A Cost Effective Way to Advertise Online . . . Permission E-Mail Marketing

By Robin Nobles

We all hate e-mail spam, right? I even have the coolest software program that will help you combat spam and actually bounces the spam e-mail straight back to the user. (http://www.mailwasher.net)

However, one thing that we often fail to admit (except in private) is the importance of permission e-mail marketing, where the members of your mailing list have given you permission to contact them, or where they're past customers of yours. Obviously, these e-mail lists are always opt-out, so if someone chooses not to continue receiving information from you, they can easily get removed from the list.

Many of you know that I write monthly articles for Planet Ocean Publications, which (in my opinion) is one of the best sources for up-to-date information in the search engine industry. Their monthly online publication, Search Engine News, is second to none, and if you don't subscribe to it, you're missing out on tips and strategies that could make an amazing difference in your search engine optimization work. For those of you who aren't familiar with Planet Ocean, here's their URL. http://www.searchenginehelp.com/moreinfo/

Stephen Mahaney is the editor of Planet Ocean, and he's easily one of the top marketing guru's on the Internet. I spent several hours on the phone with him recently, and he told me that Time Magazine wrote an article in their November 3 edition that dealt with the importance and impact of permission e-mail marketing.

There are a couple of quotes straight from the magazine:

"E-mail marketing is fast, effective and dirt cheap -- a godsend for marketers in an economy that has crunched advertising budgets."

". . . the humble medium of e-mail is blossoming while flashier forms of Internet advertising are going the way of the Pets.com sock puppet."

"Little wonder that old-line companies like Ford and Procter & Gamble are joining early users of targeted e-mail pitches like Amazon.com and J. Crew."

Can we trust Time Magazine? I do believe we can! They're a highly trusted magazine and have been for years and years. Time is clearly going on the record of saying that permission e-mail marketing is one of the most valuable means of making sales on the Internet, but only if done properly.

In the words of Stephen Mahaney, "If you have yet to 'correctly' integrate 'permission email marketing' into your online business plan, then you risk being thwarted by your competitors that do. It's just that plain and simple."

So, while spam e-mail should always remain locked tightly in a closet (NEVER to be let out), permission e-mail marketing is a crucial way for you to keep in touch with your customers and those interested in your products or services.

Let's look at five effective permission e-mail marketing strategies, tips that many Webmasters fail to do, and they ultimately lose business because of it.

1. If someone writes for information on your goods or services, save those e-mail addresses! Remember that sales aren't always made the first time someone hears of a service or product. One trusted source told me that you have to hear about a product, service, or company at least twenty times before you begin to trust that company enough to do business with them.

2. Set up an online form where people can sign up with their names and e-mail addresses to receive a copy of your monthly or quarterly newsletter or updates to your site, or to ask you questions. Have the information go straight into a database that contains the e-mail addresses of everyone who has written to you for information. Then, create a newsletter that is not just a sales pitch for your products and services. Offer valuable tips to your potential customers. Give the newsletter true value, and those potential customers will begin to look forward to hearing from you. Then, when it's time for them to purchase the types of goods or services that you offer, who do you think they'll go to? The company they can trust: you!

3. Respond to your e-mail or to the questions asked on the form within 24 hours, if not sooner. When people go online looking for something, they usually send e-mail out to 5-6 companies. If your company is the first to respond, and if you've taken the time to answer the questions professionally and thoughtfully, you'll have a jump over those other companies, many of which won't even answer the e-mail at all.

4. Always provide a way to "opt-out" of your e-mail list. Make it very clear how your subscribers can choose not to receive the newsletter or e-mail any longer, and then immediately unsubscribe them when they write to you. Remember: having permission to send the e-mail in the first place by only adding those who have contacted you and expressed an interest in your product, and giving those people a way to get off your mailing list, will differentiate you from the millions of e-mail spammers that have given e-mail marketing such a bad name.

5. Take time in creating your subject line for your e-mail marketing campaign. Make sure it doesn't sound "spammy" in any way. Including your name or company name is a possibility, as well as describing the focus of the e-mail. With these new e-mail programs that combat spam, if you use a subject line like, "We've got GREAT news for you!" or "Hi, Friend!," you can expect the e-mail to be deleted without ever making it to your potential customer.

How can you learn effective permission e-mail marketing strategies?

