Hi All,
I’m taking a break from adding new posts to the MLMTalk Blog and am concentrating on my new MLM Marketing Blog right now. You can visit the new blog here:
Linda Locke
by Elizabeth McGee
Increasing website traffic is the name of the game on the internet. It’s important to note, however that there is no one thing that can bring instant traffic or ongoing sales. It’s a combination of strategies that promote contact and networking.
Not all strategies work for everyone, so it’s important to know what the options are, utilize a few that look appealing and stick with what works for you.
Here’s a few tips and strategies that have worked for me. Give them all a try or perhaps just one. Any or all can make a healthy difference:
1. Write A Press Release
A press release is not a sales pitch and sales hype is not allowed. It is, however, your chance to provide your business story which can be a powerful form of marketing. When writing your press release you’ll want to provide the who, what, where, when, how and why of your business. Create interest by detailing who you are, what you are about, why you went into business, but more importantly, how your customers have benefited.
An effective press release can create a newsworthy story that is capable of creating buzz and interest all across the web for a long time to come.
2. Create A Blog
Whether you have a website or not, a blog is an ideal tool for giving you and/or your business a favorable presence.
Think of a blog as a diary. Create your blog by posting your products and information. Then on a daily or weekly basis add additional products, information or comments. Invite comments from others and before you know it you’ll have a steady stream of visitors.
If you don’t have a website, creating a blog is a great place to start and you can create one for free. If you do have a website, a blog will help generate visitors. The beauty of blogs is that you can also add Google adsense ads for additional revenue.
3. Create Special Offers
A limited time sales offer will encourage your visitors to act. If you have customers that are interested in your products, give them an occasional boost by holding a sale. Chances are they’ve been eyeing your products for some time, and with a special offer incentive, they just might take the leap.
4. Use Pay Per Click Advertising
Every internet business owner should consider pay per click advertising. It’s fast, it’s targeted and can be cheap if done correctly. Therein lies the key, you must research how to create a cost effective pay per click campaign.
It’s not rocket science. You simply need to write a compelling ad, research relevant keywords and understand your return on investment. This means that if your product earns you $20 per sale then you must pay no more than 20 cents per keyword, preferably less. For example, on average, your ad will bring in one sale per 100 clicks on that ad. If 100 clicks brings one $20 sale then you’ve just paid $20 for that ad (100 x .20) and you broke even. Therefore, your goal should be to pay less than 20 cents per keyword but no more. Finding relevant, less popular keywords is goal.
Of course, the better the ad and the better your website’s sales copy performs, the more sales you will receive.
5. Write An Article
Don’t put this one off. The internet is designed to deliver information and what better way for you to get the word out about you, your business and your expertise than by providing relevant, useful information. If you’re selling scrapbooks, write an article on how to scrapbook. A well written article can show someone how easy scrapbooking is, boost their interest and therefore encourage a sale.
If writing an article is not something you feel you can do, have it written for you, it’s not expensive and it’s one of the best ways to bring traffic to your site.
6. Carefully Optimize Your Site For The Search Engines
Don’t build your site and forget it. Utilize the search engines to your benefit by taking the time to optimize your site. Optimization doesn’t have to be complex. Simply create a title that clearly depicts what your site is about and write a description that accurately describes to your readers what information you have to offer. Research relevant keyword phrases as opposed to single words and repeat that phrase in your title, description and throughout your page.
7. Create A Newsletter
Your goal should be to keep your viewers coming back to your site over and over again. The best way to keep in touch with viewers is through publishing a newsletter or a periodical that offers beneficial, useful information.
Post a newsletter form on your site and specifically direct your viewers to sign-up. Don’t just expect them to notice that you have a newsletter, direct them there and be specific about what your newsletter offers.
By publishing a weekly newsletter you are reminding your readers of your products, sales or upcoming events. Avoid pushy sales tactics and sales hype. Simply offer useful information, tips and advice. Make your newsletter a thing of value by keeping them interested and encouraged.
It’s important to remember that it takes an average of 7 visits for a viewer to buy; they’re not likely to visit seven times without a reminder.
8. Offer Something Free
We all love free and the internet is no exception.
