Squidoo is a community of users and a great platform for the affiliate marketer. Basically, what you do is create “lenses” or pages online, sharing your interests with others who share the same interests. It’s a great way to generate a buzz around your product, blog, or website.

Don’t underestimate the power of Squidoo. It’s one of the top 500 visited sites in the country and one of the top 300 in the United States alone. One year ago this month, there were 900,000 hand built lenses on Squidoo.

10 Ideas for a Squidoo Lens

You can create multiple lenses to promote your affiliate marketing business, but here are a few ideas you may want to consider:

1.    Products You Sell. Squidoo is a great place to create a lens about your products. If you want to be even more effective, write a review about each product. Don’t sell them. Talk about them.

2.    Books of Interest to Your Target Market. Every time you read a book that may be of interest to your target market, create a lens about it. What was good about it? Was there something you didn’t like? Do you recommend it?

3.    Post a Rant. It’s not just about selling. It’s about building connections. If there’s something you’d like to get off your chest, create a lens that rants. Have fun with it. People love controversy, and this is a good way to get more views on your lens.

4.    Post a Roast. Let people post stories about you. This is a fun way to poke fun at yourself and entertain your followers. Encourage participation from others.

5.    Entrepreneur’s Lens. Post ideas and new products or services and let others do the same. Create an inventors’ brainstorming lens and let the creative juices flow.

6.    Showcase your eBay Store. If you have an eBay store, create a lens to show people what you’re selling. Be open to questions that others may have about your products.

7.    Showcase Your Website. Don’t use Squidoo to do heavy-handed selling. Instead, write about your website and feature some interesting facts about your business. Let your sales page do the selling. Use Squidoo to direct traffic to your website.

8.    Reveal Your Passions. Use Squidoo to give people insight about the non-business side of your life. Because Internet marketing does not happen face-to-face, people tend to respond to interesting personalities that catch their interest.

9.    Spread the Word about a Special Cause. Give back to your community by creating a lens around a charity or other special interest you support. Don’t just showcase it; invite others to talk about it.

10.    Write a Blog Post. This is the perfect platform to create a blog about your product or service. Because Squidoo is an online community, people will find your blog based on their interests.

Using Squidoo to promote your affiliate marketing business is a fun way to showcase your products, share your talents, and generate conversation in the community. Use Squidoo to build a connection with your target market, generate a buzz, and grow your business to new heights.

One way that affiliate marketers use to attract visitors is to use Google AdWords. It’s an easy way to get impressions in Google, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to get a load of traffic from AdWords.

What you DON’T want to do is quickly set up your AdWords account and hope for the best, nor do you want to attract tire kickers. You need to attract targeted visitors who will become buyers.

Here are three mistakes that people make when setting up their Google AdWords account:

Mistake #1: Unfamiliarity with Setting up a Campaign

Don’t rely on the default settings to set up your ad campaign. Your goal is to attract targeted traffic to your website, and you cannot do so if you’ve got the wrong types of traffic checking out what you have to sell. Be sure to adjust the settings so the right people will see what you have to offer.

Also, don’t run your AdWords campaign on a tight budget. You may not get the number of impressions you need to make a good impression in Google.

Mistake #2: Failing to Use Targeted Keywords

Do a little research to see what keywords are most effective in your target market. Use keywords that generate a lot of traffic but may not be readily used by the masses. In order to compete strategically, you’ve got to discover the gold in low competition, high-traffic keywords.

Don’t make the mistake of using the wrong keywords. Strive to get the desired result by avoiding keywords that may attract a lot of traffic but will not result in a single sale.  Doing so is like tossing money to the wind; it’s cold, hard cash that you’ll never see again.

Mistake #3: Being a Big Spender with Nothing to Show for It

One of the biggest mistakes new marketers make is to spend more on advertising than they earn from profits. Your goal is to generate a high CTR and earn more than you spend. This may take a little trial and error to perfect but be sure to spend a daily amount that you can live with.

