Recently, in an interview, I was asked “Is it ethical to use private label rights and ghostwritten articles?”

Let me step back a moment and explain… Private label rights (or PLR) articles and ghostwritten articles are used by web owners as a method of outsourcing some of their content.

* PLR articles are packages of articles that are pre-written and sold to more than one person.

* Ghostwritten articles are articles that are written by someone else just for you that you can put your name on and are not sold to anyone else.

In both cases, you are allowed to edit the content as much or as little as you’d like and use the articles on your website, blog, or in your newsletter.

So, back to the question. Is it ethical? My answer was, “usually, yes”.

If you’re using the articles and saying “written by me” without changing anything at all, it may bite you in the butt later, when someone else does the same thing. Does that make it unethical? Not really. It’s just not smart. Can you use the article as it is or edited slightly, without saying it was written by you? Of course!

Most PLR packs are written by ghostwriters. Ghostwriters are professional researchers and writers. If you purchase well-written, informative PLR or ghostwritten articles and share them with your readers, don’t you all benefit? Your readers benefit by getting great information. You benefit by saving time. Is it any different than hiring a graphic designer or webmaster? Not in my opinion. Heck, most politicians don’t write their own speeches. They leave that to people who are professional speech writers.

Of course, you’d want to only use top-notch articles and not “sell-out” just to pump out blog posts or web pages quicker. We recommend you research thoroughly before choosing any ghostwriter or PLR service.

Here’s what to look for in a PLR service so you don’t waste your money:
1. Make sure the articles are written well.
2. Make sure that you know what topics you’ll receive (instead of some grab-bag of articles).
3. Be sure that the people running the program have some experience in article writing themselves, so they know what they’re doing.

There’s no point in doing everything on your own, especially if you dislike writing. All successful business people outsource the tasks they are not good at or dislike. Check it out. It might take some pressure off you and allow you to spend more time with your kids. And, that’s definitely ethical.

Nicole Dean is the co-owner of Easy PLR where you’ll find high-quality PLR articles on niches sold in very limited quantities.

If you have a mailing list, then you know the struggles that come
with it. Determining what to send, when, how often, etc. You
might also wonder how you can maximize your list so that you’re
still remaining helpful but making money at the same time.

It’s a tough balance.

However, I’ve put together a 21 day eCourse on this very subject
with tips written by Jimmy D. Brown. He knows his stuff and rather
than regurgitate the information, I thought I’d give it to you
straight from the proverbial horse’s mouth.

Did I mention that it’s f.r.e.e.?

It is.

Take a peek at what you’ll learn over the duration of this course and sign up
at http://www.heatherjacobson.com/21tips

It’s information you definitely don’t want to miss out on!

Until next time…
Heather

So for a moment, I’d like to pause and do a little shameless self promotion… but it’s my blog, so I can do that, right?

As you may or may not know, a few weeks ago I released a new book called Expand Your Business…One Subscriber at a Time as part of my $7 Business Builders Line.

I was pretty proud of it. It’s not majorly long, just 32 pages, but it’s packed full of information, it’s only $7 and it comes with a kick-butt affiliate program.

Last night, I got a testimonial from someone who had read the book and I thought I would share…

I had the privilege of working with Heather before this book was written when I was looking to start my own newsletter. I had a lot of fears and concerns at starting a newsletter, but Heather provided me with the support and information I needed to realize that the task is not as overwhelming as I had feared. I am so glad that Heather has written this book to give others the wealth of knowledge I was able to take from Heather and at such a great price!! When I read Heather’s book, I was surprised to learn some tips that I hadn’t even thought of even though I have been providing a newsletter for sometime now. With the information provided in this book I am excited about how I can take my newsletter and make it even better for my subscribers. This book is a must have for not only those thinking of starting a newsletter, but those that are already utilizing newsletters in their business. The best part is her awesome “affiliate” program. Where else can you buy a book and have the potential to earn every last cent you paid. It’s like getting “free” information!! — Yvonne Weld, Thriving Business…the Series

Thanks Yvonne!

If you haven’t picked it up yet, what’s stopping you? Seriously… it’s $7 and worth every penny (especially if you become an affiliate!)

What’s all the excitement around passive income and what is an infopreneur? An infopreneur is an entrepreneur who makes money selling information on the Internet. Passive income is income that does not require your direct involvement. There is an initial investment of time in developing the product and there may be minor costs like the purchase of a domain name, but overall, the investment is minimal. Once you’ve recouped your costs, the income generated from future sales of your e-Book qualify as passive income.