- If you publish a newsletter, offer a free ebook or free e-course in exchange for an email address. In your newsletter also offer a free tips section that pertains to your site’s topic.
- If someone makes a purchase, consider offering a free bonus, this often prompts sales.
- Offer free teleseminars. This is an excellent way to let your viewers hear your voice and experience who you really are. It builds trust and they won’t soon forget who you are and what you are about.
9. Make A Donation
Create a promotion where you will be donating a percentage of your proceeds to your favorite charity. Donating money or services to your favorite charity builds trust and a positive image for your business. I’d much rather buy from someone that donates a few dollars to a worthy cause than someone who doesn’t.
10. Participate In Discussion Forums
Take the time to find online forums that are relevant to your business. By responding to questions, offering advice or posting your articles, others will see you as an expert in your field as well as someone willing to help. Posting on a weekly basis will allow readers to become familiar with you and your business as well as regarding you as a respected authority.
When registering on a forum be sure to create a signature file that includes your website address. This will post your website address each time you make a forum entry.
Your business will do well to perform each and every strategy noted above, however, performing just one of these powerful marketing strategies will improve your chances of drawing visitors to your site, but more importantly, it will help keep them coming back.
Elizabeth McGee may be contacted at http://www.homenotion.com Click here to view more of Elizabeth’s articles. Elizabeth is a seasoned internet marketer focused on helping anyone interested in building a home internet business by providing free marketing advice, marketing product reviews, free courses, motivation and a friend. Grab Elizabeth’s comprehensive free newsletter today.
The re:invention Marketing blog has an absolutely fabulous resource for women in business that it adds to each Saturday: its 10 Tips for 10 Million Women, highlights a woman entrepreneur or executive and her personal 10 tips for success.
Reading through these tips gives you a crash course in business smarts and a blueprint for success.
Right now they feature the 10 tips from 26 top businesswomen including Jill Blashack, founder and CEO of Tastefully Simple (Alexandra, MN), a network marketing company that offers easy-to-prepare gourmet foods for people who like to eat - even if they don’t necessarily like to cook. You can read her 10 tips here:
And you can read all the tips here:
Enjoy and prosper!
Linda Locke
Editor, MLMTalk
http://www.mlmtalk.com
If you would like to conduct trainings or do live coaching with your downline but can’t afford the high prices for setting up your own teleconference line, you should check out the services of FreeConferenceCalls.com.
Yes, it’s free and there are no strings attached.
To find out more, visit http://freeconferencecalls.com/ConferenceCall.aspx
Linda Locke
Editor, MLMTalk Blog
http://www.mlmtalk.com
The Small Business Administration has added a new resource for women in business at Mybiz for Women.
They offer lots of good articles on starting and marketing a business - you can check it out here:
Enjoy!
Linda Locke
Editor, MLTalk
http://www.mlmtalk.com
By Debra Fine
Do you dread receptions, banquets, and other business-related social events? Does attending another open house make you want to run inside your own and lock the door? You’re not alone. Many of us are apprehensive about these situations, because most of us either hate entering rooms where we don’t know anyone or hate spending time with people we don’t know well. Keeping a conversation going during such occasions is an ordeal.
Everyone learns the technical skills required for their jobs, but not everyone places importance on conversational skills. The ability to talk easily with anyone is a learned skill, not a personality trait. Acquiring it will help you develop rapport with people and leave a positive impression that lasts longer than an exchange of business cards.
Here are a few tips business professionals can use to improve their small-talk skills:
• Be the first to say hello!
• Introduce yourself. Act as if you’re the host and introduce new arrivals to your conversational partner or partners.
• Smile first and always shake hands when you meet anyone.
• Take your time during introductions! Make an extra effort to remember names, and use them frequently in the conversation.
• Maintain eye contact in any conversation. Many people in a group of three or more people look around in the hope that others will maintain eye contact on our behalf. But people don’t feel listened to if you’re not looking at them.
• Get somebody to talk about why they’re attending the event, and you are on your way to engaging them in conversation.
• Show an interest in every person. The more interest you show the wiser and attractive you become to others.
• Listen carefully for information that can keep the conversation going.
• Remember: People want to be with people who make them feel special, not people who are “special”. Take responsibility to help people you talk to feel as if they’re the only person in the room.