Stephen Mahaney attributes much of his online success to effective permission e-mail marketing. He's even gone so far as to write a course on the subject, which I've personally reviewed. It offers a step-by-step approach on how to create an effective permission e-mail marketing list and how to market to that list. The course even comes packaged with a full version software program for merging each message with the people on your list so they'll each get a personalized e-mail.

So, with Time Magazine pushing the importance of e-mail marketing to the forefront of marketing online, here's information about Stephen's "Business Guide to Permission Email Marketing" course and software: http://www.email-solutions.com/moreinfo/

How effective is permission e-mail marketing?

Traditionally, permission e-mail marketing campaigns result in a significantly higher response rate than traditional direct marketing or other forms of online advertising, such as banner ads. According to FindMoreBuyers.com, the response rate for a typical permission e-mail marketing campaign is 4-12%, where as the response rate for a banner ad is .5-1%. Quite a difference. http://findmorebuyers.com/page.cfm/205

According to Emarketer.com, DoubleClick projects that e-mail marketing budgets will increase by 17.0% in 2002, which is nearly twice the rate of other types of online marketing, which are expected to gain 9.0%. TV, print and radio budgets are all expected to decrease. Not only that, DoubleClick reports that 61% of marketers plan to increase their e-mail marketing budget in 2002.

Forrester Research estimates that the total spending for e-mail marketing services in the United States will reach $2 billion by the end of this year. http://www.emarketer.com/products/report.php ?email_mktg&PHPSESSID=f564eda06be98116905028b857b834c4

So, hit while the iron is hot, and permission e-mail marketing is certainly "hot" right now! Learn how to use it effectively, and then watch those profits increase! http://www.email-solutions.com/moreinfo/

About the Author

Robin Nobles, Director of Training, Academy of Web Specialists, (http://www.academywebspecialists.com) has trained several thousand people in her online search engine marketing courses. She also teaches 4-day hands on search engine marketing workshops in locations across the globe with Search Engine Workshops (http://www.searchengineworkshops.com).


Source : Email Marketing Free answers

3 Simple Tips for Building Your Subscription List

by Jinger Jarrett

Building your list online can be one of the most effective ways of promoting your business online. Once you implement your plan, it will continue to send new subscribers to your list forever.

There are a few obvious things you should do to make sure that you get more subscribers. Here are three of my best tips, and three of the easiest strategies for you to implement in getting subscribers to your ezine.


1. Add your subscription information to all of your pages. You may find this to be obvious. However, many sites I have visited seem to think of their ezines as an afterthought. You have to dig to find out that they have one at all.

By putting your ezine subscription box on all your pages, it won't matter what page your visitors uses to arrive at your site. He/she will always have an opportunity to subscribe to your newsletter. By not having to search to find the subscription information, you are more likely to get the person to subscribe to your ezine.

It certainly doesn't hurt to have a newsletter page with a longer description of your ezine.

Write a compelling description to go with it, offer a valuable premium for subscribing, and you will get more subscribers.

2. Submit to the Ezine Directories. Once you have decided what the subject of your ezine is, and you have created a format, you need to create a sample issue. This should be in HTML.

Once you have your sample issue, you need to write a title and description of your ezine and submit it to the directories. Also, you will want to put a text version of your ezine on autoresponder, as well as have a subscription page link and a subscribe email address.

Once you have all of the elements you need to submit to the directories, put all of this information in a text file so that you can copy and paste as you submit.

The easiest way to find ezine directories to submit to is to search the search engines for the term "ezine directories".

Below is a 14 page tutorial on formatting your ezine, as well as a list of ezine directories you can submit to.

http://www.nowsell.com/ezine-promotion/ezine-directory-1.html

3. Exchange Links with Other Complementary Ezines. There are several things you should know so that you get the most from this technique.

First, you can contact other ezine publishers with complimentary ezines and ask them to swap ads with you. Make sure that you look at the subscriber numbers for the publishers and give the publisher a fair deal in exchange.

You can find ezines to exchange ads with by searching this ezine directory: http://www.jogena.com. I have found this to be the best directory to help you find ezines that accept ads.

You will also want to ask the publisher for a top sponsor ad so that your ezine information will be seen. If you simply exchange ads with an ezine publisher without qualifying your request, you may find your ad buried deep within the ezine, reducing your chances of being seen and getting new subscribers.

There are plenty of ways to promote your ezine. What's important is that you create a plan and stick to it. Get your ezine listed in as many directories as possible, exchange ads with other ezines, and always keep marketing. You'll have a large list of new subscribers before you know it.