Many successful infopreneurs generate a great deal of passive income selling information online. The most obvious advantage of being an infopreneur is the low overhead and high earning potential. Once you’ve written an e-Book, tele-seminar, e-course or other information product, it can be sold over and over again. It is even better than selling a traditional book because you do not have to print anything and you don’t have to jump through publisher hoops. The costs to produce a piece of information are the same whether you are selling to one person or to millions.

The Internet has changed the way people look for and acquire information. For many the Internet is an overwhelming network of unimaginable volumes of information difficult to navigate and lacking in credibility. Infopreneurs wade through the myriad of information available on the Internet weeding out erroneous or outdated information and consolidating and presenting current accurate information in easily accessible and understandable forms.

About The Everyday Guide to Writing and Marketing Your e-Book Wisely
Heather and Laurie have combined efforts to produce “The Everyday Guide to Writing and Marketing Your e-Book Wisely” a guide to writing, publishing and marketing your own e-Book. The process is not as intimidating as you may think. This e-Book answers all your questions from idea to income!
For more information visit the Web site at http://www.penandpublishebooks.com.

About Heather Jacobson
Heather Jacobson is the author of Making Dollars Out of Cents: 101 Tips for the Frugal Marketer, and is also the publisher of the popular ezine, Marketing Made Simple, a bi-weekly publication filled with simple marketing tactics designed to enhance one’s marketing efforts. An expert in implementing marketing campaigns for companies on a budget, Heather thrives on coaching others to achieve financial success. For more information, visit www.HeatherJacobson.com.

About Laurie Dart
Laurie Dart, owner of Writing Wisely is the author of The Everyday Guide to Writing Wisely. She provides writing and editing services to entrepreneurs and small business owners. To learn more about how you can improve your writing, visit: www.writingwisely.com.
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If you own a website that sells a service, hand-made products, or an informational product that you’ve created, then an affiliate program can help you to get more traffic and make more money in the process.

What is an Affiliate Program?

Affiliate or referral programs reward people for bringing them customers.

There are three types of affiliate programs:

Pay Per Click, Pay Per Lead or Pay Per Sale. If you’re considering paying for traffic, then you’ll want to check out our article about benefiting from pay per click traffic.

In this article, we’d like to talk about Pay Per Sale. That means that you’ll only pay your affiliates for sending you customers, not just for sending you leads or traffic. So, you pay them money only if they make you money.

I like to compare the Pay Per Sale model to Realtors. They make a commission from each house they sell. If they don’t sell any houses for six months, they don’t make any money during that time. If they sell 100 houses, they make a lot of money.

What are the other benefits of starting an affiliate program?

The benefits are great with an affiliate program. You get exposure from having others spread the word about your product or services, and your work is less than if you tried to do it all alone. You and your loyal affiliates both benefit.

How do you start an affiliate program?

There are several programs available for starting an affiliate program. Before you start, really consider how much growth you plan to have in the coming year.

If you only plan to launch one info product (or electronic product) and want to get it out quickly, then we recommend Clickbank.

Pros: Simple and inexpensive to start. They handle all payments.

Cons: Difficult to track and train your affiliates. You pay per transaction so, if your product becomes very successful, your monthly expenses may become higher than if you had a shopping cart.

If you plan to grow and have multiple products (or you have products that aren’t electronic, like food or skin care), you may want to look into a shopping cart system that has an affiliate program built in like WAHMCart or QuickPayPro.

Pros: All-inclusive. No per-transaction fees. Includes a follow-up responder.

Cons: Monthly fee.

That gives you an idea of where to begin to set up your affiliate program. How do you keep your affiliates loyal and happy? That’s another article…

Until next time…

Heather

One of the things that I’ve done is work on my thank you page when someone signs up for the newsletter. When I began my newsletter, I needed a page to redirect my subscribers to once they signed up. Because I was in a rush to get it set up, I redirected them to the archives page of my newsletter.

Big Mistake #1.

When I had some free time I went back and made a thank you page that simply stated, “Thank you for subscribing. Your first issue will arrive shortly.” and listed the archives.

Big Mistake #2

What I failed to realize when I set up those two pages is that I had my visitor’s attention. They were already interested in what I had to say because I convinced them to sign up for my newsletter or eCourse and I let them get away. I missed an opportunity. I missed potential profits.

When I redesigned my thank you page I included the standard “thank you” and “make sure you look for your confirmation email”. I also instructed them to make sure they added me to their safe senders list to ensure they receive my emails. But this time I included “You may also be interested in these additional free offers:” and listed a free eBook, the opportunity to sign up for a free eCourse, and information about my favorite business author – all using my affiliate links.

