Still among those who accept the idea of blog monetization, many readily frown at the idea of selling ads spaces on your blog as a way of monetizing your blog. To these ones, displaying adverts on your blog is simply a put-off and should be discouraged!

Now, I’m not here to argue whether blog monetization is right or wrong. However, having observed the confusion that many bloggers face because of these divergent views, I want to use this post to make a statement on these various beliefs and leave you to make your decision on what is best for you!

Recommended: Who Is Making Your Rules?

Blog Monetization – What Really Should You Do?

At this point let me say what really pushed me into writing this post was a comment in a discussions in one of the groups in LinkedIn.com. During this discussion, which centered on the recent changes by Facebook, a member of the group mentioned how much he now disdain Facebook because, to him, Facebook has lost its focus and is now more concerned with making more money for the site owners rather than being a truly social networking site!

What, Facebook has lost its focus?

Now, I understand that many people have this view. Of course, most of the new changes on the site are nothing but subtle ways of increasing the number of businesses and individuals that advertise on the site.  But does this make Facebook to have lost its focus?

Of course, you may not stand the sight of the ads on these social networking sites but you must remember that you are not the one who calls the shots. For one, you use the site for FREE, not caring about how the various resources you’re enjoying for free, are being financed.

Besides, how much do you know of the mission and vision of these sites that you now think that sites like Facebook have derailed because they are selling ads on their sites?

Indeed, when I read that comment the controversy surrounding blog monetization, which I’ve read on different blogs over time, came to mind. I realized then that why many are against the idea of monetizing a blog through advertisements, stem from the same root.

The fact is, a blog is nothing different from a social media site.  Indeed, many have come to accept it as a socializing tool – both for connecting with your readers and also building relationships with them.

But beyond that, a blog could be a business and a marketing tool.  In fact, to get the maximum results from your blog you must accept it to be so.

So, How Do Social Media Sites Make Money?

I think this is a question that we need to ask if we must learn anything from these social media sites and making money online. As you read this I’m sure you have profiles on different social networking sites. And of course, if you are on Facebook, which I believe you are, you have been using the site for free all these years.

But have you cared to know how they keep providing those tools and resources for free? Do you realize that Facebook, Google.com (G+), Pinterest, Linkedin etc are registered business concerns?

What this means is that while they offer you the opportunity to connect with your social circles on their sites for free they also aim to cut a profit as businesses!

But depending on the social media platform, the business model and monetization strategies may differ.  But the truth is, no matter how different the strategies may be, it still stand that they must make money for their venture capitalists!

Here are some ways social media sites are making money that could be interesting to a blogger:

1. Advertising – This is a common one to all the social media sites.

2. Selling subscription – Depending on the target market a few social media sites sell subscriptions to keep the network going.

3. Building and selling applications – This is another fast growing way social media sites are now monetizing their traffic.

4. Replacing affiliate links – This was actually the monetization model of Pinterest. They opened the site to all of us, encouraging us to share our user-generated content with our online friends, but unknown to us, something else was going on right under our nose!

5. Feature upgrades – This is a big one for LinkedIn. While you are free to have your profile for life, if you however desire to use some of the advance features of the site, you then need to upgrade your membership.

Any of these monetization methods can actually be used on a blog. take a cue from these social media sites or you’ll soon be packing your bags and luggage and hitting the door!

Recommended: Hey Blogger, Please Quit!

Go To the Ants and Learn!

Ok, that’s what the Holy Book says. And why not, if social media sites like Facebook and the rest are making money through the sale of adverting space, why not a blogger? And so, I’m saying, it’s time when bloggers should go to the social media sites and learn how to monetize their blogs.

I’ve always said it that bloggers are among the most hard working people on the internet today. That labor shouldn’t be in vain – a worker is worthy of his reward!

Or, don’t you think so?

Over to you: Do you think bloggers should sell advertising space on their blogs just like the social networking sites? Share your thoughts with us in your comments below.

But this shouldn’t be because driving targeted organic traffic is not really as hard as some people think it is. Truth is, if you understand the basic requirements of search engine optimization (SEO) and you commit to applying them in your marketing content, pulling free traffic from the search engines becomes a child’s play!

In this post I want to share with you a few SEO tactics and strategies I’ve used in the past few years to grow my real estate blog.

But first, let me emphasize that the online Real Estate market is a big emerging market. Only recently, this market has grown increasingly diversified and very competitive. Despite this big competition however, a few years ago I started a real estate blog because I’ve always had a deep passion for real estate. Today that real estate blog is pulling in free organic traffic from the search engines like a magnet!

So, how did this come to be?

Here Are 3 Simple Organic SEO Traffic Strategies To Begin With:

1. It Begins With the Understanding

Yes. For your blog to surge free organic traffic from Google, you need to understand your niche.

What kind of people are you building the blog for?

Lawyers, Accountants, Marketing Consultants, Realtors? Name it! You’ve got to find out the specific people you’re building the blog for.

There was a time when I had challenges of ranking my web pages on the first page of Google; at first, I thought I was going about it the right way, but didn’t realize I was actually messing the whole thing up.

Let me point out this truth:

It’s not enough to know the problems or challenges people face; you’ve got to understand and find out what got them into the problem at the first place. You’ve got to proffer solution to those challenges.

Pro Tip: Prospects don’t want to know the pain they’re going through, they’re after the solution. Give them the solution—that’s what blogging is all about.

Recommended: The Watertight Strategy for effectively Writing Content for SEO in A Post-Penguin Internet!

2. Write Profit Pulling Content

The only way to resurrect a dead blog or turn a dying blog into a money making machine is creating quality content.

My real estate blog is today surging a whole lot of free organic traffic from Google because, my content is well written and planned.

I had my reader’s goal in mind. Usually, before I write anything, I study my readers to know the kind of problems they’re seeking solutions for.

