How to get people to your blog

Here's a secret you should know, people will only come to read your blog and continue to receive your posts IF you provide value. You have to provide content that is either interesting, funny, or well-written, thought-provoking CONTENT.

There's that word again... CONTENT. Your sales page is NOT content. It's a sales page. You can find sales pages everywhere you turn. You don't want a sales page. You want to know ME. You want to know who I am, what makes me special, and why you should stay connected with me.

Once you figure those things out, you MIGHT want to see what opportunity I'm working or maybe you don't. But the truth is, you're not going to buy from me if all you see is a sales page.

Sorry if that seems harsh. But you've been told (were you listening?) that people do business with people they know, like and trust. A sales page isn't enough to make me know those things, but it is enough to make me know that if you don't give me more, I WON'T do business with you.

You've got to build your list. With a list, you build trust. With trust between us, you can show me what you're doing and I just might want to try it too.... because I know, like and trust you.

Larry Potter

Zurich Management Group

Zurich Planners

You Can Write Power Headlines

"How to use the Leverage of the Planet's Easiest and Most

Effective Headline Template to Explode Your Responsiveness"

Did you notice the title for this tip?

Of course, it's a headline. That's right and it uses a age-old classic format which still continues to blow my mind with it's power. Just two little words:

"How To"

Hear me out on this, I know it sounds too easy.

The simple, little "How To" headline is still tops in many pro's books for simplicity and effectiveness. You really cannot go wrong with it. The "how to" headline is so versatile. You can follow it with several benefits, a question, an offer, almost anything - and it works great!

In fact, using the "how to" headline is one of the best places to start when writing headlines because it forces you to think of what your product/service actually does for the person.

Here are a couple of winning examples to get your juices flowing:

* How to fix motorcycles

* How to cruise the world for $19 a day

* How to get Enthusiastic Applause - Even a Standing Ovation - Every Time You Speak (Ted Nicholas)

* How to win friends and influence people

* How to make your car invisible to radar and laser!

* How to make your computer as easy to use as your telephone* How to Collect From Social Security at Any Age

* How to Attract Baby Boomers To Your Internet Business Like The Pied Piper...

* How to Get FIVE Money-Making Web Sites in 29 Minutes Or
Less... Without Spending a Fortune!

* How to avoid the biggest mistake you can make in building or buying a home...

Check out the first winning headline on the list "How to fix motorcycles". I mean it really can't get any simpler than that, but it works and it works GREAT!

"HOW TO BLUEPRINTS"

How to get the most out of _____________

How to avoid ________________

How to end ________________

How to get rid of _______________

How to avoid ________________

How to conquer ________________

How to enjoy ___________

How to get _____________

How to have _____________

How to keep ______________

How to start _____________

Even just adding the word "how" in front of a headline gives it an additional appeal. Compare these 2 examples:

A strange accident saved me from getting fat

How a strange accident saved me from getting fat

Which one is more compelling? I thing you'll agree #2 does the trick. And that one is a winning headline used over and over.

Okay, but maybe the tried and true "how to" is too boring for you. No problem! Spice it up by adding a little something before the "how to"

* Discover how to..
* Here's how to....

* Ohio man discovers the secret of HOW TO escape the American Rat Race

* If you think a 12% annual return on your money is good, here's how to set your sights on 100% or more...

* I'll show you HOW TO hit golf shots as straight as you can point, or this video golfing lesson is free and I'll pay you $25 for wasting your time! (Jeff Paul)

Or if you still want to change it up a little - just use:

* How I earn my living in 4 hours a day

* HOW YOU can Make Well Over $300,000 Per Year As A Real Estate Agent Working Less Than 40 Hours A Week...

I think you'll agree for getting the most bang for your buck - "how to" headlines are the way to go.

Want even more headline formulas, tips and tricks? You better because experts agree that headlines are 70%, 80%, 90% or more of your selling effort. And headlines work for *EVERYTHING* - I'm talking email subject lines, the top of your web page title, articles, blog posts, the first words a sales site/letter starts with, etc...

Well inside our TRAFFICplan training courses webinars you'll get a massive amount of training and access to proven offline and online headlines to model and "swipe" for your product or service. We created this resource to help us write compelling, winning headlines and copy...

Plus, inside our powerful courses you'll also get transitions, guarantees, P.S.'s, Openings, closes, best selling phrases and much more!

You get this and more with the entire collection of trianing products here at theTRAFFICplan.

And we have live training each Wed evening at www.ATRAFFICPLAN.COM

We'll see you there........

Larry Potter

A Ticket To Wealth

Step up... and good things will happen.

What is a money-making website?

I actually find it easier to call it an information website, containing content related to a particular topic.

For instance, if you’re into cooking vegetarian food, a Google search will find you some information websites that include hundreds of recipes and cooking tips.

The website topic might be green tea, kids’ parties, furniture restoration, extreme sports, growing organic vegetables, scrapbooking, digital photography, knitting, traveling in Africa, dog training, and so on.

