Thursday, January 29, 2009

PPC Web Spy

Good morning, my friends, to the show that never ends.
We're STILL iced in -- and the kids are STILL home from
school -- and I've got to watch them while the wife works
today! Oh, boy. Just try to get any work done!

Back in NY, growing up with major snowstorms each year,
schools seemed to rarely close. Even if the snow plows
plowed in your driveway, the show must go on, and you were
expected to get there, even if you had to walk. And we did!

In Tulsa, if we receive an inch of ice, the city drops to a
standstill. The highways are fine but the side streets are
pathetic. Even if you can get out easily, you might get hit
by some car sliding out of control. Within the first 90
minutes of the ice storm on Monday afternoon, there was a
reported 90+ accidents, most of them serious enough to keep
the ambulances pretty busy. Amazing.

But you have to be prepared. You need a full tank of gas,
lots of windshield wiper fluid, a heater, and a scraper.
You need the right tools. You need to be proactive.

Of course, I'm one of those guys who procrastinates when it
comes to putting money into my car. I just got it paid off
and I don't want to put another dime into it. You can
understand that, right? I don't even want to pay for a car wash!

Problem is my tires are almost bald, I have no heater, and
my windshield wiper fluid pump ain't working. So even
though I have a scraper, driving home in the ice storm on
Monday afternoon was not fun. A 10 minute ride turned into
an hour long nightmare with me shivering and praying every
mile closer to home.

Now a lot of people are like me when it comes to their
business. They may serve their clients very well, but when
it comes to taking certain precautions for their own
business, they fail to do so. They may lack knowledge or
tools and stubbornly refuse to address their deficiencies.
Like they say, the cobbler's children always have the worst
shoes.

For me, I shiver in my car instead of getting it
serviced. I don't do a great job marketing my own business.
I tend to ignore critical tools I should purchase to improve
my business and marketing.

Well, here's a free tool you can download that helps you
with competitive analysis and improves your pay per click
strategy at the same time. It's called PPC Web Spy and it
is a plug-in for the popular FireFox Mozilla web browser.

You simply download it and install it, and the next time
you do a search on Google, you will see green buttons
saying View Keywords display beneath the AdWords text ads
on the right side and at the top of your screen.

When you click this button, you will see a very nice
tabular report which shows you all of the keywords the
advertiser has purchased on Google AdWords, the text ads
they are using, the cost per click, the average number of
clicks per day per word, and the related costs.

Now how can you use this to your advantage? First, if you
are selling widgets in Tulsa, you would use Google to
search for "Tulsa widgets". You look at the sponsored text
ads that pop up on the right side of the results as well as
on top of the results. In most cases, these will be your
competitors who are selling widgets in Tulsa.

Now you can click on the View Keywords button and see their
keywords and all of the related information behind their
advertising strategy. It's like giving you x-ray vision
into their business and marketing plan.

Having this information tells you which of your competitors
are using Google AdWords effectively, which ads and words
work best, and how deep their pockets are. It allows you to
compete on an equal footing and use their information to
your advantage.

I'm using these results to help my clients understand the
importance of using Google AdWords to support their web
presence. By showing them what their competitors are doing,
I can show them how to compete against them with a sound
and economical strategy.

It also helps me to define the keywords and site
description for their META tags on their web site. This
ultimately helps with improving the organic ranking of
their site on the major search engines.

This is one very special marketing tool. I like it. A lot.
Not only for the knowledge it gives me, but also because it
helps me be better prepared to compete or show my clients
how to compete in the Google Ad wars. I think you will find
it quite useful, too.

You can read about it here:

PPC Web Spy

There is also a very nice viral component you should know
about which can help you to generate some passive income.

The free version will display 10 keywords, but the Gold
version will display 50 keywords and the Platinum version
will display 100 words. So depending upon the depth you
feel you need, you may feel compelled to upgrade. I
upgraded to the 50 word level.

