There’s thousands of Internet Marketers out there – and you are one of them. So, here is my question for the day: Who are you?

Because as you can see, when you search through products, people, and services online – mediocrity and conformity is already 99% of everyone else’s day.

Not to sound harsh, but most people just follow what is trending or what is hot, and while that is an awesome way to just make money – regarding a long-term and life purpose – it is not exactly fulfilling, is it?

It is just a means to an end if we think about it that way.

But you probably started online to make money – that is a given.

You also probably wanted to have the flexibility and freedom it brings. IM has great potential to earn a large amount of money in a short amount of time. It’s a great way to learn. Most times, it is easier than your best friend’s 9-5 job, isn’t it?

However, when we skip from one affiliate product to another or try different things aimlessly with no real long-term goal or life design, we are not really building a future for ourselves overall. And as human beings, our long-term goal always stretches beyond money.

In fact, as we get older, it is much more about –

How can I serve and add value?
How can I discover my life’s purpose?
What really makes me happy?
Who am I?

The most difficult part in life is to discover who you really are (you: not the kid of your parents, not the wife of your husband, not the student in school, not what society thinks about you or expects from you, etc.).

Once we go away and discover the answer to that – to what we really want from life, we can then apply our knowledge of who we really are to what we really enjoy doing – and in marketing terms – that can also bring money to the table. That’s where the start is. Trust me: Do what you love and what adds value in your personal opinion –and the money will follow.

Picking a job or service or product is not the first thing to do, not yet anyway.

Discovering yourself is the starting point. There is nothing before that point. The only other thing is what others are and what your position is in THEIR circles – not what is your position in YOUR life. Go away today and make a list.

List all of the things you loved as a child that you have forgotten about and like doing. Then name five strengths you have in business and by nature. Also list five weaknesses. After a while, you will start to see a pattern – things you are good at and what you can offer.

There is a reason you have the set skills you do; you are unique in these delivery skills and traits. Focus on what you LOVE to do and what you are good at and live from that end first before you decide what path to take.

You are here for a reason. Find out what that reason is.

“You did not come into this world; you came out of it. Like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.” – Alan Watts

Someone once asked me when is the best time to launch a product, to start up that new business, to go for something a bit risky or to change strategy.

Is it the market, the timing, the product itself… When, when, when should I start in order for it to be the most effective?

In reply, I always say the same thing: Now. Start now.

And you then reply with the same fear – “But I am not ready…”

I tell you this, no matter who you are, you’ll never be ready. Those who wait for the conditions online to become ideal (and indeed offline in life) tend to never be ready. The fear will hold you back, the procrastination will hold you back, the lack of ‘going for it’ will harm your confidence. It’ll never be enough, it’ll never be just right. And if you’re not sure about it, you’ll be correct because no one will believe in you.

You must strike now and that means you’re not wasting any time. Yes, there are ideal circumstances in which to be successful, of course but the girl or guy who sits back waiting and doesn’t launch or doesn’t take that step forward will be quickly overtaken by the competitor; the one with the courage who knows that they’re not fully ready but is still going ahead with it. Why will it work better than you who is getting everything just right?

Because while they’re out doing these things and failing and getting back up and tweaking, perfecting and indirectly becoming a master of their craft… you’re still waiting for the right time. Practice and determination make the master.

In life, we are always waiting. Sitting back, looking for external guidance on what to do next and exactly how to do it. While this is great, sometimes you have to just do it. Experience is the best teacher – “Will it work?” you ask – “Go and do it, try it out. Right now. Don’t wait for tomorrow because it’s a lesson less tomorrow that you could have learned and incorporated into your wisdom.”

Timing can be perfect sometimes and it can create a lot of luck but not so much as the will and drive you can begin to use now inside of yourself – throwing away that fear of acting on something new. Tell yourself you can be happy now. You can focus on the things that matter now. From this head space of confidence, MONEY FOLLOWS. Always, because in this state of mind – that we are ready to have it all, right now as we are – we become extremely resourceful naturally.

It is us that holds us back. Our fears and inadequate thinking. Our waiting…

Think about why you became an IMer – you clearly wanted freedom from the rat race. You were maybe told to do your exams, don’t party and do well at school- then you’ll be happy. Successful. But then there’s more to do, go to university, get a degree… Oh, then you’ll be happy.

And after four more years, you need a good job and lots of money and if you do, then you’ll be happy. And now you’re working all the time to pay off your house and car and get financially free…when you don’t worry… you’ll be happy.

But now they tell you you’re at that age where all this money means nothing without a partner, so settle down, have a family and then you’ll be happy.