In fact, there is an almost limitless supply of topics about which websites can be written.

How do I develop the content?

As an example, let’s say you have a real interest in doing yoga. And let’s say you do a little research online to try to find some in-depth information on this topic.

Undoubtedly, you’ll find some sites that talk about yoga. But maybe you’ll see that, although plenty of sites have some information on this topic, no one website stands out as an outstanding source of quality information.

So, you start planning, creating, and writing a website of your own.

You break the general topic down into specific areas, like yoga for men and yoga for women. You look at yoga for people who are pregnant, yoga for athletes, and yoga for children. You look at yoga mats, training DVDs, books, and yoga clothing.

Once you start digging, you find you can easily put together dozens – and then hundreds – of pages on this subject.

You’ll then add a forum or blog to your website, so that your readers can submit their own content, which grows your website even faster, without much more effort from you.

With a growing body of content, you’ll not only be loved by your readers, but you’ll also be noticed by Google and the other major search engines. The number of visitors to your website will grow and grow … and before you know it, you’ll be receiving over a thousand visitors a day.

Then, with tens of thousands of people coming to your site each month, you’ll be in a strong position to start making some money.

How will I start making money?

There are many ways, but let’s look at two of the top ones.

To start, you can include contextual ads on your content pages. Whenever someone clicks on the ad, you’ll get paid by the ad service, the most popular of which is Google AdSense.

You can also look for companies which sell yoga products and see if they have an affiliate program.

Keep in mind, this is passive income. Once you place the ads or links on your pages, there’s nothing further to do. You don’t have to deal with customers, process payments, or ship products.

You simply keep creating quality content, include those ads and affiliate links on each page, and then watch the money flow in every month.

Your job is simply to create more and more quality pages. Fill the information gaps and genuinely help your readers.

The larger your website grows, the more visitors you’ll receive … and the more money you can make.

It’s really that simple.

Why build a money-making website?

My short answer to that question is: why not?

A few hours a week ... writing about something you love ... passive income.

Seems like a no-brainer to me. But here are six more specific reasons:

Reason #1: Every page you write can make you money indefinitely.

When you write an information website that makes money through contextual advertising and affiliate commissions, each page you write will continue to generate revenue for many years to come.

Reason #2: It’s an online business with almost all profit.

A carefully constructed and well-written content site will attract free, organic traffic through the major search engines. You won’t pay a penny.

Other than your time and the tiny hosting costs for your website, every penny you make is profit. It’s yours.

Reason #3: There’s no selling.

When you write an information website, you don’t do any selling. You don’t write pages that are trying to sell a product or service. Basically, you’re writing editorial. You’re sharing useful information. And it’s about a subject you enjoy!

Reason #4: You set your own schedule.

You don’t have any bosses or clients or customers writing to you or calling you. You can write your website at your own pace. There are no rules, no set schedules.

If you need to take a break for a few days or weeks, that’s fine. Your site will continue to make money even while you take time off.

Certainly, you’ll want to try to generate new pages for your site at a decent pace. After all, the faster you build your website, the sooner you’ll start making a decent amount of money.

Reason #5: Enormous freedom.

You’re never tied to your desk. You never HAVE to be there in order to deal with customer service issues, suppliers, or anything else.

Remember, this is a truly passive way to make money.

Reason #6: You’re building a long-term asset.

In the world of investment, one often invests either to generate a regular income or to achieve capital growth.

With an information website, you can achieve both.

After a few months, your website will start to generate income. But at the same time, you’re building a long-term capital asset. And the more consistently you add new pages to your website, the better you’ll do.

Almost every page you add will make you some money. And they’ll continue to make money for the foreseeable future.

How much money can I make?

There’s really no typical or standard answer to this question.

Obviously, the more popular your site, the more money you can make. Plus, the more time you spend at it, the faster your income will grow.

For example, Tomaz Mencinger, who focuses on his websites full-time (for him, that means three to four hours a day), makes about $12,000 a month from his one site and $3,000 a month from another site.

Nick Usborne, the author of How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites, makes around $4,000 a month from his two sites. And he spends only a few hours a week working on them.

So, let’s say you spend the same time Nick does, and your website ends up making on average $4,000 a month or more. That’s about $50,000 a year.

Not bad for what is essentially a hobby website you’ve been creating in your spare time!

After a few more years, you might decide to stick with the monthly income, or you might decide the sell the site.

Why would I ever sell a website that makes me $50,000 a year?

A website like this will typically sell for two or three times its annual revenues. With an annual income of $50,000, that translates to a sale price of $100,000 or $150,000.

And maybe over the years you’ve built three of these sites. You’ll be in a position to sell just one of them and spend the money any way you want.

Invest it, pay off your house, take your dream vacation … whatever you want.

Remember, you’ll still have the other two sites to generate over $10,000 in income for you each month.

Do you have to be a “computer geek” to do this?

