Network Marketing is a term that describes how a company decides to market their products or services. The companies decide that to build their business, they want to make use of a distributor network.

In simple terms it is having independent agents serve as distributors of their products or service, and are encouraged to build and manage their own sales force by recruiting and training other independent agents. Usually such businesses are multilevel marketing in nature in that payouts occur at more than one level.

It is a method employed by large firms such as Amway, Avon, Tupperware, Mary Kay Cosmetics. And now even entrepreneurs like Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki and Warren Buffett have endorsed Network Marketing either by buying out a Network Marketing company, or investing in one, or even building their own using Network Marketing as the business model; as they have realized the potential of this multi-billion dollar worldwide industry that distributes practically any portable item.

The Structure in Simple Terms

Independent distributors:
 are encouraged to sell the company’s products or services,
 are encouraged to build and manage their own sales force team by recruiting and training other independent distributors (known as a downline),
 are awarded a commission based upon the volume of product sold through their own sales efforts as well as on the sales revenue of the sales-force recruited by the distributor and his/her recruits (called downline),
 develop their organizations by either building an active customer base, who buy directly from the company, or by recruiting a downline of independent distributors who also build a customer base – thereby expanding the overall organization,
 also earn a profit by retailing products they purchased from the company at wholesale price.

Commissions are paid to multi-level marketing distributors according to the company’s compensation plan. There can be individuals at multiple levels of the structure receiving royalties from a single person’s sales.

This arrangement of distributors earning a commission based on the sales of their independent efforts as well as the leverage sales efforts of their downline is what makes the business model so lucrative, and which would eventually create residual wealth.

Multi-level Marketing, Direct Selling or Referral Marketing?

Network Marketing also goes by the following terms…

 Multi-level Marketing – The structure is designed to create a marketing and sales force by compensating promoters of company products not only for sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of other promoters they introduce to the company, creating a downline of distributors and a hierarchy of multiple levels of compensation.
Note: If not abused, this method of marketing has the potential to create residual wealth. In addition, one has to learn effective and modern marketing strategies that work in this internet age.
 Direct Selling Method – Independent Distributors market directly to consumers and potential business partners.
Note: If done in a professional way, this method encourages customizing a product plan or a service plan according to the customers’ individual needs.
 Referral Marketing – Products or services and the business opportunity is marketed by means of a relationship of referrals and word-of-mouth marketing.
Note: Traditionally, your warm market was your friends, family and other personal contacts. Now imagine the scale of using modern marketing strategies (the internet) to build your list of fans.
 Network Marketing – What you are building is a marketing network that will advertise your services and products.
Note: Network Marketing has always been a great way to get the word out about any business, and in today’s day and age, it is more effective than ever before – with social networking sites.

Some Controversial Issues

 Why is it called a pyramid scheme?
Not all multilevel plans are legitimate. Some are pyramid schemes – where the money you make is based primarily on the number of distributors you recruit and your sales to them, rather than on your sales to people outside the plan who intend to use the products.

This is illegal, because plans that pay commissions for recruiting new distributors inevitably collapse, when no new distributors can be recruited. And when a plan collapses, most people (except perhaps those at the very top of the pyramid) end up empty-handed.

So, you need to research the company’s compensation plan, among other diligent research about the company and the products.

 Why are MLM companies a frequent subject of controversy and lawsuits?
Some of the criticisms regarding MLM companies have been…
o that they are similar to illegal pyramid schemes,
o high initial start-up costs,
o price-fixing of products,
o encouraging if not requiring distributors to purchase and use the company’s products,
o emphasis on recruitment of lower-tiered distributors over actual sales,
o misleading information, especially with regards to income potential,
o potential exploitation of personal relationships which are used as new sales and recruiting targets,
o complex and sometimes exaggerated compensation plans,
o cult-like techniques which some groups use to enhance their members enthusiasm and devotion.

However, not all MLM companies operate in the same way. So once again, you need to do your research properly.

 Why is there such a high failure (drop-out) rate?
We often hear the term that 97% fail in MLM. Research also comes up with statistics such as: “just 10% of Amway’s agents in Britain make any profit, with less than one in ten selling a single item of the group’s products” (Times Nov 27, 2007), or “while earning potential varies by company and sales ability, DSA says the median annual income for those in direct sales is $2,400.” (USA Today Sept 14, 2009). Why is this so?!!!!

Before deciding to quit or not to join at all, let me tell you of some of the reasons why most fail:-
1. not taught how to market effectively. Just talking to family and friends and strangers will only lead to frustration.
2. given the wrong impression – that there is no sales involved. Hence people find it difficult if they are not prepared to learn sales techniques,
3. given the wrong impression – that it is easy to duplicate. So people enter with the impression that this is going to be an easy ride.
4. given the wrong impression – that you are going to get rich. With the right training and determination and commitment and hard work, you will become rich. But it takes time, as this is exactly the same like someone builds his / her own business.

