Friday, October 31, 2008

How to Choose a Niche for Affiliate Marketing

How to Choose a Niche for Affiliate Marketing
Copyright © Jose Love


Nowadays everybody wants to earn in the most

convenient manner. Everyone seems to be looking for

the easiest way to get the extra bucks they would

need to fill in their increasing expenses. A lot of

us are asking how can we earn extra easily and

quickly. The answer is as simple as 2 words.

Affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing came about in the early stages of

the 20th century. It was like a little spec when it

started and it proved itself to be effective

therefore it expanded and now everybody seems to be

enjoying the benefits of affiliate marketing.

If you are just new to the industry you might be

asking yourself: What is affiliate marketing? Well,

derived from the word itself – affiliate marketing is

an affiliation between you and a certain company

that has this product or service they would like the

public to know about through the power of online

advertisement or promotion. Companies will gladly

pay certain individuals that could actually showcase

their goods online through blogs, articles or in any

manner that their products will be exposed.

Having this said, so what do you need in order to

plunge in to the world of affiliate marketing? To

tell you frankly, you might be surprised to know that

it really doesn’t require much. Aside from a decent

computer, you would just need an internet connection

and of course a bit of your time to this chosen

online business.

Where to start? Companies will gladly pay certain

individuals that could actually showcase their goods

online through blogs, articles or in any manner that

their products will be exposed. That being said, it

is obvious that you should have at least a website

online. The more traffic you have on that website –

the better.

Since affiliate marketing is an affiliation between

you and a certain company, their product or service

must be known to the public through online

advertisement or promotion. Let’s say you have at

least 5,000 visits a day in your website – that will

have a corresponding equivalent to your affiliate

marketing capability.

That being said, it is obvious that you should have

at least a website online. The more traffic you have

on that website – the better. Since affiliate

marketing is an affiliation between you and a

certain company, their product or service must be

known to the public through online advertisement or

promotion. Having this said, so what do you need in

order to plunge in to the world of affiliate

marketing?

To tell you frankly, you might be surprised to know

that it really doesn’t require much. Aside from a

decent computer, you would just need an internet

connection and of course a bit of your time to this

chosen online business. Companies will gladly pay

certain individuals that could actually showcase

their goods online through blogs, articles or in any

manner that their products will be exposed. That

being said, it is obvious that you should have at

least a website online.

The more traffic you have on that website – the

better. Since affiliate marketing is an affiliation

between you and a certain company, their product or

service must be known to the public through online

advertisements or promotion. So if you want your

affiliate marketing to be successful, you need to

have an established website first then the rest will

follow.

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Monday, August 25, 2008

7 Ways to Leave Comments and Drive Traffic Back to Your Blog

7 Ways to Leave Comments and Drive Traffic Back to Your Blog
Copyright © Jose Love


People say that to make an impression, you'll have to open your mouth. While that is physically impossible in the virtual world of the Internet, saying your piece is not entirely difficult to do. Thanks to forums and discussion boards, you can leave a comment or start a discussion thread about virtually any topic from anywhere in the world. And yes, you can even leave comments to drive traffic to your blog and increase your readership.

Leaving effective comments

You're probably old enough to know that not every comment that gets thrown into an opportunity for interaction creates the desired effect, much less become
appreciated by those who hear or read it. If you don't use this technique carefully, you will either waste the opportunity or simply allow it to create the wrong impression.

Here are 7 ways you ought to do it:

Choose the sites you leave comments on

Ever wondered why Tiger Woods is great? Because he chooses his battles well. You'll never find Woods swinging his club at a lesser known tournament – not because he's a snob but because he focuses on the games that truly matter and on being on equal ground with other greats.

Keep this in mind before you leave comments on a website. Just because you have the burning need to drive traffic to your blog doesn’t mean you can just drop by a site – any site – and write there.

Choose the sites and blogs whose forums you participate with. Find out if the site deals with a topic or subject related to your very own blog. Practice only purposeful commenting – the kind where you leave only well-crafted comments on sites that will help build the buzz about your blog.

If the site is completely irrelevant but you have the urge to leave a comment, do so only during your spare time. Otherwise, focus your energies only on more productive activities.

Know what you're saying

Before you leave a comment with the purpose of driving traffic to your blog, at least write one that is useful. Your goal is to be noticed AND respected for your opinions so leaving useless and dead end comments such as 'Cool!' and 'Way to go!' just won't cut it.

