Archive for the ‘Updates’ Category
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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/
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 
Still stuck chasing “shiny objects”?
Hey, it’s Jim with something I just had to share that recently came in from one of my TNR subscribers.
“Hi Jim. I recently decided (after too many years farting around) to get deadly serious about infomarketing. I realised that EVERYTHING a budding infomarketer could need is available at TNR. In fact, even an experienced infomarketer need look no further to find the tips, tactics and strategies that he/she would need to run an info-business.
I recently attended the GKIC Info-Summit and realised that in many cases, the material in the courses offered up by several of the presenters there, are available for study in TNR at, dare I say, a fraction of the cost. Talk about the proverbial field of diamonds!
You sir are a gem and a god among mere mortals!
Hope to meet you in person one day and say thanks.” -Dwight
I thought you might appreciate this if you’ve been stuck throwing money away chasing one “bright shiny object” but with no real results to show for it…
We repeatedly get raving reviews from long-time subscribers to The Net Reporter (many of them members for over 6 YEARS!)
They tell me TNR is one of the most valuable resources on the web for building a REAL online business, full of true nuts-and-bolts training and push-button EASY tools.
If you’re tired to chasing shiny objects from now on, here’s a listing of the upcoming TNR training schedule that will FINALLY show you EXACTLY how to get REAL results in your online business:
December 2012
TOPIC: “5-Day Kindle Book Process”
DATE: 12/4/2012 7:00 p.m. Eastern
TOPIC: “5-Day Kindle Book Process” Q&A
DATE: 12/20/2012 3:00 p.m. Eastern
January 2013
TOPIC: “2013 Marketing Calendar”
DATE: 1/8/2013 7:00 p.m. Eastern
TOPIC: “2013 Marketing Calendar” Q&A
DATE: 1/24/2013 3:00 p.m. Eastern
February 2013
TOPIC: “iPad Video Secrets”
DATE: 2/14/2013 7:00 p.m. Eastern
TOPIC: “iPad Video Secrets” Q&A
DATE: 2/28/2013 3:00 p.m. Eastern
March 2013
TOPIC: “Building a Sales Funnel”
DATE: 3/12/2013 7:00 p.m. Eastern
TOPIC: “Building a Sales Funnel” Q&A
DATE: 3/21/2013 3:00 p.m. Eastern
April 2013
TOPIC: “Creating Good Content That Sells”
DATE: 4/2/2013 7:00 p.m. Eastern
TOPIC: “Creating Good Content That Sells” Q&A
DATE: 4/18/2013 3:00 p.m. Eastern
May 2013
TOPIC: “How To Create a Killer PowerPoint Presentation in 60 Minutes V2.0?
DATE: 5/7/2013 7:00 p.m. Eastern
TOPIC: “How To Create a Killer PowerPoint Presentation in 60 Minutes V2.0? Q&A
DATE: 5/23/2013 3:00 p.m. Eastern
June 2013
TOPIC: “Online Marketing “Master Checklist”"
DATE: 6/4/2013 7:00 p.m. Eastern
TOPIC: “Online Marketing “Master Checklist”" Q&A
DATE: 6/20/2013 3:00 p.m. Eastern
July 2013
TOPIC: “5 Habits of Today’s Online Millionaires”
DATE: 7/2/2013 7:00 p.m. Eastern
TOPIC: “5 Habits of Today’s Online Millionaires” Q&A
DATE: 7/18/2013 3:00 p.m. Eastern
There’s no mystery here. Take action and get the training and tools you need to make it work for you.
If you’re not already a part of www.TheNetReporter.com, then join us for this kick-butt schedule and finally get what you REALLY need to make 2013 YOUR best year yet!
We’d love to have you join us!
