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4/16/2014
Not All Bottled Water Is Created Equal
(NewsUSA) - Think all bottled water is created equal? Think
again. Most brands of bottled water on the market are just
that: bottled water.
A new brand of water, however, is bucking that trend. Enter Alkame Water, which goes beyond
simply quenching your thirst. The mild alkalinity water is designed to promote effective hydration
by supporting the body's optimum pH levels, providing antioxidant benefits and helping to improve
energy levels and overall health.
The patented formula involves a micro-cluster molecular structure. This unique design
supports Alkame Water's distinctive alkalinity and also allows for high levels of stabilized,
dissolved oxygen. Oxygenated water has been associated with improved aerobic capacity. In addition,
it helps support the body's immune system and reduces the impact of stress on the body caused by
free radicals.
Data from scientific studies of the effects of electrolyzed alkaline water show an
association between consumption of the water and a range of health benefits. In one study,
participants in an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program who were randomized to drink
electrolyzed alkaline water showed significant improvement in exercise tolerance after 12 weeks,
compared with those who drank plain water. In another study of HIV patients undergoing
antiretroviral therapy, those randomized to 30 days of daily consumption of electrolyzed alkaline
water showed significant improvements in their immune system parameters after 30 days, compared
with those randomized to plain tap water.
Results of additional tests of Alkame Water suggest that it sustains its alkaline,
antioxidant and oxygenation properties for a full year, which makes it a practical choice for home
or office use. Alkame Water comes in bottles that are BPA-free and 100 percent
recyclable.
Alkame Water, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinacle Enterprise Inc.
(OTCBB: PINS) (OTCQB: PINS). For more information about Alkame Water and its benefits, visit www.alkamewater.com.
3 Ways Small Businesses Can Save Money on Their Taxes
Running a small business can be tough, and keeping
the money you earn in your pocket can be a challenge, especially at tax time. Check out these tips
to help ensure you don't give more money to the government than you must:
1. Deduct everything you can. The IRS has a variety of ways it helps small businesses, but
many owners don't take full advantage of all of the deductions they can claim. For example, if
there's a place in your home that you use exclusively for business, you can deduct some of your
housing costs. For your 2013 return, you can claim $5 per sq. ft. of your office up to 300 sq.
ft.
Mileage is another overlooked expense. You can deduct the miles you drive for business,
such as driving to see a client or pick up supplies. Every trip counts, even the short ones, so it
pays to keep track of your business mileage. Small businesses can deduct 56 cents for each mile
travelled.
Other deductions small businesses are eligible for include travel expenses like tolls and
parking, 50 percent of meals with clients, as well as supplies and furniture for your office.
2. Use the right business structure. Small businesses can be structured in various ways, and
choosing the right structure for your particular business can affect how much or how little you pay
in taxes. Most small businesses choose to operate as a sole proprietor, Limited Liability Company
(LLC) or corporation. A tax specialist can advise you which structure is best for you, but as a
general rule of thumb, if your business generates more than $50,000 in profit, you can save taxes
by incorporating.
3. Don't get penalized. Many small business owners end up paying more to the government
because they file late, resulting in the IRS charging interest, late fees and penalty fees. Missing
deadlines is often the result of not being organized, which is all too common for owners focused on
generating sales and servicing clients, rather than maintaining their books.
To keep organized, many owners are taking advantage of technology and turning to cloud-based
systems like FreshBooks (www.freshbooks.com), which makes it easy to stay on top of
accounting tasks like invoicing and expense tracking. Such systems also allow the owner to send
their accountant all the reports and information they need with one click.
the money you earn in your pocket can be a challenge, especially at tax time. Check out these tips
to help ensure you don't give more money to the government than you must:
1. Deduct everything you can. The IRS has a variety of ways it helps small businesses, but
many owners don't take full advantage of all of the deductions they can claim. For example, if
there's a place in your home that you use exclusively for business, you can deduct some of your
housing costs. For your 2013 return, you can claim $5 per sq. ft. of your office up to 300 sq.
ft.
Mileage is another overlooked expense. You can deduct the miles you drive for business,
such as driving to see a client or pick up supplies. Every trip counts, even the short ones, so it
pays to keep track of your business mileage. Small businesses can deduct 56 cents for each mile
travelled.
Other deductions small businesses are eligible for include travel expenses like tolls and
parking, 50 percent of meals with clients, as well as supplies and furniture for your office.
2. Use the right business structure. Small businesses can be structured in various ways, and
choosing the right structure for your particular business can affect how much or how little you pay
in taxes. Most small businesses choose to operate as a sole proprietor, Limited Liability Company
(LLC) or corporation. A tax specialist can advise you which structure is best for you, but as a
general rule of thumb, if your business generates more than $50,000 in profit, you can save taxes
by incorporating.
3. Don't get penalized. Many small business owners end up paying more to the government
because they file late, resulting in the IRS charging interest, late fees and penalty fees. Missing
deadlines is often the result of not being organized, which is all too common for owners focused on
generating sales and servicing clients, rather than maintaining their books.
To keep organized, many owners are taking advantage of technology and turning to cloud-based
systems like FreshBooks (www.freshbooks.com), which makes it easy to stay on top of
accounting tasks like invoicing and expense tracking. Such systems also allow the owner to send
their accountant all the reports and information they need with one click.
Once Again, Buying Diamonds Is Cool
It's cool to buy diamonds again.
Well, at least those that have been "sustainably mined."
With holiday jewelry shopping now in
high gear, those two words alone are likely to provide a tremendous sense of relief -- the
pop-culture equivalent of "Mad Men" re-upping in perpetuity -- for anyone who's been concerned
about mining's impact on local habitats. Indeed, these days Rio Tinto, one of the world's major
diamond producers, for example, is as likely to be lauded for its enviro creds as it is the
incredibly gorgeous natural color diamonds produced by its Argyle Mine in Western Australia.
"We appreciate that people want to know that the jewelry they buy has been mined responsibly
and ethically," Rebecca Foerster, Rio Tinto Diamonds' U.S. vice president, said last year on
becoming the only miner to be certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council for initiatives that
include employing indigenous community members to cultivate seeds of native plants for
re-vegetation.
Here's what's also fueling the very hot Argyle diamonds trend:
* There's nothing ho-hum about them. Though this may be one of the prime times for
proposing, anyone who still thinks engagement rings are the only kind women want on their fingers
is stuck in a time warp. So know that for every one of those natural color diamonds produced
through just the right confluence of the elements and the environment -- we're talking soft,
neutral shades like champagne, cognac, silver and gray -- it's estimated that there are 10,000
white diamonds. What woman wouldn't want something unique?
* Brown is the new black. From a purely fashion point of view -- and this applies to
Argyle diamonds set in giftable rings, bracelets, earrings, etc. -- the champagne stones,
especially (which get their distinctive hue from nitrogen atoms present at their formation), work
well with all the bright-colored clothes the fashion mags have decreed women should be wearing
right now. And guess what? Those fashion plates, especially, don't think of themselves as ordinary.
Or, as jewelry and style expert Michael O'Connor puts it: "It's not just that people want to
feel good about having made environmentally friendly choices. They also want things that are
unusual and different from what their friends have, and these are diamonds with a story."
* The price is right. Undoubtedly, cost wasn't a factor in model Heidi Klum's decision
to don brown Argyle diamond earrings and ring for an Oscars-related event. But for the rest of us,
it's nice to know that Argyle diamonds are actually affordable.
Learn more at www.diamondswithastory.com.
Well, at least those that have been "sustainably mined."
With holiday jewelry shopping now in
high gear, those two words alone are likely to provide a tremendous sense of relief -- the
pop-culture equivalent of "Mad Men" re-upping in perpetuity -- for anyone who's been concerned
about mining's impact on local habitats. Indeed, these days Rio Tinto, one of the world's major
diamond producers, for example, is as likely to be lauded for its enviro creds as it is the
incredibly gorgeous natural color diamonds produced by its Argyle Mine in Western Australia.
"We appreciate that people want to know that the jewelry they buy has been mined responsibly
and ethically," Rebecca Foerster, Rio Tinto Diamonds' U.S. vice president, said last year on
becoming the only miner to be certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council for initiatives that
include employing indigenous community members to cultivate seeds of native plants for
re-vegetation.
Here's what's also fueling the very hot Argyle diamonds trend:
* There's nothing ho-hum about them. Though this may be one of the prime times for
proposing, anyone who still thinks engagement rings are the only kind women want on their fingers
is stuck in a time warp. So know that for every one of those natural color diamonds produced
through just the right confluence of the elements and the environment -- we're talking soft,
neutral shades like champagne, cognac, silver and gray -- it's estimated that there are 10,000
white diamonds. What woman wouldn't want something unique?
* Brown is the new black. From a purely fashion point of view -- and this applies to
Argyle diamonds set in giftable rings, bracelets, earrings, etc. -- the champagne stones,
especially (which get their distinctive hue from nitrogen atoms present at their formation), work
well with all the bright-colored clothes the fashion mags have decreed women should be wearing
right now. And guess what? Those fashion plates, especially, don't think of themselves as ordinary.
Or, as jewelry and style expert Michael O'Connor puts it: "It's not just that people want to
feel good about having made environmentally friendly choices. They also want things that are
unusual and different from what their friends have, and these are diamonds with a story."
* The price is right. Undoubtedly, cost wasn't a factor in model Heidi Klum's decision
to don brown Argyle diamond earrings and ring for an Oscars-related event. But for the rest of us,
it's nice to know that Argyle diamonds are actually affordable.
Learn more at www.diamondswithastory.com.
The Truth Behind 4 Food Myths
Don't you just hate food scolds? Especially when
they're as certain they're right as all those tech geniuses were about iPhones never replacing
Blackberries.
Well, in some cases, people are actually basing their assumptions on either pure myth or the
latest diet fad. You know, as in: Gluten is bad for you. And listening to them can actually be
risky.
"Food myths are dangerous because they can deprive you of the benefits of a healthy diet,"
says Tara Gidus, MS, R.D., who's the team dietician for basketball's Orlando Magic.
Here's a few myths that deserve to be debunked.
MYTH: All yogurt is good for you. C'mon, if you smother anything with enough sugary
fruits and toppings, it becomes dessert.
MYTH: Fresh veggies are more nutritious than frozen or canned. Lived on a farm
lately? We didn't think so or you'd know, as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics's Melissa Joy
Dobbins explains, that veggies (and fruits) "are canned as soon as they're picked so they're at
peak nutrition."
There's also been research showing that canned tomatoes, in particular, contain more of the
heart disease-protective carotenoid pigment lycopene than fresh ones. And since statistics indicate
that, for some reason, adding tomatoes to your diet is related to increased consumption of healthy
vegetables of all kinds -- hey, ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture why -- maybe we should all
consider stocking up on cans of, say, Hunt's tomatoes (www.hunts.com).
MYTH: Gluten-free diets are healthier. Chalk this one up to the hottest new diet fad. Without
even really knowing what gluten is -- it's a protein found in wheat, barley and rye -- people have
somehow gotten it into their heads that the 99 percent of Americans who don't have celiac disease
should also avoid it.
