List Building 2.0: Polls For Prospecting

By now most people know that Web 2.0 is simply the evolution of the Internet into an environment of interactivity, reader participation, and usability. Web 2.0 opens up the dialog between user and website or blog. This connection can help generate traffic and a viral buzz.

But from a search engine marketing (SEM) standpoint, the benefits are clear and measurable: More traffic and frequent interactivity (or posts) equal better organic (free) rankings in search engine results. Getting good organic rankings is a powerful way to find qualified prospective customers.

So what online tactic encourages Web 2.0 principles as well as helps with search engine results page rank, visibility and listing building efforts? Targeted online acquisition polls.

Online acquisition polls can help you collect names and e-mail addresses, gauge general market (or subscriber) sentiment, and generate sales via a redirect to a promotional page. They also allow for interactivity, where a user can sound off about a hot topic. I've been including polls in my online marketing strategy for nearly a decade now, and have rarely been disappointed with the results. Some websites, like surveymonkey.com, allow members to set up free or low-cost surveys and polls.

However, they may not allow you to include a name-collection component or a redirect to a promotional offer. If that's the case, either ask your Webmaster to build you a proprietary poll platform or use a poll script. (You'll find examples at hotscripts.com, bgpoll.com/, ballot-box.net/faq.php, micropoll.com, and 2enetworx.com.) Here are eight ways to help make your online poll a success:

1. Make it engaging.Your poll question should engage the reader, encourage participation, pique interest, and tie into a current event. And be sure to have a "comments" field where people can make additional remarks. Sample topics: politics, the economy, health, consumer breakthroughs, the stock market, foreign affairs. Sites that highlight the most talked-about (and searched) topics on the Web include buzz.yahoo.com/, 50.lycos.com/, and google.com/press/zeitgeist.html.

2. Be relevant.Your poll question should also be related to your product, free e-zine topic, or free bonus report topic. This will greatly improve your conversion rate (the number of people who actually participate in your poll) and your up-sell rate. Let's say your free offer is a sign-up for an investment e-zine and your up-sell is a redirect landing page promotion for a paid investment newsletter. In that case, your poll question should be market related, something like "Where is gold headed in 2012?"

3. Offer an incentive.After people take your poll, tell them that to thank them for their participation you're automatically signing them up for your free e-zine or e-alerts... which they can opt out of at any time. To reduce the number of bogus e-mail addresses you get, offer a free "must-read" e-report too. And assuming it's your policy not to sell or rent e-mail names to third parties (and it should be), indicate that next to the sign-up button. This will reassure people that it's safe to give you their e-mail address.

4. Tag the responses.Having your poll question somehow tie into your product line makes the names you collect extremely qualified for future offers. Each name should be "tagged" by your database folks according to the answer they gave. Segmenting the names into such categories will make it easier for you to send targeted offers to them later. Let's say your product line includes an investment e-zine on equities. In that case, your poll question might ask people which investment product they think has the best returns: money market, gold, equities, or options. Those who answer "equities" will be prime candidates for a promotion for the e-zine.

5. Use the results for new initiatives.In addition to collecting names, online polls will help you gauge general market opinion - and could help you come up with new products. Keeping with our above example, you would flag all of the responses that come in. Then, if an overwhelming number of responders indicate an interest in an investment product you don't have - maybe one on gold - you should consider developing one. Because you now have an instant market of people to sell that product to.

6. Strengthen your new relationships.You need to reinforce the connection between the poll people just participated in and your e-zine or e-alerts. So make sure each name that comes in gets an immediate "thank you" (for taking the poll). Then send an automatically generated e-mail with the link for the downloadable free e-report you promised. Consider sending a series of "bonding" e-mails to them too - to help them get to know who you are, what you do, and how it will benefit them. This will help improve their lifetime customer value.

7. Gratify participants with the results.Don't just leave poll participants hanging. Make sure you tell them that the results will be published in your free e-zine or on your website (to encourage them to check it regularly). This will help increase readership and website traffic.

8. Publish the best reader comments.On your poll landing page, mention that some user feedback may be published (anonymously) in your e-zine or on your website. Pick the very best, most powerful responses to use. Republishing user feedback is fundamental to the Web 2.0 concept. And it has been extremely successful for social networking communities and blogs.

Marketers have used polls internally (on their own company website) for years. But now more than ever, with its cost effectiveness and efficiency, polls should be used to collect leads and interact with prospects. Polls aren't just for finding leads, either. They are also great for measuring market sentiment - which, in turn, can be insight that impacts your customer retention and service efforts.

Create Market Demand And Visibility

If you're about to launch a new product, book, website, or whatever and don't know where to begin - then you MUST read this...

After launching multiple products, websites and creating the marketing launch plans for several books that hit Amazon #1 best seller status in record time -- such as books by Michael Masterson, Bob Bly, and my own book, Content Is Cash -- there's a proven formula that works every time no matter what the actual "thing" is you're launching. Even better, many of these tactics are low to no cost. It's coordination and synchronization of online marketing efforts all culminating around a specific time period (i.e. certain a day of the week).

These efforts include:

--Staggered messages. These will go to your list and other external, synergistic lists such as affiliates, JV partners, friends, and industry contacts and include solo emails, ezine ads, editorial contributions (with ed. note) and social marketing efforts. The goal is to build anticipation and create a pent up demand about the "thing" that is going to be launched. Efforts should start 2-3 weeks out and pick up intensity and frequency on the designated launch date. Qualified people that demonstrated an interest during your pre-launch "teaser" efforts can be added to you hot list can also be the first to know about future new releases, beta testing and similar "insider" privileges. In addition to your regular bonding efforts and auto responder series, these names will then have potential to also be your top buyers new products.

--Social media. Start seeding relevant blogs, message boards, chat rooms and forums with information about your soon-to-be-released "thing". Record a video of yourself and your product on YouTube. Push out relevant, useful and actionable editorial that ties to your "thing" on top social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Ultimately, create messages that have the potential to go viral and create buzz around your launch.

--Content Marketing. Write a few keyword rich articles that tie into the theme of your launch and upload to top tiered article directory sites. Link all to your launch promo page (or wherever you want to drive traffic to for consumer to take action). Make sure you start your efforts a few weeks prior to launch so can gain momentum and exposure in search engine results pages.

--Pay per click. If you have the budget, bid on your relevant keywords to your launch theme and have a pre launch page that collects names to build your hot list. Offer a free report that also ties into your theme to help start the buy in and create demand. This is a great way to gauge general market interest in your product, but note, that this is a lead gen effort and not an immediate sale. So be prepared to pay for the lead. The sale should happen within 30 days of your launch, after proper bonding efforts are established and your normal sales funnel commences.

--Online PR. Get your message out quickly and cost effectively through free online press release distribution services. Make sure your release is truly newsworthy and not just fluff, if you want it to be credible. These efforts should occur the day of your release. If you have a budget, you can compliment free online PR efforts with a paid service, such as PRWeb.com, for a nominal one-time fee, and it will greatly increase your reach and exposure. Either distribution channel, the release will get picked up by bloggers, media websites, industry websites, and online news aggregators (such as Yahoo and Google) and not only increase awareness, but also give you back-links (SEO!) as well as have the potential to go viral.

--Online Classifieds. Increase your launch exposure by placing free text ads on sites such as CraigsList. The ad can be about your "thing" and link preferably to your promo webpage. Just make sure you select the right (relevant) category to put your add under in order to ensure you capture the right audience.

--Webinar/Teleseminar. Have a post-launch date free event to help increase visibility, leads and sales. Promote it through social media, internal lists and external partners. Again, the theme must tie into the "thing" you've launched as well as include an added value such as free Q&A session or workshop where participants can text in questions either real time or before the event (depending on how you set up your event). This also helps with bonding and credibility.

All of these efforts together tend to create an "avalanche" effect by picking up speed and getting bigger the more the efforts roll out. This helps create momentum and online traction. In a nutshell, you're creating market demand and interest poising yourself for optimum results.

Maximizing Your Fulfillment and Collateral Pieces

Here are some simple ideas, when applicable, for print and electronic fulfillment that helps encourage sales and customer lifetime value:

1. Personal Welcome or Thank You letter Catalog (whether it's for newsletters, products, or services. It could highlight all products OR current top sellers).


2. Cross-marketing flyer (a flyer highlighting a current hot product OR a natural, synergistic up-sell from the product ordered).


3. Coupon or special discount offer (or if electronic, coupon/promo code for online ordering).


4. Free sample (Women may remember Avon used to include tiny little lipsticks or perfume with their order. This approach is similar, could be a small, economy/sample size product OR bonus report or download access. Customers love, love, love freebies!).


5. Renewal (in publishing, this is called "renewal at birth". If you're selling a subscription service, include a renewal order form with your first issue).


6. Friends and family savings (another coupon for customer to pass on to friends or family. This encourages viral/word of mouth marketing).


7. Packing slip with product return label/instructions

As most marketers know, the first 0-30 days is when a client is red hot. Don't leave them cold. Leverage this time frame with your correspondence and turn your fulfillment pieces into another way to monetize sales and relationship build with your customers.

