Category Archives: Online Marketing Tips

Affiliate Marketing Tips: Recommending What You Love

When I made the decision to leave my teaching job and part-time real estate business to come online back in 2005, I had no idea how I was going to earn a living. Looking back I realize that I took a leap of faith and believed in myself and my ability to figure everything out in due time. But it was affiliate marketing that made my dreams turn into reality.

I have always described affiliate marketing as recommending what you love in exchange for a commission on whatever is sold. I even wrote a bestselling book on this topic, entitled Huge Profits with Affiliate Marketing: How to Build an Online Empire by Recommending What You Love where I explain exactly how to do this successfully. But I’m getting way ahead of myself and the points I wish to make here with some crucial affiliate marketing tips.

Think back to the last time someone asked you for a recommendation for a restaurant, movie, or anything else. More than likely you shared a story about whatever it was, along with some details that made the story more personal. The example I like to use is one in where I was walking one of my dogs and ran into my next door neighbors, Michael and Valerie. They wanted to go out for pizza and asked me if I could recommend a good place locally.

I proceeded to tell them a story about a place in the downtown section of our city. I told them to park in the lot in the back, to enter through the back door, and to ask for Joey once they were inside. If you ask Joey for a table near the front of this pizzaria you’ll be able to see other patrons coming in through the front door as well as the city lights once the sun goes down. Then I reminded them to ask for the garlic rolls slightly warmed up because they are so scrumptious. Valerie is a vegetarian, so I told them to look at those selections on the menu to get a half and half pizza. I also shared that asking the waiter to have the pizza prepared a little well done would make it even more mouth-watering and added that if they wanted to take whatever was left of their pizza home with them this restaurant would put it in a box that could go directly into the oven when they got home.

By this time Valerie and Michael are ready to go, their eyes wide and their mouths watering. I have recommended something that met their criteria (good pizza, close to home) and I have personalized it by sharing details about parking, where to sit, and the ambiance once they are there. I went above and beyond by providing bonus information about the warm garlic rolls, having the pizza extra well done, and the convenience of the box they could put in the oven if they took any of it home with them.

All of what I have shared with you here is crucial to successful affiliate marketing. Tips like these will make all of the difference in your level of success. Also, another point that might be the most important of them all is that the only reason I am able to recommend this restaurant in this way is that I have actually eaten there and had these experiences firsthand. My recommendation to you is to only tell others about products and services you have purchased, used, and benefited from personally.

I’m Connie Ragen Green, online marketing strategist, bestselling author, and international speaker on the topics of entrepreneurship and inner game mind shifts. Let’s connect to see how I may best serve you in the near future. And please be sure to check out my Really Simple Affiliate Marketing training course. Affiliate marketing tips will help you to achieve the success you want and deserve.

Success Tips for Entrepreneurs: You Can Do It!

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Since coming online as an entrepreneur in 2006 I’ve made a study of successful people and what they do to achieve and maintain ongoing success. The success tips I want to share with you here are based on my informal, non-scientific research, as well as on the results I have been able to achieve over the years. Here are some things to think about in your own process…

Focus on commitment, not motivation – Motivational speaker Jim Rohn said that “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going”. This continues to be true for me in my personal life as well as my business. I commit to achieving a goal, and then I get myself into the habit of doing what I need in order to see it through. This is exactly how I have written fourteen books, become a sought after speaker, and achieved many goals that were beyond my wildest dreams.

This week I’m in Santa Barbara for the International Film Festival, and once again I have the opportunity to spend time with some of the most successful actors, screenwriters, directors, producers, and other industry professionals. Time and again they share their own story and the success tips they continue to use to further their art and career.

They speak about seeking knowledge, not results, which means they are looking at the bigger, overall picture instead of only what is right in front of them. For example, when Casey Affleck set out to achieve success in his life, acting was only one thing he considered. Once he had some experience under his belt, he dedicated himself to learning his craft, which included acting on the stage as well as in film and television. He also did work behind the camera as a way to round himself out. The knowledge he continues to gain serves him well, instead of only focusing on the immediate results.