Guess what happened? When I checked my affiliate stats, my click through rate increased 100% in just two days. 95% of those who subscribed to my newsletter also subscribed to the free eCourse I offered. My affiliate sales for the three products I promoted have doubled.

I’ve been publishing my newsletter for five months and it makes me sick to think about how much money I’ve lost because I didn’t take the time to talk to my visitors.

Do you know what’s mind blowing? Not only did it take me 30 minutes to set up the new thank you page, it didn’t cost me a dime. I already had all the information tucked away in my personal affiliate tool kit and was just too lazy to pull it out and put it to use.

Don’t make the same mistakes. Take a look at the page you’re redirecting your new subscribers to. Are you offering targeted product recommendations? Are you keeping them with you or just letting them close that window to possibly never return? Take thirty minutes of your time and the resources you already have available to you and update your redirect page.

Your bank account will thank you.

Want to use this article in your publication? You can as long as you include the following:

Heather Jacobson doesn’t spend a fortune on marketing if she doesn’t have to. To discover how she does it and claim your 10 inexpensive marketing tips visit http://www.inexpensive-marketing-ideas.com

When I re-launched my book site, I added an �affiliate tool kit� complete with an affiliate manual, buttons, articles, and a rebrandable book that people could give away. More will come! Nicole even picked it up for her new site �Affiliate Programs that Don�t Suck� which you can find at Free Affiliate Articles It�s a great concept and every article there you can promote and include your affiliate link in the bio.

With that being said, please enjoy Nicole�s article and learn how you can have a great affiliate program!

Until next time�

Heather

Dear Affiliate Manager, Women are from Venus
By Nicole Dean

Question: My target market is women, and I�m having a hard time getting them to promote my products. They just seem unmotivated. I don�t get it. Does my affiliate program stink or am I recruiting bad affiliates?

Dear Affiliate Manager:
This just goes back to basic psychology. Women and men value different things.

Car salesmen are taught this in their training. When a husband and wife walk into a car showroom, the car salesman will face the husband when he talks about things like � horsepower and engine stuff. Then, he�ll turn to the wife and talk about safety and color options. Is this condescending? Yes. But, it�s also effective. My eyes glaze over when it comes to horsepower, but I want to know what I�m going to look like in my car! Sunroof? Radio? Now we�re talking.

So, what does this have to do with your affiliate program? Simple. Although I can�t speak for all women, obviously, I can tell you the things I value in an affiliate program.

Quality. I value my newsletter subscribers and am building a relationship with them. (According to recent studies, women go online to find relationships and support.) If your product or service is junk, then you could offer me 99% commission with a 99% conversion rate and I�m still not going to sell it to my visitors.

Affordability. I can�t promote a product that I, myself, would not buy. If you�re overpriced for what you offer, I can not promote your products to my subscribers.

Dollars and Cents. Of course money is a factor. It�s just not the #1 factor, as you may be surprised to know. 20% commission vs. 40% — I�m not as concerned about that as I am the other items in this list.

Tools: Yes, tools. This is really big, and so few affiliate managers �get it�. I think I�ve finally pinpointed why this is such a big thing (at least for me). This scenario happens way too often: I find a product I am really excited about and I eagerly sign up for their affiliate program. I log in so I can start telling everyone I know about this great product or service. I can�t wait to see what they have in the �links� section. Will there be articles, or a rebrandable e-book maybe? Or even an informative video? It�s like Christmas morning� what will I find? And, then the affiliate section opens and there�s one measly link and a button.

My initial gut reaction is �They�re not even trying!� And now, I don�t feel valued or motivated in the least bit. You just succeeded in turning your biggest fan into someone who stuck a lousy button on her page and knows it�s not going to sell at all.

I know what you�re thinking. It�s the affiliate�s job to sell. Yes, you�re right. As an affiliate, I know that writing reviews and recommendations is the best way to sell a product. No doubt about it. All I�m saying is that you�ve got to give us at least an indicator that you�re interested in building a working �relationship�.

Is it hokey to want a relationship with an Affiliate Manager? Yes. It is. But, I can tell you that any affiliate program where I get some attention and appreciation is going to get a lot more loyalty from me than an Affiliate Manager who sits on the couch drinking beer and watching football while I�m running around working my butt off… (Hmmm…. did I say that?)

So, yes, women are from Venus. You can decide to embrace it and reap the rewards, or ignore it and wonder why your affiliates aren�t motivated. It�s your choice. As an affiliate, I�m challenging you to embrace this information and run with it.

