Where can I look for ideas for ads and website header graphics to outsource on Fiverr.com?
Step by step how to get good looking graphics done to drive traffic and present a professional image
Audio Video WordPress Fast Free Plugin
audio video wordpress – Watch this video if you want to learn more about how to get audio video into wordpress fast with a free plugin.
This video is quick and straight to the point about how to actually get audio and video into wordpress fast using a free wordpress plugin.
Check out the entire webinar here, free: http://webinarking.com/audio-video-in-wordpress/
Teaching Young People The Value Of Earning Money With The Affiliate Marketing Model
- Guest Post By Connie Ragen Green
I believe firmly in the concept of teaching the young people in our lives how to earn and manage money from a young age, and have found that affiliate marketing is an excellent way to do this effectively. I’ll share some of my ideas and experiences with you here.
Affiliate marketing is the process of recommending something you have used and benefited from to others, in exchange for a commission when a sale is completed. When I first explained this to my oldest grandson, then aged twelve, he understood it completely, or at least as completely as someone of that age and experience level is able to. We had been in the middle of a conversation regarding how he could earn some money to buy an expensive pair of athletic shoes, and I thought it was time that he was exposed to what I was doing as a part of my online business and to teach him what I was doing.
Teaching Others Reinforces What You Know
Being able to teach someone else what you are learning will expedite your own success and mastery of online marketing, so I knew that if I could teach him how to earn money as an affiliate marketer that would mean that I understood what I was doing on a deeper level. I listened carefully to his questions, as those would be indicative of what others wanted and needed to know and learn when I began teaching affiliate marketing strategies to others the following year.
That was almost six years ago, and I’m proud to report that both he and his younger brother have now embraced the idea of using the affiliate marketing model to earn their own spending money.
Young People are Motivated to Earn Their Own Money
You will find that young people are much more open to learning about making their own money once they encounter a situation where they wish to buy something that the family is unwilling or unable to purchase for them. This could be a new bicycle, a pair of athletic shoes, or a class trip. When my grandson wanted to buy a pair of basketball shoes with a two hundred dollar price tag, he met with resistance from the adults in his life. Once he saw that he could earn the money himself, he was all ears to learn how to do it.
Choose a Niche on a Topic You Know and People are Spending Money On
We worked together to find a niche that would be right for him and settled on an activity he had an interest in, as well as some experience in as a participant. Also, another criterion was that it be something that adults were also involved with and spending money on. I explained to him that we did not want to choose a niche that only catered to teens. Finally, we searched to make sure there were several products, both physical and digital, that could be recommended through an affiliate link in order to properly monetize this endeavor.
Reading, Writing, and Speaking About Your Topic Helps You To Learn More
I started him off with article writing so that he could get the experience of writing about his topic. Then we chose an affiliate product he could recommend in the resource box at the end of the article. Even though the potential was only a few dollars per sale, this was the best way for him to get his feet wet as a new online entrepreneur.
The next step was to have him start a blog on the topic. This required a commitment on his part to write one article to use as a blog post every single week for the next six weeks, and also to find and read several other blogs on his niche topic. I’ve found that the more you read, write, and speak about your niche topic the more you learn. You also want to know as much as possible about the other people who are already prominent experts in your niche. When someone asks you about something and refers to one of these people, it’s best if you have familiarized yourself with their writings and perspectives on the topic. If they are blogging, subscribe to their blog’s feed and start reading it regularly, commenting on their posts whenever it’s appropriate.
We then chose five appropriate affiliate products he could recommend to the people who would be visiting his site. These included physical items such as books and equipment, as well as digital information products.
Keep It Simple and Share Your Thoughts and Experiences
My goal was to keep this as simple as possible, and to teach him about business along the way. This included long discussions of why I believe it is worth the time to build your own business rather than to simply trade your time for money. I also told him I would match what he earned through his online endeavors for the first three months, making it easier for him to reach his financial goal without losing interest.
This boy, the same one who used to sleep with several stuffed animals and who was afraid of the dark, struggled with many things as he got started with his affiliate site, including the writing; staying focused; and the desire to go after every new idea he thought of or heard about. It reminded me of what I went through in the very beginning, and I shared that with him. We laughed, and then he got back to work.
