Tag Archives: Internet

Leverage the Internet to Build Your Business

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Leverage the InternetIs It Time to Leverage the Internet?

The calendar may say 2017, but are you doing business as if it were still 1999? What I mean by this is that it may be time to add an online component to what you are doing in your bricks and mortar business. Allow me to explain further exactly what I mean and to bring you fully into the new millennium by learning how to leverage the internet.

Marketing for small businesses is something I’ve done since the summer of 2007. I was new to online marketing at the time and offered to help a family member with his handyman business. He was still paying for a small print advertisement in the local newspaper, as well as for ads in a couple of local magazines. This was a costly proposition and he was just starting out. He confided in me that it sometimes took two full weeks before he was in profit each month. We agreed that I would help him out for the first month at no charge to see what would happen. I wanted to leverage the internet for his business.

First, I set up a simple site for him using the WordPress platform. The domain I used was the name of his business so that prospective clients could find him more easily. This worked extremely well. I also wrote short articles on this new site about his business, using the words anyone might type into Google if they were looking for a handyman in his location to do specific tasks for them. Within two months he pulled his ads and begin getting as many assignments as he needed from what I had set up for him.

Now I do not mean to say that print advertising is not valuable and worthwhile. If anything, it is quite the opposite. Your ads let people know you are legitimately in business and reach those for whom the internet is not a medium they trust to inform them and to find reliable and trustworthy services. Choose the publications you know and trust and continue to advertise there. But adding the online component is crucial for long term success in any business.

The second part of this marketing strategy to leverage the internet is to begin building a database of customers, clients, and prospects. This will become a valuable asset to your business over time. The idea here is to stay in touch with the people you serve so that you can open up the lines of communication more easily. Email them regularly and let them know what is happening in your industry. And use this as an opportunity to offer a discount coupon or other seasonal special.

The third and final component to small business marketing online is to offer something related to your business that can be delivered digitally. This can be a monthly audio recording that is available as a podcast on iTunes, a short book where you explain in great detail what you offer in your business, or even a physical product that could be available on Amazon and delivered by them. These components will serve to connect you with more prospects and to set you apart as someone who is at the top of their field or industry.

Setting up and maintaining a WordPress website costs about a hundred dollars each year. Setting up and maintaining a digital database is about two hundred dollars a year. Having these as a part of your business is priceless. Take a look at my Small Business Marketing training course so that you can leverage the power of the internet for your business and come into the new millennium.

I’m Connie Ragen Green and I’ve been an online entrepreneur since 2006. If you are ready to get started on your journey to multiple streams of online income, visit my site at Online Entrepreneur Blueprint and download your complimentary training to get started today.

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The Internet Marketing Lifestyle: Online Marketing Tips

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Online Marketing TipsOnline Marketing Tips

Recently I was asked to share what it means to me to have an online business. Tips I shared with the person I was discussing this topic with included details about the time and financial freedom one is able to enjoy as an online entrepreneur, as well as the lifestyle you are able to live when you can work from home, or from wherever you are in the world with an internet connection.

Long ago I worked as a classroom teacher, and to make ends meet I worked simultaneously as a real estate broker and residential appraiser. Over the years I grew weary of working six or seven days each week and still not being able to take time off or save much money. When I made the decision to leave that world behind in 2006 it was to live the internet lifestyle and to create a life for myself where I would have both the time and the income to call the shots every day. My life changed completely when I took action on my dream, and you can do the same thing if you understand what it takes to make it happen.

If this is a lifestyle you are interested in creating for yourself, here are some online marketing tips I will share with you:

  • Be prepared to work longer and harder than you ever have before for at least the first year so that you can “do for a year what others won’t; live the way others can’t, forever.”
  • Be the toughest boss you have ever had in the physical world. Focus and discipline will mean the difference between success and failure.
  • Take action every single day, if only for fifteen minutes. Keep what I refer to as a “dynamic to-do list” and get into creative mode by writing down your thoughts and ideas and then taking action to implement them.
  • Remember that online entrepreneurship is a business. Treat it like a business and it will pay you like a business. Treat it like a hobby and it will cost you like a hobby.
  • Know that the three parts of your business that are most important are posting to your blog at least twice a week, emailing your list as least twice a week, and creating simple information products to sell to others. Good enough is good enough, so do not complicate it.