By doing this, you’d gather helpful information to help create better and more informative contents.

The best way to go about creating quality contents that get ranked in Google within 2 weeks is by planning a keyword strategy.

And, do you know that the best keyword tool or strategy isn’t Google’s keyword tool or any other SEO tool?

An effective keyword strategy can only be discovered when you take time to study and understand your readers.

Are you a real estate blogger, social media consultant or Word press expert?

Then make LISTENING the ultimate thing to do in your business.

Don’t listen casually; listen with your mind; feel the pain and desperation in your prospects mind…

3. Build Quality Links

I can’t stress this enough. Most of my external links are from related real estate and investing blogs.

Here’s what I mean:

The page rank of a blog doesn’t matter, what matters to Google is the relevancy.

If you’re starting out in the blogging world, you don’t have to struggle to build quality backlinks from Problogger, Huffingtonpost, or Copyblogger, you can start from niche based blogs.

Begin with small blogs of PR 2 to 4. Contact the blog editors or owners and propose to write for them.

Recommended: 5 Awesome Free SEO Tools For The Wise Blogger/Webmaster!

Don’t be scared of getting a ‘’No’’. The fact is, some are going to reject you but don’t allow that discourage you. Don’t give up or give in. If you’re rejected, take up your mantle and move on to the next blog.

Pro Tip: Do you know that if you publish ten quality guest posts in real estate or investing blogs in 7 days or less, you can easily rank on the first page of Google for your desired keyword in 90 days?

But you cannot achieve this if you use primary key phrases. You can only get results from your guest posts if you use keyword variations.

Here’s what I mean: If my main keyword is, ”real estate Dallas’‘ and I’m linking from realestate.com which is a top real estate blog; I’d use ”Dallas real estate investing” as my primary anchor text and link back to the same page or article on my blog.

Take-Away Tip: That’s how to get quality results from your guest blogging campaign.

I’ve got to end this now

I’m sure you learned a few things from this post content.

But please note, my success did not come overnight. I had to work hard, invest a lot of time and efforts into creating quality content.

I didn’t give up–you shouldn’t.

Don’t give up–don’t give in; keep working hard and Google will send you more traffic than you can handle.

Were you inspired by this post?

Kindly share your thoughts and views in your comments below.  Feel free to share with us your experience on driving free organic traffic to your sites. I’d be waiting to reply your comments.

Of course, the Internet is in-arguably the most effective tool when it comes to getting your name out there.  And so, you want to make sure that all marketing campaigns conducted via the Internet are effective and will bring you results.

In this article I want to present you with a few tips on how to design your online marketing campaign to fulfill your business dreams.

 1. Get a Framework for the Basics

You need to know your services and/or products inside and out.  You should sit down and write the basics of these.  These things will play into your marketing campaigns down the road.  The basic details are good to have handy because you will be asked about them.  You will also want them ready for things like promotional emails.

You also want a complete list of the benefits for each service and/or product.  This should not include key product  features because these will be in your basics.  The benefits should be identified so that you can tell people exactly why they need or want what you have to offer.

2. Know Your Customers

If you do not know who is buying your services and products, there is no way to ensure that you continue to attract them.  You need to know what they want so that you can tailor your online marketing campaign to them.  For example, if your products and services are mostly used by small businesses, then your campaign needs to target this demographic.  Small business owners will not want bells and whistles, but will want the important information to be straightforward because they do not have a ton of free time to read emails and online campaign materials.

3. Profile the Markets

What you are offering will probably appeal to more than one customer market.  Because of this, you will need to profile each market individually.  You want to know things like their political leanings, age, gender, job or career path, education level, religious preference, salary and reading preferences.  This is just a short list and you can add more demographics to this.  Profiling is not to single anyone out, but to learn which marketing efforts will work the best.  For example, what appeals to young women probably will not appeal to middle-aged men.

4. Speak Their Language

When you are creating your online marketing campaign, you need to speak in a way that will appeal to those you are targeting.  For example, if you are working on a campaign for a new cardiac medication, you would use layman’s terms to target patients and more professional jargon when targeting medical professionals.  When a customer feels that you really “get them” and understand their wants and needs, they are far more likely to trust you and what you have to offer.

5. Keep it Simple

This applies to every customer imaginable.  Online marketing should be kept short and sweet because people’s attention spans are far shorter when reading emails and online materials.  You want the most important points right at the beginning of your materials.  You also want to hook potential customers right away and being straightforward right away is one of the most effective ways to do this.  Tell them what they need to know out of the gate and save the little things for later.  The key is to be able to anticipate what your customers want and to give it to them.

Think about it, are you using these 5 tips in your online marketing campaign right now? What have been your success so far marketing your business online? Share your views with us in your comments below.

About The Author: Julianne Parrish is a freelance writer that specializes in marketing and advertising. She writes for sites like Optiva that feature SpellBrite LED Signs, that help companies drum up new business. In her free time she enjoys reading and spending time with her daughter.

Image credit: Flickr.com

Every online marketer understands that the website is the main focus of all online marketing tactics. And so to stay on top of the competition, your business website needs to be updated regularly. Online users have no time for an idle site. For your business, it’s simply a waste of financial opportunity.

The question however is, how do you ensure that your business website is updated regularly to remain relevant? The simple way is by adding a blog to it. It doesn’t matter what your business website is all about. Even if your business concentrates on local sales of services and products to the community, by adding a blog it can generate additional revenues that you may not realize. An active blog can help line the pockets of your business and help generate an additional revenue stream both from online visitors and physical walk-in customers.

The following are some of the reasons why a blog is an important aspect of your website in marketing your online business.

