Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Quiz Your Advertising Skills

Advertising is the key part of business marketing. If the advertisement succeeds, it can mean big profit. Advertising requires innovative thinking in todays world because the traditional advertising mediums are becoming very expensive. A well thought advertising that is different may create a big impact. But advertising is not being given the attention it deserves. As soon as the profits go down or the market scenario looks bad, advertising expenditures are cut first. How much do you know about advertising in a business? Please quiz yourself about that.

What should be the ideal percentage of advertising in total marketing expenditure?

Should the advertising expenditure increase with growing business or decrease?

Which advertising media should be used for advertising in a very low budget?

Should every business advertise in the beginning?

Are advertising professionals must for getting the best return out of the expenditure?

Is a small market survey about advertising effectiveness always necessary before full-fledged advertising campaign?

Do women add value to advertising? What if you are advertising nuts and bolts?

These are some small questions that I have raised about advertising in business. Please think about the answers. Advertising is tricky, because wrong advertising means total loss. There is no scrap left to recover anything. It is like a bad dream, but it costs. A business succeeds if the advertising succeeds at the right budget. Please try some more quizzes on your personality and career and improve your performance manifold.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Using forum posting to drive traffic

Post relevant information to forums and genuinely contribute to discussions. And have your signature along so that your link will be there. When you visit sites with guestbook, forums, or blogs make posting leaving your link behind. And people will click it and find your site and shop.


But all the forums are yelling, "Don't abuse forum rules!" What are forum rules? They don't want you to post a link, even if it offers help. If you do, the moderator will delete your entry immediately and have you banned. If your signature is even allowed, nobody reads signatures. Ask this: when is the last time you personally read a signature?

It is only when your comments and discussion is so powerful that people will trace you. Like most traffic techniques, fun comes in first.

You should just try to help other and have fun while posting in forums and leave your signature so that anyone interested in you can find you.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Podcasting For Profit

So you have a podcast. That's great, but don't quit your day job just yet. Unfortunately, unless you're Ricky Gervais it might be more than just a little difficult to make money off podcasting. If you are Ricky Gervais: A.) Can I borrow some money? B.) Can I guest star on the new video podcast?

So why aren't there more podcast millionaires? Most podcasts don't have the audience necessary to generate any significant ad revenue. The other problem being that as podcasting grows, so do the number of shows targeting the same audience. The larger and more successful podcasts can generate revenue by charging subscription fees for their shows, or even by charging for the back catalogue of shows. Even amongst the larger corporations, excepting The Wall Street Journal, and Consumer Reports, most haven't been able to sell enough subscriptions to their web-based content to be anywhere close to profitable. Apparently just having a recognizable brand isn't enough to sell subscriptions alone.

The key is finding ways to make podcasts engaging, and effective. Right now businesses are using podcasting as a marketing tool to attract clients in much the same way that blogs lead to exposure for other businesses. There is no reason that podcasts can't generate revenue. For example if you host a show on llama herding, it's possible (although not probable) that 2,000 llama herding enthusiasts might subscribe. If you have a large niche marketing then advertising might work for you. Who's to say that if an enterprising podcaster rounded up an audience of 7,000 listeners interested in basket weaving, then why wouldn't a basket weaving company want to advertise to that audience? The key is finding a podcast with quality content and advertisers who need to reach that specific audience. What is needed essentially is a matchmaker of sorts to help the shows and advertisers find one another.

The other problem is getting web users to find and subscribe to podcasts. While it may seem like just about everyone knows about podcasting the truth is that there is a good majority of people who still haven't. In an interview last year Yahoo Chief Products Officer Geoff Ralston pointed this particular problem out. "…the fact is that what we really want to do at Yahoo is to bring podcasting to the mainstream, and for that to happen people have to learn about it. So we've created a site where it's really easy to learn about it, and like I said, you'll be able to find podcasts eventually everywhere on Yahoo. So as you're reading your news, which of course many millions of people do every day week, and month on Yahoo, you will start to be introduced to podcasts and start to be introduced to the podcast experience of the site and that will actually start to bring you into the community of podcasters. And it is a community! One of the key aspects of Yahoo Podcasts is that the community is what gives it strength and gives the feeling of the site. The site also allows people to rate podcasts to create the ability for people to find the podcasts that matter.