I hope these online marketing tips have been helpful. You can achieve success and have time freedom and financial freedom if you follow my steps. Having an online business means you are in control of your own life and your destiny, and there can be no greater reward when it comes to your business.

Take a Look at My Internet Marketing Six Pack to Get Started as an Online Entrepreneur.

 

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Internet Marketing First Steps

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Internet Marketing First StepsInternet Marketing First Steps

The first steps to internet marketing success may seem like a challenge, but it will all go smoothly if you take it one step at a time. Remember that every step and every breath you take will either move you closer to or further away from your dreams and goals.

Here are the internet marketing first steps I recommend for you to take over the next seven to ten days.

  • Think about the lifestyle you would like to create for yourself and your family. Now think about the business that would enable you to live that lifestyle. Make some notes in a journal or online document to express exactly what your life will look like when you set up a business on the Internet.
  • Choose a niche topic to focus on, at least for the next six months. Start out with a broad topic and then niche it down over time. It might be something as general as business, health, personal development, or lifestyle. The idea here is to get you used to the process of building a business online, and then giving you the time to find your sweet spot of the more specific area and audience you wish to serve.
  • Purchase a domain name to use for your website. This can be your name, or anything else that is suitable for your topic. If won’t ever seem like the perfect choice, so simply choose a domain and know that this can always be changed later on.
  • Set up a hosting account so your domain will have a place to live on the Internet. My recommendation is Blue Host Solutions because of their commitment to working closely alongside new online entrepreneurs.
  • Use the one-click installation of WordPress to create your site. The hosting company is happy to do this with you, or you may contact me to have it set up.
  • Begin adding content to your site, using original, PLR (private label rights), or curated content. The ideal scenario is if you add content twice a week, but if your schedule does not allow time for that right now, post once a week for at least the next six months.
  • Start thinking about your ideal prospect and what he or she needs most when it comes to your topic. Remember that first and foremost the purpose for any business you can think of is to serve the needs of a specific group of individuals. Online business is no different, and once you understand this concept your business will flourish. For example, the people I serve wish to have a business they can run from home, or from anywhere in the world they happen to be, with just a laptop computer and an internet connection. Many of them have health issues, are caring for an aged family member, or raising children or grandchildren. This requires them to be home or on the road, yet they still want and need a substantial income to meet their financial obligations. Other have lost their jobs or simply no longer wish to be at a job that no longer serves them but still need a six figure or greater income. I help them to get started and to build a business that enable them to live the lifestyle they have chosen while still being there for the people in their lives who need them.
  • Add an optin form to your site so that you can start building a subscriber list from the very beginning. People who do not do this cite it as the reason they did not build their business as quickly as they could have if they had done so. I recommend Aweber for this part of your online business. Send a relevant and interesting email message to the people on your list at least twice a week, sharing more about yourself and what you have to offer them. Be of service to these people, as they are the backbone of what you are working to achieve as an online entrepreneur.
  • Create a short report to use as your free giveaway to encourage visitors to your site to opt in to your list. Put your best foot forward by providing valuable information here.
  • Choose one or two of the business models I have outlined in this post on multiple streams of income and learn as much as possible about them. Resist the temptation to get involved with more than two of these during the first six months you are working online. I have written more than a dozen books that can help you with the specific details of most of these income streams.
  • Get involved with social media, but remember my motto to “Get in, get out, and get back to work!” I recommend Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus, and YouTube to get started with.
  • Start your own Channel on YouTube to share videos related to your business. My YouTube Channel has proved to be extremely valuable to my business.
  • Attend at least two live marketing events each year. This was the single most important factor in helping me to move forward quickly in my business.
  • Know that starting an online business requires the least capital of any type of business you can start. Your time and dedication will pay off handsomely if you jump in and get started.
  • Take action daily!

