How To Get Started Online To Build Your Online Empire

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Online Marketing Tips With Connie Ragen Green

Connie Ragen Green Get Started OnlineMy name is Connie Ragen Green and I teach people just like you how to build a profitable online business and use the basic technology needed to get started in this fun and lucrative field. The first year (2006) was difficult for me online, and I ended up spending about 10K and making almost no money. I vowed that my students would not have to struggle like I did.

I have now been making my full-time income online since 2006, and earn a comfortable high 5 figure monthly income, primarily from my own programs and courses, information products, and affiliate marketing. I teach new online entrepreneurs how to write short reports, eBooks, and books for Kindle, as well as how to set up your own blog, set up mini-sites, use Twitter and Facebook, create your own information products, and write your own web sales copy, which is copywriting for the Internet.

My motto is: “If I can do it, YOU can do it!”

I took one of my students, Helen Raptoplous, to 10K a month as part of the 10K Laser Coaching program, did it again in 2012 with student Geoff Hoff, and am now working with student Adrienne Dupree during 2013. This will help you to do the same thing in your online business, so please join us.

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The 5 Pronged Approach – All New For 2013

woman global money 213x300 The 5 Pronged Approach   All New For 2013In 2008 I came out with my original 5 Pronged Approach™ to building a profitable online business. This concept was well received by people everywhere, and many have now credited me with changing the way they approach online marketing and the daily tasks and activities associated with running a successful business on the Internet especially content creation online.

Over the past couple of years many things have changed, including the way content is distributed and disseminated among those who are most likely be searching for more information on the topic. The result is that most of us have made major changes to the way we go about our business day to day.

This is my all new 5 Pronged Approach™ for 2013. I will explain each prong so that you can begin implementing this right away for your own online business and your online content creation.

  • Blogging/Writing and Publishing Books – Your blog is your ‘Home on the Internet’. This is where you share more about who you are, what you do, and how you serve others in your business. I have two main blogs; this one and the one at Connie Ragen Green.com.

Writing and publishing books in the natural offshoot for the content you are creating within your blog posts, and that has never been easier to do. With the advent of Amazon’s Kindle and Create Space programs, you now have a way to get your ideas, information, and expertise out to the world. You can take a look at my published books here.

  • Short Reports – Previously I taught that article marketing was the second prong in my approach, but that all began to change at the beginning of 2011. Although I will continue to write and submit a few articles to the directories each month, my primary focus has been to shift my content over to creating short reports. These reports can be sold or given away, and will continue to bring you credibility, visibility, and income for years to come.
  • Teleseminars/Audio/Podcasts – Allowing people to hear your voice is the next best thing to meeting them in person. Use a variety of modalities to make sure you are heard discussing your niche topic on a regular basis. I believe in this so strongly that I am adding a second podcast series on iTunes this coming week. Subscribe to my podcast series here.
  •  Social Media, Forums, and Live Events – I started my online business during the ‘Dark Ages’, which means that there was no social media to speak of during 2006 and into 2007. I did spend time on a few forums at that time, and found out quickly which ones were worthwhile; these are the NAMS forum and membership site and the Earn 1K a Day forum.

I now recommend that you spend no more than twenty minutes each day on the ‘Big Three’ social media sites – Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn – and that you join one or two paid forums to connect with others. Attend live events whenever possible, starting with those in the city where you currently live.

  • Affiliate Marketing – I am now a ‘Super Affiliate’, which means that I can win many affiliate contests, drive significant traffic and sales to promotions I believe in, and earn more than five figures a month, every single month, from affiliate promotions. This all started in the spring of 2006, when I made my first affiliate sale and earned twenty-one dollars and sixty cents. I saw the possibilities and took off with this business model. I teach affiliate marketing to those who want to learn how to do this in their own online business.

Please take this information to heart, and know that by spending time each week with all five prongs you will be able to achieve your goals more quickly than those who simply get caught up by the next passing fad. It has never been a more exciting time to be online than it is during 2013, so get to work and make it happen for you. What do you need from me in order to increase your online content creation and reach the level you desire as an online entrepreneur?

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Building Your Business By Becoming A Writer

ebook2 Building Your Business By Becoming A Writer Are you struggling with all of the writing that’s required when you have an online business? Don’t despair. You can become a writer if you stick with it and write something every day.

For more than thirty years, from the time I was in junior high school until I decided to become an entrepreneur, I had wanted to become a writer. The problem was that I did very little writing, and when I did write I refused to edit or rewrite any of it later on to improve the writing. While I was working as a classroom teacher I told my students they had to write every single day if they expected their writing to improve. It turns out that advice was valid.