1. Sharing

The blog for your business website can be a way to share current information with your online visitors whether they live in your area or not. While your primary focus should be those in your location, writing content tailored to everyone could help your website generate income from outside the locale. If your business is located in Michigan, the information you provide on your blog could help someone face a problem or learn something new in Guam. If you have services such as Adsense or affiliate marketing and the person in Guam decides to buy something from those methods, you just generated a certain percentage of the sale for doing nothing more than providing information.

2. Cross-platform

If you use a content management system such as WordPress to operate your blog, you can install plugins that will allow you to link a Facebook account to your content. Whenever you create a new post, you can “link” or “comment” on the post for Facebook which will add it directly to your company’s timeline. Any friends and fans you have generated locally will immediately receive the comment and it could spark additional interest to visit your site to read the entire post. And Facebook isn’t the only social media site that can be connected to your blog’s activity. Google+, Pinterest, Stumbleupon, YouTube, and a vast array of others can distribute your blog’s content as well.

3. Interest

You want to keep your customers interested in your business services and/or products. If you launch a newsletter campaign that distributes discounts or coupons from your blog, you can keep those customers informed about any changes or additions your business has made. In some regards, this could work far better than radio advertising or newspaper articles. As long as you keep the content of your blog regular, fresh, and current visitors will come and the interest in the business could solidify.

4. Revenue

As mentioned before, a business blog has a good chance to generate addition revenue from nothing more than your content. By attaching services such as Adsense, any visitor who clicks on an advertisement earns your business an extra few cents to a few dollars. Some popular blogs and websites have been known to generate a great deal of income through Adsense.

Another method that can help generate additional income is the use of affiliate banners. These banners link to specific companies using a tracking number to identify your account. If someone buys a product from these other companies after clicking on the banner from your website, you earn a percentage of the sale. All you need to do is write relevant content on your blog post, add the banner coding to it, and save your post. It’s literally that easy.

5. Personable

Blog content is a little different than providing straight facts as in writing general articles for websites. A blog post is usually written in first or second person which helps relate the content between yourself and the reader. It gives one the sense that they are getting information from a friend or colleague rather than a straight forward piece. Blogs are also a great form of personal opinion, or in this case a business opinion, about any given related subject. However, you want to keep opinions related to the type of business you conduct. You don’t want to fall into the same soup that Chick-fil-A did in 2012. Keeping your opinions related to your business practices will help keep you from facing the heat from the media.

6. Professional

First impressions are very important when it comes to your business. As most of the large companies have extravagant websites complete with blogs, eCommerce, and other add-ons, people may assume that a successful company needs to have all of these things as well. For instance; if you were walking into a restaurant that served the best grilled chicken sandwich in the world but the dining room looked like a storage unit, you’d probably move on to somewhere else to eat. Having an active website and a regularly updated blog gives people the sense that you are serious about your business. Your business needs to cater to the masses, not based on your own ideals of what you think they want.

7. Collective Knowledge

Writing regular posts of everything your business knows about its specific field could begin building a collective database and visitors will feel safe about trusting the content. Although blogs can be opinionated, which don’t necessarily mean the information is based on fact, the information you provide through the blog can potentially help millions.

8. Marketing

Blogs have a world of their own aside from general websites. Communities of all kinds gather across various areas to share information. Blog carnivals allow owners to post content increasing the exposure of their own websites and blog posts. Blog lists appear all over the Internet that can help readers find interesting blogs based on their own personal interests. It’s a method that can quickly spread the word of the business blog site across the globe. Within days, your blog could see a great increase of traffic which helps your business using revenue generating methods and customer acquisition.

Conclusion

A regularly updated blog, as a business marketing strategy, can be as powerful as radio advertising for your local customers. Some business blogs will actually perform a great deal better than many marketing strategies you may be considering.

Your business website can be more than merely informing visitors who you are and what you do. It can be a method to share information with the community while generating additional interest from those outside of your locale. The possibilities are great and in today’s world, it’s senseless to let your website sit idle.

Over to you: The above are nothing but my thoughts. I’ll love to hear your views also. What do you think of adding a blog to a business website? Share with us in your comments below.

How about the one that says you should spend 80% of your time on the headline or title and 20% on your main content – the 80/20 rule! – because the title is the most important part of your content?

You are familiar with those content writing tips, right?

Of course, I must agree that these are generally accepted content writing tips passed on to us by seasoned copywriters. However, may I inform you that simply putting together any piece of marketing content and stamping a “killer” headline on it will not help you achieve your dream result?

Truth is, you might have just packaged a “killer” with all the capabilities of KILLING your marketing efforts!

What do I mean?

Now listen to this:

Creating marketing content that is relevant and remarkable is beyond writing crafty headlines and titles. You must understand that content marketing as an inbound marketing technique, uses new content creation tactics aimed at attracting the right audience to your offers. It is not about trying to prize the sales from some reluctant prospect using covert headlines and titles but through using highly engaging, trust-building and thought-leadership content that employs the rules of inbound marketing content.

So, applying the 80/20 rule in creating your marketing content is nothing but “putting old wine in a new wine skin” – a sure path to failure!

Recommended: Top 3 Reasons Why Content Marketing Will Fail You!

Here Are 5 Signs That Your ‘Killer’ Marketing Content Is Indeed Killing Your Efforts!

1. No Target Audience

This is indeed the first sign that your marketing content will end up a failure. Your content could be of the highest quality, expertly written and accurate in details but without a specific target audience that content will definitely flop.

Every piece of marketing content should be written with a picture of your ideal customer or prospect in mind. Who are they? What are their needs? What are their biggest concerns? How do you aim to solve those needs and concerns with your marketing content? How best should you reach them? Etc.

To understand all of these it is important that you do some basic research. You should be able to know who really, is the most common buyer for your product or service. If possible, lay out a detailed description of this ideal customer.

This is what a buyer persona is all about.

Write without a target audience in mind and your content would indeed qualify as a “killer”!

Recommended: How NOT to Create Marketing Content that Sucks!