Problem is, such whole-grain foods happen to be rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc,
magnesium and fiber, and may even help lower the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some
forms of cancer. That explains why no less than Peter H.R. Green, the director of the Celiac
Disease Center at Columbia University, told WebMD that going gluten-free "isn't something that
anyone should do casually."
MYTH: Eggs are bad for your heart. According to the Harvard Medical School, the
only large study that addressed the issue found "no connection between the two." However, egg yolks
do contain a lot of cholesterol, calories and fat. So for a lean and healthier option, discard the
yolk or switch to pourable egg whites-only Egg Beaters (www.eggbeaters.com).
they're as certain they're right as all those tech geniuses were about iPhones never replacing
Blackberries.
Well, in some cases, people are actually basing their assumptions on either pure myth or the
latest diet fad. You know, as in: Gluten is bad for you. And listening to them can actually be
risky.
"Food myths are dangerous because they can deprive you of the benefits of a healthy diet,"
says Tara Gidus, MS, R.D., who's the team dietician for basketball's Orlando Magic.
Here's a few myths that deserve to be debunked.
MYTH: All yogurt is good for you. C'mon, if you smother anything with enough sugary
fruits and toppings, it becomes dessert.
MYTH: Fresh veggies are more nutritious than frozen or canned. Lived on a farm
lately? We didn't think so or you'd know, as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics's Melissa Joy
Dobbins explains, that veggies (and fruits) "are canned as soon as they're picked so they're at
peak nutrition."
There's also been research showing that canned tomatoes, in particular, contain more of the
heart disease-protective carotenoid pigment lycopene than fresh ones. And since statistics indicate
that, for some reason, adding tomatoes to your diet is related to increased consumption of healthy
vegetables of all kinds -- hey, ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture why -- maybe we should all
consider stocking up on cans of, say, Hunt's tomatoes (www.hunts.com).
MYTH: Gluten-free diets are healthier. Chalk this one up to the hottest new diet fad. Without
even really knowing what gluten is -- it's a protein found in wheat, barley and rye -- people have
somehow gotten it into their heads that the 99 percent of Americans who don't have celiac disease
should also avoid it.
Problem is, such whole-grain foods happen to be rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc,
magnesium and fiber, and may even help lower the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some
forms of cancer. That explains why no less than Peter H.R. Green, the director of the Celiac
Disease Center at Columbia University, told WebMD that going gluten-free "isn't something that
anyone should do casually."
MYTH: Eggs are bad for your heart. According to the Harvard Medical School, the
only large study that addressed the issue found "no connection between the two." However, egg yolks
do contain a lot of cholesterol, calories and fat. So for a lean and healthier option, discard the
yolk or switch to pourable egg whites-only Egg Beaters (www.eggbeaters.com).
3/11/2014
Is Back Pain Due To A Lack Of Exercise?
Many people seem to want to know if you can just exercise lower back
pain away. Is it only about exercise? That is, did you end up with lower
back pain due to a lack of exercise? Or could it be something else?
Your back pain is not necessarily caused by a lack of exercise, but it’s probably a good place to start looking. When I ask patients if they exercise, most are still saying “no.” Those that do exercise tend to stick with the same machine or routine for their entire program. (And almost none of their “routine” exercises focus on improving their back muscles.)
So on one hand, we have those that don’t exercise and have lower back pain. It’s easy to take a guess and see that their spine is having problems due to a lack of muscular support. While their spine may need more work at this point (check with your healthcare professional), eventually they’ll exercise lower back pain away by creating a muscular back support around their spine with regular exercise.
Those that do exercise, but are not performing a variety of movements are causing a different problem; muscular imbalance. They are likely only developing certain muscle groups while largely ignoring others. Worse, they may be performing activities that are alarmingly similar to what they already do all day.
They are strengthening muscles that are already overworked (muscles in the front of the body) and not strengthening muscles that are typically ignored (back muscles). This is a standard recipe for developing lower back pain problems and should be avoided.
Overall, maintaining a variety of activities that includes exercises to enhance cardiovascular health, strengthening and stretching will help exercise lower back pain away for good. The same formula works for almost everyone. First, due some exercise regularly. Next, make sure you take some time to strengthen your back muscles (especially if you already know you need it!).
Dr. Natalie Cordova is a posture exercise expert, chiropractor, and health educator. More information can be found at his website at http://www.postureconfidence.com
Your back pain is not necessarily caused by a lack of exercise, but it’s probably a good place to start looking. When I ask patients if they exercise, most are still saying “no.” Those that do exercise tend to stick with the same machine or routine for their entire program. (And almost none of their “routine” exercises focus on improving their back muscles.)
So on one hand, we have those that don’t exercise and have lower back pain. It’s easy to take a guess and see that their spine is having problems due to a lack of muscular support. While their spine may need more work at this point (check with your healthcare professional), eventually they’ll exercise lower back pain away by creating a muscular back support around their spine with regular exercise.
Those that do exercise, but are not performing a variety of movements are causing a different problem; muscular imbalance. They are likely only developing certain muscle groups while largely ignoring others. Worse, they may be performing activities that are alarmingly similar to what they already do all day.
They are strengthening muscles that are already overworked (muscles in the front of the body) and not strengthening muscles that are typically ignored (back muscles). This is a standard recipe for developing lower back pain problems and should be avoided.
Overall, maintaining a variety of activities that includes exercises to enhance cardiovascular health, strengthening and stretching will help exercise lower back pain away for good. The same formula works for almost everyone. First, due some exercise regularly. Next, make sure you take some time to strengthen your back muscles (especially if you already know you need it!).
Dr. Natalie Cordova is a posture exercise expert, chiropractor, and health educator. More information can be found at his website at http://www.postureconfidence.com
The Corporate Athlete
Are you an athlete? No? How about a corporate athlete? Do you compete
in the corporate world while sitting at your desk? Still no? You are an
athlete! You have to understand, I see an athlete as someone that uses
their body to compete. An athlete’s body must be a highly tuned, well
functioning machine. Still, many corporate athletes have forgotten that
they need their bodies to work as well as possible in order for them to
perform at their highest level… even if they never leave their chair.
Many corporate athletes have bodies that are not working the way they should, even beginning to break down and leave them dealing with regular aches and pains as a part of their normal day. Why do our bodies break down? Typically, you can trace most of your body’s musculo-skeletal problems to imbalances, posture, and overuse.
Imbalances are easy to identify, if you know what you’re looking for. Take a look at the movements and activities you do during an average day you will see that you basically do the same things each day. Over and over again. Day in and day out. Not much variety, and not much balance. Balance would mean that you do many activities involving muscles of your front as well as your back. Good balance would also involve movements on the right and left sides of your body.
The computer user keeps their hands in front of them all day, head pushed forward and eyes glued to the screen. They keep this nearly identical posture as they drive into work, and when they drive home, before resuming this posture again at the dinner table and the couch. How many hours in a day are they imbalanced in a forward position? Eight? Ten? Sixteen? Is it any wonder that their muscles, ligaments, and tendons start to change shape?
Bad posture is also easily identified… usually on someone else. Have someone take a look at you while you work at your desk. Is your monitor up high enough or are you looking down at it by bending your neck? How’s your chair? Does it allow you to sit up straight? Are your shoulders hunched?
What about the position of your mouse, where you put the papers you are reviewing, how you hold your phone, the angle of your wrists… it can be a lot to look at! You want to make sure that your body can stay in as much of a good, well-balanced posture for as much of the day as possible. Having a friendly co-worker take a look at you and your body position can allow you to address potential issues before it’s too late. It only takes a minute, and you can return the favor by observing them at their workstation.
Overuse injuries come from doing any movement over and over again until the body part just plain wears out! These injuries can occur over a shorter period of time when imbalances and poor posture are also a part of that movement. Trauma is usually easy to identify when it involves falling down or a car accident. What about repetitive trauma, also called micro-trauma?
Micro-trauma is not so easily noticed until symptoms start to appear. The same movement or action that caused the injury becomes painful to do. That should be your red alert that you cannot keep doing that movement in the same way. Even treatment will only temporarily relieve the pain if you go back to doing the same thing the wrong way again every day.
The symptoms of your body breaking down are not always pain. Other warning signs can be there for years before pain shows up. Bad posture is already a warning sign that trouble is ahead. The typical shoulder slouching head forward posture is rampant in our society! You likely don’t have to leave your house to find someone living with this posture.
Bad posture leads to further imbalances and a speeding up of the overuse injuries. If you take a look at someone with this posture, you’ll notice that muscles in the front (like the chest muscles) start to become shorter, while the back muscles start to become longer. This is not just a visual change, but a physical change. Your muscles are actually becoming short in the front and long in the back, a serious imbalance.
Another symptom is a loss of range of motion, or a loss of the normal ability to move the spine or any other joint through all of their normal movements. Does your head turn painlessly right and left to the same degree? Can you move your head forward and back easily, or just forward? What about your low back or other joints like your wrists, elbows, and shoulders? Compare side to side and see if they are equal. Of course they could both need help, but this is a good starting point.
The good news is that most of these problems can be helped without surgery. Of course, every person is different and when they decide to do something about their problem is also very important. Wait too long and you may eliminate many conservative treatment options. Catch it early and make some changes to your workstation and you can avoid many painful lessons later.
For now, concentrate on your posture and evaluate your work station. Seek out activities that will allow some balance back into your movements, including weight workouts and stretching. If you are already experiencing pain, now is the time to do something about it. These problems rarely resolve themselves on their own. You must act by seeking the assistance of a qualified health professional.
Dr. Natalie Cordova is a posture exercise expert, chiropractor, and health educator. More information can be found at his website at http://www.postureconfidence.com
Many corporate athletes have bodies that are not working the way they should, even beginning to break down and leave them dealing with regular aches and pains as a part of their normal day. Why do our bodies break down? Typically, you can trace most of your body’s musculo-skeletal problems to imbalances, posture, and overuse.
Imbalances are easy to identify, if you know what you’re looking for. Take a look at the movements and activities you do during an average day you will see that you basically do the same things each day. Over and over again. Day in and day out. Not much variety, and not much balance. Balance would mean that you do many activities involving muscles of your front as well as your back. Good balance would also involve movements on the right and left sides of your body.
The computer user keeps their hands in front of them all day, head pushed forward and eyes glued to the screen. They keep this nearly identical posture as they drive into work, and when they drive home, before resuming this posture again at the dinner table and the couch. How many hours in a day are they imbalanced in a forward position? Eight? Ten? Sixteen? Is it any wonder that their muscles, ligaments, and tendons start to change shape?
Bad posture is also easily identified… usually on someone else. Have someone take a look at you while you work at your desk. Is your monitor up high enough or are you looking down at it by bending your neck? How’s your chair? Does it allow you to sit up straight? Are your shoulders hunched?
What about the position of your mouse, where you put the papers you are reviewing, how you hold your phone, the angle of your wrists… it can be a lot to look at! You want to make sure that your body can stay in as much of a good, well-balanced posture for as much of the day as possible. Having a friendly co-worker take a look at you and your body position can allow you to address potential issues before it’s too late. It only takes a minute, and you can return the favor by observing them at their workstation.
