Marketing With Chris Imamshah

5 Article Writing Tips For Massive Results – Video Narration

October 31, 2008 on 3:27 pm | In Must See | No Comments

This is a link to a video of me narrating this article for you if you’d prefer to listen rather than read.

To Your Success,
Chris

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RSS – “ABCs” For Grown-Ups

October 28, 2008 on 4:59 pm | In Must See | 3 Comments

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is sometimes also referred to as Real-time Simple Syndication. Doesn’t really matter what it stands for, the important thing is that you understand what it is and what it can do for your business.

RSS is technology that allows users to subscribe to be notified of updates from websites that they have an interest in. Life is very hectic these days and people are always looking for ways to save time.

Think of RSS in this way…you have say 10 favorite websites, blogs, news websites etc. You would like to keep up to date on the content at all of these sites but just don’t have the time to visit them every day to get the updates.

You can subscribe to the website’s RSS feed instead and will then get a list of headlines, updated blog posts etc. You can then scan this list at your convenience to see which, if any, of the updates you want or need to read.

Many website owners think that if they have an RSS feed then people will no longer visit their website and if their website is designed to promote links to affiliate products or their own products then they will be losing traffic and this will cause a drop in their sales.

Here is the correct way, however, to think of RSS feeds. RSS feeds actually have the potential to generate more traffic for your website because more people these days are opting to subscribe to RSS feeds as a time saving strategy. So you actually open up your website to a lot more potential visitors by having an RSS feed.

Realize that your regular blog readers or website visitors may still want to visit your site regularly. Using RSS is another way for you to attract more traffic to your site.

Some people also have a resistance to giving their name and email address to unknown people. RSS allows them to subscribe anonymously and not be put on a mailing list.

Many of the big name companies use RSS at their sites for the reasons listed above and since it is free technology it is definitely one that you should include in your marketing arsenal also.

To Your Success,
Chris

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Affiliate Marketing – Affiliates’ Advantages And Disadvantages

October 22, 2008 on 2:23 pm | In Must See | No Comments

Affiliate Marketing is usually the way most new people coming online looking to make money choose as their business method. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which are the ease of getting started as an affiliate. However, with any business there are advantages and disadvantages do for those considering affiliate marketing I would like to focus on the key advantages and disadvantages to be cognizant of.

If you’re in a hurry here is an excellent affiliate marketing guide.

First we will look at the key advantages of becoming an affiliate;

1. No Need To Have A Website - Many affiliates simply send the traffic they generate directly to the merchant’s salespage to generate sales. It is recommended that you get your own website with and opt-in form so that you can build your own list of buyers, but it is not a necessity.

2. With A Limited Budget You Can Get Started – If you chose not to have your own website and only use free methods of driving traffic to your merchants’ salespages then your start up costs are virtually nil. You do not have to create any products, salespages etc. The merchants handle the sales and customer service so you have no worries there.

3. Your Commitment Is Minimal – Since you are not responsible for shipping or delivering products your actual commitment as an affiliate marketer is minimal. You do not have to track sales, products or website hits and conversions.

4. You Choose What You Promote – You can select based on many factors which products you are going to promote for your commissions.

5. Most Affiliate Programs Are Free To Join – You can sign up with only free affiliate programs so there is no cost here either to you.

6. Be Your Own Boss – You get to decide how much time you work each day in your business. No boss to report to or check in with.

Sounds great so far, doesn’t it? Well, not to burst your bubble, but let’s be realistic and understand that there are also disadvantages to becoming an affiliate marketer, and here are the main disadvantages;

1. Driving Traffic – As an affiliate your main focus will be to drive traffic to your merchant’s salespages so that your visitor buys the product and you earn a commission. Driving traffic, especially if you are going with the free methods takes a lot of time. In any business, if you do not have money to invest to jumpstart the business, then usually the alternative is to invest time. So, be prepared to invest to lot of your time to drive traffic to your affiliate promotions.