About the Author

Want even more high traffic sites to market on? Jinger Jarrett will show you how to market your business online to hundreds of high traffic sites for free. Grab a subscription to her premium ezine for just $5 per month. This is a limited time offer. http://www.smallbusinesshowto.com/Special-Offers.html

Article Submissions - Pointing you in the Right Direction

by Simon Gelfand

All of you who have been thinking of publishing articles probably seem to be noticing a lot more ads showing up when you search Google for article submission sites. So what does this all mean for you?

Well it leaves you the choice of where you wish to submit your article to. Lately new software is out that can let people get an article directory up and running in just a couple of hours and it seems every little fish wants a piece of the action.

So how do you choose the correct article directory for your article submission?

Here are a few tips to get you in the right direction:

Design - You probably are asking yourself why the design of the article directory has anything to do with how good this directory is for you. Well it is, it shows how serious the owners of the site are taking it - the more professional and maintained it looks the longer the site will be online and the more popularity it will gain.

RSS Feeds - Make sure the article directory you are submitting your article to have RSS feeds, this is what is going to be driving the traffic to your website. Many small websites pull the RSS feeds from the bigger sites, usually from certain categories that there site deals in, with this you article will gain even more exposure.

SEO - Check on the directories indexed pages on Google, MSN & Yahoo - why not also check out there rankings for important keywords like "article submissions", "articles directory" or "free articles" - if they are ranking high you can be sure that these sites are getting good exposure and a high traffic volume.

Summary & Keywords - Make sure you can add these when you submit your articles, these are what the search engines will look for the most when caching your article page on the articles directory website.

Guidelines, TOS & Privacy - The website should professionally display all this information, again this is a tell tale sign for a serious article directory or not.

Contact Form - Make sure the website has an online contact form so it will be easy for you to contact them if you require any assistance.

I hope all of this information helps pointing you in the right direction for your article submission needs.

About the Author
Simon Gelfand is the owner of the free articles directory, ArticlesBase.com, a great place for you to submit your article for free exposure.

10 proven ways to breakthrough web traffic!

Here are 10 great ways to boost your web traffic:

1.Consider trading links with other websites. Make sure the website you are trading with has the same subject as your site so that you receive highly targeted traffic. Trading links is so effective because those who come to your site through another site of similar content, are sure to be interested in what you have to offer. Also consider trading banner ads, half page ads and classified ads.

2.Write articles relative to the subject of your website. Include your website link and website information at the beginning and end of each article and then submit them to ezines and websites of the same subject matter as your own website. This way you will receive highly targeted traffic, and if your article is well planned and well written, then you will gain respect from potential customers.

3.Give away a free ebook to everyone who signs up to your ezine or becomes a member of your site. This will act as an incentive for browsers to sign up and become potential customers and will also encourage visitors to tell their friends about the freebie on your site.

4.Start an ezine for your website. This will remind people to come back to your site to check for updates. It will also encourage people to tell their friends. Be sure to have a “tell a friend” link in the ezine, which readers can click to recommend your site.

5.Start a recommendation system, where you give out rewards to those who recommend your site. This will give your current visitors and incentive to tell their friends. People listen to what their friends say and think and so will definitely explore your site.

6.Create your own ebook. The ebook should be on a subject relevant to that of your website. Make sure to include links to your site in the ebook but be sure that readers know what they are clicking on; otherwise they are unlikely to click. State clearly that readers may give your ebook away freely to others. This is a sure-fire form of viral marketing.

7.Participate in forums and discussions on the internet relevant to the subject of your website. Give helpful advice to those who need it and if they are pleased with your help, then they are very likely to visit your site. Make sure you leave your website address and website information at the end of every post.

8.Use traffic generating websites to temporarily boost your traffic. This will gain your site fast, free traffic and will guarantee a steady flow of traffic. Make sure the webpage you advertise stands out immediately for maximum results.

9.Hold a contest or competition on your site. This will bring people to your site if there is a good prize and not only will you gain people’s email addresses, you will also have them returning to your site periodically to check whether the results of the competition are out. You will also gain much targeted traffic if the prize is to do with the subject of your website.

10.Participate in chat room discussions relevant to the subject of your website. If you discuss well and interestingly, while adding your link into the conversation every now and again, then people will go to your website with a very positive impression. They will trust you too, and therefore they are more likely to buy a product from your site.