There's another reason to do this, too. When you upgrade to
either Gold or Platinum, you can earn money as an affiliate
-- which is always nice -- but more importantly, through
some sort of ultra cool and impossible to explain
technology. I can't do it justice. You'll have to watch the
video to get it.

So there you have it. A cool tool you can begin using to
improve your marketing at no cost, or upgrade and make some
back end revenue while you sleep. Up to you.

Hope this was helpful.

Until next time,

Steven

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Understanding the Importance of Likeability

We're in the middle of YAIC (yet another ice storm) and I
am so happy I had the good sense to have the trees trimmed
back away from the house a few weeks ago while the weather
was still nice.

We have about a half dozen 100 year old trees around the
house, and sometimes their branches grow a wee bit too
close to the roof line. Having just replaced the roof two
years ago, I want to do everything I can to preserve it.

Are you doing everything you can to preserve your business?
It's easy to grow lax and become complacent. If your
business is steady or growing, then it's easy to think that
whatever you have been doing up until now will keep working
in the future.

The truth is you need to take precautions so your business
doesn't take a tumble the way my trees could have come
crashing through my roof unless I had the forethought to
plan for the future. I knew ice storms could come to Tulsa
again. I knew the damage they caused last December. If you
want to see how much tree loss we had, go Google my home
address and look at the pictures. It was really quite
devastating and difficult to have predicted.

People not only lost huge trees, but they also lost homes,
cars and anything else that got in the way of falling
limbs. Likewise, if you don't plan for the future of your
business, then you have no one to blame when your business
falters.

What are you doing to improve your marketing now in
anticipation of harder economic times ahead?

So many people I meet think they know everything they need
to know and are capable of doing their marketing by
themselves. You see this frequently in entrepreneurs who
develop a good idea into a new product, but once they have
manufactured the product they haven't a clue how to sell it
or market it. Then they go out of business.

You also see this in established companies where the
founder or VP of Sales is also tasked with marketing.
Unfortunately, early success can sometimes give them a
sense of false security. They think what worked in the past
will continue to work in the future. Not true.

So what should you be focusing on?

I think, more now than ever before, it is important to
connect with your prospects and customers. I'm not talking
about all that social networking stuff.

I don't really believe that people want to Twitter or
Facebook away to know that you just had a cup of coffee at
Starbucks or care to know what you are reading.

These types of facts are simply not interesting unless they
project your character and qualities. Ultimately, people
want to do business with people they are intrigued by, who
they respect, and who they like. "Likeability" is a very
critical factor.

You don't get likability through Google ads or search
engine optimization or Twitter or Facebook or MySpace. You
may get traffic. You may get position. You may even make
new friends. But at the end of the day, you won't get
liked.

And being liked is what makes people subscribe to your
newsletter and stay subscribed for 10+ years like many of
the 1500+ subscribers to my newsletters.

I'm not having a Sally Fields moment ("You like me, you
really, really, like me!"). I am saying that the position
you take and the character you project, that how you
communicate and speak to people, all goes towards your
likeability quotient.

Do people like you? You may find that people like you when
they meet you. That's great. It makes closing sales easier.
But does your marketing make you likeable? Does it help
people to understand the nature of your character and who
you are and what you stand for? Does it open doors so they
can meet you in person or talk on the phone?

Your sales letter should do this for you by adding an
emotional hook early on. Your email communications should
always enforce and add to your character. People should
read these things and feel like they know you.

Do you know how many emails I receive from people telling
me how much they love my emails, how they feel like I am
just speaking to them? A lot.

This speaks loads to my character. When people read my
sales letters and my emails, they know who I am, what I
stand for, and what I can do for them.

What does your sales letter or email communications say
about you, your character, what you believe in, who you
are? Do people feel like they know you before you even walk
through the door or speak to you? Do they like you before
they even meet you? I think when you can achieve this
likeability, you have a very strong sales tool.

Your assignment for next time is to review your sales copy
on your web site. Reread your latest email series or
newsletter. Read your marketing collateral and proposals.
Is it all business? Is there any character shining through?
Would you buy from you and why? Be honest and truthful with
yourself.