2. Content Not In Sync With Buying Cycle

Marketers agree that every prospect goes through a certain journey before making a purchase. This is the buying cycle or buying process. A typical buying cycle goes something like this:

(i)    Awareness

(ii)    Research

(iii)    Comparison, and

(iv)    Decision or purchase.

Each of these stages of the buying cycle requires different forms of content.

You need to identify the buying stage you want to target with your content before creating that content. This is important because if your “killer” content is not in sync with the prospect’s specific stage of decision making, it would as well be just a piece of entertainment – making the prospect feel great but without any tangible returns for you.

3. Not Optimized, Socially And SEO-Wise!

One thing that savvy marketers have come to realize is that writing content for the web is miles apart from conventional content writing. And one area where this difference is most noticeable is writing SEO optimized and SMM optimized content.

While SEO content ensures that your marketing content is optimized for the search engines, social media marketing optimization ensures that your social media updates are optimized to achieve the desired results on the platform you are using.

Unfortunately, many marketers or content writers never care about optimization and this is truly a grave mistake because without the right optimization tactics, any “killer” piece of content will end up driving the wrong type of traffic.

This is indeed a specialized area of web content writing. But the good news is that you can always get a professional SEO web content writer if you are challenged in this area. A professional will help you create the form of marketing content that will achieve your marketing purpose.

4. Does Not Engage Your Target Audience

What, in your own opinion, makes a marketing content a “killer”? Is it because you put the word ‘killer’ in the title? Is it simply because it is relevant to the subject discussed?

As much as these are good reasons, you must understand that without truly engaging the prospect, the content will have little impact. Prospects and customers do not want to simply hear from you, they want to engage with you. It is important therefore that in creating your marketing content you must find ways to make it create a sense of shared value with your target audience.

Like a seasoned orator, you should be able to empathize and resonate with your target audience making them more open to do what you want.

Using the basic conversation skill of empathy, your marketing content should be able to engage your prospects and lead them along until they click that button or link. Anything short of this will be a wasted piece of content.

Recommended: Inbound Marketing Misconceptions Unveiled – The Sure Path to Succeeding As an Inbound Marketer!

5. No Calls To Action

The CTA is one major aspect of a marketing content that many content writers easily overlook. But the truth is, the word “marketing” is what differentiates marketing content from other forms of content. Content marketing is nothing but using content to market your products and services therefore, writing your marketing content without any clear-cut “Call to Action” (CTA), is like a fisherman who throws out his net, encloses a big catch but refuses to pull it in!

For example: The author of this article is a Freelance Blogger and Professional SEO Content Writer. His passion and specialty is in the are of helping entrepreneur bloggers and small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) write web content that both engages your site visitors and is pleasing to the search engines.  Every of his content is designed to enhance your site’s search engine rankings, drive more traffic, increase your brand visibility and boost your site conversions.  If you desire truly ‘killer’ marketing content that will not jeopardize your marketing efforts, then visit his SEO content writing site and request your free quote today!

Did you see what I’ve just done here? That, is a typical CTA that can go with this article. You must make the best use of your marketing content. Warm up your target and then, tell them what to do next – your Call to Action!

Conclusion

Content marketing as an inbound marketing tactic is a new form of marketing that requires new rules and tactics. Trying to use out-dated and fragmented outbound marketing techniques to boost sales will only result in ruining your marketing efforts. Instead of depending on these outbound “killer” tactics, you will do your business much good if you will create your content using engagement tactics based on your understanding of your target audience and what they need. Know where they are in the buying cycle and use your piece of content to easily guide them along until they make that final decision.

Over to You: I’ll appreciate your thought on this post. Do you know any other killer mistake content marketers are making today with their web marketing content? Share with us in your comments.

That the internet has become a part and parcel of our everyday life is an understatement.  Not only has it opened up new and more effective ways of communication and doing business, it has also opened up many ways of earning a handsome income working from the comfort of your home and at your convenience!

Today, there are various ways you can make some extra money online. This could be full-time or part-time. Some of these ways include writing articles, doing online market research or surveys and also offering technology services.

Technology services you could offer online include, but not limited to, coding work, software development or jotting script and programming. Making good money from technical projects that suit your skills and expertise can be easy and interesting.

In this article I want to show you some ways you can make money online offering technological services.

1. Projects Involving Software Development, Programming And Testing:

As the name indicates you can offer services that involve software development or programming. You can also use your database administration skills, or software testing skills to make money online.

There are a number of websites that allows freelance developers or testers to work on different projects.  Other sites will allow you to bid for such projects and work on them if the employer awards you the project.

How To: Register and create a profile for yourself in sites that act as a platform for employers and freelancers to interact. Build your profile with care, adding details of your education, projects and strengths. Also add some sample or links of works to highlight or showcase your talent. Bid on projects that match your core strength and bid reasonably. Read the project description carefully before bidding.

2. Projects Involving Animation, Graphics, Web Design:

Not only programmers or software developers have the opportunity to make money online.  Good web designers, animators and graphic designers can also earn handsomely with their skills and expertise.

Many employers look for freelance developers for websites and other graphic designs. This may involve photo restoration, creating effective website banners, short animation films or videos, etc. Others may include redesigning websites, logos and a host of other creative works that involve graphic designing skills and creativity.

How To: Register and build a profile in freelancing websites like Elance.com, freelancer.com, guru.com. Add a portfolio of work samples. Make sure that your portfolio works have watermark placed strategically on them. If possible build your own website and add that link also. Add some website or sources where your work is on display. Do not deliver any work without a milestone payment. Verify employer credentials thoroughly before starting a project.

3. Security Consultant:

Another technology service that has a huge prospect of making money online is security consultation. Having a good and in-depth knowledge of website, internet and software security issues is one of the pre-requisite for this service.