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For more information on this subject or about making money online go to http://www.info-ebooks.co.uk. 100s of free ebooks and software products are also available at this address.

Feel free to use this article on your website or in your ezine so long as it is not altered or modified in any way.

Thank you for reading

William Johnston

About the Author
William Johnston is owner of http://www.info-ebooks.co.uk

For 100s of free ebooks and software products about making and developing a successful intenet business - Click here

7 Powerful Tips on Creating Good Content for your Website

So what is all the talk about having a lot of "content" on my website? And what is "content" exactly? And how will it help my business grow and prosper? I get these questions from my internet students all of the time. Let me say this…Having a lot of great content is one of the key ingredients to those websites that are successful and profitable.

Once I explain the value of content to my students they almost always chime back with "but I can't write!" Never fear, there is always an answer for the creative mind.

1. Don't Like to Write - Find Those that Do

One of the simplest solutions if you don't like to write is to find those that do.
Where? Elance.com is a good place to start. They have all kinds of writers that write on all subjects. Sign up for an account and post a job. Try to be as specific as possible as to your writing needs. For example, topic, style, word count and so on. You will receive back bids from a numbers of authors. Read what they have to say and read their sample works. A little tip: if you go with the cheapest guy on the block, you will probably get poor work. So it is better to at least go middle of the road in terms of pricing. Expect to pay a minimum of $15 an article for about 400 words or so. Another little tip is to give 2 authors the same project and see which one produces the better work.

2. Press Release - Hear all About It!

There is a fine company called PRWeb.com that will distribute your press releases. It's not free and depending upon what kind of "contribution" you want to make, it will cost anywhere from $10 to $80. The key here is to study their website and learn. A Press release is not a sales letter and they post guidelines and even have a teleconference to let you know how to get the most out of your press release campaign. I highly recommend it. I would recommend doing a $10 press release to get started as a way of walking before you run. The first time I used the service I made a few blunders unknowingly and was glad I hadn't spent the $80! This tool can be invaluable to get your information out to thousands of resources with your website address on it.

3. OPA - Other People's Articles

You can go to any number of article directories and use their articles for FREE. But remember to use the author's resource box at the end of the article or you are violating copyright laws. A resource box has the author's name, small bio and their website address. Go to Google, type in 'Article Directories' and a whole slew of them will appear. I like to go with the better known ones that have quality content. I have all of my articles at tops directories like www.articlecity.com and www.ezinearticles.com. Those are two good resources and of course, there are about two dozen more or so. Most article directories are organized by subject matter or expert authors and you can do your searches quite easily. If you find an author you really enjoy, it would be wise for you to make contact with them. Let them know you would like to be on their update list when they produce new articles.

4. Clubs, Organizations and Trade Magazines

Let's say that you need content for your gardening website that specializes in perennial gardens. There are probably thousands of gardening clubs, organizations and trade magazines that have newsletters or materials you can reprint. Contact them and let them know you are looking for quality articles, newsletters, tips, secrets, ideas on perennial gardens. You might just be surprised how much information they would be willing to share as long as you give them credit for their work and publish their website address in return.

5. Start a Blog - Never-ending content

Try blogspot.com and set up your free blogger on your website. If you don't know how to do it, just get your favorite webmaster to set it up. It isn't that complicated but it can be invaluable. You can get it going by making your own posts. You can share your own information like " 3 Easy ways to keep your gardens bug free this summer" or you may have read something in a magazine that says " Ortho has come out with Zappit bug spray that will keep your gardens beautiful all summer long…I have used it and here is what I found that maybe useful to you." You can comment, question, inform on a blog. Keep your blog useful and people will come to visit and hopefully contribute regularly.

6. Testimonials - Why people should do business with you?

The more testimonials you can get the better. You may have to offer an incentive for people to take the time to write you a testimonial longer than a sentence or two. Let's say you sell custom made cowboy hats. You know people love them because they come back and buy more than one. You could offer an incentive such as "If you love our cowboy hats, we would love to hear about it. When we receive your letter telling us why you love our hats so much, we will send you a coupon for 20% off your next hat purchase." And then you have a testimonials section flooded with letters from your customers. If you can scan them in so people can see the originals, all the better for credibility.

7. Reviews - Your opinion counts!

Let's say you sell high end power tools to the custom furniture builder. You could write reviews on the different products pointing out the positive and negative features. Trade journals in this field probably have reviews of products as well and the companies who manufacture them. You can re-word them to fit accordingly. Or better yet, if you have used the tools, you are skilled enough to let people know what features are great and why they should buy it.

