Diane Mumm » Marketing

Online Marketing Terms

Diane Mumm — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:08:53 +0000

Need to Know Online Terms

Autoresponder-An e-mail utility that automatically replies to an e-mail message with a prewritten response when that e-mail comes into a specific e-mail or Internet address.
Autoresponders are used by individuals and also by Web sites that need to respond to user comments automatically. For example, an individual may use an autoresponder feature of e-mail to inform the sender that he has gone on vacation and will not be replying personally to e-mails until he returns to the office; an enterprise may use an autoresponder in response to a newsletter subscription request to verify the opt-in or subscription cancellation or to indicate to the sender that a user comment was received. Autorepsonders are also used by enterprises to indicate that an online purchase was processed and will typically include an order confirmation number in the e-mail that is automatically generated and sent to the purchaser.

html- The acronym HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language – the primaryprogramming language used to write content on the Web.
splash page,landing page, lead capture page etc squeeze page – In online marketing a landing page, sometimes known as a lead capture page, is the page that appears when a potential customer clicks on an advertisement or a search-engine result link. The page will usually display content that is a logical extension of the advertisement or link, and that is optimized to feature specific keywords or phrases for indexing by search engines.

branding-Effective branding is all about telling customers who you are, what you do and how you do it.
what is a domain-A domain name is an identification label that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet, based on the Domain Name System (DNS).

what is a url rotator-A URL rotator (sometimes known as page or link rotators) is a system where the same link or URL sends the visitor to different addresses either in some rotation pattern or randomly.

This might be done so that one URL promotes different websites, e.g. where a group of people do a group ‘co-op’ advert and they want to ensure the traffic is divided fairly and automatically.
what is a hit tracker

what are leads-Just like prospecting for gold, sales people prospect for sales leads or customers. Sales leads are potential contacts a seller seeks in order to close a deal or agreement for services or supplies. Sales leads are generally considered the first step in the entire sales process.

what is a prospect-Sales prospects are potential customers for aaa given company that have gone through aaa process of qualification and who have expressed at least aaa small amount of interest in doing business with the company or you.

downline builder- A downline builder is usually a website that promotes certain multi-level or affiliate programs. The thing that makes it a downline builder is that someone can join the site and become a member and then they get their own copy of the site. What’s more, all the affiliate links can then be edited to those of the new member so that when he/she promotes it, the links all promote the new member’s programs rather than the original creator of the website.
what is a safelist- A safe list is and email list you can join for free, and in returning for joining you are aloud to email out to the entire list of members that join. Usually most safelists have different levels of memberships you can join at, and each different level will allow you to email more members more often.
what is a hosting account-All websites have to “host” on a server. The hosting entity not only enables the storing of a certain website, but it also makes it accessible for other machines. Although it sounds very simple at first glance, hosting may turn out to be quite a perplexing term.
Web Hosting companies or Web Hosts are companies supplying space on the internet for storing all kinds of user’s data – information, videos, pictures. The online systems they provide make it possible for the data to be accessible on the internet. Web Hosts connect computers to high speed internet by fiber optics connectivity. Numerous computers are installed in data centers powered by UPS backups.

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Branding You – You Inc.

Diane Mumm — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:07:08 +0000

Branding You- Your Brand- You Inc

Branding is an important factor to gaining some credibility , exposure, so people can KNOW , LIKE AND TRUST YOU.. Now you may have heard this all before but I really believe it increases your chances to gain success quicker.

Would’nt you rather work with someone you have gotten to know , you have gotten to trust , and most of all you like that person.. that is where branding YOU comes into play.

If you look around most all things are branded in someway.. Why do you suppose that is?

You must let others know your story , you can do this in your blog, a video , or a newsletter . Videos really come across very well as people can see and possibly relate to you.

Branding online is also known as my story marketing, or attraction marketing. People relate to different people there is people out there just looking for YOU.. Your personality, your story..

Ways and Where to Brand Yourself

Make a Video tell about you..

Buy a Domain (yourname.com)

Setup a Youtube account with the username (yourname)

When a program ask for a username use (yourname)

Write in your blog about you , your family , your hopes, your dreams, your challenges, your frustrations , etc

Write some articles with (yourname) at the end of the publication.

Signup for Social Networks Sites

Participate in Forums

Setup a Squidoo account again with (yourname)

Add Content and Value to everything you produce online to share.

Here is a awesome series of Videos that are free.. you will receive 7 videos one a day. These videos are filled with much needed info. You don’t have to purchase anything just if you want to get more educated in marketing.

7 Days Of Training Videos

I will be adding more periodically.. so check back.

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Adding Content and Value to Your Online Audience

Are you the type of person that only pitches their business daily . How is that working for you? or are you the one that gives value and content on a daily basis?

So are you tired of pitching the next best online opportunity.. Everyone is tired of this.

There is a better way. That is why in todays world you must add Value to your audience and load it up with a lot of Content.. Be different than the rest and you will stand out.. You will gain some readers and possibly some business partners.

The Question is Why?

It really is very simple , people are looking for answers to their questions. They want to know how to do something. They want learn . What they don’t want is to be pitched your opportunity. You will lose them if you continue to market this way. It is about giving valuable information everyone is needing.

Ways to add Content and Value

1)Make a video showing someone how to do something relating to marketing

2)Write in your blog about useful tools you can use free

3) Give away free gift of value and at the same time have them opt in

4)Mentor for free

5)Join forums and add value to others that are new to marketing

6) Write an article load it up with content that is useful and get it publish

7)Give out free training

8) Offer free marketing tools

9) Give out value on Twitter

10) Give out value on Face Book

Be creative there is plenty of ways to add value and content to your readers. Give , Give, Give. People will noticed and find that you are a helpful person.. Pretty soon you will be building a relationship , possibly a business partnership and then the skys the limit

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Social Media/Networking- Forums

Diane Mumm — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:04:29 +0000

Social Networking

Sites such as Face Book, Twitter, Myspace are just a few popular social networking places.

Face Book Tutorial

FaceBookMarketing101 video1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agy5-GszlNs

FaceBookMarketing101 video2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku-N_isGmbE

FaceBookMarketing101 video3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGQ9lG70fBM

Twitter

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Now you don’t need to pay attention to the promotion on this site .. I just use the videos to keep on learning.

Twitter Training

Forums

Forums provide a marketing platform for your business. They also teach you many things about marketing practices. Forums are FREE you must take advantage of this free platform.

So how can you use forums to your advantage? Well first you’ll want to sign up to some of the top work athome and business forums listed below on this page.

After you sign up to some forums the first thing you’ll want to do is edit your account settings so you can change your signature. Your signature will display at the bottom of each message you post on the forum. So make sure that you place a short sales page and a link back to your website in your signature.