After six weeks he had earned forty-eight dollars. Not a King’s ransom, but enough to whet his appetite for what was possible in the future. And those two hundred dollar shoes? His parents and I chipped in so he could get them, with the promise that he would keep on writing and learning more about becoming a successful entrepreneur, using affiliate marketing as the business model.
Connie Ragen Green is a former classroom teacher and real estate appraiser who left it all behind to come online at the end of 2005. She quickly discovered affiliate marketing and now teaches this online marketing strategy to people around the world.
Check out Connie’s latest $7 report where she reveals how she consistently wins the top prizes in affiliate contests (along with pocketing big commissions too) http://nanacast.com/vp/111007/374903/
Ongoing Paydays – The Recurring Income Model with Affiliate Marketing
Guest Blog Post
-by Connie Ragen Green
When you think about adding affiliate marketing as a part of your business model, you probably think about recommending other people’s products, courses, or services in return for a commission. It is typical to receive anywhere from thirty to fifty percent of the sales price when it comes to digital products. The affiliate model is simple and straightforward in that you promote the product, people buy it, and you are paid your commission four to six weeks later. But have you ever thought about earning ongoing, recurring income from the products and services you recommend?
Recurring income, as an extension of the original affiliate model, makes sense for so many reasons. This revenue can provide you with financial peace of mind; offers increased credibility with your prospects and clients; and allows you to know which of your prospects is serious about being in business for years to come.
Financial Stability and Peace of Mind for You and Your Family
No matter how solid your business is, there will be times when you are not able to keep up with the day to day demands of being an online entrepreneur. Whether this is due to illness within your immediate family, shifts in the economy, or for some other unforeseen situation, there may be long stretches of time where you are not creating and releasing new products and not staying connected with your list through your blog and emails. Or, you may be busy with writing a new book, or with creating a product or another project that demands most of your time. During these periods, receiving regular commission checks from recurring affiliate programs can make a huge difference in your income and overall financial stability.
Finding the Right Recurring Products to Recommend
When I was just getting started with my business, I paid very little attention to recurring affiliate programs. I was earning affiliate income each month and that was what I was focused on building. It wasn’t until I had been online for about two years that I stopped to analyze exactly where my income was coming from. That’s when I became keenly aware of how important it was to include recurring, ongoing products and services in my mix of recommended affiliates.
The programs that work best for my business model include autoresponder services, teleseminar services, hosting, forums, and membership sites run by the people I have known for several years and admire for how well they service their clients. You’ll need to take a close look at your niche to see which ones will be best for your market.
For example, I have been a member of Jim’s program, The Net Reporter, for several years now. I consider Jim and his training to be among the best available anywhere, and love telling others about it. The Net Reporter is a subscription membership program that we pay for by the month, and you can get started with recurring affiliate income by sharing this valuable resource with your circle of influence. If this program is invaluable to you, as it is to me, then it stands to reason that your community would also benefit from being a part of the program.
Look no further than your email inbox and your hard drive to discover the programs and services you are using and paying for by the month or the year. If you are still a member or subscriber, then obviously they are of great benefit to you in your business. These are the ones that make the most sense for you to promote and recommend to others.
Over time you will build up the revenue from these recurring programs so that the payments come in like clockwork. I never take this for granted, however, and continue to share the information of what is working for me with my prospects and clients.
Increased Credibility with Your Prospects and Clients
We are judged by the company we keep, so it makes sense that we will be perceived as more credible when we recommend excellent products and services to our current prospects and clients. By aligning yourself with the top names in your field, you set yourself apart as someone who truly cares about the quality and depth of what you use in your own business. Sharing these resources with others shows them how much you care about their success.
You may want to add a page to your site that discusses the resources you value as a part of your business. Make it clear that you are using your affiliate links to recommend each one so there is never a misunderstanding. I do this by saying that everything I recommend gets my ‘Green Seal of Approval’.
Future Clients and Joint Venture Partners
We all want to do business with the people who have similar values and belief systems as we do. Over time you will see that the people who are also willing to be a part of the same membership sites and subscription services you are involved in are more likely to understand how you are conducting your business. Those with similar training and using the same tools and resources in their own businesses as you are may also be the exact people you will want to reach out to as future clients and joint venture partners.
