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Archive for September, 2010

A Fresh Approach To Online Marketing: Article Brokering

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

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Content is still king.. but where can you get it from? Workers in India, Malaysia and other foreign countries are now competing with Internet writers in the US, Canada, and England to deliver content for U.S. companies. By setting their prices low, they simply force native English speaking writers to drop their prices to keep up.

However, there are still American writers who can do a very decent job at $1 to $1.50 per 100 words of unique articles. The secret lies within finding them, but I will get back to that in a little bit.

So how’s this relevant to online marketing? Here’s an idea that’s been used in retail and e-commerce stores since the late ‘90s, yet for some reason it’s not very popular in the realm of article marketing. I like to call it “Article Brokering”, and it’s the same “dropshipping” business model that’s made people millions of dollars on Ebay. The idea is quite simple (the implementation isn’t as easy, though). In fact, I can narrow it down to 3 bullet points:

1) You find upscale clients who are willing to pay top dollar for QUALITY articles

2) You act as the “middleman” by finding a “supplier” (effectively, another writer) to do the job for a smaller fee than what you got paid

3) You verify what your supplier wrote, send it off to your client, pay your supplier, and keep the difference

It’s the same old real estate fixer-upper model. It’s the same old site flipping. And if you’re a content creator like me, then you work with internet marketers on a daily basis. So why haven’t you implemented this model yet?

There are numerous benefits to doing this as opposed to writing articles yourself.

First, a solid 500-word article should require quite a bit of time to research, compile, edit, and proofread. This takes me about an hour. As a content creator, how much can you charge for articles? Let’s say you charge $2 per 100 words. So that’s $10 an hour, right? In an eight-hour work day, you can earn $80 at the most. That’s not a lot of money for a very busy 8-hour work day that requires THIS much thinking. Wouldn’t you rather do half the work and earn two to three times more money?

Second, you can build a reputable brand doing this. Since you’re paying your suppliers for original content, you get full rights to it. Therefore, no one has to know that you’re outsourcing the labor.

Third, you quickly find a loyal clientele that uses you over and over for all of their content creation needs. I personally have 5 of those clients, and I get steady work from them on a weekly basis, which is very nice for an “Article Brokering” model that runs 80% on autopilot.

If you switch from being an Article Creator to being an Article Broker, you can still maintain a high standard of quality, without having to work as much. The key lies within finding an upscale clientele and a network of low-cost suppliers. The bad news is that this can be complicated if you’re inexperienced; however, with just a bit of effort, this is a lot easier than it sounds.

What do you think about this concept? Please leave your comments – we’re eager to hear from you.

Guest post by Vas Blagodarskiy, author of Article Brokering

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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Can Your Choice of Photography Be Hurting Your Brand?

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

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Vision is the most advanced of our senses. We understand the world through our eyes and images play an exceptional role in human perception-we evolved to make fast decisions based in what we see, determining friend from foe at a glance.

In the modern world we grow looking at sophisticated images created by the entertainment and advertising industries. By the time we leave college we’ve been exposed to millions of these pictures and they become the criteria to cast opinions – in a blink of an eye – about what is good or bad, inferior or excellent. There is no underestimating the power of first impressions.

The photography you use creates an immediate impression as to where your company stands in terms of professionalism, attention to detail and quality control. It also identifies whether you employ inferior standards in return for lower costs!

When determining the price of creating the photography that helps you sell your products or services, step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. Does the image you use reflect the way you want customers to perceive your brand?

In this belt-tightening economy, it’s easy to fall to the temptations of using cheaper alternatives anywhere we can. Cheap stock photography floods the web, technology makes possible to have your own in house studio and employ a staff that will crank out pictures. You may even consider doing it yourself.

But does doing things cheaply have to mean cheapening your brand? It obviously pays to shop around. You should never over pay for your photography. At the same time, you want to create a look that’s all your own. Start with a clear understanding of your brand, the key messages you want to communicate, and your core differentiators.

The next step is to research photography and find something that is representative of your brand. As images are researched, consider their uniqueness and how closely they reflect your brand attributes what you want to communicate to customers. This is essential for leaving a long term impression that lasts.

By using the right photography, you can truly elevate your brand and create something that communicates more than a sales letter or promotional piece. There are some things you don’t want to compromise on – and one of those is the imagery used on a continuous basis. Be clear and find the right photography to get you there.