When I came online at the end of 2005 I saw that I would have to start writing if I wanted to build a successful business. I started writing each day and even challenged myself to write 100 articles in 100 days. However, I did not do this…

It only took me 78 days!

At some point, around day thirty most likely, I had turned into a writer. I now MUST write each and every day or else I feel like I’ve forgotten to do something, like turn my oven off or let the dog out. My writing has improved greatly, and it is a pleasure to see how much I can create. As Dorothea Brande discusses in her beautifully written book, Becoming A Writer, one must not be an ‘occasional writer’ if you wish to be successful.

How Can Becoming A Writer Impact Your Life And Your Online Business?

Writing is the most universal form of communication. We are able to shape our thoughts and ideas into words and reach people around the world when we write. Whether it is a blog post, an article, a short report, an eBook, or a printed book, the written word has the power to move mountains.

My recommendation is that you start by writing about topics you are interested in. We all write much better when we are excited about the information we are sharing. Become more disciplined by writing every day for about thirty minutes. Figure out when you are most alert and ready to be productive. I call this your ‘Prime Time’, and it will be different for everyone. My best hours for writing are from about seven until ten in the morning, so I make an effort to do some writing every morning during those hours.

Great, prolific writers are not always born this way. Make the time to write, stay focused on your topic, and do this every single day until you have got yourself into the habit of writing. You will be amazed at where this will take you.

 

 

 

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Podcast: Dan Poynter On Book Publishing And Self-Publishing

CRG DanPoynter 300x189 Podcast: Dan Poynter On Book Publishing And Self PublishingDan Poynter – book publishing expert and self-publishing pioneer – is my guest for this week’s podcast. He has written more than one hundred thirty books and has self-published books since 1969. He now travels the world (he’s been to more than forty countries) to share his message and information on writing, publishing, and marketing books. In the picture on the left I am with Dan at his annual Global eBook Awards event in Santa Barbara.

He encourages us to write about what we know, and to have a different website for each book we publish. He also draws a distinction between authors and writers and shares his thoughts on using editors as a part of the writing and publishing processes.

People write books for a variety of reasons, including credibility and building additional profit centers. He has said that he doesn’t want anyone to die with their book still inside them, and Dan continues to live this message every day of his life.

We also discuss the major differences between the fiction and non-fiction markets, and how each of these can be used to build our platform. Dan has developed something he calls the ‘Binder Concept’ to make sure we have enough time to write all of the books we want to. He uses this method to keep his thoughts and ideas clear and organized. He shares how he used this the day after the Northridge Earthquake and now uses his iPad to make his writing projects portable and available at all time.

He believes that self-publishing is the only way to go now, and that this method results in faster time to market, more profits, and a superior way to build your platform. Traditional publishers may take up to eighteen months to publish your book, and during this time your book may become out of date. Dan shares a method for getting testimonials that I had never heard of until today.

Dan Poynter is a rare gem and I know you will learn much from our conversation. Visit Dan’s site to get even more information, and take a look at some of his titles on Amazon.

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Publicity And Press Releases In Your Online Business

publicity and press releasesYou don’t have to be a publicist to think about the effects of publicity and press releases in your online business. Whether you are an author, entrepreneur, speaker, or a combination of these, there are many ways to increase your marketing exponentially through the use of publicity to build your business.

Think Like A Journalist

This requires objective thinking in that you want to always put the interests of your target audience before your own. Journalists strive to bring information to their readers that they will care about, and you can help yourself by seeing it through their eyes. This will give you much greater access to both online and offline media in a way that will surpass your expectations.

Leverage the Power of Google Alerts

It just isn’t possible for you to follow every thread of discussion related to your topic, or to know exactly where and when it’s being covered, but you do need to stay up on all of this. Google Alerts is the answer to this dilemma. Google Alerts is a great way to know when and where your topic is being discussed or featured. You will also see who’s getting quoted and which media is covering your industry.

Start by setting a Google Alert for your name, and use quotation marks to keep from receiving information that is not relevant. Example: “connie ragen green”

Expand Your Thinking to Other Markets

When it comes to promoting yourself and your business you’d be surprised how much difference it will make when you reach out to other audiences. I first did this during 2012 when I began speaking to groups of authors instead of staying focused on the Internet marketing niche. The importance of creativity when you’re pitching cannot be overstated and sometimes to be creative, you have to look through your world using a different lens. By digging outside of your market, you’ll be able to gain access to information that could affect your message over the long-term, or perhaps give your brain enough juice and insight to bring a new set of ideas that will create some great pitches.

