Internet Affiliate Marketing Blog

Did you know that writing articles is a great way to get your name and your website link on the internet? Did you know that it is also a wonderful way to get links back to your website? Are you wondering why that is important?

Any links that refer back to your website will help to improve your search engine rank. It also helps people and prospective customers see you as an expert. This helps build credibility, which is invaluable to any business and especially an online business.

You can write articles even if you aren’t a professional writer, but a few things to do or consider -

1 - Carefully research the subject and be sure you know what you are talking about. It is very possible to write articles about a subject that is foreign to you. That is where research is so important.

2 - Read your work and cut the content if necessary. This is hard for professional writers too, but you have to edit and edit and edit again. It really helps to put it down for a couple of hours or a couple of days and then go back and read it.

3 - Once you think the article is perfect, read it out loud and make note of everything that sounds wrong. Most everyone finds things that are wrong.

4 - Now that you are sure its perfect, have someone read it for you and get their input. You don’t want someone who will say “It’s wonderful” if it truly needs work. Find someone who will give you an honest appraisal and be willing to listen. This is another thing that is hard for writers, but it’s the only way to improve.

5 - Are you asking why all these edits? This is because the article will represent your business and you to everyone who reads it. Will they see you as a professional?? That’s why you want to polish the article until it shines.

6 - A last thought, if you are writing the article in English and that isn’t your first language, ask someone to proofread it for you. Make sure this person is qualified to give you input of the content, spelling, grammar and so on.

Articles aren’t difficult to write and we all have something to say. Polishing and editing your story is the thing that will set you apart from many other people who write articles.

Shri Henkel

S & C Consulting

www.sandcconsulting.com

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Your Newsletter Title Here - Issue # - Date
Published by [Your Full Name Here]
___________________________________________________________
Start with a welcome message in this space. If
your program allows it, use your reader’s first
name to personalize the experience.

Grab your reader with a few teaser lines that
leads them into your newsletter’s content.

Use this space to motivate your reader to take
advantage of the benefits you are offering in
this issue of your newsletter.

Here’a an example…

Hi [READER'S NAME HERE],

Today you’ll see how marketing with email can
dramatically increase your profits.

I’ll tell how to get started marketing your
product and the best places to promote - using
only email.

These tips are definitely going to help you put
a few extra dollars in your bank account, without
overloading your budget.

As always, please let me know if you have any
questions or comments on today’s issue.

[YOUR FIRST NAME HERE]
[YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS HERE]
___________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
___________________________________________________________
1. Title of First Section Here

2. Title of Second Section Here

3. Title of Third Section Here
___________________________________________________________
Your Section Title Here
___________________________________________________________
Start the first paragraph here. Hit ENTER on your
keyboard twice to separate paragraphs.

Start the second paragraph here. Remember to keep you
paragraphs under 5 lines if possible. This makes it
easier for people to read and helps hold their interest.

Make sure your lines are under 65 characters long.
This gives your newsletter a consistent look among
the various email programs people use to receive
email.

Leave 2 blank lines before starting the next section
of your newsletter.

What follows is filler content. Delete the section
titles and content, then replace it with your own.

The filler below actually contains some really good
information you may to use to promote your business,
so you may want to save it before deleting.
___________________________________________________________
Why Market With Email?
___________________________________________________________
Email marketing has become a favored method of reaching
consumers among U.S. businesses. In a survey by the Direct
Marketing Association, two-thirds of companies say their
sales have increased because of email marketing, and
sixty-three percent credit email as the most effective way
to retain customers.

This isn’t so surprising given that email is the most
popular activity among Internet users. This popularity,
coupled with email’s cost-effectiveness as a marketing
vehicle, make it an important customer acquisition and
retention tool.
___________________________________________________________
Email Marketing Basics
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Before looking at the various ways you can use email
marketing, let’s examine how to make your campaigns more
effective. Like other marketing methods, when using email
you should pay attention to some basic rules of engagement.

1. Target Your Message

Put your messages in front of people who are most likely
to have an interest in your product or service. Know who
your product or service will benefit and where these people
can be found.

2. Offer Value

When people visit you by way of your promotions, create
an environment of value which puts your visitors in a
buying mode. That is… offer irresistible benefits, make it
effortless for people to see the benefits, create an
urgency in people to get the benefits from your product,
and make it easy to buy the benefits (your product or
service).

