Simple Business Marketing For Start Up Business

Starting up a business is never easy; it can be stressful and at often times energy draining. Things are uncertain and the risks may be too much to handle. For some people, making that jump from employee to boss seems so elusive. Different business owners have their own strategies and defining activities that would make there business marketing unique among others. But for those who made the hasty jump to the entrepreneurial world, two things should be kept in your mind, plan ahead and define your plans well.

A definite thing for those starting a business would be there market. To come up with the decision to start up a business would mean that you have convinced yourself and a handful of people that you have a profitable market. For you to define the different market segments would be the first step amongst the millions you take towards attaining success.

Being able to define the market segment is the key guide in business marketing. This enables business owners see on which aspects he should be focusing his advertising and promotions more. Like for instance, if you are a store selling wigs, it would be a bad idea to hand out brochures and leaflets to high school and teenagers which are less likely to use your products.

There are different kinds of low cost business marketing activities that you could undertake and it could only cost you a couple of dollars.

Business Alliances

Making that jump into the unknown world of entrepreneurship would be stressful for most and it would be a good idea to have a mentor who can guide you every step of the way. It would be best to build alliances with businesses who could be co-beneficiaries of your business. With this strategy you can attain leverage by having your product compliment other businesses products.

Another form of business alliance activity is by leaving information about your product at counters of high traffic areas. Have some brochures or leaflets printed or perhaps a poster that contains the information about your product and your contact details. A good example for this are car service or rental brochures left at hotel lobbies. This way if a guest would decide that he or she would want to drive they can have options.

Advertising

For start up business owners, do not be afraid of the cost of advertising. You may be overwhelmed by the cost of media advertising especially if it is done by professional advertising agencies. Advertising is essential and the core principle of business marketing. The main premise of advertising is getting your product known across your target market. There are traditional and non traditional advertising practices that would only cost a couple of hundred dollars and can have thousands of impact.

Focusing your advertising on your defined market segment would save you thousands of dollars. This is why it is important to define your market to have a marketing plan based on these data. Having extensive media coverage on a local event would be a waste of money since the reach of your media is further than your market circle.

Business marketing is not a perfect science. It would still depend on the hard work and determination of the business owner that would tip the scale between success and failure. Having a strategy would only mean a defined technique on how success could be achieved at a lesser cost.

The Marketing Principles of a Business

If you are truly serious about making a success out of your business in the long run then there are several factors that if applied correctly and efficiently will make your sales explode to stardom in your market area.

Value for money

The reader feels and thinks he or she is getting their moneys worth. This is a vital marketing principle to boosting your sales. If this objective is achieved then you have essentially done all the hard work, convince your prospects that the product you are offering them is worth substantially more than the price your selling it at.

It is also important that you market products within your means (financially); ideally you should have purchased a copy of the product, this is a key marketing principle that will help you when it is time to market the product as you should have familiarised yourself with it. Also, consider offering free gifts with your products (See Marketing Principle 3); make the customer really feel they are really getting their moneys worth.

Unique

Some of the most effective advertisements are those that are original, captivating and distinctive. The more unique and captivating you are able to convey your products, the better the customer response. Creating mailing lists and newsletters is also another key marketing principle of effectively establishing yourself while building up your rapport with customers; it is definitely something you should look to explore.

Relevance

Make sure when you market a product, that you supplement it with a tightly focussed offer. Having an offer that relates specifically to your product is a very effective marketing principle of establishing credibility. Relevance is important; never venture beyond your given niche.

Desirability

Something can be great value for money, but it doesn't necessarily mean I want to buy it nor does it mean a customer would want to buy it. As a result alleviating the desirability of your product is a crucial marketing principle.

As a method you can try enlisting part of your product as a premium which should not be to hard to accomplish with information products. As a marketing principle, concise wording is very important and if used effectively should put your products in a more favourable position.

Relationship Marketing and Your Computer Consulting Business

Relationship marketing is a powerful tool that you must use to grow your computer consulting business. Relationship marketing is how I turned a simple website demo into $175,000 in service revenue over a period of a few years. When you use relationship marketing you don't waste your money on risky display advertisements, you don't have to cold call, you don't have to do any door to door selling, and best of all you don't even feel like you are selling.

Relationship marketing centers on conveying the right kind of professional image all of the time. It is crucial that in every situation you find yourself in, you remember that you are marketing your business. You are your business so what people think of you they will also think of your business.

Another important key to remember with relationship marketing is that every person you meet presents an opportunity to forge a relationship. Obviously networking opportunities are important to remember. But the area of relationship marketing that many people forget about is developing relationships within the businesses you serve.

You may have gotten a lead from one person at a company. Or you may have one key contact at a business you currently service. Those who are savvy at relationship marketing know that one contact is never enough. People change jobs and companies all the time. You don't want to lose a potential client or service contract because your key contact is no longer around.

When you use relationship marketing correctly you will develop relationships with more than one person at any business you enter. Think of every person as a potential source of business. Make sure you expand the scope of your accounts to at least a couple of people with whom you have a solid relationship.

The Bottom Line on Relationship Marketing

Relationship marketing is a critical element in your overall marketing strategy. You must always be aware of how you are presenting yourself. You never know when or where you will meet the next person with whom your relationship flourishes into a whole lot of business. The beauty of relationship marketing is that it seems like effortless selling but it is really the most powerful and effective marketing tool you can use.

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5 Marketing Moves for Business Success

Marketing has traditionally been broken down to a formula known as “the 5P’s” – the five factors that make up an organization’s marketing strategy. If these are done consistently, well, and for a long enough period of time, these 5 factors also become part of their brand.

So far, so good. But the problem is that no one can seem to agree on exactly which 5 P’s are important, so the list typically includes: people, product, place, process, price, promotion, paradigm, perspective, persuasion, passion, positioning, packaging, and performance.

Wow. Sounds complicated, huh? I’m going to try and simplify effective marketing into five moves – five concrete actions – that you can implement immediately. Your challenge: try one or more of these NOW.

Move 1: Move Up

Want to try something different? The next time you’re speaking with a prospect, when the question of price comes up, DOUBLE your normal price and see what happens.

Am I crazy?

Maybe, maybe not. The other side of the coin is that maybe YOU’RE crazy for not charging for VALUE, but instead competing on PRICE. Businesses that compete on price lose. Period.

The easiest thing your competition can do is undercut your price. In fact, the first thing they will copy is your price. It takes no imagination, no creativity, no innovation, no market leadership, and no vision to lower the cost of something. And it hurts all parties involved. Lower prices always mean lower profits. Studies have shown that a 1% drop in price leads to an 8% drop in profit.

What happens when you double your usual price?

Several things. Prospects perceive:

* An increase in the value of your product/service

* An increased level of prestige in owning/using your product/service

* An increased level of trust in you – and all your other offerings (the halo effect)

* An increased level of confidence that your product/service really works

A marketing consultant that I respect once gave me a very valuable piece of advice. She said, “Be expensive or... be free.” Being one of the most expensive providers of a service is remarkable – people talk about their $200,000 Italian sports car or $21,000 platinum-plated cell phone. Nobody talks about their $19,000 GM sedan.

