Google was backed into a corner and the changes were made as a direct result of pressure put on by the FTC.  Pressure specifically brought to bear by David C. Vladeck who was appointed by Barrack Obama to head up the Bureau of Consumer Protection within the FTC. 

One thing to remember is that the FTC approved Google’s acquisition of Double-Click last year which many argued was a clear tossing aside of anti-trust laws in vertical market mergers.  It has appeared that they are far more aware of ramifications born from that controversial decision; seemingly recognizing that it essentially created a big advertising gorilla that didn’t effectively police itself.   So, much like when baseball enjoyed so many HGH induced homeruns while MLB turned a blind eye; the government felt they needed to flex their lawmaking muscle a bit.  With that being the case and with a new sheriff Vladeck in town, the stage was set for some major changes to be made. 

The concern stems from the far-reaching freedom of any company or individual to make any claims based on their product or service they wanted to as long as they had a disclaimer at the bottom of their site.  Such disclaimers would routinely begin with such verbiage as “The claims made on this site do not guarantee that you will experience the same results.   Individual results will vary greatly and in accordance to….”.  The truth is that this does not protect the potential customer and actually allows the advertiser to essentially have a green light to use unverifiable claims – especially when used in business or business opportunity advertising. 

In his first 90 days Vladeck had gone on record as saying that the industry’s attempts to police itself were not good enough and met with industry execs to talk about the issue.  In fact in his first six weeks on the job, he asked Congress for a bigger budget and for a streamlined way to create regulations.  He also stated that he would hire technologists to help analyze online marketers’ tracking.

The end result was the FTC brandishing their big “whooping stick” to put pressure on Google to reign in their biggest moneymaker. Given the fact that approximately 95% of Googles revenue comes from advertising, it says a lot about the leverage they feel they have (ie we made you a Goliath by approving the merger and we can take you out).

So what does that mean to all of us in the advertising community?  Well, if you are advertising a business opportunity that uses large or (what appears to be) unsubstantiated compensation claims, a website template hosted by such a business opportunity without original content you are getting flagged, slapped or suspended all together (aka The Google Slap).  The problem is that there are legitimate companies that are being drastically affected because they are being misidentified as being the same business opportunity animal.  I know of several affiliate marketers that were spending over $100,000 a month on Google Adwords advertising whose accounts are presently suspended altogether.  Ouch!

From what I hear, if it happens to you you’ll find the quality score of your keywords will immediately drop from good or excellent (7+/10) to poor (1/10) due solely to being determined to have low website/landing page quality.  Your ads will then rarely be shown if at all.

Personally, I think Google is taking a hard swing to show they are taking the FTC bullying seriously and then as dad has his back turned, focusing on other troubled children in the business playground, they will then slowly ease off.  But make no mistake, I believe these restrictions are here to stay they just wont be as militant about it.  The famed Google Algorithms will balance out and find a happy medium but still keep out those that might give internet marketing a bad reputation.

The bottom line is that even though I abhor government intrusion, the original motivation was to keep out many of those in our industry who muddy the waters and which my friends, is actually a good thing.  The problem is that it has been poorly executed creating collateral damage.

Those that have been “’flagged or slapped” need to retool their marketing strategy.  If you’ve been drastically affected then you don’t need anyone to tell you that you’ve put too many eggs in the Google Adwords basket.  You have to diversify your marketing methods!  They must also closely examine their site content, where the site forwards too, who hosts it (ie web templates provided by their business opportunity).  This will force many to rethink their business relationships and chosen business opportunities, especially if it is MLM or Network Marketing in nature.  

Change ALWAYS presents opportunity.  If you can retool, regroup and adapt you will be positioned properly to capitalize on that opportunity because unfortunately most become discouraged, lose heart and do not. For ideas on diversifying your advertising strategies, review my article “Hit Your Target When Advertising Your Business Online”.  There you’ll find 11 options available for you to take advantage of that will allow you to better diversify your marketing strategy. 

Written by:

Patrick Daugherty

The Biz Coach

www.Learn2earnitnow.biz

Over the past several years the number of entrepreneurs who have launched small and home based businesses have continued to increase at an astonishing rate.  With the first year failure rate for these businesses still hovering between 85-90% I have felt compelled to share the knowledge and information that I have been fortunate enough to acrue over the last 15 years on a larger scale.  

The Biz Coach Blog & Learn2Earn-Forum  are a great opportunity for me to do just that.  That my friends is the driving force behind the creation of this blog.  Because this blog is intended to be a resource for all it will not be a site where opportunties are trashed by others because you dont like the taste of their Kool-Aid. 

