Monthly Archives: October 2009

TweetGlide – How The Big Guys Market Online


TweetGlide – How The Big Guys Market Online

This week I thought I would do something that’s a little
different and give you a simple case-study of how
the big guys actually do their online marketing.
Hopefully, it will give you a better understanding of how
these marketers earn the big bucks. It just doesn’t all
happen by pure luck or even by access to friends with
very large lists.

These guys operate on a set marketing formula that’s
tested and proven to work. They just have to come up
with a special product or service to plug this formula
into it in order for it to work. The more unique the product,
the more successful their marketing campaign will be.

In particular, I would like to dissect the whole marketing
system connected with a new Twitter desktop application
introduced just a few days ago by Mike Filsaime, a well known
and very successful online marketer. He has many products,
including other viral programs similar to this one, Instantbuzz
and ListDotCom comes readily to mind.

Since I have spent the last 7 years studying marketing tools
and systems with my two main marketing websites, I have become
extra critical when a new marketing tool comes along. And I find
myself becoming even more cynical as I enter middle age – comes
with the territory I guess!

But I was really impressed with TweetGlide for several reasons.

First, it ties your online marketing into one of the hottest programs
on the web at the moment – Twitter. Second, I have always had
a fondness for desktop applications mainly because it puts your
program and promotions directly on the computers of its users
– sort of like in your face advertising.

For years, I have been promoting my own Desktop eCalendar
with my main site and I know these desktop applications
can bring in a lot of traffic. It is a way of directly
connecting with your site’s users. Tie it in with a popular
program like Twitter and you probably have a winning
combination on your hands.

Now, TweetGlide is a simple desktop application that
lets you get full enjoyment out of Twitter. It displays
your Twitter Tweets, Direct Messages, Favorites, Mentions…
it basically hooks you up to all your Twitter stuff on
your desktop. Basically it is very similar to TweetDeck
but with an advertising component thrown in.

It’s a handy little free program that you can download
and use. For those who would like to use it for marketing, they
can promote it to also earn a few dollars. Mainly through a
OTO (one time offer) of a premier membership upgrade
that people who download the application can purchase.
You don’t have to accept this offer – the program is
still free to download.

I personally don’t like OTOs (some people call them
One Time Rip-Offs) but they are an effective and accepted
way of marketing on the web and Mike Filsaime puts it to good
use here. I personally bought the upgrade myself because
I wanted to fully test out this system and like I said,
I have a fondness for desktop applications. I also see promising
marketing potential for this one but only time will
tell if it was worth the upgrade price.

Filsaime has also smartly tied this application in with
an upsell product which is his coaching program.
Often times this backend product is where the big bucks
are make – most savvy marketers offer a lucrative backend
upsell to all the primary products they sell or promote. The
really, really smart ones, make this upsell recurring or residual
in nature, so that they can receive revenues each month
or each year.

For those building lists, notice how this experienced
marketer is building his lists thru TweetGlide and
especially how it places confirmed buyers onto his VIP list…
great way to build customer loyalty and make repeat
sales. This is a key element to profiting from your
lists… you must divide up and target special subscribers
with offers matching their interests and buying habits.

Overall, TweetGlide is a handy little marketing machine
where users can advertise for free but you can also buy
sponsored advertising. It is a simple way to build a viral
element into your online marketing. This viral element
will fit in nicely with the whole viral nature of Twitter.

Plus, big-time marketers like Filsaime are savvy enough
to boost those viral elements with an attractive affiliate
program which may attract other big-name online promoters
and marketers. Roughly, 3000 downloads in under 24 hours,
were made with little promotion on Filsaime part. If this
thing goes totally viral, he will have an attractive and
lucrative program to add to his long list of successful products.

Ignoring all the marketing elements and sales pitches, you
still end up with a handy Twitter desktop application that
puts all your tweeting functions right on your desktop.
Don’t know if this will become as popular as TweekDeck
but it is definitely worth a look.

Moreover, I was really impressed with the quality and
design of TweetGlide. The video introducing it was very
professionally done. The TweetGlide interface is very
simple to use and can be easily customized to suit your
own preferences. In addition, the download and installation of
the desktop application went quickly and smoothly.

So check out the video which explains it all in
greater detail in the link below. Please be aware
this is an affiliate link:

….

New Guidelines For FTC Regarding Endorsements & Testimonials

Due to new FTC updated guidelines regarding endorsements
and testimonials which go into effect on 12/1/09, any
endorsement or testimonial must be transparent and the
reader or consumer must know you’re selling a product
if you’re endorsing it.

Or at least this is my reading of the new guidelines;
I am not a lawyer but I am an affiliate marketer so this
issue has me very concerned. Like all online marketers
I am trying to understand the new guidelines. You can
find some very helpful information at the FTC website.

I have disclaimers on all my sites but just saying
“Results not typical” or the stronger “These testimonials
are based on the experiences of a few people and you
are not likely to have similar results.” May not even
be good enough anymore; which is a little scary because as
an affiliate marketer you’re promoting third-party products
which may come with testimonials as part of the promotional
material you’re given.

