Paul Counts, PLR products creator and serial entrepreneur, is one of the most fascinating people I have ever interviewed for this podcast series. After knowing him online for the past several years we finally had the opportunity to meet in person when we were both speaking at NAMS in Atlanta recently. I know you will enjoy listening to this interview and finding out more about his vast experiences in the world of online marketing.

Like many other online entrepreneurs, Paul got started as an entrepeneur back before the turn of the century. The difference was that when Paul began in 1998 he was only thirteen years old! I absolutely love his enthusiasm as he shares his story with us here.

Soon Paul was working online, and we discussed the idea of becoming an entrepreneur at an early age versus going to college and taking a corporate job. We also talked about the power of attending live events in order to connect with people you can collaborate with later on. That’s how he met Jeff Wellman and Eric Holmlund, and soon they became the ‘Real Guys’. That’s how I first found out about them and joined their list. Soon I was a regular customer of their training and their PLR (private label rights) content.

We discuss the selling platform known as Clickbank, and why this company remains a major player in the digital product world. Both he and I have extensive experience using Clickbank, me from the affiliate side and Paul as both a seller and an affiliate marketer.

During this interview Paul walks us through his latest PLR, priced at less than ten dollars. We discuss how to best use the content you purchase so that it makes the most sense and gives you the best return on your investment (ROI). He also explains why we need high quality private label rights content on a regular basis and how you can make sure to use it wisely to build your online business.

Please leave a comment here after you listen to this podcast.

Subscribe to all of my Calls in my Online Marketing Tips Podcast Series

Blogging for Beginners: Why a Hosted Blog is Crucial to Your Success

Recently I spent time with the students in my Platinum Mastermind Mentor group and the question came up as to why it is so important to set up and maintain a blog. I went on to share my thoughts on this and even taught these strategies to those working with me in a twelve week program on how to become a successful online entrepreneur.

It has never been more crucial to your credibility, visibility, and overall success to be blogging on a regular basis. I have two main blogs and strive to update them regularly with topics that are relevant to what I am working to achieve online. For years I have described your blog as being your ‘home on the Internet’. It is the singularly most important website you will ever create, and there are several reasons why this is so true.

When we first get started as an entrepreneur we must have a place to find our voice and express our thoughts and ideas about what we are learning. A blog allows you to do this in a way that is uncensored, an important distinction that is not often brought up in a discussion of blogging. Also, the blog is a site that you own and control, unlike the various social media platforms. Allow me to expand upon this thought.

What I am suggesting is that you set up a hosted WordPress site. You will need to purchase a domain name (I recommend getting your own name for this) and hosting (this is what distinguishes your site from one on a free blogging platform). I use GoDaddy for all of my domains and recommend BlueHost for hosting if you are just getting started). [Click above for discounted links for both]

Social media is quite popular and yet another way to get your name and message out to the world, but think about this as a long term business building strategy. Facebook messages and updates get lost in the shuffle within a day or two, as do those you post on Twitter and LinkedIn. On the other hand, your blog posts remain organized by category and appear in reverse chronological order forever. My main blog has been active since 2007 and contains almost two thousand posts, all of which can be located within a few minutes.

Your blog posts are also indexed by Google, allowing people to find them, and therefore, you just as quickly when doing a search for your name or for one of the topics you have been writing about in the past. Many people find me this way, usually through a post that was written years ago on a topic of interest to them today.

I also share information on the books I have written and about my podcast right here on my blog. Recently I began teaching something I call Book, Blog, Podcast: The Trifecta of Entrepreneurial Success to emphasize the important of this strategy.

In summary, your blog will set you apart by allowing you a platform in which to express your views and share your knowledge, expertise, and experience on your topic. This makes it a winning strategy through which you can build a lucrative business as an online entrepreneur.

Are you blogging for your online business? Please tell us more about your experiences by leaving a comment.