3. Use Repetition

An integral part of successful marketing is your visibility
in front of potential buyers. Therefore, it’s important to
realize the necessity of putting your message in front
of people repeatedly. ___________________________________________________________
Track Your Marketing Results
___________________________________________________________
This is an important consideration in understanding the
performance of your promotions. Tracking allows you to test
your promotions and zero in on things that work. Here some
ways to evaluate the results of your marketing efforts:

==> URL Tracking

One of the easiest ways to track responses to your
promotions is to code your URL. Simply add a special code
at the end of your link and then look at your log files to
view clickthroughs. You can use any code you like following
the question mark. The coding will look similar to this:
http://www.yourdomain.com/?advert1

==> CGI Tracking

Using your CGI directory you can accomplish many tracking
tasks. CGI scripts run on your server, so you should be
versed in their installation or be prepared to pay for
installation from the supplier. You can use a free link
counter script such as LnkinLite at dtp-aus.com, or go
with a more powerful program as found at Adtrackz.com.

==> Tracking Services

If you prefer not to work with scripts, you can hire a
third party to track your campaigns from their server.
These services charge a monthly fee, but are well worth
it in terms of helping you pull the best results from your
advertising. Check out HyperTracker.com or ROIbot.com
to see the versatility these services offer.
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Six Effective Ways To Market With Email
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By targeting your market you bring in willing buyers. With
an attention to delivering value, you remove barriers that
hinder sales. Through repetition you’re able to demand
recognition, and with performance tracking you are able to
market with the greatest impact. Now you can market with
gusto! Here are six very effective methods:

1. Start an Opt-In Mailing List

This is a favored method of many email marketers. Those
who opt-in to your list have already shown an interest and
are ripe to receive your messages. Provide useful and free
information people can really use, and at the same time
offer services or products which cater to their needs.

To collect email addresses you can use a free cgi script
such as the one offered at WorldWideMart.com. Another
increasingly popular email collection technique is the
“one-click” script from OptInAutoMator.com.

To send out your messages you can use programs that run
on your computer or you can use an online service and avoid
all the techie stuff. Programs such as GroupMail from
Infacta.com and WorldMerge by ColoradoSoft.com are both
good choices for personalizing and sending mail from your
computer. Topica.com, Dundee.net, and Sparklist.com provide
reliable online distribution service.

2. Offer an Email Course

There are a couple of ways this can work. The first is
to offer a free email course from your site. Using an
autoresponder you can deliver your material in small
chunks over the period of a week or two.

Alternately, you could offer a valuable freebie that
requires your visitor to leave their email address before
claiming it. The delivery of your e-course becomes a
condition of claiming the freebie.

You can introduce your products and services within the
context of the e-course, but it should be done in a subtle
and casual manner. Just make sure you are enhancing
the information they first sought.

Overall, the idea is to create a relationship with people
– a trusting bond built upon your expert status and ability
to deliver truly useful information. This credibility
factor can result in sales long after the course is over.

3. Self-Submit Ads to Ezines

You can save some money and place ads in your own
hand-picked ezines. There are literally thousands of
ezines looking for advertisers, and if you’ve got the time
to browse directories such as EzineAdAuction.com or
EzineLocater.com, you’re bound to find many ezines that
target your market.

Placing classifieds is very cost effective and if you
choose well, you can see fantastic results. A few other
good ezine directories are EzineHub.com, EzinesPlus.com,
WebScoutLists.com, and MarketersMarket.com.

4. Advertise in Email Newsletter Networks

These services let you advertise in newsletters within
their network. The amount of time you’ll save is worthwhile
in itself, but the real value comes from being able to
profile your ad for specific target groups. Some reputable
networks include Opt-Influence.com, EzineAdHelper.com,
PennMedia.com, SodaMail.com, and ShagMail.com.

5. Rent-a-List

You can promote your business with a rented list.
Reputable companies providing this service maintain only
the email addresses of people who have agreed to receive
commercial email. Renting a list can be quite expensive
since you’ll pay as much as 25 cents per address, however
you can get some great results with a highly targeted list.
Safe list sources include BulletMail.com, HTMail.com,
PostMasterDirect.com, and HipLists.com.

6. Write Articles and Get Published

Many ezine publishers and site developers are hungry
for good content. Getting published in just one high-profile
ezine can give you exposure in front of thousands of
potential buyers.

Some prime spots to promote your articles are
IdeaMarketers.com, MakingProfit.com, and
GoArticles.com. Joining a few article announcement
lists from Groups.Yahoo.com is also a great way to get
published. Some popular lists include Article_Announce,
Free-Content, and ArticlePublisher.

