Have you noticed it is June already? Six months of the year are already gone! It is time to evaluate your business, did it make any money so far this year? The real question is, have you made any money online?
Maybe you’ve tried to make some money with Adsense, but consistently are disappointed with the few cents you pull in each day. Seriously, it is really easy to get caught up in the hottest idea and miss the big picture.
But, everyone has to start someplace and I want to help you get started on making real money online using a proven system that really does work.
Look, I’m not going to tell you that it won’t cost you some time and money or that you will make $10,000 in one day, because that is all the hype others are selling on the internet, but if you are serious about creating a business online, creating a residual income every month, and setting your self up to enjoy some extra income each month, I have something you may be interested in taking a look at.
Visit: http://www.instantadsensesites.com. You’ll find all the information you will need to get started building a business today. This is an out of the box system that will give you all the tools you will need to get started right away.
By-the-way, let me know what you are doing after you get started! I will feature your success story here once you get started.
If you are going to be successful in 2009, you have to get you 2009 business plan out of your head and on some paper. If you are looking for a great FREE tool to use for mind mapping your Business Blueprint, check out the links below!
Kirk Anderson is a Internet Marketing & Business Consultant, Teacher, Coach, and Entrepreneur. I work with individuals helping them move to their highest potential personally, financially, and vocationally and businesses helping them develop business, marketing, and technology solutions that work.
If I can support you in your business & coaching practice or with integrated technology services, it would be a pleasure to talk to you. You can contact me at kirk@interactive123.com. When you contact me, I will send you your free SWOT Analysis right away!
Greetings from the Midwest Marketing Mastermind!
Please take a moment to take take the poll and give us your opinion.
Here is to your ultimate success in your business and life!
Kirk Anderson If I can support you in your business & coaching practice or with integrated technology services, it would be a pleasure to talk to you. You can contact me at kirk@interactive123.com.
As much as I love GotoMeeting for webinars and online meetings, I have to tell you about a Webinar Service called DimDim that my friend Andy Traub introduced me to recently. This is a powerful web based tool that doesn’t require attendees to download anything!
With DimDim, you get the features you get with GotoMeeting without the high price tag. You can share your screen, a white board, and multiple pre-determined websites. You’ll have the ability to record your webinar, participate in interactive chat, video conferencing, and audio only options with the call number they provide ~ and this tool is totally free for up to 20 guests. Now, if you want go premium, you can have up to 100 participants for less than $5 a month.
I have tested this and love it. I haven’t tried the quality with lots of participants, but with a few it works great with a high speed connection.
If you are interested in doing a webinar, but havn’t because of the price, I suggest trying this Free tool out. I think you’re going to love it too. Visit: www.DimDim.com to get started with your first webinar.
Please subscribe to our Free Newsletter to receive more great tips for building a highly successful internet business. If I can support you in any way, please email me or call anytime.
Are you tired of using Windows Internet Explorer as your web browser? There are some alternatives, but FireFox and Safari may not be your favorite either. I suggest you give the New Chrome browser from Google a try; I think you’ll be pleasantly surpised!
Especially now…because Google just released the full version of Chrome (no longer beta) which means it is no longer a ‘test’ product; it is now fully supported browser.
According to Google, Chrome was designed with speed and security as the priority. I have been using it for a couple of weeks, and I agree that they definitely faster than Internet Explorer and FireFox.
Web pages and videos viewed with Chrome seem to load much faster throughout the web and if you use the ‘incognito’ mode, you can browse the web anonymously, leaving no tracks as you explore different sites.
Google Chrome is free, and you can download it or get the latest update at http://www.google.com/chrome
Best wishes in your business. If I can support you in any way, feel free to shoot me an email or give me a call anytime.
Thanks for checking out the Midwest Marketing Mastermind. This week I want to help you get video
on your website! It can be a bit overwhelming, but once you get the basics, you can do a lot of really cool things with video!
It has been said that a "picture is worth a 1,000 words." Well, did you know that a video has 30 pictures in each second? That means a 1 minute video is worth the equivalent of 1,800 pictures or 1,800,000 words! Now that is marketing power.
Benefits First of all, I want to tell you the #1 benefit that I have seen with video on my websites. Are you ready? It is Relationships! Seriously, for some people, seeing you in a video is like being invited into you office for a 1:1 consultation. It allows you to connect with them in meaningful ways, build credibility, likability, and the trust factor.
That is the real benefit. When we add video to our website and connect with people in the "Web 2.0" way that everyone is talking about, we see our sales, conversions, & calls-to-action increase dramatically.
Do you want more sales, sign-ups, and conversions? The fast track to get them is to be transparent with people and let them see your face through video.
You can use your video on sites like YouTube, Revver, FaceBook, 48days.net, blogs, personal websites, MySpace, Ebay, and countless other places too. These social networks are starving for video content and want more of it! In fact, if you put your video content on YouTube, you can get top placement in the search engines for your keywords very quickly. It is amazing.