I purely want to educate, support and foster the creation of strategic partnerships for all, on our collective journey.  Let’s face it, we all want the same thing . If you would like to know more about me you can view my blog mission or visit http://Learn2earnitnow.biz :

R. Patrick Daugherty

The Biz Coach

Taming Your Viking To Achieve High-Effort Consistency

What has been your plan to stay motivated when negative situations or low-priority distractions occur? How do you avoid giving up after some of your revenue generating activity (phone calls, emails, marketing efficiency etc) has not shown you the expected return on your effort investment? Do you find that your daily activity is more like a plodding long-distance marathon rather than a series of controlled sprints?  By the end of this exercise you will be equipped to create an action plan based on an internal character study that will not only allow you to answer these questions but when executed, has been proven to increase productivity.
We need to understand that our business personalities are made up of two major driving forces. It has been said that the first part of our make-up is responsible for our intelligent and cerebral qualities. The draw back is that this quality alone is considered weak when it comes to executing the action plan it was responsible for creating. It carries no passion, drive or any of your competitive “win at all cost” mentality.
On the other side of the spectrum the second part of our make-up actually is entrusted with carrying-out the initiatives derived by the other component. It is responsible for our passion, competitiveness and desire to divide and conquer as we take on any challenges we face along the way. It’s probably the driving force behind why we became business owners in the first place. Unfortunately it also desires immediate gratification and is stronger at imposing its will on the other. This dominant side has been likened to the Viking leader “Thor” who according to historic folk lore would conquer, destroy and pillage while having little patience for self sacrificed or delayed gratification.
The problem is that as entrepreneurs our “Thor” side is very strong and tends to dominate our more responsible, less impulsive, disciplined side of our behavior. When its sunny and 82 and you’ve hit challenges that have prevented you from accomplishing any of the goals we laid out the evening before your “Thor” side asks you how long you’re going to subject yourself to this and wants you to do some strategy planning – at the golf course. He will begin sabotaging your efforts causing you to speak with less energy and give up quicker because your “Thor” side wants to do something more rewarding and fun. When you’ve accomplished what you set out to do for the day by 2:00 Thor wants to lay back and relax or do more enjoyable tasks rather than those that require more effort. When it’s Friday morning and you’ve had you’ve above average week, Thor justifies emotionally checking out instead of getting on the phone and working to get a leg up for next week.

We’ve all been there, but how do we tame that adolescent driver of our success? We tame him by getting him to work for our intellectual side.
Thor wants gratification so we give him gratification…….but not until after we accomplish something that we need his strong competitive nature to drive us to achieve. That’s right, we use the weaknesses in his nature against him, holding him hostage until he gives us what we want! In fact the rewards really don’t have to be large at all!

Here is a perfect example from a company who’s sales force I was working with to increase their productivity. After going through my training on this topic I began working with a young sales rep that had recently experienced the birth of his first baby girl. He loved to get home and spend time with his wife and beautiful child but found that it became increasingly more difficult to concentrate in the sales field. His Viking was sabotaging him. Sometimes he would just give in, go home early and spend the rest of the day with them. It did not take very long before he realized that giving into this urge was financially hurting his family in the long run. So after our conversation he came up with his plan. He knew that his “Thor” side wanted to spend time at home so every morning on his way to work, he would set his expectation for the day. He would tell his Thor side “All right, do you want to go home? Fine then all you have to do is make sales 10 presentations today and you get to go home! If we do 3 by 10:00 I’ll reward myself with a Coke. If I get 6 I can grab an early lunch.” Inside he could hear his Thor side say “Well then stop talking and let’s go!” This was actually behind his success as he rose to become the #1 sales representative for three years straight in a company with over 400 sales reps!
For you , it might be an energy drink after 20 phone calls or taking a short 15 minute break once you’ve sent out a certain number of marketing emails or identified a specific number of customers. What ever it is, find it and use it against the immediate gratification tyrant wearing the “corny horned helmet” inside you to get that competitive, driven part of you to work “for” you not “against” you. Remember, your ultimate goal is to have a focused sprint like a person possessed until you achieve a predetermined measurable outcome you desire. At first you will probably have to reward yourself at smaller intervals such as every 30 minutes or so primarily because your undisciplined “Thor” is not used to waiting or having to run that fast (after all he does carry a heavy hammer). Eventually you will be able to push out your reward increments to reflect hourly and daily benchmarks.
Taming Your Viking To Achieve High-Effort Consistency

So first determine your focus, set your daily processes. Then determine what that reward driven Viking inside you desires greatly, place it just outside his reach and go conquer your long-term goal! You’ll find that you’ll work harder than you ever have for a series of sprints in order to reach the reward rather than treating the day like it’s a slow paced marathon. Give it a try this week!

Written by:
R. Patrick Daugherty
The Biz Coach

For more information on Patrick feel free to view his Blog Bio and visit: http://learn2earnitnow.biz

Create Your Own Recovery Plan… Bail Yourself Out!