Overuse injuries come from doing any movement over and over again until the body part just plain wears out! These injuries can occur over a shorter period of time when imbalances and poor posture are also a part of that movement. Trauma is usually easy to identify when it involves falling down or a car accident. What about repetitive trauma, also called micro-trauma?
Micro-trauma is not so easily noticed until symptoms start to appear. The same movement or action that caused the injury becomes painful to do. That should be your red alert that you cannot keep doing that movement in the same way. Even treatment will only temporarily relieve the pain if you go back to doing the same thing the wrong way again every day.
The symptoms of your body breaking down are not always pain. Other warning signs can be there for years before pain shows up. Bad posture is already a warning sign that trouble is ahead. The typical shoulder slouching head forward posture is rampant in our society! You likely don’t have to leave your house to find someone living with this posture.
Bad posture leads to further imbalances and a speeding up of the overuse injuries. If you take a look at someone with this posture, you’ll notice that muscles in the front (like the chest muscles) start to become shorter, while the back muscles start to become longer. This is not just a visual change, but a physical change. Your muscles are actually becoming short in the front and long in the back, a serious imbalance.
Another symptom is a loss of range of motion, or a loss of the normal ability to move the spine or any other joint through all of their normal movements. Does your head turn painlessly right and left to the same degree? Can you move your head forward and back easily, or just forward? What about your low back or other joints like your wrists, elbows, and shoulders? Compare side to side and see if they are equal. Of course they could both need help, but this is a good starting point.
The good news is that most of these problems can be helped without surgery. Of course, every person is different and when they decide to do something about their problem is also very important. Wait too long and you may eliminate many conservative treatment options. Catch it early and make some changes to your workstation and you can avoid many painful lessons later.
For now, concentrate on your posture and evaluate your work station. Seek out activities that will allow some balance back into your movements, including weight workouts and stretching. If you are already experiencing pain, now is the time to do something about it. These problems rarely resolve themselves on their own. You must act by seeking the assistance of a qualified health professional.
Dr. Natalie Cordova is a posture exercise expert, chiropractor, and health educator. More information can be found at his website at http://www.postureconfidence.com
3/10/2014
Top 5 Off-Site Optimization Strategies for the Newbie
Good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) involves both on-site and
off-site strategies. These strategies involve several procedures geared
towards building backlinks which is critical to you ranking highly in
the search engines. However for this article I will be looking at off-site optimization strategies.
As the name suggests, off-site optimization is employing procedures off
your website itself that relates to how the site is linked to external
pages. A link that points back to your site is known as a backlink.
Some procedures of off-site optimization include the following:
Post your site on web directories
Submission of sites to web directories is an old off-site SEO strategy geared at obtaining more backlinks. Submissions have to be done manually and based on my own experience it’s a tedious and time consuming job so, if you can outsource this function I suggest you do so. With all the recent updates by Google to their algorithms this optimization strategy has lost some of its importance. But it’s still considered a good method of improving your page rank. You should bear in mind though that you need to post only to high ranking and reputable directories. Be careful of less popular and possibly blacklisted sites, they can actually hurt your business.
Video Marketing
Creating videos about your business and or products and then posting them on video sites is a great way to help with your off-site optimization strategies. You should then embed the code on your own site. Video sites like Youtube are seen as an authority site and will provide you with high quality backlinks. Another advantage from this optimization strategy is getting even more traffic if your video becomes popular.
Social Media: Facebook
Did you know that the Social Media can be a form of Off-site SEO? Bet you didn’t. Links from Facebook won’t carry much weight where Google is concerned but with proper use of Facebook you can attract tons of visitors to your websites. You can do this by creating Facebook Fanpages, Groups, and Events.
Don’t waste your time on reciprocal linking
Reciprocal linking is basically you linking to someone’s site and then having them link back to yours. It’s actually an old SEO strategy of trading backlinks which is seen to be ineffective these days as it’s rather time consuming and doesn’t produce the desired results. So it’s not recommended as it can actually do more harm than good to your off-site optimization strategies. What you want to do instead is concentrate your energies on getting links from relevant sources where you can chase the links.
Perfecting your techniques
You need to stay on top of your SEO game to get the most from your off-site optimization strategies. How do you do this? By always, always, questioning yourself and your methods. You should test different methods and try new things. If there’s something you can’t figure out take the time to do some research and learn all you can about the area. That’s one of the purposes of the internet, to teach you.
Off-site optimization strategies are extremely important and shouldn’t be underestimated. It takes constant vigilance to be successful at your optimization strategies and the results you desire won’t come overnight. But if done right, you will get that high page ranking and the traffic will come, making a huge difference to your pocket. For easy an SEO guide containing more off-site optimization strategies click this link
Some procedures of off-site optimization include the following:
Post your site on web directories
Submission of sites to web directories is an old off-site SEO strategy geared at obtaining more backlinks. Submissions have to be done manually and based on my own experience it’s a tedious and time consuming job so, if you can outsource this function I suggest you do so. With all the recent updates by Google to their algorithms this optimization strategy has lost some of its importance. But it’s still considered a good method of improving your page rank. You should bear in mind though that you need to post only to high ranking and reputable directories. Be careful of less popular and possibly blacklisted sites, they can actually hurt your business.
Video Marketing
Creating videos about your business and or products and then posting them on video sites is a great way to help with your off-site optimization strategies. You should then embed the code on your own site. Video sites like Youtube are seen as an authority site and will provide you with high quality backlinks. Another advantage from this optimization strategy is getting even more traffic if your video becomes popular.
Social Media: Facebook
Did you know that the Social Media can be a form of Off-site SEO? Bet you didn’t. Links from Facebook won’t carry much weight where Google is concerned but with proper use of Facebook you can attract tons of visitors to your websites. You can do this by creating Facebook Fanpages, Groups, and Events.
Don’t waste your time on reciprocal linking
Reciprocal linking is basically you linking to someone’s site and then having them link back to yours. It’s actually an old SEO strategy of trading backlinks which is seen to be ineffective these days as it’s rather time consuming and doesn’t produce the desired results. So it’s not recommended as it can actually do more harm than good to your off-site optimization strategies. What you want to do instead is concentrate your energies on getting links from relevant sources where you can chase the links.
Perfecting your techniques
You need to stay on top of your SEO game to get the most from your off-site optimization strategies. How do you do this? By always, always, questioning yourself and your methods. You should test different methods and try new things. If there’s something you can’t figure out take the time to do some research and learn all you can about the area. That’s one of the purposes of the internet, to teach you.
Off-site optimization strategies are extremely important and shouldn’t be underestimated. It takes constant vigilance to be successful at your optimization strategies and the results you desire won’t come overnight. But if done right, you will get that high page ranking and the traffic will come, making a huge difference to your pocket. For easy an SEO guide containing more off-site optimization strategies click this link
Afraid To Take A Vacation? Put Your Business On Cruise Control
“I started my business so that I’d have freedom, but I’ve never felt more trapped….”
I come across a statement like that at least once a day on a forum post or in email. You start your internet business because of the freedom of being your own boss and working on your own schedule and then promptly sit on your hind-end for 12 hours/day EVERY DAY. No wonder you feel burnt out. And no wonder family and friends are feeling neglected when all you can think and talk about is your business.
Freedom sounds pretty miserable to me if it means freedom from fun and the ones that I love.
So, how do you break free?
Start by taking a good look at your business and getting your goals and priorities straight. Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as complicated as it sounds. I’ll walk you through it right now. Ready?
Grab a pen and a piece of paper or open your favorite word processor. Divide your page into four columns.
Now you’re ready to brainstorm. Write everything down as it comes to mind. Don’t overthink this. Just start writing.
First, figure out what is working. Whatever it is. It may be one of your websites, your ecourses, a joint venture, a certain marketing method. Where is the bulk of your money coming from, currently? (If none yet, where do you believe will be the place where the largest profits will come from?) Write those items in column #1 under: “Do More”.
Second, figure out what is not bringing in money. Is it hanging out on forums or posting classified ads to freebie sites? Is it endlessly checking your stats, or email? What are your daily time-suckers? Write those under column #2: “Do less”.
Third, figure out what could work better. Do you have upsells in place? Are your websites designed to bring you cash from every visitor? Make a list of ideas in column #3: “Improvements”. (If you don’t know yet, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to improve your business as you learn and grow.)
Fourth, figure out what can be automated. Which tasks are repetitive and boring, albeit necessary? Many of those types of tasks can be automated with simple tools. For instance, if you’re submitting articles to directories by hand, there are tools and services to do that for you. Add these to column #4: “Automation”.
Now that you’re armed with your list, it’s time to get to work.
Look at your list in Column #1: “Do More”. Those are the tasks that you should focus your energies on. It’s a good idea to tackle one or two of the tasks on that list first thing in the morning – every morning. Believe me, it’s much more productive than checking out your favorite blogs or logging into twitter. And you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done quickly when your mind is fresh.
Look at your list in Column #2: “Do Less”. These activities should be forbidden until after you get your #1 list done, if you do them at all. For instance, hanging out on Twitter is fun, but do not do it until everything in column #1 is finished for the day.
Now, go back to Column #1, 3, and 4. Your “Do More”, “Improvements”, and “Automation” lists.
Look at all of the items that are on those three lists. Now, circle each task that you …
• Can’t Do
• Don’t Have Time to Do
• Don’t Want To Do
Those are the tasks that you’ll outsource.
Freedom means a lot of things. It means freedom to do the things that you want to do. However, it also means freedom to NOT do things that you really dislike doing.
For me, it’s graphics. I have outsourced all of my graphics since 2001. I don’t have the time, patience or inclination to learn how to make my own graphics. I have more important things to do, like write this article and then go on a bike ride with my son. Perhaps when I get back from my bike ride, my graphics will be waiting for me in my inbox.
Now, that’s freedom to me.
Want to outsource but don’t know where to start? Nicole Dean and Jimmy D. Brown invite you to http://www.OutsourceWeekly.com where you’ll learn how you can get free time (and earn more money) while others run your business for you.
I come across a statement like that at least once a day on a forum post or in email. You start your internet business because of the freedom of being your own boss and working on your own schedule and then promptly sit on your hind-end for 12 hours/day EVERY DAY. No wonder you feel burnt out. And no wonder family and friends are feeling neglected when all you can think and talk about is your business.
Freedom sounds pretty miserable to me if it means freedom from fun and the ones that I love.
So, how do you break free?
Start by taking a good look at your business and getting your goals and priorities straight. Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as complicated as it sounds. I’ll walk you through it right now. Ready?
Grab a pen and a piece of paper or open your favorite word processor. Divide your page into four columns.
Now you’re ready to brainstorm. Write everything down as it comes to mind. Don’t overthink this. Just start writing.
First, figure out what is working. Whatever it is. It may be one of your websites, your ecourses, a joint venture, a certain marketing method. Where is the bulk of your money coming from, currently? (If none yet, where do you believe will be the place where the largest profits will come from?) Write those items in column #1 under: “Do More”.