I’ve helped companies double their prices, with great success, and I’ve helped independent consultants double [and in one case triple] their fees. In each of those cases, they got more clients, not fewer. Details on how to do this in Move 3. And perhaps this means you’ll lose a few unprofitable clients along the way. If you don’t lose some unprofitable clients, you won’t have room to serve the more profitable ones when they come along. It’s professional suicide to continue focusing on serving a market sector “that can afford” to pay your old (low) prices. Price doesn’t find clients. VALUE finds clients. And those clients that value your work should – and will – pay according to that value.

Free is also a powerful price point. And, of course, free is remarkable. Which is another facet to moving up – you move up when you give VALUE first. For free. Got a great idea for a prospect? Great! SEND IT TO THEM. Even better, got a business lead for them? Hand it over! Did you come across an article, a profile, or a piece of research that directly impacts their business? Clip it and mail it to the top person with a brief note. That prospect’s door is now open.

Move 2: Move In

Moving in means moving closer to the customer. Live in their world, think about their problems, and think about their clients and prospects. What’s the first step? Research. Preparation. Homework. Industry, regional, business, and company news is now at every salesperson’s fingertips on the Internet. If you’re not intelligently researching your prospect’s issues, challenges, and pressures, how can you possibly come in with a credible solution?

Don’t like sitting at the computer all day? An even better idea is to hit the street. Visit businesses, talk to your contacts in the fields you serve, get some firsthand information about what’s going on in their world – what are their challenges, perspectives, obstacles, priorities; what are their dreams, their “only-ifs,” and their biggest aspirations?

Is this a lot of work? You bet. Do the majority of salespeople put in this kind of effort? No way. Which is exactly why YOU should. That brings us to Move 3.

Move 3: Move Ahead

Moving ahead means going above and beyond what most salespeople are doing. It means putting in the work – yes, the real, hard work – that makes the difference between being a peddler and being a partner.

Want to move ahead? Start by avoiding doing things your prospects dislike.

Here are the top 10 things salespeople do that buyers dislike according to a Purchasing magazine survey. See if you (or your sales team) might be guilty of any of the following professional no-no’s:

10.Failure to keep promises

9. Lack of creativity

8. Failure to make and keep appointments

7. Lack of awareness of the customer's operation ("What do you guys do here?")

6. Taking the customer for granted

5. Lack of follow-through

4. Lack of product knowledge

3. Overaggressiveness and failure to listen

2. Lack of interest or purpose ("Just checking in")

... and the Number 1 dislike: Lack of preparation.

You can also move ahead by charging more (remember Move 1?) and DEMONSTRATING the VALUE of your product service with hard numbers.

In his insightful book, How to Become a Rainmaker, author Jeffrey Fox calls this process dollarizing. Dollarizing is one of the most powerful sales techniques because once you show (with real numbers that your prospect will provide you with) the return on investment – how THIS much spent will generate THIS much savings, or profits, or sales, or new clients, or hours, etc. – you basically shift the conversation from selling what you’re selling to SELLING MONEY.

In my seminars, I do an exercise called “The Money Machine” that will help you spell this out in hard dollars, very clearly.

The Money Machine goes one step further because you can use it monetize against:

* competing products/services

* the prospect doing nothing

* the prospect doing it themselves

* other things the prospect is already comfortable spending money on

For a free copy of my Money Machine worksheet, email me: david@unconsulting.com.

Suddenly, your product/service becomes a real “investment”: meaning, you can show people the math behind “this much IN” for “this much OUT.” There’s nothing much easier than selling money at a discount!

Here’s another way to move ahead: stop the ridiculous game of “closing the sale.” Closing is not a technique; closing is not a trick; closing is not about magic phrases and looks and power games. Closing should be a natural extension of your conversation, and the two most effective questions you should ask your prospect as you near the end of your value-based discussion are:

1. Does what we’ve talked about so far make sense?

2. What would you like me to do next?

Answer to Question 1: If you’ve prepared for the meeting, discussed the prospect’s key issues, and monetized the value of your solution, of course it makes sense!

Answer to Question 2: “Let’s go ahead” or “Let’s do the paperwork.” Or if your prospect answers this with “Get Out” or “Drop Dead,” you have a pretty good idea that the sale is not ready to close. Seriously, carefully listening to the answer to this question will allow you to address any hidden concerns, hesitations, or issues – right then and there before the prospect would otherwise blurt out an abrupt “No!” to any other traditional “ask for the sale” verbiage that so many sales trainers recommend. Remember, you’re not there to sell – you’re there to HELP THE PROSPECT BUY. If you need to tattoo that on your forehead, be my guest.

Move 4: Move Aside

Here’s another thing that most sales and marketing people have a hard time with: you can’t be all things to all people. Move Aside is about finding your niche, and claiming your expertise in a narrow area of specialty. In plain English, this means you want to become the “Go-To Guy” for your specific product or service – the exact opposite of a “jack-of-all-trades and master of none.”

The people you speak with will have a very different reaction to these two mental images of your product/service:

* “I think we can make this fit.”

* “This is exactly what we’ve been looking for.”

Let me give you an example. There’s a real company that lists among its services “Carpet removal, house cleaning, odd jobs, catering.” Now, I don’t know about you, but when I want a caterer, I’m looking for someone who does catering 24/7. I don’t want to have to worry about “Did they wash their hands after the carpet removal job and before serving my guests?” In fact, if I’m looking for a caterer for a wedding, I might even be drawn to “Wedding Bells Catering” much more so than “Sam’s Catering” or “Good Eats Catering.”

Here’s another example. There are lots of graphic design companies that do all sorts of work – websites, logo design, brochures, collateral material, wine labels, book packaging, etc. You name it, they do it. And business is generally OK. (But let’s face it, if they were going like gangbusters, they probably wouldn’t have sought out my help!) Some of them had a hard time differentiating themselves from the competition and others found it challenging to develop a strong client base and referral network. We’ve had some good success developing their current business, but when we delve into the possibilities of “Moving Aside” and carving out a real niche, or developing one thing that is their flagship specialty, most of my clients get cold feet.

One company (not my client – too bad for me!) that has done this with fabulous results is MaxEffect. They made a tough call. They moved aside. They could obviously do a wide variety of things with their graphic design and advertising skills, but they do ONE THING: they work exclusively on yellow pages ads. That’s it. If you want a killer yellow pages ad with bold graphics, custom or stock photography, clean layout, and a strong, compelling message, these are your go-to people. They’ve designed hundreds and hundreds of yellow pages ads and they’ve built a fanatical client base, and they get a steady stream of referrals – not to mention the steady and growing flow of client work.

Check it out for yourself: http://www.max-effect.com

Move 5: Move Alone

Right now, you are lost in a sea of gray. Me-too rules the day. Everywhere you look, there is more and more and MORE of the SAME OLD THING sold by the SAME OLD PEOPLE in the SAME OLD WAY. Boring. And deadly.