How to Maximize and Monetize Your Friends, Followers, Fans & Customers

Precision Marketing ezine issue 10/04/11

Today's issue features some useful and practical excerpts from my new, best-selling book, Content Is Cash: Find out how to convert your 'Triple F's' to help grow your business as well as discover what to do to 'know your list' better. Also, learn the trick to getting high-performing, lost cost print ads and how to understand the customer life cycle for maximum results to your bottom line.

Yours for success and profits,
Wendy Montes de Oca, MBA
~President, Precision Marketing and Media, LLC.
~Publisher, Precision Marketing eNewsletter
~Author, Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz [Que Publishing, 2011, Paperback]
~Blogger, MuscleMarketing.Blogspot.com

***************

Quick Power Tip: How To Get A Cost Effective Print Ad

This channel often gets a raw deal. One reason is because it's typically a costly platform.

To place an ad in a high-circulation magazine or newspaper, you could shell out serious money. But you don't need a big budget to take advantage of print ads. If you don't have deep pockets, consider highly targeted newspapers and periodicals in specific geographic locations.

For example, let's say you're selling an investment product or service. Before taking out a print ad in a large scale magazine or publication, such as Forbes, Money, Wall Street Journal, or similar, begin your search on the Web.

This is something I've done many times before and it not only worked wonderfully, but it brought in highly qualified leads. The following is an example for a specific niche. Your search queires may be different, but this gives you a solid idea how to approach this task.

First: Search the Internet by a targeted query albeit niche, geographic location or similar. In my case, I searched for the wealthiest cities in America.

Second: Several lists came up. I picked the top 20 and then did a second search for local newspapers within those communities (cities). These smaller newspapers hit my target audience (wealthiest cities) and had a decent circulation size. Even better, because these were local papers, the ad rates were much than some of the larger, broad-circulation publications. Bottom line - you end up getting quality rather than quantity.

Third: Email each paper asking for print ad rates, paid and free circulation, ad size and location. Put all your information into a spreadsheet then send your ad to the top 5 papers based on price and coverage.

I once paid for an ad in a local newspaper in Aspen, CO and Rancho Cucamonga, CA - two highly affluent areas - each with flat rates of less than $500. Both ads brought in tens of thousands of dollars in client revenues. My ROI turned out to be much more than 1,000%. This is a great, cost-effective way to drill down to your target audience, test out new creatives, and save money all while you're getting your feet wet with print ads.


Converting Your Triple F's: Friends, Followers and Fans

I recommend that you make a special conversion effort to encourage social media followers to give you their email addresses with you (as mentioned in my last issue, having an email address opens up the line of direct communication and list building) -or, as we say, opt in to receive your marketing messages. This typically involves creating strong promotional copy, which is sliced and diced and then used for social media posts and updates.

This promotional copy drives followers to a lead-generation landing page (or squeeze page), where the goal is to capture the email address of the friend, follower, or fan.
The offer should be something that will resonate with your follower, such as a useful freebie-perhaps a bonus report, e-zine subscription, audio download, bonus video, webinar, or teleseminar.

Ideally, this is something that has a perceived value and is immediate and relevant.
You run the campaign for a two-week period at a time, mixing your conversion messages with your regular, organic daily tweets or Facebook status updates. Then you monitor email sign-ups and website traffic (via Google Analytics), to ensure list growth and traffic source referrals. Aside from captivating copy, many variables come into play to make sure the effort is successful.

These include making sure email collection boxes are at the top, middle, and bottom of the lead-generation landing page being used. There should also be links to your privacy policy and an assurance statement alleviating any concern about email addresses being rented or sold to third parties.

It's also critical to clearly disclose before users submit their email address that opting in to receive your freebie also gives them a complimentary subscription to your e-newsletter (if applicable), along with special messages and offers from time-to-time.

Finally, you should follow up with a series of autoresponder (targeted messages) emails welcoming the new subscriber, offering strong editorial content and special offers. These emails facilitate bonding; validates that the correct email was given; ensures that the user is aware of the sign-up; and helps reduce false "do not mail" reports, email bounces, and general attrition.

Maximize Your Customer Life Cycle For Better Life Time Value (LTV) and Conversions

One of the most profound business books I ever read was Permission Marketing by Seth Godin.
The ideas in the book were very innovative at the time. The Internet and e-mail marketing were still young, and, like the Wild Wild West, most marketers and business owners were still trying to "wrangle it in" and figure out how to leverage the Web's possibilities... and, more important, turn those possibilities into profits.

In a nutshell, the book explained "how to turn strangers into friends and friends into customers." The principle behind this is to first understand the difference between cold (or interruption) marketing - like those annoying phone calls you always seem to get during dinner asking you to subscribe to the local newspaper... and permission marketing - where the prospect is actually giving you permission to contact them by "opting in" to receive your messages.

To help you get the most out of your Internet marketing, I have expanded on Mr. Godin's "stranger/friend/customer" concept and added two key components: multi-buyer and advocate. And I'll show you how you can leverage each of these segments to help grow your business.

Leveraging Your Customers Throughout Their Entire Life Cycle
You may think that a customer is someone who buys from you - period. But that's a very limited view. From the instant you "meet" your customer... until he's become a VIP buyer who's spent hundreds or thousands of dollars with your company... you should be interacting with him in different ways. Treating him properly every step of the way will create a true win/win situation. Your customer will continue to enjoy satisfying experiences with your company, and your company will enjoy the positive effect this relationship will have on its bottom line.

Here are the five stages a customer can go through during his life cycle, and how you can make the most of each one...

Stage 1: Stranger
The stranger or "prospect" doesn't know you. Your job is to get her attention. You have only a few seconds to get her to react - whether it's by asking her to click on your ad or open your e-mail message. Which means that your copy for the ad headline or e-mail subject line is critical.

Once you've captured her attention, your #1 goal is to have this stranger "opt in" to receive your messages, giving you a chance to continue to bond with her. This is also the time to start to build trust. Show your creditability. And explain what you can do for her (fill a desire, answer a need).

Stage 2: Friend
The friend has demonstrated an interest in your initial promotion and has opted in to receive more information from you. This gives you an outstanding opportunity to introduce him to your philosophy, your company, and your mission, and to re-enforce how you can help him.

During this stage, it's best to send a series of introduction e-mails (anywhere from 5 to 7) and withhold your new friends from your general mailing list. You don't want them (the newest names on your list) to start receiving promotional messages BEFORE they receive some of your editorial messages.

For most of my clients, I recommend sending introductory e-mails to new subscribers. Each e-mail is a special issue that's composed of articles that present the publication/gurus core philosophies. This gives new subscribers a chance to "warm up" to expert contributors, the format of the enewsletter, and the topics typically addressed. Only after they are warmed up do they go into 'general population' - that is, I start sending them editorial and promotional emails as usual.

Stage 3: Customer/Client
The customer (or client) is someone who has bought into your philosophy and purchased a product (or service) from you.

Many companies make the mistake of ending the customer relationship at this point. But after reading this article, you'll know better... you'll know that getting the customer is only the beginning. Keeping him is another story.

You don't want to put all your eggs into one acquisition basket while having few or no retention efforts. Good retention strategies entail ongoing communication (both promotional and editorial), outstanding customer service, quality products, and fulfilling your promises. Of course there will always be things outside of your control (like losing customers to market conditions). But the idea is to be proactive and not reactive. Keep the "80/20 rule" in mind - which states that 80 percent of your sales come from 20 percent of your customers.

Stage 4: Multi-Buyer
The multi-buyer is a customer who is tied into your brand and demonstrates product loyalty with your company. Multi-buyers have purchased several products from you, and are not afraid to spend money. These folks are your best list to roll out new products to or test higher price points. If you are thinking about creating a "VIP" or "Lifetime" product, you're going to want to advertise to this list. Multi-buyers will have a high lifetime value (LTV) for you, and will likely purchase cross-channel. In other words, they will buy from you no matter how you contact them - whether via banner ads, e-mail marketing, direct mail, or telemarketing.

Stage 5: Advocate
This segment of your customer database is your holy grail. Your list of advocates is made up of the most satisfied and loyal of your customers - and contains your best "unpaid" employees. Advocates will do your advertising for you by telling friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances about your products and services. And in today's Net-based environment, advocates are a major force in getting your name in the blogosphere and social communities... and spreading your marketing message virally.

So how do you create advocates? Well, advocates are not created, they're cultivated over time. The advocate must, of course, believe in your products and services. But for this special group, the customer experience goes deeper... to an emotional level. The advocate feels personally touched by your service, product, or guru. Because of you, her life is changed - and she's busting at the seams to help others as she has been helped.

Your advocates are people you want testimonials from. People you can invite to be in BETA test or focus groups. And people to get feedback from to help develop future products. Even better, this group can help you make more money in the future. For my clients, some of the best JV (joint venture) partnerships have been with advocates - people who understand the core values, respect the business, and have a company or product that is synergistic to my clients.

You want to treat these folks like the VIPs they are and invite them to special events or let them be the first to receive discounted offers. You may even consider creating affiliate marketing or referral programs to "formalize" this group's verbal recommendations.

Always keep in mind that the effort does not stop at the sale. Since it costs more to obtain new leads than to retain existing customers - now, more than ever - you have to know how to optimize the five stages of the customer life cycle.

Know Your List!