Second, figure out what is not bringing in money. Is it hanging out on forums or posting classified ads to freebie sites? Is it endlessly checking your stats, or email? What are your daily time-suckers? Write those under column #2: “Do less”.
Third, figure out what could work better. Do you have upsells in place? Are your websites designed to bring you cash from every visitor? Make a list of ideas in column #3: “Improvements”. (If you don’t know yet, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to improve your business as you learn and grow.)
Fourth, figure out what can be automated. Which tasks are repetitive and boring, albeit necessary? Many of those types of tasks can be automated with simple tools. For instance, if you’re submitting articles to directories by hand, there are tools and services to do that for you. Add these to column #4: “Automation”.
Now that you’re armed with your list, it’s time to get to work.
Look at your list in Column #1: “Do More”. Those are the tasks that you should focus your energies on. It’s a good idea to tackle one or two of the tasks on that list first thing in the morning – every morning. Believe me, it’s much more productive than checking out your favorite blogs or logging into twitter. And you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done quickly when your mind is fresh.
Look at your list in Column #2: “Do Less”. These activities should be forbidden until after you get your #1 list done, if you do them at all. For instance, hanging out on Twitter is fun, but do not do it until everything in column #1 is finished for the day.
Now, go back to Column #1, 3, and 4. Your “Do More”, “Improvements”, and “Automation” lists.
Look at all of the items that are on those three lists. Now, circle each task that you …
• Can’t Do
• Don’t Have Time to Do
• Don’t Want To Do
Those are the tasks that you’ll outsource.
Freedom means a lot of things. It means freedom to do the things that you want to do. However, it also means freedom to NOT do things that you really dislike doing.
For me, it’s graphics. I have outsourced all of my graphics since 2001. I don’t have the time, patience or inclination to learn how to make my own graphics. I have more important things to do, like write this article and then go on a bike ride with my son. Perhaps when I get back from my bike ride, my graphics will be waiting for me in my inbox.
Now, that’s freedom to me.
Want to outsource but don’t know where to start? Nicole Dean and Jimmy D. Brown invite you to http://www.OutsourceWeekly.com where you’ll learn how you can get free time (and earn more money) while others run your business for you.
How to Outsource Parts of Your Internet Business
One of my favorite topics to discuss is outsourcing.
You’d be amazed how thinking about outsourcing and where to begin outsourcing flummoxes everyone from the newest newbies to the seasoned gurus and everyone in between.
Buy why? Why is it so very confusing? Most of us manage to outsource quite nicely in our day to day lives.
I oftentimes pose these questions to my coaching clients -
When you go to a restaurant, do you head back into the kitchen and cook your own food? (That’s just silly.)
And, if your appendix burst right now, would you go online to find out how to remove it yourself? (Please say “no”.)
Of course not!
But, why do we think it’s ok to do everything ourselves in our businesses?
I can’t figure out what it is, but I think I’m starting to narrow it down.
* Fear of losing control.
* Not knowing who to outsource work to. (Needing a recommendation.)
* Not wanting to take the time to outsource. (You think: “It’s quicker to do it myself.”)
* Costs. (Oftentimes, though, you can get help for a lot less than you think it’ll cost.)
* Lack of confidence in ourselves.
* Lack of confidence in the potential of our business.
No matter which of those it is, there comes a point with all of us, where you HAVE to outsource — at least if you ever want to be able to go on a real vacation where you leave the internet behind and relax with your loved ones.
I know. I know. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time – you’ve heard this song and dance before. BUT! While outsourcing isn’t perfect, it’s a heck of a lot better than putting the chains on your wrists from a job that you’ve created for yourself – one where you can’t escape.
Start small. Don’t go crazy. But, when you find someone who you work well with – build on that relationship so you have access to great people who know your style and who you’re comfortable working with. When I need a project done, I have my own personal rolodex of fabulously skilled people who I turn to on a regular basis. Not only does it save me time – but it also helps me to get great prices because they already know what I like, they know that I’m easy to work with and that I pay on time.
I hope this inspires you to start outsourcing in your business.
Nicole Dean can help you to get more done in your business without going crazy in the process. Yes, you can have a business AND a Life! Check out OutsourceWeekly.com and sign up for her free “Outsourcing Mistakes” lessons on the top of the page to get started.
You’d be amazed how thinking about outsourcing and where to begin outsourcing flummoxes everyone from the newest newbies to the seasoned gurus and everyone in between.
Buy why? Why is it so very confusing? Most of us manage to outsource quite nicely in our day to day lives.
I oftentimes pose these questions to my coaching clients -
When you go to a restaurant, do you head back into the kitchen and cook your own food? (That’s just silly.)
And, if your appendix burst right now, would you go online to find out how to remove it yourself? (Please say “no”.)
Of course not!
But, why do we think it’s ok to do everything ourselves in our businesses?
I can’t figure out what it is, but I think I’m starting to narrow it down.
* Fear of losing control.
* Not knowing who to outsource work to. (Needing a recommendation.)
* Not wanting to take the time to outsource. (You think: “It’s quicker to do it myself.”)
* Costs. (Oftentimes, though, you can get help for a lot less than you think it’ll cost.)
* Lack of confidence in ourselves.
* Lack of confidence in the potential of our business.
No matter which of those it is, there comes a point with all of us, where you HAVE to outsource — at least if you ever want to be able to go on a real vacation where you leave the internet behind and relax with your loved ones.
I know. I know. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time – you’ve heard this song and dance before. BUT! While outsourcing isn’t perfect, it’s a heck of a lot better than putting the chains on your wrists from a job that you’ve created for yourself – one where you can’t escape.
So, my #1 tip for outsourcing is to try it.
Choose something small and work from there.- Submitting some articles that you’ve written to the article directories.
- Finding blogs to guest post on and contacting the owners.
- Answering some emails regarding customer issues.
- Graphics to promote your products.
Start small. Don’t go crazy. But, when you find someone who you work well with – build on that relationship so you have access to great people who know your style and who you’re comfortable working with. When I need a project done, I have my own personal rolodex of fabulously skilled people who I turn to on a regular basis. Not only does it save me time – but it also helps me to get great prices because they already know what I like, they know that I’m easy to work with and that I pay on time.
I hope this inspires you to start outsourcing in your business.
Nicole Dean can help you to get more done in your business without going crazy in the process. Yes, you can have a business AND a Life! Check out OutsourceWeekly.com and sign up for her free “Outsourcing Mistakes” lessons on the top of the page to get started.
Mastermind Your Way to Success
What do Mark Victor Hansen, Robert Allen, Anthony Robbins, Andrew
Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Ben Franklin have in common?
They all leverage the power of the mastermind team.
The mastermind works on the concept that two (or more) heads are better than one. When you gather a group of like-minded people and focus on one particular problem, a funny thing happens. Not only do you get intelligent feedback on blind spots you may not have noticed. But a truly phenomenal thing also happens with a mastermind group – the psychic aspect.
“The human mind is a form of energy, a part of it being spiritual in nature.
When the minds of two people are coordinated in a SPIRIT OF HARMONY, the spiritual units of energy of each mind form an affinity, which constitutes the ‘psychic’ phase of the Master Mind.” — Excerpted from Think and Grow Rich
See, when a group is united in the same purpose, the number of ideas in the room balloons off of other people’s ideas. I witnessed this personally last month at a networking meeting lead by Jim Bunch of Six Figure Practice. In groups of 6-8 we brainstormed how to raise $10,000 in three days. The ideas were mind boggling. As we got more and more excited, our ideas became more and more bold. One group said they weren’t stopping at $10,000. They wanted to raise $1,000,000!
So how do you harness this kind of power for yourself? Masterminds are rather subjective in that you must do what works for YOU and your lifestyle ultimately. I have been in my mastermind for a year now and I couldn’t be happier. My business has hit an all-time high. And I credit the habit of masterminding with the lion’s share of my success. Here are some of the qualities that work for us.
Make a wish list of people you would like to be in your mastermind. Write out the qualities you would like to see in the ideal candidates. Be specific.
A word of caution – be very picky about whom you choose to make this commitment with. You will likely be together for a long time. Make it a goal for this year to be a part of a mastermind team.
by Copywriting guru Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been helping entrepreneurs and copywriters get their marketing messages razor sharp since 1999. Get free access to 5 tips to turn your “blah” sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at http://www.RedHotCopy.com
They all leverage the power of the mastermind team.
The mastermind works on the concept that two (or more) heads are better than one. When you gather a group of like-minded people and focus on one particular problem, a funny thing happens. Not only do you get intelligent feedback on blind spots you may not have noticed. But a truly phenomenal thing also happens with a mastermind group – the psychic aspect.
“The human mind is a form of energy, a part of it being spiritual in nature.
When the minds of two people are coordinated in a SPIRIT OF HARMONY, the spiritual units of energy of each mind form an affinity, which constitutes the ‘psychic’ phase of the Master Mind.” — Excerpted from Think and Grow Rich
See, when a group is united in the same purpose, the number of ideas in the room balloons off of other people’s ideas. I witnessed this personally last month at a networking meeting lead by Jim Bunch of Six Figure Practice. In groups of 6-8 we brainstormed how to raise $10,000 in three days. The ideas were mind boggling. As we got more and more excited, our ideas became more and more bold. One group said they weren’t stopping at $10,000. They wanted to raise $1,000,000!
So how do you harness this kind of power for yourself? Masterminds are rather subjective in that you must do what works for YOU and your lifestyle ultimately. I have been in my mastermind for a year now and I couldn’t be happier. My business has hit an all-time high. And I credit the habit of masterminding with the lion’s share of my success. Here are some of the qualities that work for us.
- Keep the number small. My group is 4 people but we could comfortably increase to as many as 6.
- Meet regularly. We meet by phone once a week to go over successes and challenges. Plus we put one person on the hot seat for special focus. Then we also meet in person for an all day retreat a minimum of 3-4 times a year.
- Don’t make anybody wrong. There is no such thing as a bad idea. As soon as you begin attacking the creativity of the mastermind, the ideas will shrivel up. Keep the brainstorm going and you’ll be astounded at the new levels of insight you reach.
- Treat each meeting as if you paid $100,000 a year to be a member. A mastermind meeting isn’t a coffee klatch. The only way it can truly be effective is if everyone takes it seriously and shows up ready to focus.
- Hold one another accountable. Got a goal? When do you expect to have that done by? Your mastermind team wants to know. There is great power in verbalizing your intention.
Make a wish list of people you would like to be in your mastermind. Write out the qualities you would like to see in the ideal candidates. Be specific.
A word of caution – be very picky about whom you choose to make this commitment with. You will likely be together for a long time. Make it a goal for this year to be a part of a mastermind team.
by Copywriting guru Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been helping entrepreneurs and copywriters get their marketing messages razor sharp since 1999. Get free access to 5 tips to turn your “blah” sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at http://www.RedHotCopy.com
Insider Secrets to SERIOUSLY Connecting With Your Target Market and Building Priceless Loyalty
Instead of spending the majority of your time crafting HOW you’re
going to sell your audience with your offer, focus on finding out WHO
the heck you’re talking to – your target market. Put your attention on
the catch and not the pitch. If you’re tossing a baseball to your kid,
would you turn around and throw it in the bleachers? (Hopefully not.) Or
would you aim it toward his glove so he has a successful catch? If you
wanted results, yes, that’s exactly what you’d do.