The answer is a resounding “no.” It’s never been easier to build and publish a professional-looking website.

The beauty of creating a content-rich information site is that anyone who can use a word-processing program like Microsoft Word can build a website.

That said, if you want to create something more sophisticated, you can. If you want to learn some coding skills, go for it. But you don’t need to.

What’s the catch? Why isn’t everyone doing this?

There is no catch.

And the reason why everyone doesn’t do this is because they’re impatient. They don’t have the patience to build something of real value.

Too many people are looking to get rich quick. They want to see a return NOW.

But if you have the will and self-discipline to work hard and keep working, this model will pay you back in spades.

And will continue to do so long into the future.

Once you get your first website up and running smoothly – it’s easy to start another … and another … and another. If you spend only four or five hours a week on them, you can easily receive checks totaling a few thousand dollars a month.

To your success,

Larry Potter
A Ticket To Wealth

The Ultimate Success Formula

Here is a little mental exercise for you before the week arrives!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Af4QLc2vhs

Sometimes, even the most simple things can look complex and overwhelming. Tony Robbins used to say it all the time…you can’t eat an elephant WHOLE all at once, but you CAN eat it ONE BITE at a time!

The important thing is not to spend time focusing on how difficult something is, or how seemingly impossible it may be to achieve. Rather, focus on the ONE SMALL STEP you can take that moves you forward and creates momentum.

The Ultimate Success Formula is really quite simple:

1) know your outcome ~ get CLEAR about your OUTCOME. What is it that you want to achieve? Get clarity and focus! Make your outcome a MUST!

2) know why you want it ~ find your leverage! It’s vital to identify and associate more PAIN with NOT achieving your outcome, than the pleasure you will achieve by continuing down the same easy path you are currently living.

3) take massive action~ you need to create MOMENTUM…even taking a very small step forward is going to create momentum. MASSIVE ACTION does not always require MASSIVE EFFORT…take things one step at a time and keep putting one foot forward in front of the other. You only win a marathon by putting one foot in front of the other MANY TIMES, not by taking one big leap!

4) know what you are getting ~ pay close attention to the results you are getting from the actions you are taking. If the actions are moving you forward, continue doing them, but if you aren’t making any progress, skip IMMEDIATELY to step 5!

5) change your approach ~ we all know and have heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. It’s possible to be taking MASSIVE ACTION and heading in entirely the WRONG direction…so, change your approach and go back to step 3!

Have an INCREDIBLE week!!!
Live with Passion,
Larry Potter

One Step To Wealth

Play To Your Readers' Emotions...

Benefits show -- in detail -- how your product will solve your customers' problems, improve their lives, save them money, and so on.

In a nutshell, benefits answer the BIGGEST question on readers' minds: "What's in it for me?"

But how do you know which benefits to focus on? What are people searching for when they type words into a search engine and end up on your sales page? More importantly, why are they searching?

(Hint: it's not because they like to spend money on random sites on the Internet!)

The answer to "why" is the secret ingredient that lies at the heart of EVERY successful salesletter: emotional appeal.

People don't buy things for rational reasons. They buy for emotional ones. They want to feel good... hopeful... satisfied... proud... relaxed... acknowledged... secure...

... you get the picture.

If you can identify the underlying emotional needs your product or service satisfies, you can write copy that identifies with your reader in a very intimate way. In a way that says YOU understand them. That you've been there yourself. And that you've found a solution to the very problem their emotions are driving them to solve.

That's powerful stuff.

So how can you write emotionally-charged ads that connect to your reader? Start by looking at the problem your product solves. What's the underlying emotion it addresses?

Let's say you sell an eBook on 5-minute makeup tips. What problem does your eBook solve? The need to look professional in a hurry and without too much effort? What emotions are being catered to? Pride? Vanity? Laziness? All three?

Out of all human emotions, some are more powerful "sales" drivers than others. So the first step to writing emotionally-charged copy is to identify which "power" emotions are at the core of your product.

Here are seven power emotions that you can tap into, to write salescopy that converts the MAXIMUM number of visitors into paying customers...


Power Emotion #1: Fear of Loss

One of the most powerful human drivers of change is fear. Fear of losing those things that are most important to us. It could be our sense of security that's at stake. Our money. Our health. Or even our happiness.

When you identify fear, you can write salescopy that speaks to that emotion, and indicates how your product will overcome that fear.

Here are some examples of copy that recognizes fear and offers a solution to it:

"Lose $3,000 tomorrow without this advice…"


"Protect your computer from viruses that can wipe out your entire hard drive."


"Selling your home? Avoid the top 10 mistakes that can cost you thousands of dollars
and stop you from selling your house in 2-4 weeks!"

Notice how these examples use words like "protect" and "avoid"?

Just as there are power emotions, there are power words that correspond to those emotions!

What are some other power words besides "protect" that correspond to fear? Well, you can try words like:

Save

Secure

Safety

Clinch

Red flag

Defend

Keep in mind that when you identify negative emotions like fear, your ultimate goal is to show how your product or service takes away these fears.