Keep in mind that this is a learning process. Too many new Internet marketers get overly zealous and start spending tons of cash before they understand how their advertising dollars are working—or not working—in their favor.

Once you get the hang of it, using Google AdWords for getting traffic to your website is an easy and automated method for creating your online presence. While most people learn through trial and error, you may want to do some networking with other affiliate marketers to see how they use Google AdWords to increase their CTR.

Here are 5 keys qualities that you’ll need to become a successful affiliate marketer:

1.    Take risks. How many multimillionaires do you know? How many of them acquired their wealth by playing it safe? Anyone who has struck it rich—either with business or investments—has done so by taking a few calculated risks. Affiliate marketing is no different.

Many affiliate marketers fail to make a sizeable dent in their bank accounts because they’re too afraid to think beyond their comfort zones.

2.    Listen and learn. You’ve got to be a student of affiliate marketing, even when you’ve had some success at it. If you can swing it, hire an affiliate marketing coach to help you avoid some of the mistakes and pitfalls that new marketers are sure to make.

If you cannot afford a coach—and even if you can—consider joining Internet marketing forums. The greatest thing about forums is that you’ll get a wealth of advice for nothing or next to nothing! There are a lot of free forums out there.  If you can get in on the private, members-only paid sites, you’ll probably be privy to more than what you’ll get free…and for a fraction of the cost of hiring a coach.

3.    Think big. If you’re serious about making real money, go with what sells, and go with products that will make you a higher number of dollars per sale. The top-selling affiliate products are not e-books; they are software and membership sites.

Sure, you can make a few bucks selling e-books and learn the basics of affiliate marketing, but only a few out of the thousands of these books will generate a sizeable income. Go for the big-ticket items.

Don’t sell yourself short. Even though that first sale gives you an emotional high like no other, it won’t last long if you cannot earn enough money to make it worth your while. Take some time to investigate the top 10 sellers in the affiliate marketing field while the window is open, and jump on those opportunities.

4.    Get a competitive mindset. It’s common for new affiliate marketers to worship gurus; however, those guys are “you.” Many of them began with little or no experience, and some of them wiped out the competition by being tenacious.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you cannot make it to the top of your niche because others have been at the top for years. There’s no reason why you can’t take one of those top positions.

That means you’ll need to study your competitors’ sites. Find the top three sellers in your niche and model them. Network with successful affiliate marketers. Your success depends on the company you keep, and that means keeping your competition close.

5.    Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Once you’ve found something that works, keep doing it. New marketers can sometimes be all over the place with their ideas. Give your ideas a good trial run and test the results. The old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is a good one to follow.

Having the proper mindset will make the difference between becoming a successful affiliate marketer or not. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room to make a lot of money in affiliate marketing. You’ve just got to be willing to do what it takes and stay the course for the long haul.

Find a Vendor That Has an Affiliate Program

First, find a vendor who has a product you’d like to promote. The best way to begin is to find a company that you’ve already done business with, go to their website, and see if they have an affiliate program. Check their website to see if they have an “Affiliate Program” link. You may be surprised to know that your favorite companies offer affiliate commissions.

Many of the high-profile companies that get a lot of exposure offer affiliate programs. One example is Amazon.com. Let’s talk about how their affiliate program works. They call their program Amazon Associates. You can find this program by going to the Amazon.com website and clicking on the “Associates Program” link on the left side of the page. (You’ll have to scroll down to see it.)

Joining this program is easy. In fact, they’ll walk you through the process onsite. When you join Amazon Associates, you’ll earn money selling their products. They’ll set you up with links and banners, widgets, and a self-contained store that you can display on your website. When someone orders a product on your site from Amazon.com, you’ll get a percentage of the profits. It’s that simple.

Create Your Affiliate Marketing Website

Next, create the name of your website. It’s best to put the name of your product in the domain name to make it easier to locate. For example, if you’re selling computers, you’ll want a domain name with the word “computers” in the title.

