Making Web Money March 2023

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Welcome to the MARCH 2023 Issue of our monthly “Making Web Money” Online Digital Marketing magazinewhere every month we show you how real people, just like you, are making web money – online. This month we have MORE great articles and personal success insights, interviews, plus some ONLINE opportunities for you.

- Top 5 Social Media Marketing Trends 2023

- MWM Series on Business Help - 10 Marketing Lessons from a World-Famous Con Man

- MWM Interview – Craig Simpson

- Affiliate Marketing Case Study: Building A $1,000 / Month

Residual Income In 7 Days

- New Product SHOPZPRESSO MEGA STORE-

- The Functional Strength Guide

- What the U.S.’s Most Famous Speech Can Teach Us About Content Marketing

- PLR Profits Coaching Club

- What If Dogs Taught Online Marketing?

- MWM Wants You to Know – What if The Gettysburg Address was Written for Internet Marketers?

- MWM Q & A - SEO Case Study / Blueprint For A New Website

-This Month’s Marketing CLINIC - 23 Tips To Grow Your Podcast Audience In 2023

- MWM Success Guide - 11.5StepstoCreatingaKillerLandingPage

- MWM Ask the Expert - 13.5PowerfulEmailMarketingTipsYouNeedto Know I hope you enjoy this month's magazine. Thanks for reading.

– Check out our 132 Great Back Issues of Making Web Money!

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Making Web Money Magazine

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Making Web Money Online Marketing Magazine

Editor Harry Crowder

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Contributors

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The instructions and advice in the magazine are for educational and entertainment purposes only.

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The creators, producers, contributors and distributors or Making Web Money Marketing Magazine disclaim any liability for loss or lack of results from following the advice expressed herein.

YouTube Adds Chat Emotes, New Shorts

Editing Tools and Automated Audio Dubbing in Other Languages

YouTube has announced a range of new tweaks and updates, which are actually fairly significant, in different ways, but particularly if you’re looking to make Shorts a focus heading into the new year.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/YouTube-Adds-Emotes-ShortsThumbnails-Audio-Dubbing/638157/

Are Breadcrumbs A Google Ranking Factor?

Breadcrumbs are helpful for users, but does that mean that adding breadcrumb markup will propel your page to the top of search results?

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ranking-factors/breadcrumbsrankingfactor/

Google Search rolls out new search refinements for top bar filters with related to top bar filters with related

pics viewed at the Search On event, now these new related topics options can show in the top far filter options.

https://searchengineland.com/google-search-rolls-out-newsearchrefinements-for-top-bar-filters-with-related-topics-389996

The Complete Guide to Online Customer Research

Are you looking for a new way to understand your customers?

Do you know where they spend their time online, their average annual income or revenue, and their most significant problems relevant to your solution?

Considering all the data you hold, you probably think you know your customers pretty well. You may also feel that you understand them and deliver what they need. Does that sound like you? Then you might want to think again.

https://neilpatel.com/blog/online-customer-researchguide/

e it easy for brands to engage with female users and build authentic, lasting relationships. But what makes women on TikTok tick? Let’s explore how women perceive themselves, communicate with others, and spend time on TikTok and how brands can use our platform to connect with this influential community.

https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/reachingwomen-bold-active-authentic

So Far, Marketers Won't Buzz to Hive Social as Twitter Alternative

With an ad free platform and a ban on certain commercial content, is the latest Twitter alternative, Hive Social, a marketing buzzkill?

In the herculean effort to advance their brand amid Twitter’s seemingly constant controversy and chaos, some marketers are on the hunt for an alternative and lately several are vying for attention.

Most recently, it's Hive Social.

But can a platform without advertising and strict limits on commercial contact be the answer?

Https://www.cmswire.com/digital-marketing/so-far-marketers-wontbuzz-tohive-social-as-twitter-alternative/

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Each and every month you'll get a new lesson showing you a different way to profit with the PLR products you already have. Each month will be a different lesson (sometimes delivered as a step-by-step PDF and sometimes delivered as video tutorial lessons, and even sometimes a mixture of both) that you can download, view, and then implement to start making money with PLR content.

This 12 month coaching program can help you feel good about every PLR purchase you've made (even those "junky" ones because I will show you how to polish them 'til they shine!). The PLR Profits Coaching Club can justify every penny you've spent. It can make those purchases worth something to you because you can put that content to work making money for you. Click Here to Start

This Magic Eight Ball of Online Marketing 11.5 Steps to Creating a Killer Landing Page

Landing pages are hard to design because of the pressure. You know that every word is working for or against you. You know that visitors will make up their minds in nano seconds of whether or not to stay on your page and read it.

And you know that getting those visitors to take the desired action feels like trying to convince total strangers to hand you their information and even their wallet because, well, that’s what’s actually happening.

For the average marketer, creating a landing page can be scarier than buying your first home. Get it right and you could be earning a fortune. Get it wrong and you’re wasting your time while looking like a completely clueless idiot who should got get a job flipping burgers.

The reason designing landing pages seems so difficult is because you understand the stakes involved. If you were a total newbie who thought any old page would do, then you would simply slap something up and wonder why it never converted a single soul.

But you know how important this is, which is why you need to have a plan in place to create the highest converting landing page possible, whether you’re building a list or selling a product.

In the interest of reducing your stress and improving your results, here is an 11.5 point landing page framework you can use to create an effective landing page every single time.

To get started, simply type in a keyword or phrase into the search bar and see what questions people are asking. You can then use those questions as the basis for your own content.

Above the Fold

The ‘above the fold’ section of your page is that portion a visitor can see without scrolling. This is the area that will create the first impression that determines if your visitors stay on the page to read it, or if they leave.

https://www.quora.com/

3: Mailbrew

Here’s what to include above the fold:

1: Your Irresistible Offer or Big Idea

Mailbrew is a daily email digest delivering content from your favorite creators in a concise, easy-to-read format. It’s the easiest way to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and news in the creative industries without having to search through dozens of websites.

Each email includes links to the best content from your favorite sources and new and trending articles.

This is the headline that tells people why they need to pay attention to your page, rather than clicking away. What are you going to do for them? Why should they care?

https://mailbrew.com/

4: Google Trends

This isn’t the time to talk about you or your product. Rather, let the visitor know what they stand to gain by reading further.

Google Trends is a great way to see what people are searching for on the internet. And as you might expect, the search data can be a great source of content ideas.

Remember that your offer needs to be clear, not clever.