Hence, with the right frame of mind and the right marketing training, you will succeed like the 10%. If you use the internet to leverage your business, then you are light ways ahead of your competition who is prospecting strangers in the mall. In addition, although you need network marketing if you want to create residual wealth; leveraging your internet attraction marketing skills, will allow you to additionally create multiple streams of income. And it is this combination that will allow you to retire from ‘corporate America’, quit your 9-5 job, and live a life of financial freedom.

If You Would Like To Retire From Your 9-5 Job, If You Would Like Financial Freedom, And Are Willing To Work Hard To Achieve Your Dream Life, Lessons Are Being Given At BrandingYOU&Co.

To Your Success

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2. What Do You Do If Your MLM Company Closed Its Doors On You?

Are you one of many who is finding so much information on the internet, that then you feel overwhelmed with all the information, and don’t know from where to start? Well, I have some good news for you – you are not alone, and I can show you one simple solution of how to eliminate all those distractions.

The Internet – Good or Bad?

The internet is amazing, because if you require some information, you just ‘Google’ it, and you will end up with lots of information instantly. Then you need time to sift through the information to find what you are looking for. However, at times you end up reading, or even watching, something which is totally irrelevant of what you initially set out to look for. This at times is very frustrating, especially if you have just a few hours on your hands to work your business.

In addition, if you are like me, and are eager to learn more stuff, by now you must be on the emailing list of at least 20 people. So you must be receiving at least 20 emails daily, everyone telling you about this amazing opportunity, this amazing product, how with this training a 22 year old managed to earn $$$ in just 2 months, and so on… and that you have to check it out immediately, as the offer is so good that the owner might take down the website with the offer at any time.

The problem with this is that you end up researching each site they send you too, and you end up browsing the internet, trying to figure out how it works. In addition, you end up thinking to yourself “Look this guy has generated so many leads using Article Marketing. I have been using Facebook consistently for 3 weeks and haven’t seen the same results. It must be Facebook’s fault. Let me try Article Marketing.” Then the same thing happens after 3 weeks, and you switch your marketing strategy again and again. Not taking into consideration the amount of time you waste figuring out and trying to set up your new marketing strategy campaign.

Then there are the discussions going on, on Social Networking sites that you have to join to build a relationship, and become ‘known’.

The list goes on and on, and you find that a whole day passed, and you did nothing, except browse the internet. You might have learnt a new thing or two, but remember that your job is to build your business and earn money.

At one point this becomes too frustrating and overwhelming. Some people manage to overcome it – but these are only the determined few. Unfortunately, the majority end up quitting, because they don’t know what to focus on; and find themselves switching from one marketing strategy to another, trying to breakthrough, thinking that what is not working is the marketing strategy that they are using.

The Simple Solution is……..

Eliminate any distractions, focus and commit

So this must be easier said than done. But here are a few strategies that you can use, now that you are aware of what is happening to you.

 If you are new to internet marketing you need to set aside a few weeks to learn the basics, and have your campaign set up.
 After learning the basics, choose ONE marketing strategy that you are going to use to generate traffic to your website.
 Learn the basics that you need to know regarding your marketing strategy that you have decided to use. Then start implementing. You will realize that through doing, you are actually learning a lot. Then you can focus on tweaking and testing your marketing campaign as you learn more while doing.
 Commit to this ONE marketing strategy till you become an expert in it. Focus on mastering this marketing strategy, and on generating consistently 20 leads per day from it. DO NOT take up a new marketing strategy until you have mastered your marketing strategy of choice.
 Choose wisely your mentors. Focus on a few mentors and stick to their teachings only. Remove any other distractions. It is not that what the others are saying is not good, but you need to focus on the teachings and philosophies of a few great mentors that you resonate with, as otherwise you’ll end up lost trying to learn and implement from everyone’s teachings. So, choose a few mentors and read only their stuff.
 Every week write down a list of things that you want to accomplish for that week. This would be your weekly marketing plan. Also write how many hours you intend to spend on each task. And no matter what you have to get all your tasks done by the end of your week (your target date). By having your goals in writing, you find that you can focus more and achieve much more. The best part of this is ticking the tasks you have achieved. An important note here is, focus on the tasks that bring in the money. Don’t waste time on chit-chatting, or on minor details. So, start writing your goals for this week now.

P.S. If You Would Like A Mentor To Take You By The Hand And Show You Step-by-Step How To Achieve Success, Lessons Are Being Given At mlm.BrandingYouandCo.com

To Your Success

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The other day I received an email from a person who asked me if I have been long with my current MLM company and how I am doing, as he was researching business opportunities in the Network Marketing industry. So, if you are in the same shoes of this person and are looking for a good home-based business, then this article will help you to know what you need to look out for.

Are MLMs An Honest Business Opportunity?

The downside of the internet is that it seems to have generated more scams than legitimate business opportunities; and this is partly due to the fact that the internet has opened a whole new opportunity to the individual person to have easy access to all information. However, if you are equipped with the right knowledge, it is easy to spot a legitimate business from an illegitimate one almost instantly.