The most important rule in publishing is to know your list, your audience, or your subscribers. Knowing your current readers (customers) also helps you find new, targeted prospects.

If you haven't done so, I strongly recommend that you conduct at least one subscriber
survey per year (most of my clients conduct two per year-one at the midpoint and one at the end of the year).

This survey should include demographic, geographic, and physiographic questions. Find out who your subscribers are, what other newsletters they're reading, what their interests are, and things they like and dislike.

The more you know about your audience, the easier it will be for you to write useful and relevant information. Knowing who makes up your list and gearing specific content for your audience will get your articles read and passed around to likeminded readers.

You can use the data in your survey to create a subscriber profile both editorial and marketing staff with critical information about who an ideal subscriber is. If you understand your ideal subscriber, you'll understand your target prospect.

This information is invaluable for acquisition and retention efforts, so make it readily available to key staff members for easy reference. It's a constant reminder of who you're writing for and who you'd like to add to your database. In addition to its editorial and marketing uses, this information can help with media buying, joint venture opportunities, and creative and product development.

'Content Is Cash': #1 Web Marketing Best-Seller on Amazon

September 26 was a memorable day for me as an author. Content Is Cash hit #1 best-seller on Amazon for Internet marketing with it's Kindle version and simultaneously hit #4 in the same category for the paperback version.

In addition, the book was ranked 1,806 out of over 8,000,000 books on Amazon as well as #13 best-seller in the broad 'Business and Culture' category.

I was nearly doing back flips when I saw the stats in Amazon's Author Central area and even took a screen shot for posterity and posted it to my Facebook page.

It means so much to me that the public has embraced the book and it's resonated with so many marketers, entrepreneurs and business owners. Consumer reviews have been simply amazing.

No doubt the pre-launch buzz from industry legends such as Michael Masterson, Bob Bly, Martin Weiss, MaryEllen Tribby, and many others who have all praised the book helped set the tone.

And on top of that, the book was also featured by Newsmax.com, Amazon.com, and Target Marketing magazine as recommended reading for business and marketing enthusiasts.

If you're looking to grow your business using FREE, proven and high-performing organic marketing methods, then you gotta check this book out. Amazon has several chapters online to peruse.

The SONAR Content Distribution Model featured in Content Is Cash will work for virtually any size company, in any niche and with any budget.

The book is available on Kindle and Paperback at Amazon.com, read more at http://www.amazon.com/Content-Cash-Leveraging-Increased-Biz-Tech/dp/0789741083

The book is also available in ebook and special bundle packages by the Publisher, read more at http://www.quepublishing.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0789741083.

Happy reading!

Frienemy Marketing: Maximizing Joint Ventures and Other Business Opportunities For Increased Visibility, Sales and Leads

Frienemy Marketing: Maximizing Joint Ventures and Other Business Opportunities For Increased Visibility, Sales and Leads
By Wendy Montes de Oca, MBA

With the economic climate as crazy as it’s been, now’s a great time to look to your ‘friendly’ competition for opportunities to help grow your list and add extra revenues to your bottom line.
Even better, this can be done for virtually no out-of-pocket cost. Let me explain…
For many of my clients who have start-up companies or home-based businesses, I tell them how important is to think outside the box and implement high performing, organic (no cost) online marketing strategies that leverage what they already have: Content.

One such system is the SONAR Content Distribution Model TM, which I discuss in great detail in my new, best-selling book, Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz [Que Publishing, paperback].

SONAR is a powerful method of repurposing and distributing free content (albeit text, audio, video) and synchronizing its release into various, targeted, organic channels. It can work for virtually any business, in any niche, with any budget. SONAR represents the following online distribution platforms: S Syndicate partners, content syndication networks, and user generate content sites O Online press releases N Network (social) communities, social bookmarking sites A Article directories R Relevant posts to blogs, forums, and message boards

Now to cover all the tactical nuances of each of the five SONAR platforms wouldn’t be feasible in this article, and in fact, is already covered in great depth in my book.

However, what I’d like to shed some light upon is the most popular, yet illusive SONAR dove-tail strategy that is often overlooked by many business owners – one that actually encourages relationship cultivation with your competitors – and that I call, ‘Frienemy Marketing’.

When it comes to business growth and visibility, don’t rule out collaborative efforts with your friendly competitors, and by friendly, I mean synergistic and respected formidable adversaries with a like-minded community of followers to your own.

This is a great way to leverage your content and increase market share, enhance brand awareness, grow sales and leads, and establish credibility with a new, yet synergistic list.
As a consultant, and even back in the days when I was leading the marketing efforts at top publishers like Agora, Weiss and Newsmax, it was important for me to be ‘strategically creative’ and deploy as many no-cost online marketing tactics as possible for greater return on investment (ROI).

I would concentrate on the marketing and editorial relationships I had forged with fellow publishers and aggressively pursued ad swaps, guest editorials, and joint ventures (JV).
The idea is to develop synergistic relationships that are mutually beneficial – to look for areas of deficiency in your competitors and think of ways your company can fill the void.

One potential partner may have a great front-end product (e.g., a low cost e-book) but no up-sell (e.g., a higher-priced related kit containing DVDs, CDs, and workbooks). Another potential partner may have an innovative back-end product but no cost-effective front-end product to bring new customers in the door. Still others may have large, qualified lists but need editorial to bond with their lists.

Some tips to keep in mind when looking for partnerships with friendly competitors:

• Do your homework. Find out, in advance, who will be at industry events that you’ll be attending. (Check the program for speakers, vendors, and participants.) Sign up for their e-newsletters. Read their promotional e-mails. Maybe even purchase some of their products.

• Look at EVERY opportunity as a way to maximize your company’s brand during presentation breaks, lunch time, and cocktail parties. When you go to industry events, don’t eat dinner alone in your hotel room. Go to functions. Mingle. Network. Have a genuine conversation with a potential partner… then, if there’s a synergy between your two companies, exchange business cards.

• Before you contact a potential partner, get familiar with his products and target audience and figure out how your company may be able to dovetail with his product line or marketing efforts.

So, once you’ve made the connection, now what?

Reciprocal Ad Swaps
Assuming you both have content-based ezines, you can test the waters and see how your lists will react by doing an advertising swap. In other words, you run an ad in his e-newsletter and he runs an ad in yours for either name collection (lead generation) or product sales. Both list sizes should be close in circulation size, hence the reciprocity. You both keep any sales or email addresses collected, and call it a day.

To make sense out of the results of that test, you have to know your “opportunity cost” – the “cost” you will incur for running an outside ad to your list instead of your own ad. If you normally sell ad space in your e-newsletter, this cost could simply be the flat rate fee you typically charge. Or, if you know the average revenues an issue brings in, you could calculate the potential “missed opportunity” of letting another ad run to your list on a given day.

You should also agree to share important information with your partner. Before his ad runs in your e-newsletter, point out any creative issues. Provide your partner with your e-newsletter’s sent and deliverability sizes, open rate, and ad click rate. Exchanging performance data is critical to a long and mutually beneficial relationship. It has to be a win/win situation for the partnership to work.

Guest Editorials/Editorial Contributions
You can also look into doing guest editorials in other publishers’ e-newsletters – with an editorial note or byline that links to your offer. This is a great way to get introduced to a new list with the “implied” endorsement of the publisher. His endorsement gives you credibility. And if you provide his readers with good, solid, useful information, they will bond with you quickly.

This is a soft-sell approach that may or may not yield results on its own. But when coordinated with either a dedicated e-mail (if your partner is on board with a revenue split) or an e-newsletter ad the same week, your conversion rate (the number of people who go on to buy your product) will dramatically improve.

Joint Ventures (JVs)
I’ve got one more idea for you: joint venturing. This is a quick and cost-effective way to make money with your list even if you have not yet developed any products.

With a JV, you have an instant product line with no overhead costs. Your partner will supply the products, fulfill orders, and provide customer support. All you have to do is promote the products to your list and split the net revenues with them. For an even a more turnkey approach, you can sell e-reports through sites like Clickbank.com, where everything is automated.

To determine the viability of a potential JV product, there are several strategic marketing variables to consider. I like to think of them as “PPPGS”:
P = Product quality
P = Price point
P = Performance (when promoted to your potential partner’s house list, as well as to outside lists)
G = General market demand
S = Subscriber interest (when promoted to your list, as determined by feedback, surveys, etc.)

Remember – you’re looking for long-term partners, not one-hit-wonders. So carefully select the people you approach, making sure their products, brand and message makes sense to your business…and, together, you can reap the unlimited profit potential of Frienemy Marketing.

Ed note:
Wendy Montes de Oca, MBA has nearly 20 years of marketing experience with Fortune 500 companies and top publishers and an expert at organic marketing tactics. She is the President of Precision Marketing and Media, LLC, and author of the Amazon best-seller, Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz [Que Publishing, Paperback]. To learn more about SONAR marketing or get your copy of Content Is Cash, click here now!

http://www.amazon.com/Content-Cash-Leveraging-Increased-Biz-Tech/dp/0789741083/

Killing Two Search Engine Birds with One Stone: PPC and SEO

There's a great tactic that will help your list building efforts -- both with paid AND organic search.

And it's not much additional work ... if you already have a lead generation landing page you're using for PPC, you can cover your basis on the organic side with a few additions.