Make the journey a fun one. Instead of worrying or thinking about what could happen that would not bring you the results you are looking for, have fun with everything you learn and do. My writing is an excellent example of that. I could have easily compared myself to others, but instead I chose to keep my head down and write for thirty minutes to an hour each day. It’s been a fun process to turn myself into a writer over the past decade.

Get rid of stagnating thoughts by focusing on the positive. This is always a good idea, and success tips seem to leave this step out much of the time. No good will come from thoughts of failure and you want to stay in control of these types of thoughts.

Use your imagination to stay loose, creative, and free. It wasn’t until I came online in 2006 that I began to think of myself as a creative person. A big part of this process has been to allow my imagination to roam free and to know that anything and everything is possible in our world and life experience.

Eliminate distractions whenever possible. I demand absolute quiet while I am writing each morning. When you are focused and have clarity as to your goals, you will not want to be distracted until you have finished the task or activity you are working on. Get used to the idea of being alone with your thoughts for some period of time each day.

Don’t rely on others to make your success possible. As children we are dependent upon the adults around us to help us succeed with even the tiniest of goals. As an adult, take full responsibility for your success and be willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

Take regular “down time” to renew, refresh, and rejuvenate your mind and body. This will be unique to you and may well change over time. Make appointments with yourself to get out of your head and have some new experiences with a fresh perspective.

I hope these success tips have been helpful to you as an entrepreneur. Here is another article I wrote about setting and achieving goals as an entrepreneur that you may find valuable to your process. I’d welcome the opportunity to answer your questions and to discuss this topic further.

Customer Service: The Story of “El Guapo”

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Customer Service: This is Crucial to Both Online and Offline Businesses

Recently I was driving by the location where a bicycle shop once did a brisk business in the city where I reside in southern California. The shop is now long gone, and in its place is a pool supply store. It made me think of the last time I had been there and what had transpired in terms of the customer service I received.

I had been in Los Angeles (fifty miles to the south of me) to visit a client, and had to park several blocks away. On the corner at the intersection where I was crossing was a bicycle shop. It had been many years since I had purchased a bicycle, but I was early for my appointment and decided to go in and have a look around for a few minutes.

A man who introduced himself to me right away as “Tony” took me on a tour of the shop. It was nostalgic to see rows of bikes from the past, such as Schwinn Stingrays with high handlebars and banana seats. He shared the history of the shop, and then asked me some questions to find out more about me and to see if I was a true prospect or just looking. And then it happened.

Tony took me down a long aisle where touring bikes and cruisers were lined up according to color, size, and brand. At one point I stopped in my tracks as I gazed upon a bicycle from a company called Felt. The model was “El Guapo”, meaning handsome or good looking in Spanish. I stroked the seat and the handlebars. I gently pulled the bike out of the lineup to inspect it more closely. At Tony’s urging I sat atop the ample seat and placed my feet carefully on the pedals. I was in love. Customer Service - El Guapo

We talked for a little longer and then I needed to leave to walk the two additional blocks to my client’s office. I took Tony’s card and bid my new love adieu. As I exited the shop I gave one last look over my shoulder at what had now become my heart’s desire. Then I put it out of mind for the next several hours to focus on the client I would be meeting with that afternoon.

On my drive back home that evening I drove by the local bicycle shop. I parked in front and then got out to peer through the windows. I couldn’t see the makes and models because it was already dark, but I vowed to show up at ten the following morning to see if they had, or could obtain “El Guapo” for me. I believe in buying locally whenever possible so this just made sense.

When the man unlocked the front door the next morning I had already been waiting outside in anticipation for fifteen minutes. I followed him inside and immediately began babbling about what had occurred the previous afternoon down in Los Angeles. I waited for him to share my excitement and to tell me more about the Felt company, his shop, and “El Guapo”. It didn’t happen.