Podcasting is still a new medium and so there's plenty of room for growth and change. The real key to making money with podcasting is finding a way to use traditional methods of generating revenue along side newer methods. The key in a young industry, like podcasting, is experimenting with different methods, not being afraid to adapt new business models, or even inventing your own. So Ricky Gervais may have an easier time making money at it, but that's not to say that it's impossible for anyone else.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Make Money Online without a Single Product on your Hand

Many online businesses never get off ground because they do not have a good product to sell. Many people have planned and dreamt of working at home or earn few extra dollars to augment their income by working or making money online. The problem is that they don't have anything to offer or sell.

There is really no need to have a product to offer but still make money online, the best way is to sell other peoples products, this is called affiliate marketing.

In affiliate marketing, you can make money online by featuring in your website the products of other websites and sell them for a commission. Your sole concentration is on how to create a huge traffic flow to your ecommerce business.

Each product you sell will provide you with a sales commission, so the greater number of traffic flow will result to a higher rate of buyers which sums up to more sales.

Choose wisely the products and the affiliate-marketing partner you choose. You need to have a partner that has products you yourself believe in to effectively sell them. In addition, their products must have the same niche as your product. You will come out to be more credible if you have a fishing website and sell fishing products, rather than selling make up for example.

Some people sell information. You don't need to have a product in this as well. If you know a whole lot about something, you can offer your expertise for a certain fee. Post them in your site and put them in an area where members only can view. The fee can come in the form of the membership fee.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

THREE EASY WAYS TO PROFIT FROM YOUR BLOG

Cyberspace has a NEW marketing tool, even though they've been around for quite some time, yet, ONLY recently have been recognized as a Powerful communication tool for Internet marketers.

If you've been following the latest Internet marketing trends like I have, then you've definitely heard of them.
What's this new marketing tool I'm taking about that every Serious marketer should have in place?
BLOGS! ...(A.K.A. Web-Log).
Now, just for those of you who aren't quite sure what a BLOG is, here's a quick definition:

A BLOG(A.K.A. Web-Log) is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating(usually on a daily to weekly basis) a blog is called "Blogging"
There you have it, quick and to the point.
If you want to read up more about "Blogs", here's a link to articles I wrote earlier that goes more in depth.


Okay. For the rest of this article I want to focus on how ONE can $$Profit$$ from having there own Blog.
I'm going to list three ways that I think are the Best and most Powerful ways to get the most out of it
So, with that said, let's go to Profit Tactic #1.
Profit Tactic #1. Writing "Articles".
Writing "Articles" are a very Powerful way to profit.

There are many reasons why "Articles" are valuable to your Blog, but, for the purpose of this article I'm going to give you the most important part, and that's your "Resource Box" at the end of your article.

Your "Resource Box" is like a classified ad and holds critical information about You, your websites and what you have to offer them after they've read your article.

The links within your "Resource Box" could lead to your own Product or Service you have to offer, or they could lead to a Affiliate Product related to the content of your article.

This is a great way to give them something of "Value", which is the information within the article, and a great way to get them to take action by way of getting them to click on one of the links within your "Resource Box".
That's "Profit Tactic #1".

Profit Tactic #2. Writing "Product Reviews".
Writing "Product Reviews" is a great way to profit also, simply because they allow you to Soft-Sell your potential customer by way of giving them your personal opinion on the product you are recommending and then providing them with a link if they wish to look into it further, instead of throwing a Sales Pitch at them .

Nobody likes to be sold, but, offering them your insight on a Product and/or Service that could help solve the problem they're dealing with is yet another great way to profit from your Blog and make you look like a Hero.
That's "Profit Tactic #2".

Profit Tactic #3. "Text Ad" Programs.

"Text Ad Programs" like Affiliate Power Ads or Google Adsense are yet Another great way to profit from.

I've listed these two "Text Ad" programs for a reason, One is a Pay-Per-Click(Google Adsense) and shows related ads to the content on that particular webpage and the other one(Affiliate Power Ads) makes You up to $60 to $100 dollars in commissions on a single click.

They are both FREE to join and only take you minutes to set-up depending on your experience.
The great thing is... they'll be displayed on every page of your Blog when you make a post.

Now, I'm sure there are many other ways to $$Profit$$ from your Blog, but these ones in my mind are the most Powerful.