After that is done you will want to start communicating with the forum members. Ask a question or better yet provide leadership and answer a question.

You want to remain active , now possibly try to do this a couple times a week. Once you start building that trust amongst other members they will take a look at what you are doing.. the reason now for the links to be placed in your signature.

If you are allowed to setup a profile in these forums please do this is where you can really shine. Let people get to know you on a more personal level.

Please do not spam and get the reputation for spamming members you will find out quickly many will ignore you or even make complaints .. Always add value and content.

List of forums

http://www.wahm.com/forum

http://www.betternetworker.com/forums/

http://www.whydowork.com/forums

http://www.moneymakergroup.com

http://forums.digitalpoint.com

Do a search on Google for more Related Forums

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Blogging

Diane Mumm — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:02:11 +0000

You Should be Blogging

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWYi4_COZMU

Websites to Help you with Blogging

http://www.becomeablogger.com/

http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2005/08/29/learning-about-blogging-and-how-to-blog/

How to get Traffic to your Blogs

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/06/how_to_get_traf.html

Places to set up a blog

http://blogger.com

http://wordpress.com

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How to Blog 101 – The Ultimate Beginner?s Blogging Tutorial

February 26, 2009 @ 3:11 am · Filed under Design, Leadership, Resources, Technology

I regularly get asked questions about how to start and maintain a successful blog. Here is my beginner?s blogging tutorial – How to Blog 101.

#1 :: CHOOSE A BLOGGING PLATFORM
I recommend self-hosting your blog and using WordPress. It the most popular platform among Technorati?s top 100 blogs and among Church Relevance?s top church blogs.

Self-Hosted Blogging Software:

Blogging Services (hosting provided):

#2 :: CHOOSE A DOMAIN (if allowed)
As long as it is relevant, the shorter the domain is the better. A short domain is quick and easy to type, which will save you time in the long run and reduce the probability of you and your visitors mistyping it.

Domize – immediately checks a domain?s availability as you type it into the query box
DomainsBot – suggests domains based on your search keywords
Domain Pigeon – lists available domain names which you can use for your websites
MakeWords – generates domain ideas based on your suggestions, linguistics, and semantic databases

#3 :: DESIGN YOUR BLOG
Being a web designer or hiring one is not necessary for having a good looking blog, but it definitely helps. WordPress has thousands of template designs for sale and for free that are not too complicated to implement.

For Inspiration:

For Templates:

#4 :: USE TOOLS
WordPress is a great platform, but there are tools and plugins that can make it even better. I recommend at least using the following tools:

Akismet Plugin – tracks spammers and helps keep them off your blog
All in One SEO Plugin – optimizes your WordPress blog for search engines
FeedBurner – tools to help you promote, deliver, and profit from your Web content
Google Analytics – free stats about where your visitors come from and how they interact with your site
StatCounter – a free yet reliable tool for real-time detailed web stats
WordPress Database Backup Plugin – easily backup your core WordPress database

Other Tools:

Bad Neighborhood Text Link Checker – detect links that hurt your SEO
ClickTale – provides movies and heatmaps of your visitors? actual browsing sessions
Crazy Egg – supplement your analytics with stunning visuals and actionable data
Creative Commons – easily mark your work with copyright freedoms
Facebook Connect – integrate Facebook into your blog
PollDaddy – create free online surveys and polls for your blog
Redirectr Theme – redirects the traffic from an existing (old) blog to a new blog or site

Tool Lists:

#5 :: HAVE QUALITY CONTENT
An aesthetically well-designed blog may entice visitors to linger for the first visit, but quality content is what will get those visitors to keep coming back. If you need topics, visit these resources:

Alltop – an ?online magazine rack? of popular topics
Delicious – the tastiest bookmarks on the web
Digg – discover and share content from anywhere on the web
Reddit – users decide the top stories
StumbleUpon – discovers web sites based on your interests

#6 :: STUDY BLOGGING
If you want people to read your quality content, study the science of successful blogging and copywriting. Writing for a blog is different than writing for a book or magazine. My advice:

Unless you are blogging for personal reasons, focus on optimizing the reader experience. Offer only quality content. And make it scannable by using short paragraphs, bold text, and bullet points. Use as few words as possible without compromising quality (needless words wasted readers? time). And if possible, post consistently often.

Blogging Tips:

Copyblogger – copywriting tips for online marketing success
ProBlogger – a blog about how to be a successful blogger
7 Types of Blog Posts Which Always Seem to Get Links and Traffic
15 Powerful Ways to Differentiate Your Blog from the Crowd
101 Essential Blogging Skills
Blogging on Alltop – all the top blogging news
WordPress on Alltop – all the top WordPress news

#7 :: MARKET YOURSELF
With blogging, two of your most powerful marketing opportunities are Search Engine Optimization and leveraging social media. Last year, 48% of ChurchRelevance.com?s traffic came from search engines. You should be using these resources:

Facebook – a popular social network likely used by many readers
LinkedIn – a popular social network for professionals
Twitter – stay hyperconnected to readers with this microblogging tool
Google Keyword Tool – discover which keywords and phrases are searched for the most
I use this often. In fact, three highly-searched keyphrases are in this post?s title.
SEOmoz – free SEO education and tools
16 Effective Strategies to Expand Your Blog?s Reach

WHAT ELSE?
Remember this is just the beginner?s blogging tutorial. But if you read all of these links, you will be on your way to becoming a blogging expert.

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Safelist Marketing

Diane Mumm — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:59:44 +0000

Safelist Marketing

What is a Safelist? Safelists allow people to opt-in for information. While you have opted in for information it also allows you to send information. You will need to set up free email accounts. So when you join you will need one good email for admin and one junk email for the subscription.

The safelist company you utilize will send a test email to both emails. You will need to click on the emails to verify the email accounts are real. Once that’s done you can start mailing. Many of these you can email to each and every day.

There is many people that do safelist and some that think they are a waste of time but clearly they are a great way to get free traffic period..

I got this off the Support Forum , This will help you a great deal everyone

You should watch the videos,

They will help!

VIDEO 1 http://www.freesafelistmailer.com/e-books/videos/safelistvideo1.wmv

VIDEO 2 http://www.freesafelistmailer.com/e-books/videos/safelistvideo2.wmv

VIDEO 3 http://www.freesafelistmailer.com/e-books/videos/safelistvideo3.wmv

VIDEO 4 http://www.freesafelistmailer.com/e-books/videos/safelistvideo4.wmv

VIDEO 5 http://www.freesafelistmailer.com/e-books/videos/safelistvideo5.wmv

Here is a list of Safelists that you can join for free and

send your ads to for free…some of these you can upgrade
to a paid membership and receive more sends per week
for just a small fee.

