Niche Marketing Secrets: Inside The Guru's Lair

As 'less than guru' online marketers, we're constantly asking the question "What makes the difference?"...

What really is it that allows some niche marketers to achieve success beyond our wildest dreams while others haplessly flounder. While there a number of elements, I will attempt today to isolate just a few. These are some of the things I feel to be of key importance in obtaining the online income you desire.

1. Knowledge - It seems crazy to say but despite all the info products, all the articles, all the forums, all the free reports, all the blog posts, alot of people still find it hard to nail down specifics on how to attain a certain outcome like a profitable niche site or a high selling info product.
The problem of course is information overload. It's not a lack of information rather so much information that sorting through it to find what really works and what doesn't becomes the main challenge.

2. Resources - When you are already successful as an online marketer you have resources that the average online entrepreneur doesn't have. You have access to teams of people who can increase your productivity and earning potential exponentially.

As a newbie however you have to do everything yourself. Your goal at this point should be working out how you can get more work done with the same effort with the help of either other people or automated software programs that can carry out various tasks for you.
Since we're talking about Niche Marketing in particular, consider this.

Average Joe niche marketer wants to start making money from niche sites. He spends his time creating the website following a certain plan, promoting his site, and so on. Having to do all the work himself he might be lucky to create 5 or 6 solid niche sites in a month.

At the same time Guru niche marketer decides he wants to ramp up his niche marketing income. So he asks his programmer to whip him up some software that can create these niche sites automatically.

He spends a few minutes per day running the software and all the work he would have had to do manually is taken care of. That's what I mean by RESOURCES!

The good thing is that there are software programs that have been created for such purposes by these marketers that are now available to the public.

If you can sift through them prudently without succumbing to the ever present sales hype you can find certain tools that can help you, the average niche marketer, get the same advantage that the guru's have.

Again, combining the right knowledge with the right resources along with of course taking plenty of action can turn anyone into a niche marketing guru period!

Why Affiliate Marketing Is So Important

Much of the information you'll find online is aimed at affiliate marketers: Make millions online! While many of these claims are overblown, they also get the attention of small and medium-sized businesses that also want to cash in on the affiliate marketing gold rush. Becoming an affiliate is as lucrative a proposition as becoming an affiliate marketer. For this reason, you'll see new affiliate opportunities arising each and every day.

Look at what a business is getting if it starts an affiliate program: free advertising. That's the simplest way to put it. The marketer signs up with the business and agrees to put a link on a website. The business only has to pay for this service if a sale is made—normally for a reasonable commission. As this is a sale that wouldn't have been made without the affiliate marketer's site, it is money well spent.

Even if a sale is not made, the link provides a method of advertising that can increase name recognition. Most business owners know that people might not make a purchase until the fifth time they see a brand name or come surfing to a site. An affiliate program can spread the word about a business on dozens upon dozens of sites. When combined with more traditional types of advertising, this can be a great way for a new business to get a foothold or an established business to expand its reach. These links can help search engine ranking as well.

The trick to a good affiliate partnership is finding quality marketers. While you obviously want to have your link on as many sites as possible, you also want those sites to be adept at generating traffic and sales. The fact remains that a large number of affiliate sites are posted and then never updated again. A business wants to find marketers who will design a professional-looking site and market that site effectively. At affiliate forums, businesses can hook up with marketers to start a relationship. A business owner can get a sense of the marketer's skill and drive from his or her stable of sites.

There's a lot of competition for marketers out there, especially established, quality marketers. Your best bet is to offer very attractive terms—a higher commission than the competition or a unique link layout. It should go without saying that your own site is well designed. An affiliate marketer wants to make a sale just as much as you do, and marketers won't sign up with a site that is poorly constructed. Offer a good site and a good product and you'll bring in more affiliate marketers. All this said, it is no surprise that affiliate marketing is growing at such an exponential rate. It is as important to business as any other type of marketing.