In addition, it doesn’t seem to help that the most common scams seem to involve an MLM company. However, as has been the case for centuries, even long before the internet era, the few individuals who try to scam people, manage to taint the whole industry. The same goes with regards to the Network Marketing Industry, where the few scams manage to smother the many success stories of those MLM companies that offer a legitimate way to work from home.

How Do I Spot A Scam?

 Check why you are paid. If you are paid just for recruiting – getting more people to join the organization, and the whole business runs purely on this principle, then it is a scam and also illegal. All MLMs are based on both recruiting and retailing.
 Do your homework. There are organizations such as the Federal Trade Commission whose purpose is to prevent unfair methods of competition, to protect the consumer and small businesses. Through their database of frauds, you can research any company before joining. This organization is mainly for the American population, however most countries would definitely have something to this – it might be listed under a different name, such as Fair Trading.
 Your initial investment. Be wary of those companies that ask you for a large investment. Usually you would be asked to pay thousands of dollars, in return for a huge stock of products, which is extremely difficult to move especially if you are new to the market. The ideal company would only need you to buy a distributor kit or a kit with demonstration goods for you to sample out for yourself. This would only require a minimal investment, and normally you would be paying the equivalent of a ‘wholesale’ price for the kit, with no ridiculous mark up.
 The retail price of the product. Check at what price you will be retailing the product, and how it compares with other products in price and quality. Most scams work on the principle of over charging for the service or product. So, it is advisable to research the products of any competitors, both other MLM companies and also the products that you would buy in stores and shops. One thing to take into consideration though is, that research has proved that most often the products (including nutritional products) retailed by an MLM company are of an extremely high quality, especially when compared with some cheaper products that you can buy off the shelf from a retail store. (Will write a future article on this concept and the research.)
 Training provided. If the company won’t provide any training, then it is most likely a scam; and anyway you don’t want to be involved in a company that doesn’t invest in training their members, and to give them an equal opportunity to succeed.
Click Here If You Would Like To Learn More About My Company

More Information That You Need To Know

 There are some websites which are dedicated solely to the home based business. You can check what they are saying about the company you are researching, and other companies in general. MLM Watchdog, NPROS and MLM Rankings.

 Choosing your mentor. This is a very important step, which sometimes tends to be overlooked. Once you join a business, it is essential to learn how to market effectively yourself and your business. The majority of people who fail do so, because they realize that succeeding in the home business arena is not as easy as is painted, or because they find it hard to generate leads, or because they don’t seem to breakthrough to achieve the success that they have envisioned.

Unfortunately, through my experience, most members are still using strategies that at this-day-and-age do not make the most of technology. I have learnt to work mainly smart and not hard, and have embraced the power of the internet, together with attraction marketing strategies that brand me as an expert, where I get leads chasing me, instead of me chasing cold leads. Hence, I am able to train my team in the latest strategies that are effective, ensuring them success along the way and benefiting from the lucrative home based business.

Choose Wisely

The home based business is an extremely rewarding career, especially for those who want to work from home, and in the process enjoy their families, their freedom and their career success. However, this same career can be very frustrating if you don’t do your research properly, and end up with a company and/or a mentor who leads you to a dead wall.

P.S. Click Here If You Want To Look At The Company I Work With.

P.S. To Learn How To Market Online And Promote You (And Not Your Company), Irrelevant Of The Company You Are Involved In, Lessons Are Being Given At mlm.BrandingYouandCo.com

To Your Success

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This week a friend of ours received a phone call. This phone call could have either saw his six figure income snatched away, or like a pro, he would come out better off. Let me explain in more detail, and why it is important to brand you and not your company.

Basically what happened to this friend is – a person who was in charge of the network marketing side of the MLM company that our friend supported, called our friend to inform him that unfortunately they have decided to ‘stop’ the network marketing side of the company!!!

Imagine, you believed so much in an MLM company and you have built a six figure income around it, and in a couple of minutes you learn that this income could ‘vanish in thin air’. Unfortunately, this happened to our friend, and it happens to a lot of people whose Network Marketing Company decide to shut down.

What Next?

So, if this ever happened to you, you could do either of 2 things:
1. either whine and complain about the unfortunate situation,
2. or keep your (downline) team together and move on.

The first option is the easy way out, but I am sure your dream would be to continue with your momentum and continue earning your six figure income.

Let me explain what my friend did, which saw him earn $6000 in less than 8 hours, by taking charge of his ‘unfortunate’ situation.

 He acted fast. He chose another company which resonated with his philosophy, and within an hour he became a network marketer for this MLM company.
 He communicated with his team. He sent out Emergency Emails to his team, explaining the situation, and invited them to Urgent Webinars. He actually held about 5 webinars the same day he learnt the unfortunate news. In the webinars, he could communicate with hundreds of people in his ‘downline’, explaining the situation, telling them about this new company that he joined and inviting them to join his team in the new company.

How Did He Do It?