Remember, these are tools designed to get more people
directed to your you capture page or catchy ad

Please remember, set-up a FREE email account like Yahoo or gmail acct

I would personally set up a gmail account because you get almost 100% delivery rate mail.google.com
Important: Use your junk email address for the list email accountUse your contact email for safelist

Here are the Safelists to join:

http://herculist.com/members/index.cgi?dmgditeam

http://cash4usafelist.com/members/index.cgi?dmgditeam

http://cash-blaster.com/members/index.cgi?dianegdi

http://myfreesafelist.com/index.php?referid=dmgditeam

http://adtactics.com/freesafelist.php?ref=dmgditeam http://elitesafelist.com/s.php?dmgditeam http://www.gotsafelist.com/user/33772 http://europeansafelist.com/s.php?dmgditeamhttp://www.pearlsofwealth.com/Dreamweaver/index.php?referrer=dmgditeamhttp://activesafelist.com/s.php?dmgditeamhttp://the-traffic-secret.com/s.php?dmgditeamhttp://safelistxl.com/s.php?dmgditeam http://www.crocshideaway.com/s.php?dmgditeam http://dmgpromoter.com/scgi-bin/list/g.cgi?r=193http://adsolutionline.com/safelistpro/s.php?dmgditeam http://dusty1.sales4success.com/s.php?dmgditeamhttp://www.newage-mkt.com/safelistprox/s.php?dmgditeam You can do a search on google to find many more Search for Free credit based safelists

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Classifieds Advertising

Diane Mumm — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:56:00 +0000

Free Online Classifieds

Free Online Classifieds work if you are consistent and use properly. They are free and a great way to get traffic to your website. Most classifieds will allow you to post a free ad.

To get some good results on the classifieds you will need to a large amount of ads and do this consistently. Make sure you have a great headline that will attract some eyes.. It needs to be catchy. Perhaps provide a solution to a problem in the headline.

As a general rule you need to post ads daily to a number of different classified websites. To greatly increase the amount of traffic that comes from your ad try and post around 20 a day

Here is a list of Top Sites to You:

http://www.salespider.com/

http://www.epage.com/

http://www.inetgiant.com/

http://www.usfreeads.com/

http://www.rapidclassified.com/

http://www.free-advertising-blog.com/

http://www.5starads.com/

http://www.sell.com/

http://www.backpage.com/classifieds/index

http://adlandpro.com/

http://www.domesticsale.com/

http://www.classifiedads.com/

http://www.becanada.com/

http://www.ablewise.com/

http://www.classifiedsforfree.com/

http://www.kijiji.com/

http://www.recycler.com/

http://www.freeadvertisingboard.com/

http://www.1second.com/freead.htm

Sample Ads

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Offline Marketing-Use these Methods Locally

Diane Mumm — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:51:42 +0000

60+ Unique Ideas for Marketing Your Business Offline & Locally

Free Business Cards: http://VistaPrint.com

Car Magnets : http://VistaPrint.com

60+ Unique Ideas for Marketing Your Business Offline & Locally

It’s easy to remember to promote your freelance business online. After all, you’re probably online a good portion of the day already and it’s practically second nature to do things online that promote your business. But what the freelancers who are savvy in the Web 2.0 world tend to forget is that there was a whole world of business happening before the Internet ever made its way through the office doors. Although online promotion is important for your freelance business, it’s crucial to remember to go back to your basics and do offline promoting as well locally, nationwide, and worldwide depending on who you are marketing to.

Note: If you like this article, you will also like this article : 120 Self Promotional Ideas for Freelancers

Talk About Your Business

One of the best and most inexpensive ways to market your business locally is by word of mouth. Word spreads fast and this can be beneficial for freelancers who are trying to gain new clients and increase their popularity. Talk to people who you run into at your local Starbucks, supermarket or library and tell them a little bit about your business offerings in a casual way. You will often find that, if done right and subtly, this is a great way to gain new clientÃ¨le in the local area.

Networking with Other Local Freelancers

I’ve always found that the best way – hands down – for a consultant to build his/her business is by networking. This includes attending Chamber of Commerce events, networking events, volunteering at high visibility non-profits in a high visibility position, church memberships, and anything else that will get you face to face with people. One of the large networking associations for business owners is BNI – Business Networking International. They hold weekly lunch meetings and include one individual for each business professional. Their website has a listing of meetings that can be searched by zip code.

Advertisements in Free Local Magazines/Newspapers

Another way to get the word out regarding your freelance business in your local area is to take advantage of free local magazines/newspapers available in your vicinity. You will most likely have to pay to have an ad placed in these periodicals but the good news is that large numbers of individuals will read the items since they are free.

Billboards and Other Types of Signs

If you can afford to do so, taking out an advertisement on a billboard is an excellent way to get yourself noticed in your local area and gain clients for your freelance business. Just think of how often you notice signs and billboards in your local area when you are driving around town and sitting at traffic lights. Advertisements in the way of billboards or a more economical type of sign may bring in quite a bit of new business for your freelance venture.

Marketing Yourself with a Business Card

Another important thing that you should do to promote your business offline is to make sure that people don’t just know what you do but also how to reach you if they’re ever interested in your freelance services. Business cards are the number one method of doing this. Make sure that yours are eye catching and also that they include all of your various methods of contact (email, phone, address, etc.) as well as your web address(es). Hand your business cards out liberally to anyone who might have any reason to contact you. Give them a second one at the same time; they might throw it away, but who knows, they might also pass it along.

Be Unique with Your Business Cards

Business cards usually have an entire back that is blank. Utilize this space to print a coupon for your services. Or do something completely unique that hasn’t been done before. Get some great ideas for business card designs with these amazing examples.

Business Cards in Local Establishments

You may also find it useful to post your business cards in local establishments. Places such as coffeehouses and libraries will often have a notice board where individuals can post flyers, business cards and ads. Many individuals view these boards to see what new services are posted and putting your business card up there might be another good way to draw in new business.

Branded Freebie Items

Handing out branded free items is a great way to etch your business name into people’s memory. Purchase useful items that people will keep and look at multiple times per day. Items such as refrigerator magnets, mousepads, calendars, and key chains are all items that are seen multiple times throughout the day. If you hand out refrigerator magnets, hopefully every time potential clients open up their fridge, they will see your magnet. Next time they need services that you offer, hopefully they will think of you and give you a call. Make sure to have your logo, contact information, and web url printed out on the freebie item.

Yellow Page Ads

Although the Internet is a commonly perused resource for information people still use the good old Yellow Pages. Putting an advertisement in the Yellow Pages stating your particular freelance business and services offered is a good way to put your name out there.