For more information visit: MarketHealth

How To Make Money With Affiliate Programs

Affiliate programs can either be a way to put a little extra cash in your pocket or, hopefully, become a full time job. However, it's not like you can put up a bunch of affiliate links and expect to start making a mint. If you want to make a full time job's worth of money off affiliate marketing, you have to work at it full time. The great thing about affiliate marketing is that it works 24/7—but this doesn't mean you should also put in several hours a day of your own time.
The affiliate marketers who have had the most outstanding success are normally those who have more than one site working at once. It's much harder to make a decent amount of money if you have one affiliate site at a time. Experienced affiliate marketers will have a number of different sites running at once, all with different types of affiliate links. What this means is that each affiliate site will need separate SEO: new content in the form of blogs, forums, articles, and other techniques.

A key to a successful affiliate marketing program is to make the affiliate site a useful resource. Just posting a bunch of links is not going to impress many web surfers. They'll leave and likely never come back. The trick to any web business is to keep people on site—this is true for the affiliate partner and it's true for affiliate marketers. An affiliate site shouldn't necessarily scream, "affiliate site." Instead, it can be a trusted resource on a particular topic.

Useful content is the best way to make this possible. Take a site that has a number of links to sports-related businesses (apparel, equipment, tickets, books, etc.). The affiliate marketer can then set up a forum that talks about different sports teams, strategy, and so on—potentially, this forum could bring in sports fans from across the country. Blogging is another great medium for affiliate marketing. On the same site, the blogger could write reviews of new equipment or write in depth trade talk about a variety of sports. These are just a few ideas but they show how affiliate marketing can—and should—be a serious, long-term proposition.

What it comes down to is that affiliate marketing is no different than running the host site. Both are about running a business, even if an affiliate marketer has no direct product or service to sell. An affiliate marketer should set up a site that is useful and informative—a destination that people will come back to again and again. In some cases, an affiliate site might even be more informative than the partner's website.

Only until these issues are covered can an affiliate marketer hope to make a good amount of money with affiliate marketing. Sure, you could put up links and hope for the best, but you should think about investing some time into the site if you really hope to turn a respectable profit.

For more information visit: Market Health

Difference Between An Affiliate And A Super Affiliate

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Super Affiliate! Corny, but "super affiliate" is the new buzzword for affiliates who are both ambitious and successful at affiliate marketing. There are wild claims online about affiliate marketing: Make Millions Overnight! Never Work Again! Unfortunately, these claims are usually false. To go from being a plain affiliate to super affiliate takes a lot of work. In short, you need to be an affiliate of steel.

The vast majority of affiliate marketing sites online are run by people who have no great interest in turning a huge profit. For example, you'll find thousands of blogs where people put up a few Amazon listings and/or Google links on the off chance that a passing browser will click on them. That's all well and good, but this is no way to make a dent in the affiliate marketing game. To be a super affiliate, you need to treat affiliate marketing as a job, not just something that you do on the side to put a couple of bucks in your pocket.

There is a misconception that affiliate marketing is not a real business. After all, the affiliate is not putting out a product. This is patently false. Even though an affiliate marketer is not manufacturing a product, he or she is still offering the product up for sale. An affiliate marketer still needs to be in charge of search engine optimization, custom content, quality web design, financial management, and everything else that goes into running a successful e-business. As with any business, an affiliate marketing plan is only as strong as the amount of work you put into it.

A super affiliate will be able to turn as hefty a profit as a standard business—several sales a day on a number of different fronts. Remember, successful affiliate marketers don't necessarily stop at one site. They set up a variety of affiliate sites with a good web address, quality web design, and lucrative affiliate marketing opportunities. Additionally, once you start selling at an accelerated rate, some affiliate programs will promote you from regular affiliate to super affiliate. If you start sending sales and traffic to a business, they will reward you with better terms.
This isn't an easy proposition, but it is possible. Make sure that an affiliate program has a corresponding super affiliate program in place—better terms for more sales. Even if they don't, an affiliate with good terms up front can really pay off if you're able to make a several sales a month. Affiliate programs with great terms are also sometimes referred to as super affiliates. Find these and you know you'll have a good marketing in place at the start.