The problem is that people don’t buy gray. If you and your company and your offerings blend into the background, you might as well close up shop right now. Let me put it another way: all companies go bankrupt. It’s just a matter of time. Want proof? Out of the 100 largest companies of 50 years ago, 17 survive today. And none of those 17 are the market leaders they used to be.

Why? Shift happens. If you’re not separating yourself from the crowd, you’re blending in – and nobody will even notice you, much less seek you out and tell their friends about you.

Here’s an example of a company that really hasn’t been doing a bad job – but they’re also not the standouts they used to be.

On a recent call to American Express, an executive was straightening out a billing problem. At the end of the call, the operator asked her, “Have I exceeded your expectations for this call?” and the exec flatly answered, “No.” She had a billing problem, and the rep fixed it. That’s the expectation.

Now, if the rep had offered the executive a $50 American Express gift check to be used at any of American Express’ online retail partners, THAT would have exceeded expectations, right? That story would be worth repeating to 10-20 people. Can you imagine the executive telling anyone, “Hey, I called AmEx to fix my billing error. Guess what? They did it!” That’s not moving alone.

Here’s a good test to see if your marketing and sales strategies are in the category of “moving alone” – they are if you’re doing something that:

* is “simply not done” in your industry

* customers will make a remark about (remarkable!)

* goes against conventional wisdom (I call this “uncommon sense”)

* others (including your competition) think is “crazy”

* others (including your competition) will actually be AFRAID to copy

Get silly. Get crazy. Get an attitude. Get noticed.

Author Seth Godin perhaps put this most succinctly when he said, “Safe is risky. And risky is safe.”

Let me conclude with a recap of the 5 Marketing Moves:

1. Move Up = Get more valuable

2. Move In = Get closer

3. Move Ahead = Get smarter

4. Move Aside = Get specialized

5. Move Alone = Get noticed

Taken together, these will also help you make the Ultimate Move = Get insanely great.

And remember the immortal words of Jerry Garcia:

“You don’t want to be considered the best of the best.
You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do.”

Why Marketing and Advertising are Key to Home-Based Business Success

If you are looking for a way to earn extra income or even quit your job and work part-time to bring in a full-time income, the chances are that you've encountered any number of home-based business opportunities. Some home-based business opportunities fall into the category of traditional networking marketing, where you sign up with a company to sell products and the opportunity to your network of contacts. Typically, this involves house parties or a variation of house parties, and exhausting your friends, neighbors, and family members with requests to host parties or to give you the contact information of their friends and colleagues.

Increasingly, however, home-based business opportunities are Internet-based. The lure is seductive, in that the idea of building a home-based business with a computer, keyboard, and mouse is extremely appealing. And there is definitely money to be made and many legitimate Web-based opportunities. How, though, do you separate the fly-by-night operations from those that are credible? In two words, it's marketing and advertising.

The ability to market and advertise a networking marketing plan is key to its growth and success. After all, there's an enormous amount of competition out there, and the company that has marketing and advertising expertise will always come out on top. So, when you're looking at home-based business opportunities, the first things to consider are who does the marketing and advertising, and who assumes the cost of marketing and advertising.

When you think about it, it all comes down to synergy. In simple terms, it means that two or more entities come together, and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In the real world of home-based business opportunities, it means that two or three companies enter into an agreement and form a network marketing company. In the best possible scenario, each of the companies has a specialty. One company might specialize in, for example, wellness products, while another's expertise might be in helping people build businesses. The third company might be a marketing company that has knowledge and experience in Internet marketing. While each of the three companies has an area of expertise, together they can achieve much more than any of them could separately.

Of the three companies, it can be argued that the marketing company plays the most pivotal role. And, increasingly, Internet marketing companies are partnering with product and business companies to profit from the network marketing opportunity. What does that mean if you're looking for a good home-based business? It means that you don't have to do the marketing and advertising yourself. That is a huge plus for any opportunity. After all, you're probably not a whiz at Internet marketing, so an opportunity that does the marketing and advertising for you will ultimately add to your bottom line. You don't have to spend a fortune in marketing costs, yet you reap the benefits from their efforts.

Of course, the other two companies involved are also important. Again, if you're not experienced in setting up and running a business, having a company that specializes in helping people like you create their own businesses is invaluable. Likewise, a company with a desirable product and a sterling reputation will also help you succeed. But when you're begin reviewing home-based business opportunities, always look at the ways in which the company will promote the product and the opportunity. In doing so, you'll always come out ahead.

Why Not Start Start Your Own Home Based Interenet Marketing Business?

Starting your own home based Internet marketing business could be quite a challenge and very enjoyable at the same time. If you have been trying to find the opportunity to work at home and spend more time with your kids, a home based Internet marketing business is right for you. You will not need a lot of money to get started with a home based Internet marketing business. Unlike when you start a business like a store where you will need to set up your physical facilities and your inventories, this type of business will not really require you to set up elaborate physical facilities. The basic things that you will need to get started in this type of business is a high speed Internet connection and a good computer. Technically, your computer with Internet connection will serve as your virtual office where you can transact business from people all over the world. Next, you will want to find the most quiet place in your home where you can set-up your computer and work in peace. When setting up a your home office, you should make it a point to find a place in the house where there is the least noise and chance of interruptions. If you really want to succeed in your home based internet marketing business, you will need to be in a place where you can concentrate on what you are doing.

Is a home base Internet marketing business profitable? The amount of profit that you earn in a certain business would depend largely on the amount of effort that you put it to make things work. The rule here is that the more time and effort that you put into your home business, the bigger the chances for you to earn more money. You will be the one to decide how you will manage your time and how much of that time you will spend on your business.

Another factor that will affect the amount of money that you can earn on your online business is the type of good and services that you are selling. You will find that sme goods and services will be easy to market and that are very easy to sell and there are also those types of good and services that are so highly specialized that you will need to reach a specific group of people to sell your product to. In the beginning you may want to target the general market. Unless you are highly skilled or you are an expert on a certain field, you may do well with the general market rather than those highly specialized fields. Although there may be thousand other Internet entrepreneurs who are also out to get a share of the general market, there is still a big possibility for you to gain some clients considering how broad the market is.

Why Use Article Marketing To Promote Your Business

Everyone knows what an article is, but how does an article help you promote your business? Here are seven reasons to write articles and use them to promote your business and get more clients online:

1. Promote Your Expertise Online. Writing articles really helps to further establish your expertise online. One thing that all experts have in common is that they have written something – articles, books, reports, etc. Writing articles is your first step to becoming a well-known expert in your field.

2. Get More Newsletter Subscribers. To increase the number of your newsletter subscribers, use the Resource Box of your articles to drive more traffic to your newsletter subscription page.

3. Reach More Potential Customers. When you submit your articles to article directories, they may be re-printed by other business owners in their blogs, newsletters and web sites. Many people will see your articles, thus, exposing you and your business to more potential customers.

4. Get More One-Way Links to Your Web Site. Since the Resource Box that is attached to your articles contains links back to your web site, you will gain many one-way links back to your web site when your article is re-printed. Now people who read your articles will be able to follow these links to your web site.