But time to yourself may be more limited now with these new responsibilities, so don’t worry, when you retire and the kids are raised well, then you’ll be happy.

And now you’re old… you might find another theological or philosophical force and even decide that when you die and go to heaven, you’ll be happy then.

Do you realize that when you live a life of ‘If I get this, if I wait for the right time… I’ll be happy’ most of us will spend our whole lives chasing a dream in the FUTURE? Always out of reach…

Happiness is just moments like these. WE can make miracles happen today…

Don’t wait for the right time to take a risk. Every minute is a risk regardless, (we cannot guarantee the future) and so all that exists is what step we can take right now to make our dreams come true.

Do something today – now – that is a step further than what you were yesterday. Lay a brick each day, don’t set out to build the wall… and one day you will have a wall without realizing it. All you had to do was:

Don’t wait. Take action NOW.

When creating article content for your blog, the headline itself can very much make or break your campaign. It has been shown that inbound traffic can be increased by as much as 500% based upon the headline alone. Let’s take a look at six sure-fire ways to attract your audience and keep them reading on.

Keep it Simple

Countless online “experts” claim that creativity is key in capturing an audience. However, let’s keep in mind that most readers and visitors will want to know what it is that they are reading. Cut out the fluff and bring the crux of the article to the table. Consider these two headlines:

“Leveraging the Power of Email in the 21st Century Digital World” “How Your Email Can Generate Massive Amounts of Revenue”

Which one tells you more about the article? It is more than likely that a potential reader will be attracted to the second statement. Technical jargon generally should be supplanted with a more “down-to-earth” feel in order to entice the average reader.

Generate Curiosity

It is always good to have a headline that captures the attention of the visitor. This is particularly effective in blog posts that may revolve around a wide variety of topics. In fact, there is nothing wrong with starting off an article with a question such as:

“Do You Know the Top Ways to Drive in Online Revenue? You Might be Surprised!”

This short headline does two things. First, it causes the reader to begin thinking about the answer to the question put forth. Secondly, it entices them to continue perusing the article to find out what they may be missing. Curiosity is key to engagement and in this case, the title can be just as important as the content.

Numbered Lists

Numbered lists have been used by clickbait sites for a very long time, and for good reason. This type of introduction prepares readers for what is in store (the length of the article, for instance). In other words, you are quantifying what it is that you are offering to the reader. This is one of the reasons why sites such as BuzzFeed are so very popular (even if the information that they present is sometimes common knowledge).

One word of advice should be mentioned. Some numbers work better than others and it is always good to place them in the beginning of the text. For instance:

– 7 Reasons why Obesity Kills
– 10 Advantages of Our Product Over Our Competitor
– The Top 15 Ways to Increase Your ROI with Our Product

Numbers such as 5, 7, 10 and even 20 will work well. Many feel that this has to do with a bit of psychology and the comfort that these known quantities offer (as opposed to a random number such as 19). Finally, discrete numbers tend to signal that the article is put together well.

The Sale

Any headline should begin selling your product or service before the reader gets into the text. In some ways, you can consider this to be the “open” in an average sales pitch. As opposed to merely stating a fact about your service, it is better to tempt the reader into discovering what you are able to offer. Here are the wrong and right ways to accomplish this (assuming that you are marketing a weight loss supplement):

– How to Lose Weight
– 5 Products We (the name of the company) Provide to Help You Lose Weight
The first headline is bland and if punched into a normal search engine, thousands of results will pop up. The second headline attaches your company with an action. As the name of the firm is in the title, this is also a great way to increase SEO and exposure. Place yourself in the shoes of a potential customer and ask what their frustration is and how your company can fix the problem.
Going Viral with an Audience

Should your article go viral and be shared by a massive amount of readers, the positive effects of ROI are obvious. The best way to accomplish this is to know what your target audience needs. Many digital strategists state that this is associated with how novel the article is. While this is indeed true, novelty should never be confused with fancy prose and the use of a thesaurus. Instead, novel signifies simplicity and a clever presentation that is memorable. Although this will naturally revolve around the product that you are promoting, adding a bit of flair into a title can help the entire post or blog go viral.

A Bit of an Ultimatum

Generating interest and inbound traffic can also be caused by a title that reflects a certain amount of finality. Certain “power” words will reflect a confidence within your company and entice the reader to continue to find out what he or she may have been missing. Let us assume that you are marketing a way to make money from home. Some headlines using this approach can include:

– The Top 10 Reasons You’re Not Making Money
– The Ultimate Guide to Making Money Online
– We Guarantee that Our Product Will Make You Money
The underscored words utilized in these titles all signal power, strength and confidence. The chances are high that the reader is looking to enjoy these very same traits.
These six tips should be used in conjunction whenever possible. Not only are headlines important in terms of search engine optimization, but they are just as critical (if not more so) to “hook” a reader, keep him or her interested, and transform this interest into action.