For more information visit: Market health

Pay Per Lead Vs. Pay Per Sale & Pay Per Click

Pay Per Lead Vs. Pay Per Sale & Pay Per Click - In What Ways Is Pay Per Lead Better Than Pay Per Click & Pay Per Sale?

Because pay-per-lead programs
are generally designed to promote some type of free product or service, where the visitor is
given away something for free and is not required to buy anything, the
conversion ratio is usually higher than both PPC and PPS.

For example, a fellow internet
marketer, Scott Boulch,
was paying "half a dollar each time someone you refer downloads the Free eBook!"

The result?

Scott had 30,000 visitors
download his free report in around 10 days, and many internet marketers made a
lot of half-a-Dollar-per-visitor money!

That's the power of Pay Per Lead.

You can earn eanywhere from $0.50 all
the way up to $50 and even beyond.



What other monetization model
can give you $35, $45 or $100 per non-cash conversion action, for giving your
visitors free stuff?!

In fact, what other monetization
model can give you half a dollar in return for giving visitors a free report?!
Not PPC and not PPS.

You can safely say that Pay Per
Lead is one of the easiest ways to make money online without selling products or
services.

Pay Per Lead Vs. Pay Per Sale
Comparison

Why It's easier to make money with Pay Per Lead
than Pay Per Sale (Affiliate Sale)

Pay Per Sale: Visitor is required to make a
purchase in order for you to make money.

Pay Per Lead: Visitor is not
required to make any purchase in order for you to make commissions.

Pay Per Sale: Since there is something to buy,
the conversion ratio is lower than Pay Per Lead.

Pay Per Lead: Since there is
nothing to buy, the conversion ratio is higher than Pay Per Sale.

Fact: It is easier to make
people take some form of action when you give away something for free! The resistance threshold is
much lower.

Pay Per Lead programs generally
pay lower commissions than Pay Per Sale programs, however, the higher conversion
ratios often translate into higher overall profits.

Pay Per Lead Power Ads System?
is the Quickest and Easiest Solution for (1) Creating, (2) Managing and (3)
Maximizing Your Revenues From Pay Per Lead Ads!

Pay Per Lead Power Ads
System? is made up of three
heavyweight software solutions:

(1)
Pay Per Lead Networks/Programs Research Center

(2)

Pay Per Lead
Ad-Units
Creator

(3)
Pay
Per Lead Keyword Ads
Generator

No software to download, upload,
install, update.

Manage everything from an easy
browser interface. Complete, 24/7 control over your own account, via an online
control panel.

http://viralurl.com/hanxing8888/payperleadads

How to Write A Follow Up Message

By: Beka Ruse

Smart marketers know that follow up autoresponders drive sales. But, many don't know how to write the e-mail messages they need in order to use these tools. Don't let that keep you from increased profits! Write masterful messages with these simple steps:

Pull the Reader in

First, convince your audience that your text is worth reading. Make your first sentence or two very interesting: Make a bold statement, say something seemingly ridiculous, or appeal to your prospect's emotional side. Later, tie this grabber in with the rest of your copy.

For instance: "Want to make your neighbors jealous? How about with a lush, green lawn in just 2 weeks?"

Introduce the Product

What is the product you're advertising? What does it do? Directly after your grabber, give a compact explanation of your product. Keep this explanation short, while still being very clear.

For example: "Green Garden Lawn Fertilizer is taking the landscaping industry by storm. What else can give you the lawn of your dreams in just 15 minutes a day?"

Explain the Product's Significance

What will it do for me? This is the time for details - make this section long and rich. Suggest a variety of product uses, and give examples. Make the most of this opportunity to directly target your unique audience! Clearly explain how your readers will benefit from your product.

Tell the Reader to Make a Purchase

You've come so far - you've laid out exactly what the product is and how it will help your unique audience. Now, seal the deal - tell your readers to purchase the product!
This step may sound strange, but it's necessary. Often, people hear about a product and are genuinely interested, but fail to actually make a purchase. A clear call to a simple action cuts down on buyer ambivalence. Don't be pushy - just change your verb tenses to the imperative.