Think Locally

Many times we tend to overlook local media because it’s not as glamorous as national media. While that may indeed be true, remember that there is gold right in your own backyard. We love local campaigns and local media loves their regional “celebrities.” If you haven’t done a local outreach you should. Additionally, network with local media by going to media events like Press Clubs (which anyone can register for). You never know where this will lead you.

Relationship Marketing Rules!

Once you start getting media, remember that staying in touch with the person who interviewed you is important. You can find them on LinkedIn, thank them for the story they did on you by sending hand written card, and then stay in touch regularly throughout the year. Look for a way to comment on a story they did or send them a copy of your latest book. If you can become a reliable media source for someone, you’ll likely always be top of mind with them, even when they move on.

Building relationships with the media may take a while, but if done effectively, these relationships can grow and flourish throughout your lifetime. Learn the rules of how everything works, and the media may just beat a path to your door.

Publicity and Press Releases

Be sure to click on ‘Short Reports’ on my toolbar and download your copy of my report on ‘How to Write a Press Release’.

 

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Creating An Optin Page to Attract More Clients

Relationship Marketing 300x225 Creating An Optin Page to Attract More ClientsIf you are a small business owner, author, coach, consultant, or entrepreneur, you have more than likely discovered that having an Internet presence is crucial to your success. This online presence can take shape as a blog, a traditional website, or even a Facebook page, yet the one page that will help you to attract all of the clients and business you want is none of the ones I have just mentioned.

I am talking about creating an opt in page, which is also referred to as a ‘squeeze’ page, ‘landing’ page, or ‘shy yes’ page. This single web page serves the purpose of letting visitors find out who you are, what you do, and how you can best serve their needs. I have many of these set up for my business, and they all continue to bring in excellent leads every single day.

Your opt in page will start with a headline at the top, stating the problem your target audience is facing and needs to solve. For example, if your business is dog training, your headline might read something like:

“Are You Tired Of Your Dog Jumping On People Every Time Someone Visits?”

You would then go on to introduce yourself to the reader, and to tell them that you had a similar problem with your own dog. Then you would tell them that you have a free report or a video that will help them to solve their problem quickly. The idea here is to sell them on the idea of signing up for the free gift, and not to tell them about all of the other services you provide and products you sell. There will be plenty of time for that later on, after they have opted in.

Include three bullet points to describe your free gift, such as:

  • Learn how to get you dog to behave around visitors
  • Find out what it means when your dog is aggressive around strangers
  • Receive 5 tips for turning your dog into a docile and loving pet

At the bottom of your opt in page you will invite readers to enter their first name and email address to receive their free gift and more information. This is required by federal law to ensure they have given you permission to contact them via email.

If you’re an author, set up an opt in page where people can receive more information on your topic after they’ve read your book. I have done this for each of my books, and you can an example of one of my recent ones at http://TimeManagementForEntrepreneursBook.com. You can see that the page is a simple one that promises to deliver more training on effective time management strategies for entrepreneurs. I receive new leads at this site regularly, and once they have opted in I am able to connect with them on a deeper level that if they had only read my book.

Your free report can be just a few pages in length. I recommend combining three or four of your blog posts into a report on your topic. The idea is to provide the very best information possible to build your credibility with your new prospect and to begin establishing your ‘know, like, and trust’ factor from the very beginning.

This marketing strategy works in every niche and for every topic. It’s simply a way for you to reach out to potential prospects by showing them how you can solve their most pressing problems.

You will want to experiment with different opt in pages to see which ones work best for you. Also, try using video on some and just written text on others to see what your target audience responds to best. You can see an example of creating an opt in page using a short video at Viral Report Marketing.

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How Do I Get Past the Fear Of Wasting Time Writing a Book That Doesn’t Sell?

How do I get past the fear of wasting time writing a book that doesn’t sell?

– by Jim Edwards

image001 How Do I Get Past the Fear Of Wasting Time Writing a Book That Doesnt Sell? One of the primary things that stops many people from writing their own ebook comes down to fear. Fear of writing an ebook that doesn’t sell.

This fear can often debilitate even the most competent writers, let alone someone who wants to dip their toe in the waters of self-publishing for the first time. As someone who wrote his first book in 1994 and published his first ebook in 1997, I’ve felt this particular pang of fear more than once in the last 20 years. But, as with any fear, knowledge and action will help you get past any mental roadblock.

These four “magic buttons” will help you sail right on through to the promised land of self-published ebook success!