The basic job involves consulting companies or websites about the security flaws and loopholes in their websites or products. This involves a thorough understanding of the security systems, and the world can be your workplace.

How To: Register and build an impressive profile and portfolio in the freelancing websites. Make sure that you mention your credentials and qualification in detail. Add certifications and recommendations if any. Bid for works/ work that suits and matches your strength, read the project details carefully before bidding.

4. Projects Involving Technical Support:

Countless companies and individual entrepreneurs look for freelancers for technical support for their companies or projects. They may involve voice or non-voice support for their company or products. Looking for the ones that match your skills and expertise is the key.

5. Other Kind Of Projects:

There are a lot of other kinds of projects available to make money online offering technology services that might not involve deep knowledge of technology. Some of these include:

• Medical Transcription: This involves writing down a doctor’s conversation or speech as a medical document. Expertise in English and some know-how about medicine or medical transcription is needed.

• Online Teaching: Many online sites out there will pay you for a job as an online coach. The subjects may vary as per your expertise, and you may be needed to coach students from different parts of the world. You can do this on a freelance basis also.

• Article Writing: This may vary from writing articles related to traveling, product description, dissertation papers and every kind of writing you can imagine. You need to understand your forte and proceed.

Some other jobs online that involves good money are offering virtual assistant services, translation services, data entry work, web scraping and even voice-over and speaking services.

How to Summary:

The very first step for making money online offering technology services is to register in sites that offer a platform for employers and freelancers to interact. There are many sites like this, but be careful as some of them are also scammers. Join the trusted site. Join as a basic member and then you can upgrade to premium ones when you have started earning good.

Build an impressive profile, with pictures, qualification, projects done already, and add some samples also. It is always good to build a profile which highlights your strength and core expertise. Know your strengths and expertise and only bid for those kinds of projects and works. Good feedback from employers will always improve your chances of getting more projects and better paid ones.

Another thing that you must keep in mind is the fact that many of these sites are full of scammers.  So, read the job description and the employers profile before selecting to work. Check if the employer has verified his payment mode or not. Another thing is that read the terms and conditions properly. Insist on a milestone payment before starting to work. That will give you a confidence about the payment.

Finally:

Though being competent in your skills is one of the most important aspects of being successful online, another thing you need to keep in mind is, be punctual and keep the employer informed about the progress of the job. Always try to finish the work by the deadline.

I do hope this information will help you in your quest to make some serious money online offering technology services.

About The Author: Claudia is a writer/blogger. She loves writing, travelling and reading books. She contributes to Hydroxycut

ATTENTION: If you’re looking for proven business ideas to help you build a successful online business, I suggest you download special report: “100 Innovative Ways to Make Money Online In 2013!” Stop running round in cycles trying to figure out what business method is ideal for you!
Get Your FREE Copy Today:

Indeed, traffic is like the magic wand that opens the door to online riches. Unfortunately, many of us are getting it wrong every way when it comes to generating traffic.

You must know this:

TRAFFIC on its own does not guarantee riches. To get the best from every piece of traffic you generate, that traffic must be the right kind of traffic.

Many a time I’ve heard a lot of online marketers talk about TARGETED traffic but I’ve also discovered that many who advocate this go on to suggest the wrong places where to get that targeted traffic.

For example, the last time you were told to drive targeted traffic to your sites and business blogs where did you go looking for that targeted traffic?

My guess is, other SIMILAR or related sites/blogs, right?

But did you take into consideration that 99% of those sites and blogs are nothing but other businesses trying to drive the type of traffic you are aiming to drive to your sites?

Did you consider the fact that these are marketers like you, who even when they visit your site or blog are only looking to drive more traffic to their sites and blogs?

Indeed, those similar or related sites and blogs are good for link building but not what you will call TARGETED  traffic.

This is where you are getting it wrong 99% of the time!

Targeted traffic is simply this:

Getting visitors who already want what you’re selling to your sites or business blogs!

It’s as simple as that. If you are not driving that type of traffic, no matter the high traffic stats you are getting, it will amount to nothing!

So, how do you drive this type of targeted traffic?

1.    What Is Your Product?

This is indeed the biggest determinant of how much success you will get from your traffic generation tactics. This could be a physical product, digital product or a service. Whatever that may be, it should be able to meet the needs of your target audience whether it is healing a pain or answering a question. This will be much easier for you if you create your product in response to an existing demand.

Recommended: Hey Blogger: What really is your product?

2.    Who Is Your Perfect Prospect?

This is where many online marketers get it wrong, greatly. As mentioned above if you’re driving mostly other internet marketers who are looking for customers for their businesses, you will end up broke! Your perfect prospect is that person who is online with her credit card in hand ready to buy what you are offering or who is online researching more information about what you are offering.

There are different tools and products out there that will help you determine your perfect prospect. But if you have created your product in response to an existing demand as in #1 above, you would have known your perfect prospect from the beginning.

3.    Where Do You Find Your Perfect Prospect?

From my experience online, I have discovered that this is the biggest problem for many online business persons. This problem is biggest if you are in the internet marketing niche. I’ve also seen this among entrepreneur bloggers. In these markets, I’ve discovered that everyone is looking for the same prospect as you are. That blogger who is coming to your blog to post a comment is, most times, doing it because he/she expects you to return the “favor.” Any time you fail to return the favor that is the end of that traffic! (#1 Commandment of Blogging: Thou shall commit to post comments on my and I’ll do the same on your blog if not if not, count me out!)

Recommended For Further Reading: Hey Blogger, Please Quit!

This is also the case in the make money online niche.

This is why I am always wary of traffic generation tactics that advise you to use keyword phrases that are related to your business to build connections on social media sites like twitter, Google plus etc. Matter of fact is, most of those whom you connect with on the social media sites using those keywords are nothing but other marketers who are looking to create customers for their own businesses.