We’ve all heard the headlines about our healthcare system and how those in government have evaluated the vital signs of its effectiveness during this recession.  Whether you agree with the proposed solutions being tossed around in Washington or not, the function of conducting such an evaluation on the health of your business productivity will have a greater impact on your own recovery than any law that’s passed in Congress. 

The success and failure of practically every small and home based business can be traced back to the health of the daily and weekly revenue generating activity.  Unfortunately, all too often we settle into a rut, which sends our personal economic picture into a tailspin.

Goal Fixation Is Unproductive

That’s right, I just said that (or rather wrote it) but more often than not, goals are errantly placed into the “action step” category, which they are not.  They are instead desired outcomes or results.  They are also typically reviewed and obsessed upon far too often causing one to over evaluate results. 

It’s akin to planting a seed and looking at it 3 times a day to see if it sprouts.  After a week or so you become increasingly disparaged, wondering if you had done something wrong.  Could you have chosen the wrong seed?  All the while it had never occurred to you to plan on the action of watering it.  This is how many novice business owners are with their business goals and its one of the greatest causes of business owner de-motivation. 

Make no mistake, both short and long term goals need to be made, however, goals WILL NOT get you where you want to go.  They are a destination.  Goal fixation is typically a result of being told to make goals, but not being taught how to effectively plan to reach them. 

Contrary to those that say you must look at your goals everyday, in my experience, goals need to be made, documented and then put away.  They are to be brought out as yard sticks only every 4-6 weeks.  Otherwise the tendency is to use them to beat yourself over the head with because your unwatered plant has not grown to your expectation.

It’s All About The A+B

I am a firm believer that results cannot be your focus because they are eventual outcomes that are born from doing the right things consistently (i.e. your activity).  The daily plan or formula must be your constant passion rather than goal fixation, for it is only that formula which ensures the desired goals will become a reality

The formula that I’ve taught for years is HE + SP = DR.  Simply put, only your High Effort applied to a Structured Plan will produce your Desired Results.  It all starts with a structured plan of those activities you feel are most important for you to get the highest return on the time and energy you invest.  The plan can be fluid and altered from one day to the next but its very important that it is solidified at the end of the day prior for the following day. 

I cannot stress how important this step is because it naturally forces you to wakeup with a purpose knowing exactly what you need to accomplish that day.  The plan is then implemented with your high-effort, which I believe is the “high-octane fuel” that makes your business engine accelerate. 

Master The Unnatural

One observance that I have found interesting is that most high-effort individuals are undisciplined planners while most effective planners have the natural “tortoise-like” implementation pace of their masterful plan.  The most successful entrepreneurs are those who naturally excel at one of the two traits but have painstakingly trained themselves to become proficient at the other.  They in effect have acquired the ability to have a one-two punch by doing what was not natural until it became natural.  They lived one of my favorite mantras, which is: “Do one thing everyday that you fear”.

Conclusion

It is practically impossible to fail if a reasonably well-constructed plan is met with daily high effort. If end results are your focus then at the end of the day you are actually demoralized because you feel that you have not accomplished a thing today.  It’s very easy to pave a mile of road and feel that you’re wasting your time until you reach an intersection that brings you immediate traffic. 

The truth is that you should feel you’ve accomplished much because you’ve completed all the prioritized activities that you planned for the day.   You’ve paved your mile of road.  Be assured that you cannot continue to add a mile of road without achieving success even if it is months down the road. 

So instead of waiting for a bail out – bail yourself out by becoming obsessed with planning the day prior and pouring your High Effort fuel into that Structured Plan.  Be content with knowing the fact that one-mile of paved road is guaranteed to bring you closer to the business goals you’ve set. 

Even though goals should not be your focus, they can and should be your celebrated end result.  When your paved road reaches a goal destination, you deserve to become momentarily obsessed with basking in successfully achieving the milestone.  After realizing soon after that you are not yet satisfied, recalibrate for the next destination and reapply the formula that got you there.

Written By:
Patrick Daugherty
The Biz Coach

Owner of:  http://learn2earnitnow.biz

Evaluate The Vehicle Your Driving For Success.

How do you know whether you’re presently driving (or considering) a business vehicle that has the horsepower to take you where you want to go?  As a direct result of the economic cycle, there have never been more business opportunities available, touting their ability for you to finally earn what you feel you are worth.  How do you know if it’s the right fit?  How do you know if you’re being sold a bunch of empty promises and when is the right time to trade up if you realize you’ve got an old jalopy? How does anyone know if they’ve paid cash for clunkers?

“Rigga-Rigga-Rigga Tink-Tink-Tink.” What’s Wrong With My Car?