“Awesomeness is better than a duck’s down” is going to confuse people, while…

To get started, simply type in a keyword or phrase, and see what's trending. You can then use those trends as the basis for your own content.

“Get your best night’s sleep every night” is easy to understand.

https://trends.google.com/trends/

2: Prove It

You can write anything in the headline spot, but if you can’t back it up then it won’t do much good.

Your social proof could be testimonials from customers, an expert’s review, the number of customers you have or the number of 5 star reviews you’ve received so far.

Social proof tells people what others are saying about you, rather than what you say about yourself.

3: Demonstrate Credibility

While proof is what others say about you, credibility is what qualifies you to be the expert.

What makes you qualified to deliver on your promise? Experience? Education? The number of people you’ve helped? The years you’ve been doing this? The results you’ve achieved? Find a way to succinctly make it perfectly clear that you are THE person for this task.

4: Call to Action

The is the final item you must squeeze above the fold. Some of your visitors will be ready to immediately take the action you seek, whether that’s to join your list, get your free trial or purchase your low-priced product. For these folks you need a call to action to appear above the fold so they don’t need to scroll to find it.

And for the rest of your visitors who aren’t yet ready to take action, seeing the CTA button helps them to understand what is expected of them and eliminate any confusion early on.

NOTE: If you’re selling a product for more than a few dollars, I don’t recommend having a call to action at the top of the page. People will click it because they are curious but they’re not yet ready to buy. They get to the order form and because they’re not ready, they click away. Not good. What’s the cutoff point? In my opinion it’s anything less than $10 where the price is the major selling point, such as, “Today Only - The #1 WordPress template for just $10!”

Above or Below the Fold

Most of the rest of this list will be found below the fold simply because there is not enough room above the fold to accommodate all of these items.

5: Transformation

People want to be transformed and your product is going to help them get there.

Show the results of using your product or service. For example, if you offer retirement counseling then you’re going to show people in their 50’s having the time of their lives without a financial care in the world.

You are not going to show them pouring over their finances or consulting with accountants, because this is the vehicle that gets them to where they want to go and not the actual result they are seeking.

If they want to lose weight, you’re going to show before and after shots of people transformed by your program. Don’t show plates of broccoli or people exercising because again this is the vehicle to get them to the destination and you want to show the result, not the journey.

6: Benefits

You knew these had to come in somewhere, right? Benefits go hand in hand with transformation and they’re often written as curiosity-building bullet points.

For example…

• Inside you’ll discover the effortless and stress-free method to gaining 100’s of new customers every single week.

• This course will reveal how to get more done in one hour than you’re currently finishing in 3 days.

• First time revealed; the 5 secrets to getting any woman – no matter how hot – to want to date you within 60 seconds of meeting you.

7: Features

First you give them the benefits, then you tell them about the features. If this sounds backwards, realize that no one is interested in features until they know what’s in it for them.

Features make the benefits seem possible. If you’re going to tell your prospect that they’ll leave the other cars in the dust as they catapult from 0- to 60 in one second, then you better also tell them about the engine that makes it all possible.

8: Overcome Objections

People will have doubts and objections about whatever you are selling them.

If you want them on your mailing list, they’re going to wonder if you will sell their information to others or if it will be impossible to unsubscribe. Explain that you never, ever share your list and that unsubscribing takes one click.

If you want them to buy your product, they’re going to wonder if there is a better alternative or something cheaper. Here’s where you nip those objections in the bud.

More Social Proof

Social proof at the beginning and then again at the end can cement the sale. The bottom of your page can be a great place to put testimonials - as in, ALL your best testimonials. Including a ton of social proof will tip people off the fence and into subscribing or purchasing.

Essentially you want undeniable proof that comes from a ton of different people.

10:

Guarantee

Just before or after your second call to action, you want to have a guarantee that removes most or all of the risk for your customer.

If you are simply asking them to join your mailing list, then a simple guarantee of, “Join Our 22,000 subscribers and we guarantee you will discover more about our topic than you could almost anywhere else, and you’ll do it for free!”

If you are asking them to sign up for a free trial, guarantee they will love it or they pay nothing.

And if you are asking them to make a purchase, guarantee they will love it or they will get a full, fast and easy refund, no questions asked.

11:

Second Call to Action

A great call to action will nudge people into doing what you want, whether it’s signing up or purchasing.

Use your call to action to restate the major promise, such as: “Yes, I want to Quadruple My Traffic in 30 Days!”

Or, “Yes, I Want to Date Super-Hot Women!”

Or, “Yes, I want to lose 20 pounds in 20 days!”

Don’t use your call-to-action button color anywhere on the page other than on the CTA button.

And tell people what happens after they take action. For example, if they are joining your list, you might write, “After you sign up, check your inbox for the free book.”

If you restate your major points in the FAQ, then this can be a way to convey the vital information to scrollers as well as reiterate it to the people who read most or all of the page.

Don’t make your FAQ too long – 3 to 5 questions is good. If you want to save space and make it look neat, make each question clickable so the answer appears underneath the question when it is clicked. This also helps to get the reader clicking, smoothing the way to getting them to click the call-to-action button.

If you do use an FAQ, you might want to add a third CTA button underneath the FAQ.

11.5: FAQ’s

This one is optional and is going to depend on your offer and how you’ve presented it. Ideally, all questions should have already been answered before the reader gets to the bottom of the page.

But some people are scrollers and will scroll to the bottom to see how long the page is and to read the major points.

Powerful Email Marketing Tips You Need To Know

The highest return for the least amount of time and money in online marketing comes when you send an email to your list.

You take 30 minutes to write an email, another 10 minutes to format it and insert your affiliate link. You upload it to your email system, test to make sure it looks good, and then send it out to your list.

20 or 30 minutes later, you get a sale.

An hour later you have 5 sales.

Two hours and you’ve got 20 sales.

Twelve hours and you’ve got 60 sales.

Your numbers will vary but this is exactly how email marketing works. It’s like spending an hour of work to watch money fall into your account the rest of the day.

In fact it’s just about the closest thing I’ve ever seen to magic, and I love it.

Here then are 12 powerful email marketing tips that everyone should know:

1: Build a q-u-a-l-i-t-y email list.

Your email marketing campaigns will only be as effective as the quality of your email list. Focus on building a high-quality, targeted list of subscribers.

What do I mean by high-quality? Ideally your list will be composed of buyers or people who will become buyers. Offering an irresistible offer at a super low price is one way to build a list of buyers. Another is to offer a free product or membership to people who purchase a related product.