Guest post by Mariano Pastor of Via U! Photography

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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Internet Marketing.. Managing It All

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

The problem with marketing is that there’s always more to do. The reality is that marketing can be an overwhelming process and become more complex as time goes on. Launching campaigns, tracking results, revising and testing landing pages is never-ending. So how can you manage it all?

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Over the last couple of years, I’ve really learned the importance of prioritizing projects. To do so, you need to have agood understanding of your goals. What are you trying to achieve for your business? What outcome should your marketing achieve? Not all marketing initiatives result in a direct sale. You may be interested in impressions, getting a link on a dot gov website or even getting a customer testimonial. One of the best ways to manage your Internet marketing is with a clear goal.

Regardless of what you want your marketing to achieve, always be mindful of your goal. This ensures that you are making the right decisions and effectively managing your workload. Once you have prioritized your work, the next step is to build a daily routine that makes your marketing tasks part of your daily work.

Internet marketing requires that you are checking your accounts on a daily basis. We all know the importance of analytics and managing PPC accounts. Managing all of your accounts can prove time consuming and difficult to handle if left unchecked. The key is to build these account checks into a daily routine. With only a few minutes each day, routine tasks like logging into your 5 – 7 most important accounts make things more manageable.

After you’ve prioritized your workload and integrated some daily tasks into your routine, the next step is make your large projects into smaller tasks. Personally, I manage at least 4 or 5 large projects at a time. However, to ensure that I don’t get overwhelmed, I’m continually re-prioritizing and giving myself only 3 tasks to focus on daily. The goal is to get those 3 tasks done no matter what the day brings.

Marketing requires work. It would be nice if all we had to do was press a button and results would abound. However, this isn’t the case. We need to proactively manage our marketing and put time and energy into those activities that we believe will produce the best results. Manage this process effectively and your sure to get results!

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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The Biggest Challenge of My Online Marketing Career

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

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Okay, so here’s the deal. I’ve been working on a new search engine optimization (SEO) training course for the past 4 months. And quite honestly, I can’t control my excitement. Many of you who read my blogs or have bought my book, SEO Made Simple, have been asking me for additional SEO training.

Unfortunately there aren’t enough hours in the day to help everyone seeking SEO advice – so I put together a complete video training course that’s going to show everyone how I’ve been achieving #1 Google rankings for very competitive keyword I’ve chosen.

The reason I’m so excited is because I just finished my promotional video. The course doesn’t launch for a couple of weeks but I honestly can’t control my excitement. The background on the video is simple. A good friend of mine and internet marketing guru, Greg Cesar asked me how long it would take me to research a Clickbank product, build a website, and achieve #1 rankings on a major search engine. Even though new websites take much long to rank I said, “I’m not entirely sure Greg but maybe it’s possible to do in only 30 days!”

Enter the 30 Day Challenge. Greg Challenged me to use the same techniques I’m going to reveal in my SEO training course to take on this challenge and win. If you’re interested in learning more about the SEO video training program, be sure to visit SEO The Easy Way.

When the program launches in a couple of weeks, you’ll have access to free webinars, bonus resources, and much more. I’m not planning on a huge launch event but if you sign up at the site, I’ll be sure to send you and email notification when the program opens. I’ll likely limit access to the program to the first 1,000 members so we can provide personal attention to all those interested. Let me know what you think of the video! Thanks – Michael.

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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The Power of Referrals

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

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Although I’ve talked about referrals on this blog in the past, maybe even recently, I thought I’d spend some more time focusing on this very important aspect of marketing. Whether you are a marketing manager, business owner, or salesperson, referrals make the difference between success or failure.

Referrals come in all different shapes and sizes

It’s pretty common for someone to think of a referral as one person telling another about how great a product or service is. However, referrals go beyond the obvious. Many times, individuals seek out referrals from others. A great example is that of a neighbor who has a well manicured lawn. The guy next store looks at his own lawn and says, “my lawn doesn’t look so good.” As a result, he seeks out information on making his lawn look better.

The lawn service should be supportive of this type of referral-seeking behavior. Is there a sign in front of the neighbors house that indicates the lawn service provider? Are the trucks well appointed with lawn service logo, name, and phone number? Has the lawn service provided all of the neighbors with “we cut Bob’s lawn at 123 neighborhood way, let us cut yours?”