Let me start by saying that if you have been in your current business opportunity for at least 6 months, you should definitely know for certain if the business vehicle will take you to your desired monetary destination.  If you don’t, then from my experience, you already know what you should do. I am asked that question often by those that have come to believe their opportunity engine is a “money gas-guzzler” with little hope of delivering on the promises that were sold to them.  My advice is that you basically have two choices: either “cut bait” and use what you’ve learned to find a new business vehicle or continue to do the same thing you’ve done for several months and expect a different result, pouring money and effort into an engine that has 2 sparkplugs and 4 flat tires. 

You’re Destination Is Paramount.  The Clunker Can Be Traded.

Keep in mind that the map you hold is the key.   That is, the course you’ve charted in your mind as a result of your entrepreneurial spirit, the burning desire to use your natural skills and abilities to reach your monetary goals.  I’m referring to your passion to want something more and to demand a better life for yourself.  My point is, don’t sacrifice your dream that you’ve mapped out just because you chose the wrong car.  The vehicle that you thought could take you there needs to be discarded as soon as you realize that it’s a lemon.   Just make the commitment to take what you’ve learned and apply it to finding a strong business model that will.  Also know that every successful entrepreneur has done just that at least twice so whatever you do, don’t let the clunker kill your business aspirations. 

If the business model is broken, take note of how you’d fix it and then use that to evaluate other opportunities.  But whatever you do don’t wait until you are bankrupt before you make that decision or you’ll have to give up on your entrepreneurial aspirations all together.  I just hate hearing about an effort-driven, committed individual who realized too late that they strapped on the seat belt and never got out till they were left stranded in a barren stretch of road demoralized and in financial ruin.  Believe me, I was there 12 years ago and I know how it feels. 

I also know of many who felt their business engine should just run by itself or expected others to pour effort into the gas tank.  High effort is what makes any business engine run.  If you’re not filling your tank with high effort fuel then don’t blame the business opportunity because that’s your responsibility.

What Should I look For In A New Vehicle?

For anyone who is searching for a business opportunity you need to stop doing so if you haven’t written a description down of what you are looking for prior to your search.  You will begin to set the parameters of a business that will meet your needs if you answer some questions first before you “emotionally” become swayed.  It’s much like buying a house in that respect.

How much time do you have to devote to the new venture presently?  How much initial start up capital do you have to invest?  Where are your interests?  Do you desire to be product based or service based? What are your strengths and how do you want to use them?  What is your short and long term goals for the business vehicle you wish to purchase?  All these questions are incredibly important to ensure a potentially good fit.

Buy Your New Car – Avoiding The Lemons

As you start your investigation it is also important that you evaluate the way in which the information is being conveyed to you.  You want to get past all the eye-candy and flowery salesmanship to take a hard look under the hood.  Does the engine have any guts?  Do they have a highly technical back office operation that provides strong support?  What is their “go to market” strategy?  What is their strategy for customer/lead acquisition? 

I always want to gain information from all angles even unreliable ones and recommend looking up the business name followed by the key word “scam” and see if there are any reports poking holes in the business that “ARE NOT” from competing business opportunities.  This will at the very least allow you to ask intelligent questions that deserve an answer.  All information is good information but take a sober look now because the next time you gather information might be 6-8 months down the line when you’ve learned about the broken promises the hard way. 

Finally, you need to determine if you are being encouraged to conduct your due-diligence or is your “tour guide” constantly selling you like he’s a used car salesman.  Most of us love getting excited about making money but the monetary claims and pictures of them in front of their home, car or yacht only serve to make me suspicious if it’s the primary focus. 

I get excited about strategies that can be duplicated, a system that will get me up to speed quickly and allow me to passionately plug in what I feel are my strengths to convert my effort into income.  I need to see a legitimate “cutting edge” business strategy where I can confidently know that when I pour my “high octane effort” into that tank the engine is going to take me where I want to go.  I want to see a proven business mechanism where I can earn while I learn and build my business foundation and competency.  

You not only need to find a vehicle with these characteristics for your benefit.  You need them so that you can build your organization with a clear conscience.  You want an opportunity that naturally motivates you to passionately promote it.  Otherwise, you can drink all the company kool-aid you want to, but you’ll end up sounding just like a used car salesman. 

Conclusion

So if you’re looking for a new “ride” to drive, make sure you describe what you want out of it and then ask the right questions before you get the keys.  If you’re feeling like you’ve got a clunker, know that its never too late to decide that the lease is up.  Be committed to giving the experience purpose by using that information to find the right engine that will “burn rubber” when you fill the tank with your passionate high-effort drive. 

In parting, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat”

 –Theodore Roosevelt 26th president of US (1858 – 1919)

Always remember that we’re all on the same path while at different stages toward our destination of financial freedom.  Life is way too short not to help each other get there who are aspired as we are.