Look, it doesn’t matter how great your copy is if you’re trying to get a man interested in taking pills for
PMS! Your copy may sing but if your product is geared for a Democrat and it’s in front the eyes of a Republican, how many sales do you think you’re going to get? Not many.
Let me tell you a story about when I was 17 years old. (I had already moved 16 times by now and was rather shy and introverted). My favorite pastimes were reading and writing. What a geek! But that changed when my teenage hormones started kicking in. Out of the blue, I developed a huge crush on the valedictorian, class president and tennis ace, Everett Perry. This guy was a hunk and the most eligible bachelor on campus. He was 6’2 with dark hair, blue eyes and long lashes. Way out of my league. I realized in order to get Everett’s attention, I’d better figure out what he liked. So I became a student of “Everett watching”. I paid attention to who his friends were… and I went out of my way to be nice to them. He was in the Key Club so I joined the sister club, the Keywanettes. I became a tennis groupie. Basically I studied my “target market.” And it worked. I learned what he liked. We dated for two years after my successful stalking, er, studying.
In general, we survey these groups for our target markets:
Past customers
Ideal future prospects
People we DON’T want as customers
Corporations and big business literally spend millions of dollars to fully understand how to segment and target their market. Believe me, it’s well worth your time to look a little closer too.
You aren’t the only one looking to woo your target market, you know. Learn about what other methods your competition is trying. Pay attention to what’s going on around you. (By the way, competition doesn’t have to be adversarial. Surely you have a strength to deliver to the market they don’t. And vice versa. Think of creative ways you could partner or joint venture).
Some ways to get into bed with your competitors, so to speak, is to do what they do. Subscribe to the publications they read, both online and offline. Join the groups they’re in. Pay attention to how they promote themselves and follow suit.
Subscribe to their ezines using a free email account (Hotmail or Yahoo)
Study THEIR sales copy
Discover their USP (Unique Selling Position)
Join organizations they join
Read listservs (online special interest forums) they would be interested in
Keyword research
Competitive history (The Wayback Machine shows archived websites on the web so you can follow what changes they’ve made.)
Once you have a grip on your average target market, you’re ready to eliminate all but one. Don’t worry. No one gets hurt. It’s just for your copy.
You’re going to narrow your target market down to a specific tarket! The word tarket comes from combining the words “target” plus “market”. I coined the term because it’s CRITICAL you think in the singular, not plural. Target market sounds like a mob. Tarket is one person. Before you do anything…I mean ANYTHING. You MUST know how to collect the critical info of who your tarket is.
“Target” + “Market” = “TARKET”
Target Market is Plural
TARKET is Singular
Do you know who USA Today’s tarket is? They tarket a 40 year old male businessman who travels. Do other people buy USA Today? Of course!! But you can only market effectively to ONE person at a time.
Got yours in mind? Now I want to imagine the hair color, gender, age, health, marital status… everything you can think of… regarding your particular tarket. At the end of this exercise, you should have an imaginary friend to sell to. You should go as far as to name your tarket. It really makes your copy sound personal when you envision somebody real. My tarket is named Nikki.
Nikki Stanton, a 37 year old divorced entrepreneur with a web conferencing business. She’s Internet and business savvy. Invests most of her profit back into the business. Lives in San Diego in a gated community with her 10 year old daughter, Madison. Involved in daughter’s school and drives her to dance classes. Has a home office making approximately $117,000 per year. Jogs 3 times a week in the neighborhood. She loves to find bargains on designer clothes. And dreams of visiting Italy with her daughter someday.
When I’m writing my copy, I have Nikki pull up a chair and I tell her what’s on my mind in a way she could hear me. Then I write it out.
That doesn’t mean I don’t have male clients or women who are either older or younger than Nikki. It’s just a powerful trick to get me to focus on marketing to ONE person – MY tarket.
And that, my friend, is the fail proof way you connect with your audience.
by Copywriting guru Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero
Get free access to 5 tips to turn your sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at http://www.RedHotCopy.com
Look, it doesn’t matter how great your copy is if you’re trying to get a man interested in taking pills for
PMS! Your copy may sing but if your product is geared for a Democrat and it’s in front the eyes of a Republican, how many sales do you think you’re going to get? Not many.
Let me tell you a story about when I was 17 years old. (I had already moved 16 times by now and was rather shy and introverted). My favorite pastimes were reading and writing. What a geek! But that changed when my teenage hormones started kicking in. Out of the blue, I developed a huge crush on the valedictorian, class president and tennis ace, Everett Perry. This guy was a hunk and the most eligible bachelor on campus. He was 6’2 with dark hair, blue eyes and long lashes. Way out of my league. I realized in order to get Everett’s attention, I’d better figure out what he liked. So I became a student of “Everett watching”. I paid attention to who his friends were… and I went out of my way to be nice to them. He was in the Key Club so I joined the sister club, the Keywanettes. I became a tennis groupie. Basically I studied my “target market.” And it worked. I learned what he liked. We dated for two years after my successful stalking, er, studying.
In general, we survey these groups for our target markets:
Past customers
Ideal future prospects
People we DON’T want as customers
Corporations and big business literally spend millions of dollars to fully understand how to segment and target their market. Believe me, it’s well worth your time to look a little closer too.
You aren’t the only one looking to woo your target market, you know. Learn about what other methods your competition is trying. Pay attention to what’s going on around you. (By the way, competition doesn’t have to be adversarial. Surely you have a strength to deliver to the market they don’t. And vice versa. Think of creative ways you could partner or joint venture).
Some ways to get into bed with your competitors, so to speak, is to do what they do. Subscribe to the publications they read, both online and offline. Join the groups they’re in. Pay attention to how they promote themselves and follow suit.
Subscribe to their ezines using a free email account (Hotmail or Yahoo)
Study THEIR sales copy
Discover their USP (Unique Selling Position)
Join organizations they join
Read listservs (online special interest forums) they would be interested in
Keyword research
Competitive history (The Wayback Machine shows archived websites on the web so you can follow what changes they’ve made.)
Once you have a grip on your average target market, you’re ready to eliminate all but one. Don’t worry. No one gets hurt. It’s just for your copy.
You’re going to narrow your target market down to a specific tarket! The word tarket comes from combining the words “target” plus “market”. I coined the term because it’s CRITICAL you think in the singular, not plural. Target market sounds like a mob. Tarket is one person. Before you do anything…I mean ANYTHING. You MUST know how to collect the critical info of who your tarket is.
“Target” + “Market” = “TARKET”
Target Market is Plural
TARKET is Singular
Do you know who USA Today’s tarket is? They tarket a 40 year old male businessman who travels. Do other people buy USA Today? Of course!! But you can only market effectively to ONE person at a time.
Got yours in mind? Now I want to imagine the hair color, gender, age, health, marital status… everything you can think of… regarding your particular tarket. At the end of this exercise, you should have an imaginary friend to sell to. You should go as far as to name your tarket. It really makes your copy sound personal when you envision somebody real. My tarket is named Nikki.
Nikki Stanton, a 37 year old divorced entrepreneur with a web conferencing business. She’s Internet and business savvy. Invests most of her profit back into the business. Lives in San Diego in a gated community with her 10 year old daughter, Madison. Involved in daughter’s school and drives her to dance classes. Has a home office making approximately $117,000 per year. Jogs 3 times a week in the neighborhood. She loves to find bargains on designer clothes. And dreams of visiting Italy with her daughter someday.
When I’m writing my copy, I have Nikki pull up a chair and I tell her what’s on my mind in a way she could hear me. Then I write it out.
That doesn’t mean I don’t have male clients or women who are either older or younger than Nikki. It’s just a powerful trick to get me to focus on marketing to ONE person – MY tarket.
And that, my friend, is the fail proof way you connect with your audience.
by Copywriting guru Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero
Get free access to 5 tips to turn your sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at http://www.RedHotCopy.com
What can Madonna and Martha Teach You About Writing Copy?
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t argue that pop queen Madonna and
domestic doyenne Martha Stewart are two master marketers. One is a
calculated maverick who’s stayed at what has to be the world’s toughest
and most fickle business for nearly a quarter century. The other turned
an at-home catering business into a multimedia empire that even a
prison term couldn’t derail.
What lessons can we draw from these power players?
Madonna: You know your business best.
Madonna runs a giant organization, but everything she does is based on her own vision. She knows she’s the one who cares the most about her own success, and acts accordingly, which empowers her business.
The same holds true for you when you write your own copy. You know your business strengths better than anyone, and, when you master this very learnable skill, you empower your business.
Madonna: Pick what you like and make it your own.
Although she is known as the Queen of Reinvention, Madonna knows no idea is completely new. She gets ideas from an amazing range of sources, from Marilyn Monroe movies to geisha stories to Broadway musicals to what the kids in a Tokyo neighborhood are wearing this week – then she gives it her own spin.
Build swipe files (a collection of great copy clipped from all around you) from magazines, direct mail, and even tabloids. Capture great copy you see in daily life, whether it’s a billboard or a picket sign. (I keep a spiral-bound deck of index cards handy to jot down these nuggets.) Even if the ad or letter seems way outside your target market, parts of it may be just the kick in the pants your copy needs.
Madonna: Embrace your passions wholeheartedly and without apology.
Madonna would understand your desire to shuck off your current identity and dive into something completely different. Nude centerfold to nursery rhyme writer, boy toy to the reincarnation of Queen Esther: she’s lept even further and thrived just fine. It could be argued that without her continual reinvention, Madonna would be just another ‘Where Are They Now?’ 80′s Pop Tart.
Martha: You are the sole CEO and brand manager of your own life.
Not your boss, your company, your friends, or the people who tell you you can’t do it. Martha runs her empire modeled after her own vision and values, no matter what those happen to look like this season.
Martha: Publicity is powerful.
Successful entrepreneurs like Martha not only score publicity at crucial moments, they use that attention to get more attention, unleashing a domino effect of business-boosting buzz. She started with a book and put herself out there as an expert on entertaining, which led to appearances on TV, radio…you know the rest of the story.
Think of the area where you’re the expert, and start offering to share the (knowledge) wealth with local media. Don’t put off writing that press release a minute longer. With so many publications, ezines, blogs, sites, podcasts, satellite radio shows out there, the media needs fresh content like never before. They’re all dying to talk about something interesting – so be snappy and interesting!
Martha: Learn something new every day.
Martha closes out all her interviews and shows with this motto, embracing skills too numerous to mention and maintaining curiosity about everything from the names of birds to the best wax to use on your car. Take a look at any of her magazines, and you’ll find yourself drawn into something you never dreamed could be fascinating, thanks to the great copy and stunning design.
To build your own business, make it a point to soak in something every day: subscribe to e-zines, browse the bookstore, take a teleseminar or an e-course. When you make the commitment to never stop learning, you put yourself far above the pack.