He barely made eye contact, only told me his name when I finally asked, did not seem even vaguely familiar with the bike I was interested in, and even paused before answering my questions as to whether or not he could order the bicycle I wished to purchase. Keep in mind that I was not asking for a discount of any kind and that I told him I was not particularly in a hurry. He took my contact information almost reluctantly and did not walk me to the door as I left.

Almost a week later I called the shop to see if they had any information for me. They put me on hold before passing me on to two different people, each of whom seemed less interested than the man whom I had met there in person the week before. A few days after that I again visited the shop, and was finally told they didn’t think they could get the bike for me.

A week later a friend and I drove to Los Angeles, where I picked up “El Guapo” from Tony. He was excited to see me, introduced me to the shop owner, and again shared more information about the shop, my new bicycle, and more. He even gave me a hug instead of a handshake this time. Now that’s the kind of customer service that turns people into raving fans!

As we made the ninety minute drive back home with my new bicycle tied securely in the trunk of the car, I thought about the events that had transpired in regards to this transaction. It all came down to customer service, something that is so easy to provide and that means so very much. Are you more like Tony, or more like the people who once had a thriving bike shop I’m talking about here?

Money Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make

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3 Money Mistakes that Keep Your Business Broke

Poor money management has been the cause of more business failures than any other single issue. And it’s no wonder. We aren’t born knowing how to manage money. Most of us aren’t taught how to handle it either. We figure it out along the way, through much trial and error.

Those same mindset issues and bad habits that wreak havoc in our personal finances can plague our businesses as well if we’re not careful. These are the three money mistakes entrepreneurs tend to make…

Money Mistake: Catching Shiny Object Syndrome

Some things are just hard to resist—especially when your friends and colleagues are all jumping on board! New tools, training, group coaching programs and even business models can all have a strong pull, and if you aren’t careful, these shiny objects can quickly distract you from your current goals.

If you find yourself catching shiny object syndrome frequently, try this two-step plan instead:

For “too good to refuse” offers, make a plan for achieving a positive ROI before you purchase. If you cannot find a (realistic) way to make the purchase pay for itself, don’t buy it.
For exciting new business ideas, create a “someday” list. Jot down your idea and a basic outline, then get back to the task at hand. Now that great idea won’t be lost, but it also won’t join the ranks of half-finished business plans that litter the internet.

Money Mistake: Falling for the Sunk Costs Fallacy

If you’ve ever said to yourself, “I’m not using this subscription, but I can’t give it up! I’m still paying the launch price and now it’s much more expensive!” then you’ve fallen for the sunk costs fallacy.

This common mistake is famous among economists, and we all fall victim to it from time to time. Simply put, the sunk costs fallacy is what makes us justify investing more money or time in something—even though we’re not seeing results—because we’ve already spent so much. It’s what encourages us to repair the car one more time (after all, you just put new tires on it), eat a meal we don’t enjoy (simply because you’ve paid for it), and yes, continue to pay for tools and resources you’re not using.

Take a few minutes and examine your current business expenses. What are you paying for month after month that you’re not using? Either make a plan to put them to work for you, or cancel them. Stop falling for the sunk costs fallacy.

Money Mistake: Too Much Penny Pinching

You thought this was all going to be about overspending, didn’t you? Here’s the kicker: Spending too little is just as bad for business.

When you’re constantly on the lookout for free and low-cost tools or working 16-hour days because you “can’t afford to outsource,” you’re not doing your business any favors. Sure, it looks like you’re bootstrapping and working really hard to make something from nothing, but what you’re really doing is digging yourself a rut it will be nearly impossible to climb out of. Not only that, but you’re reinforcing a scarcity mindset that will continue to plague you for years if you let it.

Rather than pinching pennies, learn to spend money strategically. Buy what you need, when you need it. Invest in top-quality products and programs rather than settling for the low-ticket, half-baked plans. Just like quality clothes, cars and furniture, quality services and software last longer and work better. And unlike that car, good quality business tools will pay for themselves.