Hopefully, you now understand how to get great content on your site without picking up a pen or pounding away on the keyboard. Our next article will discuss why content is so important and how it can help you with your search engine rankings and ultimately result in sales.


About the Author

Jan Peterson founder of www.goldstarreview.com researches and reviews business opportunities including internet marketing, real estate investing, affiliate marketing, financial investing and more. Over 400 FREE reports available.

Who Else Wants Their Share of Residual Income Without Having To Go MLM?

(or how I increased my monthly revenue while sitting at the beach in Africa…)

By Stephanie Hetu



Last week, I read a very cool case study written by Anik Singal (sorry, can’t give you the link to the case study, it is available only inside his exclusive Affiliate Classroom, which I highly recommend, by the way http://www.membership-site-reviews.com/affiliateclassroom.html ) where he was explaining how last month, while being very sick, he still managed to create a 4800$ RESIDUAL income.

I found his report very cool, because Anik has a way with words, and he was telling exactly what I am trying to teach on my site about promoting or starting a membership site : it is one of the BEST way to create RESIDUAL income online!

I know many people, when they hear the word “residual”, they have a bad taste in their mouth, mostly because they have tried and failed big time in MLM, where they often promise you extremely high residual income but where in fact, only a few people at the top make real money. Been there, done that. I think every single affiliate marketer has been down this road at some point. Why? Because mlm is everywhere, and the recruiting is very heavy online.

But what if I could teach you a way to build REAL residual income? And what if I told you that you DON’T have to buy a starter kit…or to buy expensive products every month?

It is totally doable, and it wont cost you a cent. Let me explain.

………………………..

How to do it : make the best choice

………………………..

There are two types of affiliate programs online : the ones that pay a one-time commission, and the ones that pay a residual commission.

The difference? For the SAME EFFORT, the first option brings in a one-time income, and the second option brings in a MONTHLY income.

Think about it, if you had to choose, which one would you promote? Residual commission affiliate programs, of course!

Let me repeat this, it is extremely important : for the same EFFORT, you get paid EACH MONTH instead of only once!

………………………..

What is the secret?

………………………..

There are no secret… only one very interesting way to create that residual income : membership sites.

Membership sites are not for everyone, of course, but let me show you the two options you have (one for the lazy guy, another for the creative one!)

1. The creative option
If you have a real passion, in a profitable niche, you can create your own membership site. The one thing I hear a lot is “yeah..but people won’t PAY for content, there are so much free stuff online!”. This is absolutely FALSE. Why? Because time is money. Yes, there are tons of free content online, but in it there’s a lot of crappy content too! In our busy world, people are HAPPY to pay to get the real information quickly.

Of course, you have to offer great value for the money, but it is totally possible to create a very successful membership site. Many are doing it right now, and making real big bucks too!

Think about this : let’s say you start a site about info product creation and you decide to charge 27$ per month to your members. Well, once you have 100 members, you will be making 2700$ per MONTH! This is much better then doing 27$ once, when you sell an ebook.

Some will argue that it takes a real big effort to provide fresh new content each month. Let me tell you this : for my own membership site, I don’t do everything myself. Each month I set aside a part of my revenue and reinvest it in the site for fresh content. This way I can pay a few writers and specialists to help me out!

2. The lazy option
If you are not really interested in starting your own membership site, the lazy option is this : promote someone else’s membership site! You see, most membership sites has an affiliate program in place. Why not take advantage of it? The real big difference is that instead of getting paid once, as I mentioned earlier, most membership site affiliate programs pay you a residual monthly commission.

Think about this : if a membership site pays 50% commission to its affiliates, you get exactly the same share of profit then the membership site owner, and all you have to do is promote it!

………………………..

Conclusion

………………………..

By now, you should be convinced that promoting membership sites, or starting your own, is a great way to increase your monthly revenue. Even if finding those membership sites to promote is not easy, it is worth the extra research time!

………………………..

Hey… but what about the beach in Africa?

………………………..

Nearly forgot to mention it. Great headline don’t you think? Just kidding here. Well, it is totally true! I spent 2 weeks in Africa, doing a tour, and I stayed a few nights at a luxury resort on the beach. And while I was there, I did not have to worry about money, because I new that I was making some more even while I was away! Not only my monthly income is insured, it is always growing because my advertising campaigns are on autopilot!