Hang Up Flyers and Posters Around Town

Although it seems quite juvenile, hanging up flyers and posters in strategic locations actually works. When I started my business, I received call after call about my services. All of these calls were coming from the flyer that I hung up in my local library. It works. Some other places that you could consider hanging up your flyers or posters are supermarkets, malls, social clubs and business centers. Make sure that you are allowed to hang up your flyer before you hang it up. Most companies require a signature from the office manager before a poster or flyer can be hung up.

Local Activities and Groups Websites

Many cities and towns will have one or many websites dedicated to information about the particular town. The websites may focus on events in the area or other similar types of information. Since these websites often need to make money to stay afloat they will try to get advertisers to pay to post ads on the site. Posting your freelance job offerings on a local website such as this may also promote your business and gain new clientÃ¨le.

I’ll Scratch Your Back if You Scratch Mine

Try approaching local shops and offering your services in return for free promotion of your services. For example, if you are a muralist, offer your local pediatrician a free mural in exchange for your business cards being placed out on the front desk. If your mural is good, just think how many clients you would get from that one free mural. That free mural would pay for itself in no time. One mural could keep you busy for the rest of your career (because once you get clients, word of mouth keeps your business going).

Try Your Best to Get Interviewed by a Radio Station or Newspaper

Try to get free PR by asking local newspapers and radio stations to interview you. This free PR will bring customers left and right if it goes well.

Movie Theater Ads

Do you know those ads that run across the screen before a movie comes on at the theater? Well, those ads are paid for by local companies. Contact your local movie theater to see how much these ads run for. Maybe this would be worthwhile and bring you some business.

Your Local Cable Channels

You have probably seen the ads that run on your local television channel(s). Sometimes these ads are rolling while they play music. Enquire with your local cable company to see how expensive it is to run an ad.

Take Advantage of Bored Bus and Train Passengers

Most bus stops have a spot to list an advertisement. People waiting in the bus stop are usually bored out of their minds. Give them an advertisement to focus on while you have their attention. Maybe when they arrive at work, they will give you a call hire you for a project. Another option is to purchase an ad on the side of the bus or on the inside of the bus.

Print Out Funny and / or Unique Bookmarks

Promote your business in a fun way by printing out funny and / or unique bookmarks (with your biz info on it as well) and place them in book stores, libraries, and coffee shops.

Schedule Speaking Engagements

Although we all have a shy side, if we are going to have a successful freelance business, we have to learn to swallow our pride and network with others whenever we get a chance. Try to get your foot in the door to host presentations or seminars. The more people you can get in front of the better. You will become known as the expert in your field in your local area and your business will boom. Also, you should try to find out more about professional groups in your career field. Do they exist in your area? If they do, you should join and network amongst your peers. You would be surprised at how many jobs can come from these professional groups.

Write a Column in Your Local Newspapers and Magazines

Try Submitting your great ideas to local newspapers and magazines. Publishers are always looking for content and it is a great way to get the word out about your knowledge in your specific field.

Do Something Controversial for the Free PR.

Try doing something controversial to get free PR for your business. Don’t do anything too crazy though”¦I don’t want to hear about you in the news.

Utilize Friendship Marketing

Find local businesses and co-market each other’s business. The idea is to include each others’ promotional material in outbound orders, such as flyers, coupons, business cards, or freebies. One site to help you find sites interested in such partnerships is Mom Packâ?¢ . However, if you want to use friendship marketing locally, you will most likely have to mail, phone, or visit potential marketing partners to create the partnership.

Another idea for friendship marketing would be to offer customer referrals in exchange for displaying your business cards. An example of a situation where this would work is with a graphic designer offering to sending all of their customers to a specific printing company in exchange for that printing company displaying that designer’s business cards. It is a win – win situation for both parties.

Research Local Businesses

It is important to focus your energy on where there is likely to be a need for your services. One way to find out which local business that you should focus your energy on, you will need to research. Uncovering a business opportunity often times requires broadening the range of your skills and services. Since you are targeting all sorts of different businesses you will often need to learn about different industries in order to be useful. You might find that you want to focus on one industry, for example, only targeting restaurants. For example, if you are a graphic designer and you wanted to target restaurants, you could create sample online menus, downloadable coupons, reservations, take out orders, and any other innovative ideas to draw in the prospect’s interest. In fact, imagination and creativity are your keys to success.

Excellent tools for researching local businesses are :

1. Yellow Pages

2. Chamber of Commerce

3. Better Business Bureau

4. Department of Small Business Development

5. Trade Associations

6. Search Engines

7. Purchased Lists

Use Your Car as a Moving Advertisement

We have all seen the cars driving by with company names and contact information printed all over them. This is nothing new, plumbers and electricians have been doing it as long as I have been alive. There is no reason why you can’t employ this same tactic. You can either go the expensive route and have your company information imprinted on your car or you can go the inexpensive route and get a professionally printed magnet to stick on your car.

These magnets come in pretty large sizes and run about $35 to buy one.

Ask Local Friends and Family Members for Help

Just because you are not in a business relationship with friends and family, don’t let the opportunity to utilize your friends’ resources slip away. Friends can provide you with referrals, introduce you to prospects, endorse your services, display your business’ literature in their homes or offices, and distribute or publish your business information. Just remember to use tact and don’t go over the line and be too pushy or salesman-like with your friends and family.

The Radio Can Be Your Friend

Believe it or not, the radio can be more effective than television advertising and often more cost effective too. If you decide to advertise on the radio, then I suggest that you find professional help to develop a radio campaign for you. However, radio is very seldom likely to work as a sole medium for an advertising campaign unless you put a significant amount of investment into it. Trying to buy one or two commercials a day in a run-of-schedule rotation is throwing your money away if the results you expect are lines of people at your door. You need more repetition and a great promotion to draw that kind of notice.

You Should be a Walking Advertisement

You should wear your clothes and accessories as an advertisement. What do I mean by this? You should buy hats, shirts, coats, and bags with your company information on it. Now everywhere you go, people will see your advertisement and possibly even ask you about it. Your shirt or hat or whatever is a great icebreaker. Won’t it be nice for someone to ask you about your company rather than having to get into another uncomfortable position where you need to bring up your company out of nowhere?

Road Signs as Marketing Signs

You see people hanging up signs on road signs. It might be tacky, but it must work if people continue to do it. I have never done this because I think it is in bad taste. However, if you are braver than me, give it a try. WARNING: Don’t Cover Road Signs, only use the post. Otherwise you could accidentally cause an accident.