2. Sharing The Commissions – Obviously with affiliate marketing you will not be earning 100% commissions, other than in rare cases so while you are doing a lot of work getting customers for your merchants you do not get the full benefit of the sale. The ideal is to eventually come up with your own product in which case you can earn 100% from the sale.

3. Unscrupulous Merchants – There have been instance where unscrupulous merchants closed down programs without informing the affiliates and without paying commissions due so you could potentially have put in a lot of work and gained nothing in return..

4. Hijacked Links – There are those online who attempt to hijack your affiliate links and steal your commissions. There are also some, more internet savvy, customers who will try to go around your link directly to the merchant’s website so that you do not get the commission. Awful, but true.

Despite these disadvantages I still think that affiliate marketing is a phenomenal business to get involved with. For your own sake, however, do not think of it as a way to get rich immediately. You have to give it time and build on it with each day you work your business. Wishing you tremendous success in your new venture.

To your Success,
Chris

P.S. Here is the link to the affiliate marketing guide again. It is a video tutorial series on affiliate marketing.

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How to Promote and Market an Affiliate Program

October 21, 2008 on 11:15 am | In Introduction & Welcome, Must See | No Comments

How to Promote and Market an Affiliate Program

Even when dealing with relatively few visitors, affiliate marketing is a viable way of generating revenue. The general principle is that a business rewards affiliates for bringing traffic to their site. An understanding of the basics of running an affiliate marketing program is essential before you set out.

Marketing of your affiliate program is the key to success. Banner ads are popular, of course, but only have limited effectiveness. Ensure banners link to a particular page and product, or to an email contact form. Banners are just one solution, and should not be relied upon for a successful campaign. Give some thought to the way in which banners appear on your site. Text style links, which explain the benefits of the affiliate rather than simply attracting the attention of visitors, may be effective.

Unique, relevant content is one of the most powerful ways of maximizing your program`s potential. Although more time consuming and expensive than other methods, this is likely to pay off in the longer term. When combined with email sign up results can be dramatic. Personal email contact and newsletters are more likely to yield results, ensuring more regular visits to the target site. A relationship is established between the visitor and affiliate, meaning there is a greater element of trust and confidence in the goods and services which they offer.

Sharing a featured product or whole page with an affiliate is one of the best ways to draw traffic to a site. Where an entire page is used, ensure logos from your site and that of your affiliate sit comfortably alongside one another. Focus on just a few products, as excessive choice may confuse the visitor.

Often the most lucrative marketing programs for those running smaller, home-based business are Pay Per Sale. PPS pays a percentage of each sale to the relevant affiliate. This may generate more income than Pay Per Lead (PPL) style programs, although these are becoming popular with merchants, given the expense and variable effectiveness of traditional advertising.

Pay Per Click (PPC) programs also work well, although it is key that affiliates are selling products with a relatively high commission. Very expensive items, however, may cause visitors to begin a comparison, so may not have the same conversion ratio. Finding the right products for your PPC program is essential.

There are a number of ways to recruit, manage and motivate your affiliates. For a complete newcomer, recruiting an experienced affiliate manager may be appropriate. Work on your site, ensuring conversion results are as high as possible, and reward your manager with bonuses. Create a great product, which affiliates are keen to associate with. Use the right software, and join a UK Affiliate Marketing Program, as this puts merchants at ease.

It is vital that you experiment with both the style and content of your affiliate marketing. Ultimately experimentation is the best way to maximize results.

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Introduction To Keyword Research – Video

October 19, 2008 on 2:56 pm | In Must See | No Comments

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How To Create Traffic-Pulling Content

October 18, 2008 on 12:50 pm | In Must See | 1 Comment

When you are trying to think of creating content for your website, stop and think about the websites that you visit frequently and why. What is it that you like about these websites the most? Chances are that the webmaster has certain qualities that come through in the content at the website.

The principles I am going to talk about here I did not come up with myself. I actually learned them from a course I took not too long ago and they make perfect sense which is why I am sharing them with you.