Productivity Tips for Entrepreneurs

Life as an entrepreneur or small business owner can be hectic. With days filled serving clients, creating relevant content, putting together products and services to sell, meetings to attend, social media interactions, and the like, you may be tempted to take time away from your work on a regular basis simply to get away from it all. My first year working as an online entrepreneur drove me to escape through television, movies, and other activities so that I could have some time to breathe and not have to think about business.

Soon I realized that this was the incorrect approach to what I wanted to achieve. Here I was, trying to build an online empire and all I could think of was how to get away from it. Instead, I shifted my thinking so that the last thing in the world I wanted to do was to escape the world I was creating. In my mind I compared it to Kobe Bryant wanting to go on vacation so he wouldn’t have to think about basketball or Bill Gates dreaming of visiting a deserted island where there would be no Internet. Ludicrous, right? After I thought about it in this way I began to look for opportunities to stay involved with my business every day by being consciously present, performing the tasks and activities that I enjoyed.

Within a week I noticed a significant increase in my productivity. I had begun delegating and outsourcing the tedious parts of my business, while focusing intently on the tasks and activities that I both enjoyed and was good at doing. At the end of week I realized that the only things I needed to be doing to build my business were writing, creating products and courses, teaching and presenting online and at live events, and working directly with my clients. This was about twenty percent of my business and I began doing these things one hundred percent of the time.

My income skyrocketed during the next thirty days and I have never looked back. I had discovered the keys to productivity and everything changed. I then applied this to my personal life and it improved as well. You can increase your productivity, your satisfaction with your personal life, and anything else you seek to improve. This is exactly what I am recommending as you begin this journey:

• Make a list of everything that needs to be done in your business, no matter how trivial and no matter who is doing it at the present time.
• Sort through these tasks and activities, choosing the ones that only you can do.
• Delegate or outsource everything else. There are people who can accomplish these tasks faster and better than you can.
• Apply the 80/20 Rule – spend at least eighty percent of your time each day working on the twenty percent of your business that you are an expert in.

You may also want to share these ideas and concepts with the other people in your business and personal life. When productivity expands and continues to grow relationships are able to flourish. Explain that if they spend time on a task they are not good at or do not enjoy they are depriving someone who can do it more efficiently and effectively the opportunity to do so. That just makes sense.

Instead of looking for distractions in your life, explore the activities that are related to your life and business you can expand upon. For everything you do, ask yourself if this is moving you closer to your goals or further away. The answer may surprise you, or at least will make you think.

Productivity can change everything in your life, from your interpersonal relationships to your bottom line. Take action now and let me know what results you experience. Leave a comment here and I will respond personally to answer your question or to provide more information.

This week I interviewed online marketer Mark Thompson, Digital Kickstart CEO and all around great person to know if you are building an online business as a new entrepreneur. He is originally from New York and now lives in North Carolina. After studying business management in college he accepted a job as a marketing assistant with a technology company, where he was soon assigned the task of managing an AdWords campaign for them. With no experience at all in this area they handed over a sixty thousand dollar a month budget to him and he got busy with ‘on the job’ training to learn how to effectively manage it all. Soon he began to figure out which ads converted well, and after about six months he learned more about SEO and social media as well.

His next position was in a marketing agency where he describes being in the trenches as an Internet marketer. This position lasted for five years and he learned the ropes, even though he was ultimately let go from that company. Almost four years ago he made the decision to venture out on his own as an entrepreneur, and now he is involved with information product creation, email marketing, list building, affiliate marketing, and joint ventures, which is how I came to know him back in 2014.

Mark is an excellent communicator, and this has led to him being able to easily connect with the right people to make things happen. He explains his strategy for building relationships that lead to solid friendships and productive joint ventures. This is most definitely a ‘people’ business, for sure.

We then discuss Easy Video Sales Letters, Mark’s most popular and successful training to date. He shares the power of using video in your sales letters and why this program is so simple to use. I share that I am not a technology wizard and appreciate the fact that he created this with the end user in mind.