Well, the answers are simple:
 He learnt how to brand himself, and not his company
 He built a strong relationship with his team
 He learnt how to market online

Because of all this he manage to turn an unfortunate experience, into an amazing journey where within 2 days he had 80% of his team join him in his new company. So, he came out better off in the end.

What Can YOU Do?

 First you need to start branding yourself as an expert. You are not working for your MLM company (remember, you are not employed), but you are building a name for yourself while supporting a particular Network Marketing Company that you believe in. So promote you and not the company.
 Once you brand yourself, you start building a relationship of trust with your ‘followers’. This you would do through an autoresponder (email marketing service) and by giving value to your readers. Our friend, could easily send out an email to all his followers, because he had them on his list.
 Learn how to use the power of the internet to brand you. The internet is huge, and marketing online gives you the advantage of reaching to a lot of people. There are different marketing strategies that you can choose from, to ultimately conquer the internet.

My Advice

It is true that you have to choose a company that you resonate with and a company with a good compensation plan, but all this means nothing if you don’t have a mentor who can teach you how to brand you.

Your mentor should inspire, motivate and educate you. You should be taught how to market effectively to promote you. You should feel part of a team, which together is so strong that it enables you to reach new heights. Your mentor should give you the skills necessary to be able to achieve massive success in the industry (and in a way you are ‘unbreakable’).

What happened to my friend, was shocking. However, I have learnt a valuable lesson. The most devastating events in the world, won’t even make you miss a beat, if you learn how to market YOU instead of just your company.

P.S. Click Here If You Are In Need Of A Mentor Who Can Teach You How To Promote You.

P.S. To Learn How To Market Online And Promote You (And Not Your Company), Lessons Are Being Given At www.BrandingYouandCo.com

To Your Success

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CLICK HERE NOW To Get Immediate Access To An EXCLUSIVE FREE TRAINING On: How To Turn Facebook Into a Ferocious Animal That Creates Cash On Demand.

You can spend hours on Facebook chit-chatting, or you can spend 30 minutes per day on Facebook networking and building your business. Facebook is a great tool to network and promote your business, especially if you are involved in Network Marketing, if you are a service professional or an owner of a small business. However, there are some rules to abide by, for Facebook to work for you.

Here are 5 tips which you can start implementing to build a huge fan base and to start generating leads for your business.

1. Setting up your profile. The aim of your profile is for people to get to learn more about you, what is your speciality, and how you can help them. On your home page you would want to add your website to divert traffic to your website.
2. Adding your photos. Add professional photos. Always keep in mind that your clients will be viewing your photos, and would be judging you according to your photos. Also make sure to add any photos of you at a conference, or in some business networking event – this enhances your professionalism and you are viewed as a person who is always learning.
3. Adding friends. Facebook is known as a social network site. Here is where you make friends. But you don’t waste time ‘chit-chatting’. Instead you focus on finding like-minded individuals, who have the same interests as you and who are looking for answers to their problems. When you find a person who you want to connect with, send them a personal message, example ‘Hi ….., I see that you are into branding. So am I. Let’s connect.’ In addition, you have to be consistent, and make it a point to send friend requests and messages to say 30 people a day.
4. Developing a relationship. Once you have your contacts, you have to focus on developing a relationship with them, and becoming a ‘friend’. Focus on helping them, the same way you would care for a friend. Focus on creating value. Share valuable information on Facebook, such as a link to an interesting training or a link to a free ebook, or a link to a website. Can even send them a short welcoming video, for the people to get to know you better.
5. Remembering b’days. Our favourite day is our b’day. It’s a special gesture when someone remembers your b’day and actually sends you a personal greeting. This can easily be done through Facebook.

As always you have to stand out of the crowd, to be remembered. So be creative, and let your own personality come through.

P.S. Get immediate access to an Exclusive Free Training on
How To Turn Facebook Into a Ferocious Animal That Creates Cash On Demand .

P.S.S. To Learn More About Marketing Strategies And How To Use The Internet to Brand Yourself As An Expert In Your Niche Marketing, Lessons Are Being Given At www.BrandingYouandCo.com

To Your Success

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Ever since moving to Toronto I started realizing how different marketing oneself is here, compared to Malta. In Malta, which is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean, has a population of roughly 400,000. So, word of mouth, the local newspapers, radio and TV stations were the most effective marketing strategies that one would use to brand oneself and one’s business. However, this all changed when I moved to Toronto, and started studying how someone can market effectively to a much larger audience, such as the 2.4 million people who reside in Toronto alone.

This quest led me to the internet solution. I started realizing that if I wanted a hairdresser in Toronto – I would look up ‘hairdresser Toronto’ on the internet. I would check who has a website and what feedback this hairdresser has from the public. This happened whenever I wanted an accountant for my tax returns, an esthetician for my facial, a dress for my brother’s wedding, a place to rent, a particular piece of furniture, a health insurance plan, an instructor for our driving lessons, to buy a car, and more. I always found my answers on the internet, and I am sure I am not alone considering that in 2009 in Canada alone 74.9% of Canada’s population are internet users.