5. Get Better Search Engine Rankings. One-way links to your web site are great for improving search engines rankings and getting more search engine traffic. Since search engines put more weight on one-way links, than on reciprocal links, getting one-way links with your articles will help you with your search engine strategies.

6. Reach Out to More Segments of Your Target Market. As your articles are re-printed on different blogs and web sites, you are able to reach out to the segments of your target market, that you would have never been able to reach on your own. However, with other people using your articles on their blogs and web sites, you are able to reach out to these customers.

7. Make More Money. Last, but definitely not least reason for writing articles is making money. While you will not be paid directly for writing, publishing and submitting your articles online, writing articles and promoting them online will result in more newsletter subscribers, and, ultimately, more sales in the long run for your business.

Start writing and publishing articles online – this strategy will help you get more newsletter subscribers, get better known and sell more of your products and services online.

7 Reasons Why A Network Marketing (mlm) Business Is The Best Kind Of Business To Own

A lot of people are down on network marketing businesses (also know as multi-level marketing or MLM), but I’d like to give you 7 reasons why a network marketing business is the best kind of business to own.

1. Your chances for success are better in network marketing.

Yes, some people fail at it. In MLM or network marketing, you will often find that 20% of the people are making 80% of the money. Do you know what? That is exactly the same as the church I belong to-- 20% of the people who attend are actively involved and do 80% of the work that needs to be done.

I’m not surprised that it is similar in MLM. People are people. Some of the people who fail at network marketing are not motivated, some aren’t cut out for self employment, some are in the wrong company for them, and some are just not properly trained. But a motivated and trained person in a good company has a great chance of succeeding in their business.

On the other hand, if you start a “traditional” business your odds of success are much lower. According to the SBA, at least 50% of small businesses fail in their first year and 95% fail within the first five years. So, after 5 years of 12 hour days, in debt up to your eyeballs, you only have a 5% chance of succeeding. For some reason that just doesn’t do it for me.

2. The costs are much less to get into a network marketing business.

Most network marketing companies ask for a monthly minimum order to keep an active distributor status, it is true. This is part of what keeps the machine running. It is part of the business operating costs. It may be as much as $100, depending on the company.

Now compare that to the costs of traditional business ownership, like rent, utilities, inventory, insurance, taxes, employees, marketing and advertising, and much more. I think you get the idea.

You don’t have to be rich or go deep in debt to have your own home based network marketing business. It truly is an equalizer, giving everyone a fair chance at succeeding, no matter what the financial background or credit history is.

3. A network marketing business is simpler to run.

If you had your own business hopefully you could afford to hire an accountant and a secretary who would keep all your red-tape, paperwork, receipts, bookkeeping and such. If not, you would spend much of your time doing this.

With MLM, the company you are with handles most of the paperwork. You just need to keep your own financial records for your income taxes. This frees you up to spend your time and energy making money.

4. A network marketing business is easier to market and promote.

Most people who have their own “traditional” business are on their own when it comes to marketing and advertising. They usually try a little of everything to see if something will actually work. Often desperate business owners get taken in by slick sales people who promise results with their newest expensive advertising scheme.

A network marketing company has a proven marketing system that has been tested and used by many people. They will usually have their own marketing material that can be purchased at a lower cost because they can order in larger quantities.

5. You get the business training you need to succeed network marketing.

You don’t need to know anything about business to be successful in MLM. Your company has done all the work and research. They often hire the best marketers in the business to help them develop a training program because really want you to succeed and will do everything in their power to help you.

In traditional business you have to find the training you need on your own.

6. With a home based network marketing business, taxes are on your side.

There are many deductions you can take with a home based network marketing business that will help you reduce your taxes.

On the other hand, the government (federal, state, and local) all seem to have it in for traditional small businesses. And if you have employees, you are really paying much more for them than their salary, as any employer can tell you.

7. Network marketing is the future.

Some people say that network marketing or MLM is a pyramid scheme. That is not true. A pyramid scheme is illegal because it doesn’t work. There is no product, and thus no value to it. The people at the bottom put money in but the value doesn’t flow down to them. It is a scam because only the people who got in at the top make any money. Most of the people get ripped off. A good example of this is chain letters or the airplane game.

A pyramid the natural shape of structure for all businesses, including governments. A network marketing organization is no exception. Network marketing is just a new way to distribute and market goods and services. It is the way of the future. Even many huge traditional companies see this and are jumping on board.

Are you ready to give it a try? There are a lot of great network marketing companies out there. Do some research and try find the company that is right for you.

I found a new online network marketing program that I am excited about. It is called ProWealthSolutions and it is the fastest growing program on the internet according to alexa.com.

ProWealthSolutions is a fully automated online business that provides you with the website, tools, training, and resources to start an online business from home. NO SELLING. NO MEETINGS. NO PRESSURE. You can make up to $1092 a month without ever sponsoring even one person.

What is the Information Marketing Business?

Do you have an area or areas of expertise? Have you ever thought of turning your skills and experience into a training program based on your expertise? You can be an entrepreneur and make money on the information and skills that you already posses by entering the “Information Marketing Business”.

In the information marketing business, the right information is your ticket to success. Information is so crucial that if you don’t have the correct information then you can end up falling behind your competitors. Lack of information occurs often as most people learn by trial and error. However, there is a marketing formula that you can use. This marketing formula is the secret of many Internet guru millionaires. Anyone can use this formula to achieve success.

Becoming an expert in the information business has several advantages from being able to set your own schedule to becoming your own boss. You will also use the instincts that you have garnered from previous experience in your area of expertise. Instincts are very powerful. Many professionals in various occupations build an instinct. This instinct is the result of years of experience. This same type of instinct applies to marketing plans and ventures.

Another benefit of becoming an expert is that you will attract customers. You can make a name for yourself in a specific market or industry. This reputation will have customers seeking YOU out for help thus cutting down on marketing costs.

How do you profit from your expertise? You create your intellectual property. Intellectual property can be in the form of e-books, teleseminars, online training, etc. You can send out your information via CDs, DVD’s, and through email. The options are virtually endless.

Remember, it is the information that customers seek, not whether you have a pretty box or fancy graphics. The information should be at the heart of your intellectual property, not the packaging.

What if you don’t have a strong area of expertise? Find another individual that has an expertise they have not marketed very well. Create a partnership with this expert and help them market their intellectual property. This partnership will benefit you both by giving the expert exposure and giving you access to a guru on a subject. Plus, you can both swim in the loads of money you will earn together.

The business of becoming an entrepreneur expert can be profitable, fun, and give you a steady income. You can work from home or travel the world. Take a dive into the information marketing business and benefit from your own expertise.

Sell Your Successes: 3 Techniques That Can Lower Your Marketing Costs & Energize Your Business

I attended a seminar the other day at a local trade show and one thing that they mentioned almost in passing that inspired me was the critical concept of “selling your successes”.

Hmmm… “Sell your successes” – What could that mean?