I certainly hope these internet marketing first steps have been helpful to you. Please connect with me personally to let me know where you are now, what you are working on, and how I may be a part of your success story.

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Podcast: Internet Marketer Brian G. Johnson

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Brian G JohnsonIt was one of my goals to interview internet marketer and marketing strategist Brian G. Johnson during 2015, and it finally happened last week. He and I first met online several years ago through mutual relationships and finally in person in Atlanta at the NAMS conference. At the beginning of this podcast I told Brian I believe he and I are having more fun as online marketers, authors, and entrepreneurs than anyone else I can think of in this business.

Brian is the author of the bestselling book Trust Funnel: Leverage Today’s Online Currency to Grab Attention, Drive and Convert Traffic, and Live a Fabulous Wealthy Life, and I highly recommend you read it and implement what he is teaching there. We get into a deep discussion on this idea and concept of building trust in life and in business which I believe you will find fascinating as an entrepreneur. His thoughts on this topic are true bits of wisdom.

What I didn’t find out until later was that Brian and myself share something in common – we are both dyslexic and have both turned that into an asset in our lives. Perhaps we see things differently from most other people. Perhaps we empathize with others more than the average person and want to be helpful. Or perhaps it is simply a coincidence, along with the fact that we both love dogs. At any rate, Brian has been able to create a life and a lifestyle few can claim, and that’s why I reached out to him in the first place.

I resonate with Brian’s primary goals and mission, which is to:

  1. Help others achieve their individual goals and personal dreams online
  2. Have fun!
  3. Make money

I’m sure you can relate to this line of thinking as you build your own online business. Listen to this podcast, read Brian G. Johnson’s book, and then take massive action to achieve your own goals and dreams. Learning from and emulating the success of others makes everything possible.

Subscribe To All Interviews In My Podcast Series

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Internet Marketing Six Pack

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Internet Marketing Six Pack

The Internet Marketing Six Pack Course

When I came upon the idea of starting an online business I didn’t have a clue as to where I should start. In search of an outline or step by step model or instructions, I finally came to the conclusion that I would have to spend the time to figure it out all on my own. With the help of a few mentors I then created my own information that people all over the world have now benefited from. At the beginning of 2016 I turned these years of experience into The Internet Marketing Six Pack. This is the culmination of what I have learned, refined, implemented, and taught since coming online as an entrepreneur in 2006.

The course is broken down into six modules and includes:

  • Getting Started as an Online Entrepreneur
  • Two Models – Affiliate Marketing and Information Product Creation
  • Content Creation, Publication, and Syndication
  • Credibility, Visibility, and Joint Ventures
  • Technology for Online Entrepreneurs Made Simple
  • Advanced Strategies, Techniques, and Business Models

The idea of starting online with affiliate marketing continues to be an excellent one. Most of us come to the Internet with very little background in marketing or product creation, and the idea of being able to promote and recommend other people’s products and courses just makes sense. It is with this model that I was able to “learn while I earned” and observe firsthand what made online entrepreneurship work so well. This business model also enabled me to cultivate and grow my relationships with some of the top marketers in the world.

Creating information products first seemed like a difficult task, but later on I realized that I was simply sharing my knowledge, insights, and experiences in a specific area with those who wanted to know more about the topic. Once I had this idea firmly entrenched in my mind I was off and running as a successful inform product creator and marketer.

Building and increasing my credibility and visibility came more naturally to me, even though there was no social media during my first year on the Internet and I knew little about what I was working so hard to achieve. By turning myself into a writer I was able to share my messages with the world and get the word out about what I was doing and how I could be of service to others. This started with submitting two hundred fifty word articles to the article directories. Soon I followed with weekly teleseminars and short videos. Every single day I expanded my reach with what I was writing or recording. My view of what was possible changed as I became more productive and my online income increased dramatically.