Your job is to identify the fear that is there, relate to your reader based on that emotion, then provide relief from that unpleasant emotion. That's why the power words related to fear are positive.


Power Emotion #2: Greed

Greed is another powerful emotion that drives us to take action on our goals. Whether it's our thirst for money, security, fame, recognition, power, or just about anything else that we desire.

So how do you acknowledge these desires in your salescopy? And more importantly, how will your product provide them?

Take a look at some examples of copy that does just that:

"We'd like to introduce the easiest, simplest, and most efficient proven method for you to make money... This revolutionary method is 100% real and effective, and it will make you increase your income about 90%, so you can make between $100 and $500 a day."


"Club Sportiva gives you the keys to our private multi-million dollar car collection... letting you experience everything from the classics like a Jaguar E-type and Bentley to the newest exotic Ferraris and Lamborghinis."


"Tired of scraping by, only buying products if they're on 'sale', living paycheck to paycheck? Discover how to break the cycle once and for all, and start living a life of luxury."

And here are some power words you can use to connect with your readers' inner longing for easy acquisition:

All
Amass
Money
Millionaire
Monopolize
Results
Proven
Power

Emotion #3: Lust

Lust is perhaps the most pleasurable of the power emotions. And who couldn't use a little more pleasure in their lives?

Some examples of salescopy that hand you lust on a platter:

"In this section, you will learn a step by step process for how to win the game of love, so that you can immediately begin attracting the love of your life."


"Learn the seduction secrets that will make women melt in your hands..."


"Are you ready for a night on the town? Your best girl friends -- check! Money for cover charges and one drink -- check! Oh wait -- what to wear? No worries, FlirtCatalog has one of the largest selections of sexy dresses to put your mind at ease!"

Home in on this pleasurable emotion using some of these lustful words

Compel
Attract
Love
Delicious
Tempting
Enticing
Charming
Discovery
Health
Tempt

Of course, people can lust after things as well as people (like a Lamborghini!). So keep in mind that your product doesn't have to be focused on "getting the girl" or other types of people-related lust.


Power Emotion #4: Vanity

If your product caters to people's vanity -- pride in their appearance, abilities, and achievements reflected back by others -- you're in luck. It's another top-selling emotion.

"If you want to be one of those women who always looks great no matter what you're wearing, no matter what your age...and even if you're not at your "ideal weight," then this will be the most important letter you've ever read."


"In the last 10 years, we've helped thousands of men and women of all ages and fitness levels to look and feel their very best -- people just like YOU!"


In fact, whole industries are built around this need to look and feel our best. Let's face it. We can all use a boost sometime. And those products that appeal to our vanity can provide them.

Some other vanity power words include:

Attractive
Confident
Magnetic
Younger
Stronger
Beautiful
You

Think about how your product or service caters to this power emotion... image consulting, exercise equipment, cosmetics, laser eye surgery, baldness cures... the list goes on.


Power Emotion #5: Pride

Do you feel pleasure when you know you've done something well? Feeling good about your accomplishments is what pride's all about.

To connect with pride, your ultimate goal is to show how your product will provide a sense of worth or accomplishment.

Let's take a look at a couple of examples:

"Would You Want Your Name Written In The 'Largemouth BASS' Hall Of FAME? What if I could show you insider up-to-date secret techniques that will put your name in the history records like the old-school stars -- Kevin VanDam, Denny Brauer and Gary Klein?"


"Now You Can Transform Ordinary Fabric Into a Handmade Quilt That Your Family and Friends Will Love, Admire and Cherish – Even If You Have Never Made a Quilt Before!"


"Transform the book idea in your head into a completed and ready-to-publish manuscript in your hands."
The opportunities for identifying with pride are endless! Your pride power-words:

Accomplish
Master
Transform
Best
Biggest
Greatest
Money
Proven
Results
Envy
Power Emotion

#6: Envy

You've worked hard all your life, but you're not even close to making that 6-figure salary you thought you'd be making by now. But it seems every time you turn around, there's someone else who is.

Ah, envy. Whether you've got it for someone else or you want others to envy YOU, it's a powerful emotion. And it's one of the top instigators of change.

Envy is the state of seeing others who have what YOU want. So if you're going to identify with envy, you need to be prepared to tell them how your product will give them what they're lacking. In a word, your copy needs to promise fulfillment.

Testimonials, examples, and personal stories inspire envy -- and give inspiration to take further action:

"Your buddies will be AMAZED at your LUCK or so it would seem... If they only knew what you're about to discover..."