I learned early on as an online entrepreneur that money mistakes would cost be dearly. This is solid advice and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

Self-Discipline and Productivity for Entrepreneurs

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Improve Your Results with Self-Discipline and Productivity

I did not grow up in a disciplined home, so it just made sense that I would not become a disciplined adult. It was just my mother and I from the time my parents divorced when I was three years old, and we had a more relaxed way of going through life each day on our own schedule. This isn’t to say that we did not follow rules, but basically we went to bed when we were tired, got up just in time for me to get to school (although not always on time), and ate dinner whenever we both got hungry.

Until I went to college and became responsible for my life in a different way, I gave very little thought to this aspect of my life. Then it seemed like overnight I was thrust into a world where I was expected to maintain a strict schedule and do most everything at a specific time. I was stressed out, overwhelmed, and exhausted until one of my professors pointed out that I needed self-discipline in my life in order to become more focused and productive.

Self-Discipline and Productivity in Your Life

Now I realize without a doubt that self-discipline and productivity are interrelated and that self-discipline is a learned behavior. Striving for this in your life and business will lead to greater self-confidence, help to reduce temptations, and assist with your time management goals. It also can act as a powerful motivator for the goals you wish to achieve and help you to stay committed to the tasks at hand.

Even though I became at least somewhat disciplined as an adult on my own, old habits have a way of slipping back into our lives. When I left the work force to become an online entrepreneur I was excited at the thought of no longer having a schedule and of choosing what I would do each day in the moment. Of course, this was short lived as I realized the importance of making a strict and structured schedule for myself and adhering to it on a daily basis. I longed for this structure and almost immediate my productivity level increased dramatically.

I continue to believe that self-discipline and productivity are very personal issues, and that we must define what we mean by “self-discipline” in order to benefit from having this as a life goal. For example, I do not set my clock to get up at a certain time each day to begin writing and creating new products and courses. Instead, my disciplined habits lead me to get to bed before eleven almost every night so that I naturally arise sometime around six each morning. Defining what we expect and intend from leading a disciplined life gives us the power and control to change and improve our lives.

And please don’t confuse motivation with self-discipline. I may be motivated to write another book, but that will only take me so far, It isn’t until I dig into my toolbox and find the self-discipline that my book will begin to take shape. Willpower, persistence, and hard work are all important and worthwhile goals, but self-discipline will get you there on a regular basis.

The disciplined life is a rewarding and satisfying one, to be sure. I know that I can accomplish any goal I choose to set for myself because once I make the decision to go for it I have the self-discipline to see it through to fruition. Most people are not running their life or their business in this way, so once you embrace the concept that self-discipline and productivity have this strong correlation you will be head and shoulders above your competition.

Setting and Achieving Goals as an Entrepreneur

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There is a well known and often quoted saying from motivational speaker, Jim Rohn that goes like this: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” When I first heard this I thought about the people I was spending time with and realized just how true this was in my life. Instead of giving up these friendships and looking for more successful people to be around I decided to work on myself from the inside out. This began with my idea for setting and achieving goals that would help me to change my life. This is quite effective and ultimately life changing, and anyone can get started with this strategy for change.

First, decide what it is you want to achieve in your life. I wanted to leave my job as a classroom teacher and work exclusively from home. My goal was to earn income from a home-based business I could run from my computer. I wasn’t sure how I could achieve this or what the business might look like, but that was what I wanted.

The next step is one that is often overlooked by those new to goal setting and achieving and that is to write everything down. Setting and achieving goals is just a dream until your write down exactly what you want. This began easily for me because I was in a program where we wrote down exactly what we wished to achieve and then reviewed it daily. It was only later on that I realized the power this step had in my overall process of changing my life.