The relationships I have built over the years are with people with whom I have a similar understanding of business. It just makes sense that we would share our best resources and continue to collaborate on projects where we are all benefitting from the training and ideas of those we have the most respect for as thought leaders in our respective fields. Look for these like-minded individuals as your business continues to grow.
As you can see, recurring income from affiliate marketing can enhance everything you are working towards in your online business. Focus on your affiliate marketing plan to ensure that you reach as many people as possible with the information they need in order to get started with the recurring programs and services you are recommending. If possible, make contact with the people who have signed up through your affiliate link and find out how else you may serve them. Many times you will receive the name and email address of those who have signed up from your recommendation and this is the perfect time to reach out to them in a big way to move forward with your business relationship. Above all else, only recommend the people and the products you are using and benefitting from on a regular basis.
Connie Ragen Green is a former classroom teacher and real estate appraiser who left it all behind to come online at the end of 2005. She quickly discovered affiliate marketing and now teaches this online marketing strategy to people around the world.
If you want to learn more about Connie’s Affiliate Marketing techniques, check out “Affiliate Marketing Secrets Explained” right now!
4 Biggest Mistakes People Make Setting New Year’s Goals
- by Jim Edwards
It’s that time of year again. Time to set those goals and expect that this year will be the best year yet. BUT, for 99% of people, this year will come off just about the same as last year. Maybe a little better… maybe a little worse… UNLESS!
Unless you do some things differently from the very beginning, chances are you’ll get exactly what you got last year. Is it enough? If not, here are the mistakes I see people typically making with their planning for the new year and some helpful hints on how to avoid or bypass those gaffs.
Mistake #1: Too Complicated
There are so many goal setting systems out there it’s scary! So many ways to help you finally set those goals and get what you’ve always wanted this year. They all go something like this. “This year is going to be different! If you’ll just go through this arduous, complicated process that takes up about 200 pages of this book I have to sell you, then you’ll have the perfect set of goals in your hands.” BS!
If you make the process of goal setting too complicated, you won’t set meaningful goals. Heck, you probably won’t even remember why you set the goals in the first place. Keep it simple. Avoid complicated schemes for deciding on and ranking your goals.
The only tools you need are a pen, a piece of paper, and some honest self-assessment.
Mistake #2: Too Many Goals
It’s a fact: you can’t concentrate on more than one thing at a time. I’d rather have a single, overriding goal that I concentrated 100% of my time, energy and effort on for 3 months, than try to go after 10 goals over the course of a year.
With “traditional” goal setting, when you get done setting your 2 major goals for finance, family, physical, self-development, and spiritual (which is exactly what “traditional” goal-setting programs tell you to do), you’ve now got 10 goals to keep track of!
Better Goals are those that involve you taking specific actions that create a “cause and effect” in your life.
For example: Don’t set a goal of becoming more spiritual. Set a goal of praying for 20 minutes every day, going to church every week and reading the Bible every day. Your spirituality will increase as a RESULT of the actions you take.
If you want to lose 50 lbs. this year, don’t define your goal as “losing a pound a week,” but rather set your goal to WALK for 40 minutes every single day (including Saturday and Sunday). By taking the action of walking, you’ll lose the weight as a result.
Mistake #3: Not Offloading Before On Loading
I probably don’t know you personally, but I bet I know something about you. I bet you’re already pretty busy. In fact, I bet you’re busier, more frazzled, and more overwhelmed with life than you have EVER been. I’ll bet you probably feel like there’s not enough time in the day and you’re working harder than you’ve ever worked before in your life.
The problem is, to get different results in your life, you have to do different things – take different actions. You know this, but your first question is “I’m busy. How can I find the time to do something different?”
Answer: STOP doing one thing before starting something else. Just stop.
Every time you want to START doing something new, you must identify something you’re currently doing that you must STOP. If you’ve reached a “saturation” point, as most of us have, this is the only way to proceed.
Mistake #4: Fixing Weakness Instead of Building Strength
It’s a Universal Law: What you think about expands.
Most people take their strengths for granted and want to fix or “overcome” their weaknesses. This applies most in business. People will spend a week trying to create the perfect graphic for their website when they could just pay somebody $5 on Fiverr to make it for them. They’ll spend weeks trying to set up a WordPress blog when they could get it all done (including plugins) for under $100.