R. Patrick Daugherty

The Biz Coach

Owner of Learn2EarnItNow.biz

Quality Over Quantity

Most of those in old school MLM and Network Marketing opportunities were (and are still) taught to over-sell potential benefits and promote inaccurate expectations of the business to anyone and everyone, regardless of ability or skill set, with the goal of purely adding numbers.  This is motivated by the erroneous belief that headcount equals growth.  A challenge quickly presents itself when they realize that an increase in organizational size through this recruiting methodology does not typically equate to an increase in organizational revenue, which after all, is truly the yardstick we use to measure the success of any organization.  It does in turn create an organization of needy underachievers that eat away at your time and suck the energy out of your ability to grow and lead.

This also rings true for any business or corporation attempting to grow its sales force.  Achieving ultimate recruiting success relies heavily on the ability to duplicate a proven, effective business system with the strategically selected high-effort entrepreneurial individuals who will drive the business as passionately as you do.  It is the only way to ensure the long-term revenue growth of your organization. 

Regain Your Leverage – Don’t Be Desperate

This can only occur if we are able to attract and then quickly evaluate a candidate’s skill and ability early on in the process.  What I am saying is that you need to become discerning about who it is you desire to bring into your organization.  Accurately doing so is vital not only to estimating how much coaching time and effort the prospective candidate will require in order to independently drive their business, but also how to best go about equipping, empowering and training them in a way that best unlocks their potential.  What we’re really vying for here is to effectively identify those high-effort individuals who can quickly assimilate and implement what has been taught. 

Effort Is The Key

When I’ve consulted with hiring managers of corporations, I would teach that they must identify each of their teams’ personality types in order to effectively communicate, instruct and empower each to get the results they desired.    However, in a direct sales model a novice really doesn’t need this tool in their tool kit to be successful because what I want my team to do is purely empower and manage effort….that’s it.   I have found that since effort is the key ingredient here, I can teach a less experienced individual how to focus on identifying and managing effort quite easily. 

In these situations, my goal is to prevent my team wasting time on those that will not provide a good ROI, which is a big complaint that I hear because it is a stumbling block for so many.  The second biggest complaint I hear is creating value for the training effort and help you provide them.  Much like a child, if value is not established for your time from the beginning they will continue with that perspective and be habitually needy. 

The other shortfall to catering to that mindset is that in the end, you will have actually robbed them of the satisfaction of  achieving independence.  Remember, we want to empower those that want to take the bull by the horns, not be lassoed to “Dr Phil” them.  Let another business opportunity take on that responsibility, but I would strongly advise against shackling yourself to those types of projects.

It All Starts In The Recruiting Process

It all starts with identifying the effort level of any viable candidate quickly and accurately.  This is essential because the pattern will be set by the time they come aboard and you will find yourself to be locked into a high-maintenance mentor rut.  Plus, the added bonus of early identification is knowing who not to actively pursue.   But how do I determine that so early in the process?

Every manager in any structure feels that the time and effort they provide is rarely valued and often taken for granted.  To correct this, there is a method I teach to achieve quick effort identification while at the same time increasing the value of the instruction you provide within the recruiting process.  I employ a technique I call an “effort pass-code” and found it to be very helpful.  It provides a platform for the candidate to earn your time, creating a partnership rather than a parent child relationship. 

Put A Pass-Code On It

“Effort Pass-Coding” involves finding out what they need from you, and then committing to meet that need on your terms once they complete a related task (earning the effort pass-code) which will allow them to become a vested partner in receiving what they request.  If I’m trying to identify a candidate’s true effort level, I will “effort pass-code” as many things as possible.  It’s pretty neat because there are so many opportunities to apply the technique. 

If for example, I am asked to spend some time to discuss the business opportunity specifics or provide answers to marketing questions, I state that I would love to, but I need them to do something to help them prepare.  I need them to gather information on the topic, take notes and be prepared to discuss them with me, which will allow our conversation to be far more productive.  I then ask them when they believe they can get that done.   I schedule a time for them to call me on the deadline they made. 

Maybe you have an application process or paperwork that needs to be completed.  This is a great way to have them complete those and find out how effort driven they are.

You can find out a lot about a person from how they handle that type of interaction.  How far out did they place the deadline?  Did they follow through on their commitment? How eager were they to get that done when you placed a little obstacle in the way?  Pay attention because this is exactly how they will deal with obstacles in the business if they come onboard.   From that information  I have found that I can typically place people in one of four effort categories.

The four main effort level categories are:

1. The All Star – High effort, high achiever.  Self motivated and desires to be independent.

2. The Talent Tease – Masquerades as if they are an All-Star in order to gain leverage and have you come after them.   You chase after their potential but realize that they are not self-driven and in the end, realize that you want success for them more than they want it for themselves.