Here's how:
--Start by creating a new URL for SEO purposes using the existing PPC landing page.

--Make sure the new SEO URL is packed with your targeted and relevant keywords (one caveat: before this, make sure you've done your research to see which keywords to use and the search volume on each one).

--Add relevant and targeted keywords into the new SEO lead gen page's tags including: title tag, meta description, and meta keywords. Also, if you have images on the page, make sure to add relevant keywords to those.

--If not already done, drop in the Google Analytics code to this page so you can track page visits/traffic.

After your page is indexed by the search engine spiders (which may take a few weeks), your lead gen page should start appearing in organic search rankings based on the keywords you've indicated in your tags.

What will also help your page's ranking be more favorable is if you can get some back-links from high traffic websites linking to this new, SEO landing page.

So start link-building efforts with sites that have the 2 R's - rank and relevance. Remember, search engines like back-linking between synergistic websites.

5 'Must Knows' For Better CoRegistration Conversion Rates

1. CoReg names (leads) come in from another website after a transaction and people tend to forget what they opted in to receive.


2. For optimum results, flag names that come in (segment) and withhold them from eLetter circulation for approx. 5-7 days.


3. Use this time to reconnect with them and let them bond with you, your gurus, your pub, or your philosophy.


4. Let them build that "warm fuzzy feeling" for you. Do this by following up with targeted introduction emails.


5. After the email series, where you'll also be giving them fantastic editorial, send them a special offer (such as discount, special new subscriber pricing, etc.) to help monetize the names.


6. Avg. cost per lead (CPL) for coreg tends to be between $1- $5. Implementing the email intro series also helps the LTV (life time value) of the subscriber. They'll buy more frequently, monetarily, and be more loyal.

Tweeting for Leads: Building your Twitter Presence

Unless you've been in a cave, you've likely heard of Twitter.

Twitter, or "Tweeting", is a way to connect with like-minded people by broadcasting short, headline oriented messages into the Twittospher. Then, those interested in what you have to say and want to hear more will "follow" you.

Twitter is a great outlet for information as well as a way to promote your business, newsletter or blog and build your prospect database. Many companies, publishers, entrepreneurs and others have jumped on the Twitter bandwagon to leverage this hot social networking outlet. But unless you're a celebrity or someone that already has universal name recognition ... and groupies ... getting individuals to opt in and "follow" your messages could be challenging.

So here are some tips to start building your presence on Twitter:

1. Promote the heck out of your Twitter URL (http://twitter.com/youraccountname). Remember, at this point, if you don't have a notable name and a built-in audience the goal is to drive targeted traffic to your Twitter home page so people can follow you. Remember to include your Twitter link in your emails (as an autosignature). Cross-market it in your newsletters and other correspondence. Mention it in your bio, bylines or editorial notes (whether you're a public speaker, on your PowerPoint slides, in press releases, article directory postings - virtually any place your name is). Link to it on other social networking sites from your Linked In, Facebook, and MySpace accounts. Add it at the closing in all your business proposals. Have it printed on your business cards. And of course, have it somewhere prominent on your website or blog. The mention is simple, "Follow me on http://twitter.com/youraccountname."



2. Make sure you have a keyword rich and relevant Twitter bio so the right people can read about you and follow you. Text is limited, so pick your descriptive keywords carefully. I suggest updating your bio quarterly with relevant keywords to your target market (follower). Think strong, short and pithy ... similar to a good headline that grabs your attention.



3. As far as content, keep your Tweets frequent, useful, relevant and entertaining. Don't just spam messages. It's transparent and will have a negative effect. Make people want to hear from you. Your headlines should be engaging and provoking, linking to the full article on your website or blog.



4. Follow the right people yourself. Many Tweeters have the mentality, you follow me, I'll follow you ... it's reciprocated. So as you're following other like minded individuals to expand your interest and knowledge base, they'll typically return the favor and follow you, thereby helping you build your presence.



5. Tweet daily. Try and have a regular presence on Twitter. The more frequent you Tweet the more you appear increase your odds to appear under 'Who to follow'. There are a few tools to help you determine when the best time to tweet is, check out: http://www.whentotweet.com/, http://www.tweriod.com/,http://www.tweetwhen.com/ and http://14blocks.com/. Most are free.



6. Engage with your followers. Retweet or reply to their tweets to help foster relationship cultivation. After all, that's what social media is all about ... building a community of like-minded 'friends'.

You'll see, with a combination of the above and a little time, you'll build your Twitter following. My clients have been implementing these tips and are enjoying steady growth on Twitter.

How Targeted Marketing Can Save Your Business

A few nights ago I was watching 'Minority Report' with Tom Cruise on Cinemax. There was a scene in the movie when Tom's character was walking through this futuristic mall and as he walked by various retail stores, these state-of-the-art eye scanners would move over his corneas and a personalized, digital marketing message was produced for only him to see/hear. These promotional messages not only addressed him by his first name, but apparently included his interests (as the scanner had access to archive information stored in his mind of past purchase patterns, consumer behavior, and more).

Sound hokey? It's not all that far off from what actually can be done today with personalized marketing (also known as one-to-one or targeted marketing).

Personalized marketing is more than just including someone's name in a subject line or salutation of a message. It's actually having some consumer knowledge albeit demographic, geographic and psychographic ('DGP') data about the person then crafting targeted promotional messages to suit certain data points. If you have the ability to collect even deeper data, such as purchase behavior, even more power to you.Some also call this type of marketing 'database marketing' or 'data mining', as you're mining and refining your in-house list.

In a nutshell it's leveraging the data you have and simply the art of crafting a specific, targeted message to a person or group of like-minded people. And studies have shown that this type of marketing skyrockets open and conversion rates.

Now, there is one important caveat to successful personalized marketing or database marketing efforts ... that's having a robust email interface that collects and stores consumer/client/prospect activity down to the user level and also can group them into 'buckets'. Those buckets could be categorized by DGP data points, website activity or purchase behavior.

For most small businesses, who tend to use the likes of MailChimp, Constant Contact, and similar cost-effective email marketing companies, that level of tracking is simply not offered.The email marketing companies that do offer such robust systems often have tiered pricing based on email volume (usually large scale), and even then, those rates are usually too steep for the start-up entrepreneur or home-based business.

So what's a small business owner to do?

The answer is quite simple (and affordable): Conduct periodic surveys, approximately one to two times a year, of your own list then store and group the data. Once that data is stored you can create universal 'buckets' of important group interests then send targeted messages to those groups of people.

This can be done even using cost-effective email marketing services, such as Constant Contact, and the help of Survey Monkey, to collect the data.Survey Monkey is a free survey service, but if you want the detailed level of data that needs to be tied down the user level (by email address), then you have to pay a nominal monthly or annual fee. But trust me, it's worth it.

You can easily set up your questions (I suggest 20 max) and have multiple choice or fill ins. I suggest multiple choice as it saves the user time. Most users want to complete a survey in a few minutes. So carefully think out your questions and answer options. Make sure to throw in your standard DGP questions as well as some competitor and interest related questions.

For example, let's say you have a list that has a combination of copywriters, marketers, and business opportunity folks. The copywriters may only care about things related to promotions and creative development. The marketers might only respond to messages that pertain to direct response and Web marketing. And your biz-op subscribers may only care about things related to entrepreneurship or home based businesses. Not segmenting your lists means you're alienating 66% of your list each time you send a promotion. That's huge! Talk about leaving money on the table.

However, if you're speaking to each group about their own specific interests, you're now engaged with 100% of that list group each time you send a promo, thereby boosting open and conversion rates. You're also likely to see a reduction in attrition as well, since people will be getting targeted messages.

Test this out for yourself. See the tremendous difference targeting your promotional efforts makes. Then, if you see hard results of improved open and conversion rates, try the same for your editorial (ezine) messages. This will increase bonding and reduce opt outs. It may also improved your viral marketing (forward-2-friend), as readers are going to be so pleased you're 'speaking' directly to them about they're interests.

Both of these tactics may be a little extra work, but it will also ensure no money is left on the table.Your survey results will not only prove useful in your personalized marketing messages, but can also be used as market research, product development, and even potential joint ventures and media buys.

To help entice your list to taking the survey, consider offering an exciting, immediate, easy to fulfill offer as well as compelling subject line in your email message for the survey itself.If you have buyers and non-buyers (i.e. clients and prospects), make sure you survey each list separately.

Not finding the time to survey your list is really doing a dis-service to your clients and subscribers as well as your business. 1) You're not really knowing and engaging with your audience as best as you could - and this will affect product development, promotional and editorial efforts; and 2) You're not reaching a level of maximized sales capacity.

So before you start wondering why your subscribers aren't buying, or why open rates are low, or why you're getting increased unsubscribes ... ask yourself when was the last time you surveyed your list?If it's NEVER, then you're long overdue.

Are You Buying "Smart Media?"

Media buying, or online advertising, is more than just a Web strategy to help grow your business. It’s both a science and an art. It involves a bit of finesse, competitive research, creativity, and good negotiation skills. Sadly, with most online advertising experiences, the lagging partner is typically the business owner by no real fault of his or her own … it’s simply from sheer lack of industry knowledge and media savoir faire. Here are some powerful "insider" tips and tricks to buying smart media.