Research Carefully

image002 How Do I Get Past the Fear Of Wasting Time Writing a Book That Doesnt Sell?Most people write a book because they get a “killer idea” and just “know” that everyone will need it. As soon as you think “everyone” needs your ebook, you’ve set yourself up for some major heartache. Careful research ranks as the first and, debatably, the most important step in the ebook writing process. Careful research comes down to knowing, without a doubt that:

1. People are interested in your topic. The fastest way to gauge interest is to look at the Google Keyword tool to see how many people search for a specific topic and its related search terms. The other way is to look at the number of books on that topic for sale on Amazon, as well as to see if your main search term is one of the automatic suggestions in the Amazon search box.

2. Are they buying? It’s really easy to see how well books sell on Amazon. When you do your research in step 1 above, just look at the sales ranks of the books that show up in your searches to gauge market size in a niche. Any book with a rank of 20,000 or lower is selling well on Amazon.

Focus on Solving Problems

image003 How Do I Get Past the Fear Of Wasting Time Writing a Book That Doesnt Sell?For non-fiction ebook topics, solving a problem is the easiest way to help boost your chances of selling more copies. People with a problem, especially an intense problem, will spend time and money (or both) to solve it. Solving problems also makes creating a title, description, cover, and keywords for your book MUCH easier because you have a central focal point.

If you want to succeed with your first (or next) ebook, figure out which problems your target audience really struggles with and help them with a fast and effective solution neatly wrapped in ebook form.

Make It Fast and Good!

image004 How Do I Get Past the Fear Of Wasting Time Writing a Book That Doesnt Sell?The surest way to fail with an ebook is to never get it written. The second surest way to fail with an ebook is to write a bunch of crap content. Write the damn thing while you’re young enough to enjoy it. The type of ebook I’m talking about here can be as short as 30 pages (500 words per page in your word processor). The only caveat to this 30-page length is that your content’s quality level must top the charts. You can’t publish crap and expect to get much traction before the negative backlash of public opinion will stop your sales dead in their tracks.

Reframe Possible Outcomes

image005 How Do I Get Past the Fear Of Wasting Time Writing a Book That Doesnt Sell?Whatever you focus on typically becomes your reality. If you focus on crappy sales, you’ll get crappy sales. If you focus on creating great content instead of selling your ebook online, people love and want to tell their friends about, that’s what you’ll most likely get. But if thinking positive doesn’t get your mindset turned around on this issue, then let’s take a look at the “worst-case scenario.”

Worst case scenario: Your ebook doesn’t sell. So what!

You have so many options for using your ebook content to build your business, it’s enough to make your head spin. Here’s how you can use your ebook even if it doesn’t become a best-seller:

image006 How Do I Get Past the Fear Of Wasting Time Writing a Book That Doesnt Sell?1. Free bonus to join your list

2. Chop up into articles to drive traffic

3. Convert to video on YouTube to drive traffic

4. Chop into Blog Posts for SEO

5. Free Report for affiliates to brand and share

6. Sell (resale) rights to the content

image007 How Do I Get Past the Fear Of Wasting Time Writing a Book That Doesnt Sell?7. Turn your ebook into a coaching program

8. Automatically deliver as a paid / free course via autoresponder

Bottom line: if you want to be successful with your ebook, do your research, turn out great content, get it done, and be open to new possibilities. Only good things happen when you follow these steps.

By the way, if you want to get your first – or next – ebook written and published in a week or less, I can show you multiple strategies for doing that! You just CHOOSE the method that fits your style best, and then knock it out. Fast, simple, and easy! Check out http://eBookWritingProfits.com

 

Jim Edwards

image008 How Do I Get Past the Fear Of Wasting Time Writing a Book That Doesnt Sell?Selling online since 1997, Jim is an Internet Marketing Expert, Author, Elite Mentor and Coach

He specializes in helping individual entrepreneurs, small business owners and authors to understand how to use technology to build your online business.

Jim is the author of dozens of ebooks, hundreds of webinars, over 1,000 blog posts and articles.

His flagship ebook “How To Write and Publish Your Own eBook… in as little as 7 Days” – newly revised and updated with V2.0 – has been helping book and ebook authors create their own best-selling ebooks since 2001! Get more information about Jim and how he can help you get more readers, make more sales, and skyrocket your credibility here => http://eBookWritingProfits.com

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Podcast: Mike Berger, Santa Clarita Humanitarian And Community Leader

mike berger 300x172 Podcast: Mike Berger, Santa Clarita Humanitarian And Community LeaderMike Berger, Santa Clarita ‘Man of the Year’ in 2006, is a humanitarian and community activist. He is also a long time Rotarian, serving for thirty-one years so far, and that’s how I first met him in 2006. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Michael Hoefflin Foundation, has served on the Board of Trustees for College of the Canyons, and has served as president of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce. I am proud to call him my friend.