Simply put, when you walk the talk, talk the walk. Adjust your marketing and sales conversations and materials to reflect how your product or services helped someone achieve what they wanted.

Now how do you do this? Well here are 3 techniques that when applied effectively can lower your marketing costs & energize your business.

1. Let ‘Testimonials’ Pave the Way
To best illustrate this technique, let me share with you a line that I use often that goes something like this: “If I tell you that I’m great at what I do, at best you’ll take it with a grain of salt, but if an unbiased third-party tells you that I’m great at what I do, you’ll tend to believe them. In other words, people tend to give more credence to what someone else says about you rather than what you say about yourself.

So use every opportunity to gain testimonials about you, your team, your product, your service, or your business in general. Collecting and effectively using testimonials should become a key marketing strategy for your business.

2. Using ‘Stories’ to Get Your Point Across
Storytelling has been around since the beginning of mankind and when used properly can illustrate your point better than almost any other way. Stories have the power to capture and engage the listener in a softened manner – not the hard selling approach that people typically run away from. Stories also have the unique ability to take complex ideas and make them easy to understand – without a dissertation on the subject.

My best advice here is to model other great storytellers. Take one of my favorites for instance, Mark Victor Hansen. Just look at his Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. Essentially each chapter is a story effectively illustrating a point that touches, moves, and inspires its readers.

So you may be tempted to say, well that’s easy for him, but I’m no Mark Victor Hansen. Now maybe you potentially are or aren’t, however my point is, that this is a very learnable skill, people aren’t born with it. They develop it by continually practicing and honing it.

3. Sharing ‘Case Studies’ to Illustrate what’s Possible
Case studies are a sure-fire way to give your prospect a mental picture of what’s possible for their business should they engage you help. These are particularly great for those prospects who need to see it themselves in order to believe it. Case studies illustrate tangible solutions – they tend to instill a deeper level of confidence in your prospect that you can get it done for them. Essentially, you have a track record of success to draw upon.

Now when using any or all of the 3 techniques just discussed, remember that just like telling a joke, timing and delivery are critical to their success. For example placing a testimonial in your sales letter in just the right spot where you are looking to establish credibility is key to getting your prospect to keep reading.

These techniques can also play a critical role in humanizing your business and its offerings – placing real people behind your messages. For example, instead of pounding a prospect with every possible service you offer and the features and benefits of each, try using a short story to simplify a complicated solution that you implemented for a similar customer. Or how about using a relevant case study in a sales presentation illustrating how your service helped a client with similar needs to the prospect you’re presenting to.


Try integrating these techniques into your everyday marketing and realize the positive residual effects they can bring.


© 2006 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Pitfalls To Avoid When Starting Your Affiliate Marketing Business

Well, you have left that awful job and now are working for yourself. You have jumped on board your new venture which is affiliate marketing. You’re incredibly excited and are working all the hours God sends to make this venture a success. You checking up and monitoring your site and you see that sales are going quite well. Many of the strategies and things that you put in place have helped your affiliate company sell quite a bit. The end of the month finally arrives and you’re waiting for that first large payment. When you check your account you are slightly disappointed. You did make some money but according to your calculations you should have had more. You check your sales figures again and decide to contact the company. They inform you that some of the items sold were returned so those had to be deducted from your commission.

This is disappointing but it does happen. Companies do not pay out commission on returned goods. You need to be aware of this to avoid fall into further pitfalls. No one would expect to be paid a commission on a returned item however; some less than honest affiliate marketing companies can use this to scam some of your profits. You need to make sure you understand their return policy and how it will affect the amount that you are paid.

A return occurs of course when a customer brings an item back. Charge backs can also happen when they dispute an amount on a credit card. Be sure you keep a close watch on which items are being chargeback or returned. See if there are any patterns that are obvious. If you notice that the orders that are charged back are always very high ticket orders then they could be giving you false information. They are doing this to keep you commission down and keep some for themselves. Keep a close eye on returns especially if you think it is happening a little too often.

Charge backs are also indicative of another more serious problem. If you notice that many of these charge backs are happening during an initial trial period, or the money back guarantee time, then there could be further problems. This is a sign that the product or service that you are promoting isn’t up to customer satisfaction. It could be misleading or just poor quality. However, it will effect your commission and your future as an affiliate marketer. If this seems like it is happening a little too often then again, there are problems somewhere in the company. Look to get out and make alternative arrangements.

You also need to be aware of which items are actually commissionable. Make sure you understand which products you will be earning money from to avoid disappointment later. Sometimes the company will offer a selection of products to put on your site, however only certain items may be commissionable. Before agreeing to anything like this checks your terms and conditions carefully.

Finally, you also need to make sure that items that are sold don’t have any other conditions attached. Some will only pay a commission if the customer fills in the payment details immediately. If they select an item and continue to shop, you may not receive any commission on that item. You can also loose commission if the customer clicks on any other links before completing the order. If they order 30 of an item you promoting but click on something else then you have lost out on quite a large amount of commission.

Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money. However, before jumping in head first you need to read your terms and conditions carefully. It may be worth having an attorney look them over for you. You need to be aware of the many pitfall people fall into when they go into affiliate marketing. Read and understand your terms to avoid disappointment later.

Easy Profits Using PPC In Your Affiliate Marketing Business

PPC is one of the four basic types of Search Engines. PPC is also one of the most cost-effective ways of targeted internet advertising. According to Forbes magazine, PPC or Pay Per Click, accounts to 2 billion dollars a year and is expected to increase to around 8 billion dollars by the year 2008.

Let us take a quick look at how PPC Search Engines work.

These engines create listings and rate them based on a bid amount the website owner is willing to pay for each click from that search engine. Advertisers bid against each other to receive higher ranking for a specific keyword or phrase.

The highest bidder for a certain keyword or phrase will then have the site ranked as number 1 in the PPC Search Engines followed by the second and third highest bidder, up to the last number that have placed a bid on the same keyword or phrase. Your ads then will appear prominently on the results pages based on the dollar amount bid you will agree to pay per click.

How do you make money by using PPC into your affiliate marketing business?

Most affiliate programs only pay when a sale is made or a lead delivered after a visitor has clickthrough your site. Your earnings will not always be the same as they will be dependent on the web site content and the traffic market http://www.dogs9.com

The reason why you should incorporate PPC into your affiliate marketing program is that earnings are easier to make than in any other kind of affiliate program not using PPC. This way, you will be making profit based from the clickthroughs that your visitor will make on the advertiser’s site. Unlike some programs, you are not paid per sale or action.

PPC can be very resourceful of your website. With PPC Search Engines incorporated into your affiliate program, you will be able to profit from the visitor’s who are not interested in your products or services. The same ones who leave your site and never comes back.

You will not only get commissions not only from those who are just searching the web and finding the products and services that they wanted but you will be able to build your site’s recognition as a valuable resource. The visitors who have found what they needed from you site are likely to come back and review what you are offering more closely. Then they will eventually come back to search the web for other products.