Media buying, or online advertising, is more than just a Web strategy to help grow your business. It’s kind of like a dance between two people: you and the account executive (or publisher).

As with all dances, one person usually leads and one person gets led. Sadly, with most online advertising experiences, the lagging partner is typically the business owner by no real fault of his or her own...it’s simply from sheer lack of industry knowledge and media savoir faire.

You see, in buying online media for more than a decade, I can honestly say it’s both a science and an art. It involves a bit of finesse, competitive research, creativity, and good negotiation skills.
But if you don’t have time to go through trial by fire and want the crash course to not only dance, but lead, than you need to pay close attention to some powerful ‘insider’ tips and tricks to buying smart media.

The most common types of online media are banner ads or text ads (aka display ads). When you buy these forms of media you can buy them directly from a website or blog (the publisher) or buy them through an ad network.

Banner ads come in a variety of sizes and website placements, but I’ve found over the years the best performing ones are the medium or large rectangles that are closest to the content on the page. I have never had great luck with leaderboards or skyscraper[el]you know, those large horizontal and vertical ads that are either at the very top of the webpage or on the side.
However, you can also ‘rent’ lists have the publisher send a dedicated, solo email to their list on your behalf or place an advertisement (text or graphical) in their ezine. These are known as list rentals and are more costly, because of the publishers ‘implied endorsement’, but generally perform better.

No matter which form of online media your buying there’s some important things to know before you engage with the account executive and sign an insertion order (agreement).

Here are my 10 'must do/must ask' things when conducting online media buys.

1. Competitive analysis—Find out what is the typical industry rate for that particular ad spot and placement in your niche. For instance, if you're interested in running a 300x250 banner ad, do some research. Call some ad networks and find out what that ad unit costs on the home page and 'run of site' within your target niche.

2. Competitive analysis—What ad units typically get the best click thru rates (also known as CTR)? Read some online ezines or blogs and get an idea on average metrics so you have a benchmark to measure your campaign against.

3. Publisher placement—Ask your account rep. if your banner ad will be "run of site" (ROS) or "run of channel" (ROC). This will determine exposure and pricing.

4.Ad targeting—Find out if the publisher allows day parting (running ad during specific time periods). This can save you money on ad rate especially using the CPM (cost per thousand) pricing model.

5. Publisher placement—Find out if your ad position will be fixed or rotated (shared) with anyone else's ad. Again, this will give you a good idea of your potential exposure. Also, if your ad placement is being shared with other advertisers, you should try to negotiate a better rate, as the spot is not dedicated to your message.

6.Publisher placement—If shared placement, find out what percentage of impressions (or views) you will receive.

7.Dedicated email—Find out the size of the list you're thinking of renting, the frequency the list goes out, and the average unit sale (AUS) per subscriber.

8.Dedicated email—Ask the publisher who's mailing for you if there will there be a lift note (an introduction or implied endorsement). Lift notes help 'warm up' the list (subscribers) and boost conversions.

9.Out clause—Ask your account executive if the media agreement has an out clause or termination right. This is important as if your campaign is not working, you don't want to have to ride it out and waste money. You want the ability to end it and cut your losses. Also find out if you can pause your ad during a slow traffic times (i.e. summer, holidays) as not to waste impressions (CPM).

10.Reporting—Ask your account executive if you will I be given daily/weekly reporting OR access to the online ad serving system. This will allow you real-time access to click thru rates and more to evaluate if creative (banner and landing page) is striking a cord with the target audience.

Bonus Tips!
Ok, if the previous 10 tips weren’t enough, here are some key influencers to make sure you ask about to help you get the best pricing possible:

Seasonality—Each niche has their highs and lows, but generally speaking it’s typical to see drops in website traffic during summer (June – Aug.) and around certain U.S. holidays. Research your industry and use consumer purchase behavior to your advantage. For instance, in some industries, the days around Thanksgiving is slower than usual. If you’re running a campaign that falls on this timeframe, ask about getting lower rates or pausing your ad during the slowdown. DoubleClick [http://www.google.com/doubleclick/] and ClickZ [http://www.clickz.com/] is a great source of information and often releases quarterly consumer Web reports on buying patterns and traffic.

>>Exclusivity—Similar to economies of scale (where the more that’s produced the cheaper the unit price), if you’re banner ad is sharing space with other advertisers for less ‘solo’ time, you should be paying less. It’s important to ask whether your ad will get 100% of the rotations or sharing ad exposure. And if sharing, find out what percentage of exposure you are ultimately getting during your ad run. This is known as being “fixed ad placement” or “shared ad placement”. If you’re told you have shared placement, this is a great bartering tool to get a more competitive rate.

>>Site Targeting—You’ve heard in real estate it’s always about location, location, location, right? Well online real estate is no different. Find out if your ad will be run of site (ROS), run of channel (ROC) or on specific high traffic pages. Typically, the further you drill down the more you pay. It’s known as ‘site targeting’. Similarly, the higher you go up, the less you pay. ROS is the highest (most broad) level, so it’s usually the cheapest ad location. Next is usually ROC, whose ads appear on certain channels or sections of a website. Then there are also specific pages or demographic targeting. Your goals and budget will determine which placement is best for your needs.

>>Remnant Space—Often the forgotten about query, remember to ask if remnant space is available. Remnant ads are those ad units that the publisher or ad network is having a difficult time selling for whatever reason. They can also be last minute specials or units that are now available due to another deal falling through. With more popular, high traffic websites, you can save a fortune buying remnant media. Just pay close attention to the Terms and Conditions in the insertion order, as with most special deals, there’s usually lots of restrictions and little leeway.

All of these factors will help determine the value of your ad space, and ultimately, the cost you're willing to pay to access that audience.

For more powerful and cost effective strategies to compliment your online marketing efforts, check out my new book, Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz [Que Publishing, Aug. 2011].

Goin' Green: Repurpose, Refresh, Repackage, and Republish Your Content!

Sometimes, content is right under our nose... we just don’t know where to look for it. Reusing content is a great way to bond with subscribers and add revenues to your bottom line. You just have to think out of the box and be "strategically creative." The content must be relevant to your overall website, objective and target audience and provide some value to the reader.

In this article, I'll help you discover where to find your "hidden treasures" and use them to drive traffic to your website for traffic, sales, leads and buzz.

If you're a publisher, then I don't have to tell you there is no shortage of content in your world. But do you truly know how to leverage all the content you have? Even more so, do you know where to find all the hidden content you may have?

Remember, content comes from a variety of sources, such as text, audio, and video.
Sometimes, content is right under our nose…we just don’t know where to look for it. Today, I’m going to point you in the right direction and give you some great ideas where to find your ‘hidden treasures’ and use it to help drive traffic to your website which in turn can be monetized for sales and leads.

You can leverage content and repurpose it from the following sources:

-Old newsletter (ezine) issues or articles
-Old bonus materials such as free reports, bulletins, and white papers
-Old products or kit components
-Past teleseminars
-Past webinars or webcasts
-Past presentations such as PowerPoint slides
-Preview recorded speeches at tradeshows or other events
-Interview transcripts
-Fulfillment materials
-Conference call notes or transcripts
-Your own website’s content, such as in a news, Q&A or FAQ section of your website
Press releases

Page 1 of 5

Click here to read the full article: http://www.quepublishing.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1722558

Marketing Myths and Misconceptions: The REAL Truth to Building an Online InfoPublishing Business and Community

Anyone that tells you that you can build (not launch, but build) an online info-publishing business fast and furious is flat out crazy. When building an online info-publishing business and related subscriber base, there are a few core drivers for success: Increased website visibility, Increased website traffic, Increased market exposure, Increased community (list size and followers).

Typically, there are two things that help you achieve those goals: time and/or resources. And one directly affects the other. There is a powerful, easy, and virtually no cost formula for success, you just need to know about it.

I've being leading marketing efforts for top publishers such as Agora, Weiss, Newsmax as well as and Fortune 500 companies such as GE, ADP, Chase, Salmon Smith Barney/CitiGroup for nearly 20 years now.

And over the last decade or so I've seen and heard a lot of, quite frankly, baloney about how easy and quick it is to build an online business and it's community (aka followers, list or ezine subscribers).

First, let me say, that anyone that tells you that you can build (not launch, but build) an online infopublishing business fast and furious is flat out crazy.

When building an online infopublishing business and related subscriber base there are a few core drivers for success:
1. Increased website visibility
2. Increased website traffic
3. Increased market exposure
4. Increased community (list size and followers)

Typically, there are two things that help you achieve those goals: time and/or resources. And one directly affects the other.

For example, if you have no resources (money) then your online marketing strategies to build your website and related newsletter will tend to focus around free marketing strategies such as social media marketing, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, link-building, guerrilla marketing, and more. In this scenario, you are sacrificing expediency for cost (which in this case is none). You see, most free strategies can take anywhere from 3-12 months to gain momentum and gain a foothold. In this scenario, you are sacrificing the time.

If you have resources, then you have more options at your disposal to grow your list such as online media buying, list rentals, and co-registration that would likely produce results quicker, but in this case you are sacrificing the money. And even then, there are many variables that will affect performance such as list or website selection, creative development, copywriting strength, and persuasive landing page creation.