As to the term ‘targeted,’ consider these two examples…

If you’re in weight loss, you might segment your lists based on age or gender. And if you’re in travel, you might segment your lists based on locations.

3: Use a clear and attention-grabbing subject line.

As you know, your subject line is the first thing your subscribers will see and it will be the determining factor on whether or not they open and read your email. Make your subject clear and attention-grabbing and give a preview of the content inside.

4: Personalize your email content.

Personalization can sometimes significantly increase the effectiveness of your campaigns.

People respond to seeing their own names, their locations, interests and anything else you can use to make your emails more relevant to them.

5: Keep your email content short and to the point. People are busy. If they know your emails are short and to the point, they are more likely to open them. For longer content, make a blogpost and then use the email to send them to the post rather than placing the entire blogpost within the email. This will also increase traffic to your site.

By the way, this is not a hard and fast rule. If you write truly captivating emails, then you can always test longer emails on your list and see if they are more effective than shorter ones.

6: Be entertaining and informative.

I have to think it’s because they are missing some of the basics to affiliate marketing, as well as never discovering the ‘secrets’ to taking their income to the next level.

Subscribers are much more likely to open and read your emails if you make the content entertaining or informative.

• You hold a social media contest with the prize being a laptop or an iPhone.

This is what I’m proposing you try to greatly increase your affiliate income:

• You hold a social media contest with the prize being something directly related to your specific niche, such as a book or course.

In the first case you’re going to get a lot of sign-ups but the vast majority will have no interest in your niche and your products – they just want the prize.

Doing the work up front to get it right, so that sales come in like clockwork, rather than ‘winging’ it and hoping you get a few sales.

Use stories and humor whenever you can to pique interest. Give them the latest news and let them know how it affects them. Or tell them how to get a result they are seeking.

7: Use a clear and compelling call-to-action. Tell them in your email exactly what you want them to do.

If you lay a good foundation, then you lose the struggle of trying one thing and another to make it work. You won’t need gimmicks or shady sales tactics.

But in the second case, you’ll get fewer signups but of a much higher caliber. These are the people looking specifically for the solutions you offer.

“To keep reading, click here.”

“To see this shocking photo, click here.”

“To find out how to triple your traffic in 72hours, click here.”

Sales will come almost effortlessly because you’ve laid the groundwork to a thriving affiliate business.

2: Segment your email list.

You can segment your email lists based on factors like age, locations and interests, making it much easier to write emails that appeal specifically to each list segment.

These tips aren’t super exciting because there is no magic formula such as, “Go to this secret website and post this 10word magic message to make massive commissions.”

For example, if you’re in the internet marketing niche, you might have lists of people interested in social media, in video, in traffic generation, in content creation and so forth, allowing you to personalize your messaging and increase the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Yes, I really did see those exact words in a sales letter once. No, I didn’t buy the product, so I have no idea what the supposed “secret site” or “magic message” was. Although now that I think about it, maybe I should have, just for a laugh.

8: Make your emails mobile-friendly.

With more people using their smartphones to check email, it's important to ensure that your emails are mobile-friendly and easy to read on smaller screens. Always send a test email before you send it to your entire list to see how it appears on your own phone and in your email browser.

9: Test and optimize your campaigns.

Test different subject lines, content, and calls-toaction to find out what works best for your audience. If you have a large list, you might send two different test emails to two small segments of your list to see which one works best, and then send the winner out to the entire list.

Also keep careful records of what works and what doesn’t so that you can adjust your future emails accordingly.

10: Optional: Include social sharing buttons.

When appropriate, you might encourage your subscribers to share your content on social media by including social sharing buttons in your emails.

But don’t do this if it will distract them from, say, going to your sales letter. I prefer to have one day a week when I send out a breezy newsy email that specifically asks them to share on social media.

11: Use images and visuals when appropriate. Including images and other visuals can make your emails more engaging and help to break up long blocks of text.

Then again, if I have a long text I prefer to get them on the website to read most of it. Also, some super successful emailers never use visuals in their emails, so it just depends. When in doubt, test.

12: Track and analyze your results.

Use analytics to track the success of your campaigns and adjust your strategy accordingly.

13: Provide value to your subscribers.

Ultimately, the success of your email marketing campaigns will depend on how much value you provide to your subscribers. Focus on providing useful and relevant content that meets their needs and interests. There are two schools of thought when it comes to providing value: One says that you should give away a lot of valuable information because readers will think, “If she gives this away for free, then her paid stuff must be absolute dynamite.”

The other school of thought is to provide value through entertainment – stories and humor – and save the valuable information for paying customers. Both are correct, and which one you choose will depend on your niche and your own personal style.

13.5: Have fun in your emails.

If you enjoy writing them, then your readers will enjoy reading them. Write as though you are talking to a friend, and you’ll do just fine.

You can’t expect others to get excited about something and pay money for that thing if they are not interested in it, but you can work and make substantial money in a niche that does not excite you. Just focus on how you are helping others and let that be your passion and motivation, and the money will come.

Step 2: Build a solid brand. It's important to consider what your brand will be and to have a professional and consistent brand image across all your online platforms. This helps build trust with your audience and makes it easier for them to recognize you.

Branding is really important, so here are a few more branding tips:

First, define what your brand is all about. What are your values, your mission, and your unique selling proposition? Who is your target audience and how will you relate to them? What makes your brand different from your competitors? When you’ve clearly defined your brand then you can create a consistent message and visual identity.

Next, develop a strategy for building your brand that includes creating your visual identity, developing a content strategy and deciding which channels to use to reach your audience. (Hint: Find out where your audience hangs out.)

Create a consistent brand message. Your goal is to make your messaging and visual elements consistent across all of your channels, including your website, social media, and any other marketing materials.

Notice how big brands do this, and then do it on a much smaller scale for yourself. And you don’t necessarily need to brand a business name. In many cases your own name will also be your brand.

Monitor and adjust your strategy. Building a brand is an ongoing process, and you need to be willing to monitor your progress and adjust your strategy as needed. Pay attention to what is working and what isn't, and be willing to make changes to your strategy based on your results.

Overall, building a brand takes time and effort, but with the right strategy and a commitment to consistency and engagement, you can create a brand that resonates with your audience and helps you achieve your business goals.

The 10 StepAffiliate Marketing Planto Builda 6-Figure Income

Note: It takes time and work to build a great reputation. Never do anything to sully your brand or associate it with something negative, such as promoting a lousy product.