Madonna AND Martha: When emulating role models, you don’t have to buy the whole package. Both have qualities you can cherry-pick from. Take what you like and leave the rest. Make yourself into the “you” you want to be.
Get free access to 5 tips to turn your “blah” sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at http://www.RedHotCopy.com
What lessons can we draw from these power players?
Madonna: You know your business best.
Madonna runs a giant organization, but everything she does is based on her own vision. She knows she’s the one who cares the most about her own success, and acts accordingly, which empowers her business.
The same holds true for you when you write your own copy. You know your business strengths better than anyone, and, when you master this very learnable skill, you empower your business.
Madonna: Pick what you like and make it your own.
Although she is known as the Queen of Reinvention, Madonna knows no idea is completely new. She gets ideas from an amazing range of sources, from Marilyn Monroe movies to geisha stories to Broadway musicals to what the kids in a Tokyo neighborhood are wearing this week – then she gives it her own spin.
Build swipe files (a collection of great copy clipped from all around you) from magazines, direct mail, and even tabloids. Capture great copy you see in daily life, whether it’s a billboard or a picket sign. (I keep a spiral-bound deck of index cards handy to jot down these nuggets.) Even if the ad or letter seems way outside your target market, parts of it may be just the kick in the pants your copy needs.
Madonna: Embrace your passions wholeheartedly and without apology.
Madonna would understand your desire to shuck off your current identity and dive into something completely different. Nude centerfold to nursery rhyme writer, boy toy to the reincarnation of Queen Esther: she’s lept even further and thrived just fine. It could be argued that without her continual reinvention, Madonna would be just another ‘Where Are They Now?’ 80′s Pop Tart.
Martha: You are the sole CEO and brand manager of your own life.
Not your boss, your company, your friends, or the people who tell you you can’t do it. Martha runs her empire modeled after her own vision and values, no matter what those happen to look like this season.
Martha: Publicity is powerful.
Successful entrepreneurs like Martha not only score publicity at crucial moments, they use that attention to get more attention, unleashing a domino effect of business-boosting buzz. She started with a book and put herself out there as an expert on entertaining, which led to appearances on TV, radio…you know the rest of the story.
Think of the area where you’re the expert, and start offering to share the (knowledge) wealth with local media. Don’t put off writing that press release a minute longer. With so many publications, ezines, blogs, sites, podcasts, satellite radio shows out there, the media needs fresh content like never before. They’re all dying to talk about something interesting – so be snappy and interesting!
Martha: Learn something new every day.
Martha closes out all her interviews and shows with this motto, embracing skills too numerous to mention and maintaining curiosity about everything from the names of birds to the best wax to use on your car. Take a look at any of her magazines, and you’ll find yourself drawn into something you never dreamed could be fascinating, thanks to the great copy and stunning design.
To build your own business, make it a point to soak in something every day: subscribe to e-zines, browse the bookstore, take a teleseminar or an e-course. When you make the commitment to never stop learning, you put yourself far above the pack.
Madonna AND Martha: When emulating role models, you don’t have to buy the whole package. Both have qualities you can cherry-pick from. Take what you like and leave the rest. Make yourself into the “you” you want to be.
Get free access to 5 tips to turn your “blah” sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at http://www.RedHotCopy.com
3/08/2014
3 Tragic Mistakes of Green Marketing
When I say “green” I am talking about the environmentally-conscious
consumer, also called “Cultural Creatives” or the LOHAS (Lifestyles of
Health and Sustainability) market which includes about 50 million
people. If you are trying to reach them, ya gotta go green. They are all
about a better lifestyle for the planet over the long haul. They are
interested in the environment, personal development, health, alternative
therapies, and a sustainable economy.
This growing market is relatively untapped. But like Marie Antoinette, many marketers rush in and lose their heads. While there are quite a few mistakes marketers make when trying to reach this segment of the population, here are three of the worst ones.
Mistake #1: Dull, boring headlines.
It’s hard to keep awake long enough to read the copy in those boring magazines and websites. Headlines like: “Make an impression and you can change the world” “Healthy. Happy. For Real” or “A Natural Partnership”…yawn.
Look – The job of the headline is to cut through the clutter and grab your attention. We are exposed to more advertising in one day than our grandparents used to get in an entire year. You’ve got your work cut out for you if you want to address anybody, and it starts with the headline. Stick with the tried and true attention-grabbing formulas.
Mistake #2: Ignoring long copy.
I know you like to “think” the LOHAS market is just too smart for all that long copy. After all they are made up of wealthy CEOs and soccer moms. Don’t be ridiculous. They are a very educated segment of the population which means they make informed decisions. Just like anybody, when it comes down to making a buying decision, LOHAS want all the facts. Long copy continues to prevail because it WORKS. Now long copy for the sake of being long is plain stupid. You want copy that overcomes objections, makes a solid case, and answers all the questions in the prospect’s mind.
Mistake #3: Not capitalizing on celebrity endorsement.
Ed Begley Jr. is a fixture in Studio City where I live. He has been known to ride his bike to work way before it was cool to look at alternative fuel options. Now he has launched his own environmentally safe cleaning products called Begley’s Best. Ed’s endorsement means something. If you tie a celebrity to a green product, it means instant credibility giving you a much better chance of succeeding in the LOHAS market.
Remember, you can market to the green folks, using many of the same marketing principles you would use for the regular Joe. Come from an authentic position and be respectful. Soon they’ll be showing you the green.
by Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero
Get free access to 5 tips to turn your “blah” sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at http://www.RedHotCopy.com
This growing market is relatively untapped. But like Marie Antoinette, many marketers rush in and lose their heads. While there are quite a few mistakes marketers make when trying to reach this segment of the population, here are three of the worst ones.
Mistake #1: Dull, boring headlines.
It’s hard to keep awake long enough to read the copy in those boring magazines and websites. Headlines like: “Make an impression and you can change the world” “Healthy. Happy. For Real” or “A Natural Partnership”…yawn.
Look – The job of the headline is to cut through the clutter and grab your attention. We are exposed to more advertising in one day than our grandparents used to get in an entire year. You’ve got your work cut out for you if you want to address anybody, and it starts with the headline. Stick with the tried and true attention-grabbing formulas.
Mistake #2: Ignoring long copy.
I know you like to “think” the LOHAS market is just too smart for all that long copy. After all they are made up of wealthy CEOs and soccer moms. Don’t be ridiculous. They are a very educated segment of the population which means they make informed decisions. Just like anybody, when it comes down to making a buying decision, LOHAS want all the facts. Long copy continues to prevail because it WORKS. Now long copy for the sake of being long is plain stupid. You want copy that overcomes objections, makes a solid case, and answers all the questions in the prospect’s mind.
Mistake #3: Not capitalizing on celebrity endorsement.
Ed Begley Jr. is a fixture in Studio City where I live. He has been known to ride his bike to work way before it was cool to look at alternative fuel options. Now he has launched his own environmentally safe cleaning products called Begley’s Best. Ed’s endorsement means something. If you tie a celebrity to a green product, it means instant credibility giving you a much better chance of succeeding in the LOHAS market.
Remember, you can market to the green folks, using many of the same marketing principles you would use for the regular Joe. Come from an authentic position and be respectful. Soon they’ll be showing you the green.
by Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero
Get free access to 5 tips to turn your “blah” sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at http://www.RedHotCopy.com
Four Common Reasons Why SEO Strategies Fail
The practice of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is feared by some
internet marketers as it is seen to be an intricate process and usually
yields very little results. SEO companies will also intimidate you with
this type of thinking because they want your business. This may or may
not be your experience as an internet marketer. However one thing is
true, as much as Search Engine Optimization strategies work, there are
as many failures. If you intend to be successful at your SEO strategies
you need to know why they fail.
Here are some reasons for SEO strategy failure:
Keyword stuffing
If you’ve been on the internet for any length of time and working on your SEO strategies, you would have come across the statement that content is king. But it’s not just that content is king, quality content is king. So if you’re overusing keywords in poor quality content that’s a surefire way to get your site banned by the search engines, not to mention it’s a good way to turn off your customers. They are looking for useful information not junk and if you can provide that then, you have half the SEO battle won. Currently according to SEO rules, your keyword density shouldn’t exceed 3-4% of your total content. Some people prefer to play it safe and not go past 3%.
SEO can’t revive a dying business
You shouldn’t waste your time on SEO strategies if your business is dying. If it can’t pay its debts, is unable to perform its day to day functions and is facing bankruptcy or other issues, then all SEO efforts employed at this stage will be futile. Your efforts will be better spent concentrated on other things, maybe doing market research to start a new business.
Reputation management issues
Word of mouth is still a powerful advertising tool today as it was way back then. It’s no different on the internet either maybe it’s even more so. With all the social sites and forums around, customers have instant access to voice their discontent. Personally I don’t buy a product without doing extensive research on the seller. If customers are dissatisfied with your company others are going to hear about it. Complaints and negative reviews can hurt your business. If your business has more links for negative reviews and reports than for its SEO links, the search engines will pay more attention to those links. Then even with best SEO strategy, your business could still decrease in rankings and possibly come off the page in the search engines.
Failure to include SEO strategies in website changes
Let’s say you embarked on an SEO campaign, to build links for example. During the process you make changes to the site to accommodate the campaign, but you failed to use the SEO strategies in the new changes. Bad move! Your site could have a significant decrease in page ranking which could lead to a reduction in website traffic. So what’s the lesson from this point? Always remember to include search engine optimization strategies when updating your websites.
It’s not always easy to pinpoint why SEO strategies fail. Every marketer wants their SEO efforts to be successful. One of the ways to ensure success is to avoid making the same mistakes of others by learning from theirs. So if you’re going to know what works it’s imperative that you have an understanding of why SEO fails.
For more solutions to your SEO problems in an easy step-by-step action guide click this link http://www.seo-ninja.net/
Here are some reasons for SEO strategy failure:
Keyword stuffing
If you’ve been on the internet for any length of time and working on your SEO strategies, you would have come across the statement that content is king. But it’s not just that content is king, quality content is king. So if you’re overusing keywords in poor quality content that’s a surefire way to get your site banned by the search engines, not to mention it’s a good way to turn off your customers. They are looking for useful information not junk and if you can provide that then, you have half the SEO battle won. Currently according to SEO rules, your keyword density shouldn’t exceed 3-4% of your total content. Some people prefer to play it safe and not go past 3%.
SEO can’t revive a dying business
You shouldn’t waste your time on SEO strategies if your business is dying. If it can’t pay its debts, is unable to perform its day to day functions and is facing bankruptcy or other issues, then all SEO efforts employed at this stage will be futile. Your efforts will be better spent concentrated on other things, maybe doing market research to start a new business.
Reputation management issues
Word of mouth is still a powerful advertising tool today as it was way back then. It’s no different on the internet either maybe it’s even more so. With all the social sites and forums around, customers have instant access to voice their discontent. Personally I don’t buy a product without doing extensive research on the seller. If customers are dissatisfied with your company others are going to hear about it. Complaints and negative reviews can hurt your business. If your business has more links for negative reviews and reports than for its SEO links, the search engines will pay more attention to those links. Then even with best SEO strategy, your business could still decrease in rankings and possibly come off the page in the search engines.