I also highly recommend Mark’s Optin Fire training for creating your own effective sales funnel by creating high converting sales pages with WordPress.

Please leave a comment here after you listen to this podcast.

Subscribe to all of my Calls in my Online Marketing Tips Podcast Series

Press Releases: Format Matters

I’ve been sending press releases since 2007 and they have been instrumental in helping me to build my online business. First, let’s discuss what a press release is and what it’s intended to do for you and for your business. A press release is a document that announces newsworthy information about a business to members of the press. It is not intended to advertise your business or products, and it is also not an article similar to one you would read on a blog or in a newspaper. For it to be effective it must be a succinct communication with the media concerning noteworthy events.

You need to keep in mind that a press release is intended for the media. It is everyone’s hope that a release, will lead to coverage of some kind, which will in turn bring added business and attention to your business, but this is never guaranteed. That is why a press release is just a first step and must be part of a larger public relations picture. If you want more consistent coverage, there has to be a consistent relationship between you, the media, your community, and your industry. Press releases can play an integral role in this process. And, most of all remember that you must be sharing something that is actually newsworthy in your industry.

Press Release Format

Let’s focus on the basic elements of a press release. You are now aware that a press release is something that is used to get media attention, so let’s move to an outline of the foundations and format of effective press release writing.

No two press releases are the same, but they should all share similarities. While it is worthwhile to make a press release stand out, all press releases should include specific elements – a headline, dateline, opening paragraph, body paragraphs, boilerplate, and contact information. Let’s go through those elements one by one.

Because of its prominence and position, the headline is the first thing the media will read. Most people, even journalists, decide to read or skip a press release based on the headline alone. Because of that, the headline is without a doubt the single most important component of a press release. Make it stand out from what others may be saying on this topic.

A headline has to grab people’s attention as well as be informative about the content of a release. Knowing how important headlines are, many people try and write sensational headlines that all but demand to be read, but that is the exact wrong thing to do. The best headlines are simple, one sentence explanations of a press release’s purpose and origin. If the information in a press release is newsworthy, then it will sell itself. No sensationalism is needed. As you advance in your press release writing skills, you can learn the subtle art of adding pizzazz to a headline while maintaining its objective integrity. Many of my own headlines are written in the form of questions, such as ‘Who Else Wants To Build A Business That Gives You Time Freedom?’

Many people add a subhead to the press release. A subhead is an additional sentence that provides newsworthy details that either create a new hook or angle for the media or supports the previous hook given in the headline. A subhead is not required and many times not needed. I recommend you do not use subheads, at least in the very beginning of your efforts with sending press releases.

A dateline is a very simple element that plainly states when and from where a press release originated. Datelines appear in the first line of a press release, before the actual release begins, and they list a city and state then the date when a press release is issued. For the time being, just writing your city and state the way you would for your address is fine.

The opening paragraph is the second most important part of a press release, right after the headline. Also like the headline, the opening paragraph has the function of capturing and holding people’s attention while informing them of the important details in a release. This first paragraph can often be thought of as an ‘executive summary’ to a press release because it will be skimmed by readers trying to see if reading the whole release is worth their time. Again, do not make this sensational in an attempt to keep people interested. Sticking to the important information will work just fine. Many people find that, when trying to write this paragraph, it is best to skip it at first, write the rest of the press release, and then write the opening paragraph, highlighting only the most important, newsworthy information that is discussed in the body.

The paragraphs that comprise the body are the meat of the press release. There are usually three to five paragraphs in the body that flesh out information so that readers can have a fully nuanced understanding of what the press release is announcing.

There aren’t really any hard and fast rules to abide by for these paragraphs. Simply state what needs to be said in a manner that is both fluid and understandable. It is important that each paragraph builds upon the previous paragraph(s) and that they in their entirety support and fully describe the headline and opening paragraph.

