Thursday, December 27, 2012

In An Ideal World...Discovering Your Talents

 In An Ideal World …  
In an ideal world, what would you do for a living? How would you spend your free time? And how much free time would you have?
If the answers to those questions differ from what you’re doing now, I have a special treat for you.
My friend Brian Tracy – Success Expert, Best-Selling Author and Coach – has developed a special gift to help you move toward living your IDEAL life. But first, I want to share with you one of Brian’s favorite quotes from Benjamin Franklin:
"Do you value life? Then waste not time, for that is the stuff of which life is made."
You see, time is the real currency of life. Anything you obtain in life can be valued by how much time you've spent to acquire it.
Only by discovering your innate strengths...by developing them...exploiting them to their highest degree--can you ever fully realize the greatest amount of satisfaction and enjoyment in everything you do
Brian wants to help you discover how to increase your personal "return on energy" as opposed to "return on equity." Your most valuable gift is your ability to think, act and get results.
That’s where his special gift comes in.
"Discovering Your Talents," Brian’s powerful, 12-page special report, outlines precisely how to get the best out of yourself – beginning with deciding what you want to do, what you can do well, and what will produce the highest rewards for your efforts.
Because I’m a friend of Brian’s, he’s authorized me to let you in on this special offer – to get his special report absolutely FREE – no strings attached.
Here’s a taste of what it covers:
  • The definition of “personal strategic planning” and how to use it to produce more, and higher-quality, rewards for yourself
  • The role your personal values play when it comes to creating a plan for getting what you want in life
  • The one goal you MUST have when it comes to your work – and why accomplishing it will ensure you’re always paid well
  • The mindset you must maintain so you can determine your own future and your own fortune
  • 4 Questions to help you increase your return on energy invested (no more wasting time and energy on activities that aren't going to bring you success)
  • The key to a happy and prosperous life (good news: anyone can do it!)
  • And more!
I hope you’ll take a few moments to download and read this report – it has the potential to be the impetus for a new, more fulfilling life – and it’s Brian’s gift to you!
Get it here: Download your free report now. 
To your success,
Feel free to invite your friends to pick up Brian’s special report, but be sure to reserve your copy first, here: Download your free report now.
This report is absolutely FREE. There’s no obligation to buy from Brian, now or in the future. But know that if you do, I’m an affiliate of his and he may float me a commission. Get your special report here: Download your free report now.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Top 5 Reasons to Market with E-mail


Why Email Marketing? Five Great Reasons

by Michelle Keegan,  Constant Contact Email Marketing Expert
Email marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools available to businesses of all types and sizes. No matter how you define success, you can achieve outstanding results with email marketing while investing only a small amount of time and an even smaller amount of money.
"54% of small businesses surveyed rated e-mail as the top online promotion to drive site visitors and customers to their web sites and storefronts." Source: DMA Interactive
"I think over time we'll see small businesses adopting e-mail marketing because it has the inherent advantages of being 'faster, cheaper and easier' to execute. Coupled with the potential to target more precisely than today's solo or shared mailers, there's a real win for the small business owner." Source: Neal Polachek, senior vice president of The Kelsey Group.

So, Why Email Marketing?

