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!)

By Alice Seba

It’s relatively simple to gain trust with your website copy and establish yourself as the expert in your area of business. This article will help you star doing that. Whether you sell candles or mining equipment, your online customers want to know that you are a reputable business person and that you “know your stuff”.

You need to speak directly to your target audience and give them the information they are looking for.

Writing for the Web Requires a Different Approach

Internet surfers are continuously looking for information and a solution to their problems. If they’re going to buy anything from you, you need to establish yourself as a credible and informative resource, who also happens to have a terrific product. Speak directly to the needs and desires of your visitor and you will have a captivated audience.

A Few Tips:

1. Talk to your customer - Avoid focusing on yourself. You are irrelevant. Tell your customer how she will benefit from using your product. Use the word “you” and you can be certain you are speaking directly to your customer.

2. Understand your target customer - Understand what motivates your customer and write from their perspective. Don’t try to appeal to everyone. You’ll get better results when you can speak directly the pains and problems your potential customer has than trying generic copy to sell to a wide variety of people.

3. Get attention - You can do this with a good headline and sub-headlines. That way, people will know instantly if you have what they are looking for. Forget cute and clever headlines…give your visitors the straight goods.

4. Keep it simple - Use short sentences and simple words. Your visitors eyes tire easily. Be kind to them! Break up your paragraphs and create plenty of white space.

5. Be casual - The web not the place for a formal essay. Write as you speak and be friendly with your visitor. Do double-check your spelling and follow most grammar rules, but keep the tone light, especially when your target is a more casual group.

6. Set yourself apart from the competition - What makes your product unique?

7. Prove it! - Add testimonials, sales statistics and anything else that proves your claims.

8. Create a sense of urgency - If people don’t sense urgency, they aren’t likely to click on your link. Limited time offers are perfect or showing your potential customer can no longer wait to solve her problem, can be effective. Make sure your potential customers feel the need to click on your link now.

Recommended for Further Study:

For more help with your copywriting and creating a website that people will stick around to read and buy from, check out Alice Seba’s Copywriting Sweetie. It comes complete with software and training to help you sell more of your product to customers who will buy from you over and over again.

Until next time…

Heather

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.
###

Let’s face it…people like free stuff. You probably know people who attend Home Shows and Expos and go from table to table with a bag and gather as many freebies as they possibly can.

Because we know that people like free stuff we often try to send our own products to them as a sample so they can see what we have to offer. Many times we even take it a step further and personalize it for them. We have the mindset that just because they like free stuff, it’s an automatic in. That pen or calendar we send will last a while and, in turn, our telephone will ring off the hook with their orders.

Your customers are no different. They come to you, the distributor, to purchase promotional items to give away because they too know that people like free stuff. The next time you are at an expo take notice of how many people walk by a booth because there are no goodies on the table. It’s just the nature of the beast.

But, as a business owner, you are aware of the amount of direct mail you get each month. What sets one company apart from another? Do you think it’s a pen or a calendar? With a pen, something we all have too many of, it goes into the drawer typically never to be seen by the recipient again. In my home, they are stolen by one of my children who seem to think pens are disposable after one use.

The calendars? How many calendars do you get around the first of the year? How many calendars does one person possibly need? What makes your calendar different from the one they got from their insurance agent, their realtor, or the local dry cleaner?

While these are both inexpensive products that you can give away to your existing and potential customers, what other items do you have in your arsenal that might have a longer shelf life? This can include items that people don’t realize they need but can’t seem to live without once they have them or items that you can never have enough of.

Items that people don’t realize they need but can’t live without once they have them

Jar openers

Most everyone struggles at some point in time opening a jar lid. The average person does not know that there is a solution to the problem. So, when they go to the store, they are not looking for something to rectify the issue. They deal with it.

When they are introduced to the jar opener, they see they can easily open the lid with a flimsy piece of plastic. It becomes a necessity for them over time and when they lose it they truly realize the value in it. It becomes something they can’t live without.