Instead of: "If you think that you fit this profile, you might want to think about buying Green Garden Lawn Fertilizer." Say:
"
Click here to order Green Garden Lawn Fertilizer today."

An Eye for Continuity

More and more opt-in e-mail is being sent around the Internet. Remind your prospect that he requested your messages by keeping an eye on continuity. Start and end each message in a similar way. At the top, let your prospect know who you are, why he is getting e-mail from you, and where he is in the follow up sequence. This can be as simple as saying: "Last week, you requested more information about Green Garden Fertilizer..." Then, end each message with your own contact information. Use your autoresponder's personalization features to list details about your lead. Also, include a way for the lead to unsubscribe.

For example: "This message was sent to Dusty Dan at dustydan@needsanewlawn.com. On April 5th, Dusty Dan requested information about Green Garden Fertilizer. Questions? Call us at 000-000-0000. Or, to unsubscribe, click here

Create With Confidence

Don't sweat over follow up messages - your prospects are waiting for you! Print and follow the guidelines in this article, and follow up with confidence.

Beka Ruse fights spam as the Business Development Manager at AWeber Communications. Ad tracking, live stats, and a strict anti-spam policy. Automated E-Mail Follow Up From AWeber.

Do Your Potential Customers Forget About You?

By Tom Kulzer

Your web business probably gets product inquiries from potential customers around the globe. Inquiries come via e-mail and your web site, and you try to send information to each hot prospect as quickly as you can. You know that you can drastically increase the likelihood of making a sale by satisfying each person's need for information quickly!

But, after you've delivered that first bit of information to your prospect, do you send him any further information?

If you are like most Internet marketers, you don't. When you don't follow that initial message with additional information later on, you let a valuable prospect slip from your grasp! This is a potential customer who may have been very interested in your products, but who lost your contact information, or was too busy to make a purchase when your first message reached him. Often, a prospect will purposely put off making a purchase, to see if you find him important enough to follow up with later. When he doesn't receive a follow up message from you, he will take his business elsewhere.

Are you losing profits due to inconsistent and ineffective follow up?

Following up with leads is more than just a process - it's an art. In order to be effective, you need to design a follow up system, and stick to it, EVERY DAY! If you don't follow up with your prospects consistently, INDIVIDUALLY, and in a timely fashion, then you might as well forget the whole follow up process.

Consistent follow up gets results!

When I first started marketing and following up with prospects, I used a follow up method that I now call the "List Technique." I had a large database containing the names and e-mail addresses of people who had specifically requested information about my products and services. These prospects had already received my first letter by the time they requested more information, so I used the company's latest news as a follow up piece. I would write follow up newsletters every now and then, and send them, in one mass mailing, to everyone who had previously requested information from me. While this probably did help me win a few additional orders, it wasn't a very good follow up method. Why isn't the "List Technique" very effective?

The List Technique isn't consistent. Proponents of the List Technique tend to only send out follow up messages when their companies have "big news".

List Technique messages don't give the potential customer any additional information about the product or service in question. He can't make a more informed buying decision after receiving a newsletter! If someone is wondering whether your company sells the best knick-knacks, what does he care that you've just moved your headquarters?

List Technique messages convey a "big list" mentality to your potential customers. When I used to write follow up messages using the List Technique, I was writing news bulletins to everyone I knew! I should have been sending a personal message to each individual who wanted to know more about my products.

What follow up method really works?

Following up with each lead individually, multiple times, but at set intervals, and with pre-written messages, will dramatically increase sales! Others who use this same technique confirm that they have all at least doubled the sales of various products! In order to set this system up, though, you need to do some planning.

First, you'll need to develop your follow up messages. If you've been marketing on the Internet for any length of time, then you should already have a first informative letter. Your second letter marks the beginning of the follow up process, and should go into more detail than the first letter. Fill this letter with details that you didn't have the space to add to the first letter. Stress the BENEFITS of your products or services!

