly spelled out. This is a piece of information that says in one sentence or less why someone should do business with you. Make it clear and prominent on your site.

4. Can you easily find the benefits of the product/service?

A visitor to your site wants to learn as much as possible about the benefits of your product or service. Features are important too, but the most important thing a visitor can take away is a sense that this
product or service will make an impact in their life … for the better.

5. Is there a clear call to action?

If customers like what they see, it is important to move them along quickly. There should be a prominent, clear call to action on your website. Your call to action may be to buy now, start a free trial, learn more, or something else. Make sure that you are not sending mixed messages with too many calls to action. Choose the one or two that matter most and make them easy to find.

6. Are the colors and images aesthetically pleasing?

If your website is too busy or jarring, you will lose visitors. Take a little time to coordinate colors and to implement high-quality images that add to your message.

7. Is the font easy to read?

Make sure your font is easy to read and is not distracting. Don’t get fancy; just stick with a simple, sans-serif font in a color that contrasts with the background.

8. Are there bulky sections of writing anywhere on the page?

Long, bulky paragraphs are likely to get skipped. Try breaking up your copy into smaller sections that get the point across quickly.

9. Do the menu items clearly tell you where they will take you?

Site design and usability are important considerations that often get overlooked. Think about what information you would want to find if you visited this site and plan your menus accordingly. There should almost always be an “about us” and a “contact us” page.

10. Is there an easy way to contact the business?

If your website does its job, you will likely have interested prospects who want to learn more or who simply have a few questions. Make sure they have an easy way to find you. Potential customers also
want to know that they will be able to get a hold of you if needed in the future, whether for warranty service or support.

11. Can you find out more about the owner or employees of the company?

Visitors often want to know that they are dealing with real people. Having an “about us” page is a great way to show the world why you are the best one to handle the job. Include photos too—everyone likes to associate a face to the business.

12. Do you feel personally connected?

Visitors who feel personally connected will be more likely to stick around and/or become a customer. Tell your story and tell them why you are the right choice. You can personally connect with your
visitors by being honest, using a conversational writing style, and including real testimonials from other customers.

13. Is the writing corporate or conversational?

Corporate writing is good for … well, big corporations. But a small business shouldn’t pretend to be a big, formal entity that is disconnected from the public. Your ability to relate to your customers
is a big reason why they will eventually choose you—start right away with an engaging, conversational tone in your writing.

14. Is there a webform above the fold?

A webform is really the only way to capture leads from your website visitors. Make sure that it is in a visible place above the fold. The better it looks, the more people will fill it out.

15. Is the offering appealing enough to make you want to give your email address?

Your webform should also offer an incentive piece to spark a visitor’s interest and convince them to give you their information. Make sure that this incentive piece is appealing—offer real tips,
actionable advice, or special deals that will immediately help your prospects.

16. Is there multimedia?

Multimedia is a great way to add character and interest to your website. Videos, podcasts, tutorials, and other multimedia options allow you to present your message to your visitors in a way that
appeals to them.

17. Are there links to social media?

Social media allows you to communicate with your prospects, and it allows them to communicate with each other. Include links to your blog, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts. Make it easy for everyone to find you on social media … even if they don’t fill out your webform, they may choose to follow you in some fashion.

NOTE:

Here is a website that I created for my fiance. It was designed to Latia's specifications which took me several weeks to put together, but she loved the final design. http://www.latiadelriviero.com/...

Now keep in mind this is a PERSONAL website, not a Corporate or small business, but if you take a look at the structure, you'll see that everything is easy to find, and all bases have been covered. The site is very successful because of attention to detail.

Pay Per Click

PAID ADVERTISING | Setup time: 1–3 hours

Paid advertising is the next step once you have organic traffic coming to your site. When we say “paid advertising,” we’re not talking about hiring a Madison Avenue firm to get your company recognized during the Super Bowl. But you can still work a little advertising magic of your own for a fraction of the cost
.
The best ways to get started in paid advertising are through Google Adwords and Facebook Ads.

Google Adwords

There are certainly other platforms on which you may purchase Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads, but Google is the simplest and most prominent. To set up your account, go to www.google.com/adwords.
You can then move on to create your first campaign. Basically, you will bid on keywords that are most relevant to your business and then pay Google a certain amount for each time someone clicks on
your ad. You’ll need to decide an overall budget and a Cost-Per-Click (CPC) rate that you are willing to pay.

For example, if you decide that you would like to spend $100 a day, and you are willing to pay $5 for each click, then Google will run your ad until you reach 20 visitors. You can easily track results and determine how/when you need to change your ad—it will take a little fine-tuning to find the optimum results.

Be sure to watch the videos or even download the beginner’s guide, they are great resources for you as you get started with Adwords. Another great resource for your Adwords campaigns is the Google Ad Planner. You can access the tool at www.google.com/adplanner. You’ll be able to research specific sites to see what type of traffic is visiting them. You can choose your target audience, for example, and then see what types of sites they are visiting. This data will help you decide where your ads will bring you the most bang for your buck.

Facebook Ads

Another great avenue for paid advertising is on Facebook—with dedicated Facebook Ads. Facebook is second only to Google in terms of site visitors per day … that’s aLOT of people who can be reached through a simple Facebook ad.