It has been shown in the past few years that social media has a lead-to-close rate that is a full 100% higher than traditional outbound marketing strategies. Engaging with an audience is obviously critical for the success of your business, but many budding entrepreneurs and even some senior marketing analysts are unaware of the best tips and tricks. Let us look at a handful of the most effective and innovative strategies which can help elevate your presence and reputation to the next level.

Interrogative Engagement

In other words, the audience should be engaged with a question in order to produce a response. Let us look at these two examples:

“Recent studies have shown that Facebook is the best social media tool for businesses”.

“What do you think about the recent studies that have pointed out the business prowess of social media?”

The second text is much more likely to generate a response from any visitor or follower. The longer a discussion is kept alive, the higher the chances are of breeding a loyal and responsive fan base. In turn, they are likely to examine the products or services that you are offering.

Quizzes and Polls

Many social media sites give you the ability to create polls and quizzes that members can take. This is a great way to enable a post to go viral while simultaneously curating solid leads for future contact. Let us never forget that in the same respect, such questionnaires are excellent ways to keep your finger on the proverbial pulse of your targeted demographic. By understanding their opinions, you will be able to focus your services around their needs.

The Power of the Video

It has been shown that a massive 65% of individuals will visit the website of a marketer after watching their video found on a social media site. Videos are a great idea for a few reasons. First, many users are more likely to watch (or listen to) a video while out and about as opposed to reading small text on a smartphone. Secondly, videos put a “face to the name” in terms of product and personality. Another novel way to employ videos is to answer popular questions, introduce a new service or even to make a heartfelt apology to a less-than-satisfied client. Modern videos take proactivity to the next level.

The “Secret” Power of Twitter

While Twitter is a great social media portal, it boasts another lesser-known advantage. You may have not been aware that you can become your own “secret shopper” by adding a simple term in the upper search field. Employ the search.twitter.com URL and simply enter in the word “wish” immediately before your service or brand. This associates “wish” with relevant phrases such as “I wish company ABC would bring back their old product from last year.” This is a quick and easy way to scroll through any feedback that you may have received in order of the date that it was originally added.

Speaking of Tweets

There are some who have recently stated that repeat Tweets serve very little purpose. This is only partially true. Those fragments which have generated little feedback or interest should naturally be discarded. However, any Tweets that have received massive responses or engagement should OBVIOUSLY be repeated until their usefulness has run its course. Should you determine that higher clickthrough rates are associated with a particular Tweet, run with it.

Put ROI Aside

No one wants to feel like they are being sold something every time they visit a social media page. Posts such as “buy this” or “take advantage of our latest offer” are now becoming trite and redundant. Simply put, people are becoming much more finicky. It is wise to throw out the self-serving jargon and start real conversations. Find fun and interesting ways to plug your product without putting off your visitors.

Keeping Ahead of the Curve

One of the issues that many marketers encounter is that they simply do not have the time to keep track of numerous platforms. In turn, posts can become stale and not nearly enough attention is devoted to this powerful medium. Much like in any other analytical campaign, use software that enables you to centralize, collate and interpret how things are going. Packages such as Hootsuite are great at cutting down on the clutter and enabling you to determine exactly what it is that you should be doing.

Social media is an ever-evolving organism. So, what worked well yesterday could be outdated tomorrow. These are a few key tips which will help you to focus your efforts in the right place and understand what it is that your audience desires.

Are you stressed by online marketing? The majority of you are, even when earning what could be seen as ‘decent’ money for relatively little work by comparison. But you are still frustrated. Why is this? Why do you want more and why can’t you get it?

There are two very basic and overlooked reasons for this:

1. You are overwhelming yourself with too many tasks and not breaking it down into manageable chunks – therefore giving up altogether on the main goals.

2. You are comparing yourself to the guru ‘ideal’. That is, you are asking – “Why am I not making millions NOW? Like Frank or Bill or Super Marketing man?! They said it was easy and to just follow!’

Let me explain the traps of both these reasons.

Firstly – don’t take too much on. You’ll say to me now – ‘But then I’ll not do it fast enough’. Trust me, if you don’t take it in pieces you can manage, steps that are realistic, you’ll not do it fast enough anyway – because you’ll throw in the towel, get frustrated, say it’s all a big scam and GIVE UP before you know it. If this wasn’t true, there’d be billionaires made online all day, every day.