Your next 2-3 follow up messages should be rather short. Include lists of the benefits and potential uses of your products and services. Write each letter so that your prospects can skim the contents, and still see the full force of your message.

The next couple of follow up messages should create a sense of urgency in your prospect's mind. Make a special offer, giving him a reason to order NOW instead of waiting any longer. After reading these follow up messages, your prospect should want to order immediately!

Phrase each of your final 1 or 2 follow up messages in the form of a question. Ask your prospect why he hasn't yet placed an order? Try to get him to actually respond. Ask if the price is to high, the product isn't the right color or doesn't have the right features, or if he is looking for something else entirely. (By this time, it's unlikely that this person will order from you. However, his feedback can help you modify your follow up letters or products, so that other prospects will order from you.)

The timing of your follow up letters is just as important as their content. You don't want one prospect to receive a follow up the day after he gets your initial informative letter, while another prospect waits weeks for a follow up!

Always send an initial, informative letter as soon as it is requested, and send the first follow up 24 hours afterwards. You want your hot prospects to have information quickly, so that they can make informed buying decisions!

Send the next 2-3 follow up messages between 1 and 3 days apart. Your prospect is still hot, and is probably still shopping around! Tell him about the benefits of your products and services, as opposed to your competitors'. You will make the sale!

Send the final follow up messages later on. You certainly don't want to annoy your prospect! Make sure that these last letters are at least 4 days apart.

Following up effectively seems complicated, but it doesn't have to be! So many potential customers are lost because of poor follow up - don't you want to be one of the few to get it right?

Tom Kulzer, CEO and Founder of Newtown, PA based AWeber Communications, Inc. an opt-in email service provider. With 7 years managing opt-in follow up and newsletters for small businesses, email deliverability is an integral part of day to day operations. Learn more: http://tinyurl.com/23nnvy

Putting The "Service" Back In "Customer Service"

By Sean Cohen

The future of customer service is here. Technology has made seeking out support faster and easier than ever. But, has your digital age company sacrificed true service in the name of automation? Today, finding customer support is as simple as writing an e-mail or picking up the phone. But, even though you're not face-to-face with your customers, you still leave a lasting impression. Do you come across as caring and competent, or menacing and mechanical? Offering stand-out service on the Internet isn't as hard as it is rare. Take these simple steps towards old-style service in the digital age:


Give Each Customer a Personal Response

When a customer sits down to e-mail your company, it's because he needs help. He chooses e-mail because it's quick, but his request still warrants a satisfying and personal response! Companies eager to save time and money often take automation too far in their customer support. Each customer has a unique question, and deserves a unique answer. Even if you save time by copying and pasting stock replies, change the opening and closing to make the message sound less robotic.

Be Clear, But Sincere

When responding to customers' e-mail, be sincere and to the point. Before sending a message, try turning the tables. Ask yourself, "Would this answer satisfy me if I were the customer?" Take that extra moment to give your customer the help he deserves. It might mean the difference between a satisfied customer and a credit card chargeback!

Offer Live Customer Support

E-mail has become an acceptable form of communication. But, live customer support is still necessary. The plethora of information available online can be overwhelming to customers, especially those new to the Internet! Single your company out from the crowd by providing customers with a real person to talk to. Live phone support is an invaluable way to foster trust. When your customer has reached the end of his Internet rope, and just needs help, your toll free number is the answer he's looking for.

Make Sure Your Support Reps Have All The Answers

The presence of phone support will do no good if your staff doesn't know your product! Customer support reps should be warm and friendly, and willing to help with any aspect of your product. What a good feeling it is to talk to someone who feels confident in his product. It's even better if he's knowledgeable enough to solve your problem without transferring you all around the company!

Provide Stand-Out Service; Gain Lifelong Customers

Too many e-businesses skimp on customer service, hiding behind web sites and message boards. Customer support is an integral part of every company, even those operating solely online. Be one of the few to offer stellar service, and gain customers for life!

Customer Service is becoming a lost art, but Sean Cohen wants to make sure that never happens at AWeber Communications! Find out what service is meant to be.