I believe FTC and the new guidelines will help cut down
on outrageous claims and on those endorsements/testimonials
which try to deceive the consumer.

Again, I am not giving you legal advice regarding these
guidelines or how you should proceed. Just telling you
that you should be aware of these guidelines which are coming
into effect on the 1st of December.

Titus
www.bizwaremagic.com

Does Google PageRank Count Anymore?


BWMagic’s Internet Marketing News!

…….
Contents:

o Does Google PageRank Count Anymore?

…….

This week I would like to give you some news about Google PageRank
and my opinions on it. PageRank won’t go away and it is a much-discussed issue if you’re a webmaster and have a site.

That little green bar gives Google’s ranking of all the web pages
on the web – including yours. PR10 is the highest, PR0 is the lowest.

PageRank doesn’t mean much in SEO turns anymore – your page can
have a low PR ranking but still come up first in Google’s index.
Many times above pages that have a much higher PR ranking than
your page.

However, I take a much broader view of PageRank and find
it still very important. You can find out why by reading
my article below…

………………………….
Feature Article
………………………….

Does Google PageRank Count Anymore?
Copyright © 2009 Titus Hoskins

Being a full-time SEM (Search Engine Marketer) I have been
conditioned like Pavlov’s dog (not a pretty picture) to jump
every time Google twitches. Lately, Google has been doing a
lot of twitching.

Specifically, the rather startling news from Google Webmaster
Trends Analyst Susan Moskwa that Google has ditched PageRank
from Webmaster Tools.

“We’ve been telling people for a long time that they shouldn’t
focus on PageRank so much; many site owners seem to think it’s
the most important metric for them to track, which is simply
not true,” states Moskwa. “We removed it because we felt it was
silly to tell people not to think about it, but then to show
them the data, implying that they should look at it.”

Find more here on WebProNews:

http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/10/15/google-ditches-pagerank-in-webmaster-tools

Now, for SEO reasons or for ranking in Google’s index, PageRank
has long been downgraded by Google. However, even missing
a few dangling bits, history has shown us eunuchs still wheel
tremendous power. PageRank is no different.

Regardless of what Google wants to happen, PageRank is still
extremely important to anyone marketing on the web, especially
if you’re selling SEO services or operating a web business. Try
selling SEO services when that little green bar on your site
is pointing to PR0 or worst yet, pointing to a solid gray bar.

Obtaining a high PR7 or PR8 simply means more business and revenues…
regardless of how Google is or is not using PageRank. People know how
to count and they learned long ago, a ten is a lot more than
a big fat zero.

Placed against a PR1 site, a PR8 will win more respect in the eyes
of potential clients and can produce enormous profits for the site
owner and we won’t even mention the still widely practiced
habit of selling links, which Google is desperately trying to stop.
Total and full elimination of PageRank would be an honest start
but it will still be an uphill, if not a losing battle, for
Google to fully eliminate link selling.

Even with my modest sites, I have turned down a small fortune
by not selling text links on any of my sites. When I had a PR6
site instead of a PR4 – those link requests were nearly doubled.
So one can easily understand Google’s position and the need to
downplay PageRank, if they even want to put a small dent in all
this link selling and buying which is still rampant on today’s
web.

PageRank is Google’s creation, and unless they remove it fully
from their system and the Google toolbar, then PageRank still Counts.
Actually, in the whole scheme of marketing your website on the
net, PageRank counts big time. And in more ways than one.

There are several reasons why you shouldn’t count PageRank out.

For years Google has been downplaying the importance of
PageRank and states it’s only one of about 200 ranking factors
that determine how Google ranks its index for keywords.
Obtaining top organic rankings for popular lucrative keywords
in Google simply means money in the bank. Actually, even a movement
of only one or two places on those first page SERPs (Search Engine
Results Pages) can make a major difference to any online marketer’s
bottom line.

Now while you can have a lower PR number and still rank above
other higher PR pages for your chosen keywords, I have even had
many times when my PR drops but my actual SERPs rankings in Google
goes up, mainly due to building-related relevant backlinks. So
PageRank counts little towards your keyword rankings but it can’t
be totally dismissed.

Mainly because, even if PR is just one ranking factor, in close
competitive keyword battles (I am presently fighting tooth and nail
for some very choice keywords) just one ranking factor such as
high PR can make the difference of whether or not you get to the
top spot. Big dogs are still jumping and for those of us who know
how to count, getting a number one spot in Google makes all the
difference in the world.

Not only because Google controls roughly 80% of all search engine
traffic, but more importantly Google has established unmatched
credibility and brand recognition in the eyes of potential customers
visiting your site. Web-users trust Google. Web users look to Google
for guidance and direction. Web-users believe what Google is telling them.
In the online world, rightly or wrongly, perception is everything.

As an online marketer, I am completely amazed each day at the
marketing power Google now commands with web surfers and with the
general population. Google is king of online search and no other
search engine even comes close to Google.