In conclusion, email is without a doubt a very potent
marketing tool. It should be an integral component of your
marketing plan if your goal is spectacular results. And
what business doesn’t want that!

Article by Brett Krkosska. Get start-up guidance, business
ideas and inspiration at: http://homebiztools.com
___________________________________________________________
Thank you for being a subscriber, [YOUR READER'S FIRST NAME].

[YOUR NEWSLETTER NAME] is published by [YOUR FULL NAME HERE].
You can contact me anytime at you@yoursite.com

Visit online at: http://www.yoursite.com
___________________________________________________________
Place your unsubsubscribe information in this space.
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If you plan on ranking at the top of the search engines, then I can’t stress enough the importance of educating yourself. The search engines are a highly competitive arena where only those who have taken the time to “learn the rules” claim a top 10 spot.

Very rarely these days will you hear of someone “getting lucky” and just magically sliding into a top ranking.

So if you want a top 10 listing under your best keywords and phrases (i.e. you want your site to appear in the top 10 listings when someone searches the key phrase “cotton balls” in Alta Vista, Yahoo!, Google, Excite, HotBot, etc.), then you need to do two things:

a) Examine the web sites that already rank in the top 10 under your best keywords and phrases — and look for patterns.

b) Use the proven know-how of the search engine experts to learn the ropes. If you want a top ranking, then you’ll want the experience and advice of someone who makes it their mission to keep up with the constantly changing rules of each search engine and directory.

In fact, before you spend a lot of time examining the sites of your competition for clues as to why they are listed among the top 10, I recommend seeking out these search engine gurus. With their advice, you’ll be better prepared to critically examine your competitors’ web sites for clues that explain why they’re at the top of the ranks.

There’s a lot of buzz these days about having a “brand platform.
” Perhaps you’ve heard the term, but aren’t sure what it means.
Rest assured–you’re not the only one! Even within the advertising
industry you’ll find disagreement over its definition. What one guru
calls a “brand platform” another calls a “corporate image.” Don’t
be confused. Regardless of what you call it, you need it. A brand
platform serves as the springboard for all branding decisions.

Simply put, your brand platform is what your brand stands for.
It’s a strategic statement or set of statements that encompass
who your company is, what it does, how it plans to succeed, and
why it’s unique or different. Although brand platforms vary from
business to business, most consist of the following basic elements:
Mission
Identity Attributes
Value Proposition
Tagline and/or Byline
Brand Story

Creating Your Brand Platform
Now that you know the five basic elements every brand platform should have,
it’s time to put them in writing. Here’s how to begin.

1. Mission. Your mission statement should express your brand’s purpose and
driving philosophy in a clear, succinct and compelling way. To construct
your mission statement, you must identify your brand’s features and benefits,
target market and competitive advantages as they stand today. You must also decided
on a long-term goal for your brand. Mission statements come in all shapes and sizes.
Some are specific, others leave room for interpretation. Your mission statement
should be fairly brief–no more than five sentences.

For example: “Our mission at XYZ Company is to be the premier mass market provider
of XYZ product on the East Coast. We will do this by selling affordably priced
equipment through our network of distributorships. We will be known as a company
that builds lasting relationships with our customers, suppliers and employees.”

2. Identity Attributes. List words or phrases that describe your brand at its core–words
you want customers to associate with your brand in lieu of other brands. This list should
make your brand stand out and resonate with the desires of your target market.
Keep in mind, however, that consumers can’t and won’t associate your full list
with your brand. That’s why at some point you should highlight one of these
words–just one–that you want customers to most connect with your brand.
You want to “own” this word in the mind of your customer.

For example: What word pops into your head when you think of Volvo automobiles?
Most likely, you think “safety.” And when you think of FedEx? “Overnight.
” In everything you do, strive to convey or exemplify that one word.

3. Value Proposition. Ask yourself: How is my brand better than the others?
Where does my brand create value for consumers? What’s my brand’s competitive advantage?
Your value proposition should differentiate you from your competition and sum up
the unique benefits consumers get from choosing your brand. Distill your brand’s
value into a sentence or two, and try to include key features and benefits.

Example: “The high-quality material used to build XYZ product provides its
corporate consumers with peace of mind so they can focus on their core business.”