3. The Jogger – This is more of an analytical person.  It’s not bad to have joggers on your team because of their consistency.  Their analytical nature makes their sales process longer but they respond to “effort pass-coding” but will typically set the deadlines farther out to make sure they do a good job.  They are information gatherers so give them assignments and point them in the right direction.  Have a fear of failure so they desire to do it right and their perfectionist nature makes their pace slower.

4. The Eeyore – Yes from Winnie The Pooh.  They’ll make you want to rescue them.  Don’t do it – just stay away.

So when recruiting, your immediate focus should be to quickly identify the effort level of your candidate or prospective addition to your organization through “effort pass-coding”.  Remember that it is not quantity but rather the quality of the individuals added which will drive your revenue.  Another added benefit is if your organization has an internal training program and coaching system, which will take a lot of the “heavy lifting” off of you and free you to continue to grow your business.  Additionally beneficial is a business, which is positioned where prospects are pursuing you to earn the opportunity to be a part of the organization.  This totally alters the scale and gives you the leverage to be more discerning about who you will bring into your sales organization and spend time training. 

Though more difficult, most business opportunity processes can be easily tweaked to incorporate these strategies.  If not, there are enough good business opportunities out there that have a system and culture that gives you the freedom to determine who you want to work with.  As a resource to provide information about identifying the right opportunity for you; read the article “From The Business Chiropractor: Getting Your Business Spine in Line”.  It’s was written purely for the purpose of identifying and determining if a business opportunity is the ideal fit for you.

Written by:
R. Patrick Daugherty
The Biz Coach

For more information on Patrick feel free to visit:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdaugherty

http://learn2earnitnow.biz

http://learn2earnitnow.com

By doing a brief or “quick hit” well planned video, you are able to establish instant credibility because the prospect can easily relate to you. It puts a face and even better, a personality they can trust. This is something that text and article advertising labors to do but can be easily accomplished within seconds through a video. Videos are easy to load on the internet, easy to distribute and search engines love them. It’s also been found that you can more easily rise to the front page of a keyword search through video advertising. Unlike text or written advertising, you are able to gain the reputation as an expert or trusted adviser on a video that can be seen at any time over and over again. It’s the marketing gift that keeps on giving and here’s the biggest payoff – its absolutely free! The question that naturally begs to be answered is how does one create a video that will effectively accomplish those objectives when I’ve never done it before. Well having been asked that question by home-business entrepreneurs on a multitude of occasions, let me tell you what I tell them; it’s easier than you think.

The first task is deciding what material to use. If you’re not comfortable with long productions don’t worry about it. This can be just as effective if created as a quick commercial or “teaser” to get them to go to your site and boost your credibility. One of the easiest things to do is to write down the top 10 questions that people ask you about your business and make a video answering each one. Another great idea is to do a quick commercial that introduces a product or even better, that references an article that you wrote on your website or blog. At that point you merely have to state the question or problem that you are proposing to solve and hit the top two or three points in your written piece. Close by letting them know that if they want to read about the topic in greater detail, they should go to your website. It’s a great credibility booster not to mention a traffic booster to your site.

The second task is planning where the video will be shot. I can’t tell you how many videos I’ve seen done by someone who wants you to believe that they can show you how to make money, with a bedspread as a backdrop. If the background is not congruent with the image you are trying to project then find one that does. Don’t promote financial freedom in a video when anyone can clearly see that you live in a shanty. The great thing about video is that its all about perception and you truly only need one wall if you’re inside so just make it the best looking one. Another great idea is being outside in a beautiful setting. This is ideal only if you can obtain acceptable conditions. Make sure it’s not windy, that there’s no dog barking in the background as a distraction or a mother scolding her child behind you while you’re trying to communicate something you feel strongly about (yes I’ve seen them all done on a video). You want nothing to distract the listener from focusing on you and soaking up the message you’re enthusiastically attempting to convey.

Always bear in mind that your first video will be your worst and no one has to see it which is the great thing about video. When you’re on the phone trying to connect with a prospect or customer and you give a bad performance you cant take it back. You cant go back and make another first impression and there are no re-do’s in real life%u2026but there are re-takes in video. If you make a claim that you can shoot an NBA 3-pointer with ease. You only have to make a video where you hit the shot once and say “see I told ya” as you walk away, even if it took you 20 takes which were later deleted. No one knows nor do they care because seeing is believing and perception is everything and nothing allows you to control both of those variables better.

You can immediately load your finished product onto You-Tube and post it everywhere. There are also companies that will actually create a distribution list, take your video and plaster it on 40 or 50 video sites for maximum exposure. I found the cost range to be between $100-$150 and you can use their services for the entire month. Some even have free trials to prove their effectiveness, which is always ideal in my book.