Failure to include SEO strategies in website changes
Let’s say you embarked on an SEO campaign, to build links for example. During the process you make changes to the site to accommodate the campaign, but you failed to use the SEO strategies in the new changes. Bad move! Your site could have a significant decrease in page ranking which could lead to a reduction in website traffic. So what’s the lesson from this point? Always remember to include search engine optimization strategies when updating your websites.
It’s not always easy to pinpoint why SEO strategies fail. Every marketer wants their SEO efforts to be successful. One of the ways to ensure success is to avoid making the same mistakes of others by learning from theirs. So if you’re going to know what works it’s imperative that you have an understanding of why SEO fails.
For more solutions to your SEO problems in an easy step-by-step action guide click this link http://www.seo-ninja.net/
How to Get Healthier and Wealthier at the Same Time
Here’s little quiz for you.
If you answered “Yes” to at least 2 of the three questions above, you’re going to love this article.
But, first, don’t feel badly if you aren’t eating well enough and aren’t exercising enough. You aren’t alone.
If you’re like most humans on the planet – you love to eat. Maybe a little too much. And, again, if you’re like most people on the planet, you’re not getting enough exercise. Perhaps you’re too busy working or taking care of your family, but the fact is that you’re not taking good enough care of yourself. And, finally, if you’re like most people on the planet – you’d like more money.
Here’s what I’m going to propose.
The cool thing is that you don’t HAVE to be an expert to succeed at this. In fact, the more believable you are as a flawed human being, the better off you can do.
Think about this. Who is the average American more likely to believe and trust?
I would want to know how the second person pulled it off. Don’t you?! Not only that, but if the blog was believable, I’d probably tell my friends, post on Facebook about it, and buy everything they offered about how I can lose weight, too!
So what does this mean? Simple. People search online for solutions to their problems. A BIG problem for people is their overall weight and lack of exercise. So, if you set up a blog, you can not only help those people but … and this is the best part … hold yourself accountable to lose weight, too.
Your first blog post can be as simple as this:
“My name is Sally and I have a confession to make. I need to lose about 80 lbs. How’d I gain it all? Well, it snuck up on me one potato chips at a time, but I’m determined to lose it because (insert your reason why here). I’d like to use this blog as a diary to show you how I do it. I’ll share the ups and downs along the way. Share anything that works really well. And, the fads that I try that don’t. So you can avoid them! Please come back often to see how I’m doing. I’d love to cheer you on, too. So please comment and let me know how much weight you need to lose so we can do it together.”
You can do that. It’s as simple as writing an email.
The only trick is in getting started. That’s where I come in.
To learn exactly how to get your Weight Loss Journey blog up and running and make people love it, talk about it and come back for more — grab the guide “How to Start a Weight Loss Journey Blog“. You’ll also learn how to get traffic to your blog and make money doing something you enjoy.
by Nicole Dean
1. Do you love to eat? Ice cream, chips,
fried foods, big slices of fresh bread, chocolate, cheese, sauces… Any
of those making you drool?
2. Are you slacking off on the amount of
exercise you should be doing? Making excuses to get out that exercise
video, go to the gym, or even take a 1/2 hour walk every day? Who has
time for that?
3. Do you wish you had more disposable income? Maybe an extra $100 per month to start?
If you answered “Yes” to at least 2 of the three questions above, you’re going to love this article.
But, first, don’t feel badly if you aren’t eating well enough and aren’t exercising enough. You aren’t alone.
If you’re like most humans on the planet – you love to eat. Maybe a little too much. And, again, if you’re like most people on the planet, you’re not getting enough exercise. Perhaps you’re too busy working or taking care of your family, but the fact is that you’re not taking good enough care of yourself. And, finally, if you’re like most people on the planet – you’d like more money.
Here’s what I’m going to propose.
Start a Fitness Journal or Weight Loss Journey Blog for Fun and Profit
The cool thing is that you don’t HAVE to be an expert to succeed at this. In fact, the more believable you are as a flawed human being, the better off you can do.
Think about this. Who is the average American more likely to believe and trust?
1. Someone who has 3% body fat and looks like they spend all day at the gym and have natural genetics for general awesomeness?
or…
2. Someone who has a before picture where they weighed 400 lbs and an after picture weighing in at a healthy 170?
I would want to know how the second person pulled it off. Don’t you?! Not only that, but if the blog was believable, I’d probably tell my friends, post on Facebook about it, and buy everything they offered about how I can lose weight, too!
So what does this mean? Simple. People search online for solutions to their problems. A BIG problem for people is their overall weight and lack of exercise. So, if you set up a blog, you can not only help those people but … and this is the best part … hold yourself accountable to lose weight, too.
Your first blog post can be as simple as this:
“My name is Sally and I have a confession to make. I need to lose about 80 lbs. How’d I gain it all? Well, it snuck up on me one potato chips at a time, but I’m determined to lose it because (insert your reason why here). I’d like to use this blog as a diary to show you how I do it. I’ll share the ups and downs along the way. Share anything that works really well. And, the fads that I try that don’t. So you can avoid them! Please come back often to see how I’m doing. I’d love to cheer you on, too. So please comment and let me know how much weight you need to lose so we can do it together.”
You can do that. It’s as simple as writing an email.
The only trick is in getting started. That’s where I come in.
To learn exactly how to get your Weight Loss Journey blog up and running and make people love it, talk about it and come back for more — grab the guide “How to Start a Weight Loss Journey Blog“. You’ll also learn how to get traffic to your blog and make money doing something you enjoy.
by Nicole Dean
Cause and Effect – The Key To Truly Reaching Any Market
What is the “unique selling position” in your market? Luck will not
propel you to success. Understand the “cause” of your market’s problem
by knowing your target. Solving their problem is the “effect” they are
looking for. Corporations have entire departments dedicated to finding
out who buys from them so they can hone in on that market segment. They
do that by profiling not only who buys from them, but also who their
competition is. Successful marketing campaigns listen to their market.
It’s about connecting a hidden desire or
an expressed desire in a market, a target market. Your job is to
identify where those minds are, find them and then connect with them.
You don’t have to be a corporation. It’s your job to do your own
research and it’s available to you through your competition.Singularly look at writing to one person rather than a group. When you get this one concept down, your copy will stick like glue to the reader because it’s just the 2 of you in the room. It’s a real easy thing to say “everybody is my target market” but it’s not true. Your target market is only those potential customers who are suitable for your products or services. You really have to know exactly who you’re talking to so you can provide the solution to their problem.
Copywriting is interaction between the reader and the writer. You want the reader to keep reading so you have to engage him or her. When you get in touch with your “TARKET” (your Target Market), that’s where you really make the sale. You need to know everything about who you’re writing for. In other words, start with the catch in your mind instead of the pitch.
Remember that it’s not about you. Eugene Schwartz, Copywriting Master says, “The creativity is in your market and in your product, and all you are doing is joining the 2 together. And the only way you can get the creativity out of your product and your market is to dig it out. And the only way you can dig it out is dig it out more than anybody else digs it out.”
by Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero
http://www.RedHotCopy.com
One of 20 Insider Secrets to Great Copywriting
Each weekday during the Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp, attendees (or
recruits) get a daily drill designed to reinforce the training I give on
the weekly phone calls. The drills are illuminating and fun. Plus these
drills build your copy from the ground up. By the end of Bootcamp, you
actually have a sales letter that would have cost you anywhere from
$3,000 to $15,000 to have written professionally.
So how do you get going? Grab a kitchen timer or stopwatch, a piece of paper and a pen. Your bite-sized drill today is to separate out the features from the benefits. So let’s do an exercise.
Before you write a single word of copy, you must define your product or service using features and benefits if you want to really connect with your reader. (When I’m trying to get my features and benefits to poke their heads out, I like to write by hand. I think there’s a connection between the brain and handwriting.)
So, now that we’re on the same page, here are the definitions of each.
A feature is the adjective of the product. It describes what the product is.
The benefit is the emotional component of what the person gets out of the product.
Now schedule 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to play and let’s go!
Copywriting guru Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been helping entrepreneurs and copywriters get their marketing messages razor sharp since 1999. Get free access to 5 tips to turn your sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS.
So how do you get going? Grab a kitchen timer or stopwatch, a piece of paper and a pen. Your bite-sized drill today is to separate out the features from the benefits. So let’s do an exercise.Before you write a single word of copy, you must define your product or service using features and benefits if you want to really connect with your reader. (When I’m trying to get my features and benefits to poke their heads out, I like to write by hand. I think there’s a connection between the brain and handwriting.)
So, now that we’re on the same page, here are the definitions of each.
A feature is the adjective of the product. It describes what the product is.
The benefit is the emotional component of what the person gets out of the product.
Now schedule 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to play and let’s go!
- Set your timer for 10 minutes. So take a sheet of paper and fold it in half vertically. In the left hand column write the word “Features”. And on the right, the word “Benefits”.
- Start brainstorming about what features you offer to clients. Then for every feature find a corresponding benefit. Benefits are what sell. Remember we all want to know, “What’s in it for me?” That’s just the way we’re wired. “How is your product or service going to benefit me?” While the timer is doing its thing, let the ideas flow freely. Don’t judge your answers or edit yourself. Stop on schedule. (You’ll edit later).
- Reset the timer for the last five minutes. Review your list. Circle the ultimate benefit – this is the benefit your copy and headlines should focus on.
- Put the other benefits in order of importance. These will become your bullets and subheads.
Copywriting guru Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been helping entrepreneurs and copywriters get their marketing messages razor sharp since 1999. Get free access to 5 tips to turn your sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS.
3/07/2014
Tips on How to Use the Power of YouTube to Build Traffic
If you’ve been on the internet for any length of time or even if
you’re a complete newbie you should know the importance of traffic to
your business. You may also know that it’s not the wisest thing to “buy”
traffic, because once the money runs out, so will the traffic. So how
do you get traffic that is so integral to your business? Traffic that’s
continuous and best of all free? YouTube can help you with this.
YouTube offers many opportunities for promotion and getting traffic to your site as it has the power to increase your rankings considerably. Just take a look at any Google page and you’ll notice that most times the videos are usually ranked at the top of the page. Here’s why. One, YouTube is owned by Google and they work together. Two, YouTube is the second largest search engine next only to Google. That should be enough motivation to make you want go and create your own YouTube channel and upload videos to it.
But don’t go rushing off to create just yet. Let’s make sure you’re doing this the right way first so you don’t waste your time. Take note of these tips:
Make your profile interesting
YouTube is just like any other social site. So you want to create an interesting profile for networking purposes. People will want to know more about you if they like your videos. This can help build trust among your audience, thus giving you greater traffic. Try to make your profile interesting enough to get across to everyone. Professionally it shouldn’t be too boring or too stuffy. But informally it shouldn’t be too hyped either.
Promote your videos
You won’t get much traffic without viewers. You can’t just post your videos and expect that viewers will automatically find them no matter how good you think they are. You have to promote them. You can put them on your blog or on any of your other social sites.