Once you’ve covered these steps, register your domain name. You can do this fairly cheaply, for less than $2. GoDaddy.com can walk you through the steps. You can also get Deluxe Hosting for $6.99 a month.

Set Up a Twitter Account

Another cheaper option you can use is to link your affiliate account with your Twitter account. This way, you can set up your Twitter account and promote products free. You won’t even need a website if you choose this route. You can market products through your tweets.

Once you set up your account, you’ll have to complete some basic information to get started. Using Amazon.com’s program as an example, you can actually choose your payment method: gift card, direct deposit, or check. However, if you choose to get paid by check, there is a fee associated with that option.

Start Selling!

Once you get everything set up and have an inventory of products, you can start selling through Twitter. There’s no need to spend a pile of cash to make money. Just become an associate and the products will sell themselves.

To succeed in affiliate marketing, you have to think outside the box. There is no one-size-fits all method for success. If the recession has emptied your pockets and you need a quick and easy way to set up an affiliate marketing business, go with a high-profile company that generates a lot of sales. That way, you can market products for a company with a proven track record and earn the cash you need.

1.    Use the YouTube Insight Analytical tool. Just as you track website visitors, you will also want to track the people who view your videos. It shows you the geographical areas of your viewers, your videos’ popularity compared to other videos, and other statistical information about your video’s popularity or lack thereof.
2.    Use a script. While you don’t necessarily have to have a word-by-word breakdown of what you’re going to say, you should have some structure to your videos to keep your recording on track. Since you’re using YouTube as a springboard for driving traffic to your site, using structure and consistency will build upon your credibility in your target market.
3.    Don’t create commercials. Remember that the purpose of your videos is to give back to your prospects. It’s okay to give details about an upcoming launch, but don’t make a commercial out of it. Entertain and inform in your videos. Don’t sell.
4.    Keep it clean. Don’t use foul language in your videos. You never know who’s viewing your videos or who may be within earshot. If you lose foul language and someone’s young child is nearby, you may lose one of your prospects.
5.    Create a trademark opening. The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson had its trademark, “Heeere’s Johnny!” While you may not develop something as memorable as this one, you can create an opening as a branding device.
6.    Use tags to get attention. Add tags to increase your visibility in the search engines. Don’t rely on keywords alone.
7.    Contact your subscribers when a new video is uploaded. Make sure to contact everyone on your list, on Facebook, and on Twitter when a new video is uploaded. If you participate in forums, you may want to add a link to your signature line.
8.    Create a series. Develop a series of videos around a particular topic and release them at scheduled intervals. For instance, if you want to give your subscribers five great ways to make money with affiliate marketing, you may want to create five 2-3 minute videos and release one a day or one a week. If you can offer information that will keep them coming back for more, you will build a loyal set of followers.
9.    Show how to solve a problem. One great way to get traffic to your website is to show viewers how to solve a problem in their lives. This will help you to establish yourself as an authority in your target market and drive more traffic to your website.
10.    Create a trademark closing. Just as you may create a trademark opening, a closing that ends with a signature remark will help you to create your brand.

Creating compelling content on YouTube is an effective way to get attention and create a buzz around your product. If you make a consistent effort to establish yourself as an authority with YouTube, getting traffic to your website will become much easier.