A boilerplate comes next. Of all these listed elements, this is the only one that is preferred, but is totally optional. It’s a short paragraph that provides a little background information about the company or person issuing a press release. That way anyone reading a press release issued by an unfamiliar person or company can have a basic understanding of the person or company’s credentials without having to do additional research. Boilerplates are made to be standardized paragraphs that can be used in many situations, and most large companies position them at the end of every press release. But most small businesses leave them off to help save space. They are preferable to include because they help reporters understand basic background about the press release’s source, and they do help reinforce name and brand recognition. There are no rules stating that you have to have one. However, once you have written one, you can recycle it again and again in future press releases.

Contact information should be the last entry in a press release. The information provided should be for an individual press contact. The press contact should be someone who can speak for the company and who can answer any questions that the press may have. Ideally, contact information should include a name, that person’s title, phone number, email address, and the company’s website. Optionally, a fax number, after hours numbers, and additional contacts can be included as well. The press would rather have only one contact, however, so use multiple ones only if it is necessary and there are clearly defined reasons for each contact. Many individuals still try to write the press contact at the top of the press release.

I use a company called WebWire.com for the majority of my press releases. Which sites can you recommend for this? Are you sending press releases on a regular basis for your online business? What other questions do you have on this topic?

John S. Rhodes is an expert in the philosophy of marketing. I had the opportunity to discuss this with him recently and know you will enjoy our conversation immensely. In the photograph on the left, John and I  are in Las Vegas for a conference. After working with him in various aspects of the business he ran with Jay Boyer for almost five years, it was the first time we had actually met in person.

He bought Jay out of their company at the end of 2014, and they continue to be good friends. (You may listen to the podcast interview I did with Jay by clicking here.

There were many things I did not know about John, and when we talked about what led him to the decision to become an online entrepreneur he shared that he is originally from upstate New York and holds degrees in management science, cognitive and behavioral psychology, and philosophy. He continues to be fascinated about the human condition, and his enthusiasm made me want to know more. He gave an example of how we can change one small behavior and how that will lead to us changing our lives.

During this podcast, John shares his process for determining where to begin with building a successful online business.

The first step is to ask yourself what you are truly passionate about and to make a list of these things. Then filter your list and cross off anything that you are not also very good at doing. Finally, be objective and ask yourself which of these things other people value and will pay you for. Once you have the answer, that will be the area you must pursue as an entrepreneur with unrelenting energy, as it will be in alignment with your purpose and goals in life.

Recently John became the Chief Marketing Officer for Rapid Crush, Inc., the company started by my friends Wilson Mattos and Jason Fladlien. John is passionate about taking that company to the next level. We then discussed one of my favorite training programs created by Jason and Wil, the 6 in 6 Coaching program. Originally planned as a ‘6 trainings in 6 weeks course, it has now gone into its third year with over a hundred sessions. I have taught three of these training sessions, and will soon teach my fourth. You can get started for only one dollar by going to 6 in 6 Coaching and signing up.

Please leave a comment here after you listen to this podcast.

Subscribe to all of my Calls in my Online Marketing Tips Podcast Series

Leonard Nimoy: Live Long And Prosper

Leonard Nimoy passed away this morning. You may think of him as Mr. Spock from the Star Trek series, but I knew him in a very different way. Long ago, circa 1985, I was living in an apartment building in the Sherman Oaks section of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. Nimoy had purchased the building just a few months earlier so that his parents would come out from the east coast to live in California. They had lived in Boston for many years and he wanted them closer to him and to his children, Adam and Julie. His children were my age and accompanied their father to visit their grandparents regularly. He had completely remodeled two of the apartments to create a much larger unit for his parents, Max and Dora. They were already quite elderly and spoke mostly Yiddish and Russian, so I seldom saw or heard them during the year I lived there.

But my relationship with Leonard went much deeper. One Sunday afternoon he came out to the pool area and asked me if I could explain to him how I used the laundry area. Not understanding what he meant, we walked over to the area where the washers and dryers were and I told him how they worked. He laughed, and told me that he understood that part, but wanted to know the details of how the tenants were using this area, and what could be done to improve it. I knew that his parents did not use the laundry room, so I inquired as to why he was doing this.

