The Secret To Maximizing Your Time
One of the key qualities of a successful entrepreneur is the ability to be more productive than anyone else in the company. And to do that, you’ll have to learn how to maximize your time.
I’m sure you’ve heard people say, “I wish I had more time.” They jump from task to task and event to event at light speed, trying to find ways to accomplish more.
Some people seem to accomplish far more than others in their day, week, and lifetime. For instance, Benjamin Franklin was a successful author, politician, scientist, philosopher, printer, inventor, activist, and diplomat. His accomplishments are astounding. Benjamin Franklin is also credited for the statement; ‘Time is money.’
So, how did he find the time to accomplish so many things? The answer is effective time management. Read more
Get Camtasia Studio 3 For Free
You can now get the full version of Camtasia Studio 3 at no cost.
In case you haven’t heard of Camtasia, it’s a software for recording, editing and sharing high-quality screen videos.
You can use it to create:
- video products
- training videos
- videos to sell your products
If you’re wondering why Techsmith, the software developer, is giving it away, it’s because they hope you will take advantage of their offer to upgrade to version 5 for only $149. Read more
Adsense Success Story: Whateverlife.com
I’ve always believed that women should take full control of their financial destiny. They should never let their husband, father or brother manage their finances for them. It’s a surefire recipe for disaster.
So when I read this very interesting feature on Fast Company about an entrepreneurial teenage girl, I just had to share it.
Ashley Qualls, a 17 year old girl from Detroit, USA, founded a site called Whateverlife.com that offers free MySpace page layouts and she’s now earning $70,000 a month from mostly advertising.
Absolutely amazing.
Click here to read the full article.
If you’re starting or building an Adsense business, check out the Adsense Blueprint for a $410 million Adsense success story. You’ll also learn how to build a successful Adsense business without any marketing, technical or writing skills.
How To Get Popular YouTube Videos To Promote Your Website
Here’s an idea that just came to my head.
1. Find YouTube videos relevant to your market that has a high number of views, subscribers and external links.
For example, if you have a website about dancing, look for the twenty most popular dance videos on YouTube.
2. Contact the account holders and offer to buy their account.
Most YouTube users are just posting videos for fun. So if you offer money for something that they consider worthless, they may just accept your offer.
3. Add your link to the video’s description.
Once you’ve taken over an account, add your site’s URL to the description and watch your traffic grow. Of course, you should also insert a tracking link so that you can monitor the effectiveness of your strategy.
And make sure you insert a live link.
For more unusual traffic strategies, do check out the Startup Rebel Competitive Magic course. It’ll teach you how to compete for traffic against competitors with bigger budgets.
10 Ways To Differentiate Your Affiliate Business And Crush Your Competition
One of the most common mistakes made by affiliate marketers is the lack of differentiation in their business. Their website reads and looks just like hundreds of other affiliate websites in their niche. They all use the same web or blog templates, articles, affiliate promotional tools and photos for their websites.
Conformity is fine… if you’re in high school. Back then, if you deviate from the norm, you’ll will be ostracized and ridiculed by your peers and teachers.
But in the business world, conformity is the kiss of death. If your business, websites and products are just copycat versions of your competition, it’s game over. You won’t be able to stand out in a crowded market and you’ll struggle to generate long-term profits.
So, here are 10 strategies you can use to differentiate your affiliate business and crush your competition:
1. The All-in-one Strategy
This is the Amazon.com strategy. You offer the largest or most comprehensive selection of products/services in your niche. For instance, if you’re an affiliate marketer in the golf market, you could create a portal site that covers every aspect of golf, from product reviews to training articles. Your site can also offer daily news and a forum for golfers.
The goal of this strategy is to become the toll gate in your chosen market. Any merchant or advertiser that wants to reach your market will have to pay a toll to you, so to speak.
The downside to this strategy is you may end up being a jack of all trades and master of none. So, use this strategy only if you believe that you can develop an all-round website that’s superior to your competition.
2. The Independent Verification Strategy
Submit your affiliate website for awards or certifications. This is an opportunity to prove to your visitors that you’re the best in your market. It also builds your credibility if your website is selected as the best by independent publications.
So, look for magazines in your niche that give out the “Best Online Resource” award. If you win an award for your website, you’ll have an edge over your competition and you’ll be getting free publicity as well.
3. The Specialist Strategy
You can specialize your affiliate business in two ways:
- A specific niche market.
- A specific type of product/service.
Interestingly, you can combine the All-in-one strategy with the Specialist strategy. For example, you can build a portal in the dog market that offers product reviews, health and training tips, and a forum for just one specific dog breed.
4. The Celebrity Endorsement Strategy
Get celebrity and/or expert endorsement for your website. It doesn’t have to be expensive if you ask local or retired celebrities. You can offer free publicity to the celebrity in exchange for her endorsement.
For example, if you own a golf website, find a celebrity who plays golf and interview him. Then, ask him to check out your site and if he likes it, request a testimonial from him.
5. The New Category Strategy
One effective way to claim the No. 1 position in a market segment is to create a totally new category for your affiliate business.
For example, if your affiliate website reviews and promotes comics and action figures and you’re having difficulty in becoming the No. 1 comic book site or the No.1 action figure site, why not create a new category, i.e. comics AND action figure site?
Then, you can claim that you’re the No.1 comics and action figure authority on the internet. You’re No.1 because you’re the only one in the category.
6. The Value Added Strategy
This strategy involves offering free unique, valuable services or products to entice your visitors to buy through your affiliate link.
For instance, you could add information products as free premiums to entice your referrals. Information products like ebooks, audios and videos are cheap and easy to produce. You could just interview an expert via Skype and record the interview.
Another great value added product is software. Just hire a freelance programmer to develop a simple software that will save time or money for your referrals.
7. The Controversy Strategy
Controversy sells. Just ask Madonna. A controversial affiliate website will generate publicity and word-of mouth traffic easily and quickly.
To create controversy, look for accepted norms in your market or industry. And then, brainstorm ways on how you can break the norms and yet still give your market what they want.
8. The Design Strategy
All things being equal, the affiliate website with the more attractive design will win repeat visitors. Humans are naturally attracted to beauty. So, having a visually attractive website will generate more repeat visitors and hence, more revenue for you.
Unfortunately, most affiliate sites look amateurish and boring. So, hire a professional designer to create an attractive and unique web template for your site. It’s a one-time expense that will have a lasting and positive impact on your business.
9. The Squeezer Strategy
A company that uses this strategy all the time is Wal-Mart as they use their size to squeeze their vendors for maximum profits. You can use this strategy if you’re one of the top affiliates for a merchant.
Just negotiate a higher commission with the merchant. In most cases, they will agree to your request if they don’t want to lose you as an affiliate.
When you earn a commission higher than the average affiliate, you’ll have more ammunition for your marketing expenses.
10. The Membership Strategy
One of the best strategies to generate repeat traffic and recurring revenue is to develop an exclusive membership site. Even if you want to promote affiliate products only and have no desire to sell your own products, you can build a free membership site that contains frequently updated content.
A free membership site with great content will generate more repeat traffic and loyalty than the usual content site. You should also set the bar really high in your market by offering more than just articles. You should offer unique content in ebook, audio and video format that your competition doesn’t offer.
And there you have it, 10 strategies to differentiate your business and crush the competition. There are many more strategies available but if you implement just a few of the aforementioned strategies, you will see a positive effect on your affiliate business.
Just think big and do more than your competition. Be the 900 pound gorilla in your market and your business will still be standing once the dust has finally settled.
If you want to learn more strategies on differentiating your affiliate business and crushing your competition, check out the Startup Rebel Competitive Magic course now.