  1. It's Inexpensive
    Email marketing is an affordable way to stretch a tight marketing budget - and whose isn't these days? Unlike direct mail, there is virtually no production, materials or postage expense. Email marketing is 20 times more cost effective than direct mail, and can cost as little as fractions of a penny per email.
    "Previously, we were sending these kinds of mailings through first-class postal mail," said Robin Parker, owner of Studio: Dance, Arts & More. "With several hundred members and prospects, that really adds up quickly. Email marketing is much less expensive than sending out postcards or flyers. We save about $4,000 just in materials and postage."
  2. It's Effective
    Email marketing enables you to proactively communicate with your existing customers and prospects instead of passively waiting for them to return to your Web site or storefront. It is a highly effective way to increase sales, drive site or store traffic and develop loyalty.
    • Increasing sales
      "In response to our first campaign, WatchZone received 100 online orders - all from a segment of 15,000 current customers," said Shavi Mahtani, CEO of WatchZone.com, a leading site for fashion and sport watches at discount prices. "The average sale was about $150 per order. We were very happy with that result. Frankly, it exceeded our expectations."
    • Driving traffic
      "The increase in traffic was substantial," said Travis Erickson, controller for GolfBargains.com, online "Pro Shop" for golf enthusiasts. "We've noticed that even if the recipient isn't interested in, say, our golfing irons promotion, they'll think, 'Wow, that's a great price - I wonder what else they have on sale?'"
    • Building Loyalty 
      "We're technically not an e-business," said Robin Parker, owner of Studio: Dance, Arts & More, "but we're using email marketing to capture the names of site visitors so that we can provide them with information, news, and schedules that make their lives easier. That helps us build and retain loyal members. We believe email marketing will increase the lifetime value of our members by encouraging more frequent visits to the studio and strengthening our relationships with our members."
  3. It's Immediate 
    Email marketing generates an immediate response. The call to action is clear: "Click here to take advantage of this offer", or "to learn more about this service". Initial campaign response generally occurs within 48 hours of the time the email campaign is sent.
    "Orders pour in within 24 hours after I send my newsletters," said Emitations.com CEO, Au-Co Mai. "In an economy where most companies are suffering, I can't believe that I'm actually thriving and breaking revenue goals every month."
  4. It's Targeted
    You can easily segment your lists using a variety of criteria or interest groups so that your promotions go to the individuals most likely to respond to your offer.
    "Because many of our customers are collectors, they are only interested in hearing about the newest collectible arrivals," said Lars Mohlin, President, House of Ascot, a mail order gift and collectible business. "While others are looking for promotions, the collectors often dislike receiving mail messages offering discounts. We target email campaigns to our subscribers' opt-in interest categories, this has resulted in a 40%-50% jump in revenue."
  5. It's Easy 
    There are Web-based email marketing products for small and medium businesses. Most include professional HTML templates, list segmentation and targeting capabilities, as well as, automatic tracking and reporting. So, you are free to concentrate on your unique message.
    "This is definitely something a non-techie can do," said Shavi Mahtani, CEO of WatchZone.com. "It took us about 45 minutes - start to finish - to build and compose our e-mail. And each campaign since then has taken less time to set up."
    "I don't need a Webmaster or a technical person to handle my newsletters anymore," said Raphael Baekeland, general manager of Kuartos.com. "My product manager and I can do everything very easily."
    For more information and ideas tailored to you business, contact me or CLICK HERE

Monday, October 15, 2012

Friday, October 5, 2012

In addition to writing sales and marketing e-mail campaigns, I am now also working with Constant Contact to provide a wide range of additional services..
Check it out here E-mail and Social Marketing Services

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Headlines: What You Need To Know in 2012

What You Need to Know About Headlines 
Have you ever wondered why some marketing tactics just don’t seem to work for your business? You sit and watch a competitor’s website grow and business soar and you’re just not quite sure how they do it. After all, aren’t all marketing tactics pretty much the same? The answer is a resounding “NO”! Marketing tactics that work are not about rocket science. They are often very simple concepts but many online marketers fail to recognize them for the value they can bring to a business. Focusing on a business that brings high conversion rates and plenty of sales is a marketer’s dream. But it will only materialize when marketing tactics are successfully deployed. First of all, people want to find a solution to a problem. That’s why they’re searching for a particular product or benefit to begin with. So what do you have to offer? Headlines say it all
 Let’s be clear. Headlines are not just for print anymore. In the online world, when we use the term “headline” it can take many forms. Such as: A blog post title, an article title, an e-mail subject line, a Twitter or Facebook share or others. Anytime you need to get a reader’s attention to be able to persuade them to take the next step, the principals of a good headline come in to play When we are online, we are, by definition, task oriented. We are there to do something and anything that gets in the way of that will be ignored. We also tend to have a short attention span. We are there to do something. We want to find the most relevant answer to my reason for searching. So, don’t wait to tell them what’s in it for them. Tell them right away with your headline. 
Headlines can be one of the most effective marketing tactics you have to offer. The headline should always include a valuable benefit for the customer. Recent studies indicate that users decide whether or not to stay or leave a site within 5 seconds or less. Well-written headlines are critical. Using a headline to grab attention is one of the simplest, yet most effective marketing tactics available. People have a chance to quickly understand why they need to read further than the headline. Instead of clicking away from your site, (or discarding your e-mail, etc) they’ll be clicking through your information to find out more.
 Always follow-up a headline with some other compelling fact or value-added benefit of the product or service. Keep website visitors moving through your content by including one bit of important information after another in every sentence. Don’t use teasers that make them feel they have to keep searching for what’s important but be up-front and direct about the product’s value and benefits with each sentence. 
Market the benefits and value 
The headline is the best place to start marketing the benefits of the product. It’s also the best way to attract search engines that are seeking websites based on keywords used by online users. 
When the headline includes the words that potential customers are most likely to search for, the search engines will reward you by bringing more visitors to your website. Search engine optimized writing has many benefits Facts, statistics, and data that substantiate your claims of value are also important ways to increase the effectiveness of headlines. “48% reduction in costs with X product….” can be a real attention grabber. Don’t hesitate to use data to support your benefit claims. 
Advanced marketing tactics 
Headlines are just the beginning with marketing tactics. There are many more advanced marketing tactics that can make a substantial difference in conversion rates and sales. Knowing and integrating advanced marketing tactics into the overall marketing plan for your website and business can make a huge difference in your profits. Evaluate your current marketing tactics and make necessary adjustments by utilizing advanced tactics to support and grow your business. Time spent preparing effective marketing goals and strategies, supported with effective tactics, is time that will result in higher profits and a thriving business. And always remember – success starts with your headline!