If you want help, you know who to turn to.

If you still prefer to do it yourself, then please consider
using these tools:

Follow-Up Email Creator Pro

Push Button Sales Letters

Push Button Email Software


Sales Page Tactics

Authorty AdWords

Headline Creator Pro


Secret Marketing Strategies


All of these tools can help you to craft better sales
letters and email communications. If you don't want to hire
a pro or can't hire a pro at this point in time, then
peruse that list of tools and I guarantee you will find
something that will improve your communications right away.

Be blessed and prosperous,


Steven Schneiderman

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Spring Cleaning

Good morning, subscribers.

The weather still can't seem to make up its mind here in
Tulsa: 20-30 degrees in the morning and 60-70 degrees by
afternoon only to return to colder temperatures in the
evening.

People out here always laugh at me, reminding me that I'm
from NY and should be used to a colder climate. That may be
true, but we never had 30-40 degree swings every day.

Everyone in my family is hacking and sneezing either with a
cold or allergies. We all feel like we're going through
menopause -- one hour we're all freezing and then next
we're all sweating to death! Maybe we all need to be taking
hormones.

Spring cleaning is coming. For me, it starts with preparing
my taxes and going through a year's worth of receipts,
trying to make sense of them all, looking for deductions,
trying to figure out how to pay my back taxes.

After I get it all organized and regain storage space, I
always feel cleansed and ready for new business. There's
something comforting and refreshing in throwing away stuff
you don't need anymore.

The second the weather turns warmer and stays warmer, my
wife will be asking me to move the plants out of our garage
where they have stayed for the winter, and place them back
out around our pool.

That will give her a chance to prune and nurse her babies
back to health, and it will also give us a chance to clean
out that third garage bay which doubles as the plants
winter home and our spare storage area for bicycles, pool
toys, scooters and gardening tools. It will be good to
sweep things out and rearrange things, so the garage is no
longer a crowded and dangerous mine field of stuff.

What about you? How do prepare for the Spring? What will
you keep and what will you get rid of -- not just
physically, but emotionally and spiritually?

Are you holding onto old grudges over wishes unfulfilled?
Do you still have unrealistic goals and no plans for how to
achieve them?

Now is the time to wipe the slate clean, to clear out the
garbage that takes up space in our minds and hearts, and to
make room for the future.

It starts with a conscious decision to begin anew and let
go of the past. For me, this means changing the way I've
done business in the past, rededicating myself to finally
realizing certain goals, and making a conscious effort to
be kinder, gentler and genuinely more interested in helping
the people around me. It means getting closer to God, even
if it means rising at 5:45 am to make time for it. It's a
struggle for sure, but it renews me when I do it.

It also means getting out of my safe zone and taking some
chances. It means having faith that it will all work out.
It means careful planning, having an eye for the little
details that can make or break success. It means trusting
that it is possible, believing in it with all my heart and
soul, and then following my plan to make it come true.

It means knowing when to seek help from friends and
strangers, recognizing my weaknesses and accepting them.
Understanding I can't do it all by myself, and that I can
also be wrong. It means knowing when to shut up and listen
because, guess what, I don't have all the answers.

As the weather begins to change over the next couple of
weeks, as the days get longer, the climate warmer, it is my
wish that you all begin to clear out the garbage in your
lives and begin to embrace the new year with new plans, new
ideas, and a new heart.

Until next time,


Steve Schneiderman

Friday, January 16, 2009

MLM vs. Affiliate Marketing

Greetings, my friends. It's freezing here in Tulsa --
AGAIN. With the wind chill, it reminds of my cold winters
in NYC. I simply wasn't prepared for it this time around.
The good thing about Tulsa is that the temperature swings
madly this time of year and it promises to be sunny and 63
degrees by Monday. Go figure.

I wanted to end the week by responding to a follow-up
question from a subscriber who asked what was the
difference between MLM and affiliate marketing. Good
question.