Stay in Contact with Past Coworkers

You should stay in contact with past companies that you worked for as an employee. Make sure to let them know that you are available for outsourced projects that might pop up.

Your Checks Too

On your business checks, you should write a tagline underneath your business’ name. A good tagline would be something like “We design brochure and logos”?. You never know who will see your check and be interested in your services.

Create Your Own Locally Published Directory Online and / or Offline

Create your own local business directory to get to network with other local business owners and to get your name out there in a unique way.

Distribute Your Free Printed Newsletter to Local Businesses

Many small businesses love getting free magazines and newsletters for their customers to read. Distributing your own printed newsletters is an effective way to promote your business. Allow people to cut out a postcard to subscribe to your printed newsletter (or provide a web site url for them to subscribe). So as you can see, by having a printed newsletter, you are collecting mailing address information about potential customers. And a benefit is that printed newsletters can be virtually free if you use your own printer. Writing articles for your printed newsletter is time consuming, but it is worth it when you prove yourself to be an expert in your field to your local area.

Newsletter Cross-Promotion Works

Find other industry leaders who publish newsletters. Cross promote in each other’s newsletters. Don’t cross promote in a direct competitor’s newsletter, but rather find someone who is in a similar field. For example, print designers could promote themselves with web designers, photographers, writers, etc.

Get Involved in Social Events

Social events are a great place to network too. Just don’t overdo it. Just be friendly and there will be an appropriate time to mention what you do. Some examples of social events are church, synagogue, and school events.

Your Mail and Packages Too

On all of your outgoing packages and mail, you should include your Company Name, tagline, and website (if you have one). Just purchase a stamp or labels and this will be an easy task and a cheap advertisement that might get noticed”¦you never know who will see it and give your business a chance.

Participate in Trade Shows

Get a leg up in your industry by participating in trade shows. This is a great way of getting your name out to industry leaders.

Sponsor a Local Sports Team

Sponsoring a local Little League baseball team or other sports team is a great way to get noticed. Your company name all over the kids’ uniforms is a lot of recognition for your company AND it feels great to do as well.

A CD-ROM Business Cards

Why not be different and create a CD-ROM business card. Pass out your CD-Business Card at trade shows, seminars, fairs, or anywhere. You can even send them in a direct mail piece.

A Business Card as a Guide

A great idea is to create business cards that unfold into a mini-guide. Your business card can be a guide that helps your potential customers with field related topics. For example, a graphic designer’s card could open up into a mini-guide for printing, fonts, colors, etc.

Business Card Magnets

Business Card Magnets are a great way to keep your business card handy and useful. I always need more magnets, and I keep all of the magnets that I get. Maybe other people do.

Come Up with an Elevator Speech

An elevator pitch is a short speech that can be delivered in the time it takes you and someone else (poor soul) to get from the ground floor to the top floor. You need to come up with a short speech that in that short amount of time will pique the interest of whomever gets stuck with you during that ride. Even though it is called an elevator speech, that doesn’t mean that it can only be given in an elevator

Offer Your Services for Free to a Local Non-Profit Charity

Why not do something good and at the same time get some great coverage. Provide a free service to a local charity in exchange for some sort of promotional coverage of your business. For example, if you are a Graphic Designer, offer to design a charity’s brochure for free. In return, you can ask to have “?Thanks to ABCDEFG Company for Donating the Design of this brochure”?. This is great coverage and great PR. Call the local newspaper and media and tell them about your good deed. You could get some great coverage and get a good feeling from doing a good deed.

Sponsor a Charity Event

Sponsor a local charity event and get recognition for your company (along with the resulting good feeling of helping a charity). Call the local newspaper and media and tell them about your good deed. You could get some great coverage and get a good feeling from doing a good deed.

Offer Free Consultations to Potential Clients

People love to get things for free. Utilize this knowledge to your advantage. Sometimes just offering a free consultation will land you the job, however, sometimes it won’t. When a client meets with you, you already have your foot in the door, so I think that it is worth the risk (if you are just starting out that is).

Offer Free Demonstrations of Your Services

Visit local businesses (that are related to your services) and offer to provide free demonstrations and lessons to their customers. Promise that you won’t schmooze the customers and they will probably take you up on your offer. After all, by providing your free demonstrations, more customers will come into their store that day. Make sure to have leaflets, business cards, flyers, and promotional freebies available for everyone.

Yuck…Cold Call Potential Customers.
I don’t like cold calling, but I have done it. I wrote an article about cold calling a few years back. You can refer to it right here.

Create a New Local Holiday

Who says that you can’t create your own holiday? I never seen or heard about a law against this. Get creative and make a holiday up that promotes your business’ services. Some examples of a new holiday are “Free Ice Cream Day”? or “Give Art to a Friend Day”?. The most important part of this process is to publicize, market, and announce your new holiday. You will get noticed and hopefully receive new customer contracts.

Every Customer Gets 2 Cards

How about paper clipping 2 business cards onto your invoice or correspondence with a personal note asking your customer to keep one and to give the other one to someone who could use your services. If you have a good relationship with your customer, he or she will be glad to help.

Bribe Your Customers

There is nothing wrong with a little bribe, right? Well, in that case, why not offer your customers an incentive to refer new customers to you. Why not offer a percentage off your customer’s next (or current) order if they refer a friend to you. Now your customers will have a reason to talk about you and your services.

Find an Agent to Promote You and Your Services

If you are having way too many problems finding new customer leads, then maybe you should consider finding an agent to promote your services. When your agent finds you a client, they you will need to give your agent a percentage of your profits.

Sponsor a Local Contest or Event

A good way to get local recognition is by sponsoring a local contest or event, such as a fair, an art show, or a play.

Customer of the Month

Award a “Customer of the Month”? every month and see how excited each customer gets. Award a certificate or plaque that can be then hung in your customer’s place of business. The award can remind them of your services as well as become an attention getter for visitors of your client’s office.

Call in to Radio Shows

Call into talk radio shows and somehow try to shamelessly plug your business without appearing as if that was what you were calling for. Free PR is always fun.

Get Listed with Trade Associations.

Sign up with relevant trade associations and get listed in their offline directories. I would list these trade associations but since I don’t know what field you are in, you will need to find these on your own. Good luck.

Free Note Pads with Coupons

People eat up free note pads because they are so useful to have around. An innovative way to market your services is to pass out free notepads to people that have ads intermingled every ten pages or so. Your sales will almost definitely pick up with this marketing strategy.

Direct Mail Campaign

Create a mailing list yourself by looking in the phonebook, using an online directory, The Chamber of Commerce, The Better Business Bureau, or by contacting trade associations. Or you can purchase a mailing list from many online sites. A well designed and written direct mail can help your business brand awareness and even result in many new customers.