No one really wants to give up. It’s just they’re not chunking. Nothing can become too hard or too much to do if you just break it down.

For example:

Are you stressed by the idea of running your online business as it stands? Is it a drag? Are you afraid to scale up?

Well, the best way to deal with a stressful situation like this is to break it down into hours. Not days or weeks or your year plan.

Don’t focus on tomorrow or what happened last night, be here in this HOUR.

What do you have to do in just this next hour? Are there any problems in this moment right now?

Stay present. Don’t worry and don’t get caught up in all the things along the line you have to still do to make it work best.

Everything -once you segment- is doable. Easy. It’s the self-created mental overwhelm that harms you. And harms your potential success. Everyone has the exact same resources… You must break it down into chunks.

List the things you can do in this one day, this one evening or morning that will move you a step closer to your goals. That’s it. Even if it’s not much, it’s far more productive than a fruitless frustration that may last the week, achieving nothing.

The second reason, as suggested is – your need to compare your progress with that of the millionaire. The guru.

You must understand that you are making progress. Always. If you’re reading this now, you are making progress. But you will not notice how much you are doing and self-sabotage by accident because you’re too busy asking:

“Why am I not where he is? Why does she earn more money when I’m doing the same thing?”

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have a vision to be like your guru or idol – this is helpful and gives you a future aim. But wouldn’t it be smarter to compare your progress with those around you, your peers… ones that started at the same time as you. Not guys that are full-scale experts on this bandwagon for decades or the ones who have gotten lucky in their timing, approach or product. This is not you. Stop comparing yourself with the stars. It will harm you because you will be blinded to your own progress because you will be constantly frustrated by your level of results compared to the guru’s results.

If you need some healthy competition to keep you going and keep you on target, your best bet is to compare yourself with friends and peers on YOUR LEVEL.

Yes, the guru should always be in your mind but it must be maintained as the vision, the ultimate aim – and not as the crutch that’s holding you back by frustrated comparison with your current progress. This will get you nowhere.

My advice? If you want to beat anyone at the IM game… Beat yourself from yesterday.

Be your own personal best, every day, and one day you will be the “guru” that others aspire toward.

The only way you can fail is to give up. If you don’t give up, you can never fail, and it is only a matter of time before your perseverance pays off. Trust me, it’s true.

For example:

Have you heard of Theodor Seuss Geisel? Or perhaps you’ve heard of Dr. Seuss?

Theodor studied at Dartmouth College and Oxford University because he planned to become a series writer. But the Great Depression saw him working as a cartoonist and advertising illustrator just to get by.

Deciding to launch his writing career with a children’s book, Theodor wrote, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.

Unfortunately the manuscript was rejected 27 times. 27! Imagine going to 27 different publishers and having every single one of them say, “NO!” No doubt you’d want to throw the manuscript out, which is exactly what Theodore planned to do.

As chance would have it, he ran into an old college friend who happened to be working for a children’s publisher. Yes, the book was published, and Dr. Seuss went on to write over 40 books that have sold over 200 million copies. He won Emmy and Peabody Awards and even a Pulitzer Prize.

So what would have happened if Theodore had thrown out his manuscript after his 27th rejection? He wouldn’t have had it to give to his friend. And likely he would have given up and stayed in cartooning and advertising.

Never give up.

One more story…

You’ve probably never heard of Paul Rokich. He was born in Utah, near a sulfur dioxide belching refinery that destroyed everything around it. The place looked awful, so Paul vowed he would bring back the trees that had been destroyed by the sulfur.

But the refinery refused to give him permission to replant the trees. So Paul went off to college to study Botany, where his professor told him nothing would ever grow in such a wasteland.

But Paul didn’t give up. Years later he began sneaking back onto the refinery grounds and planting seedlings week after week. Most of his seedlings died, but he kept planting. Drought killed many, some were destroyed by fire, others were dug up by workers, and most just wouldn’t grow in the poor soil. But then, some of them started to grow. And animals began returning to the area.

Eventually Paul got permission to be on the land. He got machines and a crew to help him, and today the area is 14,000 acres of trees, bushes, plants and wildlife.

Even when things seem impossible and beyond your control, and even when your efforts prove futile time and time again, just keep planting.

Because sooner or later, persistence always pays off.

You’ve got a terrific offer that’s converting at 10% with earnings per click of $1.50. Anyone who mails for you is bound to make money. So why is it when you email potential JV partners, you don’t hear back from them?