Just think about it, how many times have you connected with someone on twitter or LinkedIn only to be sent a link promoting some product or service similar to what you are marketing?

I’m sure you get my point here, right?

Now, I’m not advocating that you stop blog commenting or networking with other marketers on social media sites. You definitely can build relationships that will be of benefit to you later on from such connections. But never you regard such as your perfect prospects.

The point here is, 99% of the time, your perfect prospect is not using the same keyword phrase you have in mind! The secret in targeting your perfect prospect is in thinking like your target prospect and using the same lingo they are using!

And that brings us to…

4.    What Are They Using To Look For What You Are Offering?

As mentioned in point #3, your perfect prospect is not looking for you with what you think they are using. Again this is where about 80% of the keyword research guides out there are misleading you.

Indeed, keyword tools like the free Google adwords tool are very good when you are looking for your perfect prospect. But unfortunately, most of the results you get from the Google Adword tool, for example, are what some other marketers are using to do keyword research.

These are not looking to buy but to sell!

Over 80% of marketers doing keyword research use Google every month.  When you use the Google adwords tool for your research, all of these figures are returned. They may look good but in reality, they are not what you want.

This is why the Google adword tool is faulty for keyword research.

To know what your perfect prospect is using when they are searching for your offerings, it is better to use ecommerce sites like eBay, Amazon and Clickbank.com. The good thing is that there are plugins and keyword tools that will help you determine what people are using to find such sites or in searching within such sites.

Recommended: Small Business Blog Marketing Failures And How To Overcome Them!

Conclusion

Whether you are paying for your traffic or using free methods to drive traffic to your business sites or blogs what you should look out for is your “visitor value.” This will help you determine where and what to spend your money and time on.

Indeed, some traffic generation techniques pay over a longer time than others. Go for such techniques rather than the ones that happen only once. This is the simple reason I am a big advocate search engine optimization.

No traffic beats organic traffic any day any time.

This is one aspect internet marketing you must commit to learn as a blogger or content marketing professional. And as a web entrepreneur if, by any means, you lack in-house resources to effectively create SEO optimized web content for your sites and business blogs, you should get the services of an experienced SEO web content writer to help you write some. This way you will be able to position your sites and blogs to drive the right kind of traffic over time.

Ditch the idea that any traffic is good traffic. That is a recipe for failure. Many businesses who took that route have failed woefully. If you have too much of the wrong kind of traffic you will end up as another statistic in the dotcom trash can. But you cannot fail because you have too much qualified traffic!

Over to you: What is your idea of targeted traffic? Can you give an insight into your experiences in driving traffic using similar sites? Share with us in your comments.

Photo credit: Flickr.com

As a result of the influence this man had in my love for writing, I want to dedicate this post to sharing a little about him. I can authoritatively say I fell in love with writing because of the influence of great African writers  Chinua Achebe (Nigerian), Ngugi Wa Thiogo (Kenya), Peter Abrahams (South Africa) and many others.

Back in the early eighties, as a young man in secondary school (high school), I was fascinated by Achebe’s writing style – using proverbs, traditional folk stories and philosophical thought to vividly bring out his narratives – a style that has influenced many other African writers. Till this day his novel, Things Fall Apart, has never ceased to fascinate me.

Who is Chinua Achebe?

Chinua Achebe was born Albert Chinualumogo Achebe on 16 November, 1930 in Eastern Nigeria. He grew up surrounded by the complex fusion of the native traditions of his people, the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria, and the colonialists.

Education and Early Life

In his early school days, Chinua Achebe was a brilliant scholar. It is reported that as a result of his intelligence and performance in school, he was quickly moved to a higher class.

After his secondary school he moved on to the University of Ibadan, Nigeria to study medicine but later studied literature. After which he went on to work for the Nigerian Broadcasting Company in Lagos.

Literary Career

His literary work began with Things Fall Apart (1958), his first novel. Though he has written many other novels, poems and essays, Things Fall Apart has remained the greatest of his works. The novel has been translated into 50 languages, making Achebe the most translated African writer of all time. The novel has also sold over 8 million copies worldwide!

Ironically, this same novel was initially rejected by many publishers because back in 1958, the belief was that fiction from African writers had no market potential. It only took the intervention of an educational adviser,  Donald MacRae, who convinced the executives at Heinemann of the potentials of the novel, for Things Fall Apart to see the light of day!

Achebe’s other literary works include: No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), The Novelist as Teacher

(1965), A Man of the People (1966), Chike and the River (1966), The Trouble With Nigeria (1984), Anthills of the Savannah (1987), and There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra, (11 October 2012 ) his last published work.

Achebe and the Literary Movement in Africa

Chinua Achebe was central to a new literary movement both in Nigeria, his home country, and Africa in general. His literary style which drew on the intersection of African traditions and modernity (as embodied by European colonialism) inspired other Nigerian and African writers.

Achebe was an arrow head of the African Writers Series, a force that brought postcolonial literature from Africa to the rest of the world. He was also instrumental to the publishing of many other African works like, Weep Not, Child by Ng?g? wa Thiong’o

Chinua Achebe the Critic

Chinua Achebe was both a social and literary critic both in his writings and practical life. Many Nigerians would remember him for his refusal recently of a National Honors Award given to him by the Nigerian government as a way of protesting the economic and political situation of the country.

This action is not in any way surprising to many because back in 1976, he had also lashed out at the archetypal Nigerian intellectual, whom he described as,  divorced from the intellect

“but for two things: status and stomach. And if there’s any danger that he might suffer official displeasure or lose his job, he would prefer to turn a blind eye to what is happening around him.”

In the international scene he was also critical of the European intellectual as displayed in his criticism of Conrad’s famous novel, Heart of Darkness, which he described as, dehumanizing Africans, rendering Africa as “a metaphysical battlefield devoid of all recognizable humanity, into which the wandering European enters at his peril.”