"I was working a corporate job for almost 9 years. Finally I had it when my salary was cut by 30%... Today my life is drastically different. I work out of my home office in NYC. I gave up the suit for jeans, sweats and shorts. And I spend most of my day doing what I love: working out, shopping, volunteering and walking my dog Cheila. And I have already tripled my income this year working this business 20-25 hours a week using the new Web 3.0 Social Profit Streams"


"Desperate Scrawny "Nerd" From Texas Humiliates The "Big Boys" At The Gym After Accidentally Discovering The Body's Hidden Natural "Trigger" For Blasting Through Rotten Genetics And Packing On Up To 3 - 6 - Even 9 INCHES Of Shredded Muscle...NOT In Years...But Just WEEKS!"

Here are some envy power words you can use:

Desire
Covet
Begrudge
Secret
Ordinary
Extraordinary
People just like you

Just remember, envy is only a negative emotion if it doesn't prompt someone to take concrete steps to change whatever it is about their lives that isn't working for them.

And if your product can provide those steps, your customers need to know about it!

But first you have to capture their attention... by using genuine testimonials or personal anecdotes you can inspire a little envy, then go on to describe how your reader can achieve the same enviable state!


Power Emotion #7: Laziness

These days, there are a lot of things competing for our time and attention. Family, work, hobbies, giving back to the community... the list goes on and on. So products that can provide quick results with minimal effort are extremely appealing.

That's where laziness comes into play.

Laziness is the need for maximum results with minimum effort. And its allure is powerful.

Here are some examples of "lazy" copy:

"Avoid the common fitness mistakes that waste your time."


"How would you like to write your book in 3 days? Attend my Author's Boot Camp and get that book that you know is inside you out of your head and onto the paper in one weekend."

Your lazy power words:

Instant access
Save time
In less than
Break-neck speed
Lightning
Easy
Guaranteed
Roadmap
Blueprint
Avoid mistakes

Those are the top 7 power-emotions in a nutshell. Did you notice that salescopy from the same website came up in a couple of examples? For instance, the examples about writing a book covered laziness AND pride. Most copy will cater to more than just one type of emotion.

And there are natural combinations of these emotions, too: pride, laziness, and greed; fear, pride, and vanity; or envy, vanity, and laziness, for example.

So by all means, choose two or three to highlight throughout your copy and sales process. In general, any more than that, and your copy won't be as focused or effective as it should.

But remember, emotion is the element that will turbo-charge your salescopy, so think -- and FEEL -- like your potential customers.

Larry Potter
A Ticket To Wealth

"Ignorance is a voluntary misfortune"

How to Start Your E-mail Newsletter

Tell Your Story

I can think of at least 15 examples right now of seemingly dull topics brought to life by a writer's Muse, and made vibrant and interesting. I can think of five who've drawn me in so deeply that I bought something from them!

So, what's YOUR story? THAT should be a cornerstone of your e-mail newsletter.

I'll wager that if you've a business - new or old - you could create an online e-mail newsletter - daily, weekly, or monthly - and substitute otherwise dry facts for stories, anecdotes, and ways to use your widgets... and in doing so, build a credible base of subscribers on the back of which you can create a new line of income for your business.

First webcast about Web 3.0 is coming at
http://www.yoursocialprofits.com

Larry Potter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkJCsIMAiNY

Your Competition Can Help Your Business

You should be making it a habit to study your competitors' advertising promotions. If they're direct marketers, get on their mailing lists. If they use other channels to market their products, keep track of what they're doing with those media.

Why bother? Because by keeping an eye on your competition, you can improve your own marketing efforts.

Be especially on the alert for sales promotions that you see over and over again. If your competitor keeps running the same ad... you can be pretty sure it's working (i.e., bringing in lots of money). That's your cue to try something similar.

Larry Potter
www.YourSocialProfits.com

The One Thing Good Copy Can't Fix

By John Forde
I remember being asked by someone interviewing me if I had a "must-have" list for a good piece of sales copy. I hit all the basics in my answer...

1. Benefits2. More benefits3. Specific and even shocking stats and proof4. Third-party validation of your claims5. Credibility-building testimonials6. Some track record of product success7. A nice strong offer and airtight guarantee8. A firm push to get the order

Not a bad set of tools. But I left something out.

No copy will work if it isn't built on top of a good sales effort STRATEGY. Now what exactly do I mean by that? I have to credit this insight to marketing consultant Roy Williams, who asked the question, "Which do you think would work better, the brilliant execution of a flawed strategy... or the flawed execution of a brilliant one?"

Of course, you know the answer. Think about it. Have you ever seen a movie with a great director... an all-star cast... and a screenplay you wouldn't use to line a litter box? No matter how good the direction and performances are, they can rarely save a miserable script.

On the other hand, get a great screenplay with a terrific plot and insightful, natural dialogue... and it's hard for even a ham actor or egotistical director to screw it up.

Something similar is true in sales copy. Strategy - a great product paired with a great offer and a strong guarantee, among other things - is the cornerstone. If it stinks, it doesn't matter how clever your ad is... how well printed or designed... because it's still likely to flop.

Meanwhile, a great strategy can work even in the hands of semi-amateurs. Not always, but often.

How do you know you've got a strategy problem?