Then you’ll want to share your goals with someone else. Luckily I had met a couple who were very inspirational to me during this time, and they were more than willing to listen to my ideas and give their input and thoughts on what else I could do to move forward more quickly.. This was effective in that once I discussed something with them I felt obligated to achieve my goals. Even though I believed they would be supportive if I failed, it felt good to show them was I was working on and to include them in a process. And something else to note is that I no longer feel like I have failed if I do not achieve my goal. Instead, I reframe it and start over with a clear mind and stronger focus.

The next step is to break your goal down into smaller pieces. before I could resign from my teaching position I needed to do some research about starting an online business, to begin working at building this business, and to set things in place so that I could do it on a full time basis. Setting and achieving goals is just a dream until you figure out your action steps. This was actually a hundred steps over a six month period, so chunking it down was the only way I could make it happen successfully and in a timely manner.

What comes next may be the most difficult step in your process of setting and achieving goals; you must plan and take your first step. For me it was writing an article such as this one to get my blog started and to find my voice with what I wanted to achieve as an online entrepreneur. If you find yourself procrastinating on this step, do whatever you can to motivate yourself to take action quickly.

Keep going and review your goals regularly. At first I did this each day, and these days I do it once a week. I plan my life and my business at least a quarter ahead and also have a three year plan that I am continuously moving towards. And remember the 80/20 rule, where eighty percent of your results will come from twenty percent of what you take action with each day. The goal here is to figure out which twenty percent of your actions are more effective and to eliminate as much of the other eighty percent as possible. I know what I’ve written here works because this is exactly how I have continued to improve my life for more than a decade.

And those five people I used to spend so much time with? Slowly we drifted apart and these days I don’t even know where they are or what they are doing. Perhaps I should call them and find out if they are interested in setting and achieving goals in their own lives.

Weekend Marketer Live: How to Host a Live Event

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How to Host a Live Event

When you decide that you want to host a live event, your first thought might be “Will anyone come to it?” or “How do I get people there?”

The answer to these questions is, of course, MARKETING!

When I first decided I wanted to learn how to host a live event for my online business, I sought out the help and expertise of those who had been doing it already for years. I had been speaking at other people’s events for several years at that pointed and wanted to have more control over how I would teach the people who attended and follow up with them afterwards.

If you have been in business for any length of time, you are sure to have an in-house mailing list and perhaps even an email address list. If not, it is time to start collecting email addresses so you can market to prospective customers and event attendees more easily.

As soon as you decide to host a live event locally, tell your customers and any close business colleagues such as vendors or suppliers right away. Send them an email or post a flyer or postcard in the mail with a “Save the Date” notice to generate buzz.

At that point, you don’t have to give them a detailed description of what to expect. Simply tell them the name of the event and that it will be happening on X date. Also tell them to look for more information about the event, including a special URL at your website, to learn more. Continue to email them regularly right up to the date of the event.

On your flyer, give the URL and also a QR code so smartphone users can scan the code and be taken to the special page you have created. Then keep that page up to date. Add to it and email your list any time something significant happens.

As you get closer to E-Day (Event Day), change the frequency of your emails from once a week to once a day to generate excitement and drive those who have not yet got a ticket to feel as though they will really be missing out if they do not attend.

Also remember to tell your list members to spread the word and invite anyone else they think might be interested in the event. Word-of-mouth marketing can be incredibly useful, and best of all – it’s free.

Good communication is essential when it comes to hosting successful local events. Use the contact information you have and the handy tools available online and see how effectively you can promote your upcoming event.

If you can come to Los Angeles March 3rd through the 5th 2017, consider attending
Weekend Marketer Live, my popular Workshop.

Why a Marketing Calendar Makes Sense

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Marketing Calendar for Online Entrepreneurs

I learned early on as an online entrepreneur that I would need to be stay organized if I wanted to be effective as an internet marketer. This meant planning ahead as to what I would be recommending to my community in terms of my own and affiliate products, services, and courses. Instead of waking up each day and wondering what information, details, and links I would share, I would simply go to my marketing calendar and see what I had scheduled. This has turned out to work extremely well, has significantly increased my online productivity, and has also turned me into quite an effective marketer.