If this is the best you can do, forget about leaving comments right now and focus on other strategies to drive traffic to your blog. Better avoid this technique than be embarrassed or be viewed as lame or mediocre.

But if you can write and have something meaningful to say, by all means, do so. With every comment you have, make sure you keep it short, concise, to the point and useful. Talk about relevant topics and avoid those that will do nothing for your purpose.

Avoid strong language

Of course, some sites will probably allow you to leave comments that are strongly worded or at least camouflaged as symbols such as !#$%&*, but there are ways to get your point across, regardless of how angry, upset or argumentative you are.

Furthermore, majority of sites and blogs impose certain regulations that restrict the use of certain words. Try to rephrase a sentence without losing its main thought. Use an online thesaurus, if necessary. Remember that once a comment is posted online, there's no way to get it back especially if it's not your site. You can leave that comment there to rot but you can never take it back.

Do not be rude

Have a sense of humor. The Internet is a vast expanse of space, currently limitless. In fact, it's a whole universe unto itself. If people leave comments on your post that seem to insult you or argue with you, don't fight back without thinking.

First of all, we are a democracy and people have every right to their own opinion. Second, firing back with the same kind of idiotic language will not be a good reflection on you. Third, you're way better than that. If you must defend your stand, do so with class.

Calm down

Please, if you must drive traffic to your blog by leaving comments on other websites, keep it professional and tone it down. DON'T LEAVE MESSAGES LIKE THIS ONE!!!!!!

A good rule of thumb is to follow accepted structure of the English language or whatever language it is you're using to post. If you must use exclamatory
points, make sure they are truly needed. Otherwise, avoid them.

Leaving comments written in purely bold or capitalized letter smacks of desperation and lack of professionalism. It's hard-selling and makes people stay away in
droves.

Check replies to your blogs


Maximize commenting on other sites and drive traffic by frequently checking back on the forum you participated in to see if there are any replies to the post you left. This is a good way to build buzz and network.

Check your facts

If you will be quoting someone or citing a certain study, make sure your facts can be corroborated. Don't use make believe or newly invented figures and statements or even half-truths and try to pass them off as legit. You will be exposed. If you want to drive traffic to your blog by leaving comments, make sure you don't tarnish your reputation with the effort.

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Saturday, August 23, 2008

Reasons Why Leaving Spam Comments is NOT the Way to Promote Your Blog

Reasons Why Leaving Spam Comments is NOT the Way to Promote Your Blog
Copyright © Jose Love


There are basically three words that can describe spam accurately: desperate, manipulative, evil. While that may sound like the resume of some soap opera
villain, it rings true for every one of us who have ever been burned by spam.
Spam is an example of why sometimes, the means does not justify the end.
True, the aim is to build buzz for your blog but the technique used is just plain wrong. If you're planning on leaving spam comments on other websites any
time soon, know that it's not the way to promote your blog. On the contrary, you might even do damage to your blog without knowing it.

Understanding spam comments

Spam comments started sprouting their evil seed when online guestbooks began appearing on websites. Unscrupulous site owners and marketers bombarded these
guestbooks with links (many even used purely links) back to the spammers' websites. If any comment is included at all, it may contain highly generic ones
such as 'cool post' or 'great website' or 'nice page'.

Spam appears in just about anything these days, including blogs, often in the form of a comment. How this is done is quite simple. Any blogger who wishes
to promote his blog can simply write down keyword-heavy texts in the guise of a comment and then post it at random on another blog or website. Sites that
allow hyperlinks to be displayed are usually the prime targets.

The problem here is that this type of commenting is not purposeful at all. It's done at random, similar to throwing darts at a huge dartboard while wearing
a blindfold in the hopes of hitting something, anything.

Why spam commenting will not work for you

Leaving spam comments to promote your blog may seem tempting enough but it's best to avoid it. That is, if you want to be taken seriously and see your blog last long enough for your grandchildren to appreciate. Here are reasons why leaving spam comments to promote your blog are NOT the way to go:

You're being watched

These days, you spam someone once and you'll be branded for life. Or at least the blog or business you're trying to promote will be. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 makes sure spam is controlled and no one can wave it around like a weapon.

Becoming associated with spam is bad news for your blog. People hate spam… period. They will be more than happy to report you to your host provider or even your affiliate companies and avoid your blog altogether. And yes, Akismet and a host of other plug-ins designed to fight spam will be watching.