Ok, I can’t guarantee you will make millions of money tomorrow by promoting membership sites, but you should really try it, it’s a lot of fun and you will be very happy you did, a year from now, when you will have a steady monthly income coming in ;)



Your partner in online success,

Stephanie Hetu



Stephanie Hetu has been working on the web as an affiliate since 1999. She owns her own membership site: a niche site offering dog training help to dog owners (with a residual affiliate proram, of course!). Her passion for the subject has led her to create a unique site about… membership sites (!) where she reviews tools to start a your own, and membership sites you can promote.
To receive her membership site reviews, subscribe here (there’s a gift with it!) :
http://www.membership-site-reviews.com/newsletter.html

How To Uncover Profit-Pulling Keywords for Your Pay Per Click

By Kathryn O'Neill


Choosing to bid on the right keywords can be key to your pay per
click success. By choosing the proper keywords - words that your
potential customers would use to search for your product - you
can pre-qualify web traffic and skyrocket your conversion rate.

But how do you choose the right keywords? Here are 3 powerful
tips to uncovering profit-pulling keywords for your pay per
click campaign.

#1) Choose Relevant Keywords

While this SEEMS obvious, you'd be surprised at how many ppc
campaigns bid on unrelated keywords (Their logic might have a
foundation but we just can't see it from a searcher's point of
view).

So for example if you're selling an e-book on how to make money
buying foreclosures, don't bid on keywords related to stock
trading. Yes, these both have 'money' in common but that is a
WIDE net to cast - and a huge waste of your money.

Even when you bid on a keyword - make sure the description not
only fits the keyword but matches what the searcher will find
when they click on your ad. Nothing ticks internet searchers off
more than misleading ads.

You'll not only NOT make the sale - but you'll be making a
non-customer for life, even IF they would have eventually bought
your product.

#2) Choose Lots of Low-Cost Keywords

Unless you're Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, chances are you
can't afford to spend $5.00 on the keyword 'diet'. That's ok,
you don't have to.

Think niche with your keywords and you'll find lots of low-cost
related keywords - sometimes with absolutely no competition.

Now obviously these keywords are low cost because there are not
a lot of searches on them (say 50-100 searches per month). But
if you bid on a LOT of these keywords (say 200-300) that adds up
to a lot of CHEAP traffic over time:

100 searches x 300 keywords = 30,000 searches and possible hits
a month.

How do you find these low-cost keywords?

Use the keyword selection tool provided by most ppc engines to
look up a main keyword. Then start from the bottom up to pick
out related, low volume (less than 1000 searches a month)
keywords.

Also, don't forget to use misspellings. So many people don't bid
on misspellings that you can usually top positions quite cheap.

#3) Use Your Keywords In Your Title or Your Description or Both

Using your keyword in the description can double your click
throughs, which means more interested prospects visiting your
website.

You want the visitor to click on your link, only if they are
really interested. Including your keyword in the title or
description is a great way to weed out the tire-kickers from the
sincere customers.

It reinforces the idea that YOUR website can give them what they
are searching for - a sort of mirroring back what they typed,
which breeds trust and likeability.

So those are several tips to helping you choose the right
keywords for your pay per click campaign. Good luck and may your
traffic (and sales) increase exponentially!

About the author:
Kathryn O'Neill is chief editor for Pay Per Click Advertising

For more pay per click tips, reviews, and ppc savings, visit http://www.payperclick.homestead.com

The Idiot's Step-By-Step Guide To Blogging for Profit

By Daegan Smith

Blogging is easy, blogging is fun. And what's more.it can help
your business in a lot of ways. A blog is a frequent,
chronological publication of personal thoughts and web links in
the cyberspace. You could call it an e-diary where you can
register your thoughts, opinion and comments on anything and
everything under the sun that interests you. Though people had
been 'at it' long before the term blog was coined; it has gained
currency as an effective medium of communicating over the
Internet only recently. The introduction of automated published
software like "Blogger" at www.blogger.com has been instrumental
in blogging success. A blog or a weblog' is conceptually similar
to a website and is accessible to anyone on the Internet.

There are millions of bloggers in the world today blogging away
to glory. But blogging can be more than just chatter in the
cyberspace. It can be a great tool for boosting your online
business's profitability once you've understood how it works and
what are its limitations. Take a look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weblog#Corporate for some more
information.

How to become a Blogger?