Make this your moniker for the coming year: “Improve Your Strengths – Outsource Your Weaknesses!” Print it out and tape it above your computer. This one shift in thinking can revolutionize your work, no matter what you do!
Bottom Line
If you get nothing else from this article take away these four points:
1
. Keep your goal setting process simple.
2. Focus on just a few “action goals” that create the results you want.
3. Never take on something new without letting go of something old.
4. Become EXCELLENT where you’re already “good” or “great” and hire someone else to overcome your weaknesses (especially in business).
By the way, if you enjoyed this article, I’m hosting a VERY special webinar to kick off the new year and you’ll love it! It’s entitled “Lay the Foundation For Your Best Year Yet! – The 4 Pillars of Effective Planning… no matter what your business!” You can get all the details here: http://TheNetReporter.com
Free Kindle Books Daily (12 Days of Christmas)
Jim Edwards here with a quick heads up and a special Holiday Gift (actually 12 of them) for you!
I’ve decided to do a “12 Days of Christmas” program where I GIVE AWAY a different one of my Kindle Books each day, for 12 days in a row.
That means, starting tomorrow (12/12/12), I’ll send you an email each day with the title and link for that day’s ebook you can download for free (for one day only).
Then the next day I’ll send the link to the next book, etc. until we hit Christmas Eve.
Again, that’s 12 books for free over 12 days. By the way, these are the exact SAME books I SELL on Kindle every day… but you’ll get them free.
“What’s the catch?” you ask?
Simple. No catch!
All I ask is that if you like the ebooks, please take a minute to leave me a review right there on Amazon.
It only takes a minute and I could really use the reviews.
Also, if you don’t own a Kindle you can STILL grab these ebooks! Yep, you don’t need a Kindle to grab your free copies. You can view Kindle books on a BUNCH of different devices, including: iPads, iPhones, PCs, MACs, and more.
Grab your Kindle viewer software free, here: http://tinyurl.com/kindlereadersoftware
Talk soon,
Jim
PS – keep your eyes peeled for the first free ebook tomorrow, 12/12/12 
Tips for Lining Up Tour Hosts for Your Virtual Book Tour (Guest Blog Post – D’vorah Lansky)
by D’vorah Lansky, M.Ed.
I’d like to thank Jim for graciously hosting me, as a guest blogger, in celebration of the launch of my newest book, 21 Ways to Launch a Successful Virtual Book Tour.
A virtual book tour is where you travel, from blog to blog, across the Internet. You are featured as a guest blogger and share content with the readers of those blogs. One of the most common questions I receive about virtual book tours is, “how do I find blogs to travel to?” While the task may seem daunting, it really is much easier than you might think.
These types of blogs will attract readers who are likely to be interested in your book. Travelling to blogs that focus on topics not even remotely related to the topic of your book, is not a good use of your time and energy and the owners of those blogs may feel the same way.
The next step is to visit those blogs and decide which ones you’d love to be able to travel to. There are a few things to look for to help you decide. First, make sure that the blog is attractive, up to date, and that it appears that new, fresh content, is being added regularly. Next, verify that the topics discussed on the blog are indeed ones that attract your target audience.
Another way to locate blogs that attract your target audience is to visit blog search engines and perform keyword searches. My four favorite blog search engines and directories are:
When you go to these sites, you can perform keyword searches and then visit the blogs that capture your attention, to make sure they meet your criteria.
Tips for Connecting with Blog Owners
For blog owners that you don’t yet know, you’ll want to spend time on their blog, replying to comments, and becoming part of the community. By doing this you will be demonstrating your expertise on the topic and you will become familiar to the blog owner. These types of relationships take time, but are well worth the effort.
Do You Write as a Guest Blogger?
Are you already writing guest blog posts for blogs that attract your target audience? If not, can you see the value in this type of targeted activity? Scroll down and share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.
This post is being written in honor of a virtual book tour celebrating the publication of my third print book. You can enjoy the festivities by joining us on the tour to 21 blogs, in honor of 21 Ways to Launch a Successful Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to access the virtual book tour schedule as well as a link to the book on Amazon. Thank you and enjoy!
D’vorah offers virtual book tour workshops and courses for authors, entrepreneurs, and virtual professionals. She has taught hundreds of people, across the globe, how to conduct successful virtual book tours. You can purchase her newest book on Amazon at: www.VirtualBookTour21Ways.com/amazon