You will be penalized

By leaving spam comments on another website with the sole purpose of promoting your blog, you give that website's owner the permission to become a witness against you. Your host provider will cut off ties with you and if you're using your blog to promote an affiliate's products, even your affiliate will drop you.

Should this happen, you will have to start all over again, from square one, with a tarnished reputation. If you leave more spam comments in the future, you'll only be repeating the cycle all over again, all to your detriment.

You'll be seen as unprofessional

Leaving spam comments to promote a blog is for the lazy, the uninformed and the desperate. Why else would you use a technique that is generally viewed as
unsavory? If you're unprofessional, your visitors will find it difficult to trust you ever again.

You'll be violating certain unwritten codes

The reason why comments are allowed in websites is to provide people a platform with which to interact. Blogs, forums and discussion boards are large meeting places, open to people regardless of their age, sex, location or personal beliefs, with the implicit agreement that those who participate will be respected for their beliefs.

By leaving spam comments on these sites mainly to promote your blog, you break this code of trust.

Leaving spam comments can increase your blog's ranking... artificially

Although an artificial increase in ranking can mean good news for your blog (it will allow your site to appear high in search engine rankings), this is only an initial effect, sort of like anesthesia. Soon, it will wear off.

This is particularly true if your blog has nothing else to offer. Visitors who have been driven to your blog through search engine links (which you were
able to achieve artificially) will sniff around your site and if they find nothing there, they'll leave soon enough, never to come back.

Worse, word might even get around that your website is filled with nothing but air. If you must promote your blog this way, make sure you have the content
to make visitors stay.

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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Using Tags to Get More Traffic to Your Blog through Blog Directories

Using Tags to Get More Traffic to Your Blog through Blog Directories
Copyright © Jose Love


Tags are generally ignored by site owners and bloggers in terms of potential. They're small, for one and very often easy to overlook. Furthermore, those
who do not understand their use or significance or at least why and how they work may not often appreciate their value. This is unfortunate because tags can help increase the traffic coming in to your blog from blog directories. Learn what tags are and how they work so you can maximize their use.

Tag – you're it


A tag, also referred to as a meta tag, is a keyword that is used to label specific information found on a web page. A meta tag uses HTML tags that are
hidden from plain sight but clearly 'visible' to web crawlers.

A tag functions mainly for identification of an article, for example, or a title, subheading, site description or image – hence the name 'tag'. They are often used as tools to ping multiple search engines, create a presence for use in social bookmarking and to drive traffic to your site, especially your blog.

With tags, it will be easier for your site, article or web page to be found in search engines where they are supported.

Put simply, a tag is a small piece of identification on your blog that informs a search engine bot or spider what your site is about and how it should be
indexed. If you can choose and design the right combination of tags for your blog, you will be able to manipulate the number and type of traffic that reaches your site from blog directories legally.

Using tags on your blog to drive more traffic

Blog directories are repositories of information and news regarding the types of blogs available for a particular topic or subject. As such, they can be very useful sources of highly targeted traffic for your own blog. To maximize the use of blog directories for this purpose, consider doing the following:

Choose your words carefully

Keep in mind that your blog is just one of millions out there vying for attention. Even if you're trying to build a reputation within a relatively smaller
niche industry, you will still be competing with at least a dozen others in your market segment. Careful consideration in choosing the specific keywords (or
tags) to use with your blog will help you stand out in blog directories.

There are three important tags that you should focus on when designing your blog for traffic increase from blog directories. These are the title tag, the description tag and the keyword/s tag.

The title tag. The title of each blog entry you have should contain the most essential keywords that appear in your write-up or are relevant to your
content. This will help optimize your entry and make it easier for search engines to find and index.

Prospective visitors who perform a search using Google, Yahoo! or MSN Search, for example, will be able to reach an optimized blog, since it's more likely to
appear in a search engine list. As a result, you drive more traffic to your blog.

The description tag. Although description tags are ignored by some search engines, adding this to your blog can help influence how your blog (or at least its web pages) is described.

The keyword tag. The keyword tag is the word or phrase that you will repeat within the content body or web page in question. Used strategically, these keywords can help increase your blog's results in search engines and bring in more traffic to your site by allowing visitors to easily find you.

Don't be afraid to combine keywords, though. That's how you will be able to create highly targeted key phrases to optimize your blog. Three- to four-word key phrases will do. Multiple word tags are advantageous to single word searches as well. If you use a keyword phrase tag that says 'rock paper scissors',

for example, your blog still has the potential to show up in case someone uses only the word 'rock' or 'paper' in his search.