Create a Unique Organization.

You can try creating a unique local organization appealing to a target group of members. Many associations and organizations have been created to market a business. You can either create a group to target all business owners or create a targeted niche market such as publishing. Get creative, have fun, and get noticed.

Be a Sneaky Snake at Libraries and Book Stores

If you are having troubles finding business leads, then this tactic might work for you. Although, it might also work against you. Go to local book stores and libraries and place business cards in books that make sense to your business. When people find your business card, maybe they will give you a call. On the other hand, you might get in trouble from the library or book store. Or, the person who finds the business card might think that you are a jerk for putting your business card in the book. Who knows though, it could work for you.

Connect Yourself with Local News or Current Events

A good way to get into the local newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV is to tie yourself in with current local events. Find a news story that you can connect to as a freelancer. For example, if you are a freelance dietician and you see a news report about the increase in obesity amongst children, you just found yourself a good story. Issue a press release to local media and get yourself on local radio shows and in newspapers and magazines as an expert in your field.

Flyers in the Bathroom Stall

I know, I know, this one is a little desperate. But, if you are desperate for more business, then swallow your pride and stick flyers on the inside of bathroom stalls.

Stand Out at Trade Shows Before it Begins

Paying special attention to trade-show attendees the night before a trade show can be hugely successful in leading to new business. It is very important that you stand out in the crowd. In order to get a leg up on competition, start working on networking the night before. Hang up marketing door hangers on hotel rooms boasting discounted rates. You can also leave branded freebies in front of hotel room doors. An additional detail that will get noticed is if you write a personal note stating how excited you are to meet them at the trade show the next day. You will stand out and definitely be noticed.

Stand on a Corner with Balloons and a Sign

Now you are really getting desperate. This might actually work, but your pride will be left on the street corner.

Nominate Yourself for an Award

There are many awards given by many organizations that accept self-nominations. Ask your local Chamber of Commerce or look around the internet. Nominate yourself and then once nominated, publicize it with a press release. Once you are awarded the award, you should then send out another press release. After you win, you can now write about yourself as an “?award winning freelancer’.

We live in a fast-paced, high-tech world and it’s critical to your freelance business that you’re able to market it efficiently online but you should always keep in mind that there are a number of potential clients that aren’t as web savvy as you are. Offline marketing of your freelance business is as important now as it ever was, so if it’s an area that you aren’t comfortable in, start learning. Take a marketing class, read a book about how to promote your business or talk to people who have been self-employed for a long time to get tips on great ways to market your freelance business without using the web

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Article Marketing – Writing Good Articles

Diane Mumm — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:48:32 +0000

Article Marketing

Article Marketing is a known as a powerful tool when used correctly can get you loads of traffic. Every Business should write articles. This is a free tool so you should be utilizing it. The key is to write good content and keyword load your article with words that you are targeting.

Since article marketing takes time many don’t venture into writing. Make sure you try and do this however I am finding out it works.. Once you get a few articles out there you will start seeing interest and traffic. and it will become easier and faster to create.

How To Write Articles

So what do you write about? Some good suggestions is how to guides , review of a product or service , your hobby, your niche, and so on. You can go and research this if you need more info to make the article more presentable. If you need some ideas go out and take a look at other peoples articles just to get some ideas.

(Tip:write about stuff you already know to save time)

When writing your article keep in mind that people like to see a good article with great content and information packed, giving out advice is good too. Do not write a article that tries to up sell something within the article. You can add a link at the end usually, so just make sure you have great information and content.

(Note: When writing your article make it at least 400 words so all the article directories will be able to use it)

How Many Articles Should You Write?

To get great results with traffic you will need to write many articles . The more articles the more traffic coming your way it just makes sense right.. Well try to build up 50 to 100 articles in time.

It is recommended to write 2-5 articles per week if possible. The more the better and pretty soon you will be getting tons of traffic . It will be well worth overall. Don’t let this overwhelm it should be fun so pick topics that are fun to write about.

Why Should You Use Article Marketing?

The obvious reason is that article marketing is free and it works! If you spending advertising budget is limited this is the perfect place to start marketing your business.

One other reason why you should write articles is because they will get picked up by search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL etc. When this happens watch out! Your articles can go through the roof and catch fire and start drawing in crazy amounts of traffic to your site.

How To Optimize Your Article For Search Engines

Here are some ways to help optimize your articles to get them ranked in the search engines.

Pick one keyword that you wish to target
Use the keyword you picked at least 5 or more times in your article
BOLD, ITALIC, and UNDERLINE the keyword at least two or three times
Use the keyword at the top of your page and at the bottom
Use the keyword in your link back to your web site.

ArticleResources

Here are some good article resources that we’ve used to help us with our article marketing. The best thing that we use that helps us blast out my articles to thousands of article directories is Article Marketer. Article Marketer is a submission service that will blast your articles out to over a thousand directories, and Yahoo Groups. This will help save you a lot of time.

Learning About Press Releases

Diane Mumm — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:45:53 +0000

Press Releases

Press Releases are another way of getting traffic to your website.

What is a Press Release?

A press release is a news story, a story which tells the reader about something new, important, and exciting. They provide information and are not intended to sell anything to anyone.

There is free and paid press releases.. Free press releases will not get as much attention and may not get submitted everywhere. Paid releases might be submitted to google news , yahoo news and msn news.. etc..

How To Write A PressRelease

Now when writing a press release you can follow the same steps as to when you write articles. Research you topic, give a lot of details, the more information the better. A good time to write a press release is when something new arises and is very news worthy.

Press Release Sources

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Learning Squidoo

Diane Mumm — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:43:39 +0000

Squidoo

Squidoo Info

The platform of the site is easy to use and free for anyone. Squidoo is similar to many other social networking sites that are on the web in that you are able to set up your own page and market yourself or your business. However, on Squidoo you don’t have a profile, but a lens.

Squidoo is essentially a network of lenses that have been generated by the users of the site. Your lens can be about everything from your business and what you are selling to hobbies, pets, sports and more. Lenses on Squidoo are not necessarily designed to hold a lot of content themselves, but for people to use them to point others towards other websites on the web, which makes it a great traffic generator.

Those people who have created a lens on Squidoo is called a “lensmaster.” The lensmaster is able to use the tools that are provided online to develop their page. You can add links, feeds, lists, blogs, eBay auctions, YouTube videos, music, Flickr photos and much more.

Squidoo is unique in that it works in a sort of “co-op” system with its lensmasters. Its revenues are split with 5% going to charity, 50% going to the lensmasters and 45% going to Squidoo. The site estimates that nearly half of their lensmasters donate their profits to the 65 featured charities on the site, which includes The American Heart Association and NPR, as well as some smaller organizations as well.