If ad after ad isn't working, no matter how good you "thought" it read before going out the door... step back and look at the guts of what you're doing. There's a good chance the strategy behind it is weak.

[Ed. Note: To get more of copywriting expert John Forde's wisdom and insights into marketing (and much more), sign up for his free e-letter, Copywriter's Roundtable, at copywritersroundtable.com. Or send an e-mail to signup@jackforde.com. Get a free report about 15 deadly copy mistakes and how to avoid them when you sign up today.]

Larry Potter
http://www.YourSocialProfits.com

The One Thing Good Copy Can't Fix

By John Forde
I remember being asked by someone interviewing me if I had a "must-have" list for a good piece of sales copy. I hit all the basics in my answer...

1. Benefits2. More benefits3. Specific and even shocking stats and proof4. Third-party validation of your claims5. Credibility-building testimonials6. Some track record of product success7. A nice strong offer and airtight guarantee8. A firm push to get the order

Not a bad set of tools. But I left something out.

No copy will work if it isn't built on top of a good sales effort STRATEGY. Now what exactly do I mean by that? I have to credit this insight to marketing consultant Roy Williams, who asked the question, "Which do you think would work better, the brilliant execution of a flawed strategy... or the flawed execution of a brilliant one?"

Of course, you know the answer. Think about it. Have you ever seen a movie with a great director... an all-star cast... and a screenplay you wouldn't use to line a litter box? No matter how good the direction and performances are, they can rarely save a miserable script.

On the other hand, get a great screenplay with a terrific plot and insightful, natural dialogue... and it's hard for even a ham actor or egotistical director to screw it up.

Something similar is true in sales copy. Strategy - a great product paired with a great offer and a strong guarantee, among other things - is the cornerstone. If it stinks, it doesn't matter how clever your ad is... how well printed or designed... because it's still likely to flop.

Meanwhile, a great strategy can work even in the hands of semi-amateurs. Not always, but often.

How do you know you've got a strategy problem?

If ad after ad isn't working, no matter how good you "thought" it read before going out the door... step back and look at the guts of what you're doing. There's a good chance the strategy behind it is weak.

[Ed. Note: To get more of copywriting expert John Forde's wisdom and insights into marketing (and much more), sign up for his free e-letter, Copywriter's Roundtable, at copywritersroundtable.com. Or send an e-mail to signup@jackforde.com. Get a free report about 15 deadly copy mistakes and how to avoid them when you sign up today.]

Larry Potter
http://www.YourSocialProfits.com

Web 3.0 strategies coming

Now, because you are one of the special people who visit my blog,
I am giving you advanced notice about

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You are not only being invited to a strategic coaching call,
rather, you are being invited to attend what we like to call
an IMPLEMENTATION session.

What exactly is an IMPLEMENTATION session, and how will you benefit from it?

Simply put, We are not only going to teach you the newest
strategies for success, but MORE IMPORTANT, we are going to
give you the tools you will need to immediately implement
these new strategies to help you:

Convert more SALES.
Spend less TIME on prospecting activities.
Save MONEY on advertising.
Help your team DUPLICATE your success with less EFFORT on your part.
Make more MONEY by attracting the masses that you've been chasing but not converting.

Register Now At:

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Larry Potter
847-872-4047

'Over Night Success'

Everything that happens to us happens in purpose. And sometimes, one thing leads to another. Instead of locking yourself up in your cage of fears and crying over past heartaches, embarrassment and failures, treat them as your teachers and they will become your tools in both self improvement and success.

I remember watching the movie called Patch Adams.Its one great film that will help you improve yourself. Hunter "patch" Adams is a medical student who failed to make it through the board exams. After months of suffering in melancholy, depression and suicidal attempts - he decided to seek for medical attention and voluntarily admitted himself in a psychiatric ward. His months of stay in the hospital led him to meeting different kinds of people. Sick people in that matter. He met a catatonic, a mentally retarded, a schizophrenic and so on. Patch found ways of treating his own ailment and finally realized he has to get back on track.

He woke upone morning realizing that after all the failure and pains he has gone through, he still want to become the a doctor. He carries with himself a positive attitude that brought him self improvement and success. He didn't only improved himself, but also the life of the people around him and the quality of life. Did he succeed? Needless to say, he became the best doctor his country has ever known.

So, when does self improvement become synonymous with success? Where do we start?

Take these tips, friends...

*Stop thinking and feeling as if you're a failure, because you're not. How can others accept you if YOU can't accept YOU?

*When you see hunks and models on TV, think more on self-improvement, not self pitying. Self acceptance is not just about having nice slender legs, or great abs. Concentrate on inner beauty.

*When people feel so down and low about themselves, help them move up. Don't go down with them. They'll pull you down further and both of you will end up feeling inferior.

*The world is a large room for lessons, not mistakes. Don't feel stupid and doomed forever just because you failed on a project. There's always a next time. Make rooms for self improvement.