Well... there you have it, "3 POWERFUL Ways To Profit From Your BLOG... Starting TODAY!".
If you haven't started a BLOG, maybe it's time you considered it since NOW you have some incentive.
I truly hope this article helped you realize the $$Profit$$ potential your Blog could have and how you can start incorporating it... Starting TODAY

Monday, January 23, 2012

7 REASON WHY YOU NEED TO JOIN A FORUM (PART TWO)

You should also seek a forum to help you with your Internet marketing. There are many different approaches to Internet marketing and while some people prefer the scatter-gun approach most choose one or two primary methods. Explore and text methods to determine which you feel most comfortable with and then join a forum focused on that method to help you refine your approach and achieve maximum success


One of the primary problems with the Internet is that it can be easy to feel isolated. However forums can help bridge the gap of time and distance by serving as a community as well as an information source. Friendships and even love can be found in time and laughter and camaraderie and commiseration can help sustain the person as well as the business.

Forums can also help you find customers for your business. As you participate and share information about your business some folks will naturally express an interest. As you share your expertise and demonstrate your knowledge then you will attract still more. Don't be a pushy salesperson, simply allow your expertise to showcase your business and you will attract a quality customer relationship.

A forum can also be a great place to find partners to help you expand or promote your business in a number of ways. You might discover some like-minded soul whose business perfectly complements yours or you might discover the perfect joint-venture partner. Even if you encounter people you might view as competition try to view the relationship from many angles to see if there is a way to benefit from a partnership rather than a competition.

Joining forums can provide many benefits to you and to your business but remember that Internet communities are social contracts with rules and guidelines. Make sure you know and understand the rules before leaping into discussions. It is even more difficult to undo a bad first impression on the Internet as it cannot always be erased. Start slow and easy until you are sure of your footing. Also, be very wary about pushing your business too aggressively. That type of activity can get you banned from a forum pretty quickly. Many forums have a clearly marked area for advertising and sales posts and also allow some blatant promotion in your signature, but keep your posts on topic and helpful and you'll be better off in the long run

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

7REASON WHY YOU NEED TO JOIN A FORUM

7REASON WHY YOU NEED TO JOIN A FORUM (PART ONE)

Human beings are social by nature, and online communities or forums are the latest in a long progression of social organizations created by humankind. While many people join forums specifically for the social benefits, there are several good reasons for Internet entrepreneurs to join an online forum. Here are the top seven benefits you and your online business can reap.

The top reason many Internet business men and women join forums is for the search engine benefits. Many forums are tremendously popular with search engines and so not only rank well but also are regularly crawled. Most forums offer an introductions area as well as a signature area where you can promote your web site or sites. In addition, as you participate in a forum that is relevant to your site's topic there will likely be opportunities to work your site into conversation. All these links can be of tremendous benefit in terms of search engine rankings and relevant back links.

However, if you think that search engine benefits are the beginning and end of the ways you and your Internet business can profit from joining a forum then you are missing out on a lot of learning.

If you are going to join a forum then join a forum that help you learn more about your niche. Even if you are an expert in your field there is always more to be learned and where else to go for that knowledge than a place where others knowledgeable in your area also hang out? That is what is so wonderfully flexible about forums. There really is an Internet community for everyone and every interest. Your task is to find the forum where your peers are already hanging out. Learning more about your niche is a tremendous benefit of joining a forum.

You don't need to restrict your forum memberships to those within your field. It is also wise to join forums that can help you learn more about how to run your business. Find forums of other small business owners and entrepreneurs. You will soon be able to find folks who are at your level of expertise as well as those with more experience willing to share their hard-earned lessons. Soon you'll have the opportunity to repay that debt by mentoring other newbies. This sharing and hand-holding is one of the elements that make Internet communities so successful.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

4 Powerful Ways to do Market Research and Uncover a Profitable Niche for Free

Aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners are often misled or misguided on the topic of how to properly conduct market research that uncovers a profitable niche.

The path most unsuspecting entrepreneurs take is by ending up at keyword tool or database to begin their search.

As a keyword research expert and founder of one of the leading keyword research services on the internet, I can say with first hand experience that keyword databases are not the first place to look nor should be even considered. Here's why.