Cameras I have 3 cameras that I use, but most people will only need one. My first camera is a Sony Digital Camera (DSC P100) that also allows me to take digital video. I take this everywhere and sometimes get some great viral video footage of people doing crazy things. My second camera is a Sony HandyCam which is cheap and works great. You can record to tape or directly to your computer and use it as a web cam too. My third is a high end Sony DVCAM (DSR PD170) that I shoot film on for my business projects. It has great sound quality and excellent controls for adjusting sound and lighting.
No, I don’t work for Sony, it just happens to be what I use. Yes, there are a lot of really great cameras out there to use, but if you are looking at getting a new one look for one with an external mic jack so you can plug in an external mic. Your camera doesn’t have to be super expensive, but don’t cut corners on sound. The other thing to consider is lighting. If you are filming out doors in the daytime you are generally ok, but if you’re doing anything indoors you’re going to need lots of light or your videos will look terrible.
Software
Most computers have some free video editing software programs pre-installed, but they are not very powerful and your limited to the types of files you can export. I have used several programs (Roxio, Nero, Pinnacle, and SonyVegas) but have hung on to my Sony Vegas Platinum 8.0. If you have the money, I would go with a higher end program because they have power, but if your on a budget, I would recommend SonyVegas. It is easy to use and you can get in on EBay for $50 or less depending on the version you choose.
Getting
your video online
I use 3 basic tools to get my videos online. The first tool is YouTube. Easy to manage and great for getting listed in Google fast. However, your videos can be view openly by everyone, so if you want your content to be secret you don’t want to post it to YouTube.
My second tool that I recommend can be found at: Easy Web Video. This tool is very affordable and super easy to use. I have actually used it on some of my clients sites because they couldn’t get their flash to work using Adobe and they instantly got hooked!
My third recommended tool is at Ustream.tv. This is by far the coolest free tool out there. Not only can you record video for people to see later, you can actually send out a live feed that can be watch by anyone. You can also get the code to embed the player on any website or blog too! This brings reaching your target market to an whole new level.
So, whether you want to post it on YouTube, host it your self with Easy Flash Video, or broadcast live to your audience with Ustream, there are great tools for you to use. So, get out there and make some videos!
If you need any help, please contact me at the Midwest Marketing Mastermind or kirk@interactive123.com. I would love to connect with you and support you in anyway that I can.
Marketing Quick Tip :: Will you survive a PC disaster?
Imagine that you have just completed your big project and you head off to bed.Satisfied after hours of hard work, but when you go to your computer to send it off all you hear is the loud click of a broken hard drive; now what?
Ever year, 43% of computer users lose irreplaceable emails, documents, photos and other files.
I recommend a great product that is so affordable and easy to use, that you would be foolish not to use it.Here is how it works:
Carbonite installs a small application on your computer that works quietly in the background looking for new and changed files that need to be backed up. It looks and feels just like part of your computer, and is integrated with your desktop — there’s no new interface for you to learn.
When your computer is idle, Carbonite automatically backs up your new and changed files. You don’t have to do anything! When you’re using your computer, Carbonite goes to sleep so it will never slow you down or interfere with your Internet connection.
Carbonite takes data privacy and security very seriously. All your files are encrypted twice before leaving your PC. Files remain encrypted at our secure data centers, so only you can see your files.
If you accidentally delete or otherwise lose files, it takes just a few clicks on your desktop to get them back. If your computer is damaged, stolen or “just dies” and you lose all your files, just visit Carbonite’s website from a new computer. Within minutes you’ll be able to begin restoring all your files.
Today I want to talk about using Social Networks for building a business online.There is so much hype about social networks and making money online; how do you figure out what works and what doesn’t. I mean, you can spend a lot of time just trying to keep up with the steady flow of information and never get anything done.
Social Networks can be a productivity nightmare. If you are not balancing your time well, you may be wasting precious opportunities to make money on the internet. Before you sign up for another social network, you need to develop a “plan” and stick to it. If you are serious about building a business online, your social networking needs to be part of your business plan – yes, I said business plan.If you just sighed and thought, oh yea, I need to get to my business plan ~ you absolutely need to get started on that today!
Now, if you are just looking for old friends on sites like FaceBook, that’s fine. You just need to set a time limit on surfing the net. Otherwise you will be caught in the vacuum of wasting time.
However, if you have a business, service, or you’re marketing someone else’s “wares” via an affiliate program you will need systems in place for efficient and purposeful Internet Marketing. Many times this will include social networking.
Now, be aware that people don’t just want to be sold to either. Successful marketing includes being personal, getting to know people, and interacting. You just have to plan for it so it doesn’t take all day to do.Remember that people are looking for 2 major things online: acceptance and information.
Get a System
A System is a procedure that tells you what your next step is supposed to be. It is meant to make your life easier and more productive. If you are going to succeed online, you need a system to manage all the Web 2.0 applications that you want to use. Start by making a list of the networks you are interested in using and analysis what the benefits are for your business.
I suggest creating a flow chart to visualize how the social networks can be tied together and used to complement each other.For example, Twitter and FaceBook are compatible.Twitter can be used to update the status on your FaceBook profile as well as other networks too.It is also a great way to send traffic to your website, blog, video site, or social network by posting a short teaser statement followed by a link to your site.