1. Provide compelling content. Mix it up. Be informative. Be funny. Be engaging.
2.  Post your videos in more than one place. Once you’ve posted your video on YouTube, post the links on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc. to get the most mileage out of it.
3. Don’t obsess over “perfection.” Unless you’re a professional videographer, you’ll waste a lot of time if you worry over perfection. Just have fun with it.
4. Keep it short. There’s no need to make your videos any longer than two or three minutes. Film in manageable bits.
5. Include your e-mail address. It’s just as important to post your e-mail address as it is to post your URL. Give people a way to contact you directly.
6. Watch other successful videos. You can learn a lot about creating videos by watching popular videos. You may be surprised at what types of videos people find most intriguing.
7. Target your niche. The world is not your target market. Focus on your niche.
8. Be clear about your channel’s purpose. Be specific about what you’re offering. That way you’ll attract targeted traffic.
9. Ignore YouTube trolls. You can’t please everyone, so don’t waste your energy in a “back and forth” debate in the comment section. Ignore the naysayers. You can always delete unseemly posts.
10. Create each video with a clear purpose in mind. Each video should fulfill a specific objective: give a free tip, offer how-to instruction, or to announce a product launch.
11.  Create video testimonials. Ask some of your satisfied customers to take part in video testimonials about your product. Video testimonials are a great way to create a buzz around your product.
12. Be natural. There’s no need to be someone you’re not. Viewers know a fake when they see one. Let your personality show.
13. Optimize your title. Use keywords in your title to boost your rankings in the search engines.
14. Avoid copyright infringement. Use only original material on your video unless you get written permission from the author. This includes music. You can find royalty-free music to use in your video if you want background music.
15. Use your webcam. You don’t have to use professional video equipment to create valuable content. Today’s audiences want authentic material, regardless of the means of transmission.
16. Make sure your videos have good sound quality. Test-drive your videos before you upload them. You don’t have to produce high-quality videos, but if the sound is garbled, no one will listen to them.
17. Record several videos at a time. If you get on a roll, keep the film rolling. Don’t be hesitant to upload several videos at once.
18. Ask for feedback. Your viewers can provide valuable feedback about the quality of your videos and give you great ideas for future work.
19. Give positive feedback to positive comments. If people take the time to leave a positive comment, acknowledge them. This is a great way to build a rapport with your audience.
20. Get friends in on the fun. Be creative. Recruit your own YouTube cast to keep your videos interesting.

Getting traffic to your website begins with letting people know you’re out there. If you’re not camera shy, using YouTube is a great way to create a presence, generate a buzz around your product, and provide a road map directly to your website or blog.

There are, however, certain things you should not do in this business. Before you make a big goof that could cost you a lot of money, you’ll need to know what you should avoid.

1.    Don’t let the “big guys” intimidate you.

Is it safe to assume that many newbies stand in awe of the big names in the business? Probably so. However, there’s no reason to believe that you cannot have paralleled success alongside some of the more experienced players in the market.

Keep in mind that affiliate marketing is a wide open field, and you may offer something on your site that will tip the scales in your favor. Go in it to win, not to whine.

2.    Don’t worry too much about “the numbers.”

Don’t be deceived into thinking that you need a huge list to get big results. The key is to get qualified prospects on your list. When you hear other affiliate marketers boast about the size of their lists, keep in mind that bigger is not necessarily better. Quality trumps quantity every time.

3.    Don’t jump on the newest bandwagon, just because someone promises it to be the “next big thing.”

Let’s cut to the chase…  Marketers are in business to make money. Just because someone says they’ve got a blow-out product doesn’t make it so. As a new affiliate, focus on products that have a successful history of making sales. There are a lot of people out there talking the talk but not walking the walk. Focus on results not empty promises.

4.    Don’t spend a fortune buying software programs.

One of the biggest tragedies that newbies face is they fall prey to the very marketing machine that proposes to help them! There are plenty of free programs, e-books, forums, etc., out there to get you started in the right direction. Don’t spend money that you can invest more wisely in other directions. There are many options for getting your marketing machine revved up, and you don’t have to break the bank to get started.

5.    Don’t use unrelated phrases or add too many dashes to your domain name.

If you want to sell products, you’ve got to make it easy for people to find your products. Creating “cutesy” domain names that have nothing to do with what you’re selling may set up your affiliate marketing business for an early demise. Also, avoid domain name disaster by adding too many dashes. It confuses people and they are less likely to remember the address.

Your affiliate marketing success will depend on avoiding mistakes as much as making the right decisions. Discover what NOT to do before you go full steam ahead into your online business.

Most people say every year that they want to lose weight or exercise more. But they abandon these resolutions early on in the year because they don’t have a lot of motivation or they think they have to be perfect. One day of bad eating or skipping the morning run and they feel like the year is ruined.