Squidoo was founded by Seth Godin, a notable blogger, author and speaker. It is estimated by Alexa that Squidoo’s traffic has grown by more than 40% a month since the spring of 2007 and the site is among the top 500 of all websites tracked around the world.

Squidoo’s unique name comes from the fact that on Squidoo, each lensmaster is an expert on a certain topic in his or her own right. Squidoo is designed as an intermediary to the search engines, which gives people a big picture on a particular subject and then points them to places on the web where they can find more information. If you just search for something on Google, for instance, you get too much information. Squidoo gives you just enough information and points you to where you can go learn more. According to Godin, Squid have large eyes and each lens on Squidoo provides a view on a particular area in the world. The name ends in “oo” because all of the large online enterprises have two “o”s in their names as well, like Google and Yahoo!

Squidoo & Internet Marketing

Squidoo lenses are incredibly easy to create and the platform is very user-friendly. Typically, you will focus your lens on one specific topic or product. You can also have as many lenses as you want, so if you have more than one product or service to market you’re not limited by any means. With Squidoo, you have the opportunity to create traffic and to generate income from your website or blog, whichever you are marketing. Google also ranks Squidoo lenses very high, even higher than blogs in some instances. Google values Squidoo lenses because they provide the average Internet surfer with instant results that they are looking for when they are searching the ‘net.

Squidoo is unique because it takes all of your favorite Web 2.0 services and combines them into one. It takes the best of YouTube, the best of MySpace and other Web 2.0 services, such as Flickr and combines them. The difference is that Squidoo has been designed for Internet marketers because it was designed by an Internet marketer.

There are six excellent reasons why you should use Squidoo in your entire Internet marketing campaigns including:

1. You get to establish yourself as an expert in the area you are promoting or knowledgeable in. If you keep your lens highly focused, people will see you as a credible source for information on your particular subject matter.

2. Squidoo points traffic to your site or blog. You can also use it to channel traffic towards your affiliate URLs. Your lens can also be visually appealing as you are able to add photos, banners and text ads.

3. Allows you to promote articles and article marketing. Squidoo has a number of modules, but one of the most common and essential module is the text module. The text module allows you to provide your visitors with information and this can be any type of text you want, from articles to sales copy. If you focus our lens on a particular topic, this module is particularly useful for keyword articles.

4. Achieve a top placement on Google for practically nothing. Google values Squidoo lenses very highly and it doesn’t take much to get them on the front page. Lenses are also easier to update than blogs and lensmasters tend to keep them updated more frequently.

5. You can use a wider range of keywords to capture more traffic. One of the secrets of effectively using Squidoo is to use multiple keywords in your lens. There is a limit of 40 tags that they will allow, so you can use the articles on your lens to gain access to more keywords.

6. Get a quality back link at no cost as well. Squidoo has a Google page ranking of 7. When you place a link, such as one to your website or blog, on your lens you create a valuable back link from a highly ranked site – Squidoo.

Squidoo has achieved a critical mass and will be able to grow even more as it gains popularity and momentum. This means that your lens will be moving right along with it and this will allow your website or blog to grow as well.
Using Squidoo

Squidoo has a number of different categories that you can put your lens under. There are also self-created groups within these categories. You can create your lens around a group or around a more focused niche.

Squidoo categories include:

* Animals & Nature
* Arts & Literature
* Cars & Trucks
* Business
* Computer, Gadgets & Tech
* DIY & Hobbies
* How-to & Education
* Entertainment
* Food & Cooking
* Health & Medicine
* Parenting & Kids
* Movies & TV
* Music
* News & Politics
* People
* Nonprofits & Volunteering
* SEO & Affiliate Marketing
* Shopping
* Sports & Recreation
* Travel
* Video Games

Creating Your Lens

It’s very easy to get started on Squidoo, you just go to www.squidoo.com/wizard/start. After you sign up you will be taking through four easy steps:

1. Give your lens a name. What is your lens about? What are you selling? Don’t be afraid to give it name because you can change it at any time. You should also include keywords in your name to help focus it.

2. Decide the purpose of your lens. In this step you will decide the primary purpose for your lens. You will have four purposes to choose from.

3. Pick your URL, the link where your lens will “live.” This is where you decide what the address of your lens will be. The format is “http://www.squidoo.com/thenameofyourlens.” Try to include your main keyword in the name if you can. Once you choose this name, you can’t change it. However, you may create an alternative lens with a different name and then cancel the first lens with the name you no longer want.

4. Decide what category your lens belongs in. You will need to place your lens in one of the categories that Squidoo provides. Think carefully about where your lens should fall category wise and where people would look for it. You can change your category later.

Once you have your lens built, you are officially a lensmaster! Now it’s time to add the modules.

Adding Modules to your Lens

When you first log on to your Squidoo account, you will be taken to a “dashboard” where you find your lenses. You can then edit your lens by clicking on the name of the lens that you want to edit. This will take you to your lens “workshop” and you can begin editing all of the aspects of your lens.

Squidoo lenses are built in modules and you can delete, add or reorganize these modules all with the click of a button. The button for adding a module is towards the top of your page. You can delete a module by using the delete button located to the right of each module. Use the different modules to create interest and variety throughout your site. This will add to your reader’s experience on your lens.

When you edit your lens, you will first want to start with your bio. This is on the top right hand side of your page. Write up your bio and Squidoo will save it as your default bio for all of your lenses. Or, you can create a different bio for each lens if that lens represents a different aspect of your personality or business.

You can also add a photo to your bio and use HTML tags to enhance it, such as adding bold, italics or links.

The “Introduction” module is the next area you will work on. This is the module that automatically sits at the top of your page. It is designed to let the reader know what your lens is all about. You can also use HTML in this module as well.

When you first create your lens, you will already have your introduction module as well as a few others. These may be a links module, Flickr module or eBay module. Beside each module you have the option of editing it to add content or deleting it if you are not interested in having it on your page. Get rid of the modules you don’t plan to use immediately so you can begin building your page in an organized manner.

Here are the different types of modules that are currently available on Squidoo:

* Amazon.com
* eBay
* Flickr Photos
* Del.icio.us Bookmarks
* Google Blog Search
* iTunes
* Guestbook
* Link List
* Orbitz!
* RSS: Add Your Own Feed
* Café Press
* Text
* Text List
* The Superstore
* YouTube Videos

These modules can be centered around things you enjoy and you can create affiliate accounts with these companies so that you can make money off of your lens if people purchase offers, services or products through your lens. RSS feeds are great because they are constantly changing in their content and will keep your lens updated on a regular basis, which in turn attracts the search engines to your lens, which will increase its ranking on Google. If you are also marketing via YouTube, then you can post your own YouTube videos on your lens to help promote those as well.