About the Author

Nicole Dean is on a mission to find a few good affiliate programs. She�s found a handful of programs that don�t stink. Check them out at
http://www.freeaffiliatearticles.com/free-affiliate-programs.htm and be sure to grab some Free Affiliate Articles while you’re there.

Face it � there are those of who love to network and those of us who don�t. Most people here the word network and they immediately think Multi-Level-Marketing. But that�s not always the case! Networking is a very powerful way to grow your business and today Dina Giolitto, a copywriting consultant and ghostwriter is going to tell us about networking secrets for the those of us who don�t like to network. (For the record, that�s not me!)

Networking Secrets for People Who Don’t Like to Network
By: Dina Giolitto

So you’re not a networker, huh? Well, neither am I. But “studies show” that if you’re an internet marketer, online networking is not optional… it’s mandatory.

If you’re like me, you balk at the thought of being thrown to the networking big dogs. So many personalities, so many opinions… so many opportunities to put your foot in your mouth.

I recently stumbled upon a networking strategy that works. Start your own network.

Why is this so much better than just floating along on other people’s networks?

Because if the network is yours, you’ll always be on your best behavior.

I’m not saying that you’d walk around acting like a jerk otherwise. But, If the network is yours, you OWN it. So now that you’re in full possession of such a complicated thing as a discussion forum, you must work toward keeping that network alive and running. This takes commitment. Starting your own network means making a promise to yourself that the project will be a success.

Because you can assume the role of attractor instead of aggressor.

If you go to other people’s networks, you must pursue business contacts by fitting your scheme into another person’s mold. If it’s your own network, you can lure people in who already have an interest in your subjectmatter. This is similar to having your own website (which you should also have, if you�re interested in networking). For those who don’t care for the forceful approach, this is a great way to build interest in your business services slowly and without putting pressure on people.

Because you’re in control.

It’s your network, and you set the rules. People who appreciate the rules as well as the tone you set, will participate with enthusiasm. If they don’t care for how you run the show, they’re free to leave. If you envision your network as a round table discussion, you can create that environment. If you see it as an information exchange, you can start by posting articles that you research. Others who feel aligned with your mission will add to the patchwork.

Because it’s a great way to develop your leadership skills.

Maybe you’re thinking about starting your own company but feel a little shaky about leading people. When you run your own network, you’re thrown into the leadership position by default. Having your own network is a way to put those skills to the test. Pay close attention to how people react to your suggestions. Watch the dynamics unfold. People treat people who are in charge much differently than they do outsiders or those who they consider “underlings.” What can you learn from this?

Because it’s a great way to make friends in a setting that you love.

You WILL make new friends if you start your own network. You will get to know people that you didn’t know before. You will learn things about people that you never realized, because of your ongoing dedication to what I’ll refer to as “the organization.� In being humbled by the challenge of running your network, you will feel grateful for the people who support you, and in turn you’ll want to give back to them.

Because it forces you to go deeper.

If you think you know a lot about something, you�ll learn even more once you start a network. Folks will ask you questions and regard you as an expert, and you must provide evidence to support that label. Sometimes people will ask you questions that you don�t have the answers to, and you�ll be forced to probe deeper and explore side avenues. If you ever wanted to be an officionado, starting a network is the way to do it.

Clearly, you can’t lead a network on a subject that you don’t know much about. So choose a topic that’s dear to your heart, that you’re well-familiar with. Select a true passion of yours, and the people who surface on your network will share that passion. They will become your allies, friends, and you will grow bonds based on your shared interest.

Pretty soon you�ll look around, and realize that you�ve achieved what was once so elusive. You will figure out that despite the fact that you “hate networking” - you now have your own network.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

Article by:

Dina Giolitto is a copywriting consultant and ghostwriter with 10 years of experience writing corporate print materials and web content. Trust her with your next e-book, article series or web project, and make a lasting impression on your audience of information-hungry prospects. Visit www.wordfeeder.com for more information.

By Jimmy D. Brown

There’s no question that THE best web site traffic is the traffic that OTHER PEOPLE send you.

When affiliates and joint venture partners send their best subscribers and customers to your site, it’s as good as it gets. (It’s free, it’s targeted and it’s effortless!)

I’ve actually witnessed first-hand a server getting so much traffic that it forced the site to temporarily shut down!

So, getting others to send their visitors to your site should be a top priority on your internet marketing agenda.

The question is: “where can these affiliates and partners be found?”