The principles are known as the “4 H’s” of creating unique and interesting content.

1. “Heartfelt” – Be honest when you are writing your content. It definitely comes through and makes your readers become more in tune with you. For example, if you are going to do a product review but have not yourself used the product, then do not do say that you have. In your review simply explain that your review is based on research that you have done on the product.
2. “Human” – Wherever possible, use stories to illustrate your point. People love to hear and read stories. This is part of the reason, too, that TV and now video marketing are so huge in popularity as they tell a story to the viewer.
3. “Helpful” – You always want to add value to your reader’s / viewer’s lives whenever you create any content, whether it be an e-book, a PDF report, a video, blog post or an audio. Try to answer a question they may have.
4. “Humor” – People tend to remember something or somebody who made them laugh so try to incorporate humor into your content as well.

Keep these 4 bullet points in mind while you create your content and I bet you will see tremendous traffic as a result.

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Viral What? Not On MY Computer You Don’t

October 14, 2008 on 8:33 pm | In Must See | 5 Comments

How many of you freaked out when you first heard of viral marketing? How many of you have never heard the term and are reading this thinking you had better in order to protect yourself and your computer? When I first heard of it, I thought it definitely could not be a good thing. I have since learnt very different and would like to put your mind at ease about it also. This post will explain what viral marketing is, how it works an why you should definitely be doing it as part of your overall marketing strategy.

Let me explain viral marketing for you in layman’s terms. You give away a digital product for FREE. It could be your own product or a product that you have purchased the rights to. Let’s use the example of an e-book. You give away this e-book for free. Now in this e-book you have links to websites that would pay you if something is purchased. So the links in the e-book could be to affiliate products that you promote or to your own sales-page if you have one.

This is no get-rich quick scheme and can take quite a while for you to reap the rewards. Still it is a highly effective tool since everyone loves to receive something for free, especially if it provides value to them.

One of the benefits of this strategy, as well as the potential for torrential traffic to your website or affiliate links, is that it helps to brand you on the internet. Your name gets circulated all over the internet and people come to see you as an expert in the niche your e-book pertains to.

The second part of viral marketing that is so effective is that the person who receives your e-book for free, you also give them the rights to distribute the e-book to others whether for free or to sell it if they choose to do so. So you are allowing them to sell something that they received for free. How cool is that?!

Are you beginning to see why they call it viral marketing yet? It’s like the old ad that says “I tell a friend, and they tell a friend and so on and so on”. Very powerful stuff you have to admit.

If your e-book has value then your viral marketing strategy should become highly successful and once that happens you could not stop the tremendous flow of traffic to your websites and affiliate links…and who would want to?! Go Viral !!!

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5 Article Writing Tips For Massive Results

October 13, 2008 on 4:18 pm | In Affiliate Marketing, List Building, Must See, Traffic | 6 Comments

You have made an excellent decision to include article marketing into your traffic generation strategies. Article marketing is one of the best free ways to create exposure for your website and your products or services.

Here are the 5 Article Writing Tips;

1. Keyword Research - Like with anything else in life you need a plan. You need to plan your article to determine what keyword you will be targeting. Each article you write should target one particular keyword or keyphrase as its also known.

2. Be Selective In Choosing Your Topic – You obviously are hoping to drive traffic from your article so you need to do your research to make sure that the topic of your article will be one that people will be interested in reading. You could browse through some article sites to see what the hot topics are. Consider the most frequently asked questions by your target market and try to write articles that answer these questions. You will come across as an expert in your niche and this will drive buyers to your product offerings.

3. Learn Effective Copywriting Skills – There are simple techniques when it comes to copywriting that you should know and incorporate into your articles. One of the biggies is to write your article as though you were face to face with the person. Another is to make sure you write an attractive title (aka headline) for your article that entices someone browsing articles to open yours over others on the same topic. Wherever possible include benefits in your title or use curiosity.