Achebe’s criticism, given while delivery a Chancellor’s lecture in 1975 when he was on a professorship at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was later to become a mainstream perspective on Conrad’s work. It was so significant that Critic Nicolas Tredell later divided Conrad criticism “into two epochal phases: before and after Achebe.”

Wisdom Quotes from Chinua Achebe

This tribute will not be complete without an insight into the wisdom and insight of this great African. Here are some of his quotes taken from his literary works and comments on life generally.

“We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own. The Igbo, always practical, put it concretely in their proverb Onye ji onye n’ani ji onwe ya: “He who will hold another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep him down.”

-The Education of a British-Protected Child: Essays

“The impatient idealist says: ‘Give me a place to stand and I shall move the earth.’ But such a place does not exist. We all have to stand on the earth itself and go with her at her pace.”

-No Longer at Ease

“The price a world language must be prepared to pay is submission to many different kinds of use. The African writer should aim to use English in a way that brings out his message best without altering the language to the extent that its value as a medium of international exchange will be lost. He should aim at fashioning out an English which is at once universal and able to carry his peculiar experience.”

-Morning yet on creation day: Essays

“What I can say is that it was clear to many of us that an indigenous African literary renaissance was overdue. A major objective was to challenge stereotypes, myths, and the image of ourselves and our continent, and to recast them through stories- prose, poetry, essays, and books for our children. That was my overall goal.”

-There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra

“Oh, the most important thing about myself is that my life has been full of changes. Therefore, when I observe the world, I don’t expect to see it just like I was seeing the fellow who lives in the next room.”

“The problem with leaderless uprisings taking over is that you don’t always know what you get at the other end. If you are not careful you could replace a bad government with one much worse!”

“When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see.”

“When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool.”

Later life and death

From 2009 until his death, Achebe served as a professor at Brown University in the United States. (Visit this link for a profile of Achebe on the University’s website.) He was indeed a moral and literary model for countless Africans. He was also a great influence on such American writers as Morrison, Ha Jin, and Junot Diaz.

Though many thought he deserved it, Achebe never won the Nobel Prize in literature. However, he won different awards in his time. In 2007 he received the Man Booker International Prize, a US$120,000 honor for lifetime achievement.

His death on 21 March, 2013 may indeed still be a shock to many of us, but the truth is, Achebe has served his generation well and we cannot but say, Adieu Achebe!

Nope! I mean every word in that title and as it says, it’s time for you to quit being a blogger!

Frankly, I’ve been thinking of doing this post for close to seven months now but somehow I have not been able to bring myself to writing it. For one, blogging is fun and I’m very much aware that many bloggers have become addicted to it. To many of us blogging has become part of our lives and therefore a post like this will meet with every resistance.

Nevertheless,  I have hinted on it in different posts and at various times. This include:

• Are You A Blogger or an Entrepreneur Who Blogs?

• Frankly, Are You Building A Business Or A Blog?

All these posts plus a few others were borne out of my own experience and what I have seen around the blogosphere.

There is no doubt, bloggers are the hardest working people on the net. Every day we brainstorm post ideas, do research, write and publish posts, promote our blogs through social media networking sites, comment on other blogs and reply to comments on our blogs, visit forums and interact with other forum users, etc.

The typical day of a blogger is filled with activities that, from all indication, seems to be moving you forward but as my good friend, Theodore wrote some time ago, we mustn’t mistake activities for productivity!

And, this is really the irony because it is not about working harder but working smarter!

Scaring, About 85% Of Bloggers Are Making NOTHING From Their Blogs!

I read a disheartening post on a blog recently.  In the post the blogger revealed that one of the bloggers who I have always admired, is rarely making anything from her blogging efforts. Unfortunately,  this blogger was actually using that as a yardstick to justify he’s not making anything from his own blog. His reasoning, if such a great blogger is not making much from her blog and she is still blogging, he knows that he is not alone!

Pathetic right?

Now, the blog in question, from all indication, appears to be a highly successful blog. On average each post has upwards of 60 – 80 comments. The content is great – highly engaging and expertly written. Over the years this blogger has been able to build a really large and engaged optin list.

Sometime in 2011 when I did a post appreciating all my blog readers during the Christmas celebration, this particular blogger mentioned that post to her list and it was indeed a great boost for me because it did not just help in driving more traffic to that post but it also add a few new contacts to my own list!

But I couldn’t bring myself to accept it that that very blog is not making anything substantial all these years. To check things out for myself I hopped over to read the post where this blogger revealed her earnings and I was flabbergasted!

Why Do Bloggers Work So Hard Without Any Good Returns?

Now, I’ve read many bloggers recently detailing why they blog and I have no grouse with that. It is your life and you have the right to choose what you want to do with it.

But, the truth is if you invest that much of your time into that blog (and they say time is money) you deserve a good return on that investment.

I don’t care if you are blogging for the fun.

I don’t even care how much exhilaration you are getting from connecting with other bloggers and readers!

Ttruth is, if you are spending a good part of your time and life on that blog you deserve something better!

So, let me emphasis it again by saying, it’s time to stop blogging and start building a business!

Here are few things you may want to do right now:

1. Stop comparing yourself with average bloggers -  Start listening to entrepreneur bloggers. When you measure your success with those you are doing better than, you are only harming yourself. Aim higher!

2. Stop building a blog. Start building a business! – Read this post for some ideas: Frankly, Are You Building A Business Or A Blog?

3. Ditch the bloggers mindset - If you must build a business you need an entrepreneur’s mindset. This post will surely blow your mind: Could This Really Be The Reason Why 80% Of Blogpreneurs Fail?

4. Every business has a product. Decide on your product today! – This could be a physical product or a service. Choose what best suits you! – Hey Blogger, What Really Is Your Product?