Unfortunately at this day and age, if a service professional (or anyone for that matter) doesn’t have a presence online, they are considered invisible. So, in this article I will be discussing how a service professional can market his / her business online.

Who are the Service Professionals?

According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law, a professional service is defined as ‘a service requiring specialized knowledge and skill usually of a mental or intellectual nature and usually requiring a license, certification, or registration’.

So, it could be anyone who provides a ‘skilled’ service. Some examples are hairdresser, esthetician, teacher, accountant, chef, GP, podiatrist, dermatologist, nutritionist, personal trainer, dressmaker, lawyer, photographer, carpenter, massage therapist, interior designer, and so on. This list is not exhaustive, but at least it gets you thinking whether your profession can be classified under a Service Professional.

How to Create an Online Presence?

1. Have a website. I recommend having a self-hosted blog, because
a. you have total control over your website
b. you own your blogs and you are responsible for them
c. it is easy for you to install, maintain and update information
d. blogs do better in Search Engine ranking.
Nowadays you don’t need to know HTML or spend a lot of money to have your own website. I set mine up in 1 day (this is just structurally and not the content). It costs me US$15 annually to have my own domain name, and roughly US$12 per month to host my domain. And through my website’s host I get a free program which I can install on my domain, to be able to have my website.

2. Social Network. Create various accounts with different social media sites, such as Facebook, Linkedin and Meetup. And network – this is a similar concept to how you would network face-to-face, to promote your business. Although one has to keep in mind, that each social media site has its own ‘hidden’ rules that one has to follow, otherwise you risk being pushed to the side and not being taken seriously.

3. Give Value. When people search on the internet, they are primarily looking for information. So the rule of thumb is to give 95% of the time, and expect 5% in return. This means that if for example you are a hairdresser, post regular articles on your blog where you are educating your readers. Examples of topics would be – choosing the best hairstyle for your features, how to take care of your hair during the hot summer months, 5 easy tips on how to maintain healthy hair. Once people find that you are providing value, they would view you as an expert and a person-to-go-to for advice.

4. Build a Relationship. Once you have a loyal following, it is time to build a relationship with your readers. Usually this comes in the form of asking your readers for their email address, so you would be able to send them weekly emails full of valuable information. Never spam or try hard-core selling.

5. Send Updates. When you have a list of people following you, it is easy to keep them updated with any news that you might have. You would do this either by sending an e-mail blast to your readers or by using tools such as Twitter.

How to Benefit from Online Marketing?

Once you are seen as an expert, you can benefit in either of 2 ways:
1. If people are looking for a service professional in your area and they have realized how knowledgeable you are in your niche, then they would come to your salon or office or restaurant.
2. On the other hand, if you are in a different area you can make use of the loyal following by selling online. Examples of items that you can sell are: an e-book which you wrote, products that you work with, and affiliate products.

Visit mySkin&Co to see how I brand myself in my niche of skin treatment and myBody&Co where I focus on providing information on healthy living.

P.S. To Learn More About Marketing Strategies And How To Use The Internet to Brand Yourself As An Expert In Your Niche Marketing, Lessons Are Being Given At www.BrandingYouandCo.com

To Your Success

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I personally use Aweber to build a relationship with my readers, subscribers and customers. In this article I am going to list Aweber’s features and how they can help you in your business, so that you would be able to make the right choice whether Aweber is right for you too.

1. It is simple in design. When you subscribe, there are many training videos, articles, guides and webinars that walk you through the setting-up process and to get familiar with the system. In addition, the core features are easily available through tabs at the top. It personally took me about an hour (maximum 2 hours) of playing with the system to set everything up.

2. Aweber boasts excellent email deliverability rates, so that your email reaches the inbox of your subscribers. Aweber enforces a zero-tolerance anti-spam policy. They even have a built-in spam meter, where you can see the possibility of your email’s spam rate before sending, and it also gives you suggestions on how to lower the score.

3. Grow your list through a signup form on your site. Through Aweber, you can publish a signup form (a web form) on your website, blog or even onto your social media account, to turn people visiting your site into subscribers. You can easily choose from a wide variety of ready-designs, and yet you can still customize them according to your needs. For example you can add various fields to your web form, such as Phone Number as a required or an optional field, or your Subscribers’ Skype IM. In addition, it is also easy to install the web form once you create it.

4. E-mail authentication. Once a reader signs up for your list via a web form on your site, Aweber sends the subscriber to confirm their opt-in status via an authentication email. The authentication email ensures that the reader is serious about subscribing, and it also ensures that Aweber’s spam-free reputation remains so. You can also customize the email authentication, so that it will have ‘a touch of you’ to your new subscriber, and has a higher rate of the subscriber actually accepting. In addition, you can also control the landing page that the subscriber would be taken to, once they confirm that they want to receive information from you (this is excellent, especially if you have 2 lists from 2 different websites).