This kind of affiliate program is also an easy way for you to generate some more additional revenues. For example, when a visitor on your site does a search in the PPC Search Engine and clicks on the advertiser bided listings, the advertisers’ account will then be deducted because of that click. With this, you will be compensated 30% to 80% of the advertisers’ bid amount.

PPC is not only a source of generating easy profits; it can also help you promote your own site. Most of the programs allow the commissions received to be spent for advertising with them instantly and with no minimum earning requirement. This is one of the more effective ways to exchange your raw visitors for targeted surfers who has more tendencies to purchase your products and services.

What will happen if you when you integrate PPC into your affiliate program?

PPC usually have ready-to-use affiliate tools that can be easily integrated into your website. The most common tools are search boxes, banners, text links and some 404-error pages. Most search engines utilize custom solutions and can provide you with a white-label affiliate program. This enables you, using only a few lines of code, to integrate remotely-hosted co-branded search engine into your website.

The key benefits? Not only more money generated but also some extra money on the side. Plus a lifetime commissions once you have referred some webmaster friends to the engine.

Think about it. Where can you get all these benefits while already generating some income for your site? Knowing some of the more useful tools you can use for your affiliate program is not a waste of time. They are rather a means of earning within an earning.

Best know more about how you can use PPC search engines into your affiliate program than miss out on a great opportunity to earn more profits.

Why Start A Home Based Network Marketing Business?

Despite all the abundance in the world today, there is one luxury that still eludes most of us and this is financial independence. It is not, however, a luxury impossible to achieve. When looking at what vehicle you will use to achieve your financial independence, stop for a moment to take a serious look at home based network marketing.

Working from home is a dream for thousands of people around the world and there are those 'lucky' few who have achieved it successfully. The key to their success is the understanding of what it takes to market a home based business. It requires persistence and an unwavering commitment.

There a literally thousands of home based business opportunities and they range from investments of under a hundred dollars to investments in the thousands. For the average person, the primary reason they are looking to start a home based business is to improve their financial situation and so a large upfront capital outlay is not possible.

A case for a Home Based Network Marketing Business

Many people invest in home based network marketing as it requires little capital and usually promises great returns. This is the attraction for most people because the product or service on offer has a global market appeal and is within reach financially for the average person. Generally, because it is fairly easy to join a network marketing opportunity it means you can invest your time and money in marketing your business.

The biggest draw card for starting a network marketing business from home is the leverage you can create. As a simple explanation, this means you benefit from the marketing efforts of people in your organization. You will hear network marketers say very often 'the more people you help get what they want, the more you get what you want' or variations of that statement.

The other draw card is the home based network marketing company you join, in almost all cases, will have training and support to assist you in growing your own business. The people who introduced you into the business will also be available to assist as they have an invested interest in your success.

3 Strategies to Make Your Home Based Network Marketing Work

Once you have decided network marketing is for you, there are some important considerations you will need to take into account:

Firstly, you must treat this like a business. You will do yourself a tremendous favor by finding out from people who have started their own business, what is required each and everyday to make it a success.

Secondly, you must teach yourself to be motivated. Anyone can be motivated when they are excited about something new. There are many distractions at home and after a tough day at your job, it will take a personal commitment to work on your business.

And finally, you must have staying power. Your decision to start a home based network marketing business must be a long term one. You should not have an expectation of getting rich quick, although making some money almost immediately is certainly possible. Make the decision to build your business no matter what the stakes are and you will be successful. Above all have fun and enjoy building your home based network marketing business.

Easy Marketing Strategies When You’re Starting A Business

Starting a business can be a very rewarding venture, but you need to take the right steps to market and promote your business to ensure success for the long run. Your online or home based business will only survive the competition with a cohesive marketing strategy that you can implement effectively month after month. Without the right plan, you can end up wasting money and losing out on some great opportunities to attract customers and make a profit. The beginning and launch stages of your online business are often the most critical to your growth, and you need an effective marketing strategy to make it through the startup challenges. Here are some easy marketing strategies to get your business going with a strong start:

Starting a Business with an Attractive Website

Building an attractive website is important because it will introduce your customers to your products and services. Making sure the website is easy to navigate and browse is essential; you’ll need to develop quality content and use relevant images to encourage your visitors to stay and explore. Remember that the longer your visitors stay on the site, the higher the chances that they’ll be interested in buying something.

Starting a Business with a Free Newsletter

Offering free information in the form of a newsletter, eBooks, or even a set of articles is a great way to attract and retain customers. People are always searching for unique and interesting content, and you can start building a subscriber list that will be invaluable as your home business grows. An online business is the perfect opportunity to create an active subscriber list, and you can use this e-mail newsletter to present and sell your own or affiliate products later on.

Starting a Business with Online Networking

Online networking has taken on a variety of forms with the growth of the internet, and you can develop a strong online presence with a variety of tools available. Take the time to share and distribute articles and content on your site so visitors can learn about your company and brand with ease. Online networking is important for generating traffic and finding out what your customers are interested in. You can start to build a community around your website or industry by launching a blog as well; this can attract traffic to your main site and encourage visitors to ‘stay in touch’ with your site for the long-term.

Starting a Business with Search Engine Optimization Tactics

Search engine optimization has become more important than ever, especially with the growth in sites that are so similar in scope and content. Earning the top rankings of the search engines will help you capture visitors as soon as they enter keywords in a search engine’s search box; this works as completely free advertising for you, and will help you increase the chances of a sale when visitors can find you immediately. Getting onto the first page of the major search engines is an important asset when you’re starting a business online or offline, and can help you generate traffic with very little effort. The best way to do this is to optimize your site with relevant content, appropriate formatting, and make sure the design and overall presentation is search engine friendly.

Marketing is an important element of starting a business, and you can enjoy long-term success with the right approach. Take advantage of the different types of marketing strategies for the easiest way to get your business to the forefront of your industry.

The Potential Of Affiliate Marketing As A Home Based Business

With more than 15 million Americans now running Home Based Businesses, what are the benefits, if any, to choosing an Affiliate Marketing Program as a part-time Internet Business!

Affiliate Marketing Programs are a great way for anybody to start a home-based Internet business. They offer a wide range of products and services that can, once you have mastered the skills of “driving traffic” to your website, make you good money.

Due to its almost unlimited potential, it is now one of the most sought after ways to make extra income quickly. The most common reason that so many people get started in Affiliate Marketing is because by selling other peoples products you save yourself a lot of the headaches that normally go with starting a business.

The number one benefit for most people is there's no need for you to invent, produce or stock anything. No need for staff or customer service. All these burdens are taken off your hands by the product or service provider. All you do is promote their products and services on your website. Your only real concern is how to increase your income.

Number two on my list of benefits for Affiliate Marketing is the great variety of products and services at your disposal. To help you with your Affiliate Marketing, there are lots of training materials that will help you enhance your Affiliate Marketing capabilities.

Due to the large number of products and services that are out there in the market place, it is advisable to choose products and services that interest you. This will help you to effectively advertise and promote these products or services. Do not select products that you do not know or are not familiar with. The main reason I say this is because your interest and passion for a product or services will prompt you to be creative.