5. You have developed various skills as a blogger – Turn them into a business! You have more knowledge about online marketing than most people. Don’t waste it. Read this post for some insights: “How to Turn Your Skills And Knowledge Into A Business.”

Conclusion

Was I too blunt in this post? That could possibly be why I have withheld from doing it all this while. So whether you want to throw stones at me or not, I still believe that just blogging because you feel good about it is not enough. Your time, effort and resources could be better invested in other things. So, take this as a wakeup call.

You could start by removing the, I am a blogger tag and replace it with, I am an entrepreneur blogger! As simple as that may be, it will go a long way in readjusting your thoughts and approach to blogging.

To me, blogging is simply a business tool. That is why you rarely read blogging tips on this blog even though those tips are needed. But I always want to stay within the purpose of this blog which is, to educate, inspire and empower our esteem readers and friends with wisdom that will help them attain their highest vision online!

And, I hope this post have been able to inspire you in some way. If not, feel free to throw the stones. You have the floor let’s hear from you!

Over the years, classified ads have proven to be effective ways of promoting products and services whether online or offline. This is what accounts for the increase of classified ads sites like Yahoo! Gumtree, eBay, Craigslist and many others that abound on the internet today.

From my personal experience, using free classified ads is a powerful way to increase your business’s online visibility and income because they are cheap, easy and flexible.

In this post I want to share with you some thoughts on how to use free classified ads to promote your business, website or blog. But first,

What Is Classified Ads?

According to Wikipedia.org,

“Classified advertising is a form of advertising which is particularly common in newspapers, online and other periodicals which may be sold or distributed free of charge. Advertisements in a newspaper are typically short, as they are charged for by the line, and one newspaper column wide.

The advertisements are grouped into categories or classes such as “for sale—telephones”, “wanted—kitchen appliances”, and “services—plumbing”, hence the term “classified“.

Classified advertisements are much cheaper than larger display advertisements used by businesses, and are mostly placed by private individuals with single items they wish to sell or buy.

Internet classified ads do not typically use per-line pricing models, so tend to be longer. They are also searchable, unlike printed material, tend to be local, and may foster a greater sense of urgency as a result of their daily structure and wider scope for audiences. Because of their self-policing nature and low cost structures, some companies offer free classifieds internationally.”

From the above definition, online classified ads are great for promoting products and services on the internet. For one, your ad is searchable by the search engines and you could achieve much for a real low price! With the growing number of classified ads sites out there, you could choose any one that suits your plan. If you are looking for the free ones and those that favor internet marketing promotions, I’ll suggest you check out Adlandpro.

Recommended: Email Marketing: Establish Yourself As An Authority Through Instilling Stronger Credibility!

5 Super Tips on How to Succeed With Classified Ads

1. Choose with Care – If you are going for paid classified ad sites you should be wary of spending money on sites you haven’t heard of.  A simple search on Google will give you enough details about a site before spending your money on it.  This is also important even if you are using a free classified advertising site.

Apart from classified ad sites you can also find niche sites or blogs that will accept adverts directly and advertise directly on such sites. These sites are always looking for adverts and can provide direct access to your target market.

2. Know Your Purpose and Capitalize on It – One thing you must understand is that classified ads are not for making the sale. The focus of a classified ad is to get the target to click through your website. It is only when they have clicked through that you attempt to make the sale.  Your ad must therefore be crafted with this in mind. Whether the sales is signing up to your list or actually buying a product, your website (or landing page) should be focused mainly on a single purpose in order for you to achieve maximum results.

3. Promise A Definite Benefit – Make the first line in your classified ad a quantifiable benefit. For example, “How you can lose 36lbs in 2 Months,” or “How to earn $2,359.58 Every Week Working Just 2 Hours a Week”.

It has to have figures in it so people can see exactly what they are getting. State something unique about the product. Why should they listen to you and not to the many other classified ads they are seeing? What is so special about you and your advert? Demonstrate it to them.

Recommended: 7 Ways To Make Your Direct Mail Campaign A Success

4. Be Economical with Words – It is true that online classified ads are not charged by the lines just as newspaper classified ads but they are not different in many ways. For more effectiveness therefore, it is advisable to use less few words as possible. Be as succinct as you can in your advert as it will make your advert much more powerful than the one that waffles on for pages and pages.

5. Remember to Track Your Traffic – Whether you are paying for your classified ads or you’re using free classified ads sites, you mustn’t forget to track your results in order to know which sites are sending you traffic and giving you results. Of course, if you are paying for your ads then this is doubly important. This is the only way to ensure your advertising budget is getting you the best results.

A simple tracking code in the format: http://www.yourwebsites.com/?=CODE (where CODE is anything you choose) will do the trick. However, whatever you use as your code, make sure you keep a track of them somewhere so that you know which code relates to which classified ads.  Doing this, will help you determine from your webstats which of the classified ads is working for you.  If you can integrate it with something like Google Analytics for more advanced tracking, you will be able to track exactly which adverts are making you the sales.

Tracking your classified promotions helps you to know which adverts are making you the most money. Besides, the data you get from this tracking will be invaluable in improving your profitability. This way you will not need to waste your time on what is not working thereby maximizing your earnings.

Recommended: Split Testing Vs Niche Targeting: 3 Effective Tips From My Skin Care Blog

Conclusion

Free classified advertising is tested and proven for promoting businesses over the years. In these days of the internet using classified ads for your promotional needs can greatly improve your business profits. They are great for saving advertising cost. But always remember that when you are writing your classified ad your focus is getting them to click through to your site, so it is very important that you demonstrate the benefits to your reader. Also test multiple adverts to see which ones converts the best.  Work to improve your classified ads in order to get the highest possible conversion rate. If you have not tried this form of online advertising before now, don’t hesitate, use the information in this post and go try it today. Click here to get started right away!

Over to You: Do you have any experience with classified ads? Share your lessons with us in your comments below.