He then explained to me in great detail the responsibility he felt came along with owning an apartment building. He wanted each of us to feel welcomed and comfortable, no matter how long we chose to live there. I told him that sounded very logical, like something Spock would say, and we both had a good laugh about that.

During the next several months he and I discussed many things, including his marriage, which was coming to an end. He and Sandra, who passed away in 2011, had been married for more than thirty years, had raised two children, and were now friends and roommates. He longed for more, but that relationship was not to be revived. He asked me what I thought about this and I told him that he deserved to be happy and to find someone new to love. I also told him that it had been my experience that you must wait one full year between relationships if they are to be given any chance at success.

A year or so later they divorced, amicably, and a year later he met Susan. They married a year or so after that and were still together at the time of his death, just hours ago as of this writing (February 27, 2015). This is the first time I have ever shared this story with another living soul, out of respect to him and his family.

I’m not yet sure what lessons are to be learned from Leonard Nimoy’s life, but I am sure I will be giving it lots of thought in the days and weeks to come. For now, I leave you with his last public words, posted on Twitter just a few days ago – ‘A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP’. Live long and prosper, Leonard, and thank you for touching my life.

Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future

The idea of entrepreneurship, owning your own future in the purest way, is best learned from an early age. It is my firm belief that teaching young people about business and entrepreneurship is crucial to their success in later life, no matter which path they choose to follow in the future. I started babysitting and mowing lawns at age twelve, and also did odd jobs for neighbors and family friends. While in college I did photography for aspiring actors and models and also offered a tutoring service for students needing help with science and mathematics courses. In my own family these days we encourage the children to start a business online and to sell both digital products like eBooks and a variety of physical products on Amazon.

If there is a down side to entrepreneurship and building solid business skills for youngsters, I have not yet observed or experienced it. Instead, it is a wonderful experience to watch and guide the young people in your life towards logical decision making and opportunities to earn income while serving and interacting with others. Lessons learned in youth will stay with them for the remainder of their lives, enriching and validating their other life experiences.

The key to success with this is to sit down as a family and talk about your goals, both short term and for the future. Ask a variety of questions, including why it’s important to start your own business, how the income derived from these ventures will be allocated, and who will be helping with the various tasks and activities required of a business.

Doing this as an online venture will eliminate much of the expense, and also allow for faster returns when it comes to earning income. Most young people have an excellent grasp of technology and will take to this type of business rapidly and enthusiastically.

Once you’ve made the decision to move forward, make a list of what your business will do to serve others and bring in income as well. This is exactly what I am recommending:

• Choose a niche to work in, making sure that someone involved has both an interest in and experience within that topic
• Decide which types of products you will create (digital) or source (physical), and where they will be sold in the marketplace
• Schedule time every week to work on the new business, with each person involved knowing exactly what their role will be
• Hold family business meetings once a week to discuss the progress and to address any issues or concerns that have come up

Having the opportunity to explore entrepreneurship from a young age is an extremely valuable one. Even if your child chooses to go into a field that is not conducive to owning their own business, they will forever benefit from the structure, discipline, and results obtained through this experience. The skills involved here will also be helpful with writing, mathematics, and social interactions, both now and in the future.

Be sure to bring in other experts as you move forward with this venture. Friends, neighbors, and family members will all have experiences, knowledge, and expertise to share with you and your child. There is always an area of your life or your business where you will benefit from what others are currently doing. Realizing that it takes a village to start and run a small business is a concept that will help all of you to grow in a variety of ways.

I sincerely hope you choose to work with a young person and explore the world of small business ownership and entrepreneurship during 2015. Remember that entrepreneurship, owning your future is not a new idea, but a much needed one in today’s world. It will definitely change the way both you and they view the adult working world and may open the doors for additional opportunities in the future.