• Play the conversation game. When someone asks, “How’s business?” and “What’s going on?” Answer with more than “Pretty good” or “Not much”. Tell more about yourself so that others can learn more about you.
• Be careful with business acquaintances. You wouldn’t want to open a conversation with: “How’s your job at ________?” What if that person just got fired or laid off? Be careful when you’re asking about an acquaintance’s spouse or special friend; you could regret it.
• Don’t act like you’re an FBI agent. Questions like “What do you do?”, “Are you married?”, “Do you have children?”, and “Where are you from?” lead to dead-end conversations.
• Be aware of body language. Nervous or ill-at-ease people make others uncomfortable. Act confident and comfortable, even when you’re not.
• Be prepared. Spend a few minutes before an anticipated event preparing to talk easily about three topics. They will come in handy when you find yourself in the middle of an awkward moment… or while seated at a table of eight where everyone is playing with their food.
• Show an interest in your conversational partner’s opinion, too. You’re not the only person who has opinions about funding the space program or what will happen to the stock market.
• Stop conversation monopolists in their tracks. If possible, wait for the person to take a breath or to pause, then break in with a comment about their topic. Immediately redirect the conversation in the direction you wish it to go.
• Be prepared with exit lines. You need to move around and meet others.
• Don’t melt from conversations. Make a positive impression by shaking hands and saying goodbye as you leave.
With practice, you can learn how to make the most of meetings, interviews, and networking events or of entertaining clients at conventions, trade shows, and other work-related functions. You’ll learn to appreciate, rather than dread, networking events.
About the Author
Debra Fine is a former engineer living in Denver who works nationwide as a speaker and trainer presenting “The Fine Art of Small Talk”. She is the author of The Fine Art of Small Talk (Hyperion October 2005). Visit www.DebraFine.com or call 303-721-8266 for additional information.
by Monica Karge
Are your thoughts stopping you from having success in Network Marketing?
Thoughts are made up of our belief system. We choose and form judgments based on beliefs we have collected over the years. We have attitudes, ideas and opinions of others and ourselves. We have been conditioned to think and act a certain way.
All our life experiences have led us to believe certain things. Whether these things are true or not, to our brain it really does not matter. If we accept the idea as truth than for us it is truth.
The challenge is to dig in your heels and ask yourself ‘what do you believe and why?’
Pick yourself apart. Is it truth? Question your belief system.
For instance, perhaps as a child you where told you will amount to nothing. Believing someone else’s opinion can jeopardize your success in life.
On the other hand, right thinking is based on truth. The truth is God did not make junk. You are an important person. Accepting this truth will put you on the right path and you will literally act out the new you.
Our success and struggle in life depends on how we think. Life begins in our mind and with our thought patterns. Believing in the truth will indeed set one free.
Believing the truth means not blaming someone or something outside of us. It means accepting oneself in a new way.
What and how we think is so important in the Network Marketing business. Having a correct thought process is the beginning formula for big success.
The starting point of making permanent changes in your belief system begins with asking yourself what you believe and why you believe what you do. Take a good look at your own belief system.
Going on a mental cleanse will help you go beyond positive or negative thinking to right thinking.
It’s all about choices. You can make choices and change your wrong thinking to right thinking. When your deepest inner belief is correct your mind will filter out negative information. Then your mind can take the ideas and turn them into real results.
Interested in starting the process?
Copyright 2006 Monica Karge
About The Author
Monica Karge specializes in helping people succeed in their Network Marketing business. http://networkmarketingsuccessblog.com.
by Rob Sullivan
There has been a virtual explosion of social networking sites in the past couple of years. Even the big players like Google, Yahoo and MSN are getting into it.
With so much interest in how social networks work, one begins to wonder if there is marketing potential within these social networks?
I’ve been watching social networking for some time now. In fact I’m a member of various social networking sites including MySpace and LinkedIn just to name two.
I joined partly because I wanted to see what they were, but more importantly to see what impact social networking would have on SEM in the coming years.
I’ve been a member of various services for some time and the reach these sites have is incredible.
For example, from my LinkedIn network of seven people I have an expanded network of over 12,600 people.