The key to learning how to become a blogger is to start
blogging! Easier said than done? Not really. There are several
websites that can give you information on how to be a blogger.
Blogger.com is one of them. You have three options here to
choose from:

-Have a hosted service like Blogger allows you to set up an
account and fire away in a matter of minutes.
-A remotely
installed blog like movabletype allows you to install on a
server for a small fee.
-Desktop blog programs like Radio
Userland are installed on your desktop and then uploaded to a
host. These are usually desktop programmes that include hosting
and upgradation for a certain period of time and charge you a
small fee.
- You can get more information on blogging
resources from http://www.blogroots.com/resources.blog.

Also see: http://www.blogger.com/start

Once you have decided what option you want for setting up your
weblog/ blog you are ready to start blogging. It is that easy.
It could take a while before anyone will notice your little blog
in the corner and take you seriously. But you can cut down this
time with some great ideas at: http://help.blogger.com/

offers some great ideas on increasing your blog's readership.
There is a Chinese saying, " It's a wise man who learns from
others' mistakes". Read others blogs to see what works and what
doesn't, what are their writing styles etc. It's a great way to
teach yourself and fun too.. you are learning on some one else's
expense.

Guidelines for the greenhorn blogger

Here are some simple guidelines for a newbie blogger. Take a
chance with these to increase your chances of success.

1. Get Blogging: Like I said earlier, the best way
   to learn blogging is to start blogging.
2. Recognize your
   motivation: Why are you blogging? What do you hope to
   achieve?
3. Link to other blogs: the best way to
   popularise your blog is to link to other blogs. So link you
   must!
4. Develop a unique style of writing: Developing a
   writing style is an evolutionary process. Try different
   approaches and formats until you find one that fits your
   message, audience, and personal motivations.
5. Express your
   personality... let your humour, your perspective on life,
   and your values shine in your writing.
6. Be regular with
   your posting: readers will quickly wander away from blogs
   that are not updated regularly. So this is very important.

More blogging resources are available at:
(www.lights.com/weblogs)

How to profit from Blogging?

Now that you have understood what a blog is and how to get
blogging, its time to make it pay. Blogging is a great way to
enhance your online company's bottomline. It is a popular and an
easy medium and has potential of reaching millions.

Here are some tips for you to turn blogging into a serious
profitable strategy.

1.Customer Interaction: A blog is a good means to keep in
touch with your customers regularly. You can keep them updated
on new events, happening in your company, new products and
services and other developments. the best part is that you can
do it more cost effectively and in much less time than other
methods like newsletters, customer updates and customer
meetings. The elements of interactivity, community and
collaboration are key here. Your blog can also serve as a
platform for advertising, promotion and even internal
communications. One well-known business example is software
company Macromedia's use of blogging to keep customers updated
on what's happening with its products.

2.Query management: With a blog you can receive and
answer to customer queries more quickly than an email. For
potential customers it is very important to have a sharp
turnaround and you can do that easily with a blog.

3.Link to other sites: Linking your blog to other
similar, but not competing, sites is a great way to get some
free publicity and traffic for your online business. It is also
one big reason why Search Engines will grab your site in their
result pages. Ask any online entrepreneur what getting quality
traffic to a website means and you'll know what I am talking
about.

4.Get Feedback: Getting feedback from your customers on
your products and services, on your company practices and other
things is one of the most valuable resources you can build. With
a blog, it is not just easier but also time saving for customers
to leave feedback for you without filling complicated and mile
long forms.

5.Get Google to work for you: Selling ad space is one of
the most popular revenue streams for online businesses. With
Google's free AdSense service it just got easier
www.google.com/adsense. AdSense allows bloggers to display up to
three content-specific "ad units" (boxes that can hold up to
four ads each) per page. Each time a visitor clicks these ads,
you get paid. Need more convincing?

6.Become an affiliate: Your blog can become a cash cow by
using the simple idea of becoming an affiliate for other
websites. An affiliate basically carries a link to the other
site and each time some one clicks on that link, you get a small
commission for it.

7.Donations: If you are running a blog that people love
to read and keep coming back in hordes, why not ask them for
some monetary appreciation?

Put on your thinking cap and let your imagination run unbridled.
You will surprise yourself with the number of ideas that will
make your blog less of a personal e-diary and more of a digital
cash cow. Blogging is a relatively new marketing arena for
webpreneurs, but has immense possibility and potential. Be sure
to get on to the bandwagon early in the game and reap your
benefits later.

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