Step 3: Offer v-a-l-u-a-b-l-e content. People come to your website or social media to learn something new or to be entertained. That’s why by creating valuable content that adds value to their lives, you’ll be attracting them and warming them up to whatever offers you might be making.

I know some new affiliates will ask why they need content of their own. Can’t they just post an affiliate link? Of course you can, but if your visitor doesn’t trust you, why would they trust your recommendation?

Your goal is get your audience to know, like and trust you. And when they do, you can sell them something not just once, but over and over again.

And the way to begin building this relationship is with great content.

Step 4: Be honest and transparent. Always disclose your relationship with the brand you're promoting. Your audience will appreciate your honesty and transparency, plus it’s the law. “Links on this site / in this article may be affiliate links and help to support this site.” You don’t need to plaster this everywhere, but it must be somewhere near the top where people can see it.

Don’t worry, most people aren’t bothered by it and frankly by the time they’re clicking on a link it’s already flown out of their head because they’re thinking about what’s truly important to them –themselves. I hope that didn’t sound derogatory because the fact is everyone’s favorite subject is themselves, including me.

That’s why a sales message that focuses on the buyer will do 10 times better than one that doesn’t.

Step 5: Optimize your campaigns. There are many tools available that can help you track your links and optimize your affiliate marketing campaigns. Some popular options include Google Analytics, ClickMeter, and Bitly.

Step 6: Build an email list. Building an email list is a great way to continuously connect with your audience and keep them engaged with your content as well as seeing your offers.

Use a combination of interesting, entertaining and helpful content as well as affiliate offers to keep them interested.

Step 7: Choose the right products. Make sure you're promoting products that are high quality, relevant to your niche and convert well. If possible, promote products that offer a monthly residual income instead of a one-time commission.

And don’t be afraid to promote high priced products, too. A 50% commission on a $1000 product means you only need one or more sales to make it worth your time.

Step 8: Remember your SEO. Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for driving organic traffic to your website. Make sure you're using the right keywords and optimizing your content for search engines.

Check online for tutorials on how to do this for long tail keywords that are easy to rank for.

Step 9: Engage with your audience. Building a relationship with your audience is key to your success as an affiliate marketer. Make sure you're engaging with your audience on social media and responding to their comments and questions.

Keep a close eye on what’s currently important to them as well as the latest news in your niche and respond accordingly, creating content that is designed to start a conversation, and asking for feedback from your audience.

Step 10: Build relationships with product creators. Sometimes you can get special deals for your customers, or even a higher commission rate if you have a friendly relationship with product creators in your niche.

It’s also possible you can get your posts published on their blogs, thereby increasing your own audience and driving traffic to your landing page.

Test and track everything: Keep track of your campaigns and test different strategies to see what works best. This will help you optimize your campaigns for better results.

Even a small improvement in conversions can result in a large difference in income over time.

And should you ever create your own products, these product creators may become your first affiliates, too.

Building a truly successful, profitable affiliate business really isn’t all that different than building your own information business, and it’s a great way to get started making money online.

10 Marketing Lessons from a World-Famous Con Man

Have you seen the 2002 movie, Catch Me If You Can? It starred Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the cons of real life Frank Abagnale.

Frank impersonated an airline copilot, was a phony college professor, passed as a pediatrician in a Georgia hospital, faked it as a lawyer on an attorney general’s staff and cashed 17,000 bad checks for a total of $2.5 million in the 1960’s and 70’s.

And he did all this starting at the ripe old age of 16.

Frank was eventually caught, served time in three different countries and then started his own consulting firm in which he helped businesses safeguard against con men just like him.

I recently watched an interview Frank did with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show back in 1978 after he got out of prison and started his business.

And while I would never advocate that you do anything illegal, I do have to admire someone who was so good at his ‘job’ as to fool hundreds of professional people into believing him.

What lessons can we extrapolate from Frank?

1: Experience builds confidence

Frank ran away from home at the age of 16 and got a job, but he wasn’t making enough money to support himself. That’s when he began writing bad checks. Soon enough he realized that the more he did it, the more confidence he built.

If you’ve been putting something off because you’ve never done it before, the best advice might be to simply do it now, before your head hits the pillow tonight.

2: Confidence leads to more experience

Confidence from cashing bad checks led to forging checks and ID’s, which lead to having the confidence to impersonate a pilot in order to fly for free.

Once you’ve done that small thing and survived, it’s easier to take on the big thing and be successful at that, too.

3: Opportunities are everywhere

Frank wanted to leave New York because the police were looking for him. While walking up 42nd street, he saw an airline crew coming out of a hotel and thought that would be the perfect front to travel around the country for free and stay at hotels for free, posing as a dead-heading airline pilot.

If you have a problem, keeping your eyes open for a possible solution – no matter how unusual it might be – and then jumping on that solution is the surest way to success.

4:

Ask for help

Frank needed a pilot’s uniform, so he called Pan-am, said he was a west coast pilot in New York and his uniform had been stolen, and they helped him to get a new one. In online marketing it’s not only okay to get help, it’s actually a much better method than trying to go it alone.

5: Don’t pay if you can get paid instead

Frank would stay in hotels for free with the charge going to the airline. Then in the morning before he left, he would get a personal check cashed at the front desk because the hotels had agreements with the airlines to honor employees’ personal checks. This got me thinking… how can I get the services I use for free, and even get paid to use those services? One great answer is to become an influencer and promote the service to others. Another method is to offer the service to others myself, outsourcing it and keeping the difference as profit.

6: Crime

pays but there’s a big price

While Frank made $2.5 million in the 60’s and early 70’s, he paid a heavy price by continuously having to be on the run all the time for 5 years. He says he was lonely and despairing, and I have to think it was almost a relief when he was finally caught. I like to sleep at night, I don’t want to be on the run and I like to have friends, so I keep everything 100% above board and legal in my businesses.

7: Delegate your work

When Frank passed himself off as a doctor, he was supervising 7 interns on the midnight to 8am shift. Frank knew absolutely nothing about medicine, but he knew how to delegate. When a patient came in he’d ask the first intern, “What do you think?” The first intern would give a diagnosis and what he thought was the right treatment. Frank would then ask the other interns if they concurred. If they did, he would tell them to go ahead and do it. Ironically, Frank became one of the most respected residents because he was the only one that ever allowed the interns to do anything. Not sure how to do something? Want to have someone more knowledgeable than you do it for you? Then start delegating. Hire outsourcers, a virtual assistant or whatever you need to get the job done properly.