4. Tagline and/or Byline. I say “and/or” here because you really don’t need
both a tagline and a byline–whatever you choose usually appears near your
logo where there’s only room for one statement. A byline is a descriptor or
clarifier, like “Home Electronics,” while a tagline is more sophisticated.
A tagline is a slogan, company statement or vision that condenses the brand
essence in a way that creates interest. It should be short, pithy and smart.
(Note: Taglines, slogans and positioning statements are often used interchangeably.)

Examples of current taglines are: Apple: Think different. and Target: Pay less.

5. Brand Story. Record and preserve the history of your organization in a concise
and compelling way. Was there anything unusual or interesting about how your company
came into being? Think through public relations angles. The media loves a good story!
Your history can also make a wonderful addition to your website, where it can increase
the comfort factor with consumers and help overcome the impersonal nature of online
commerce.

Above all, remember that brands are created in the mind and heart of your consumer.
Strive to embed an emotional tie in your brand platform. The fact is customers buy
the brand they feel comfortable with–and that’s not always the brand with the most
features or benefits.

Basically, blogs were first introduced as weblogs that refer to a “server’s log file.” It was created when web logging hit the virtual market. Since its inception in the mid-1990s, web logging gradually saturated the virtual community making the Internet a viable source of greater information.

If writing is an art, then, blogging is one way of using words to come up with an art. This is because people who are into blogging are the ones who are artistic on their own sense, carefully choosing words that would best describe their feelings, sentiments, wishes, desires, and everything.

However, with web logging, you still need a web site and domain names, but with blogging, you do not need anything just an account with blog providers. In most cases, these kinds of blogs are free of charge.

With the onset of blogging in the industry, personal journaling had been a common ground for people who wish to be known all over the world. However, not literally famous as this is not a case on being popular or well-known personality.

Generally, blogs are created for personal use. Like a journal, people can write their daily adventures, sentiments, and whatever ideas they want to express online.

Nevertheless, with the advent of the online businesses, blogs had gradually taken the limelight in providing businesses a chance to boost their productivity online. This is where the business blogs have taken the limelight.

Business blogs are, basically, created to advertise the services or products of a certain web site or online business in order to increase online sales.

Moreover, business blogs are also one way of promoting the company so that the other readers will know that a certain company exists online. With blogs, entrepreneurs are able to establish a name in the virtual market through articles that can be very useful in the reader’s life.

From there, you can make money out of blogs by simply syndicating it to your business’ web site. This can be done through the RSS technology.

So, if you are thinking to create a blog, whether for business or for pleasure, you need to know some tips that could help you get through and make your blog one of the interesting blogs online.

Here’s how:

1. Consider your audience

Even if your blog is generally personal, still, it would be better to consider the minds of your readers. You have to think of something that would interest them.

After all, most of the reasons of people who write blogs are not at all confined to their own personal motives. Most of them would love to be “heard” (or read) and would love to be known, in some way or another, even for just a minute. Hence, it is very important to come with a write up that everybody can understand, not necessarily that these people can relate to it but they can understand it.

2. Pictures speaks a thousand words

To make your blogging worth the browsing effort of your readers, it would be extremely nice if you will put some pictures in it. It does not necessarily mean you have to place a picture of yourself. Any photographs will do as long as it does not pose danger or insult to anyone who will be reading your blog.

3. Make constructive and beneficial blogs

Even if you are free to write anything you wan to say to the world, still, it would be better to create some write-ups that would be beneficial to your readers.

After all, its information technology that you have there so better be inclined to provide information rather than sheer quirky entertainment.

4. Avoid making multifaceted and complicated blogs

In order to have an interesting blogs, try not to use some highly technical and highfalutin words. After all, it is not a science discourse or a debate that you are making, so better stick to simple facts and short blogs.

Bear in mind that most people who use the Internet usually do more scanning than scrutinizing each site word for word. Therefore, it would be better to come with blogs that will not bore your readers just because you have these lengthy articles.

5. Make it interactive

As much as possible and if your capacity will allow it, make your blog interactive. You can do this by placing some video or audio clips in your blog.

You can even place an area for comments or for some feedbacks. In this way, you can get some impressions or reactions of other people. Who knows, you might even gain some friends just by making them feel at home in your blog site.

Indeed, blogs are not created just for the mere fun of it. It also has its own purpose in the world of the Internet.
Therefore, for people who wish to harness their craft, as far as writing is concerned, blogs are the best way to do it.

As they say, blogging is the contemporary term of creative and commercial writing.