Don't overdo the use of tags

If you don't watch out, tags can be addictive. It could reach a point where you might find yourself using tags that have little relevance to your blog.

This usually happens when you try too hard to make sure that your blog or web page appears in more listings.

Although it may seem like a good idea to help increase traffic to your blog particularly as a means to shine in blog directories, overuse of tags can be
counter-productive. Try to be careful in choosing only the kind of tags that your blog truly needs. Leaner but highly targeted tags are much more effective
than generic ones.

Follow through

A good tag can gain initial interest in your blog and increase traffic coming from blog directories. However, it can only do so much. Now that traffic is
beating at your door, you should be able to throw a real party thereafter. Make sure that the content associated with your tag/s is well worth your visitor's click. It should offer specific information for a specific purpose and should include the content that you so readily promised in your links.

Otherwise, you won't earn the trust of a loyal readership or following. A baited title that lacks the backing of useful content will be viewed as a cheap trick and won't earn you a lot of respect – or traffic.


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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Do's and Don'ts for Reciprocating Traffic to Promote Your Blog

Do's and Don'ts for Reciprocating Traffic to Promote Your Blog
Copyright © Jose Love


Some mockingly call it as the mutual admiration society and wherein people praise – and link to – each other in order to generate traffic. No matter how you look at it, reciprocating traffic works not just for promoting websites but blogs as well. Here are several dos and don’ts to take note of if you’re in the mood for sharing some love with your fellow bloggers.

How to Reciprocate Traffic for Blog Promotion

Reciprocating is easier than you think. You just have to take note of what other bloggers are doing for you and return the favor. Of course, you can also consider initiating things by being the first to post a comment, include a link in your directory, respond with a blog entry, or review another blog.
As long as what you’re doing places focus on you and the other blogger, you’re doing the right thing!

Make your reciprocation valuable

If you are going to reciprocate a favor, be sure to make it valuable and meaningful for the other blogger. It would simply be a waste of web space if all you’re going to say is hi and goodbye. If that’s what you’re going to do, it’s best not to reciprocate at all.

To make reciprocation valuable, consider which areas you can make the greatest contributions – pages which, even better, the other blogger would appreciate
to gain more traffic for. Look for questions that coincide with your fields of expertise.

Make it mutually beneficial

Reciprocity is not merely an exchange of links. It also includes mutual acknowledgment – and maybe even recommendation – of each other’s expertise. When you
post a comment or display a link in your website, make sure that the information you provide not only reflects positively on the other blogger but on yourself as well.

Pay attention to house rules

Reciprocation means visiting another person’s blog and as they say, when in Rome, it’s important to do as the Romans do. Every blog has its own set of house
rules and you must pay attention to them. One example of house rules is the inclusion of links in your comments. Some bloggers prefer not to have any links displayed without their express permission.

Acts of rudeness commonly result from simple misunderstanding and ignorance of rules. If you’re unsure about your statement, you can always email the other blogger and ask for confirmation as to whether your reply is adequate or not.

Don’t be condescending

It’s easy to be so without even being aware of it. When you are visiting a blog that’s less popular than yours, don’t act or speak in such a way that you’ve
made it very clear to everyone the other blogger should be grateful for you little act of reciprocation. That’s a big no-no to do, and you’re sure to receive
unpleasant feedback even if it’s true. Such things are better left unsaid.

Always return the favor

Last but not the least, remember to return every favor you receive! This is the golden rule of all golden rules and to violate once or several times is
something that no Internet marketer forgets. Soon, tales of your infamy will spread and you shouldn’t be surprised if the popularity of your blog starts declining.

Regardless of how much or how little you’ll benefit from reciprocating the favor, do it anyway. It’s called good business!

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Friday, August 15, 2008

Say No to Forum Spamming

Say No to Forum Spamming
Copyright © Jose Love


When you are speaking with children, repeating yourself may sometimes be the key to getting yourself heard and understood. But you’re not speaking to children when you’re posting the same message over and over in forums, are you? Since you’re not, isn’t it safe to conclude that such tactics won’t work?

Worse, they can even backfire on you! Here are five good reasons to avoid spamming in forums.

It Annoys Moderators

Spamming is considered a blackhat SEO technique, and most, if not all, forum moderators do not tolerate it. Other forum members are sure to report you and
when a moderator finally takes notice, you’ll certainly have your membership suspended if not revoked immediately and permanently.