There are many different ways to support what I call sought after referrals which are often overlooked. The yellow pages are also another great tool to use when trying to capture those seeking referrals or points of reference. I recently needed some repair work done. Since I like to kick it old school every now and again, I reached for the Yellow Pages – yes the actual 4 inch thick book!

Setting yourself apart

I saw a number of vendors who could provide a service for me but the one I chose said, “Serving [townname]… hundreds of satisfied local customers.” I checked around and in fact, there were plenty of people in my own neighborhood who had used the guy. His ad was focused on the local flavor I wanted and the fact that he had already serviced many of the homes in my neighborhood.

The motto of this story is, don’t think that you always have to hard sell people head on. Rather, consider the softer approach with leverage. Leverage is using your existing customers and those especially satisfied with your services to help sell for you. When prospects know they will be in good company, they’re often much easier to convince.

You can always rely on the more direct referral approach. You know, “Please recommend us to five of your best friends,” but how often has this really had the impact you’ve hoped for? Probably never. Instead, think about making it easier for others to find you and create the leverage you need for getting them to buy.

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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Are Trade Shows Still a Viable Marketing Tactic?

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

This week I spent time working a trade show out in Phoenix AZ. Aside from the great weather and opportunity to spend some time reaching decision makers, I thought it was a good opportunity to assess whether or not trade shows are still a viable marketing tactic.

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I’ve been to my share of trade shows and quite honestly, some have been great others were barely worth the time. But I have to ask, “are trade shows in general really worth it?” By the time you add up all of the direct expenses, time, and effort of working a show, the benefits may seem questionable.

Based on my recent experience and years of attending trade shows, I’ve come up with guidelines that can help anyone make the most of their trade show experience.

1. Only attend shows that reach decision makers. Now you might be saying, “Hey, it’s all about influencers – they don’t have the buying power but they talk to their bosses.” Great, then send them a post card. But don’t waste your time trying to influence them via a trade show. The expense just doesn’t justify the potential return.

2. Focus on local shows. I’m not saying that national trade shows are out, but more often than not, you can have a greater presence at a local show and have more of an impact. National shows require you to fly in reps from all over and incur significant expense. Local shows however usually are less costly and allow you to better reach your target market.

3. Follow up on your leads. Did you know that many studies have been done on the effectiveness of trade shows. Surprisingly, 75% of trade show leads are never followed up on. This may be the case for a variety of reasons (lead in different territory, other priorities, etc.) but the fact remains that the reason most of us go to trade shows never gets realized. If you are going to invest in attending a show, follow up on each and every lead.

4. Make the most of after show dinners and activities. The best opportunities are usually those that happen during non-exhibit hours. Invite potential clients to breakfast, dinner, make appointments, have meetings. Take advantage of having your target market in the area and try to build strong relationships with your prospects. Have a two minute conversation at your booth is a crap shoot at best.

5. Only go back to shows that generate a positive ROI. I wish I had more fingers! If I tried to count the number of times I’ve heard, “We have to go back, we saw so many of our customers” or “We had some really great booth traffic”, I’d quickly run out of fingers to count on. Nothing matters except conversions. If your leads do not convert, then your trade show expense was not worth it. Instead of investing all of that money to see clients, find other ways to bring them together and achieve the outcome you’re looking for.

Trade show attendance makes sense if you can manage your costs and effectively leverage all of the different aspects that trade shows have to offer. Be very selective in which shows you attend and carefully plan your time there, establish goals, and evaluate your performance. This is the best way to make each show productive and determine if it’s worth returning to in the future.

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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This Week: Marketing With Original Content

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

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Having been in marketing for more than a dozen years, I can tell you that one thing that positions a company and product better than any other, is original content. Having unique content that is relevant to your audience can dramatically improve your business.

What is original content?

Anything that your write and publish (online, pdf, ebook, blog, etc.) is considered original content. Often times creating original content is seen as a nice to have and not a must-have. However, if anyone is to really make a difference for their products or brand, generating original content needs to be front and center.

This is why websites like CNN.com and MSNBC are so well known – original content. Everything on their site is authored and done so with care and attention. Now you might be say, “I sell widgets. What does original content have to do with my business?” That’s an excellent question and one worth answering.