As I described last time, making money in MLM is based upon
a combination of taking direct sales (buying and
reselling product) and then recruiting others to buy product
from you to resell to their friends and family. It takes
tremendous dedication and investment in time and money.
With MLM you want to get your business to a point where you
have hundreds or thousands of people buying and selling
product beneath you so you make money on multiple levels of
overrides.

Affiliate marketing is a horse of a different color. You
want to find a product that fills a need and that offers a
referral program. You register as an affiliate and they
provide you with a custom link which you add to your sites
and emails. When someone clicks on the link and makes a
purchase, you earn a referral fee. Some affiliates
programs pay only a few bucks, but selective high-end
products can pay hundreds of dollars in commissions.
There's nothing for you to buy or sell. All you do is
sign-up for free and start promoting. The more you promote,
the more commissions you earn. All you do is get checks. No
products to buy or sell, and no fulfillment issues.

So looking at these two, which would you prefer to get
involved in? Most would say affiliate marketing because the
risks are very low. Now the best way to promote products is
to buy them so you can see the quality for yourself and get
first hand experience with the product. Then you can write a
knock-out review and embed your affiliate links in the
review.

This is how CoolToolAwards.com works. I buy products with
referral programs and when people read my reviews and click
on the links, I get paid when they make a purchase. How much
money do I earn? About $25K a year -- passively. Not chump
change by any means.

You can learn more about how I achieve this success with
leveraging reviews with affiliate campaigns by going here:

http://www.rocketsciencerevealed.com

If you want to know which products are some of the best to
get involved with, you can read more here:

http://www.makepassiveincome.com/coreyrudl.htm

http://www.makepassiveincome.com/marlonsanders.htm

http://www.makepassiveincome.com/yaniksilver.htm

See if that helps you get started.

I also strongly recommend that if you have a product of
your own, you consider offering your own affiliate program.
I used Clickbank to recruit hundreds of affiliates to
promote EbookoMatic.com back in 2000 and they were
responsible for generating 23% of my income for close to 2
years.

You can learn more about these options here:

http://www.ecommerce-assistance.com/

Until next time,

Steven

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Living in the Automist

Good morning, loyal readers. I'm easing into my day with a
quick email to my friends to share some early morning
thoughts. As I was pulling on my winter coat to brace
myself against the cold morning wind, I heard Mr. Happy --
my 9 1/2 year old son -- singing "Puff the Magic Dragon" in
the kitchen as he was prepping for school.

I had to laugh because that was my favorite song when I was
his age. My Mom still chides me when she tells friends and
family how I used to get very serious when I sang it in my
"good voice".

I always seemed to blow the words though. Instead of
"autumn mist" I said "automist". Don't ask me what it
meant. Sounds like a place where monsters hide.

So I snuck up on my son and hid behind the door and
listened to him singing happily. And smiled.

Then it was off to school and time to crack open emails.

I always read and respond to emails in the morning. It's
part of the process of waking up and easing into my work
day. I read, I surf, I reread yesterday's work and edit. I
look over new web designs developed overnight by my team
abroad. And I spend some time pondering how I will plan my
day, set priorities, and achieve my goals.

It's important, especially when you are self-employed, to
have a daily goal. I use a legal pad with numbered items,
and I check things off as I accomplish them. Then at the
end of the day I add new action items to the list. This
process keeps me grounded and on track.

I meet a lot of people who want to get online to replace
lost income or to supplement existing income. That's not
really a goal. That's too broad. You need to get more
specific. How much income do you need and what's the best
way to generate it in the shortest amount of time? That's a
more specific goal.

Certainly, there are many ways to achieve this goal.
Lately, I've been getting emails asking me about a variety
of MLM programs. MLM means multi-layered marketing. The
goal of any MLM program is to get you hyped about a service
to the point where you buy it and then promote it to your
friends and family, encouraging them to buy it, too. Then
you help keep them motivated to keep promoting it to their
friends and family, effectively marketing the service or
product to multiple layers of people.

The problem with these programs are deep:

1. Most MLM products or services revolve around worthless
products. These could include offshore manufactured diet
and health supplements, Acai berry juice, pre-paid legal
services, online mentoring services, etc.