But what about dominating a keyword search? Well that’s easier than you think because Google loves promoting videos, especially if they match a search word or phrase. If you think of a topic or phrase that you would like your video to appear in, have the video material pertain to it, title your video as such and as it begins to be seen and played you will move up the rankings. Also, make sure you mention the phrase a few times in your video because you’ll get extra credit. How you ask? Well Google has a new program in its algorithm that actually translates your video and plugs the key works into its formula so that it factors into your score. That’s pretty cool because not many people know about it because it’s only been recently that they implemented it. So use that for your advantage to keep your video, title and even the article in line with a nice congruent marketing flow to maximize your ranking.

The bottom line is that if you get over a fear of doing something you’ve never done before and make a short video then you’ve already set yourself apart from most other entrepreneurs out there. If you control the background, the topic and the keyword marketing flow you seriously cant go wrong. I’m not kidding when I tell you that millionaires have been created by effectively using this method of advertising alone. It’s very effective and most business owners are costing themselves money if they don’t take advantage of this inexpensive and powerful marketing tool.

Good luck and happy video marketing!

Written by:
R. Patrick Daugherty
The Biz Coach

For more information on Patrick feel free to visit:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdaugherty

http://learn2earnitnow.biz

http://learn2earnitnow.com

Day And Time Of Day Trends

Several studies have shown that late afternoon through the evening hours is the best time for online advertising effectiveness. One study by “Light Speed Research” found that the highest concentration of potential buyers/customers searching the web were during the early evening through late evening hours (4:00-9:00). If you’re advertising nationally which most of us are, then adjust your window accordingly to accommodate all time zones.
Also interesting are the trends that are displayed regarding days of the week. By in large I have found that Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the highest advertising traffic days. This trend has been echoed by many of those I speak with who advertise on a regular bases on Google, Yahoo or MSN. Of course the advantage of being diversified in your advertising methods (articles, blogs, postings etc) is that they remain on the web for them to see. Make sure whatever web page or “landing page” your advertising links your prospects to, also cross directs them to your articles, blogs and anything else that increases your business credibility, through hyperlink so that they can review anytime.
So if you want to get the most out of your advertising dollar and you’re on a tight budget, then advertise when people are most likely to pay attention while in the mood to act on it and activate your advertising from 3:00-10:00 Tuesday-Thursday.

Happy Hunting!

Written by:
R. Patrick Daugherty
The Biz Coach

For more information on Patrick feel free to visit:

http://Learn2earnitnow.biz

http://learn2earnitnow.com

Advertising is the lifeblood of any home or web based business making it imperative to fully understand all the options that are available.

There are a number of effective online advertising options, however, I believe that there are two main categories of advertising; Direct Marketing methods and methods aimed at creating Credibility & Branding.  Many novice Internet marketers have historically put all their eggs in the direct marketing basket.  This ideology was actually more of the norm 5 years ago among many successful marketers, however, the landscape has changed dramatically to the point where it is becoming far more difficult to reach your business advertising goals if your advertising strategy does not include increasing your credibility and branding through marketing who you are.  Gone are the days when Internet marketing was a bland impersonal business transaction.  Your potential customers are ones that want to believe in what you are marketing and increasingly, believe in the one doing the marketing.

Category 1: Direct Marketing

1. Pay-Per-Click Advertising

This is the most common “go-to” form of advertising.  Pay per click advertising is simply paying for specifically targeted traffic that clicks on your ad that brings them to your site. The analytics offered enable you to monitor and control these advertising programs very closely, as well as, tweak your ad copy and key words that you are using. This can be a very expensive option, but it doesn’t have to be if planned carefully and monitored frequently.  Google Adwords, Yahoo and MSN are the big three.  Watch for new developments in the next 12-18 months in advertising with the Yahoo – Microsoft deal which will combine the #2 & 3 ranked search engines to position them to rival Google’s search traffic.
2. Text Links

This is a simple way to draw traffic to your site that is overlooked by many. It is also one of the least expensive. You can often buy text links pretty inexpensively.  The link will not only promote the specific site or page you choose but also connect it with the specific key words which are most applicable to your business or demographic you are looking to attract. Text links also give you a double pay-ff since you can attract immediate traffic from the host site, as well as, achieve better search engine ranking which will further increase traffic. 

3. Ezine Advertising

Ezine advertising is one of the best ways to reach your future customers because it is typically inexpensive.  It offers you the option to match the ezine audience with your product and ad. It includes an added benefit in not only your initial ad but also longevity in the ezine archives.

4. Email Marketing

Even though there has been a concerted effort to stop spam it is a fact that email advertising is still successful.  You can still use email marketing as a way to reach out and touch your customers and your future customers provided it is not seen as spam.  Be very careful to not cross that line since we are talking about your business reputation which is paramount.

