In article marketing avoid these 5 simple mistakes

These are tough times. And many of us are feeling it in our wallets. But .. No matter how tough times are, we can't forget the basics. And in article marketing avoid these 5 simple mistakes definitely is one of the basics. And, without the basics taken care of, how can you get started?
Below is one of the best articles we have ever read on the subject. It lays everything out nicely, it's easy to read, and, understand, it touches on all of the key issues, and, best of all, when you have finished reading it, you will definitely know which is a very good direction to take given your circumstances.
All Marketers Are Liars1 In article marketing avoid these 5 simple mistakes

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In article marketing avoid these 5 simple mistakes and find that being one of the many successful article marketers is something that can come easily. There are, however, things that you need to avoid that will keep you from being among the many more who used to be article marketers and are now struggling to make money. Done correctly, article marketing can see huge positive results in a very cost effective way. article marketing done poorly can be a huge waste of time, energy, and even money.

First mistake…making a boring title. Realize that the title of the article is going to be mixed in with quite a few others that your potential reader has to choose from. There are many of you competing for the same set of eyes. Don’t let your title be something that will blend in with all the rest. Make is something that will stand out and get noticed. Make sure that you don’t get too crazy and make sure that it is relevant to the topic you want to address, but, still be creative and you will stay competitive with other article marketers.

Second mistake…not having a clear purpose. What is the main reason you want the reader to read your article? Is there a goal that you have in mind? Be clear as to what you want them to do and give them plenty of reason to want to take the action you want them to take. Have a starting point and and ending point in planning your article and use everything in between to help them get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. This is something that article marketers fail to do all too often.

Third mistake…Not knowing your target audience. Article marketers need to keep in mind who your target audience is write to their level. If you are writing to a group of people who are typically very knowledgeable about the subject matter, then you better make sure that you are as well. Find out what they ask when they go online to search for this information and find how to relate to them. Study your target market and write to them.

Fourth mistake…writing articles that won’t get published. Look at the standards that article directories have and write your articles to fit the most strict of standards. Make sure that you have the minimum number of preferred words. Make sure that it is well written. Make sure that it doesn’t have any problems with links within your article and that you link to appropriate places. Article marketers will often forget to check the article they are trying to submit and see if it is in compliance only to have it rejected.

Fifth mistake…no call to action. As article marketers you have to remember that your goal is not just to inform, but to invite the reader to go to your website or to take what ever action you want them to take. Just as it is incredibly important to ask for the sale, it is important to ask them to click on the link that you provide.

If you, as article marketers, can avoid these simple mistakes you will find yourself on the fast track to success.
 

 In article marketing avoid these 5 simple mistakes
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Internet Marketing Gurus – Are You Being Taken For a Fool?

 Internet Marketing Gurus   Are You Being Taken For a Fool?
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If you are interested in starting your own you will find it is incredibly easy to do so. But you will encounter various gurus in your online research and this article will look at how the unsuspecting newcomer can be really sold a pup.

These gurus are particularly prevalent in the Make Money Online market and it is vital for the newcomer to remember that when they sign up to be on a newsletter for some of these experts there is only one desired outcome for the guru. And that is to sell you stuff. You will be assailed with emails in your inbox week after week interspersed with some good information. But you must remember that the carefully crafted email will be designed to do one thing only and that is to make a sale.

Which is fine but depending on where you are in your internet travels and your experience and knowledge, some of these tools and products are completely inappropriate and will simply gather dust on your hard drive.

The best approach for the newcomer is to wait, accept the free gifts or information which is the hook that they use to catch you, and assess the quality of their offering over a period of time. With a little common sense you will soon realise who is actually genuine and have some integrity and who are completely unscrupulous and will sell you just about anything.

Keep in mind that some of the sales letters that you will encounter to get you to purchase the latest, greatest tool will have been written by at the very top of their profession and those same sales letters will be designed to push every emotional hot button you have.

My advice is to wait and let the guru prove his integrity and is genuinely helpful. Then and only then should you consider purchasing and make sure that the product is suitable for someone at your level of development in your online research.

 Internet Marketing Gurus   Are You Being Taken For a Fool?

Affiliate Marketing With Pay Per Click Advertisements

pay per click marketing11 Affiliate Marketing With Pay Per Click Advertisements
T W Knight asked:

Many people are attracted to affiliate marketing by the idea of easy money from only working a few hours per week. They think or are told that they do not need a website and that they can buy some clicks from a search engine and instantly be in business. The truth is that this is possible if you are fortunate enough to refer a motivated buyer who is searching for the specific product you are marketing. Those opportunities exist, but take extensive research to discover or create.

Using pay per click advertising to make money in affiliate marketing usually requires testing, tracking and landing pages. Many beginners do not start out using any of the techniques and quickly become discouraged after spending a significant amount of time and money. They try to sell products by simply directing searchers to the vendor’s squeeze page. This will work a certain percentage of the time, but usually one ends up spending more for one conversion than the commission they will earn from it. Obviously this does not work.

Being able to determine a working formula requires that all clicks and conversions be tracked so that you know which ads, which keywords and which products are selling. More important, you know how much the ads cost, how much you are earning and the return on investment. With a strong tracking mechanism in place, it becomes easier to eliminate the ineffective efforts and focus on those that are making money.

Once you are tracking your results, you can then begin split testing campaigns. With split testing, you are changing one element of your and running it simultaneously with the original campaign without that one change. For instance, you could try different wording in your ad to see if one set of advertising copy was more effective than another. Sometimes changing a few words will make a significant increase in your return on investment.