8: You don’t need certificates or permission to achieve success

Frank created phony credentials that allowed him to take the bar exam in Louisiana. He studied for 3 or 4 months, legally passing the bar on his third attempt. He got a job as corporate lawyer on the attorney general’s staff and worked there for a year, winning a number of cases. That’s a pretty remarkable achievement for someone who didn’t even finish high school. I’m not sure if the lesson here is that anyone can become a lawyer, or that (as Johnny said) he could have ended up prosecuting himself. Maybe it’s that you don’t need fancy credentials and years of overpriced schooling to realize your dreams. You don’t need someone else’s permission to be successful, either. What you do need is focus, tenacity and the belief that you can do it.

9: Build on what you already have

Frank now has his own firm, doing consulting work for large corporate banks and departments stores, teaching them how to not get ripped off. Whatever your specialized skill, there’s a good chance you can monetize it. What are you good at? What do you know more about than 99% of people? And who is willing to pay you for that information? If you can answer those questions, you have a viable business idea.

10: Spell it out for your customers

One day in Frank’s consulting business he wanted to test a client’s store personnel. Buying a small item, he wrote a check with his name on it for $10 and gave the clerk the store manager’s driver's license as I.D. The clerk accepted the I.D. with no problem whatsoever, even though the store manager looked nothing like Frank and the names didn’t match. You might think your customers understand things or see important details, but unless you spell it out for them, there’s a good chance they will completely miss it. Don’t assume your customers know why your product will give them the results they seek. Lay it all out for them, step by step, to ensure they miss nothing.

One last thing: Frank was gifted at acting like the person he wanted to become. What if you act like you are already super successful and have a thriving business? As they say, be like the person you want to become and you will become that person.

Some people will love this idea and others won’t.

If you have noticed that you get more done in less time when you’re in competition with a coworker, another affiliate or a joint venture partner, then you’ll love this.

As information marketers we have a duty not only to make products that help people and to get those products into their hands, but also to encourage them to USE the products and reap the benefits

Something like 80% to 95% of information products are never consumed, and an even higher percentage are consumed but the information is never put to use.

If you’re wondering why it’s our responsibility to help our customers use the product once they make a purchase, it’s because…

…you’ll reduce your refunds if your customers are happy …you’ll get more repeat business if your customers are happy with their first purchase

…you’ll get favorable coverage in social media if customers can say you deliver on your promises …you’ll feel good knowing you’re making a real difference in people’s lives.

The other day I was playing solitaire. Yes, I was wasting time, but I play solitaire when I have a problem to mull over. It’s kind of like thinking in the shower for me.

When I won a hand, I noticed there was a ‘statistics’ section that shows the top players. But if you haven’t joined the site, your own stats won’t show up in the top 50, even if you’ve qualified.

I signed up and checked my stats and guess what? I’m in the top 50 (In the world!!) for my favorite solitaire game.

“So what?” you might ask, and here’s the rub: I had a sudden urge to pass the person just ahead of me in the rankings. They were only a few wins ahead of me, so how long could it take?

I played a game here and there over the course of the next few days and blew past them in the rankings. Now I want to overtake the next person, too, because why not?

Here’s my idea… if you are selling a course on how to do something, why not show everyone’s progress as they get through the course and complete the tasks in each module? If you have a private forum such as a private Facebook Page, then people who have a question on, say, step #6 can see who has already accomplished it and ask them for help.

Using Solitaire to Motivate Customers

What If Dogs Taught Online Marketing?

This one is for all the dog lovers out there who are building online businesses. I’ve often wondered what my dog might think of what I do all day on my computer, and what advice she might have for me on how to market my products online.

After much thought, here’s what she might say…

1: Be authentic and show your personality. As dogs we each have unique personalities and quirks that endear us to our owners, like the way I tip my head when you call my name or how I snatch food off your plate when you’re not looking.

Similarly, as a marketer, it's important to be genuine and show your brand's unique character to your audience. This could mean using humor, sharing personal stories, or showcasing the dogs… ruff… I mean humans behind the brand.

2: Use engaging visuals: We dogs are visually-oriented creatures, and we respond well to bright colors, interesting shapes and movement.

To capture the attention of online shopping humans, use high-quality visuals that show off your product in a compelling way. Consider using videos, GIFs, and images that highlight your product's features and benefits.

And add in a few dog photos, too. People like us and maybe they’ll buy more stuff if they think it’s doggy endorsed.

3: Use social media to build relationships: Dogs are social animals and we thrive on interaction and connection.

As a marketer, you can use social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to build relationships with your customers. Respond to comments, share user-generated content, and create a community around your brand. Put your dogs in your product photos, too, to get more shares and likes.

4: Be persistent and consistent: Dogs are known for their persistence and dedication to their goals, especially when it comes to food, treats, belly scratches and ball throws.

Similarly, as a marketer, you should be persistent in your efforts to promote your brand and consistent in your messaging and branding. This means maintaining a consistent visual identity, tone of voice, and content strategy across all your marketing channels.

Also remember to be consistent in walking your dog, too, since the exercise will fire up your brain with lots of ideas of what to post on social media. And we like walkies. We like them a lot. A LOT.

5: Offer incentives and rewards: Dogs respond well to incentives and rewards (TREATS!) and so do humans. Offer discounts, promotions, and loyalty programs to encourage customers to engage with your brand and make repeat purchases. For example, give away free doggie treats stuffed bunnies with every purchase and we’ll be your customers for life.

Overall, if we dogs were to teach how to market dog bones…ruff… I mean products online, we would tell you it’s important to build friendly relationships with human customers and tell the humans they’re good boys and good girls for using your products.

“Google

e-Commerce is growing like never before!

You would be amazed to know a proven and tested system to easily and quickly create a profitable online store and boost your profits in a hassle free manner.

Dear Online or Offline Business Owner,

I am about to disclose an important piece of information that will enable you to boost your business and leave your competitors far behind.

But first, let me ask you two simple questions:

- Are you still trying to sell your products and services physically?

- Have you spent a lot of money and time, but never achieved your objective?

Be honest!!! Are you actually achieving your desired goals? … are you saying NO? (it’s o.k.)

Look at astonishing stats:

- U.S. Online sales will be $523 Billion by 2020

E-Retail spending to go up by 62% this year

-

- 51% of U.S. consumers plan to do most of their online shopping at Amazon.com

- eCommerce salaries in the UK have increased by over 14,000 euros in 2015, and by the end of 2016, grew by more than 3,000 euros.

- The average amount spent by each consumer is expected to rise from $1,207 per annum to $1,738 per person.