Friday, September 7, 2012

12 Classic Personal Development Books PLUS Bonus

12 Classic Personal Development Books PLUS Bonus 70% off

Here's a package of best-selling personal development books that you can use to start an incomparable success library!
As you know, a first-class library is vital to any achiever's success. After all, it's the physical manifestation of all the ideas, thoughts, insights, views and advice that reinforce a successful attitude and life.
Now's the time for you to start your library, add to your library or help someone else get their library started!
Order this awesome package of 12 classic personal development books right now and get a special bonus! 

How to create a content calendar for your business blog in 5 simple steps

How to create a content calendar for your business blog in 5 simple steps

The A-B-Cs of SEO copywriting | SEO Copywriting

Here's a good one to bookmark...

The A-B-Cs of SEO copywriting | SEO Copywriting

Monday, July 23, 2012

3 Tips to Sell with Your Headlines

Tips For Creating Powerful Headlines That Sell

You have mere seconds to capture a prospect's attention.  One of the single most powerful tools you have to accomplish this task is your headline.  There are several keys to a compelling, and selling, headline and a few tips to help you get the job done. 

#1  Tap into Your Prospects' Emotions

According to psychologists our buying decisions are based first and foremost on our emotions.  Use headlines which offer your readers a strong emotional benefit or reaction.  Some possible emotions are:

For example, The 20-Minute Step that Will Make You a Business Genius taps into readers' desires to feel smart and powerful.

Other emotions you can tap into are a desire to feel:

1. Attractive
2. Sexy
3. Assertive
4. Confident
5. Energetic
6. Pampered
7. A sense of belonging
8. In control of their own destiny
9. Wealthy
10. Proud
11. Respected
12. Safe

#2 Make it Active

To compel it's important to use active language - language that shows movement and commands attention.

For example, "Stop Your Sugar Cravings Today With This Simple Step," is a fine headline however it doesn't command action nor does it really tap into any emotions.  However, "Conquer Your Sugar Cravings With This Simple Step."  Conquer is an active and emotionally powerful word.  Readers receive the benefit of feeling powerful and in control and it commands action.

#3 Let Your Reader Know They're Important

The word YOU is a very powerful word.  It let's your reader's feel as if you're talking to them specifically and interested in solving their problems, issues and helping them achieve their desires.  Instead of using I, Me or We in your headlines, use You.  Using the headline example above compare the two options
"Conquer Your Sugar Cravings With This Simple Step.
"Conquer Sugar Cravings with Our System"

People want to know what's in it for them and when they can assess that information in the headline, they're going to be compelled to continue reading your copy and making a purchase.

Here are three more ideas for powerful headlines:

* Make a promise - Earn $1000 a day
* Make it newsworthy - New program guarantees you'll earn $1000 a day. 
* Ask a question – Do you want to ensure your financial future? 

Three Simple Steps to Write Headlines That Sell

So now you have some ideas about what types of headlines sell, how do you begin to write those powerful headlines?

Step One – Get to know your audience intimately. What are their hopes, dreams, desires, and problems?  Understanding your audience will help you create an emotional and powerful headline directed specifically at your audience.

Step Two – Determine how your products or services are going to make your prospects' lives better or solve their problems.  For example if you sell fitness equipment and your audience struggles with feeling attractive then you can create a headline that highlights a specific benefit your fitness equipment offers to solve that problem.

Step Three – Write ten to twenty, yes twenty, possible headlines.  Not only will this give you practice writing compelling headlines, it'll help you hone in on that perfect headline.  And if you think you have a few winners you can always test them for conversion rates to find out which headline is more effective.

Marketing and copywriting experts consider your headline to be the most import element of any effective marketing piece.  Take the time to craft a compelling, and selling, headline and you'll reap the benefits for years to come.