It is much better to set goals for yourself instead. Spend some time thinking about where you are in your business and your personal life.
Picture yourself at the beginning of 2009. Where would you like to be? How much money would you like to be making? How much would you like to weigh?

Get as clear a picture as you can of where you want to be.

Once you have this picture in your mind you can set real goals for yourself based on where you want to go. Remember that the most powerful goals are specific, measurable, attainable, results oriented and time bound. Don’t just say you want to make more money, say you want to increase your income by $5,000 a month within the next nine months.
Goals set in this way are much better than wishy-washy resolutions because they drive you to action. They’re a lot more exciting and empowering than a mere statement of what you’d like to do.

When you set goals instead of resolutions, each day gives you a new opportunity to take a step to reach that goal. Yes, you will have days where it’s hard, where you’ll make no progress, but with consistent effort throughout the year you’ll find yourself reaching your goals and having a lot more fun doing it.

Yours in success,

Shawn Casey

Can we measurably change the world?

And, in the process…

Are you ready to be happier, healthier, and more at peace?

We’ve learned that if we seek change, we must be the change we seek.

“Hello, From My Heart” greetings are simply a proven way to be that change.

Since 2002, millions of people have done this small thing that has enormous impact…

For a few days each year, they greet each other, or answer the phone, or address an email with “Hello, From My Heart”.

So simple.

Yet so effective at changing our energy, the energy of those we greet, and the energy of entire communities.

In fact, each year we measure the violence level in key areas before and during this focused period. Each year, violence has measurably decreased. (You can see the exact areas and stats on the site under Event History.)

==> http://www.HelloFromMyHeart.com

“Hello, From My Heart” Days are 9/11 thru 9/21. This is your invitation to be a Peace Hero.

Here are just a few ways in which we can make a daily difference:

Address your emails with a “Hello, From My Heart” greeting?

Answer your phone with a smile and a “Hello, From My Heart?”

Greet others with a smile and a warm “Hello, From My Heart?”

Do this and you’ll be happier, healthier, and more at peace!

And we’ll change the WORLD.

It’s that simple. As we give, we receive,and when we give a greeting from our hearts; we are in our highest power.

You can register (no obligation or fee) and get more information at:

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Please forward this to everyone you know. Invite them to register and share their greeting with the world.

Thanks for choosing to make a difference, and for being part of the Miracle.

From My Heart,

Gary Schineller, Founder
www.HelloFromMyHeart.com
727-376-0753

I was reading the sports section this morning – an article about Joseph Mattioli who is the owner of Pocono Raceway where today’s NASCAR Pocono 500 will be run.

In the mid-1970’s, NASCAR was not the absolute financial powerhouse it is now. And Mattioli was very concerned about mounting losses at the track. He considered selling the track to get out from under the debt.

That’s when he got a call from Bill France Sr. (Father of former NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr.) When they met in New York, France pulled out his business card and scribbled this message:

“On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones who when within the grasp of victory sat and waited and waiting died.”

Needless to say…Mattioli didn’t sell. And I’m sure he’s banked a ton of Benjamins since then.

I urge you to take a moment to reflect on whether you hesitate when you should charge forward. Do you pause just when victory is within your grasp?

Many people would argue that it’s just human nature to do this.

I’d respond that as thinking beings, we have the ability to overcome our nature and to choose…

to achieve…

and to have…

and to be anything we want!

If you’re not getting everything you want, then I’ve got something that will help:

http://www.internetpromoservices.com/secret

It would be easy for you to ignore this message. To just slough it off. To say it does not apply to you.

But if you are not where you want to be in life, then you have to ask yourself… why not?

The answer does not lie in blaming others, blaming circumstances or just plain whining. No matter how bad you think you have it, or what someone did to you, many other people have faced worse circumstances…

And overcome them to achieve great things.

It’s your choice where you go from here. Do not shy away from success. Do not turn away from victory.

Instead, grab life by the horns and go for the ride of your life.

Yours in success,

Shawn Casey