With over 85% of searches for products and services happening online, the growing relevance of eCommerce can’t be taken for granted

Did you know

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How to create a potential hot-selling eBook

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"Discover How To Start, Build

Editor:

MWM Interview ACraig Simpson Interview

Today, we're chatting with a true expert in direct marketing. He's been trained alongside some of the biggest names in marketing. People like Bill Glazer and Dan Kennedy. And now, he stands shoulder to shoulder with those guys.

In the last few years, Craig Simpson has sent over 300 million pieces of direct mail, and he's been able to analyse what works and what doesn't work. And that's why I'm really excited about chatting to Craig today. We'll also find out about how direct marketing stacks up against email marketing, or advertising online, with sites such as YouTube and Google.

Craig, it's lovely to meet you.

Craig Simpson:

Thank you. I'm glad to be with you and chat with you today.

Editor:

Well, let me start by asking a little bit more about you and your background, and how you got started.

Craig Simpson:

Yeah. So, I got started in direct mail marketing in a really unique way. The first thing I actually sold through the mail was fake rock climbing holds. I had built this climbing wall in my backyard and I wanted to bolt on these holds, but I didn't have any money for them. And so, I ended up making these fake rock climbing holds on my own. And everyone loved them. They said, "You should start selling them."

So, I did my first mail campaign, which was a complete flop. Nobody responded.

Editor: Right.

Craig Simpson:

But I kept trying and testing. And I eventually sold over 4,000 rocks, fake rocks, through the mail, for the rock climbing industry. And that got my start into direct mail marketing.

Editor:

Wow. So, did you have a full-time job at the time

Craig Simpson:

Well, I was just out of high school. I was only 19 years old. I think I was working at a gas station, or something, on the side.

Editor:

Wow.

Editor: Right.

Greg Cesar:

Craig Simpson:

And I was an entrepreneur. I got started real early ended out, and it turned into a full business. And it led me into direct mail marketing for a big publishing industry and everything else. But that was my start, selling fake rocks through the mail.

Editor:

That's amazing. What a way to get started. And did you get great feedback about your fake rocks?

Craig Simpson:

That's how easy it was back then. Yeah. And so I started consulting businesses and I started getting good at it, and I wanted to go out and get more clients. So I decided, let me learn how to sell products and content and things like that on the internet. And I got really good at that. I mean I've sold my own personal products since then, and probably 170,000 customers that I have personally sold to over the years. So I learned that what I thought was an impossible thing was actually the most easiest thing once I learned how to do it. So that got me speaking all over the globe and training people and it's been an amazing journey.

Editor:

Well, my first mailing was complete bomb. I got zero calls, zero orders. But I learned some things, and I tweaked and I changed. And eventually, obviously, became a success because I sold thousands of them.

Well, a lot of people either listening or reading this will know you through the book, Selling Info Products Through Amazon FBA. That's something that you are really well known for. Maybe we can just touch on that for a second, how that came about and what's the background to that?

Greg Cesar:

But there was a lot that I learned in every campaign, and I didn't know anything. I just knew back then that, I had heard direct mail worked, and so I just had to start tweaking and testing things until I found something that worked well.

Editor:

Got you. And for anyone who's unfamiliar with the term direct marketing, could you just maybe explain what it is and how it works?

Yeah. So before I started selling content on Amazon, I was selling info products off of my websites using Google traffic and did very well, drove millions and millions of visitors. And around 2014, everyone had been talking about FBA, FBA, FBA. And for those who don't know, FBA is Fulfilled By Amazon is you take a product, you ship it to Amazon, and they sell it, blenders, widgets, cars, toys, whatever it is.

Craig Simpson: Sure. So, direct marketing is basically sending out an advertising message to somebody and then asking them to respond. And when they respond, that's kind of that engagement.

And so I had looked at the model and what I saw was a huge flaw in the model in that everyone was, if I want to sell blenders, I have to order a thousand blenders from somewhere, I've got to get my name put on the blenders, and if I'm paying $20 for the blenders, just the cost to get the blenders before anything else is 20 grand. And I don't know if that's going to work or not going to work. So I kind of hesitated a bit. And what motivated me to actually give it a try, and it's a true story I tell in my webinars, is I went to a barbecue and a friend of mine showed up with his daughter and he told me, "You won't believe this

There's a lot of marketing, say, like a billboard, where it's just promoting something. And you look at the billboard, you remember the name on the billboard, but it's not asking you to take the next step.

Direct marketing, we're asking the prospects to do something, to call, to go online, to make some kind of commitment by responding. And that's what we consider direct marketing.

Editor:

Got you. Because I think people may be familiar with the term CTA, so Call to Action, I guess this is that, but on steroids, right?

Craig Simpson:

Yes, yes, exactly.

Editor:

And is it true that direct marketing is one of the best ways to get traffic to a website?

Craig Simpson:

It is. So, what I specialise in is direct mail, direct marketing, and that's sending things through the physical mailbox. And what I love about it, it's the one media where the prospect has a physical thing in their hand that they're forced to do something with.

So, we show up in their mailbox and they take it to their counter or their coffee table or their desk, and they have to decide whether to keep it, read it, toss it, whatever they want to do. But it forces them to make a decision. Whereas with email or TV or radio, you can push a button and those ads disappear. They're gone instantly. It's easy to get rid of them. With the mail, they physically have to do something with it, and that's what I love about it.

So, when it comes to, hey, even though it's this physical piece, we can drive people to an online website to register for something, to go get more information. And it's a great tool for driving people online.

Editor:

Absolutely. I think a lot of people shy away from direct mail because of course it does have a cost associated with it, whereas a lot of people think that emailing is free. Maybe they're mistaken in that belief, but what are your thoughts on that, Craig?

Craig Simpson:

Yeah. There is a cost to direct mail marketing. It's not something where you can just quickly test something and hope it works, because there's all this cost involved. I mean, there's postage and there's printing, and there's lists, and there's all these things that go into it.

So, you really have to strategize and come up with your best message, and solution, and offer you can, it's not something you just want to do halfway. You've got to be all in with it. You've really got to make sure your I's are dotted and your T's are crossed.

Q & A SEO Case Study / Blueprint For A New Website

When Margie started a brand new website with no existing SEO strategy in place, she kept notes of what she did to build the content and use SEO to drive traffic.

I asked her to share the highlights of her notes, offering us key insights into how a brand-new website can be built with SEO in mind for someone who has never done SEO before.

Margie’s target audience is people interested in natural and organic soaps. The website will offer a wide range of handmade soaps made from natural ingredients, with a focus on promoting the benefits of natural skincare.