You just need to make sure that no one receives mail except the people who ask for it. People are still willing to sign up for mailing lists–especially if you have something to offer them in return for sharing their email address. You can sponsor a contest; give away an ebook, or tutorial; or offer a discount and you will have people sign up willingly.  If you don’t abuse the mailing list you will have the opportunity to reach them repetitively, which is the advantage.  

5. Banner Ads

Through 2004, banner ads had gone through a period where it gained a bad reputation. In part because of the proliferation of banner farms that swung a striking blow to the banner swap programs (or at least made them completely ineffective). Most of us have memories of those hideous annoying banners flashing across the top of so many web sites.

Banners have come along way since then and a nicely designed banner can be a real asset to any advertising campaign. You don’t have to use one of those giant banners that span the width of the screen. You can use smaller simple ads that can fit easily into the side of the screen or special box on an applicable web site and will work more effectively. It is important that you carefully consider the types of sites you will choose for displaying your banner. (i.e.: A site about web development for your hosting service ad or a site about healthy living for your health supplement site.)  Many text link and pay per click advertising vendors offer banner ads. Similarly many publishers of ezines and newsletters sell space on their sites as well.

 Category 2: Marketing Your Personality & Knowledge

Showcasing Who You Are To Create Credibility & Branding

The next six advertising methods are all either free or very inexpensive, but they do take patience because they require a sacrifice of the time and effort to convey the information effectively.  The benefits, however, far out weigh the sacrifices because you are providing something of value — your knowledge and expertise.  Remember, in most cases your potential customers are ones that want to believe in what you are marketing and increasingly, believe in the one doing the marketing. The goal is to establish yourself as trusted resource in the marketplace with the ultimate goal of being seen as an expert in your field.  It’s sounds daunting but it is far easier than it sounds.  It starts with educating yourself on certain topics applicable to your customers and writing and summarizing what you’ve learned. Below are marketing methods where you can apply the written fruits of your labor.  This will not only provide increased traffic but also great credibility, and it will increase the effectiveness of your advertising.  
 

6. Start a Blog and RSS Feed

While publishing a newsletter or ezine isn’t that difficult it is much easier to create a blog and make its content available via RSS feed. This can offer you the benefits of regularly updated material for your web site, which will be attractive to visitors and search engines alike.  It will also send articles to other blogs and users when posted so that you can increase your site visits as well.  You can register your domain name and host your own site, or there are many free blogging sites around where you can create a blog that is hosted on their site. I personally like using Squidoo and WordPress, but many web hosts now offer blogging services.

7. Create a Newsletter

By creating your own newsletter or ezine it offers you all the advantages of ezine advertising and email marketing discussed in the first section.

8. Write your Own Articles

You can take the material you have generated for your newsletter or blogs and release them as articles. Upload these on as many free content directories as you find available on the web. This not only helps to establish your credibility but the contact info you provide in your resource box (which will run every time someone else publishes your material) will bring in both direct traffic, as well as, search engine attention. 
9. Create an Ebook

Once you have enough material generated from your newsletter and blog then you can combine it into a convenient Ebook and give it away. Make sure to capture names and email addresses so that they can be added to your email marketing list.

10. Post in Forums

If you have the time you should start your own forum, but even if you only have a few minutes a week to spare for this effort it can be well worth the effort. Remember that this is all about credibility, so don’t offer blatant spam posts but find a forum where you have something to offer. Make sure that you include an applicable URL and description for your forum signature, and you will attract the double benefit of both traffic and search engine results.

11. Social Networking Sites

Sites like: LinkedIn, FaceBook, MySpace etc have become increasingly effective at gaining credibility.  In the last three years these sites have totally changed the advertising landscape and added a new dimension that is now considered a “must have” in any campaign. 

Conclusion
A successful advertising campaign cannot embrace one single method of advertising and at the same time, not every method works for every business model. Advertising cannot be seen as a one-size-fits all proposition. You need to establish your goals, assess your business needs and create an optimal combination of methods.  It is important to make sure to track your results—evaluate the measurable data and alter your strategy accordingly to optimize your advertising effectiveness.

Written By: R. Patrick Daugherty

For more information on Patrick feel free to visit:

http://Learn2earnitnow.biz

http://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdaugherty

http://learn2earnitnow.com

* Define what you truly enjoy in your present business role.

* Make your goals to reflect daily activities you can control rewarding yourself when you reach them knowing that they will eventually result in growth over the long haul.

* Don’t negatively evaluate yourself on results you can’t control – it will damage your efforts to control the things you can.

* It is practically impossible for you to be a successful, inspirational entrepreneur if you believe what you do is only about the bottom line…. so don’t let it be!

So take a business time-out, recalibrate, refocus and re-ignite the excitement about what you do!

Written by:
R. Patrick Daugherty
The Biz Coach

For more information on Patrick feel free to visit:

http://Learn2earnitnow.biz

http://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdaugherty

http://learn2earnitnow.com