Saturday, December 27, 2008

How The New Year Brings Your Home Based Business a New List of Resolutions

Are you gonna stay ON track or get off track?

Every week or every several weeks it seems like there is a
new product launch promoted by all the usual suspects.

Nothing wrong with that.

A lot of these products bring fine value to the table. They all
show screen caps of huge amounts of dough brought in during
relatively short time spans.

The implication being that if they can do THAT, the smaller
amount of money you need must be a piece of cake.

That's all well and good.

But before you spend your $1,000 or $2,000, there are a few
things you need to consider:

1. What will happen to the validity of the method once everyone
jumps on the bandwagon? This is a valid concern. Products
that contain seo or ppc tricks are likely to NOT work after
Google hammers down on 'em, as Google seems to love to do.

Anytime anyone figures out how to beat others in getting an
advantage with Google, and widely promotes it, it seems to
break down.

The BEST approach with Google is to seek out Evergreen
strategies and things that aren't widely promoted. I see quite
a few methods promoted where the promoter knows darned
well that after the product launch, it'll fall apart. PPC and
SEO software programs or strategies are particularly vulnerable.

2. Is this method really valid for your normal marketer?
So let's say John Doe made 1 million dollars in a second. All well
and good. But how valid is the method for YOU?

For example, let's say the money was made in a huge product
launch in a niche. That's fine. But do YOU possess the credibility
to go into a niche and do the same thing?

The argument can be made you don't need similar credibility.
But is it true? Or let's say the person is killing it on Google PPC.
But then you later find out they're a super duper whiz with
spreadsheets and have better attention to detail than an
accountant.

Is THIS really gonna be your cup of tea?

If you're good with numbers, go for it. But if you aren't, you
might think twice. There's more than one way to skin a cat as
the old saying goes.

3. Is the product ALL strategy or are the actual technical details
covered? If you can handle the technical details on your own,
then this isn't a big ordeal. But what I see a lot is people buy
products that are all strategy and they aren't given the tools to
actually implement them.

So for example, they may be told to create PDF's, audio and
video and distribute them to affiliates for promotions. But
there are no instructions on how to set up the affiliate program,
create the pdf's, audio and video.

So at the end of the day, you're all EXCITED but NOT
empowered to DO anything. To actually implement it. Sure,
it sounded good. But where are the step-by-step instructions?

4. Does this method REALLY fit with your overall model or
plan? One of the things beginners and even intermediate
marketers seem to have a problem with is choosing and
sticking with ONE game plan.

You can sell affiliate products. Or you can promote CPA offers.
Or you can create and sell your OWN products. But you gotta
pick one model and stick with it.

Some would question that.

But I just don't think a person, especially someone relatively
new to the business can do more than one of these effectively.
You use different methods to promote affiliate programs than
you do CPA lead offers. And it's a different learning curve for
creating and selling your own products.

What often happens is you're on one game plan. But then
everybody and their dog promotes a new, more exciting
method that sounds like a lot EASIER dough.

So then you jump ship.

Until the NEXT easier method comes along. Understand that
the NUMBER of people promoting an offer has nothing to do
with its actual value. It has to do with how skilled a networker
the person is and what their relationships are.

That is, which cliche are they in? Are they in the Cali cliche?
The UK cliche? You know, there are different groups of
marketers who all stick together and promote each others
offers, even if they don't feel it's the best match to their
philosophy or for their list.

Nothing wrong with this. But you as an astute consumer
should know what you're looking at.

5. Can you sort out the different models? There are a few basic
approaches to the online Game:

a. Creating and selling your own info products
b. Selling on ebay
c. Promoting dropship products through seo
d. Promoting Clickbank products through ppc
e. Promoting CPA offers via ppc or paid advertising
f. Pure seo plays
g. Selling plr or reprint rights products
h. Joint venture marketing
i. Product launch plays (part of a)

When offers come out, you need to figure out FIRST which
bucket it belongs in. And ask yourself if that's the bucket
you're working on or specializing in.