2. MLM leaders build cultish and hostile broods. If the
person who signed you up to participate in their MLM
program gets wind of you not producing new leads or
thinking about leaving the program, they get downright
indignant. They get personal and they hound you into trying
harder, selling more, etc. because this is how they make
money, by developing a deep and wide pool of people hanging
on a dream of wealth. And the only people who make a lot of
money in MLM are the people at the top. Average Joe's in
the middle or bottom rarely have enough time or talent to
produce anything more than marginal income.

3. MLMs burn out over time as competition grows and
interest wanes. They are like a bottle rocket: it looks
real nice when it shoots up but everyone one runs like the
dickens to escape from getting hurt when it comes crashing
down. I believe one such catastrophe was Quorum back in the
early 1990s. They made it very big as an MLM built around
personal safety products, but once the financials started
smelling bad, everyone bailed and many people lost a ton of
money. As a rule, MLMs do not have a great deal of longevity
and frequently reinvent themselves under a new name after
failing.

4. You can ruin relationships with friends and family
(F&F). You can only reach out to F&F so often to buy into
these things. If you get them into a bad deal, they are
left with money ill spent, a closet full of useful
products, and burned bridges. You only have so many people
you can sell to off the bat, and it is only normal to tell
F&F. My advice is don't play it so close to home and try
selling to strangers. Most people can't sell to strangers
and soon give up.

I'm not going to tell you that people do not make a lot of
money through MLM. I am acquainted with someone who has
done very well, hopping from MLM to MLM with a legion of
thousands of people in his downline. He's made millions of
dollars over the years.

But you need to be careful. I've learned about selling and
marketing in the world of MLM from the inside, writing
email series and sales letters for MLM companies selling a
variety of products and services. Let's just say, on the
inside they all sound a lot like, and smell just as bad,
too.

So if you venture out into the MLM world ... just be
careful of the "automist". There may be monsters there who
will eat you alive.

I want you to succeed and achieve your goals. If you want to
either replace or supplement income, then you should be thinking
about what you have expertise and experience in, and then
develop either a consulting service or knowledge product
around it.

The knowledge product could be an ebook, software, audio,
CD, video, DVD, or a combination of all of these things to
make the product bigger and deeper.

But before you start writing something, research the market
to see what else is already available to service that niche,
then make the decision to create it or walk away.

If you create it, you can build your own affiliate program
and have hundreds or even thousands of people promote it in
exchange for a referral fee. It's kind of like having your
own MLM, except you make the bulk of the money, and if you
have enough affiliates, the majority of your income may be
generated in a passive fashion, with your affiliates doing
the bulk of the promotion and marketing.

When I first launched EbookoMatic.com, I implemented my own
affiliate program through Clickbank and quickly built a list
of over 300 affiliate worldwide. Do a search on EbookoMatic
today and count how many sites are still promoting the service
I launched almost 9 years ago. At one point, 23% of my income
from EbookoMatic came in passively through affiliate promotions.
It works.

I realize many of you may have a good idea for a product and
need to bounce the idea off someone more experienced. Feel
free to send me an email with your idea and I'll give you my
two cents.

All my best,

Steven

Friday, January 09, 2009

Is Unemployment the New Plague?

Today I have a question for you. Is unemployment the new
plague? Certainly, the more you look around, the more you
hear the numbers on the news, and the more you listen to
stories about friends and family losing their jobs ... one
could imply that unemployment is the new plague for this
decade.

Plague does not have a cure. Historically, people worked on
destroying the source of plague -- infected rats -- rather then
trying to cure the plague itself.

So how do you limit your risks of getting the unemployment
plague?

I think the first thing you must do is to try to create an
alternate source of income while you are still employed.
It's certainly one of the reasons why I have always done
consulting on the side, even when I had a full-time job.
For me it served three purposes: it kept my skills
polished, it provided additional mental stimulation and
challenge, and it provided supplementary income. I've been
able to turn it on and off as my life grows more complex
(marriage, kids, vacations, more demanding periods from the
day job) and I've used it during times of transitions
between full-time jobs. And since 2005, I've developed a
lucrative and growing business (with God's daily help).