He’s a financial consultant who starts his day at five in the morning, and seems to have endless energy when it comes to helping others. Mike first got involved in Rotary and in the Chamber of Commerce more than thirty years ago as a way to help his business, and soon realized that being a part of philanthropic groups makes live more joyous and meaningful.

I’ve worked side by side with Mike with various hands-on projects over the years, and he believes that getting your hands dirty is the best way to understand and connect with people in need. Most recently we worked with a group from our Rotary Club to clear the brush from an area used by Carousel Ranch.

His advice to people just starting out, who believe they do not have the time or the money to volunteer, is to find a group that resonates with you and that you can relate to in a personal way. He first helped the Chamber of Commerce by setting up the bar for their monthly mixers. He found this to be an excellent way to meet people in the community. He also helped out at the charity golf tournaments and met many people who were also active in this way. Volunteering in your community is an education in itself, and you never know what doors might open when you are active with a variety of groups and organizations. Mike says that we must put our ego aside and be willing to help out by showing that we are interested in doing so.

We also discussed his involvement in the Michael Hoefflin Foundation, an organization that assists the families of children who are going through cancer treatment, as well as with funding for cancer research. Mike first met Chris Hoefflin, the father of the boy, Michael, for whom the organization was named. He saw a need and moved forward to help them to achieve their goals in a bigger way.

His connection with Carousel Ranch began when he sat on the Santa Clarita Planning Commission. They needed a location to do their great work, which involves the use of horses in equine therapy for severely disabled children. No one wanted this group in their neighborhood, and Mike helped them to find a permanent home.

The Planning Commission position came about after JoAnne Darcy became a councilwoman, and then became mayor of Santa Clarita. She asked Mike to work with the Planning Commission to help carry out the vision for the City. He served for three terms, helping to build out various parts of Santa Clarita, including Bridgeport and the mall. He goes into great detail about what his job entailed during this process. Santa Clarita is a planned community, and you can hear the excitement in his voice as he shares some of what it is to come in this community.

Mike recommends that everyone find a mentor who will guide you as to the groups and organizations that you can become a part of right away. This can be the first step in your personal growth as a leader in your community and as someone who is seen as caring about others and being willing to serve.

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Connect With Your Target Audience

Target Audience 300x225 Connect With Your Target AudienceIn today’s world of constant ‘noise’, how do you best connect with your target audience to share our message and begin the relationship that can turn into a conversation for our business? In an effort to engage our audience in a way that will allow them to consume our information, we must be proactive in our marketing. Here are some of the best strategies that are working well for experienced online entrepreneurs.

Content Marketing to Connect With Your Target Audience

This is the art of creating written, audio, and video content to attract new prospects and to reaffirm your value to ongoing clients. I do this with my blog posts, articles for the directories and offline publications, my YouTube channel, my books on Kindle and in paperback, my teleseminars, my two podcasts on iTunes, my short reports, and more. The key is to just get started and your content creation plan will fall into place almost effortlessly. I also recommend that you do all of your own writing in order to find your voice and get into the habit of creating content regularly.

Storytelling

Share your life experiences with your audience in a way that allows them to get to know you on a deeper level. If you think about some of the greatest people in history, it’s their stories that we remember. We think of Abraham Lincoln as the man who walked two miles to return some money to someone who left it in his store. We remember people because of the actions they take, the choices they make, and the way they handle adversity. That’s their story, and you will want to tell yours in a way that allows your audience to know you a little better each day.

Audience Engagement

I’ve become very well known for making ‘huge profits with a tiny list’. By engaging the people you already know, instead of simply looking for more new people all of the time, you can build a successful and gratifying online business. I learned this early on when I won an affiliate contest where most of the people had more than twenty thousand names on their lists. I only had about two thousand at that time, and still came in first. Connect regularly with the people who have already raised their hand in a vote of confidence for you and what you have to offer.

Audio and Video Connections

We connect more easily with people whom we have met in person, but that isn’t always possible when you work online. Instead, use teleseminars, podcasts, photographs, and videos to make your connection with people around the world seem closer. When I attend a live event anywhere in the world, people rush up to greet me because they recognize my face or my voice. A picture is worth a thousand words and our voice holds great power for connection with others. You can do the same thing to make yourself larger than life on the Internet.

How are you spending time each day to connect with your target audience?

 

 

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