*Take things one at a time. You don't expect black sheep's to be goody-two-shoes in just a snap of a finger. Self improvement is a one day at a time process.

*Self improvement results to inner stability, personality development and dig this .... SUCCESS. It comes from self confidence,self appreciation and self esteem.

* Set meaningful and achievable goals. Self improvement doesn't turn you to be the exact replica of Cameron Diaz or Ralph Fiennes. It hopes and aims to result to an improved and better YOU.

*Little things mean BIG to other people. Sometimes, we don't realize that the little things that we do like a pat on the back, saying "hi" or "hello", greeting someone "good day" or telling Mr. Smith something like "hey, I love your tie!" are simple things that mean so much to other people. When we're being appreciative about beautiful things around us and other people, we also become beautiful to them.

*When you're willing to accept change and go through the process of self improvement, it doesn't mean that everyone else is. The world is a place where people of different values and attitude hang out. Sometimes, even if you think you and your best friend always like to do the same thing together at the same time, she would most likely decline an invitation for self improvement.

We should always remember that there's no such thing as 'over nightsuccess'. Its always a wonderful feeling to hold on to the things that you already have now, realizing that those are just one of the things you once wished for.

A very nice quote says that "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." We are all here to learn our lessons. When we open our doors for self improvement, we increase our chances to head to the road of success.

Take your business to the top!

Larry

5 Steps To Keep In Mind

First off . . .

Have as much control over your business as
possible, from lead generation to lead
communication to monetization.

Second . . .

Think first of how to reduce expenses to a
minimum early to increase the likelihood of
early profit.

Third . . .

Have profit models for your business that
provide, most importantly from the outset,
instant and low risk profit. Concern yourself
with this task first and long term residual
income later.

Why?

If you profit now you stand a much greater
chance of profiting and creating long term
leveraged residual profit later.

Fourth . . .

Think in terms of leverage. Proactively
search out ways to automate as much of what
you do as possible so that you can focus on
the most important task of lead generation.

Fifth . . .

Think in terms of simplicity. Where
duplication is concerned, the simpler the
system you can create that produces results
the more likely those results will be
duplicated and long term residual income
growth will be achieved.

Larry
http://www.sellerdirectprogram.com

The Ticking Timer

If you don't get immediate action on a sales decision, you probably won't make the sale at all.

Solution: Seasonal offers have a natural time limit, but contrived time limits can work just as well. The "speed-reply" bonus is another common device.

Technique: If there's a limit on the number of customers who can sign up, give specifics. For example: "Frankly, after these 2,000 slots are filled, I'm going to have to close the doors. If I don't hear from you by then, you'll be turned away. I'll have no choice. Which is why I hope to hear from you soon." Emphasize benefits the prospect sacrifices by waiting too long. Fax and toll-free ordering can also be used to help speed up orders: "If you want to get started immediately, call or fax your order to..."

Larry Potter

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

www.ATicketToWealth.com

Monumental Mistake

Most people who want to make money online make a monumental mistake when getting started.

They focus first on how they're going to make money from their website. They research what products they're going to sell, and they consider what kinds of ads they'll feature.

There's only one problem with going this route …

It actually hurts your chances of making any money. Because you'll end up missing the most critical piece of the entire online money-making puzzle:

Creating great content.

The fact is your content will ultimately determine your success or failure online.

Think about it … 99% of people access the Internet to find useful information. So, without great content on your website, they'll never find you … because the search engines won't index it properly. And for those people who do manage to find your site, they won't stay for long – let alone make a purchase – if your content doesn't have anything of value to offer.

So what makes for good content?

According to web expert Nick Usborne, all great website content has these four characteristics:

It has a clear voice and personality. You are what separates your website content from everything else out there. That's why everything you write needs personality and a clear voice. Establishing this is vital to writing content people actually want to read. One way to find the right voice and personality for your particular website is determining what Nick Usborne calls, "a point of view." Take a stance on how you'll be writing to your audience. And above all else, don't try to please everyone with your writing. It simply doesn't work.

It has credibility. Your visitors need to trust you. Otherwise, they'll never buy anything from you. For example, if they come to your site and know instantly that your intention is just to make a quick buck, they'll hit that back button in no time flat. Just be honest. Be objective. And be real. These three qualities will ensure your sincerity shines through, quickly gaining your visitors' trust.

It's interesting. This goes without saying. Your content needs to engage your visitor. They need to think, "Wow, this is really good. I'm glad I'm reading it." Too many people try taking shortcuts, either by using content-creating software or flat out copying someone else. This never works in the long run. Because ultimately, your visitor will know he's being duped. The best way to ensure your content is interesting is to do your homework. Research the topic you're writing about. Find interesting little factoids. Write in a conversational tone. Better yet, do a little keyword research to find out what your visitors find incredibly compelling and interesting. Then make that the topic of an article on your site.

It's useful. Make sure you're giving away valuable information in your website content. Answer your visitors' potential questions or provide solutions to their problems. Either way, make sure your visitor is better off as a result of having read your content.