A module you will definitely want to include on your lens is the guestbook module. Put this at the end of your lens. People leaving comments will help to boost your traffic. You can also refine your lens by using the reorder module button.

Saving and Publishing

The first time you set up your lens you won’t get it perfect the first time and don’t try to. Work with it, move things around and add modules to it. You are also better off making several different lenses over several different topics and then linking them into each other instead of trying to create the perfect lens the first time. You will also improve your Squidoo ranking with each update that you make to your lens, no matter how small it is.

Next, you will want to make sure the modules on your lens actually add value and focus on your subject area. Your ranking and your lens traffic will depend on this. You can also start with just a few modules and then add to them later.

After editing each module, be sure to hit the save button. Your lens will not be visible on the Internet until you use the publish button. If you have edited something and saved it and it doesn’t show up when you view your site with your browser then you probably didn’t hit the publish button.

Try to get your lens published as soon as possible because nobody can see it if you don’t! Your ranking on Squidoo is affected by the age of your site, so keep it updated regularly and add content to it. The same is true for Google.

Succeeding with Squidoo

In order to succeed on Squidoo, you need to take action and reflect what you have done. Take a moment to visit the top 100 lenses on Squidoo and register with the site to receive the Lens of the Day email. This will help to give you ideas as to what you can do with your lens to make it a traffic grabber.

Always improve on your lens continuously. There is a lot you can learn and a lot you can do with your lens. Be patient and work with it. The more you do, the better you will be able to improve

your lens and the more improvements you can make, the better your lens will do.

The Link Module – Your Key to Success

One of the best ways you can attract traffic through your lens and to your website or blog is through the Link Module. This module is critical in Internet marketing. This module is added to your lens through the add module button. The links module is at the bottom of your module options.

Once you have added the links module, be sure to hit save or nothing will happen. With this module, all you have to do is add the URL of the desired link and the system will create a hyperlinked entry in your links module. When you have finished adding your links, use the “done adding button” and save. This will add the links to your module and you can then provide descriptions to the links or reorder them. Adding keyword descriptions will help with the effectiveness of this module.

Squidoo places a lot of value on outgoing links because the lens is designed to send people on to another area of the web. Remember, your lens doesn’t just hold content, but it points to content as well. Your lens is like a little directory on your area of expertise.

The Text Module – Providing Fresh Content

The web revolves around fresh content and Squidoo and the search engines love it. The text module allows you to just that. However, in the text module, keep in mind that if you want to link to something you have to do it with HTML tags. They don’t automatically turn into a link on this module.

You can have as many text modules as you want, which makes it perfect for blogging and articles. Try to not do too much with just one module, but use several text modules on your page. You can also add titles, subtitles, descriptions and photos to this module. Try spreading these modules out so that you don’t provide the visitor with too much text in one location on the page. Your text should always relate to your theme and add value to your page. You also want to be sure to add plenty of good keywords into the content naturally so that it will do well with the search engines and the Squidoo site itself.

Adding an Opt-In Form

Have an ezine or newsletter? You can use your lens as an excellent location to get your visitor’s information and add them to your mailing list. Squidoo provides a very clear explanation of how to do this at http://www.squidoo.com/opt/. You will find that as you work with your lens, you will come up with new ideas and this is a great way to drive traffic from your Squidoo lens to your website.

Tags, Tags and Tags

Tags, aka keywords, are vitally important to everything you do online, including your Squidoo page. Don’t forget to add tags wherever you can. Add tags to the right side of your lens workshop page first and foremost. Once you publish your lens, Squidoo will provide you with suggestions for more tags as well. They will also suggest tags to you that have been used by other successful lenses on similar topics. To add the suggested tags, you simply click on them.

Don’t use single keywords only either. Use three or four word keyword phrases. Many people search for more than just one word when they are searching the ‘net and you want to target those longer keywords as well. You should also use tags that are words joined together, such as “howtousesquidoo.” This is because people are often searching for websites and they may forget to put “.com” or “www” or both. If you are there with this odd keyword phrase, you’ll get traffic. And, you’ll rank for those on Google as well.

SEO on Squidoo is a little different than it is on a normal website. On Squidoo you can never have too many tags, but on a website you want to focus on a small assortment. The more tags you have on Squidoo, the more you visitors you can attract. Whenever you add tags to your lens, you are building your lens and also building its ranking.

Squidoo does have a limit of 40 tags per lens. Also, if you add tags that are not relevant then your lens will lose its ranking. So be picky, but don’t be too stingy. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment with new tags and you can always use a lot of different tags in your text modules.

Understanding LensRank

LensRank is based on an algorithm on the site, similar to that of search engines. Your lens is ranked overall in relation to other lenses on the site, but it’s also ranked within your category. For instance, you may lens number 2,000 on the site, but you could be in the top 100 for your category. If your ranked as number one, then you have a top ranked lens on the site.

LensRank is calculated everyday based on information gathered two weeks ago. Squidoo says that it does this to ensure that the site has the freshest and timeliest content possible. Those lenses that are fresh and timely are ranked highly.

The higher your LensRank will attract more traffic to your lens and then to your other sites as well. You will also gain more traffic from Squidoo as well as Google. Squidoo has stated there are several areas that assist you in increasing your LensRank including:

* Frequency of update
* Traffic
* Links – both inbound and outbound
* Ratings by members of the Squidoo community
* Lensmaster reputation
* Rate of clickthroughs
* Revenue generated through your affiliates

Squidoo also values your contribution to the Squidoo community and this is also factored in your LensRank.

Lensroll

You can increase your links by using Lensroll as well. This allows you to link to other lenses to your lens, similar to BlogRoll, for blogs.

This is how you get involved with Lensroll:

1. Log into your lens.

2. Find a lens you are interested in or your other lenses by searching.

3. Use the lensroll button in the save and share box on the right side of the lens that you are interested in.

4. Use the drop down menu to choose which lens you want to link to.

5. Hit the continue button.

Start this process with your own lenses if you have more than one. This allows you to create a lens ring of your own lenses, which helps with the number of links you have on your lens.

Other Ways to Improve Your LensRank

Because contributions to the Squidoo Community count in your LensRank, here are a few more things you can do to not only become more involved but improve the popularity of your lens:

* Make comments on other lenses
* Add lenses to your Lensroll
* Contribute to the Squidoo forum
* Add your lens to Del.icio.us and Digg
* Encourage other lensmasters and websites to link to your lens.
* Start a Squidoo group around your lens theme
* Write articles and submit them to Article Directories and link to your lens.

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