Send Everyone Home
When you use social networking sites, always send traffic back to your main site. That is where you can make the biggest impact with your prospective clients and customers. For example, a successful EBay seller always sends new customers to their personal sales website.This is where they can sell their new customer more items directly, without the EBay Fees.
Keep in mind that once someone is a customer, it is always easier to sell to them again.Always offer your visitors and customers the opportunity to join your list!That is where your greatest income potential is and the best way to contact them in the future with new opportunities.
To get someone to sign up for the list, offer them something for free, but make it valuable information that they will appreciate and use.
I hope that this post has been helpful to you and your business.
Please sign up for our free Newsletter and receive The 3 Principles to Starting a Successful Internet Business as well as valuable business information not found on this blog!
Using an Email AutoResponder to make money online.
If you are a Internet Marketer and don’t have a list, you are leaving a lot of money on the table! Successful Internet Marketing is not just about the “one time sale” of a product or service, but rather building a relationship with a customer, interacting with them regularly, and providing them relevant – valuable information. Once you build a relationship with them, they may be ready to buy something from you. Some experts estimate that a prospective customer (on average) will feel comfortable making a purchase after 8+ connections online.
I recently asked the question: “What is a list” to one of my Mastermind friends. This is how she answered:
A list is your very own personal goldmine…well very close to it! It is a list of potential customers who have signed up for your newsletter or to receive information from you via email.
I currently have a small but growing list and have been doing a lot of reading on ways to grow your list, keep your subscribers and make money from your list.
One of the most important things I have learned is that you need to stay in contact with your list and continually provide them with valuable information, then they will get to know and trust you and eventually buy from you or buy products that you recommend.
For those who are new to this idea, you will need to:
-Decide on what you want to offer your visitors, like a newsletter or a free report
-Set up an email auto-responder (which is a service that will automatically email your subscribers when they sign up ) www.autoresponder-now.com is a great one
-Use the auto-responder to create the opt-in forms to put on your website
-Stay in touch with your list
-Keep learning more about email list strategies for ways to grow you list and techniques for making money from your list.
Tashia Calhoun
Basically, a “list” is all the people who have, via the internet, given you permission to market your information, products, and services to them. This important because if you don’t have their permission, you are spamming them!
List are extremely important, because you are able to connect with customers over and over, which builds their comfort level and your credibility. However, if you are going to send people information, it has to be relevant and valuable ~ or they will unsubscribe to your list.
Tashia mentioned selling your products or others. Did you know that you can sell other peoples stuff online? Affiliate sales are a great way to make money online. By creating a list of potential customers and offering them valuable information or products that someone else created, you can earn an Affiliate Commission.
So the bottom line is that everyone needs a list! I use: www.autoresponder-now.com for my Auto Responder “list” and have been very satisfied with it. If you have any questions about this post or would like more information on Internet Marketing, building a list, or Starting an Online Business or Business Coaching ~ contact: kirk@midwestmarketingmastermind.com
Join my list. You will get tips, tools, and tricks to jump start your online business.
I have been asked before by people who are just starting out with internet marketing, “does Adsense really work?” ~ the answer is yes, it does! But there is, like all marketing, a method to its madness.
Based on a lot of research and reading much of Joel Comm’s and others work, as well as personal testing, I have discovered that the secret is in the details. Many people have set up an Adsense account, drop the code into the website or blog, and ended up make a few dollars a month…only to feel like it is a big waste of time.
Others have taken time to look, listen, and learn from the marketers that are making serious money with Adsense. Following a few steps like changing the look of the ads (removing borders & matching colors), seamlessly blending ads and content, and placing ads in the natural area that the eye focuses on (Hot Spots) are key to getting better CTR (Click Through Rates).
Personally, I utilize a fantastic template product that allows you to drop in your Adsense ID, add some fresh content, and upload the pages to your server. The technical work is already done and they work great.
Check out: www.instantadsensesites.com for more information.
The other factor is traffic. If you want to earn more, you have to have traffic going to your site. This begs the “million dollar” question: “How do you get more traffic to your site?” It seems like everyone has the answer to that, but beware they don’t all work.
Again, personally, I am a fan of organic search engine results. However, you may have to work some Web 2.0 magic and do some social media work too. I love Face Book, YouTube, Twitter, Blogging, and Flickr. Great content attracts traffic. Do you have quality content or are you just selling stuff?
Yes it take time to develop social media sites with good content, but the people who are looking at your content are there because they either know you or found you based on what they were searching for and thus they have a vested interest in building a relationship with you. As long as you are not just “selling them something,” which is a huge turnoff, people are looking for information and quality information sometimes leads to sales.
I love what Zig Ziggler says, “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
I hope this is an encouragement to someone who is struggling with Internet Marketing. Don’t give up! Adsense does work, but you may need to help it along.
If this was interesting to you, please add me as a friend on 48days, Face Book or Follow me on Twitter. I am an Internet Marketing & Business Consultant, Teacher, Coach, and Entrepreneur.
Leave a comment and tell me what your experience has been with Adsense or other passive income online.