Travel Alarm Clocks

How many times have you traveled for business and were so afraid that you would oversleep and miss that important meeting in the morning? When you are away from home you often feel out of your comfort zone and typically the alarm clocks in the hotels are different from the one to which you’ve grown accustomed. Rather than lugging your own alarm clock across country, wouldn’t you rather have a personal travel alarm clock that you know how to operate and you know is going to wake you up in the morning?

Zippy Letter Openers

A letter opener is a letter opener is a letter opener. Not necessarily. One of my clients recently discovered the Zippy letter openers after I recommended that she purchase them to give away at the conference she was attending with administrative professionals from all over the state.

It’s the little things that make people happy. I no sooner showed it to her and she began opening every envelope she could get her hands on. Shortly thereafter, that old point letter opener found its way to the trash can.

The average consumer would never make a special trip to the office supply store for a simple letter opener. It is one of those items that never seem to make it to the list of items needed. Before the Zippy letter opener was discovered I used my finger and oh how attractive those paper cuts were!

Items You Can Never Have Enough Of

Sticky notes

Can you imagine your life without sticky notes? They have been around since 1977 and by 1990 Post-Its were one of the top five office supply products sold in the United States. We now have computerized versions and those annoying pop-ups while surfing the internet are starting to look like them as well.

You can never have enough sticky notes! How many creative messages can you send with your sticky notes to a potential customer? Perhaps it’s a note pad in the shape of a foot with a little note that says, “Just wanted to get my foot in the door.”

Sticky notes are not going to go in the trash or into an unused drawer and more often than not will be seen by many.

Flashlights

How many times do you find yourself in need of just a little more light? There is always one place in your home, office, or vehicle that you wish you had a flashlight but always seem to forget to pick up an extra one.

For me, I wanted one in the office but never made it out to get one. When I need to plug something in to the back of the computer the extra light is always nice. A realtor gave me the one that I have now and I’ve had it for 4 years. It’s made 2 moves with me. The best part is I don’t have to traipse all over the house to find a flashlight when I need one. I’m now on a quest for a flashlight for my glove compartment.

We’re no different than anyone else. We like free things. As consumers, we are drawn to the word free. We all go to conferences and events only to slip away to see what everyone else is giving out. How many of us come home with promotional items that we didn’t bring with us? I normally come home with a big bag of goodies that I give to my children only after I’ve taken the cool gadgets out for me.

That’s right. The kids get the pens, pencils, plastic key chains and candy. Most of these items end up in the trash at some point in time. I keep the Zippy letter openers, sticky notes, travel mugs and jar openers.

Go through your inventory. Ask your friends. Determine what they use and ask them what promotional items they have in their home they just cannot live without. Make sure that what you give your potential customers will not find its way to the circular file or the bottom of a toy box.

About the Author:

Heather Jacobson is an expert in marketing and implements marketing campaigns for companies on a budget. Her favorite topic is frugal marketing, and her latest book, “Making Dollars Out of Cents: 101 Tips for the Frugal Marketer” demonstrates how to maximize your marketing budget. For more information visit www.HeatherJacobson.com

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

Even though they make triple this amount a month in product sales, these successful entrepreneurs see the value in spending money on other people’s products to ensure they continue to stay up-to-date on new marketing techniques.

It’s important that you spend money on educating yourself. Doing so helps you to accomplish these 3 very important goals:

1. You spend less time searching and more time earning. How many times have you used a search engine to research for information, only to take you hours to wrap your head around the volume of data? By spending money on an ebook or telecourse, you start the process of making money by investing in the research that someone else has already done.

2. You generate ideas quicker. As solopreneurs and entrepreneurs, we tend to spend many days alone in our home offices. By attending a workshop, teleclass or buying an ebook, you get the opportunity to network with the author and other attendees and listen to their take on a given subject. This type of networking is so invaluable as it gives you a different perspective.

3. You avoid losing money. Paying for someone else’s product means that you’re learning from someone else’s mistakes. This helps you to avoid making those same mistakes, thus saving you a lot of money in the long run.

About the Author
Leesa Barnes, Chief Divapreneur™, helps consultants, virtual assistants, professional organizers and coaches pull clients to them using a podcast and other internet marketing tools. Go to http://www.internetmarketingdiet.com and sign up for her no-fee preview teleclasses so you can discover how to curb the online bulge and pull clients towards you.