Having launched and built many online business and websites over the last 10+ years, I not only know, but have mastered the formula for success and trained several CEOs, entrepreneurs, business owners, marketers, and publishers.

For instance, when I led the marketing efforts at popular online publisher, Early to Rise as (2007-2009) one of my primary tasks was to launch a health website for the business as well as a health ezine. I championed this from concept to execution involving:
--Name and mission of website and ezine
--Look/theme/layout of site and ezine template
--Researching the contributing panel of experts and gurus
--List building efforts
--Visibility efforts
--Cross-selling efforts
--Product development efforts

That site is the popular alternative health source, TotalHealthBreakthroughs.com.

My tactics for building the business and the list, for the most part, comprised of a mix of free online strategies: search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), social media marketing (SMM), online press releases, guerrilla marketing, and most importantly, leveraging either guest editorials, dedicated emails or newsletter ads in sister publications as well as industry colleagues' publications.

But not everyone has leverage like that or has access to an editorial network of contacts. Most folks have to go it alone and have no idea where to start first. For the average Joe, building a community (list) and online business takes patience and being strategically creative.

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but that is the real deal. Nothing bothers me more than so called 'Internet gurus' that sell bogus products for a fortune or spew nonsense with greatly exaggerated claims or promises, only for the average Joe to find out it doesn't work for him.

You’ve seen those emails that promise an obscene amount of money in rapid time. The ones that tell you how you can make a gazillion dollars in 24 hours. These are promotional ploys that rely on smoke and mirrors: fancy digital tactics, outlandish persuasive copy, and twisted claims. In all honesty, these promotions are preying on the average consumers’ greed for sales. But in reality, the only person that typically makes the money is the product’s creator. And sadly enough, many small business owners, entrepreneurs, and home-based businesses fall victim to these scams.

Many companies I work with have actually been burned by these scams and are in the hole for thousands of dollars. Some are also start-up companies with little budget or resources, but are looking for solid results.

That's why when you don’t really have the time or money to grow your business it’s critical to market smarter, not harder. You need to use proven strategies that perform time and time again. That means employing tactics that are effective, cost virtually nothing, and are easy-to-learn and implement.

That is the core of my SONAR Content Distribution Model TM and the principal of my upcoming book, Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz [Que Publishing, Aug. 2011].

SONAR Marketing is not a theory, but a real Internet strategy that works. It can be applied to virtually any size company[md]large, small, entrepreneur, at home business. SONAR works in any niche, with any budget, and at any stage in a company's business cycle (start-up, maintenance, or growth).

Simply stated, SONAR is a cost effective, yet powerful, method of repurposing and synchronizing content (text, audio, video) distribution into various, targeted channels. SONAR allows companies, publishers and entrepreneurs -- basically anyone with content on their website -- to monetize it by turning traffic into sales.

SONAR represents five free online distribution channels:
S Syndicate partners, content syndication networks, and user generate content sites
O Online press releases
N Network (social) communities, social bookmarking sites
A Article directories
R Relevant posts to blogs, forums, and message boards

Learning SONAR and incorporating it into your online marketing plan will help you build your business and community through increased traffic generation, bonding, awareness, email collection, and revenues.

Even better, SOANR results are all measurable. You can use simple direct response marketing and PR metrics to track your campaigns for a quantifiable return on investment (ROI).
In a nutshell, SONAR helps you turn content into cash. So if you want to REALLY find out how to monetize your content and propel your business, you've got to check it out!

For more information and full article visit http://www.quepublishing.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1722557.

Is Blogging Dead?

I read something recently that said, ‘blogging is dead’. It made me think … with the rising popularity of free enewsletters and free e-magazines, as well as social media, is blogging really dead?

I don’t think so. And I don’t think you have to deploy one strategy (free newsletter or e-magazine) versus another (blogging or social marketing). Here’s why:

Blogging and free ezines are both conduits – ways to communicate with readers. The goal of blogging and the goal of either a free newsletter or e-magazine are virtually the same, except the business model behind the driving force of each conduit are slightly different. And both tactics that I believe complement each other.

Let me explain…
With blogging, you’re using ‘pull’ marketing. Through search engine marketing and optimization (SEM and SEO), article marketing, and SONAR marketing you are driving traffic and readers to your blog for ‘UVA’ information, that is, information that is useful, valuable, and actionable.

On the blogging conduit you can certainly try to monetize the visits through mechanisms like Google Ad Sense and banner or text ads (for cross-selling and other revenue opportunities) as well as lead generation mechanisms to capture the reader’s email address and further bond with them via targeted correspondence. And once you capture that email address, you’ve opened up the lines of communication – getting permission to contact that person and reach them through editorial, advertorial and promotional messages – delivered directly to their in-box.

Same goes for social media. You may have, what I like to call, ‘Triple F’s’ (friends, followers or fans), but how deep is that relationship? You don’t really have permission to correspond with the user personally. And you don’t have their email address. With social media, the relationship is shallow. A substantial level of bonding as well as conversion is usually more challenging then with a subscriber, as you are limited with either character counts (as with on Twitter) or background noise … unless you have a profile stalker that is frequently visiting your page.

…Which leads to ‘push’ marketing.

Enewsletters and e-magazines are correspondence being ‘pushed’ out to your audience. You already have their email address, so the main purpose of your effort is bonding (through UVA information) AND direct response marketing (cross-selling via newsletter ads and solo emails). You don’t have to rely as heavily on search engine optimization for this conduit, but rather use SEO and SEM for the website that the enewsletter or e-magainzine sign up box is housed on.

Newsletters and e-magazines can also benefit from outside revenues from external advertising opportunities and affiliate marketing products. The size and quality of the list (number of subscribers) along with some other variables such as open rate, click rate, bounce rate, average unit of sale will determine the value of the list, and therefore, the advertising rate you can get for that list.

For me, I wouldn’t say blogging is dead nor would I give up blogging and put all my eggs in one basket with enewsletters, e-magazine, or social media. I would do them all and treat them each different strategies. I believe blogging is more personalized, raw, and intimate. This is where I would speak to my reader as if they were next to me. To be unedited and uncut. Give them the inside scoop.

For an enewsletter or similar, I would still have juicy tid bits, but the form of delivery would be more polished. More editorial in nature.

And for social media, I would combine a mix of posts that were for bonding, lead gen and sales. I would let my followers see me as both guru and virtual friend.

I think nowadays, marketers need to try and test all online platforms to see which ‘conduit’ is right for their business, audience, and objectives. Don’t rule anything out. Learn how to be strategically creative!

Leveraging Your Worth: 6 Great Ideas To Make More Money For Yourself

Are you sick of busting your butt for someone else? Tired of long commutes? Looking to make extra money with little risk or start up cost?

For many of the reasons above, tens of thousands of Americans are opting to work from home either part time or full time. With the economy struggling over the past several years, online and home-based business launches have seen a spike. That’s because this is an ideal opportunity for stay-at-home moms, retirees, recent college grads, unemployed workers, and anyone looking for another source of income.

Using your talents, skills, and computer to generate cash can also be a seamless way to obtain an optimal work-family life balance.

But be warned: working from home isn’t for everyone. If you crave an office-type environment, thrive on in-person social interaction, and like the hustle and bustle of the rat race (which believe it or not, some people do), then you might find working from home isolated and slow.

However, depending on what business you decide to launch, you may be quite busy as well as get professional satisfaction, enrichment, socialization, and fulfillment without the commute or stress of the traditional corporate environment.

The main advantage: you call the shots.

Here are some tips and ideas on starting your own business, whether it’s online or offline:

1. Infopublisher. This is a great and easy way to make money. Most infopublishers create a website and ezine (free enewsletter), and fill it with useful, valuable and actionable content. Then through bonding with subscribers, you cross-sell infoproducts (digitial products like ebooks) to your readers. However, although that is the typical formula for success, you can put your toe in the water by starting with an ebook. See if infopublishing is right for you. Pick a topic to write about that you are an expert at and passionate about. Also, do some market research to see if the topic you picked has general market interest. Then write your little heart out. Once you finish, proofread and save as a .pdf file for universal viewing. Finally, join digital marketplaces like ClickBank.com. ClickBank is a cost effective way to sell digital products that is turnkey with virtually no overhead costs. They have a onetime registration fee (around $50) and then take a small percent of commission (like a few bucks) for each sale you make. Price your ebook accordingly based on page count and value of information. ClickBank will then send you monthly checks once you reach your payment threshold, which is an amount you set up. It’s that easy. If you see you have a flair for writing you can continue to sell only ebooks or step it up and create your basic website and ezine.

2. Article Directory Website Owner. This one is more complicated, as it involves hiring a web programmer, but you can set it and forget it. Basically, you create a website that is an online directory, similar to popular directories like ezinearitcles.com, selfgrowth.com, goarticles.com, articlesbase.com and many others. You create sub categories for popular topics (you can get a format and inspiration from aforementioned article sites) and create buzz through social media and search engine optimization about your directory. The business model is that when people find your site and upload their articles, the relationship is reciprocal. You will get the traffic and email address (required for registration); and they will get the search engine marketing/link building benefit. Once your site obtains a strong and steady visitor pace and traffic rank, you can then open up your business model for advertising revenues – that is, charging advertisers for banner or text ads on your website. In addition, you can monetize the email addresses you collect through registration (which you’ll disclose of course) by sending them both editorial and promotional messages.