Imagine that - I’m only a click or two away from close to 13,000 other people who share my similar interests ranging from what I like to watch on TV to work I could provide to them.
Through my connections and their connections, I’m connected to people ranging from the American Cancer Society, to Sun Microsystems to the University of Texas to Google.
But what marketing opportunities are there for Social Networking?
Well, let’s look at MySpace.
MySpace is one of the top sites on the Web today. It racked up 9.4 billion page-views in August 2005 (more than Google) and new users are signing up at a mind-boggling rate of 3.5 million a month.
MySpace is typical of where today’s 18-30 year old goes to manage their digital life. It allows users to post photos of themselves and their friends, create a blog, list their favorite bands, view and share videos, suggest things to do and lists a set of people they consider friends. It is on this “Friends List” where most of the opportunities lie.
All thirty million plus users of MySpace have a friend’s page that lists people that person considers their friend. This is a list of people that they are interested in talking to and about, as well as hearing from on a regular basis. Once you add someone as your friend they can send you emails, comment on your photos, read your blogs, as well as leave messages that you can then share with others. This is an opportunity for instant feedback about you.
The ability to add friends to your page is key for marketing to MySpace users. According to Courtney Holt, head of new media and strategic marketing at Interscope Records, “This generation is growing up without having ever watched programmed media.” “They don’t think in terms of the album, and they don’t think in terms of a TV schedule. They think in terms of TiVo, P2P, AOL, and of course MySpace.”
You can see how this could grow.
Let’s say you create a MySpace account to talk about your product or service. You blog about it and search for others that may share your interests.
You then invite them to be your friend. When they become a friend you start your “soft sell” pitching your product to them.
As they grow to appreciate it, they start blogging and sharing it. Soon hundreds or even thousand of people are talking about you and your product or service.
Don’t think this will work?
Let me give you some examples. There are many bands who have gotten their start on MySpace. Simply by hosting some of their music online and blogging about themselves they developed a following. Soon they had record deals and contracts lined up.
Of course to use services like MySpace you need to have something this target market needs. If you don’t then you probably shouldn’t put too much effort into MySpace.
But that doesn’t mean other social networking opportunities should be overlooked. As I mentioned above, LinkedIn is more of a professional introduction service. If your product or service fits here then by all means explore it further.
And there are others as well. Services such as Yahoo!s MyWeb, Flickr, del.icio.us and more.
So if you’ve ever wondered what other online opportunities could be out there, consider social networking. It could be the next great online marketing channel.
About The Author
Rob Sullivan is a SEO Consultant and Writer for Textlinkbrokers.com. Textlinkbrokers is the trusted leader in building long term rankings through safe and effective link building. Please provide a link directly to Textlinkbrokers when syndicating this article.
by Shelley Penney
This is where it all starts.
One person with a dream that is bigger than she is, and the determination to see it through.
One person who seeks out a mentor, and devotes themselves to learning.
One person who finds a passion within.
One person with a “can do” attitude, who gets to work.
One person, one team, one purpose…..
The results are astounding.
One of my mentors of a few years ago used to say, “if it is to be, it is up to me”.
I never really understood that.
I resisted it, because I felt that it wasn’t up to me, entirely. I was at the mercy of everybody on my team, wasn’t I?
If they didn’t do anything, I still couldn’t get where I wanted to be.
This is what has changed for me.
Now I see very clearly that it truly IS up to me. I stopped worrying about what other people would or would not do.
I started concentrating on my own personal activity.
And working with the people who needed me.
I became much more selective, seeking people who had a dream and a work ethic that matched my own.
Interviewing instead of begging.
Presenting instead of convincing.
I now truly understand, and the results are absolutely astounding.
If you want to break through the barrier that has kept you from success, understand this simple principle….
You can not control the actions of others.
You only have that power over yourself.
Understand that if you don’t like the look of your team, You must change what you are doing.
Only then will you truly break the barrier that is holding you back, and stand apart in that top 3 %.
About the Author
Shelley Penney is a full time networker, author, mentor, trainer and “pay it forward” practitioner. Shelley is also webmaster of the newly launched CanadianMLM.com forum. www.CanadianMLM.com
by Annette Yen
In my many years of Party Plan direct selling I have seen it time and time again… women come home from their annual convention fired up, determined that by next year they’ll be able to walk the stage in the top 10, earn the cruise and have enough income to purchase their dream home on the ocean. It is great to come home motivated and excited about your company. Having big dreams is a wonderful thing!
