Boost Your Traffic with Article Marketing in Twenty Minutes a Day

Article marketing doesn't have to be time intensive. It doesn't have to take ages to take effect either. In fact, with proper outsourcing you can use article marketing to drive herds of traffic to your website in less than twenty minutes a day. Here's how.

==> Doing Your Keyword Research

The keyword research and title writing are the most important parts of the process. By and large it's best to do this yourself. This is what takes up half of the twenty minutes.

Aim for low competition keywords to start with. Yes, you can rank for high competition keywords in the long run, but if you're looking for an instant traffic boost, go for the low-hanging fruit.

Pick out those keywords and write attention-catching titles for them. A reader should feel instantly drawn to the title just by reading it. Remember, it's not just about rankings, it's also about getting people to click on your listing once you're ranked.

==> Find a Quality Writer You Trust

Find one or two quality writers that you can trust. Usually you'll have to go through five or six writers before you can find one or two that are truly stellar.

Make sure they have first class English. Make sure their writing is grammatically correct and has personality. Check it against Copyscape for the first few submissions.

Also pay attention to their response time. How long do they take to reply to emails? Is their work turned in early, on time or a little bit late? Their behavior early in the relationship is a good indicator of what it'll be like working with them in the long run.

Find one or two outsourcers you feel confident outsourcing the article submissions to. Logging into various sites and submitting articles by hand is very time-consuming. An outsourcer will be happy to do it for $1 or $2 apiece.

Alternatively, you can learn to use automated submission software. Unfortunately, most of the top article directories like EzineArticles and GoArticles don't accept automated submissions.

==> Create a Consistent Publishing Schedule

Create a consistent schedule for when you want content published. For example, let's say you want to publish two articles a week.

Create a list of topics and titles for your writer for the month. Make sure any questions about the assignment are answered before they start.

Contact your article publisher and let them know when to expect the articles. You can send them all the articles at once and ask for them to be published twice a week, or just send the articles to them to be published as they come to you.

This whole process will take a week or two to set up. But once it's up and going, something miraculous will happen: you'll get all the benefits of article marketing, while putting in very little time yourself. Just sit back and work on other areas of your business while the article traffic starts coming in.

Email Marketing Is Still King

Today, I'm touching on a hard subject--Email Marketing.  I find it difficult because I hate getting unsolicited emails with offers I have no interest in.  Be that as it may, if we are going to make a go at making money via a blog or website, email marketing is a must.  I'm not going to sell this idea to you alone, instead, I've embedded the following video from AWeber. 

Send Your First Email Newsletter Today - AWeber Communications

Can You Have More Sales, Too?
Helping over 120,000+ businesses like yours raise profits and build customer relationships using AWeber's opt-in email marketing software for over 10 years.

Take a Free Test Drive today!

What makes email marketing effective?

• Email marketing is still the most cost-effective way of promotion
• By consistently offering valuable content, you build loyal followers
• More followers drives repeat traffic through referrals and word-of- mouth
• You can track email data easily and watch your response rates as they climb or fall
• Higher engagement means higher conversion rates that boost your bottom line

Selling EBooks From Your Website or Blog

One way to make money from home is to find a product or products to sell from your online site.  EBooks are a good way to start, because you don't need to control inventory, but you offer information your customer wants.

Ebooks

An eBook is short for Electronic Book, it’s created on a computer and sold digitally to customers.  The eBook does not pass through editors and publishers, so you keep all of the profit.  If you can write and are an expert on something, you can write an eBook and sell it online. An eBook has distinct advantages over a regular book in that you can place hyperlinks into an eBook that will direct customers to websites where you may be selling products relating to that particular eBook. In this way you make money once on your eBook sale and then again when your customers pay you a visit on your website.

You can place Affiliate Links in your book. An Affiliate link is where your customer clicks and is taken to a place like Amazon or another website selling products. When they purchase products from these links, you the author, are given a portion of the sale.

If you enjoy writing, you may wish to try your hand at writing a blog. The subject can be anything of interest to you, and you can place ads targeted to your audience on your blog. When items are bought by your readers through those links, you make money. 

If you don't wish to write, you can also find free eBooks online that you can download and sell.  To get and idea of the type books you can get for resale, click on the following image and download ten eBooks for free.

 

or if you are not comfortable downloading products, send an email to me at infoking3@yahoo.com and I'll send you a free copy of the following eBook:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Secretary Business

Work From Home As a Secretary

Contracting your services in a home secretarial business is a potential venture to explore as you consider options for working from home.  If you don't already have them, following are a few items you will need to make a serious go at this opportunity:

1.  Business License - Business licenses are inexpensive and easy to obtain.  You should be able to do an internet search for your respective state's rules.  

2.  Computer - The choice between a MAC and PC are completely up to you, but you will need a word processor such as Microsoft Word on the system you choose.  You can also download a free word processors at the Open Office.