What about you? If you don't have a body of experience or
knowledge you feel you can use in a consulting capacity,
perhaps you can develop some passive income streams through
more typical online strategies such as:

1. Writing an ebook about a subject you are interested in
and selling it online through a web site.

2. Creating a software product that fills a need and
selling it online through a web site.

3. Developing multiple content web sites about topics that
are hot and interest you, and monetizing them through paid
advertising (like AdSense).

4. Reselling other people's ebook and software tools on a
site of your own.

The key thing is to get moving while you are still employed
and there is no pressure to perform. Then if the axe falls,
you at least have a supplementary stream of income to
accompany any severance or unemployment you may be able to
collect.

OK, what happens if you lose your job before you have a
chance to develop that extra income? Same strategy applies.
Pick one of the four paths above and get working.

I've been through lay-offs and had my position reorganized
out of the corporate structure. I understand the anger,
pain and frustration you feel. But you can't get caught up
in that emotion. Negativity serves no purpose, especially
during times of turmoil and great financial challenge.

You need to get focused and stay focused. In some parts of
the U.S., it is easier to get a new job right away, but in
many cities, finding high-paying positions is getting
terribly difficult. It's one of the chief reasons I
returned to consulting full-time. I earn more now than I
did when I worked in even my highest ranking corporate
position.

So if you are still gainfully employed -- good for you --
but don't get complacent -- start working on a strategy to
get something going on the side. And if you have become
displaced, then shake off the blues, and start working on a
strategy to make some money. Anyone can do it. It's America,
folks, and the streets are paved with gold if you know where
to walk.

One word of warning: I do see a lot of people getting into
MLMs -- multi-level marketing. In these businesses, you buy
product from a distributor and resell to friends and family.
Your hope rests on the product being so good and so well
priced that word of mouth referrals will create multiple
layers of regular buyers and sellers beneath you.

In practice and on a white board, it seems overwhelmingly
positive, but changing trends force MLMers to change
products and companies often. If you are on top of a large
pyramid of buyers and sellers who trust and follow your
recommendations, then you and your immediate followers will
make money, but if you are on the bottom and you have
unmotivated people below you and a questionable product to
sell, then you are going to waste a great deal of time and
money better spent elsewhere.

I have updated my product review site at CoolToolAwards.com
and want to share some updates with you:

Button Shop: If you need to make navigation buttons for
your web sites, this is a cheap, simple tool that creates
great-looking, eye-popping graphical buttons. Learn more
here:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/buttonshop.htm

Smile Box: This one saved my life on Christmas Eve when I
had to create letters from Santa for the kids, but there's
a lot more here, so check it out:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/smilebox.htm

GetResponse: I've been talking about this for a long time
and realized I needed to go into more depth. So check out
this review about my favorite sequential autoresponder. If
you want to make money online, this is a vital piece of
your marketing toolbox:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/getresponse.htm

Animoto: This is my new favorite marketing service. It
enables you to upload digital photos and create slick
videos on the fly. Very, very cool and one you must try to
see its remarkable power:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/services/animoto.htm

Web 2.0 Covers Version 2.0: This was just released. It is
not an upgrade to the original Web 2.0 Covers product from
Max Rylski but actually a new product with greatly improved
graphics. If you create products, then you need to also
create virtual product shots and this does it for you with
relative ease.

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/web20covers.htm

FotoFusion Extreme: If you are an avid amateur or
professional photographer, you need a better tool for
laying out and printing photos. Great for scrapbookers but
an unbelievable tool for pros -- this one takes the cake:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/fotofusion.htm

AAA Logo: Need a logo? Create your own in minutes with this
simple and powerful graphic design tool meant especially for
logo design. I love this and used it just last week to
design some logo concepts for a new branding campaign for
my church:

http://www.cooltoolawards.com/software/multimedia/aaa-logo.htm

Hope you find these reviews helpful.