To get set up, you obviously need a Facebook account. Once you log in, you can get started right away. To set up an ad that will send people to your website, click on the “Create an ad” link on the righthand side of your home screen. You will be directed to a design tool to get started on your ad. You will be asked for your website URL, a title for your ad, an image, and some body text. You can even see suggested ideas by clicking the “Suggest an Ad” button during your ad creation.

Once you are happy with the way your ad looks, you will choose a target demographic and see your ad’s estimated reach. You can choose a budget and time period for your ad as well.

NOTE: 

With Google, you choose words that people will be searching for. With Facebook, you choose what type of people you will send your ad to. If you are sending out an ad about dentistry supplies, for example, you can choose to send it to people with “dentist” or “oral surgeon” somewhere in their profile. 

Facebook Ads are a great way to pinpoint groups or individuals that fit your target market.
That’s it! It’s just that simple. Take advantage of Google Adwords and Facebook Ads to generate a constant flow of traffic to your website.

Check out this video on Youtube on Facebook Advertising: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inXyluQOevs&feature=channel&list=UL

Do You Know SEO?

 

                                   Setup time: 2 – 5 hours, then minimal ongoing maintenance.

SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of getting your website recognized more frequently when people perform searches on sites such as Google or Yahoo. Better SEO rankings mean you get seen by more people … and that’s a free way to increase traffic to your website.

There are three easy ways you can increase your SEO rankings:
keywords, inbound links, and local search listings.

Keywords

The first thing you should do is write down all of the keywords associated with your business. Try to think like someone who needs your product or service, but doesn’t know where to go. What would
they type into their search engine? If I were looking for a local plumber, I might type in “plumber Gilbert Arizona.” If I were searching for a reasonably priced webmaster, I might type in “cheap websites.” Try to determine all of the possible (intuitive) combinations you might get.

The next step is to go to the Google Keyword Tool:
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Enter in the keyword phrases you thought of when you were listing possible combinations. You’ll be able to see how many people searched for those phrases and how much competition there is
surrounding those keywords. You’ll also see similar keywords that you might want to target in your SEO strategy.

Once you know the best keywords to use on your site, it’s time to put them to work for you. Search engines like to see your keywords in important places—places like the title (the text that appears in the browser tab at the top of your screen), headlines, sub-headlines, and even the content that is
toward the top of the page.

The more keywords you use, the more search engines will take notice. But be sure to integrate your keywords into readable sentences andavoid “keyword stuffing.” If I have a headline of “Gilbert plumber plumbing Mesa toilet repair broken pipes Arizona,” visitors to my site will not be impressed (and neither will the search engines, by the way)
.
Another good way to implement keywords into your site is by posting articles or other relevant pieces of content that are keyword rich. Search engines also love updated content, so don’t hesitate to add new articles regularly that will bring more keywords to your site.

Inbound Links

Inbound links build your reputation and credibility among search engines (and potential customers, for that matter). These inbound links (often called backlinks) also allow search engines to more easily find you, rank you, and get you on the search lists. Not all backlinks are created equal however.

Links that come from legitimate sites are best. If you are linked from a very popular site—even better. But purchased links from “link farms” might actually do more harm than good. It may sound daunting, but you can build a solid base of backlinks the right way if you are patient and consistent in your efforts.

The first step is to set up links from all of your own domains. Your blog, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and any other social media outlets should all include links to your website. When you post
entries on these outlets, include links to your site, as appropriate. When others “retweet” these links, you get exponential exposure.

You can also ask partners and affiliates to add links to their websites. It’s probably a good idea to return the favor too. Consider a section on your website that highlights the “products I use” or “services I recommend.” You’ll be amazed at how this will not only help your SEO rank, but it will increase your referrals too.

When possible, try to insert keywords into the anchor text (the text that acts as the link, such as click here or learn more). A keyword-rich link might read The Gilbert Plumber or My Web Design Business. This will greatly increase your keyword credibility and skyrocket your search engine rankings.

Local Search Listings

If you provide products or services to local customers, a local search listing is a great way to increase your search engine exposure. When someone is looking for a localized provider, Google will often send them to their local listings.

To put your business on the map (literally), go to www.google.com/places. Select “Add New Business” to enter your business address, details, category, photos, and more. Google will have to
confirm your address with a phone call or a postcard sent to your address. Once confirmed, you’ll begin appearing in local searches … and your rankings will improve significantly.

Keywords, inbound links, and local search listings are great ways to get your website
recognized in organic searches. And the best part? They’re totally free!

Google Analytics

Google Analytics

If you've started a blog, one of the first things you need to do is set up analytics, ( a way to
track website traffic and statistics.)

To set up your analytics, you must first sign up for a Google account (a Gmail account works just fine). Go to http://www.google.com/analytics and click on the “sign up now” button on the top right corner of the page. You will have the option to sign up for a Google account (if necessary) or proceed with the setup. You’ll be asked for your website address and will be given a snippet of code to insert
into your site.

Once you are set up with Analytics, the sky is the limit. You can track everything from unique visitors to time-on-site to PPC ad success. At the beginning, you’ll probably want to focus on
how much traffic you are getting and where it is coming from.

You will be able to tell if you are getting traffic from referring sites (such as your blog, social media posts, or affiliates) or from organic traffic (searches for your name or other keywords). This data will be crucial as you move forward with specific marketing campaigns and tactics.

Traffic analysis is the foundation upon which to successfully manage your marketing efforts. You’ll know what is working and what isn’t. So go install Google Analytics right now, and have fun watching the numbers grow!