3.  Other software that will be needed:

    a.  Printer - this is a must have.  If you are just starting out and don't have one, invest in an inexpensive model.   I personally prefer printers that do a variety of tasks such as copying, faxing, and scanning.  You can find an inexpensive model at your local store, order on line from a company like Tiger Direct, or find a cheap model on EBay.  I personally recommend, getting a new printer; that way you have a limited warranty associated with it.     

    b.  Software for creating flyers, business cards, brochures, newsletters, reports, banners, signs & posters, stationary etc.  Print Shop is a good option, but there are many more available.  If you don't know where to start, go to a local Staples or Best Buy and ask the sales representative for recommendations.  Caution - a sales rep may be inclined to steer you toward the more expensive versions.

    c.  Separate Telephone Line - If you are on a limited budget, you can use your cell phone to start, but you will eventually need a second line and a professional sounding voicemail. 

    d.  Business Name - use your imagination, but ensure the name you choose implies what you offer.  I recommend asking friends or family for advice before settling on a name. 

You are ready to start your business, but wait just one minute.  Do you have these basic skills:

    - Organizational skills

    - Good English and Grammar

If you are not organized, this could present a challenge to your aspirations.  If you are unsure of your English and grammar proficiency, there are plenty of programs available that can improve your skills quickly.   You can easily find resources online that help improve your typing skills, and best of all they are free.  One such resource for improving your typing skills is found here.  I found this free resource in the one program I have invested in so far.  If you are interested in more free programs click here to view the program.  Note, the program cost is $49, with a 60 day money back guarantee.  Just about everything in the guide can be had for free, but the time you will invest trying to find the resources is time you could be using to start your business.   I say this, because you are either getting starting or researching how to get started.  The guide will help you get started as soon as possible.   If you don't want to or can't afford investing in the guide, you can find the same information by doing Google and Bing searches. 

Here are some services you could provide to potential clients:  

    - Notary Public 

    - Proofreading and Editing 

    - Resume' Writer

    - Desktop Publishing

4.  Your Potential Clients

    - Business  (Focus on smaller companies in the beginning such as beauty salons, ad agencies, banks, insurance agencies, conventions, fraternities, sororities, etc)

    - Academic Agencies (Type essays, resumes, research, etc)

    - Organizations (Professional, Charitable)

    - General Public

5.  Promoting Your Business

    - Word of mouth 

    - Offer free trial 

    - Flyers

    - Brochures

    - Seek jobs from Temp Agencies

    - Blog or Website

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it should be enough to get you started.  Good luck!!  Let me know how it works out for you.

HOW TO BECOME AN AFFILIATE

HOW TO BECOME AN AFFILIATE

There are numerous companies offering affiliate opportunities.  The key for you will be to identify what products are right for you to sell.  The easiest way to get started is by simply signing up for an account with companies such as Clickbank, Paydotcom, Commission Junction, or LinkShare. The good news is you aren't limited to the companies I just listed.  

Once you become an affiliate, you are responsible for reading and adhering to the policies of the companies you represent.  Companies such as Clickbank and Paydotcom are good starting points for beginners, but they deal mainly in e-products.  If you are not comfortable with the concept of selling e-products than turn your attention elsewhere.  In some cases, simply go to the webpage of a company you wish to sell for to see if they offer and affiliate sign link on their homepage.  

Okay, now you have a product or products to promote, what now?  Promoting the best product in the world means nothing if you can't get traffic to your site.  This is where we come full circle and realize that there are no inexpensive quick fixes to delivering traffic to your webpage.  If you want quality traffic, you need to commit to producing quality content that is of value to your reader.  Once you have the content, follow some of the steps already discussed throughout this blog such as submitting to web directories.

If any of the information I've shared so far proves useful, please share your positive story.  If you feel that I'm missing the mark, share that as well.  I don't claim to be a guru who has unlocked the secret to making thousands of dollars a day via some magical secret, so I am open to discovery. 

USE CAUTION WHEN REPLYING TO TARGETED TRAFFIC OFFERS

Okay everyone, before getting too far ahead on this journey, I want to offer one caution.  Be careful of sites that promise to send targeted traffic to your website or blog.  I'm telling you this out of experience.  Through the years, I've dabbled in a few online companies such as video game sales, novelty items, etc. and in each case, I attempted to purchase packages that promised to send people to my sites and improve the chances of making a sale.

You wouldn't believe me if I told you how much money I've wasted responding to ads such as the following, "Get thousands of people reviewing your website today..."  

The web-traffic companies even offered tracking tools, so I could monitor how much traffic actually came in, but truth be known, I believe most of the traffic was fake (computer coded hits).  I can't prove it, but I do know there are a lot of companies out there making money off of enthusiasm.  They made a good deal off of my enthusiasm!