If am in the market for buying a widget, I’m probably going to search online. From my first search, original content is going to win out. Sites that have original content, that write their own reviews, product descriptions, and so on, are going to be ranked higher in search results. Additionally, as I engage with the content – perhaps product reviews or descriptions – I’m going to move through the purchase decision process and buy something.

Sites that are using descriptions from other websites or don’t have much content that speaks about widgets, aren’t very engaging. A site that creates and publishes different reviews, opinions, usage suggestions, and so on, will keep readers engaged and moving towards the ultimate outcome of a purchase.

Original content doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming.

The complaint I often hear is that creating original content can be very time consuming or simply cost a bundle to have written. In my experience it doesn’t have to be. Of course writing content for a website initially is going to take some time. Once established, publishing a new article or adding some information from time to time is easy to do.

There are also plenty of plug-ins and other applications that can integrate reader comments, product reviews and so on. By using these widgets, you can quickly integrate new content into your website site that is both relevant and meaningful. Many of these widgets are free or very low cost.

If you’re searching for original content, there are sites out there such as eLance that can connect you with writers, publishers, and experts to author whatever content you need created. Most authors can now write for the web or print. Don’t be discouraged by the need for original content, embrace it.

Use original content to generate leads.

One of my favorite ways to use original content is to offer access to specialized information at a price. Browsers may be interested for example in downloading a guide on how others have used their widgets (previous example) to do a special kind of project. By asking browsers simply for their name and email, you can add them to your auto responder or prospect list.

Creatively using original content to get individuals to opt in is the first step in creating a pool of potential customers. Think of their greatest needs, challenges, and requests for information and author something of value. The result will be meaningful content that they are willing to exchange something for – usually contact information.

Original content is necessary for being successful online. If you want to rank well on search engines, find a pipeline of potential customers, and be a resource for existing customers who continue to buy from you, then consider developing original content and you’re sure to win every time

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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Affiliate Marketing Made Simple

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

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It’s been a while since I spent any time talking about affiliate marketing even though it’s something I do every day. A friend of mine asked me for a quick primer on affiliate marketing so I thought I’d share my thoughts with everyone who reads this blog.

I know from the many comments and emails that many of you are interested in driving more traffic to your websites, improving rankings, and making the most from your PPC and other online advertising.

Many of you have also shared your goal to generate revenue online through affiliate marketing. For those of you who may not be all that familiar with affiliate marketing, the concept is simple: get paid for selling someone else’s product. You might be asking, “why sell someone else’s product and not my own?” The reality is that affiliate marketing isn’t for everyone but it’s great if you don’t want to deal with the hassles of running your own traditional business.

Selling physical products, either from a retail establishment or online with a website requires that you advertise, sell, and process orders – usually through an online shopping cart. Once you’ve made a sale, you need to package and deliver the product, support any calls that come in (product questions, shipping inquires, reship damaged inventory, etc.). The process is labor intensive and time consuming.

Enter affiliate marketing. When selling someone else product through an affiliate network the steps are quite simple. You begin by selecting an affiliate product, do some affiliate advertising, and send traffic to a vendor’s sales page. When a prospect converts you get paid. Simple, isn’t it?. The advantage to you is that you’re earning revenue with no inventory, no customer service, and no hassles.

What’s wonderful about affiliate marketing is that there are plenty of product to choose from and dozens of large affiliate networks that aggregate many advertisers into a single platform, making the process of finding relevant products easy. Different products and offers also have different payouts. You can choose to sell big ticket items with big commissions or smaller offers. There are even recurring offers that deliver a steady income to the seller month after month… my favorite!

Getting started with affiliate marketing is simple to do. Visit a site like Clickbank to find suitable offers and promotional links. All you need to do is start driving traffic through the links posted on your site and as prospects purchase items for the vendor’s web page, you get paid. Most affiliate sites pay every couple of weeks by check, direct deposit, or via PayPal.

There are lots of ways drive traffic to your affiliate offers. Use your website, write and distribute an article, review the product on your blog, tweet about it, use PPC marketing, etc. There are many ways to promote different types of products. I recommend that you choose products that have a good commission ($25 or more) and are related to your content. If you have a web site about trucks, refer users to affiliate products such as truck parts. If you stay relevant, you’ll get good results. Wander too far off course and your traffic will never convert.