Use your keyword in the title of your videos
People find your videos when they do searches via the search engines and on Youtube so you should make it as easy as possible for them to find you. I mean you do want to get traffic right? Okay, you should include your major keyword or keyword phrase in the title and in the description. Don’t just put it there though, it should feel natural and make sense. And don’t forget to put them in the tags either.
Know when to post your videos
On the internet timing is everything, you need to know when to do what. So with YouTube it’s no different, it has its peak and off-peak times for traffic. Thursday mornings or early afternoons US time is considered the best day and time to post a video of general interest. Wednesdays is said to be another good day. You need to pay attention to the loading times of your videos as well. Start early for those with internet connectivity issues and for large videos if you want them uploaded in the prime time slots.
There’s approximately an hour of video being uploaded to YouTube every second. This makes it a valuable resource to drive traffic to your site and promote it. However despite the obvious competition, if you consistently produce quality videos with time you’ll reap the benefits of your effort which is to build traffic.
Tom Denton invites you to check out www.seo-ninja.net – where you’ll get more solutions to your SEO problems, delivered in an easy step-by-step action guide.
YouTube offers many opportunities for promotion and getting traffic to your site as it has the power to increase your rankings considerably. Just take a look at any Google page and you’ll notice that most times the videos are usually ranked at the top of the page. Here’s why. One, YouTube is owned by Google and they work together. Two, YouTube is the second largest search engine next only to Google. That should be enough motivation to make you want go and create your own YouTube channel and upload videos to it.
But don’t go rushing off to create just yet. Let’s make sure you’re doing this the right way first so you don’t waste your time. Take note of these tips:
Make your profile interesting
YouTube is just like any other social site. So you want to create an interesting profile for networking purposes. People will want to know more about you if they like your videos. This can help build trust among your audience, thus giving you greater traffic. Try to make your profile interesting enough to get across to everyone. Professionally it shouldn’t be too boring or too stuffy. But informally it shouldn’t be too hyped either.
Promote your videos
You won’t get much traffic without viewers. You can’t just post your videos and expect that viewers will automatically find them no matter how good you think they are. You have to promote them. You can put them on your blog or on any of your other social sites.
Use your keyword in the title of your videos
People find your videos when they do searches via the search engines and on Youtube so you should make it as easy as possible for them to find you. I mean you do want to get traffic right? Okay, you should include your major keyword or keyword phrase in the title and in the description. Don’t just put it there though, it should feel natural and make sense. And don’t forget to put them in the tags either.
Know when to post your videos
On the internet timing is everything, you need to know when to do what. So with YouTube it’s no different, it has its peak and off-peak times for traffic. Thursday mornings or early afternoons US time is considered the best day and time to post a video of general interest. Wednesdays is said to be another good day. You need to pay attention to the loading times of your videos as well. Start early for those with internet connectivity issues and for large videos if you want them uploaded in the prime time slots.
There’s approximately an hour of video being uploaded to YouTube every second. This makes it a valuable resource to drive traffic to your site and promote it. However despite the obvious competition, if you consistently produce quality videos with time you’ll reap the benefits of your effort which is to build traffic.
Tom Denton invites you to check out www.seo-ninja.net – where you’ll get more solutions to your SEO problems, delivered in an easy step-by-step action guide.
How to Write Compelling Copy that Begs to Be Read
“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in
your private heart is true for all men – that is genius.” Ralph Waldo
Emerson~ Want to know one of my secrets to getting my copy très
conversational? Bridge phrases! You know. That throw-away language my
journalism school professors called “empty and useless.” The connector
phrases that keep the pace going – like a bucket brigade! Direct mail
copywriter Maxwell Ross used that concept to illustrate how copy should
flow.
Let me take you back to when the West in America was young.
When men were rugged. And women didn’t have
to diet. I’m talking about the time before there were fire departments.
Oh, there were still fires. Just no organized way to put them out. So
they came up with the bucket brigade system.
When a blaze got going, the townspeople pulled together. They’d line up and pass water – bucket by bucket – from the nearest water source to the fire. Being careful to keep the water moving along briskly. No let up. No slow down. Can you picture it?
Well, that’s what we aim for in copy. It needs to move along briskly. No let up. No slow down. Each sentence pulls the reader into the next. And so on. And so on. Until he’s so deep in your copy he doesn’t want to come out. In fact, once your reader has gotten through 25% of your copy, chances are he’ll read it all, says copywriter Joseph Sugarman (the marketing genius who introduced the Blu Blocker sunglasses among many other successful marketing campaigns). Joe also said, “The sole purpose of the first sentence in an advertisement is to get you to read the second sentence.” There’s your bucket brigade in action.
Sure, on their own, these phrases may sound a little sensational. But I prefer to think of them as connecting and conversational. Prodding the reader to continue on. Raising the interest level. Bridge phrases break the rules your grammar teacher may have wanted to pound into your head. But they sure do sell. (Thank goodness copywriting isn’t like real writing. We get to break all the rules!) But don’t take just my word for it.
Take notes and read on for some examples:
As if that’s not enough
Best of all
But wait there’s more
By now
By the way
Even better
Good news!
Here’s why
Meanwhile
Nevertheless
No wonder
On the other hand
What’s more
You see
Think about it
But that’s just part of the story
These are just a few
It’s true
No wonder
Think about it
Take moment to go through some of the copy you’ve written and see if it quickly flows from one statement to the next. Where it doesn’t use one of the bridge phrases listed above. Reread your copy. See the difference?
Copywriting guru Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been helping entrepreneurs and copywriters get their marketing messages razor sharp since 1999. Get free access to 5 tips to turn your “blah” sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at www.RedHotCopy.com
Let me take you back to when the West in America was young.
When men were rugged. And women didn’t have
to diet. I’m talking about the time before there were fire departments.
Oh, there were still fires. Just no organized way to put them out. So
they came up with the bucket brigade system.When a blaze got going, the townspeople pulled together. They’d line up and pass water – bucket by bucket – from the nearest water source to the fire. Being careful to keep the water moving along briskly. No let up. No slow down. Can you picture it?
Well, that’s what we aim for in copy. It needs to move along briskly. No let up. No slow down. Each sentence pulls the reader into the next. And so on. And so on. Until he’s so deep in your copy he doesn’t want to come out. In fact, once your reader has gotten through 25% of your copy, chances are he’ll read it all, says copywriter Joseph Sugarman (the marketing genius who introduced the Blu Blocker sunglasses among many other successful marketing campaigns). Joe also said, “The sole purpose of the first sentence in an advertisement is to get you to read the second sentence.” There’s your bucket brigade in action.
Sure, on their own, these phrases may sound a little sensational. But I prefer to think of them as connecting and conversational. Prodding the reader to continue on. Raising the interest level. Bridge phrases break the rules your grammar teacher may have wanted to pound into your head. But they sure do sell. (Thank goodness copywriting isn’t like real writing. We get to break all the rules!) But don’t take just my word for it.
Take notes and read on for some examples:
As if that’s not enough
Best of all
But wait there’s more
By now
By the way
Even better
Good news!
Here’s why
Meanwhile
Nevertheless
No wonder
On the other hand
What’s more
You see
Think about it
But that’s just part of the story
These are just a few
It’s true
No wonder
Think about it
Take moment to go through some of the copy you’ve written and see if it quickly flows from one statement to the next. Where it doesn’t use one of the bridge phrases listed above. Reread your copy. See the difference?
Copywriting guru Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been helping entrepreneurs and copywriters get their marketing messages razor sharp since 1999. Get free access to 5 tips to turn your “blah” sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at www.RedHotCopy.com
Keyword Placement- How to Use it Correctly
Your SEO efforts may prove futile without the strategy of correct
keyword placement. Basically you need to have a good grip on this
practice to be successful in your climb up the search engine ladder.
After all it’s only through your keyword or keyword phrase that
potential customers find your products and services. So you want to make
sure you’re placing them in a way that they are most effective.
Arguably keyword placement can be confusing. But once you know the basics, you don’t have to be an SEO expert to figure it out.
Consider keyword density
In practicing keyword placement, one of the first things you want to consider is keyword density. That is, how much keyword you use in a particular piece of content. So how do you decide? Well that’s dependent on who you’re writing for, whether you’re writing for your audience or for the search engines. Arguably if you’re building a relationship with your audience, don’t worry about it, just write. But if you’re just offering information you need to pay special attention to the amount used.
Content should sound natural
Correct keyword placement should allow the content to sound natural. It should flow logically and make sense. You should respect your audience and the search engine bots enough not to give them gibberish to read. Your audience should be able to read your content and the search engine spiders should find pleasure in crawling it.
How much is too much?
But if you choose to write for just for the search engines bear in mind that the accepted keyword density is between 1-3% of the content. Meaning if you have a 400 word article, your keyword should be used at least 4 times but no more than 12 times. More than that and you can be accused of keyword stuffing.
When is keyword placement most effective?
Keyword placement is most effective in the title of the content, in the first paragraph, throughout the body, and in the ending paragraph. Try to avoid placing keywords more than once in each paragraph. Keyword stuffing your content can send you back down the rungs of the search engine ladder as fast as you climbed up.
That’s it basically. Hopefully these suggestions will help somewhat in clearing up your confusion about correct keyword placement and you’ll realize that it’s nothing to be scared of. Like I said before, you don’t have to be an SEO expert to figure it out. Do enjoy your climb to position one in the search engines.
Tom Denton invites you to check out SEO-NINJA – where you’ll get more lutions to your SEO problems, delivered in an easy step-by-step action guide.
Arguably keyword placement can be confusing. But once you know the basics, you don’t have to be an SEO expert to figure it out.
Consider keyword density
In practicing keyword placement, one of the first things you want to consider is keyword density. That is, how much keyword you use in a particular piece of content. So how do you decide? Well that’s dependent on who you’re writing for, whether you’re writing for your audience or for the search engines. Arguably if you’re building a relationship with your audience, don’t worry about it, just write. But if you’re just offering information you need to pay special attention to the amount used.
Content should sound natural
Correct keyword placement should allow the content to sound natural. It should flow logically and make sense. You should respect your audience and the search engine bots enough not to give them gibberish to read. Your audience should be able to read your content and the search engine spiders should find pleasure in crawling it.
How much is too much?
But if you choose to write for just for the search engines bear in mind that the accepted keyword density is between 1-3% of the content. Meaning if you have a 400 word article, your keyword should be used at least 4 times but no more than 12 times. More than that and you can be accused of keyword stuffing.
When is keyword placement most effective?
Keyword placement is most effective in the title of the content, in the first paragraph, throughout the body, and in the ending paragraph. Try to avoid placing keywords more than once in each paragraph. Keyword stuffing your content can send you back down the rungs of the search engine ladder as fast as you climbed up.
That’s it basically. Hopefully these suggestions will help somewhat in clearing up your confusion about correct keyword placement and you’ll realize that it’s nothing to be scared of. Like I said before, you don’t have to be an SEO expert to figure it out. Do enjoy your climb to position one in the search engines.
Tom Denton invites you to check out SEO-NINJA – where you’ll get more lutions to your SEO problems, delivered in an easy step-by-step action guide.
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