PageRank is Google’s ranking system and in the eyes of those who
notice these things, it still wheels tremendous influence and power.
By default, PageRank is Google’s opinion of your site, and web
users can count (at least to 10) and if Google believes people
are still not counting when it comes to PageRank, then they are fully
mistaken.

…
The author is a full-time professional online marketer who has numerous
niche websites. For the latest web marketing tools try:
Free Marketing Tools
Copyright © 2009 Titus Hoskins. This article may be
freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

…..

Kind Regards,
Titus

http://www.bizwaremagic.com

Should You Use Google Adsense On Your Web Pages?

BWMagic’s Internet Marketing News!

…….
Contents:

o Should You Use Google Adsense On Your Web Pages?
…….

This week I received an email from Marlon Sanders since
I am a long-time subscriber to his Newsletter… and
in it he referred to a long discussion/thread going
on over at the WarriorForum. It is all about Google
Adsense and the thread was started by XFactor who
only goes by the name of “John”.

The title of this popular thread is called:

6 Months Later: $300 Daily w/Adsense (Lessons Learned)


Keep in mind, this XFactor guy is, of course, plugging/selling
a $77 course entitled “Micro Niche Adsense Course”. So I have
long learned to view anyone selling stuff on the web through my
battle-weary and all too cynical eyes. I am extra critical of
what claims they make. You should do like-wise.

However, this is a very interesting discussion and it
brought back the whole issue of whether or not you
should use Google Adsense on any of your sites or web
pages?

Now, I have been using Google Adsense on many of my web sites
and pages for years. I have become addicted to getting that
monthly Adsense check from Google. I could arrange electronic
payment but I simply get a kick out of receiving that check,
mainly because years ago when I started earning income
from the web, it was the only check that impressed my family
and friends. It’s a bit hard to explain but it sort of made
all this web stuff “legit” in their eyes. Google has that power
over people!

In many ways, using Google Adsense on my web pages doesn’t make
logical marketing sense – why get 60 cents for a click when you
can get 60 dollars instead by using an affiliate program. That is,
you can often get 10 times, sometimes even 100 times more by using
affiliate links on your pages rather than Google Adsense.

Why use Google Adsense at all?

Besides the thrill of getting those monthly checks, I use
Google Adsense to mainly create another revenue stream on
my pages in addition to my affiliate links. I know I am probably
losing some sales to Adsense but on the other hand, Adsense
is a very steady consistent revenue stream that I know will
be there each day.

Actually, it has been more consistent than any of my affiliate
programs, it pays a lot less but at least my pages are making
something each day. It’s a “SureShot”.

Another reason I use Adsense, I find it almost impossible to
find affiliate programs for all my web pages, so simply placing
that Adsense code on the page, monetizes that page for me.

After years of using Adsense, I don’t believe it lowers the
quality of my pages, it’s just another component that my site
visitors can use to find what they’re looking for. Since I
use PPC advertising and Adwords – I know the deals and offers
presented thru Adsense are some of the most competitive
offers on the web. Nature of the beast.

Adsense does serve a purpose, other than making money for Google,
it does give the consumer some of the best deals on the web
in my opinion.

Now, whether or not you use Adsense on your pages is up to you…
I am mainly talking about affiliate links here… so if you’re
selling your own products on your site, why send those customers
to another store? Why get $3 a click, when you can earn $30?

It’s your call?


Now back to the WarriorForum and the Adsense thread by John
XFactor… I only read some of the thread before warning bells
started ringing in my head. I am not saying what this person
is saying is not true but please be extra careful and thoroughly
check out any claims before you buy any product on the web.

I have been at this web stuff for too many years and I know
the only way to get really high click-through rates (CTR) with
Google Adsense is to trick your visitors into believing the
Adsense links are interior links/clicks on your site. You camouflage
them to fit seamlessly into your site.

Create simple niche sites and then blend your links in at
the very top of the page… your visitor will click these links
more often than links buried on your pages.

Some people think this is wrong to deceive your visitors in this
way, others think it is a great way to make money. In either
case, the visitor is still taken to a great deal or site where
they can find what they’re looking for on the web.

Again, it’s a judgment call on your part.

Niche sites do work and people do make money with Google
Adsense on them but my main question to this XFactor
guy – if you have quality organic search engine traffic
flowing to your pages, why not use affiliate links instead
of Google Adsense?

To be fair, this guy is using Amazon links on his pages,
and maybe he just likes getting those Adsense checks each
month, but in the back of my mind I couldn’t dismiss the feeling
that he may be pushing Adsense in order to sell his course
or ebook.

I couldn’t help but notice that the XFactor guy doesn’t
have Google Adsense on his salesletter page for his
ebook. Maybe he likes getting $77 instead of 77 cents
for his clicks?

But check out this thread for yourself, it has many
good pointers and tips. Especially if you’re already using
Adsense on your web pages or are planning to use them in
the future.



Kind Regards,
Titus
www.bizwaremagic.com