Larry Potter

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

www.ATicketToWealth.com

7 Steps To Blogging Success For Marketers

One of the MOST important strategies for successful affiliate marketing is building relationships of trust with your customers and subscribers.

You'll always sell the MOST products (and earn the highest commissions) if you recommend your products to your list...

... and the MORE they trust you, the GREATER the chances they'll act on your recommendations.

Now, while I've always said that email marketing is the BEST way to go about building these relationships with your customers, it's certainly not the ONLY way!

Another excellent way to create a sense of familiarity and trust with your visitors and subscribers -- and build your online credibility -- is through a blog.

A blog gives your readers the chance to get to know the "real" person behind your website: You!

By writing short, simple blog posts related to your market or area of interest, your visitors will quickly begin to view you as a trusted friend who is looking out for their best interests, and they'll also see for themselves that you're a reliable resource for information and help.

So, if you'd like to try creating a blog for your site, here are seven simple "rules" you can follow to create one that your customers will return to again and again...

... and one that will help you sell even MORE of your affiliate products:

1. Post often, over an extended period of time

The most important element of EVERY successful blog is the frequency of posting.

Posting often -- daily if possible -- over a long period of time, is the best way to build a large, loyal audience. This large readership provides the base for you to make good money, so posting often is crucial to making your business profitable.

Ideally, you want your blog readers to return every day to read your latest post. If you stop posting for a few days, you risk losing those readers.

Imagine if your favorite daily newspaper often didn't appear for a few days without warning... you'd end up finding a more reliable source of news pretty quickly!

2. Make your content relevant to your target audience

Of course, there's no point posting frequently if your content isn't relevant to your target audience. By providing valuable information and links to other web sites and resources that they can explore for more information, you will keep your readers coming back for more.

To generate sustained levels of good traffic, it's not enough for your content just to be relevant to your audience -- it also needs to be insightful, informative, and even controversial at times (within reason).

And you don't have to be the greatest writer!

If your voice is your own, your tone is genuine, and your content is worth reading, then you'll attract an audience.

3. Encourage dialog and debate through your blog

The most controversial blogs often attract the most traffic. Political blogs are prime examples.

Obviously, if you're running a business blog, you need to be careful what you write, but there's no doubt that a great way to generate large spikes in traffic is to write something new, fresh, and, if not controversial, then at least noteworthy.

Not only does this generate interest in the blogosphere, resulting in other blogs linking to you, but it encourages debate. People leave a comment and then invariably return to read the responses to it, and maybe leave another contribution.

Asking for people's opinion, experience, or ideas is another great way to invite comments.

In a business blog you need to be careful when allowing comments to be left in case someone writes something damaging to your business.

However, blog comments can be managed, and there's no doubt that this dialog is one of the standout features of a blog.

4. Promote your blog everywhere, all the time -- online and offline

To make your blog work, you need to start by driving traffic -- and lots of it -- to it.

The most successful blogs use every tool, directory, and promotional technique they can lay their hands on. And because blogs are now so popular online, there are a LOT of these tools available for you to take advantage of.

5. Make friends, link, and connect

Blogging is not a solitary activity. "Community," "dialog," and "linking" are words you'll hear constantly in blog-related discussions. And the best blogs make full use of the linking features available to link to other relevant web sites or blogs.

By "making friends" and connecting with other blogs where your target audience may hang out, you can get those blogs to link to you, providing a bridge from their blog to yours... and more traffic for you!

Every time you post a comment on a blog you like, or drop the blog owner an email, you are effectively giving out your business card -- complete with an instant link to your blog.

6. Be active in the blogosphere

Just as blogging is a social activity, it's also an active one. The bloggers who really put themselves out there... who link with other blogs... who post comments on message boards, forums, and blogs... who become recognized as an authority in a particular subject... are the ones whose blogs pull in the really big traffic figures.

And ultimately, they're the ones who have the ability to make BIG money!

Think of promoting your blog as "working the room" at your local Chamber of Commerce networking lunch. Okay, the Internet is a large, global "room," but if you find out where your target audience and the other businesses that cater to that audience spend their time, then that's where you should spend your time "networking" and making sure they know who you are.

7. Make your blog a great place to hang out!

Of course, attracting tons of traffic is pointless if you don't ensure that your blog is a fulfilling and worthwhile experience for your visitors.

The content itself is important, but your blog should also be well designed, easy to navigate, and home to features like categorized archives and image folders.

The most successful blogs combine the best elements of chatrooms, online forums, and information and news web sites -- all held together by a template that's pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate.

Many blog readers treat their favorite blogs like their favorite coffee shops -- friendly, comfortable places where they can hang out to read, chat, and socialize.

Finally, remember that you don't need to be a professional writer to write your own blog! Just be yourself, write from the heart, and make sure you're providing relevant information to your audience...

... and you'll be rewarded with increased sales and commissions

Larry
www.ATicketToWealth.com