5. You can use Aweber to send your monthly Email Newsletter, and also to create autoresponders to build a relationship with your subscribers starting the moment they sign up. Autoresponders can welcome new subscribers, educate them about your products, and drive them back to your website. In addition, Aweber has an Autoresponder Send Window feature, where you get to choose the day and time you know it is best for your subscribers to receive emails from you.

6. You can choose from over 135 HTML email templates that are tested for readability, if you love sending colourful, image-rich newsletters, or you can paste in your own template or create one from scratch using the message editor. There is no need to know any HTML.

7. You can have unlimited follow up messages that Aweber will automatically send to your opt-in subscribers. You get to choose the order you want your emails to be sent, and how far apart you would like them to be sent. Aweber lets you know the possibility of your email’s spam rate before sending, so that you can adjust your message accordingly to lower the score. In addition, you can also track all the links in each email.

8. Can send a broadcast to all your subscribers, or you can even choose a particular list. When you send a broadcast, Aweber allows you to monitor to how many subscribers was the message sent to, how many were delivered, and how many were actually opened.

9. Can set up different lists for your prospects and customers, or for different websites – all from the same account. Each list will have a unique list of emails and a unique customized signature box. So if you have 2 websites, you can easily send 2 different lists of emails with a unique call to action in your signature box specific to your subscribers’ interests. In addition, you have the option that Aweber will automatically subscribe or unsubscribe someone from one list when s/he subscribes or unsubscribes from another list. Also, if you already have an existing list of subscribers, you can easily migrate this existing list to Aweber.

10. Can easily integrate your list with many shopping-carts and other third-party applications. For example, if a customer shops at your webstore, the customer will automatically receive an e-mail if they want to be included in your email list. Then, unlimited autoresponders can be set up, such as sending them a follow-up message after 10 days asking them whether they are satisfied with their purchase, sending them a survey, and so on.

11. If you have a blog, you can send Blog Newsletters (RSS to Email). The Blog Broadcaster automatically turns a blog’s RSS feed into email that you can send to readers daily, weekly, monthly or whenever you have something new on your blog. With email bloggers can reach a broader audience than they can with RSS subscribers alone.

12. Aweber offers very detailed and easy-to-read reports. You can track each campaign to see what’s working and what isn’t. For example, you can see how many of the emails you have sent were delivered, how many were actually opened, and you can also track every single click in the email. You can also get a detailed report on your subscribers. For example, when did they join, which list are they on, which was the last e-mail they received, how many emails they have received so far, if they unsubscribed, and so on. In addition, if someone unsubscribes, Aweber asks them to fill out a form for feedback, which you will have access to, to be able to tweak your campaigns accordingly.

13. Aweber also offers powerful testing tools. For example, is your signup form grabbing visitors’ attention (find out through split testing web forms), what is the best time to send your email newsletter, which email title will prompt subscribers to open and read the email? With email web analytics, you will be able to answer these questions and more, and you would be able to tweak your campaigns to be more successful.

14. Customer Service is excellent. These guys are 100% behind their product. Apart from the excellent educational materials such as their articles, videos and webinars, they also offer all users free customer support as much as you need. You can ‘speak’ to real people by phone, email or by live text chat. And this, even though Aweber is easy to use.

15. Aweber is a leading authority among many powerful web stores, online marketers, and industry leaders. Aweber have been in business for over 12 years.

16. Pricing of Aweber grows with your success. For up to 500 subscribers, it is $19 per month or $194 yearly. This price includes unlimited autoresponders, unlimited follow ups, unlimited broadcasts and unlimited campaigns. It is excellent if you have more than one site and would like to manage all of your email marketing in one solution. You would pay more only as your list grows, at a monthly amount billed separate from your Account Plan. For example, for 501 to 2500 subscribers, you pay an addition $10 monthly. This plan is quite straightforward and one of the most reasonable on the market.

17. In addition, Aweber offers a 30 Days Trial for only $1. And if within those 30 days you are not satisfied with the results, Aweber offers a full, hassle-free refund. This is a great way to test Aweber. Click Here And Get Your First Month For Just $1

To Your Success

P.S. To Learn More About How To Use The Latest Technology and Marketing To Make A Fortune Online, Lessons Are Being Given At www.BrandingYouandCo.com

Related posts:

1. AutoResponder Service – why your business needs an e-mail marketing campaign?
2. A Review of MLM Lead System Pro (MLSP) – Part 2
3. A Review of MLM Lead System Pro (MLSP) – Part 1

What is an AutoResponder?

It is a service which automatically sends e-mails or newsletters to your subscribers. You would have an opt-in box (or web form) tied to your auto-responder, and when someone leaves their e-mail address, the auto-responder immediately starts sending this person e-mails from the list that you have in the back-office of your auto-responder. The e-mails would have been written by you or your team, and would have been uploaded to your auto-responder in a form of a list. In addition, you usually get to choose how far apart you want your e-mails to be sent to your subscribers. And, you can have multiple lists of e-mails targeting different clients.

