10 Essential Marketing Tips

In my daily receipt of emails and newsletters I found this recent series an excellent lesson for beginning internet marketers. They are full of information so I'll post one lesson at a time.
The key behind these lessons is to build a subscriber following which will build your business exponentially.
Follow these techniques and you will be on your way to building a successful home based business.

Lesson #1
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Essential Rules For Effective Email Marketing

If you want an email campaign to succeed, you don't want to offend anyone when sending your messages. Turn off a consumer with your email and you can be sure they'll tune out your message.

Don`t let this happen to you!

A message that earns respect makes sales. That's why the first lesson is email etiquette.

Train yourself to stick to the rules below when crafting your email messages.

RULE #1 - ALWAYS WRAP YOUR LINES AT 65 CHARACTERS OR LESS

Whenever you write an email, always format the lines so that they're 65 characters, or less, across. To do this, you may need to do a "hard return" by hitting"Enter" at the end of the line. Wondering why to limit your lines to just 65 characters? (Good question! It shows you`re thinking.) There are two reasons that "less is more":--

• The first thing to remember is that looking at a computer screen for a long time causes EYE FATIGUE for many readers. The shorter span of characters across the screen makes reading easier and more appealing to the recipient of your email message.--

• The other reason to go short instead of long is this:some email clients AUTOMATICALLY ENFORCE LINE-WRAPPING at 60-65 characters on received messages. If your email is wrapped at 70, the content will arrive all "chopped up." This makes it unattractive...and worse -- unappealing.--

• Tip #1: Email clients such as OutlookExpress allow you to SET THE LINE-WRAP to any character-width you choose. That means you won`thave to hit Enter each time after typing 65 characters. Makes life easier!--

• Tip #2 - You can type 65 asterisks ordashes in a Notepad file to create a template. Thenpaste your email below it to see if any lines extend toofar to the right.

RULE # 2 - BE CAREFUL USING ALL CAPS

How many times have you changed the TV channel to avoid listening to a screaming car salesperson? No one likes a screaming salesperson...and no one likes a"screaming" email message, either. Odds are, when someone has over-amped the volume of their message by using too many capital letters (not to mention too many exclamation points and other punctuation) -you`re going to be turned off.

On the Internet, email messages written in all caps are considered yelling. It`s okay to write some sentences and some words in all caps, but don`t go overboard. (Asyou can see in this message, I`ve tried to use capital letters to help break up sections of the content from time to time)--

• Tip #1: Consumers buy from a source they trust. Emails in all caps are perceived as "shady" or uneducated, and have an appearance that damages the credibility of an offer.

RULE #3 - WATCH YOUR Ps & Qs (Spelling andGrammar)

Would you be influenced by an email selling you something that had noticeable spelling and grammar mistakes? Sureyou would...and the influence would be negative, not positive! When a consumer reads a sales message that's filled with errors, they think to themselves, "Good grief, this person doesn`t even take the time to get his emails right. His product is probably the same quality as his emails.

"When you're in business, YOUR IMAGE IS YOUR REPUTATION and your reputation is the reason people buy from you or the guy down the block. It's essential that you create an image of INTEGRITY, CREDIBILITY, and HONESTY in the mind of your prospects. Sending emails filled with errors doesn't hurt your professional image...it destroys it. (Ouch!)

Follows these three simple steps in email formatting and you are on your way to building a subscriber list that trusts you.

A person who trusts you is more apt to buy from you than one who doesn't trust you.

Knowing when to switch gears.

In my last post we spoke about taking action and making a commitment.
So my next question would be.......

How long do you commit to something if it isn't working?

For example, a couple of months ago, my girlfriend sent me a link to "make money filling out surveys." Well, the hype said you can make anywhere from $5 - $35 per survey so I thought, "What the heck, I've got time on my hands, my online business is running on it's own and I'm always interested in some more residual income." Did I mention it was a free program too.

So, I commited to answering at least 5 surveys a day and volunteering on a panel at least once a week. Well, it's been exactly 2 months and 18 days since I started and I've made $100 but have spent.........$500+

Ohhhhh, that's right, did I forget to tell you that the survey's that actually pay are those that REQUIRE you to accept at least 1 of their Platinum offers, 2 of their Gold offers, and 3 of their Silver offers.

I don't think I've seen a bigger scam since Herba Life products saturated the market!

So, I ask myself, have I given this a fair try, commited to the project enough to make a judgement of whether it is working? I think I have.

Remember, commitment is a two-sided street. If you have commited and given the business 110% but the project isn't paying you back, it's time to move on!

But this doesn't mean give up! There are plenty of opportunities out there. Some of which are legitimate and given the sweat and effort, you can be successful.

The 7 decisions for success.

How do you define success?

To most of us that is a personal question that results in a unique answer.
Well regardless of the answer - you still need a path to get there, right?

Here are 7 decisions you need to make before success is attainable.

1. The Buck Stops Here! I will begin the process of changing where I am- by changing the way I think.
2. I Will Seek Wisdom! I will listen to the counsel of wise men. The words of wise men are like raindrops on dry ground.
3. I Am A Person of Action! I inspire others with my activity. I am a leader. Leading is doing. To lead I must move forward.
4. I have a Decided heart! I am passionate about my vision for the future. I will not wait, my course has been charted. My destiny is assured- I have a decided heart.
5. Today I will Choose To Be Happy! Today I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am a possessor of a grateful spirit. Today I choose to be happy.
6. I Will Greet This Day With A Forgiving Spirit! I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit, from this day forward my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself, my life has just begun.
7. I Will Persist Without Exception! I will persist without exception- I have faith in my future. I do not look left or right. I look forward. I can only persist.