4. Write solid material – Your reputation is at stake with each article you publish. You want to produce quality articles so that you become known for good content and people will tend to search for your other material as well. Make sure that with each article you add value to your reader’s life whether it be a list of tips or answers to frequently asked questions or a how-to guide to doing something they would be interested in.

5. Do Not Write An Epistle - People are very busy these days and have short attention spans. Having said that you should try not to make your articles too long as you will tend to lose your readers before they finish the article and get to your bio box. Ideally you should keep your articles to between 300-450 words and write in simple terms that anyone could understand.

Article marketing works for you long after you have written and published your article so basically you do the work once and reap the rewards forever. Keep writing !

To Your success,
Chris

P.S. If you simply cannot be bothered with writing your own articles you could hire ghost writers to do this for you or use PLR articles. Another great resource is Article Underground where you can get hundreds of top quality articles written for you every month.

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How To Profit From Blogging

October 11, 2008 on 2:31 pm | In Affiliate Marketing, Must See | 5 Comments

You can blog to make money for yourself or to accumulate money for a favorite charity of yours.
There are no hard and fast rules about blogging regarding this. The majority of people who blog do so to make money with their blog. Here are a few ways to make money blogging.

One of the first ways to set your blog up for profits is to incorporate Google AdSense ads into your blog. This is very simple to do. You simply sign up with Google for and AdSense account, go through the different features of their AdSense promotional tools after which you get some html code. You then take this html code and insert it onto your blog. When your visitors click on any of the Google AdSense ads and buy something from the link you earn a commission.

A second way to make money from advertisements on your blog is to actually sell ad space to other businesses. I have seen some blogs where a small ad runs as much as $250 per month. Imagine having 10 of these on your blog and already you are making $2,500 per month. Not too shabby at all. Obviously in order to be able to sell these ads your blog must be receiving traffic otherwise there will be no benefit to your advertisers. This is probably one of the most consistent ways to make money with your blog. Your blog needs to target a specific audience as well so that it is more effective for your advertisers who are targeting the same market to pay you to advertise their products on your blog.

A third and very popular way to make money blogging is to use your blog for Affiliate promotions. You can do this in many ways. One way would be to have links to your affiliate products on your blog. Another way, which is highly effective, is for you to have blog posts that are actual reviews of the affiliate products that you are promoting. People love stories and recommendations from other people, like themselves, when they are looking to buy
something. If you give honest and helpful reviews people will be more likely to click on your affiliate links. You should embed your affiliate links throughout your text in your blog posts ( like this Blogging To The Bank) as this is a much more subtle way of promoting your links and research has proven that this method is the most effective.

As you start out blogging you will most likely use affiliate promotions as your way to make money until you have built up enough targeted traffic to be able to attract outside advertisers.

Another, sort of indirect, way to make money with your blog is by having an opt-in form there for your visitors to sign up for updates or notification from you or for a newsletter if you have one. The standard procedure is to offer a something free to your visitors to entice them to sign up. This can be a free ebook, report, video, or audio. The way you make money with this method is by sending out promotional emails from time to time for your affiliate products or for your own products if you have any, to your list so this is not an immediate method of making money, however, it is how the wealthiest internet marketers make their money so is a solid foundation to build with your blog.

So there you have some ideas of ways to make money blogging. I hope you take these ideas and use them with your blog and develop a very successful blog.

I will give you a link here to a very helpful guide on Blogging that I bought when I was first getting started.

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Must Watch Warren Buffet Interview

October 10, 2008 on 9:09 pm | In Must See | 1 Comment

With all of the tensions, reasonably so, that everyone is experiencing with the global markets tumbling, this interview with Charlie Rose and Warren Buffet is truly revealing and everyone should watch this. It is a pretty long video but has a lot of useful insights into what is happening in the global economy today and many of the major players in the possible fix for this mess we are all in. Hope you watch it all and learn a lot from it.

[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4537231419795681197&ei=mAjwSM_FEpCQqQKD2czfDg&q=warren+buffet[/googlevideo]

To your success,
Chris

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