The primary keyword databases that are currently available to the general public only give search counts on a limited amount of data that accounts for 1% - 2% of the actual searches people do around the entire world. They can only predict (emphasis added) the real majority of searches that are being done on the big five search engines such as Google, MSN, Yahoo, AOL and Ask.com which hold 97%-98% of the keyword data.

Most importantly, keyword research only shows what keyword phrases people are using in the search engines to search for answers, not what people actually buy on the internet. Just because a group of people search for specific terms or brand names does not mean that's what they purchase. That's a key distinction many entrepreneurs and business owners tend to gloss over.

When looking for a profitable niche marketplace, your primary focus should be looking for proof of a group of hungry and rabid buyers that want to exchange their money for a service or product (information, physical or digital). Without this crucial qualifier, you may have the greatest product in the world, but you may be lacking a market to sell it to.

This article will present a number of great sources to look at which will give you a running start to uncover a truly, profitable marketplace exists before you go for the gold and put all your resources into a website, product creation or expenditures toward some sort of online property.

Once you establish that you have located a market that contains signs of adequate commerce moving through it, you then have a worthy reason to look further into a keyword research service to find out what keyword phrases people use to find the market you have chosen.

Let's begin looking at how to identify a profitable market.

MAGAZINES

One of the best ways to find signs of a truly profitable marketplace is looking for a magazine in that industry. If a publisher has enough money to print and circulate a full color magazine, there are most likely advertisers that support the funding of the magazine's ability to circulate all the copies which most likely means there are sales being made by those advertisers.

Now, this may bring you to question whether there is too much competition in a marketplace with so many advertisers selling in a magazine.

In fact, it's a great sign to have competition which means there is an adequate amount of customers to sell to and a portion of a sizable pie to be had in that marketplace. If there is very little competition, you may (1) not have adequate product being sold in that space; or (2) not have a marketplace to begin with. The larger the competition is, the larger the piece of revenues you will be able to grab.

Without having to leave your seat, you can hop on over to Magazines.com and looking through the number of different categories to find a profitable topic or industry in which to start an online concern.


One of the things you'll want to focus in on is the number of subscribers each magazine has and how long the magazine has been in print for stability purposes.

Make a list of magazines you want to look into and then go hunting for them at one of those large dedicated newsstands that covers just about every magazine on every topic.

To get a better look at what people are buying in the online world, you will need to ultimately decide whether you wish to represent physical or digital products.

PHYSICAL PRODUCTS

There are two incredibly huge marketplaces that are massively trafficked, move a lot of product and are great places to find what people are really buying.

Let's start with the first huge marketplace…

eBay

At eBay, you can look through a list of the most popular products people are buying through auctions or from eBay stores that vendors have setup. To see a visual path on how to locate the most popular products, please use the reference below to view the extended version of this article.

Amazon.com

Another really big marketplace is Amazon and it's not just for books. You can find just about any product and name brand that is a mover and shaker. Again, look at the most popular products in those categories that catch your attention.

DIGITAL PRODUCTS

If you wish to sell products of the digital nature which does not require inventory and which usually carries high profit margins for affiliates, you'll want to check out the Clickbank digital marketplace that ranks product sales from highest to lowest sellers in each category.

Just browse through categories at Clickbank.com and you'll instantly find the top sellers of digital info products, software and subscription services which are located right at the top listings. See also reference section below for a link to the extended version of this article for visual aids and more detailed guidance.

Once you gather the adequate market research, you can do one of the following:

• Create an online store that ships out physical products and merchandise (requires inventory)
• Sell merchandise through eBay auctions or their online stores (requires inventory)
• Create a site that represents vendors as an affiliate (requires no inventory)
• Create your own product, service or software for a digital product (requires no inventory)

Having used at least two of the four places above, you can be assured that you have conducted proper market research to uncover "proof positive" what people are buying and, thus, a profitable niche market.

You can then quickly build out a non-complex site with a simple product offering, find some low cost keywords to use in a Google Adwords Pay-Per-Click campaign with a minimal spend of $50 to test the market and see if you have a winner.

If the initial test results pan out, meaning that you pulled a profit from your test, you can invest more energies, conduct more extensive keyword research and expend more advertising dollars. If the test results do not pan out, find another market until something sticks.

I believe this should arm you with enough information to get you moving toward finding a market with bottomless profits.