It’s no secret that I’m not a huge NASCAR fan. I watch it because it’s on every Sunday. I know who a few drivers are and have opinions of them solely on the way that they respond to interviews and not how they drive. But our house is littered with Mark Martin and Tony Stewart memorabilia due to the two NASCAR fans that live here.

NASCAR is a prime marketing opportunity for any big business. You see the ads plastered on the cars and the races are called things like the Sharpie 400 and the Pepsi 500 in an effort to get publicity. You know the bigger the ad on the car, the more money that was spent. And then you have the Nextel Cup. You know Nextel is spending big money for that.

As I’m listening to the radio today, the DJs start talking about NASCAR. I attempt to listen just to know enough to carry a conversation and I hear them talking about the Your Name Here 400. What? The Your Name Here 400? Who is that promoting? So I listen more intently to the DJs on the radio and I figure out what’s going on. Only then do I realize we’re dealing with a marketing genius. Then I wonder why no one’s ever thought of this before.

Companies are spending beau coup bucks to sponsor a race; to get their name out there. Pepsi and Sharpie are doing a great job because I can actually remember the names of those races at some point in time. But what do they get in return for that money? They are getting brand recognition. They are getting their name and logo plastered everywhere and in front of millions of TV viewers. Do you think people hear “It’s the kickoff of the Pepsi 400” and viewers immediately flock to their website? I don’t think that’s the way it works.

Enter Crown Royal. For a long time, liquor producing companies were not able to advertise on TV or in NASCAR; but the rules have changed and Crown Royal is taking advantage of it. Crown Royal is shelling out the big bucks to sponsor a race at the Richmond International Speedway in the Spring of 2007. One would think that the name of this race would be the Crown Royal 400 but it’s not. Crown Royal is naming the race after a fan. That’s right – an average Joe. Just like you and me.

If you know of any die hard NASCAR fans, you’ll know that as soon as they hear about this they are going to want the race named after them. Shoot! I halfway want the race named after me and I’m not even into NASCAR! But think about the web traffic and the sales that will result from this marketing effort.

To be eligible to win you must visit www.CrownRoyal.com and enter your “Crown Worthy” story in 50 words or less. What is a “Crown Worthy” story? Their site describes it as “Describe what a moment in life that calls for the smooth taste of Crown Royal is all about.” Think people will go out and buy Crown Royal? I think so.

My point is this. Any one could have thought of this and no one did. What better way to capitalize on the promotional opportunity that you have whether you paid for it or it fell in your lap?

Everyone is marketing. Being good isn’t good enough anymore. Think about marketing materials, networking events, trade shows that you attend. Don’t just show up. If you want to get people to take notice, you have to stand out. You have to think outside the box with your marketing.

And look for me on TV next spring on the FOX network at the Heather Jacobson 400.

Until next time…

Heather

The fist was the partnership between reality show “Big Brother” and the Kit Kat candy bar by Hershey’s. Big Brother is using Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket from the popular movie “Charlie and the Chocloate Factory” to find one of its next contestants.

You can read the entire story by clicking here.

The other completely blew my mind when I read the headline “It’s hard out there for virgins…” As if sex isn’t used for promotion enough (don’t ask my boyfriend how he feels about Hardee’s advertising!) here’s a new spin on a “target market”.

Apparently, there is a brothel in Berlin (where prostitution is legal) that offers a special to men who are either virgins or have never been to a brothel before. Isn’t that interesting? What’s even more interesting is that they offer “sensitivity training” for their prostitutes in dealing with these customers.

My big question is, though, how do you market this service? Billboards, tv ads, newspaper ads? I don’t even want to go there….lol

You can read the whole story by clicking here.

Until next time…

Heather

Question: I’m a Virtual Assistant. Can I use articles to promote my business?
Signed, Eager VA

Dear Eager VA,
Virtual Assistants are springing up all around the internet. It’s a very viable business option and more work at home moms are jumping on the bandwagon every day. The real go-getters will whip up a “business card” website right away with their contact information, ‘about me’ information, and their rates and services offered.