Why would you need an AutoResponder?

The simple answer is, to build a relationship with your customers. We all know the benefit of having a list of subscribers – apart from the fact that it reflects positively on the value of your company, it also gives you power since it is the subscriber who asked for information in the first place. The key here is to respect that trust, and focus on building a relationship with your subscribers, so you will be viewed as a person or business with valuable information which your customer will benefit from, which would in turn reflect on the percentage of your e-mails opened. So no spamming, and no hard selling. Follow the 80-20 rule – 80% valuable information 20% soft selling.

Who can Benefit from having an AutoResponder?

It works both ways…
 For the entrepreneur who wants to build a relationship with his / her customers
 For the subscribers who want to be more informed about a particular business or a particular niche or a particular topic. The advantage for the customer is that they can unsubscribe at any time – giving them some form of autonomy.

What are the Benefits of having an AutoResponder?

 You can build a list of subscribers from an opt-in box (web form) – we all know that the gold is in the list
 You can link your opt-in box to your auto-responder, so that once someone signs in, she or he would start receiving the e-mails that you uploaded to that list.
 You can focus on building a strong relationship of trust with your subscribers – so that you will be seen as an expert in your niche and the person-to-go-to when they need help in a particular topic of your expertise.
 Because you will be sending an e-mail often, your subscribers are used to it. And then, when, once in a while you send about some product or affiliate link, they don’t find it offensive, and it won’t jeopardize your relationship of trust.
 An auto-responder sends e-mails automatically – sending e-mails manually is not an option as it will take you forever.
 People who opt-in are sent an e-mail immediately. We all know how nowadays everyone is surfing the net, but because of the nature of the internet, everyone seems to have a short attention span, and you would be forgotten immediately unless you capture their attention, and then focus on building a relationship. So an auto-responder will keep building a relationship with the subscribers for you. (The key would be to have an enticing offer which would make your readers subscribe.)
 When you upload a list of e-mails in your auto-responder, you usually give them the order you want them to be sent out, and usually you also get to choose how far apart you want the e-mails to be sent out. So, technically, this relationship-building with your customers is being done on auto-pilot while you are focusing on other stuff in your business, … and it is even working 24 hours for you (even while you sleep)!
 Sometimes you would need to send an e-mail (broadcast) to all your subscribers, irrelevant of how long they have been on your list. This can easily be done through your auto-responder.
 Usually the auto-responder’s e-mail address is white-listed, which means that your e-mails are actually being delivered to your subscribers.
 Through your auto-responder, you are also able to monitor your campaign statistics, such as how many e-mails sent were delivered, how many of them were actually opened and you can also track every single link click in the e-mail. With this information, you are wiser, and you are able to tweak your campaigns to get better response rates.

At what stage in your business (When) should you have an auto-responder?

My answer to this is ‘Today before Tomorrow’. As any business owner knows, it is essential to build lists of one’s customers and prospective customers to be able to keep in touch and soft-sell one’s services. In the long term, your customer list is one of the most valuable assets your business will have. So you need to start collecting your e-mail addresses of your target market from today.

Where should you place your opt-in form?

Your opt-in form should be enticing and in a prominent place. The purpose of this web form is to ‘make’ the reader input their e-mail address to start receiving information from you. So, essentially the opt-in form is a source of lead generation – it is where you start building your list. Once you have them onto your list, you start focusing on building a relationship with your subscribers. So your web form is very powerful.

You can have your web form anywhere where you have a web presence – can be on your website, your blog, your social media accounts, at the end of your articles, and so on. Anywhere where HTML is allowed.

Another idea is to give people an incentive to opt-in. For example, give them a free e-book, or a chance to be in a monthly raffle for a free treatment or a free dinner, in return for their e-mail address.

What to Write in the E-mails?

Keep in mind the 80-20 rule. 80% valuable information that usually offers a solution to your subscribers’ would-be problems, and 20% a soft-sell e-mail. Never hard sell, or just write e-mails where you are selling your services, products, affiliates, etc. As otherwise, this will lead to your subscribers wanting to unsubscribe.

So here are ideas of what you could write:-
 Newsletters
 Tips
 A link to an article that you have posted on your blog
 Any Information that your subscriber would benefit from – example a new video that they should watch, or a book they should read
 Updates on what is happening in your business, and how this can help the subscriber

How Often Should I E-mail?

This is entirely up to you. I would recommend once a week minimum. More often might be too much, while less frequently might not be often enough to do the job of building a relationship of trust.

You might also want to split the lists. Example once a month would be a newsletter, and once a week would be something like ‘Weekly Tips’.

What not to do?

 Don’t spam
 Don’t sell your subscribers information
 Don’t send one off e-mails – be consistent
 Don’t send one off e-mails, which would be just on your product
 Don’t just send e-mails pitching your products – follow the 80-20 rule

I personally use Aweber – it is my preferred auto-responder. Click here, if you would like to check it out.
I would also be writing a Review of Aweber in a future post. Subscribe to the feed so you’ll be the first to know when it is posted.