Let’s look at it from the perspective of the JV partner. They probably get 2-5 emails a day just like yours. They already have a lot going on. They already have a lot of income coming in. They’re not desperate to mail, but they know if they do they will make money. So they need to get around to it, and they will, but it’s probably not going to be with your product unless you make it super easy for them.

Yes, you’re going to have email swipes in place and everything ready to go, but that’s not exactly what we’re talking about.

When someone gets your JV request, she has to review your product to see if it’s any good. That alone is generally going to take an hour or more. If she likes it, she’ll want to form her own opinion of it so she can tell her list. More time. Then she’s got the whole autoresponder thing to deal with. It’s an investment of time for her, for sure. Frankly, she’d rather be doing something else.

So to help push her in the direction of choosing to do this work for your product, here’s what you can do:

Don’t ask for the promotion because that’s what everyone else does. Instead, let her know you’ve got a ‘ready to go promotion’ for her mailing schedule next week if she hasn’t already filled it.

Provide a swipe email or two with her affiliate link already inserted into it. Provide a review copy. Provide all the details, like: Earnings per click, conversion rate, commission, who has promoted it, etc.

By saying it’s a ready to go promo and giving all the details up front, you are standing apart from every other product owner who is saying, “My product is great and I’m great and you should promote me.”

You’re focusing on what the JV partner needs and wants, and what’s in it for HER, not for you. Yes, it doesn’t seem like a big difference. But like anything else, it’s not just what you have but how you present what you have that can make all the difference.

Are you getting something expensive done for your business? For example, are you having some special software made just for you? That might set you back a couple of thousand dollars, but not if you’re smart.

When you tell your coder what you want, ask him to create a stand alone version that you can sell to others. It might be a blank version with no graphics or banners that you can then sell at a premium rate to other marketers, who can then brand the software and sell it under their own name.

This might cost a little more money up front, but the money you earn on selling the software will likely pay for the whole deal, and maybe even put you in profit.

What if you’re having your lawyer draw up legal forms for your website? Same thing. Ask your lawyer to make generic versions you can then sell to other marketers who can’t afford a lawyer. Make it clear that they need to do their own due diligence, and that you are not offering legal advice.

Anytime you are paying for anything pricey, ask yourself how you can turn the expense into a profit stream. It’s a simple shift in your mindset that can greatly reduce your overhead and even put some extra money in your pocket.

I know a marketer who subscribes to a PLR membership. He gets good stuff, usually video courses that are quite extensive. When he finds a course he likes, he renames it and gets new graphics for it so it looks like it’s his.

So far so normal, right?

But this is where it gets good. Instead of just selling it like you would any other course, he offers it as a personal mentoring course that lasts for 30 or 45 days. And he sells it for $297 to $497, depending on the contents of the course and the duration he chooses for the course length.

Then he simply makes himself available via email and twice a week via Skype to answer any questions. Of course he makes sure he knows the topic well, but anyone who’s been marketing for any length of time will know the basics well enough to do this.

He also limits the number of people who can join to somewhere between 10 and 25, depending again on the course. This creates urgency, and it’s not uncommon for him to completely fill a class. But even if he only sold a couple of mentoring courses, he would still be plenty in profit since his monthly membership is only $49.

The real work is done by the students as they progress through the course. He just answers questions. It’s a great deal for both him and the students, since they are learning by doing and they have someone to go to with questions. And he doesn’t put in much work to make the profit he gets.

If you’ve got a decent amount of Internet Marketing experience yourself, you may consider this for an additional income stream.

What if you were to do the exact same work and put in the exact same effort on your next product, only you made 3 tiny changes and increased your income? Here’s how…

1. Change the commission amount that you offer to affiliates. If you normally give 100% to build your list, try offering just 60 or 70% instead. Surprisingly, your affiliates will often send just as much traffic, but you get to profit as well.

Alternative: Bump the commission up to 100%. If you normally pay 50%, try bumping it up this time instead. Then offer an upsell in which you either split the commission with affiliates, or take it all yourself.

2. Insert referral links into your product. This is old school but it still works. Choose a product or two of your own that fit well with the product you’re selling and talk them up inside your new product. Don’t oversell, just mention how they will help out with whatever it is they do.

Alternative: Add the sales pages for the products as index.html files into your download zip. Or better yet, do both.

3. Place links for other products on your download page. This is prime real estate and a great place to make other offers.

Alternative: Offer your best affiliates a link to their product on your download page if they will promote your product like crazy. This works really, really well at motivating some affiliates. Decide if you want to split the profits from their products with them, or let them keep 100% of the profits.

It is surprising how often simple little tweaks can substantially add to your bottom line. You just have to test things out and see what works best for you – it’s well worth the extra few minutes it takes.