There are several reasons why spamming will annoy moderators. Firstly, it’s
their job to keep other members happy and what you’re doing is the opposite.
You are, therefore, giving them extra trouble to deal with. Secondly, spamming consumes web space and web space costs money. Spamming also makes use of
bandwidth, and that costs money, too. By spamming, you are forcing moderators to spend money on something they don’t consider acceptable.

It Irritates Other Members

Again, there are plenty reasons why forum members aren’t happy with your spamming. First of all, these people consider your messages a waste of time. By posting the same message over and over, you force them to spend precious seconds on just scrolling the window until they reach a message that you haven’t posted.

You also make back reading difficult for them. Instead of being able to read all the information they need from one page, you force them to load a new one just to get to the next important message.

Once members realize that you are knowingly practicing spamming, they won’t take your actions lying down. Besides reporting you to moderators, they can also submit your name to concerned agencies that are against unlawful and undesirable Internet marketing tactics. They can also spread the word about your not-so -nice marketing techniques and before you know it, you’ll be banned from every forum in the Internet.

It Doesn’t Work

Adults are different from children. They’re already smart and mature enough to understand a simple lesson at the first try. Repeating the same message over
and over, as it is, is unnecessary.

Now, if you’re practicing spamming in hopes of convincing people to try out your product or service, you’re going about the wrong way, too. To convince a person, repetition is not needed. Instead, you need to give people different reasons to change their minds. The more reasons you give them, the greater chances you’ll
have of convincing them to see things your way. But if you stubbornly sticking
to one reason then you’ll achieve nothing.

Forum Marketing Strategies to Replace Spamming

You should be convinced by now of the utter futility of spamming in forums. Don’t wait till your online business collapse before you decide to change your ways. Use
a different – not to mention legitimate – technique now and you won’t regret it.

To help you get started, consider providing valuable contribution that showcases your expertise. Choose questions that you can answer as an “expert”. Get to know other people in the forum and build relationships with them. Post your link in your profile page and signature. Last but not the least, use a cool username to get more attention!

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Blog Promotion through Email Groups

Blog Promotion through Email Groups
Copyright © Jose Love


Email groups are important targets for your promotions, and gaining their support can go a long way in increasing the popularity of your blog.

Major Sample of Your Target Market


Email groups are created on the basis of shared interests or any other common factor. Email groups may be composed of people with the same hobby, living in the same area, or with the same occupation.

Whatever the reason an email group had for establishing itself, what’s important is for you to determine whether they can match the profile of your target market. When it does, getting the group hooked to your blog instantly lets you kill several birds with just one click!

Unified Response

Another great thing about tapping on email groups is the kind of relationships members have with each other and how group decisions are made. In email groups,
there is always a clear distinction between moderators and ordinary members. When moderators make a decision, members almost always automatically perform a similar action.

If you can manage to convince the moderators of the email group to visit your blog and maybe even link to it, you can expect the members to promote your blog as well. Convince the one that matters and you win all!

Variety

As we’ve mentioned earlier on, email groups are established for varying reasons. It is unlikely, therefore, that you won’ find any email group matching the description of your target market. As such, you should take the time to browse through email group directories. Pay attention to the information they’ve provided for their group and you’ll know whether they’re likely to be interested in your blog or not.

How to Tap on Email Groups

Now that you’re aware of the importance of email groups, here are a few tips to effectively promote your blog through them.

Join the Group

Your messages will be welcomed more warmly if you join their group first. To do so, you’ll usually need a valid email address, pass their security test, and maybe explain your reason for joining.

While it’s always good to be candid, it wouldn’t hurt to mention any other reason you may have besides wanting a chance to promote your blog. If you’re stuck for a reason, try thinking of yourself as an ordinary member instead. Think of the benefits you’ll enjoy from joining the group and make sure to mention that.

Know the rules

Every email group has rules for members to follow. Make sure you learn these carefully so that you avoid unknowingly violating any of their rules. Abiding by
them as you start posting your messages to the group is sure to endear yourself to other members as well.

Introduce yourself

Before posting any message, it’s important to introduce yourself to other members. Remember to thank them for letting you join their group and take the time to get to know them as well. Introducing yourself is a great way to direct the conversation to your blog and from there, you’ll able to start on your marketing plan.

Return the favor

Last but not the least, remember to return the favor. If the email groups you’ve joined are working hard to promote your blog, you should return the favor and
promote them as well. Doing that is good karma, and that’s never bad for your business!

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