The goals of her SEO strategy…

• Increase organic traffic to the website

• Improve search engine rankings for targeted keywords

• Increase the visibility of the website in search results

• Drive more sales through the website

Her SEO Strategy…

1: Conduct keyword research: Identify the keywords and phrases that people are searching for when looking for natural and organic soaps. The research focuses on long-tail keywords and phrases, such as "best natural soap for sensitive skin" or "handmade organic soap for dry skin."

2: On-page optimization: Optimize for the targeted keywords and phrases. This includes optimizing the title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags on all pages to include the targeted keywords. Additionally, the website content is optimized for the keywords, with a focus on providing valuable information that is relevant to the target audience.

3: Content creation: Regularly publish blog posts and articles that are relevant to the target audience. The content is optimized for the targeted keywords and phrases and provides value to the readers. Examples of content topics include the benefits of natural skincare, the dangers of synthetic ingredients, and the differences between different types of natural soaps.

4: Link building: Focus on building high-quality backlinks from other relevant websites. This is achieved through guest posting, influencer outreach, and other link building strategies.

Margie’s Results

After implementing the above SEO strategy, her website saw the following results within 60 days:

Organic traffic: The website began receiving a trickle of organic traffic by the second week. At the 60-day mark she is receiving several hundred visitors per day as a result of the on-page optimization and content creation efforts.

Search engine rankings: The website is ranking top of the fold for 2 long tail keywords with one long tail keyword in the #1 position, and bottom of the fold for 3 other long tail keywords. She expects this to improve dramatically over the next 3 to 4 months..

Increased visibility: As the website becomes more visible in search engine results, it will help to increase brand awareness and drive more traffic to the site. She is also starting to use social media to create brand awareness by running contests and offering tips and coupons.

More sales: With increased traffic and improved search engine rankings, the website is making its first sales. She is working on optimizing her sales pages to increase these conversions, as well as optimizing landing pages to increase subscribers.

Overall, by implementing a comprehensive SEO strategy, Margie’s new website selling handmade soap is successfully increasing its visibility and driving more sales through search engines.

And that’s for something as ordinary as soap. Just think what you can do with exciting benefit-laden information products if you begin optimizing for SEO.

Top 5 Social Media Marketing Trends 2023

Here’s what we can expect to see…

Rise of short-form video – Sometimes shorter is better as short-form videos have become increasingly popular on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

Marketers are creating engaging and entertaining video content to reach younger audiences. If you haven’t tried creating a super short video yet, you might give a shot and see what happens.

Increased use of AI in social media marketing - With the advancements in artificial intelligence, brands are using AI to better understand their target audiences and to create personalized content.

AI-powered chatbots are also becoming more common to handle customer inquiries and support, thereby reducing the human workload of answering never ending inquiries from customers on a variety of mindnumbing topics. (I’m not saying I speak from experience, that’s just what I’ve heard )

The continued growth of influencer marketing - Influencer marketing is a popular strategy for brands to reach their target audience by partnering with influencers who have large social media followings.

The trend has been amplified with the rise of micro-influencers, who have smaller but more engaged followings. If you’re not an influencer yourself, you might engage one to help promote your product. If you are an influencer, let me know and we’ll talk.

Focus on social media commerce - Social media platforms are increasingly becoming more e-commerce friendly, with features such as inapp shopping, product tagging, and social commerce ads.

Brands are leveraging these features to drive sales and generate revenue directly from social media, and it’s about time, too.

Increased privacy concerns - Social media platforms are under increased scrutiny for their handling of user data and privacy concerns. As a marketer you need to please be aware of these issues and ensure you comply with relevant regulations and best practices.

ATTENTION OFFLINE MARKETERS

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MWM wants You to Know

What if The Gettysburg Address was Written for Internet Marketers?

In 1863 during the civil war, Abraham Lincoln made a super famous speech that even now is still taught to every child in the U.S.

But what if that speech was written today, for Internet Marketers? This is how it might go…

Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

In the digital age, we face a new frontier. A world of unprecedented connectivity, where information flows freely and ideas can spread like wildfire. It is up to us, as online marketers, to harness this power and use it for the greater good.

We are engaged in a great battle – a battle for attention and engagement in an ever-crowded digital landscape. We must dedicate ourselves to creating content that inspires and resonates with our audience, to building relationships with our customers based on trust and mutual respect.

It is fitting and proper that we should do this. For just as our forefathers fought and died to preserve this great nation, we too must fight to preserve the integrity of our brands and the trust of our customers.

We must be diligent in our efforts, for the eyes of the world are upon us. Let us resolve to rise to the challenge and lead the way in this new era of marketing.

We cannot afford to fail. The success of our businesses, our economy, and our society depend on it. Let us rededicate ourselves to this cause and ensure that our online marketing efforts shall not perish from the web.

How to Build a $5 Billion Business Around a Single Pain Point

Fivetran has scaled, in part, by narrowing its original focus. Listening to early customer conversations helped the co-foudners crystallize what was once a much larger vision, whereas Fivetran is built around a single pain point.

https://www.inc.com/alexa-von-tobel/george-fraser-fivetran-foundersproject.html

TwitterBafflementsonMashable

This Month’s Marketing CLINIC

23 Tips To Grow Your Podcast Audience In 2023

Growing a podcast audience in 2023 will require a combination of tried-and-true strategies and adapting to new trends and platforms. Here are some tips to help you grow your podcast audience:

1: Create high-quality content - The most important factor for growing your podcast audience is creating engaging and high-quality content that appeals to your target audience. Make sure your episodes are well-produced, informative, and entertaining.

2: Make it sound professional – Invest in the best recording equipment you can find. Hire someone to edit your podcast to remove dead air, umms and ahs, and moments that go off point and don’t add anything to the topic.

3: Use humor – Instead of being rigid, feel free to use some humor, to laugh at appropriate points, and to make your listeners feel at ease.

4: Be topical – Pay close attention to what’s happening in the news that relates to your niche and don’t be afraid to tackle these issues of the day or provide guidance on how to navigate the latest trend.

5: Always remember who your target audience is – You’ll build a loyal following when you always speak to your target audience, and especially speak to one member of that audience that represents everyone.

6: Channel nervousness into gold – If you’re nervous about podcasting, be sure to spend extra time researching your topic so you’re well versed on the subject. Then use that nervous energy to create enthusiasm your audience can hear. Lastly, it’s okay to tell your audience you’re nervous. They’ll root for you and be less critical of any little mistakes you might make.