Make these decisions, follow through on their intended actions, and the rest simply falls in line.

Setting a budget for your home based business.

The last thing you want when you start your business is to have expenses unaccounted for and ultimately lost.

Before you even start you need to decide what your initial investment will be. This investment should cover your first 3 months of advertising, miscellaneous business products and resources, and 3 months of salary if you plan on quitting your “day” job immediately.

Once you have an initial investment decided on you can then move forward with planning your budget specific to your project.

Resources will be dependent on what type of home based business. Some useful tools are listed as links on the sidebar of this blog. If you plan on using Google Adwords please make sure you purchase Perry Marshall’s, “Definitive Guide to Google Adwords”. It is a must have for entering into this competitive advertising arena.

Speaking of advertising, NO business will survive without advertising. This is your biggest expense especially if you want to accrue revenue quickly.
Although there are options for free advertising they are normally slow to show results, unless of course you have a warm market waiting in line to sign up.

Don’t get caught in just one form of advertising! Utilize several methods such as:

• Bought Leads
• Newspapers
• Google Adwords
• Ezines
• Business Cards
• Post Cards
• Car banners
• Radio Ad Coops

Spread your monthly advertising budget out so that each week you are focusing on a new stream of advertising.

A good rule of thumb for your advertising budget is 10% to 15% of your expected monthly gross revenue. If you did the math right you’ve correctly estimated you will have to spend approximately $1000 to $1500 a month to reap $8500 profit.

Finally, KEEP TRACK of your spending! It’s easy enough to just start using Paypal or handing over a credit card. But BEWARE! These costs add up quick and if you are on a limited budget you want to make sure you pace yourself for the long-term. I use Excel Spreadsheets and QuickBooks both have automated features, tracking capabilities, and are user friendly.

Yes, the saying is true that you've got to spend money to make money. But it is not true that the more you spend the more you will make. Be SMART about your budget!

CLICK HERE for information on an inexpensive program that shows you step by step how to leverage your business and get the most out of your advertising.

Developing your plan of attack.

You've decided to start a home based business -
What do you do next?

Like any business you need to create a business plan.

The plan should detail the following questions:

• What is your budget?
• What is your goal?
• What is your timeline?
• What is your target audience?
• What is your market strategy?

The biggest question that will impact on your decision plans is your budget.
Be honest with yourself. What can you afford? What are your expectations?

Some work from home opportunities take a month or two to build revenue.
Some take even longer if your commissions are small and your advertising is limited.

Your budget should include:

• Initial Investment
• Resources (Products/Back Office/Etc.)
• Advertising

Your goals should include both short-term and long-term.

Your timeline should include:

• Hours per week to dedicate.
• Set date for short-term goal.
• Set dates to implement advertising methods.
• Set date to evaluate ROI.
• Set date for long-term goal.

Your target audience needs to be determined in order to implement your market strategy.

Your market strategy is the final but second most important question to answer.
This strategy will determine the success of your at home business.

There are many methods to use in a market strategy.
Use several and BE CREATIVE!

Researching work at home opportunities.

Take Action!

Google is a great place to start.
But don’t stop at the first page or the first set of keywords.

Places to search:

• Forums
• Blogs
• WAH organizations
• Scam websites

Stay away from the advertisements. Stick to CONTENT!

Don't be afraid to ask questions. If the person cannot give you an answer ask yourself WHY?

One of my first questions is What is the product - If they can't tell me then and there, I'M NOT INTERESTED!

Join forums and blogs and ask what others think.

One of the most commonly asked questions and I've asked it myself is,

"How much do you make?"

STOP ASKING this question. Why? Because it only sets you up for false hope.

Instead ask questions such as how much time and money do I invest if I want to make $X. What is the conversion rate. What training is provided? What support is offered?

Remember, How much you make is dependant on you.

• Competition
• Motivation
• Commitment
• Budget
• Time
• Learning Ability

The home based business industry is one of the largest and fastest growing industries. Which means - It is COMPETITIVE!
The home based business industry doesn't have supervisors or bosses pushing you. Which means - MOTIVATION and COMMITMENT come directly from YOU!
The home based business industry is a business. Which means - You will need to set a BUDGET, invest your TIME, and LEARN everything you can to beat out your competition.

Research doesn't have to take long. Just make sure you are THOROUGH!

Avoid the scams while working from home!

A Beginner’s Guide

The internet has paved the way for a new generation of scam artists. Even worse, these scam artists retain a level of anonymity achieved only by masked villains in comic books.
They pray on the dreams of those wanting to make changes in their life, those wanting a small piece of independence of which only financial freedom can provide.

We as the dreamers spend money on websites, programs, and unknown entities in the hope we will be the next success story by working from home. And some of us do get lucky. But most of us get frustrated and either spend more money or simply give up the idea of working from home altogether.

But we never stop dreaming. And I keep pushing forward constantly researching and trying work at home programs, home based businesses, MLM's, data-entry and even surveys. I’ve learned several things in regards to what it takes to grow your online business and what to avoid in work at home pursuit.

Guidelines for finding the right work at home business opportunity.
1. Do extensive research so you can make informative decisions.
2. Develop a plan of attack, including setting a budget.
3. Commit to the long-term goal instead of grasping for instant gratification.

Each of these guidelines are important steps in avoiding the scams, keeping your money in your bank account, and enjoying a successful home based business. In posts to come I will write about the hidden details of these guidelines. For some it may be common knowledge, but for others it may be the light bulb in the attic they have been waiting for.

For more information on specific programs I've tried and their details GO HERE.

Avoid the scams while working from home!