Short answer: Google.com.

I’ve found Google.com to be the best free research tool on the planet for finding new affiliates and JV partners.

There are (at least) seven ways to search Google’s massive database for potential partners:

1. POPULAR PRODUCTS. Conduct a search for the title of your competitors’ products to see which sites are actively promoting those products. Those who are already promoting similar products are likely candidates to promote yours. (And, they are obviously already familiar with affiliate marketing - especially important in “niches”)

- Ex. If your product is about “niche marketing” do a search for “Nicheology”.

2. ARTICLE TITLES. Conduct a search for the title of articles related to your product. Identify which sites are currently showcasing those articles and see if they will load your article to their site as well. (Note: You can find article titles at popular article directories such as GoArticles.com)

- Ex. If you’ve got an article related to free traffic, do a search for “How to Sell 300% More Of Your Product in 72 Hours Than You Did All Month”. (Use quotations)

3. ACCESSORIES. Conduct a search for items that are related to your offer, but not identical to your offer.

- Ex. If your product is about “web site templates”, do a search for “hosting” or “salesletters”.

4. ADVERTISING. Conduct a search for terms that are related to your product and then look for those who are currently advertising using Google’s Adwords(R). (The tiny ads in the right margin of the browser window). These will be more experienced marketers and more likely to be open to a joint venture proposal.

- Ex. If your product is related to “dieting”, then search for “diet”, “diet program”, “weight loss”, “exercise”, “lose weight”, etc.

5. AUTHORS AND EXPERTS. Conduct a search for the names of well known authors and experts within your field of interest. You’ll likely find NUMEROUS sites mentioning that expert ranging from promoting their products to posting their articles to making comments about their influence. Look specifically for those who are using affiliate links.

- Ex. If your product is related to “internet marketing” then search for “Jimmy D. Brown”.

6. URLs. Conduct a search for a word or phrase related to your topic of interest in the URL of the sites listed in Google’s database. You can do this by using the search string, “inurl”. I.E. inurl:”travel discounts”. This will return a listing of all indexed URL listings that contain that phrase.

- Ex. If your product is about “rose gardening” do a search for in url:”rose gardening”.

7. TIPS AND ARTICLES. Conduct a search for a combination of a word or phrase related to your topic of interest, along with the words “tips” and “articles”. I.E. “marketing tips”, “time management articles”.

- Ex. If your product is about “UFOs” do a search for “UFO articles”.

Finding affiliates and joint venture partners is a MUST for anyone wanting to drive massive amounts of traffic to their site.

And using Google.com’s search features makes it easier than ever.

——————————
Jimmy D. Brown is the owner of the “List And Traffic” membership site, teaching thousands of internet business owners specific things they can do every week to multiply profits.

For video training, weekly updated content and printable checklist “systems” for growing your business, drop by http://www.ListAndTraffic.com
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When business owners decide to take business online, the question always comes up, “Do I need a web designer or can I build my own website?”

Both options are very viable, but you need to decide what�s best for you and your business. Here�s some things to

consider:

If you hire a web designer, you don�t have to worry about learning how to build a website, which is a relief to many people. This means you can concentrate on the more important tasks of your business. However, do realize that building a website is not as technical as it has been in the past.

There are plenty of web-building options that are basic point-and-click technology.

If you work with a designer, you will be subject to that designer�s schedule. Designers have other clients to manage and they need to prioritize any updates or changes you need to make to your website. This can be a drawback because the Internet is an amazing marketing medium where it�s easy to quick changes and test out new marketing ideas at minimal cost. When your business needs to wait for a designer to make changes, you may fall behind in your development.

Still, if you build your own website, there may be a time where you need to turn to a designer or a programmer if you need special features on your website. Of course, you can learn how to do all these things if you�re so inclined, but it can be a time-consuming and sometimes complicated task.

This means if you need a message board, shopping cart or other special function, you may need to turn to a designer or a programmer for that task.

Overall, if you want to save money and have more control over your web presence, you will want to have a hand in your own web development. You might choose to use a site builder that offers many of the features you are looking for (ex.shopping cart, mailing lists, etc.) and uses the point-and- click technology mentioned earlier. That way, it�s easy for you to create an online presence without a huge learning curve and you still have time to focus on the more important aspects of business.

—————

Looking for an even easier option to build your web pages? Take the comprehensive website builder at http://www.InternetBasedFamily.com for a 10-day test trial.

You can choose from over 1200 templates and your account includes all kinds of interactive features including: message board, shopping cart, mailing list, coupons and more.