Now, it is possible to get good targeted traffic from Pay Per Click companies such Google (Google Adsense) or Bing Advertising, but once again, be careful because these techniques can get very expensive, very quickly.  In fact, if you don't manage your budget correctly, you could spend hundreds of dollars in one day and never make a sale.  If you are going to use Pay Per Click Advertising, do your research to ensure you understand how it works.

The reason I'm telling you this, is because some of you will become impatient and want to see results right away.  I know; I did it; I paid for it (literally).  This is why I'm trying to see if it's actually possible to make money online without spending the money you already have.  

So far, affiliate marketing and some of the other opportunities offered in this blog seem like good options.  As far as affiliate marketing goes, just take a look at the coupons and deals I have listed on this blog.  These companies will pay you, if someone clicks on a link you have placed on your site and then makes a purchase.  The deals seem to be outstanding, but I don't really know if you can make a living doing this.  However, I am sure you can make some money.  In fact, just today I was accepted as an affiliate of "Last Minute Travel," so if nothing else, I can save my family and friends money by making these type offers available. The ad below is simply for illustration purposes, but the great thing is all the companies you see on this blog offer numerous ads to choose from.

Okay, just to re-emphasize the original point, be cautious of companies offering thousands of visitors to your website...  In fact, if I actually find one that works, I'll share that information with you in a post (Don't hold your breath).  I think a good test of validity will be found in a company that offers a thousand hits upfront for free (no obligation to purchase more) and if you like the results, you can then opt to purchase more.   Now that I think about it, this might be a good idea for a business (if you can figure out how to offer legitimate traffic).

If the information I'm providing on this blog is helpful, subscribe to the blog and keep an eye out for new deals being added as more and more companies approve me as an affiliate.  

Using Traffic Exchanges To Get Free Traffic

Using Traffic Exchanges To Get Free Traffic Traffic exchanges offer a means for getting traffic to your site for free.  The exchanges receive website input from people all over the world, and in order to receive free traffic, you simply take about 20 to 30 minutes a day to view various websites.  Viewing websites that have joined traffic exchanges is also a great way to see what techniques are being used by other website owners.  Note that in just about all cases, a traffic exchange website will give you the option to upgrade for a fee.  Whether or not you upgrade is totally up to you, but I do recommend you sign up for as many exchanges as possible, in order to increase your website's visibility.  I've listed a few exchanges below.  I've also listed numerous other sites at the bottom of this blog.   Reginald Hairston's Top 10 Traffic Exchanges
1.	StartXchange
2.	VastHits
3.	EasyHits4u
4.	I Love Hits
5.	TopHits4U
6.	Legacyhits
7.	ThumbVu
8.	Tezak Traffic Power
9.	TrafficG
10.	Sweeva

Question:  Have you taken time to explore LinkShare?  As discussed in an earlier post, LinkShare gives you the ability to select from numerous companies for which you can make a commission selling their products.  Example, I signed up with Walmart and 1-800-Flowers, and the best part is that it didn't cost me anything.  If you don't do anything else, I strongly recommend joining LinkShare.

Work From Home in the Affiliate Marketing Business

Affiliate Marketing is a Key Feature To Making Money Online.

For anyone serious about making money online, it is an absolute necessity that you enter into agreements with companies that offer affiliate marketing.  As defined in Wikipedia, "Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's own marketing efforts. The industry has four core players: the merchant (also known as 'retailer' or 'brand'), the network (that contains offers for the affiliate to choose from and also takes care of the payments), the publisher (also known as 'the affiliate'), and the customer. The market has grown in complexity, resulting in the emergence of a secondary tier of players, including affiliate management agencies, super-affiliates and specialized third party vendors…”

Bottomline – if you want to earn money from home while working online, affiliate marketing is a great place to start.  As the affiliate marketing concept gets more and more traction, companies are partnering with companies such as Commission Junction and LinkShare to offer products to prospective affiliates. Although it is possible to find some major companies that will allow you to sign up directly, the large selection of companies such as GoDaddy or Walmart, make it a smart choice to sign up for a free account.  Once you have an account, you apply to the companies of your choice and wait to see if you have been accepted. 

As mentioned, there are literally hundreds of companies you can sign up to do business with, so take your time to find which companies fit your needs.  If you want to see what other companies offer an affiliate network in addition to Linkshare and Commission Junction, you can do a simple Google search.  Be sure to read the fine print.  If it sound to good to be true, it is!  

Good luck.

Blogging Your Way To A Profit

Blogging Your Way To A Profit

It is possible to make money through your blog, but the trick is finding a subject that is interesting to a niche group of readers. Millions upon millions of people search the internet everyday, so the odds of them coming across your blog are slim.  However, don't become discouraged.  Make your focus the love of writing about a specific subject or subjects, and stick to it.  If you do high quality work, your site will slowly begin to gain an audience. 