Sometimes, however, it’s just not realistic for the average WAHM who wants a life outside of her business. Because she has just heard some wonderful goal setting advice from the top leaders in our company she sets those wonderful goals, posts them on the fridge with a picture of the dream home circled in red pen and she looks at them every day.
But the reality of it is, many work at home moms have life boundaries that they are unwilling to cross. And those boundaries will make it very difficult to achieve even one of those goals. Because of this, unfortunately, many women who could have a wonderful and fulfilling career in direct sales quit because the goals they’ve set are just plain unrealistic for where they are in life. Instead of enjoying the benefits of a business with the freedom and flexibility to earn some money while still living the rest of life, they assume they’ve failed because the unrealistic goal was just that… unrealistic for now.
That said, if you’re a mom like me who has a full life with other involvements and time commitments that you are unwilling to shelve even temporarily for your direct sales business, you might enjoy an unorthodox approach to goal setting. I like to call it Goal Getting.
With Goal Getting you are looking at your life and determining exactly what you can expect from your Direct Sales business based on your priorities and life commitments. Basically, you’re working backward from the usual goal setting process.
First, let’s lay some groundwork. If you are married, talk with your husband about your schedule. If you were to say to him, “Honey, I’m planning on being out four nights a week for the next 6 months so I might earn a cruise,” what will he say? What about three nights? Two nights? Is one night a week or even one night a month the more realistic schedule for you? You can always come back to him after you’ve written down your schedule (see next step) to add in an extra day or two or more.
Now, here’s where the work comes in. If you don’t already have a master family calendar, it’s time to get one! Get a nice big calendar with room to write in each day of the month. Pull out all the schedules you have, school, church, mom’s groups, bunco nights, etc, and put them all on there for as many months out as you can. Do you have date nights with your hubby regularly (if not, you should… but we’ll save that for another day)? Is there a TV show that you absolutely will not miss for ANYTHING and are not willing to record? Be realistic here ladies…some moms come into a business and say, “Oh, I can sacrifice ‘Survivor’ to do a party” but then the first time a party comes along on that night, and they resent having to give it up. Do yourself a favor and admit it…and schedule around it!
Do not just look at evening activities, but write in the daytime stuff too. Think through a typical week for your family. You want a realistic picture of what is there. So few women do this but it’s a worthy exercise no matter what home business you are in but particularly with Direct Sales where being away from home for a party or workshop is a given.
Now, take that full calendar back to your husband and work together with him to determine how many and which nights would be best for you to be away. Meet with the rest of the family and talk over what this is going to look like so everyone is on the same page.
The groundwork is laid…now let’s GET the goals…
1. Find out from your company what their average party/workshop sales are. This will likely be your average too and even if your totals are higher, use this average for the goal getting process since it will allow for cancellations, reschedules and the like.
2. Based on your commission structure, and basic costs of doing business, determine how much you’ll take home from an average party.
3. Multiply that number by the amount of parties you’ve determined you can do in any given month.
Ok, now what do you think of that number? Not bad, huh? Do you want it to be higher? Talk with your family again and see if there are any changes that can be made, but remember that those changes will mean sacrifices in other areas of your life. That’s fine but just remember that you cannot have it all!
Although many hope for it, most in the home party plan business will not reach the $100,000 annual achievers club and the company incentive trip while still being the president of the PTA, singing in the church choir, being the Girl Scout Troop leader, having a date night with your husband and maintaining a spotless house where husband comes home to every night to a rested wife ready to meet his every need!
However, even with a full life, you CAN make a nice additional income, purchase your own products and gifts for others at a discount and maybe even earn an incentive or two. And who knows, when the kids are older and the scout troop no longer needs you as leader, you can add a party or two to your schedule and earn that cruise.
Annette Yen lives a full and happy life as a homechooling work at home mom. With over 20 years of direct sales experience she loves sharing her love for direct sales with other moms. You can get a free Goal Getting Worksheet and other tools for your direct sales business at her site http://www.directsalestools.com
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