But, then that website sits and collects dust while they wait for the traffic to roll in. So, what’s a Virtual Assistant to do to generate traffic to their website?

Oftentimes VAs overlook one of the best methods of marketing their websites – article writing. Virtual Assistants can write about all kinds of topics – how to organize emails, customer service, hiring or firing a VA, ways a VA can benefit a business, or accounting among other things. Then, they can share the articles, just like any other website owner to drive traffic to their websites and establish an expert status in their field.

If you’re a VA who’s new to article sharing, it’s actually quite easy. You write a helpful article and include your author bio at the end. (See the end of this article to see an example.) Then, you submit your article to Article Directories where hungry website owners, blog owners and ezine publishers eagerly grab your article to publish it on their sites. Now, there is stiff competition so it’s not quite that easy, but that’s the gist of how article sharing works. And, you know it works because you’re reading my article that I’ve written and shared with article directories. There’s my URL in the author bio and you’ve found my article because someone has published it on their website, blog or in their newsletter. If it works for me, it can work for you, too.

Article sharing is underutilized in the Virtual Assistant field and I hope to see that change in the coming year. Go grab that free traffic and grow your VA business. Not only will your VA business grow, but you can share this method of marketing with your clients and blow them away with your knowledge of internet marketing. Best wishes.

About the Author: Nicole Dean doesn’t pay for advertising – ever. She uses Article Marketing to get free advertising on websites and in newsletters worldwide. You can use articles to get free traffic, too. Visit http://www.valleyva.net/easyarticlemarketing.html to find out how.

There are many things in my business that I have thought up and run with only to find out that I
didn’t put enough thought into them and that they weren’t planned properly.  They didn’t go over
well because I was too excited to focus on their proper implementation.

I’ve also been subjected to the hype of new product launches and have fallen for the hype.  It’s
okay.  I know its good marketing when I get suckered into the marketing ploy; when I get to the end
of the sales letter and I’ve already got my credit card out and ready to pay.

However, in the past two months, there have been three product launches that I have really looked
forward to and when it came time to pay, they weren’t planned very well.  I’m a pretty easy going
person but here are a few things that happened and how I felt and reacted.

The first was a new membership site by someone whose advice I highly admire.  I think he’s a
brilliant man and I have learned a great deal from him.  In fact, I pay for his newsletter every
month.  So when he announced his new site, I was there within minutes, credit card in hand ready to
get in. 

I gave him my information (basically my credit card information and my name) and then I was taken
to a login page.  They never asked me to create a user name and password and I had no way to get
in.  I wanted it.  They sold me.  I wanted the information and I wanted it right then and there.
It took me two days to finally get the information.  I was so frustrated by then that I canceled my
membership and asked for my money back.

A few weeks later I learned of a new product that was coming to the market.  I was hooked by the
sales letter, the hype, the follow up emails, the sneak peeks; oh I was all over it.  I was on the
site, counting down to 10am with my credit card in hand.  At 10am, nothing happened.  There was no
where for me to pay.  I finally got in at 10:30am and what was promised to me (the bonuses,
primarily) weren’t there.  A slew of emails came from the owner with incorrect links to get bonuses
and to log in and I was frustrated.  I cancelled my account shortly there after.

And then this last time just a few weeks ago.  I was offered a “pre-launch membership fee” and that
the site would go live in just 3 days, March 15th.  It’s been pushed back 4 times now, there have
been many other emails pushing other people’s products and there is nothing in the membership area.
 Today, I get an email stating that she is pushing it back to the 31st.  She wasn’t ready, and to
be quite honest, I’m not impressed with it at all.  I’ve cancelled that membership as well.

My point is this.  Hype is wonderful.  Get people excited about what you have to offer, but make
sure that you deliver.  If you’re going to launch a product or service, make sure that the site is
ready to go and all the major kinks worked out.  Check your payment processor, your gateway and
that all your links on the inside are correct.  It’s okay to have a glitch or two; it wouldn’t be a
true launch if there wasn’t something, but make sure all the major issues are resolved.
Until next time…

Heather