3. Consultant/Freelancer. This one is a no-brainer. If you’re an expert at something, leverage that expertise and passion by assisting other companies with your special skill. It can be anything from marketing, to graphics design, to proof reading, to editing … and the list goes on. I wouldn’t suggest quitting my day job for this route, but it’s a great second income until your freelance business picks up. You don’t necessarily need a website, but I think it lends credibility and is a great source for consumers to find you (just remember to optimize your site!). Then, you can market yourself to your target audience on targeted social media sites as well as free press release sites. You should also contribute free articles on related websites that highlight your experience and knowledge base about your skill. Finally, you can register on freelance portals like elance.com or ifreelance.com and look for as well as bid on projects that be right up your alley.

4. Sitter or Walker. Becoming a ‘sitter’ is a popular profession where I live. There’s pet sitters, baby sitters, and home sitters. Because I live in Florida, home sitting is actually quite popular with the ‘snow birds’, people that live up north but have homes in Florida. They often need a local to look after their home and check things out during the unoccupied months. Pet sitting and dog walking are also popular choices for home-based businesses and pet sitters can charge anywhere from $16-$25 per visit (and most pets require 3 visits per day). The key to success here is shelling out some basic start up costs for business cards, marketing (such as flyers and brochures) and promoting your business in targeted locations locally. You should also take advantage of free online Yellow pages and Superpages as well as sites like CraigsList.org to promote your services. Also consider leaving business cards or brochures with synergistic business in your area such as veterinarians, pet stores, and super markets. Once you get a few clients, you can offer referral incentives to existing customers and both of you benefit from new business opportunities.

5. Blogger. If you have a lot to say and are dying for a soapbox to preach from, then blogging may be for you. Setting up a blog is fast, easy and free. You can go to popular site like BlogSpot.com and select a template that’s right for you. Then, register you blog with top blog directories. Some great resources can be found at: http://www.technotweaks.com/top-20-blog-directories-to-submit-your/. Then start your rant. You can blog about anything. I suggest you have a theme and write your content for your audience. For example, if you’re a stay-at-home mom, gear your blog for other moms and write tips for child care, great coupon locations, at home remedies, and more. Again, with website or blog success, it’s all about visits and exposure. So take advantage of the Web and mention your blog in related forums or message boards; create a free online press release; get the word out to help drive traffic to your blog. Once you get steady traffic and decent page rank, you can sell ad space on your site either on your own or through a network, such as BlogAds.com. You can also incorporate Google Ad Sense on your site (which is a simple widget on BlogSpot.com, so it’s easy to deploy) to start blogging for dollars.

6. Affiliate Marketer. Many people are professional affiliate marketers or as the industry refers to them ‘super affiliates’. These folks are no joke. Marketing other people’s products are their livelihood. Basically, you search top affiliate marketing networks, directories and forums for the best paying product websites, that is, those offering the best commissions. Often times these are well-known products and sites, but not always. Sometimes, it’s good to start with a simple Google search using keywords such as: best affiliate marketing programs, highest commission affiliate marketing programs, and top affiliate marketing programs. If you have a specific company in mind, search that company name and add ‘affiliate marketing program’ to the search string. Then, sign up for the free affiliate marketing programs and start marketing for that company. The way it usually works is you have to agree to the company’s terms and conditions, then you can download creatives to market on the Web – banner ads, text ads, emails, and more. Based on the commission model, you may get paid (percent) on leads or sales. Popular payment terms: PPS (pay per sale), CPO (cost per order), CPA (cost per acquisition), CPL (cost per lead). Some programs are quite robust and offer real-time reporting, various creatives, automated payouts, and more. Some good resources are: http://www.top-affiliate.com/, http://www.affiliatetips.com/, http://www.abestweb.com/, and http://www.affiliateseeking.com/.

Have You Heard?

My wildly successful and acclaimed SONAR Content Distribution Model is the principal of my upcoming book, Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz [Que Publishing, Aug. 2011].

You can get some preliminary information about SONAR on my website, order the 'rough cuts' manusript of my book through the publisher, or pre-order the actual book via Amazon, Borders, or Barnes and Noble. My book is targeted for global release on Aug. 16, 2011.

If you want to REALLY find out how to monetize your content and propel your business, you gotta check this out.

See what all the buzz is about...

"Wendy's book is an impressively thorough account of the marketing options open to Internet businesses today. I have it within reach of my desk and I intend to make good use of it."
--Michael Masterson, Publisher, Agora, Inc., Early To Rise.com

“If you want to transform content into some very substantial money for your business, this must-read book will show you exactly how.”
--Martin D. Weiss, Ph.D., Bestselling Author

"Wendy's new book, Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, is exactly what is needed in today's turbulent business world. By reading and putting the tactics and strategies into action you will position yourself for more profits and a stronger a business."
--MaryEllen Tribby, Founder/CEO, WorkingMomsOnly.com

"When it comes to marketing online, content is an afterthought for far too many marketers. It's a pity because, as Wendy Montes de Oca points out in her new book, content can be a huge source of income for any business. That's why I love that Wendy has comprehensively explained dozens of ways to leverage content for an online business. The best part is that - like the pro direct marketer she is - Wendy's strategies are all trackable and quantifiable. So you know exactly how valuable your efforts are to your business."
--Jason Holland, Associate Publisher Early to Rise.com

"Everybody talks about marketing with content, but Wendy Montes de Oca provides a systematic approach, SONAR, for actually doing it. By following her model you get higher search engine rankings and other results instead of just churning out an endless pile of articles that go nowhere and do nothing."
--Bob Bly, Author, Copywriter, Publisher, The Direct Response Letter

"Content is Cash is a classic! We implemented Wendy's SONAR system and saw results (traffic, qualified prospects and opt-in subscribers) within hours, not days or months. It's easy to become overwhelmed with Internet marketing "advice". There were more than 26,000 books on Amazon.com this morning dealing with the topic. The SONAR system is not run-of-the-mill advice. You won't find a more complete collection of content marketing anywhere on the planet. Highly recommended!"
--Marc Charles, Entrepreneur, Author, Freelance Guru

"Whenever I think about monetizing content, the first person that comes to mind is Wendy Montes de Oca. I've personally used just one of her strategies in this book to generate thousands of leads and establish instant authority in my niche. Content Is Cash is a must have in serious online marketer's library."
--Brian T. Edmondson, Internet Marketing Expert, TripleYourProfits.com

"Wendy told me about the SONAR system almost two years ago, and swore me to secrecy. Now she has done far more than just reveal the SONAR system. In Content is Cash, Wendy gives you a complete blueprint for the right way to use free content. I especially recommend Content is Cash to anyone who has tried using free content and been frustrated. Follow Wendy's proven method, and you'll have the cure for what frustrated you."
--Conrad Hall, Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Radio Host Conrad Hall Copywriting, LLC.

“This book brings the urgent and swirling noise of contemporary marketing strategy and tactics all together. Wendy has written a practical, no nonsense guide to improving sales and marketing results for any size company. It takes contemporary marketing to a whole new level. Her proven SONAR model is easy to grasp and her style is easy to follow.”
--Chris Binkert, Chief Marketer, Soundview Publications, Second Opinion

“Most Internet marketers know “content is king”. But no one has given us a systematic formula for “syndicating content”, until now. Wendy’s SONAR Content Distribution Model is a genuine masterpiece. I’m serious. There are tens of thousands of books available on Internet and content marketing. But Content is Cash will be the centerpiece of your Internet business and profits.”
-- Mark Smalley, Owner, Mark Smalley Direct

“Wendy's insights are priceless and have the ability to payoff in a big way. Content is Cash is a must read for anyone tasked with driving more traffic and revenue in an increasingly more competitive online environment. I'm looking forward to implementing many of her tips, tricks and tactics in my own business immediately.”
-- Julie McManus, President, Julie McManus Marketing Associates, Inc.

“Wendy’s book, “Content is Ca$h”, is a great book for anyone who wants to leverage their content – publishers, marketers, you name it. It’s well organized and explains Wendy’s system that can help you build your website and drive a boatload of traffic, and do it in a cost-effective manner. As a writer, I gleaned insight on what kind of articles I should be writing – or what I should emphasize in the articles I’m already writing – to grab eyeballs and hopefully turn them into more sales for my company.”
--Sean Brodrick, Editor, UncommonWisdomDaily.com

Content is the single most important factor in building a thriving web business and no one drives that point home better than Wendy Montes de Oca. In Content Is Cash she takes the mystery out of putting your content to work for you. Anyone trying to build traffic, sales, or leads would be a fool to not have a copy of this go-to reference on their desk.
--Alice Wessendorf, Managing Editor, HealthierTalk.com

6 Low Cost, High Performing Ways To Build Your Business This Summer!

1. Online classified ads. Using www.craigslist.org or similar high traffic classified sites is a great way to sell a product or get leads. The trick is geo-targeting, picking the right location to run your ad in. Picking the right category. As well as creating an ad that is perasuasive and powerful. Ads are free, so why not test it out. For a full list of states and cities, check out: http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites.