Armand Morin just released an incredible new tool to help
you harness the power of Google and drive limitless traffic
to your web site. I have known Armand for a decade and can
vouch for the value of his tools and his marketing prowess.
Click the link below to learn more:

http://www.placementlocator.com/x.php?af=235465

All my best,


Steven

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

New Ebooks from EbookoMatic/2009 Marketing Strategies

Good morning and welcome to the New Year. I hope this year
is a good one for you despite the financial adversity that
we're all facing. Just yesterday I heard of another friend
of a friend who lost his job, and this comes after his
house burned down, too. The attacks seem to never stop.
Good people losing what little they have, including their
dignity. Hopefully, you won't be impacted, but if you are,
I'm here to help in any way I can.

I've got a variety of updates for you, so here goes:

New Ebooks Published on EbookoMatic
------------------------------------

Alleviate the Anxiety of Buying and Selling a Home
by Sabrina Winters
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1469

How to Survive Stepparenting
by Connie Knox
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1468

Planning Project Mgmt and Transactional Mgmt - The
Executive Way
by Brian Watson
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1467

The Secret of the Butterfly
by Janie Houf
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1465

The Truth About Internet Sex & Affairs
by J. Porter
http://www.ebookomatic.com/publish/authorinfo.asp?EbookId=1464

Please check out these new titles and support these
authors.

Marketing Related News
----------------------

I've been meeting with new clients to discuss plans for a
variety of projects for 2009. By and large, my #1 piece of
advice is to work on building and maintaining relationships
with your prospects and customers. Here's some examples of
what I am talking about:

- A new restaurant opens in the neighborhood, but they fail
to ask for first name and email address of every new
customer. This is akin to having a web site that gets lots
of traffic and not having a subscription form to capture
the first name and email address of every visitor.

- A company promotes their services through 3 different
cross-linked sites, and even though they do collect first
name and email addresses of their visitors, they do little
to nothing to stay in touch with them. Thus, over time they
become strangers, even to their customers.

Now more than ever before, competition is at its fiercest.
With less money to go around, companies are fighting for
business and revenue. You can't expect to use the same old
strategies. More and more, everything is becoming a
commodity. People are competing on price and
decision-makers are buying the least expensive solution
instead of the best solution for the money.

Where do you sit? What is your plan or strategy? Better
think fast before your competitors start implementing some
new strategies of their own, and begin stealing your
business.

Start by implementing a simple form on your site to collect
contact information. I recommend this:

http://www.emailmarketingassistance.com/getresponse.htm

If you prefer to handle it all yourself, then I suggest
this:

http://www.emailmarketingassistance.com/groupmail.htm


Other popular solutions include:

http://www.emailmarketingassistance.com/constantcontact.htm

http://www.emailmarketingassistance.com/aweber.htm

The key thing is to start collecting info.

Then the next thing is to start writing to these people
about relevant topics so you can start being seen as a
subject matter expert -- that you have value beyond your
web site, product or service. Build credibility and
bridges. Make your name known. Let them learn about your
personal life so they see you not as a threat but as a
friend.

I've been publishing email newsletters for over a decade
and have had lists as large as 10,000 subscribers. When I
send a newsletter out like this one, I receive back
personal responses because my readers feel like I am
speaking only to them, and they respond in kind.

Now what you send them, and how often you send it to them
is a widely debated topic. I can write a series of 10, 20,
30 emails for you, enough for a year if you send them out every
other week. The cost for subscribers is $500, $1000, or
$1500. If you want my help, please contact me via
info@schneiderman.net so we can get you on my calendar
right away.

If you prefer to write your email communications yourself,
that's fine, but make sure they work. I am offering a very
limited mentoring service to help you learn how to write
better sales letters and sales communications. You can
learn more here:

http://www.salescopyclinic.com

This is very much under the radar and I want to keep it
that way by limiting the number of people who can join the
membership site. Check it out.

All my best,


Steven