To Your Success

Related posts:

1. Review of Aweber – Email Autoresponder
2. Attention All Service Professionals – 5 Simple Ways How to Create an Online Presence to Generate More Business
3. How To Create Raving Fans on Facebook to Generate Leads For Your Business

A lot of people shun away from Social Media and Social Marketing, because many associate Social Marketing with just sites such as Facebook and often consider this a ‘waste’ of time spent chit chatting. The majority are not aware of how effective Social Marketing is to build a fan base, to brand yourself as an expert in your niche and to generate more traffic to your business. But this is only guaranteed if one knows how to use Social Marketing the right way.

In this article I am going to go over the several different types of sites that make up Social Media, and categorize them in 5 sections.

1. Social Networking (Community Sites):-
These sites are where one enters to network with different kinds of people. Each site is usually for a specific group of people.
 Facebook – student communities
 LinkedIn – manage and share your resume (CV)
 MySpace – friend site
 MeetUp – find common interests and organize meetings
 Twitter – update your followers what you are up to

2. Social Bookmarking (Social News Sites):-
These are the user-submitted and voted news sites where anyone can post stories and take advantage of the traffic flowing through the sites to get targeted visitors. Communities can share their favourite bookmarks, articles, videos, etc – anything that is news.
 Digg – submit links and stories; vote and comment on the content
 Technorati – find what people are saying
 Del.icio.us – store, share and discover web bookmarks
 Reddit – submit, rate and rank news
 StumbleUpon – discover great websites that match your interests

3. Content Sharing Sites:-
Websites where you can generate your own content and share it with the community.
 Wikipedia – contribute and get smart (can create a Wiki for your site)
 Squidoo – create pages (called lenses) for subjects of interest
 HubPages – submit magazine-style articles which are posted as individual webpages (referred to as Hubs)
 Gather – share, earn and gather information
 EzineArticles – expert authors share their best quality original articles

4. MultiMedia Sharing Sites:-
Websites which specialize in all kinds of media sharing and creation.
 YouTube – upload and share your video
 Flickr – manage and share your photos
 SlideShare – upload and share publicly or privately PowerPoint presentations
 JamGlue – create and personalize audio. Upload, record music and remix it.

5. Blogging Sites:-
Blogging platforms allow you publish content directly onto your blog, to communicate and share your knowledge with your customers.
 Blogger – a free blog publishing tool from Google for easily sharing your thoughts with the world.
 WordPress.com – another free blog publishing tool
 Movable Type – build websites, blogs and communities on a single platform
 WordPress.org – own your blog and install on a domain name of your choice

In future articles I will be showing you the different ways of how I use the above multi-faceted marketing strategies to promote my businesses (internet marketing business, service provider offline business, and service provider online business). In the meantime start contributing to the places and get links. Just do it responsibly and the way the other members of each community do it to keep from getting banned. You do NOT want to spam these places.

Be aware – this Social Media trend is HUGE and is extremely under utilized by the majority of online business owners, offline business owners and network marketers. However, be warned… there is a right way and a wrong way to use Social Media and Social Marketing to get massive levels of exposure – including more traffic and more leads – for your business.

If, on the other hand, you are aching to learn immediately the correct way of how to use Social Marketing Strategies, so as to start implementing the strategies ASAP to market your business, then Click Here if you would like to generate leads for your MLM business or Click Here if you would like to generate traffic for your Online, Offline or Small Business, especially if it is service related. You would need to input your e-mail to get access to some phenomenal training, and a chance to have a coaching session with me where I will personally show you the ropes and how to specifically use Social Media Marketing for your particular business.

To Your Success

Related posts:

1. How to Market Online To Generate an Income
2. Attraction Marketing – how to have a stream of eager prospects contacting YOU
3. David Wood – A Review of the Article Marketing Rockstar

If you ever think of giving up, or you are somehow in a bad mood, make sure to watch this short film (16 minutes of pure inspiration). It is AMAZING and will make you Smile over and over again, even when you think the world in not co-operating with your dreams!!!. Sometimes I am having, what in my opinion is a ‘bad’ day, and I remember this short film – and suddenly I am in a much lighter mood.

In addition, if you have a leadership role in society, you might want to try some of the guy’s charm and positive remarks with your team and followers, or simply brighten someone’s day with an uplifting compliment. Enjoy life and appreciate the beauty of it and the people surrounding you!

ENJOY and make sure to share it with your loved ones and followers.

“Validation” is a fable about the magic of free parking. Starring TJ Thyne & Vicki Davis. Writer/Director/Composer – Kurt Kuenne.
FACTS: It was uploaded on YouTube in October 2008, and has so far been viewed over 3 million times, has nearly 20,000 ratings and has been given a 5 star rating by the viewers.
If you would like to leave comments on YouTube where the video is uploaded, simply double click on the above video.

To Your Success

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