If you want to start making money online, I encourage you to sign up for an affiliate network. It costs nothing and can begin generating some extra cash for your wallet. Successful affiliate marketers can make hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, or more. Affiliate marketing is a great way to do business online and everyone should join in.

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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The Power of Free Trials

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

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This week I was surfing the web looking at different types of offers and couldn’t help but think about all of the different approaches to getting prospects further along in the purchase decision funnel. This is one of the most important areas that we, as marketers, can focus on.

One type of sales/marketing promotion that I’m seeing quite a bit of is the free trial. Online, the way this generally works is to offer a 7 day or 30 day free trial. When signing up for the offer, you are asked to enter your credit card information. Upon trial expiration, you’re charged the full amount for your product or service.

Many services are subscription based too, charging your credit card a recurring fee. Subscription sites are a great way deliver information and provide a great deal of value. These sites, and others like them, are using free trials to allow you to experience the product or offering. Those who continue on with the product or service are more loyal and better informed about what they are buying.

I know a number of Internet marketers who offer subscription based services and they claim a much higher level of engagement among customers and higher degree of satisfaction. The question I have to ask myself as a marketer is how I can apply this methodology (free trial) to my own products and services?

This week, think about the products you’re marketing or selling. Is there a way to give your prospect a sample of what you offer? If you are offering an informational product, can you share the first chapter or first couple of pages (..as I have with my book, SEO Made Simple)? Can you offer a small sample of your physical product? If you are a retail store, can you construct product samples that would allow prospective customers to take something home and try it out for a short period – charging them if the item is not returned or returned late?

I realize that free trials aren’t ideal for everyone or every product. None-the-less, they force us rethink how we expose our prospects and services to our target market. If free trials aren’t viable for your business perhaps they can encourage you to rethink the payment model for your products or services. Can users buy a basic service (sample) and then pay for the standard or platinum service? What type of upgrades can you offer – adding features beyond an initial purchase.

By rethinking the value of a trial you can take your marketing to the next level. The key is to experiment with different offers. Measure how many prospects take you up on the initial offer and then the upsell or ongoing subscription. It’s important to focus on life time customer value, not just the initial purchase price.

Let me know if you’re usin free trials and how successfuly they are for you!

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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The Most Powerful Form of Marketing: WOM

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

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I’m often asked, “What is the most effective form of marketing?” To which I respond, “word of mouth.” Nothing is as effective as word-of-mouth marketing. The real question is how to generate word of mouth from your customers on a regular basis. There are a variety of ways to generate word-of-mouth marketing and many are overlooked by companies large and small.

One of the best ways to generate a referral is with a strong customer advocacy campaign. Do you honor and reward your best customers? When customers are celebrated, there’s lots to talk about. You can share their honor with others in their segment or group. Additionally, you can repackage the information in the form of news or video, easily distributed throughout the Web. This creates awareness and interest for your product or service.

I personally like using surveys to get at the heart of what your customers like and don’t like about your products or services. By utilizing open ended questions like, “Who do you know who could benefit from our product?” Experiment with different ways for generating referrals from surveys that are personalized and based on customer insights.

Another great way to create word-of-mouth is through a customer referral campaign. Referral campaigns are simple to implement but require a solid understanding of your audience. By asking and rewarding your customers for referrals, you can have them do the selling for you. This type of personal selling is one of the most effective. Consider low cost methods of rewarding your customers for referrals. This could be a discount on existing services or added bonuses.

Other word-of-mouth campaigns may be effective in utilizing testimonials. Today, with the help of blogs, video, and web sites, when customers have a good experience they have lots of ways to share it. The challenge is to direct your customers to promote good experiences, not bad. Although I’ve tried to solve this dilemma for over a decade, the only discovery I’ve made is that you have to take the good with the bad.

There’s actually a silver lining here. Research has shown that when customer comments contain both positive and negative feedback, they are more believable. The key is to encourage your customers to speak up about positive experiences and downplay the negative ones. When you receive or come across negative comments, respond to them – work with your customers to make things right. After that, let them go. The balance of positive and negative works in your favor.

Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. Think of ways to elicit positive feedback from customers. If you focus on generating word-of-mouth, you’ll quickly find a number of methods for encouraging referrals from your customers.

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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