2. Organic Search Results (Search Engine Marketing). Search engine marketing (SEM) has a nominal cost. Annual fees with search engine networks or directories typically range from $25 to $95 per year, but many submissions to top sites like Google, Yahoo, Ask and Bing are free. Some consumers give organic search results more "credibility" than paid search ads. And because they "trust" the results of an organic search more, they are more likely to click on an organic link. A recent survey by Jupiter Research illustrated that 80 percent of Web users seek organic search results. Their rationale is that organic results are un-biased. The marketer didn't pay for that ad space. So the link's appearance in the search results is based purely on various search algorithms and Web crawlers. Your goal should be to balance your online presence with both paid ads and organic search results. You should make sure you have keywords in all the right places. That includes your title tags, URLs, and inside the published articles themselves.

3. Cost effective media buys. Running banner ads on other websites can be another cost-effective part of your online marketing mix. The pricing model for this is typically CPM - a specified price for every 1,000 impressions/views you receive (usually between $3 and $10). Since contextual space is limited in banner ads, your headline and visual elements are critical for success. And of course, your landing page should have strong, persuasive copy. Your media budget for banner ads will vary by:

-the website you're running (the higher the traffic, typically the higher the banner advertising rate) ad unit size/type (300 x 250 typically performs best, so those are priced higher than other ad units)
-location on website (home page, inside pages) whether the ad is targeted to a specific page or is on every page of the site (a/k/a run of site)
-the time of year the ad is running

Blogs and online ad networks are a cheaper alternative. Their CPMs (cost per thousand) usually ranges between $2 and $6, and they have a wider reach, although some networks may offer a universe of, lets say 20 websites, when only 5 websites are really considered "top tier". Networks to consider: Advertising.com, ValueClick.com, and FastClick.com. You can find a full list of sites here: http://www.imediaconnection.com/resourceconnection/adnetwork.asp.

4. Reciprocal Ad Swaps. One of the best kept secrets in the industry. Some of your best resources will be your fellow publishers. This channel often gets overlooked by marketers who don't give it the respect it deserves. In the work I do for my clients, I spend a good portion of my time researching publishers and websites in related, synergistic industries. I look for relevant connections between their publications (print and online) and my clients. Let's say I come across a natural health e-letter about that has a list of readers similar in size to one of my clients, who is a supplement manufacturer. Since many of their audience share similar interests, cross marketing each other products (or even lead gen efforts) can be mutually rewarding. Swapping ads will save you money on lead-generation initiatives. Since you won't be paying for access to the other publisher's list of subscribers, you can get new customers for free. The only "cost" is allowing the other publisher to access your own list. It's a win-win situation. This technique also opens the door to potential joint-venture opportunities.

5. Snail Mail. Direct mail is still a consumer favorite - and another good way to get your sales message out. It can be especially effective used in concert with another effort, such as an e-mail campaign. A recent survey published in DM News indicated that 70 percent of respondents preferred receiving unsolicited correspondence via mail vs. e-mail. As with any marketing medium, though, you can end up paying a lot between production costs, list rental costs, and mail shop/postage costs. The most costly direct-mail packages are magalogs and tabloids (four-color mailers that look like magazines). However, 6 x 9 postcards, tri-fold self-mailers, and simple sales letters are three low-cost ways of taking advantage of this channel. Note that copy, list selection and geo-targeting an be crucial for direct mail success no matter which cost-effective mail format you pick. Although 100 percent ROI (return on investment) is what you should aim for, many direct mailers are content with 80 percent. This lower figure takes into consideration the lifetime value of the names that come in from this channel, because they are typically reliable buyers in the future.

6. Print Ads. This is another channel that's gets a raw deal. One reason is because it can be costly. To place an ad in a high-circulation magazine or newspaper, you could shell out serious money. But you don't need a big budget to take advantage of print ads. If you don't have deep pockets, consider targeted newspapers and periodicals. Let's say you're selling an investment report. Try using the Internet to research the wealthiest cities in America. Once you get that list, look online for local newspapers in those communities. These smaller newspapers hit your target audience... and offer a much cheaper ad rate than some of the larger, broad-circulation publications. You end up getting quality rather than quantity. I once paid for an ad in a local newspaper in Aspen, CO that had a flat rate of less than $500. My ROI on this effort turned out to be more than 1,000 percent. How's that for a positive response rate!

The six marketing channels I've just described can help you reach more customers... and eventually add dollar signs to your bottom line. So start the summer off with a marketing bang. By leveraging the six channels of multi-channel marketing, I'm confident you will be amazed by the results.

Social Marketing Shockers and Secrets

Social marketing can be fun, can increase awareness, and can drive website traffic. But there's also some things you should be aware of before you dive in and spend time or money on this method.

The following are some comments I've heard over the years and my response, based on personal experience and observation:

Social media can't be measured. False. It surely can. Even better, the tools to help you measure them are all free. What you use is good old fashioned direct response and public relations metrics - outputs, outcomes and objectives. Outputs measure effectiveness and efficiency. Outcomes measure behavioral changes. And objectives is simply comparing direct product sales during the time of the campaign to other sales that occurred before the campaign. Online resources that can help with these measurements are Google Analytics, Google Alerts and Back-link checkers. You can also use your own in-house stats for subscriber sign ups (i.e. your email service provider) and sales (i.e. online shopping cart or ecommerce platform).

With social marketing, I don't need an ezine or free newsletter? False. You can certainly just have social media accounts and not have a daily, weekly or monthly ezine, but that is not ideal. You see, with social media accounts, you don't have the friend/follower/fan ('Triple F') email address. You post comments and thoughts, which can be entertaining, strategic or random, but you 'really' don't have a direct line of communication between you and your Triple F. This email address is like gold. Having an email address for your prospects gives you permission to bond with them through strong editorial as well as cross-sell them through targeted, persuasive promotional copy. Not having this is really doing your business an injustice. Not everyone is a 'profile stalker'. Not every Triple F is going to visit your social media page frequently to truly resonate with your message or buy your products. There is so much social media 'noise' that without having your Triple F's email, you're likely to get lost in the chatter.

Twitter is better for conversions than Facebook. False. Personally and for my clients, I have found that Facebook followers/fans convert better than Twitter. My thought for a few reasons: Facebook has more character limitations (420 or so characters per post) as well as a variety of features so you can say more, bond more, and sell more to your audience. Twitter has very strict character limitations (140 characters) making it difficult to have more than a shallow relationship with your audience posting short and pithy blurbs here and there. In addition, did you ever notice most people's 'Following' and 'Followers' numbers are very close or nearly identical in range? That is because with Twitter, you get more random followers that will 'Follow' most anyone looking for a reciprocal follow. Sure, you can set your account with a security feature to not just let people follow you but actually approve potential followers first. But that is not common practice for the most part (unless your ultimate Twitter purpose isn't for business or marketing). With Facebook, as a default you have to approve all friend requests first, thereby you can sort of qualify your audience. I believe with both of these platforms, it's truly quality over quantity. I don't recommend getting caught up in the numbers of how big your friend or follower list is, it's better to have a small list that is responsive, interacts and converts - than a large list that is uninterested in your messages.

It's ok to grab an email address from a 'friend' or 'network' profile page on Facebook or LinkedIn and send them promotional emails. Absolutely not.. Never. This is spam pure and simple. If you haven't noticed, at the bottom of your Facebook info. page or LinkedIn home page, your email address is posted for your network to see. In Facebook, this is a security setting that can be shown to friends only, friends or friends, or everyone. On LinkedIn it's similar. Believe it or not, shortly after I accepted some industry colleague requests, I started getting these solicitations for these people's products. There were pure, hardcore promotional emails. Now, I now I never signed up for there ezine. And it was within days after accepting their request. I could only conclude that these social media barracudas friend targeted people (that are ideal potential customers) and then once friended use that access to view personal email address and spam away. I find this not only tacky and obnoxious, but also violation of anti-spam practices. Needless to say I un-friended these people soon after. But use common sense and know that it's a best practice not to do this.

What are some tricks to increase your presence in Twitter? Keep your Tweets frequent, useful, relevant and entertaining. Use hash tags (#) with targeted keywords. Make sure you have a keyword rich and relevant Twitter bio so the right people can read about you and follow you. Text is limited, so pick your descriptive keywords carefully.

Social marketing is a waste of time. No, not if done correctly. Last year, my friend Bob Bly had a hot social media discussion brewing on his blog, www.Bly.com/blog. One commenter said, ""...by a direct response marketer's metrics, social media is a waste of time..." and "...social networking is simply real world interpersonal networking digitized...". I disagree. Social media, in my opinion, is a hybrid between relationship/network marketing and direct marketing. It's relationship marketing if you know how to be a strategic thinker as well as be creative with your marketing messages. In other words, what to say and where to say it. Targeting is key. You have to look at each social media website to see if it, and it's users, are the right fit for your marketing message and business. Then, you need to craft your message accordingly. And that requires good creative, copywriting skills. It's direct response as you can measure results. Granted, it's not as cut and dry as some other online marketing methods, like email. Where deliverability, clicks, opens, sales, and ROI is concrete. But, for me (and my business), I can specifically track any leads or sales I get back to specific social media platforms. And I can measure traffic to my website via Google Analytics from those same sites. As a core direct marketer, I don't waste my time on something I can't tie a metric to.