The most popular benefit of Affiliate Marketing is the small matter of being able to earn money while you do other things like go shopping or while you are sleeping. We all like the idea of making money from “doing nothing”.

Is it really that easy? Well the answer to that question is Yes and NO. For you to earn a lot of money, you MUST drive traffic from your website to the providers and this is easier said than done. The most common reason for failure is putting up a website with nothing but Affiliate Links. Let’s think about this. Why would anyone come to your website? How would they find your website? The most popular sites on the Internet are those with content, things people can read. What do we really use the Internet for “Research”. On the Internet today, CONTENT IS KING and with so many subjects to talk about, it should be easy to fill your website with content that people will want to read.

Choosing subjects that interest you will help you keep the site interesting. You can always tell when someone has a real passion for the subject they are talking about. Not everyone will agree with your point of view and that’s OK too. Anything that keeps them coming to your website will help you make sales from the products and services you promote.

Have an opinion or a question you would like me to answer, then write me! http://www.CarlHampton.com

What Is Pay Per Click Marketing And How Can It Benefit My Business?

I could write a lot of pages, maybe even a book explaining what pay per click marketing is and what it can do for your business, but I will keep this short and to the point. Pay per click (ppc) marketing is an advertising platform in which you bid an amount of money that you are willing to pay for a click.

When a searcher does a search at Google all of the ads on the right side of the screen are ppc ads. Google calls them sponsored listings. When a surfer types in a keyword, the advertisers who have bid on that keyword have their ads displayed. When one of the ads is clicked by the surfer they are taken to the advertiser’s website. The advertiser is charged at maximum, the amount they’ve bid. Most of the time they are charged less than what they have bid. But they are never charged more than their maximum bid.

The bids can start at 1 cent and depending on the market and the ppc search engine, go up to $50 or more per click. When starting off I suggest bidding very low. Ten to fifteen cents per click or lower is a good start. The higher you bid the higher in the rankings your ad is shown therefore increasing your ad’s visibility and your potential visitors. The downside is bidding high can cost you a lot of money and in some cases bring you way over budget. Be very careful when bidding.

Bidding low might not get you as much traffic as bidding high but it will bring you traffic for much cheaper thus increasing your return of investment (ROI). One way to increase the amount of times your ad is shown (visibility) while bidding low, is to bid on a high volume of keywords. Some marketers bid on hundreds and up to hundreds of thousands of keywords.

This method will take some time. Putting together hundreds or thousands of keywords can be time consuming, but it is an effective strategy for getting quality traffic, without paying a lot of money. The more you work with the ppcs the faster you will get at putting together lists of keywords.

In case you’re not sure how to generate that many keywords there are many tools on the net that will help. Some are free and some charge money. One of the best free tools is offered by a company formerly named Overture, which has been bought out by Yahoo! This tool can be found here. http://inventory.overture.com

What can ppc marketing do for your business? Depending on your market, ppc marketing can be a great way to get quality traffic inexpensively, increasing your ROI and profit. It is also a great method for testing products because your ad can “go live” in as little as 15 minutes and up to 5 business days. Depending on which ppc search engine you use.

Advertising your business at free search engines a.k.a organic search engines can take weeks or even months for your website to be indexed in their directory. It can take a lot longer than that to get a decent ranking on your search terms. The more competitive the keywords you are trying to get listed, the harder it is to obtain a decent ranking. This is one reason why ppc search engines have a huge advantage over organic search engines.

I, as well as thousands of other marketers think the best two ppc search engines are Google Adwords and Yahoo! Search Marketing (formerly Overture). Google claims your ad can “go live” in 15 minutes but it usually takes a couple of hours. This is really fast. Yahoo! Usually takes a couple of days.

There are thousands of smaller ppc search engines. Some of them are good and some are not. Some will take your money but will not have many searchers. Google and Yahoo have hundreds of millions of searchers every day. If you think about using a smaller ppc do some research and find out what experiences other marketers have had. There are thousands of forums, newsletters, ezines and info sites dedicated to educating people about ppc marketing. You can learn a lot about Google Adwords, Yahoo! Search Marketing and a lot of the smaller (2nd tier) ppc search engines at these places.

Do You Know What To Look For In A Network Marketing Business Opportunity?

I've been my own boss for years now and let me tell you, I have never looked back. It was pretty scary at the beginning and getting myself set up independently in marketing was pretty tough, but today, you have a lot of resources at your disposal. If you feel that you're tired of an office setting where you don't call the shots and your best efforts are hampered by bureaucratic idiocy, getting involved with a multi-level marketing company might your ticket to a more exciting, more fulfilling life.

Getting started with an MLM company is a great way to get your feet wet, and you might find yourself starting down a whole new career path. The best MLM companies offer you a lot of support and you'll never feel like your alone, even when you're working more independently than you ever have before! With an MLM company, you will be considered an contractor of sorts. You'll have the tools to set yourself up with a franchise of sorts, so you'll be working on your own, but with a company backing you up. This is an excellent first step to see whether you want to be your own boss, or if you'd prefer some sort of supervision.

One thing to think about when getting started is looking for a good MLM company This is extremely important, because there are a ton of organizations like this that are essentially scams. The best MLM companies all share a few traits and once you know them, you can identify them really easily.

The first thing that the best MLM companies do is offer a lot of support. This doesn't mean just one person that you can get in touch with sporadically, this means a full support network that can get an answer to any question that you might have within a few hours. This reveals two things. The first is that the company cares about its contractors and the second is that they have the funds to have a working support network. Both of these things indicate that the MLM company isn't a fly by night organization that will take your money and split.

That's another thing about MLM companies; the best MLM companies will ask for the minimum investment for you. Under no circumstances should you trust one that asks you to invest more and more money. There is a good chance that this would just be a scam. The best MLM companies might ask for an investment, but it is something that you can see making back in very short order.

The best MLM companies are out there; all you have to do is take a look around for them!

Using Affiliate Marketing To Promote Your Business

Even if you are already using the Internet to market your business, you should consider adding affiliate marketing to you Internet marketing campaign. Affiliate marketing, when done right, can yield a great deal of positive results for your business. Furthermore, even when affiliate marketing is not done right, it will not likely be financially detrimental to the business. This is because affiliate marketing is essentially an advertising program in which you only pay the affiliates when their marketing efforts yield financial results for your business. This article will take a look at affiliate marketing and explain how it works and how you can maximize the benefits of affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing essentially involves having website owners, known as affiliates, post advertisements for your website on their own website. You can lear more about affiliate marketig by checking out the Internet marketing blog at www.jeremyburns.com for weekly updates. Affiliate advertisements encourage visitors to click on the link and visit your website. The advertisements are specially coded to allow you to determine how many visitors enter your website through this advertisement. Unlike other types of Internet advertising where the business owner pays for the opportunity to place the advertisement on the website, an affiliate program does not work this way. Instead the affiliate is paid when the advertisement yields a desired result.