Finally, most pay per click marketers use some form of a landing page. It requires 6 to 8 contacts on average with a customer to make a sale. This means that simply sending them to the vendor’s website will have a relatively low conversion rate. The alternative is to Create a landing page where you can begin selling the product and build interest. It is also possible to add value by comparing the original product with competing products. This enables a searcher to comparison shop. Of course, it helps to have affiliate relationships with the other products so that in the end you earn a commission if there is a sale as a result of your efforts.

Pay per can be an effective means of making money in affiliate marketing if one takes the time to implement the necessary controls. Tracking and split testing ensure that that one is getting the most targeted traffic. Once you have targeted traffic, having an effective landing page enables you to build interest, add value and sell a potential customer on the product so that they are ready to buy when you finally send them to the vendor’s site.

 Affiliate Marketing With Pay Per Click Advertisements

Post Card Direct Mail Marketing

direct marketing campaign6 Post Card Direct Mail Marketing
Sarah Reiter asked:

So you think that Snail Mail is a dinosaur? Not if you intend to reach new prospects and current clients. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2004 approximately 61.4% of all U.S. households had access to the Internet either through dial-up or broadband. Now that statistic sounds like snail mail is not a viable tool any more, but let’s think about this – 61.4% of U.S. Households – who in the household is actually on the Internet? The head of the house or maybe it is a child. The point is every household (100%) receives snail mail every day and by utilizing a post card strategy, your ability to reach customers and increase business is far greater.

A post card direct is an effective means to contact current clients and prospect for new clients as well. Why does it work? are unique and different from letters in a very important way…

Here are a few reasons why a post card direct marketing campaign is better than a letter:

1) The postage is cheaper – almost one half the price of a first class stamp;

2) Post card stock is cheaper than paper;

3) Your message is clearly and easily seen, no envelope to open;

4) Post cards are easier to work with than letters and envelopes;

A post card direct marketing strategy will invariably generate walk-in trade to your business or even website. Its very nature is to reach the unreachable and get your company noticed. Unlike email strategies which must be subtle and discrete about selling, post cards are all about selling. The more gregarious and even outlandish your post card is, the more likely it will be noticed and read. The reason is simple, you are trying to grab their attention and get them to read over the post card. Most people are far more likely to look at a brightly colored card versus a plain white one; and most people are going to read big bold print rather than small diminutive printing.

The following are a few ideas to grab the post card recipient’s attention:

1) Use bright bold colors for the card stock;

2) Use large bold text to emphasize particular information;

3) Be direct, don’t waste the space or their time;

4) Make them an offer they can’t refuse!

Post card direct marketing campaigns can be utilized for a variety of reasons – to announce a new product or service, to introduce a new member of the organization, to thank a new client, to keep in touch with older clients and of course for developing new clients. In fact, your options are limited only by your imagination. Just about any idea, announcement or reason is plausible to print and mail out on a post card.

If you rely on just the Internet and emailing to reach your customers and prospect for new clients, you are statistically eliminating 38% of the households in the United States. But chances are you are actually missing 50% to 75% of the people who make the buying decisions for the household. But by implementing a post card direct marketing strategy, you are effectively reaching 100% of the households in the U.S. Let me repeat that – you are effectively reaching 100% of the households in the U.S. with a post card direct marketing campaign. No, using a post card direct marketing strategy is not the most modern of sales techniques but it works and is very effective at drumming up business.

 Post Card Direct Mail Marketing

Direct Marketing Plan Checklist

direct marketing campaign7 Direct Marketing Plan Checklist
Deborah Kania asked:

When developing your marketing campaigns, whether they are or online advertising, there is “homework” to be done before hand. Planning helps reduce risk and increase likelihood of success. This checklist provides the essential planning information and activity required to create a successful direct .
Executive Summary Situation Analysis – Marketing environment, economic trends and competitive analysis. Analysis is not just a collection of information but an analysis of importance and impact of information (Not just the What, but the Why). Target Group Profile(s) & Analysis – Know your audience(s) Opportunity and Issues Analysis – Including SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Goals and Objectives: Quantitative – Build lead database, acquire new customers, cross-sell, new product introduction, prospect cost per lead, acquisition cost, retention, Win back cost, return on advertising Qualitative – Increase customer satisfaction, enhance brand perception, etc. Marketing Strategy – Including differentiation/positioning/uniqueness Tactics Test Plan – Direct marketers always TEST! List/media, offer, visuals, copy Budget/Financial – Budget, Breakeven scenarios (0 profit, % profit, etc.)
Direct Marketing Creative Strategy & Campaign Plan Checklist
Advertising Objectives – Primary (e.g., response, sales), Secondary (e.g., brand awareness) Marketing Messaging – “The Promise” Product/Service Description – Benefits, benefits, benefits. Practical, emotional Customer Problem Creative Must Solve Media Plan-Media Mix and Budget Creative Strategy – Know your audience! Offers and Call-to-Action – Hard offers, soft offers Direct Marketing Essentials – Urgency, ways to respond, messages/affiliations to reduce risk in mind of customer Copy/Layout Legal – Know FTC, FDA and FCC advertising guidelines. Disclaimers. Self-regulation

When it comes down to fundamentals: The right offer to the right person at the right time. Relevancy and personalization are ways to win better response in direct marketing. Test, test, test…and track, track, track.

 Direct Marketing Plan Checklist
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