Jim Edwards
Enhance Your Online Course
By Dr. Jeanette Cates
Congratulations! You’ve created your online course and you’re ready to enroll students. But how can you set your course apart from others on the same topic? After all, you want your target market to recognize the value of your course and sign up. And that’s exactly why you add enhancements – most appropriately Learning Enhancements. Because if it doesn’t help the student learn faster and better, there is no point in having it!
So what are some of the best Learning Enhancements you can add to your online course? There are actually five categories that I will give examples for.
Assessments
Believe it or not, people LIKE tests. Not necessarily the timed, pressure tests like the SAT, but rather tests like “Are you the best you can be?” or “Do you make these mistakes?”
People like to see where they are, so assessments are an easy way for them to judge their progress.
Consider using a PRE-assessment and a POST-assessment in your online course. The assessments may actually be the same content, but one is given before they start the module and the other after the module.
Students appreciate saving time with a pre-assessment to discover that they already know the content and can move to the next module. This is particularly important if you teach basic skills in your content area.
Progress Trackers
Like Assessments, progress trackers give students feedback on where they are and how far they have to go. For example, you may use a Start and Finish line graphic and move them along the line as they complete each module.
Or you might use one of the digital trackers that shows each student’s progress as compared with other students. These are generally self-scored so students can track their progress at the end of each section. Many students are motivated by comparing themselves to others or challenging themselves to finish a particular section within a specified time.
Student Interaction
Depending on your topic area and the type of course you are teaching, you may want to add student interaction. But many people hesitate doing this because they think that a forum is the only option.
Instead, consider a simple private Facebook group. Since many online students are already on Facebook, it’s a natural way for them to communicate. It’s also simple for administrative purposes, since it takes no maintenance on your part.
However, remember that this type of group is generally not appropriate for a course with a monthly renewal fee, as you would need to monitor who is a current member and add and delete members as their membership status changes.
Remember – an enhancement is best used when it is easy to administer and adds to the learning.
Support Materials
This is what most people think of when they want to add some extras to their online course. Something as simple as a checklist can make a big difference in both learning and perception of the course.
Keep in mind that your job as the course creator is to create support materials that make it easier to learn and use the course content. So when creating a checklist, only include the critical steps.
In fact, you may have one checklist for learning the process – and a second simplified checklist for doing the process. Consider multiple checklists for the process – one for setup and one for the repetitive tasks that are done more frequently.
Checklists save time and make both learning and doing faster. And students love checklists. They generally feel that if there is a checklist – then it’s a process that is simple enough they can learn it. So include checklists in every online course you teach!
Ongoing Content
Many times students sign up for a course, complete the coursework, then disappear. But you can help them continue to benefit from your course by providing ongoing content.
The easiest way to create ongoing content is by using Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs. These lend themselves to pre-sales materials for the course, as well as during the course – and as ongoing content.
Consider this. A student has finished the course then a few weeks later receives an FAQ from you – either via email or posted to the course site (with an email notice). This FAQ is one that they either forgot to ask when they were actively studying the course or one that they haven’t yet gotten to in their use of the content.
Either way, they either nod and say “Good – I already knew that” or “Wow – great to know!” At the same time they are thinking “Yes, that was a good course. And look – she’s continuing to provide good content. She still cares about me.”
Ongoing content lets you stay in front of the student as the expert you are!
Summary
It’s easy to see that there are many ways you can enhance your current online course. And these enhancements can be added at any time, so take these ideas and get busy on creating your online course.
Naturally these Learning Enhancements are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the possibilities. I provide more than 35 Learning Enhancements – with a checklist, of course – in Design Your Online Course. Even as you sign up, you’ll see two more examples of student interaction enhancements.
~.~.~.~
Dr. Jeanette Cates is an Internet Strategist who works with experts and small business owners who are ready to leverage their expertise into Online Success. As an Instructional Designer, Jeanette was a pioneer in the Online Learning field. Her ability to apply her experience and education to individual situations shows in the variety of case studies included in her premiere course on Online Course Design.
Let Jeanette help you Design Your Online Course!
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