Just because a chorus of angels (Internet marketers?) all
swear a product they've never even seen yet is great doesn't
make it the cat's meow. It might be. Could be.

But your own examination and scrutiny is warranted.

If you're doing PPC marketing and it's an seo play, then pass.
If it's a joint venture method that requires you to have your
own products and you're doing affiliate marketing stuff, then
pass.

See, you gotta know what PLAY you're running. You can't run
one play and in the middle of it go, "Oh, wait. This sounds better.

No wait! This grass is greener."

One week marketers are all screaming... PPC to Clickbank!
It rocks. Buy this. So that is one model. The next week it's,
"No wait. My bad. Product launches rock. Do that instead!"
Next week it's, "Affiliate marketing rules! Forget what I said
the last two weeks! Affiliate marketing is what it's ALL about."

This week it's CPA marketing, "OMG -- CPA marketing. It's
the greatest. Go over to my friends site because in 6 weeks
when I do MY launch, I want him to reciprocate a mailing."

The Game and the Dance of product launches, reciprocal emails
and back scratching goes on and on. Not that it's wrong or bad.
Hey, it's business. And there's nothing wrong with it. I
promote on occasion for a few of my friends.

Let's be honest here.

But here's the PROBLEM I got with it. A big problem. You,
as the consumer, are often left scratching your head which
way to go. Now, in my business I teach people how to create
and sell their own info products.

That's dominantly what I do.

And the reasons for that are many. I believe it's the best long
term, evergreen strategy, although it certainly isn't the only
one. But I think of a massive product launch that was made
based on getting top seo positioning and drop shipping
products. Next thing you know Google had changed the rules!

And all of a sudden the chorus was pay-per-click marketing!
So part or all of that learning curve you went through on the
seo was WASTED and now it's a NEW learning curve of PPC!
Which is good for the marketer because it keeps you buying
info products and attending seminars and buying coaching
programs.

But is it good for YOU the consumer?

Product launches are ALL based on something new and
exciting. Because people easily get disenchanted with the
work it takes to create and sell their own products. Or the
work it takes to really do ANY method, frankly.

There is no way to make a lot of dough that doesn't require a
brain or effort. ANY method you use has some sort of Achilles
heel. Something you won't like about it. And you can do well
with about ANY method.

I just like things where you go through the learning curve once,
or as few learning curves as possible and they last. Not that
you'll ever completely avoid learning curves.

What is your MODEL?

That's the question here. And are you going to STICK to
your model when the going gets a little tough? Or are you
going to jump ship to the greener grass on the other side of
the road? Think twice before you do. That's all I'm saying.

Because realize that marketers have a vested interest in selling
you the greener grass on the other side of the road that spawns
new learning curves, seminars and coaching programs.
Nothing wrong with that at all.

But you, as an educated consumer, should know what the
Game is and how to play it for YOUR advantage, not the
marketers.

Marlon Sanders ----------------------------------------

For step-by-step help in stuffing your marketing funnel chock
full and overflowing, check it out NOW!
http://www.promodashboard.com/CD16225

Copyright 2008 Higher Response Marketing Inc.
All rights reserved.

Higher Response Marketing, Inc.
11844 Bandera Rd. #469 Helotes, TX 78023
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I hope Marlon's article helps you in determining the game plan
for your home business. Because strategies and tactics are
constantly changing when it comes to marketing on the internet.

You need FOCUS.

You need an evergreen system to survive

Mentoring For Free has just celebrated it's fourth birthday.
And it still works today, as it did four years ago. With it's FREE
mentoring,coaching, and training evolving into an even better
and more reliable system.

So before you buy into the next big promotional wizbangathing
Get the e-book that started the evolution "Success in 10 Steps".

Your Friend in Success

Gary McElwain
216-539-3553 Anytime
My Success Manual

Being a Mentor with a Servants Heart

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