The key to a successful blog lies in getting readers to visit your site.  Once you get visitors, you can only keep them coming back by providing up to date relevant information.

Blogging should be fun

If you like being creative, blogging is for you.  Think about it, if you spend hours a day on the computer, then why not channel your efforts and provide a site for others to visit.  Once you get a few articles behind you, you will find that creating more is a snap.  Once you get started, work hard to get your blog indexed and ranked.  It is better to focus on one blog and to do it justice, than to work on numerous blogs and fail to provide quality.

The two primary ways to make money on your blogs are as follows:

A. Placing companies links on your blog page so you get paid

The main body of a blog whatever you type your article about the subject you choose. Many successful blogs have chosen one or more of the thousands of companies (over 30,000) they wish to promote. They type a short review on whichever of the company's products or services you discuss. You then direct the reader to the actual company's Web site through your special affiliate promotion links; if the person buys any of the company's products or services, you get paid a commission. Many of the companies we will show you will pay you up to 75% of the purchase price of their product, so in many cases you will make more money on a sale than the company you are promoting. 

B. Place contextual links and get paid for clicks

This is the easiest way to get paid for your blogs. You will place ad links on your blog for other companies through special services such as BidVertiser and Google AdSense Network. These two companies will place ad boxes on your blogs through a special code that will track anytime someone clicks on their ads. Clicks can generate anywhere from .03 cents per click up to $10 per click. 

Bottom-line, get started and don't stop until you reach your goal.  If you are interested in receiving more in-depth training, go to Work From Home Training and select the Blogging curriculum.

Work From Home As A Data Research Participant

Researcher Participant

Anyone can be a data research participant; you don't need a certain level of education to get started, but you will need is a computer and some minimal typing skills.  When you land a job, you will normally fill in an online form supplied by the employer. The online form format can range anywhere from short answer to yes and no questions. 

In order to get a sense for the type research suited for your interest, research companies will try to profile you by asking questions such as, "What type books do you read, What are your hobbies, How often do you go to the movies, Do you follow politics, etc.  If you are serious about receiving research projects, you need to be as thorough as possible when completing your profile.  If you are concerned about how your personal information will be used, make sure you read and understand the research data company's privacy policies. 

The four key demographic data points requested when you sign up to be a data researcher are:  Age, Race, Gender, Occupation.

Age - Age is a critical element because it helps define the types of things you may be interested in as well as what you may not be interested in.  Bottom-line, a 40-year-old male probably has different interest than a 16-year-old female.  In order for market research companies to target what type of surveys to send to you, it is critical that you are honest about your age. When you are chosen to participate in a survey, it is age that will have been the first and most important factor.

Gender - This is also an important factor.  Stereotypes aside, female interest and male interest tend to be different.  In addition, it has been proven that females are normally more willing to participant is data research and therefore receive more research projects than males.  Gentlemen, the market is hungry for your input.

Occupation - Occupation is normally indicative of education levels and critical thinking skills, so it does contribute to the projects being offered.  If you work in a technical field, it's possible to make up to $20 or more for a survey that has a technical focus.  The project surveys normally last about 30 minutes. Afterwards they will analyze your answers and decide whether or not you qualify for other research project surveys in this field. If you don't qualify, you will still get paid for the survey you completed. 

Race - Race is used to help determine what products are being purchased by what race of people.  Believe it or not, purchasing habits can sometimes be predicted based on the race of an individual.  This is not the case in every circumstance, and it should not be implied that using race as a factor is a form of discrimination. The research companies simply use race as another data point for building prediction models.  If done properly, a company can maximize it's profits by targeting / selling the in demand products. 

Research Projects fall into two main categories:  market research surveys and focus groups 

Market Research Surveys - A research project survey tends to center around online research projects that are in the form of a survey questionnaire.  In some cases, you log-in online to access the survey and in other instances, the survey is emailed directly to your inbox.  If you prefer to work solo, this will be your preferred method. 

Focus Groups - A focus group will always consist of a small group selected from a wider population. The goal is to predict the behavior of a population by analyzing the answers of a smaller group.  This is commonly seen during elections when various polls are used to predict how the U.S. population will vote during the national election.  In practice, a focus group ranges from seven to ten people who are picked based on their profile.  Once again, it is extremely important to be honest on your profile.

Focus groups can be conducted in-person or online.  However, if you are reading this, it's safe to assume that you are interested in the online version so you can work from home.  In some cases, you can make up to $100 for participating.  Okay, it’s time to get started.  There are a number of research companies looking for input, and they can be found by doing a Google or Bing search or by clicking this link.   If you need more information, contact me.  Following are a few companies to help you start your search:

Leap Force

Donow Research

On Demand Research

Good luck!