The idea here is to schedule out at least thirty days into the future, and preferably ninety days. I always leave some room for last minute promotions, but for the most part I work a quarter ahead when it comes to what I will be recommending in my daily emails and on social media. One glance at my marketing calendar makes this part of online entrepreneurship both simple and manageable. And if you travel as much as I do this strategy can work effectively to give you the time freedom and lifestyle you are working towards.

Long ago I had very few products of my own, so almost everything I shared was an affiliate offering. This meant that I had to know when new products would be launched so that I could be timely with what I would recommend. I also needed to decide which people and products I wanted to promote regularly over time. This demanded that I build relationships with people I did not know at all, which was uncomfortable for me. Once I moved out of my comfort zone with this everything began to fall into place.

These days I have almost sixty of my own products and courses, so the focus and goal is to make sure that I recommend my own digital inventory a majority of the time. I find that if I promote my own products approximately sixty percent of the time I can meet my financial goals quite easily each month. This also positions me as more of a credible authority in my niche market.

Along with this comes the need for me to reach out to those who will be my affiliates, and to make sure they have ongoing products and courses to recommend. This motivates and inspires me to create more digital products so that my affiliates are never without an opportunity to share what I am doing with their own list and community.

A marketing calendar makes sense for you even if you are new to the world of online marketing. Being able to look thirty to ninety days into the future and know what you will be promoting has its advantages. Even though many products will be evergreen, allowing you to include these links in blog posts and short reports, most of what you will share with your prospects and clients will be time sensitive. Make this marketing calendar system a part of your daily work and you will enjoy the best possible results in your online business.

Daily Productivity for Entrepreneurs

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Daily Productivity: Achieving Your Goals

Since coming online to work exclusively in 2006 I have been obsessed (in a good way!) with my daily productivity. It is my goal to feel accomplished at the end of each day to ensure that my business keeps moving forward. When I mentor entrepreneurs I like to instill this same type of work ethic in them. Over time these small, daily tasks and activities turn into larger projects and goals accomplished, and a larger bottom line. Here are just a few of the ways you can do this as well in your personal life and in your business.

Decide in advance what it is that you wish to accomplish. For example, during November and December of 2015 I wrote down my plans to create a series of eight courses for 2016. They would have the “Really Simple” branding and cover the topics around entrepreneurship that I was most proficient in already. Over the next couple of months I refined these plans and made sure to implement my ideas quickly.
Know that you do not have to do everything yourself. Once I learned how to properly delegate the specific tasks and activities that I do not know how to do, do not want to do, or that would not be an effective use of my time to others, this freed me up to only work on the things that only I can do in my business. These include writing, teaching online, presenting in person, and mentoring/consulting.
Work in time blocks each day. I wrote about this part of daily productivity in detail in my bestselling book on Time Management for Entrepreneurs. Decide which hours of the day are best for the specific activity you need and want to work on, and then block out the time it will take to achieve your goal. For instance, each morning I block out one hour to write a new article such as this one to share with my community. Because I have been doing this for so many years it takes much less time and the results are much better than it was when I began over a decade ago.
Leverage your transition time. I define “transition” time as the time it takes to move both physically and mentally from one activity to another. This time can really add up throughout the day and make or break your goals for daily productivity. Look for ways to make the most of this time so that you do not end your day with two to three hours of wasted time.
Protect your time with family, close friends, and the activities you most enjoy. Recently I spent almost three hours at my local art museum with close friends for an opening that was of great interest to me. That time brought me great joy and I made sure to block the time so that it enhanced my daily productivity goal instead of detracting from it.

Now you can see that your time can be managed and that being productive each and every day is a doable goal. Over time this will account for your great success and a feeling of well being that cannot be overstated.