Some joint ventures followed, and these were typically with people whom I had met at live marketing events. Dr. Jeanette Cates and I created courses together, followed by a half dozen live events. These ventures gave me an opportunity to observe how things were done more professionally than what I was accustomed to in my own business.

The technology had been challenging since the very beginning, so when I teamed up with “The Technology Tamer”, as Jeanette was known at the time, I had discovered a method of helping myself learn while also helping others. Together we created, implemented, and taught technology in a way that made it all more simple and effective in setting up a business on the internet.

Authorship came with the publication of my first book in 2010. It was entitled Huge Profits With a Tiny List – 50 Ways to Use Relationship Marketing to Increase Your Bottom Line and was based upon strategies I shared within my articles and blog posts. Once I had published this book I was seen and perceived in a much different way than I had been previously. I had arrived.

What have your experiences been since becoming an online entrepreneur? Which areas do you still need help with in your business? How may I best serve you?

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Online Marketing Tips Podcast: How to Start An Internet Business

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Start an Internet BusinessStart an Internet Business

My podcasts are designed to help you start an internet business with as much help and guidance as possible. I’ve been hosting these virtual trainings since 2007 and began repurposing them into podcasts on iTunes back in 2011.

I begin this training call with a discussion of time management, an area of strength for me that I have developed purposely over the years. Then I share my thoughts on the concept of “Core Competencies” as assets in your life and in your business. My own core competencies are in the areas of time management, content creation, and teaching marketing strategies pertaining to online marketing.

I also answer questions about using press releases to promote your online business, as well as any physical products you may be selling on Amazon or other platforms. Others questions include the use of immediate upsells on internet offers and why this style is not for everyone. We also discuss local business marketing as a faster way to earn online income than even affiliate marketing, using the Pretty Link plugin for WordPress to share affiliate links. Social media marketing is another area we cover, and I share the site that brings me the most business and virtual reach on a regular basis. Then we go on to answer the question “Who will I serve in my online business?”, as well as discussing what failure means to us an online entrepreneurs.

Recently, I have introduced a new feature during these podcast training calls. I will always have the latest course or program, either one of my own or one offered by someone I highly recommend, at my Surprise! link. Check it out and see what I am recommending this week. It’s always from someone I know and highly recommend as a great value to you as an online entrepreneur.

Are you already a part my list community and receiving my daily email updates? If not, please give me your first name and primary email address in the form on the right-hand side of this site. If you are brand new to my podcasts, you will be interested to know that this specific training call, as well as all of the calls in my podcast series is intended to teach you and other new online entrepreneurs how to take your business to the next level quickly and effectively, and as a way for me to share my exact methods, techniques, Case Studies, secrets, and advice on creating a profitable and lucrative online business using the ‘multiple income streams’ approach. People on six continents have now discovered that starting an Internet business is the very fastest way to achieve both time and financial freedom, as well as to great success in all areas of your life, and you need help to get there quickly. That’s why I started this online marketing tips podcast for my community.

You will see that each podcast session is first recorded live as a teleseminar, and then repurposed into a podcast to extend my reach to the world. Please join my list (opt in on the right) to be included on these calls, and be sure to introduce yourself and share your site for optimal exposure for years to come! Also, check out my Podcast Show Notes site to see how you can subscribe at no cost to both of my podcasts, and please leave me a review on one or both of them if you are so inclined.

If you would like to get started earning income online right away then I recommend affiliate marketing as the stream of income that will allow you to “earn while you learn” You may now pick up my popular training on winning affiliate contests and other online marketing tips for only seven dollars at Affiliate Contest Secrets. This training regularly sells for $27. Use the discount code CONTEST to bring the price down to $7. This training has been completely updated for 2016 with the latest information, strategies, and Case Studies for you to use in your own business.

Please be sure to leave your comments below so that I may get to know you better and to serve you as you continue your journey as an online entrepreneur. Getting started with an online business will change your life forever and my reward is your massive success!

Subscribe To My Online Marketing Tips Podcast Today!

 

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