Affiliate advertisement can work on a pay per impression, pay per click, pay per lead or pay per sale basis. Pay per impression means the affiliate earns a profit each time the affiliate advertisement is served. This means for each unique visitor who views the advertisement the affiliate is given a predetermined amount of money. This amount will depend on a number of factors and will be agreed upon by the business owner and the affiliate before the advertisements begin appearing on the affiliate’s website. Pay per click programs reward the affiliate each time a visit clicks through the advertisement. Pay per lead programs reward the affiliate when a visitor not only clicks on the advertisement but also performs a desired action such as filling out a survey or registering with the website. Pay per sale programs reward the affiliate each time a visitor clicks through the advertisement on the affiliate’s website and also makes a purchase during this visit. The compensation plans associated with affiliate programs are so desirable because the business owner can have a number of affiliates and they only have to pay these affiliates if the advertising on the affiliate’s website is effective.

Affiliate marketing does not always work. When seeking out affiliates it is important to look for a number of different factors. An affiliate with a great deal of experience, a website with high traffic and a proven track record for producing positive results will likely be a good choice for an affiliate marketing program. These affiliates rely on their advertising knowledge to promote the businesses and do not necessarily have to understand the business they are promoting. Another excellent choice for affiliate marketing is to select another business that is closely related to your own business but does not compete with your business. This is a good idea because they may share your target audience and their website visitors will also likely be interested in visiting your website as well. For example if you sell running shoes you may wish to run an affiliate marketing campaign on a website that promotes road races such as marathons, half marathons, 10Ks and 5Ks. This website does not directly compete with your business but they are likely to attract an audience that would be interested in and have a need for your products or services.

Deciding whether or not to implement an affiliate marketing campaign is easy. As we previously mentioned there is very little risk in this type of campaign so it is worthwhile in just about any situation. A more important decision to make is how you plan to compensate your affiliates. The compensation for pay per impression programs is typically pretty low because your business is not necessarily generating a sale from each impression. Conversely, pay per sale programs usually compensates the affiliate better because the business does directly generate a profit from the advertising on the affiliate’s website. This amount may a flat fee or a percentage of the sale depending on the affiliate agreement.

Turn Your Passion into Business Marketing Success

I have heard repeated consistently from successful entrepreneurs are ”... you have to love what you do to be a success” or “...whatever you do, do what you love.” I am here to validate those words and uphold their significance and impact.

Have you found you would like something much more gratifying in your career?

- Branching out into your own business but you’re not exactly sure what you want to do or,

- Knowing what you want but not very excited about the marketing part of having a business?

There are many research sources available online or right in your own community. You will find great statistics and programs available to help you with your search. I will provide you with an additional approach. The importance of following your passions and your strengths is second to none.

I’ll share my experience with you. I wanted to have my own business, make my own hours and be filled with gratification in the work (passion) I was providing. In my career search I found Personal and Professional Life Coaching. It definitely brought the gratification and passion I was seeking, however, marketing was the last thing I wanted to do.

I remember saying to myself, months and even a year into my business, “who did I think I was that I could leave corporate life and start my own business? I’m going back to the work I know.” Yes, I knew the work, but it was no longer satisfying. Thankfully, my inner voice challenged me, and I began to look inside at my strengths and passions. I compared what I knew of myself to what I was doing. They didn’t match up.

Four questions came to my mind at that time and continue to surface periodically:

- What do I want?

- What do I need?

- What was giving me energy?

- What was taking my energy?

After taking a good look at myself, my business, and the path I was on, I realized the only part of passion I was following was helping others in their business and even that was very generic. When I began to follow MY strengths, MY passions and MY style, a niche was born...Marketing On The Playground (TM). Here was the turning point: I gave myself permission to market MY WAY and have since created programs to help others market THEIR WAY! Isn’t it funny how those things we repel can become something we embrace when we choose to look at it through different doorways. I knew I enjoyed humor, play, color, helping women in their business and being unique. At the time, I just didn’t know how to integrate what I enjoyed into a business, not to mention, LOVE every minute of it. By focusing on the approach that works for ME, a fun, dynamic and gratifying business is evolving.

We have all heard the phrase, “you can’t see the forest for the trees”. This seems to be a consistent challenge to all of us -- I’m including myself. Do not discount the most obvious in your strengths and your foundation. Stop and look at what you have accomplished, the expertise you have and the network of professionals you have at your fingertips. I.E. Have you come from a nursing background and want to go into your own business? Look at the pieces you have and develop what YOU want from your background and foundation. Check out LeaRae Keyes, RN, Executive Director of www.nurse-entrepreneur-network.org. Take a look at what she has created from her background and expertise.

Here is another tip for you. Do you think we create our businesses alone? Even though we have our home offices or an office space outside of the home, we are human beings – we need interaction, a pat on the back and different ideas to bring substance, quality and fun into our lives and our work. DON’T DO IT ALONE! Create a success team. I have been meeting with my success team every week for the last three years. I would not be where I am today without them.

I cannot say this enough -- Whatever you do, do what you LOVE! Thank you for the opportunity to share these tips with you – I wish you well in your business journey. Don’t forget; give yourself permission to create your business/passion. I have no doubt of your success when following your passions and strengths.

Easy, Effective Marketing For Your Home Business

One of the keys to a successful home business idea is promoting it as thoroughly as possible. There are many ways to market your home business idea, and they do not have to break your bank.

One of the first actions you should take with your home business idea is to make business cards and a professional letterhead. These are an affordable and easy way to remind others about the presence of your home business idea.

Next, you will want to network with as many people as possible. Begin to share your home business idea with friends and family, making sure they all have business cards to give away to others they are in contact with. When promoting your home business idea, however, do not stop with friends and family members, as this is where many make their first mistake. Be sure to try to expand your network of potential clients as much as possible, sharing your home business idea with anyone you come into contact with. One good way to do this is to join civic organizations, go to trade shows, be involved with parents and committees at schools, and participate in any other type of community involvement that may help promote your home business idea. Always carry extra copies of your business card in case someone is interested in your home business idea, or there is a good opportunity to explain what it is that you do.

Another rule of thumb is not to tell people that it is actually a home business idea. Many times the phrase “work from home” can carry negative connotations, even though your home business idea may be a very serious venture. Most times, it is best to remain as professional as possible by speaking of your home business idea on the same level as any other business venture, and refraining from automatically mentioning where it is located.

Another inexpensive and effective way of promoting your home business idea is hanging flyers and business cards on community bulletin boards such as in grocery stores, etc. If you are on the lookout for these types of public bulletin boards, you will find them in a lot of places, and they can be an excellent and easy way of spreading the news about your home business idea.

Also, you can have the name, slogan and phone number of your home business idea painted on the side of your vehicle. This is very easy advertising! If you are nervous about painting your vehicle to advertise your home business idea, there is also the option of a removable magnetic sign. Do be aware that if you use these methods to advertise your home business idea, you may need to make changes in your insurance policy or your registry with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Sponsoring a contest with some type of prize is another way to easily and effectively promote your home business idea. If you work hard to make the most of everyday opportunities, you will find that getting the word out about your home business idea can be relatively easy and quite affordable.