7: Optimize your podcast for search - Use keywords in your episode titles, descriptions, and tags to make it easier for people to find your podcast through search engines or podcast directories.

8: Promote your podcast on social media - Use social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to promote your podcast, share episode links, and engage with your listeners.

9: Stream with your community - While recording, livestream your interview to Facebook, Youtube, Twitch, LinkedIn, and a custom RTMP destination simultaneously using a service such as Riverside.fm.

10: Create clips for social media - Record once, repurpose multiple times and distribute everywhere, transforming your long-form content into multiple pieces of short-form content with a service such as Riverside.fm.

11: Collaborate with other podcasters – You’ll reach new audiences and gain credibility in your niche when you collaborate with other podcasters.

FLASHBACK STORY

12: Get exciting guests – At first you may not be able to get well-known guests, but you can still get super interesting people who are informative as well as entertaining.

13: Add a signature intro – You’ve heard professional sounding podcasts that begin with a professional introduction of the host. You can hire someone to make this for you, or create your own. If it sounds exciting and makes the listener eager to stay tuned, you’re on the right track.

14: Use your and your guest's social following - If you're doing interviews, make sure to share the episode on social media and tag the person you've interviewed. Every re-share is an opportunity for new listeners.

15: Offer incentives for listeners to share your podcast - Offer exclusive content, discounts, or shoutouts for sharing your podcast with their friends and on social media.

16: Use paid advertising - Consider investing in paid advertising on social media or podcast directories to reach new audiences. You might even advertise your podcast on other, related podcasts.

17: Get guest posts - There are blog sites that can write about your show if you’re willing to bring value to their audience, or you can ask to write a guest post yourself. In either case, link to your podcast.

18: Start a blog yourself – This will help with SEO. Use the blog to promote the podcast and the podcast to promote the blog, and then promote both on social media.

19: Ask for backlinks - Ask guests if they are willing to link to the episode on their blog. This will result in more credibility, traffic, and growth of your audience. And it helps to convince other big players in your niche to be a guest on your show.

20: Get listed in directories – And once you’re listed, ask for your podcast to be featured, too.

21: Ask for reviews - Ask your audience to leave reviews, and even incentivize them to do so.

22: Be consistent - Consistency is key for growing your podcast audience. Stick to a regular publishing schedule, engage with your listeners, and keep creating high-quality content. You might have a tiny audience at first but stick to your schedule anyway. Your first 10 to 30 episodes are really all about getting the practice, and by the time you reach that 30 episode mark you should be on your way to building a loyal following.

23: Land whales – Befriend the big people in your niche. Don’t expect anything in return, just make friends. Follow them on social media. Comment on their content. Reply to their posts. Be nice and be helpful. (You know how to be a friend, right?) Then once you’ve got a couple dozen GOOD shows under your belt – preferably shows with guests – ask these big whales to be on your show. Some will say no, but some will likely say yes. One shout out to their list and followers can result in a ton of traffic to you. Plus, it will be much easier to get other big names on your show once you’ve gotten the first one.

By following these tips and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and platforms, you can grow your podcast audience in 2023 and beyond.

Affiliate Marketing Case

Study: Building A $1,000 / Month Residual Income In

7 Days

Meet Sarah. She’s a fitness enthusiast who runs a popular blog that covers various topics related to health and fitness. She’s building a loyal following and a good reputation in the industry, but she isn’t making any money for her efforts.

One morning she is taking her supplements when it occurs to her that this would be something she could promote to her audience. She finds the website, applies to become their newest affiliate and is accepted.

Sarah writes a blog post telling the story of how she began taking these supplements, what they have done for her, and how she wouldn’t be without them. She includes affiliate links in the post which direct readers to the supplement company's website.

Sarah shares the blog post on her social media channels and sends an email to her mailing list, letting them know about the supplements and the benefits of using them. She includes the affiliate links in all of her promotions.

To sweeten the deal, Sarah offers her followers an exclusive discount code that they can use when they purchase the supplements. The discount code is only available to Sarah's followers on their first purchase and it’s an offer many of her readers can’t refuse.

Sarah's affiliate sales start to roll in and she continues to promote and earn commissions.

Now here’s the best part: When a new customer places an order, they have the option of receiving the supplements on a monthly basis at a discount. If they take this option, then Sarah will receive not just a one-time commission, but additional commissions each month on the automatic shipments.

Encouraged by her success, Sarah continues to promote products from the same supplement company. She creates additional blog posts and social media promotions, each time including her affiliate links and exclusive discount codes.

By the end of the first week, Sarah’s earned close to a $1,000 in commissions from the affiliate program. More importantly, many of the orders are set for monthly renewal. And as the next 3 weeks progress, she makes more sales with more automatic renewals.

That’s almost $1000 in commissions the first week, nearly $3,000 in commissions total for the month, and now she has monthly residual commissions of over $1,000 a month.

Of course, Sarah's ‘overnight’ success wasn’t overnight at all. She’d already been building her blog and her audience for some time and realized it was silly not to start monetizing. If she had begun promoting sooner, when she first started blogging, no doubt she would have begun making money sooner, too.

Her knowledge of her niche and her customers, as well as and her ability to create valuable content that resonates with her followers created a great deal of trust with her readers. She also leveraged the power of social media and email marketing to promote the products and drive sales. Additionally, offering an exclusive discount code helped to incentivize her followers to make purchases through her affiliate links.

It's important to note that building a $1,000/month residual income through affiliate marketing in one week isn’t typical. It requires a unique combination of industry knowledge, a loyal following, and effective marketing strategies.

If you already have a blog and an email list, then it might be possible. If not, perhaps it’s time to start a blog and list so that you, too, can begin to reap the power of affiliate marketing.

What the U.S.’s Most Famous Speech Can Teach Us About Content Marketing

During the Civil War in the U.S., the victory at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is considered the point at which the tide of war turned in favor of the Union. But what would the ultimate defeat of the pro-slavery South, and the deaths of so many in this battle and in others to come, mean for the nation?

President Lincoln gave his answer to that question when he spoke at the dedication ceremony where the Union dead of Gettysburg were buried. If you’re unfamiliar with the 2 minute speech, you can find it here:

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/gettys burg-address/

How did something jotted on the back of an envelope and delivered in just 2 minutes become one of the most enduring speeches of all time?

The answers give us serious clues as to how we can conduct our own content marketing campaigns to maximum effectiveness. And while our own content may not outlive us by a century and a half (and counting) perhaps it will do enough to change lives while providing for our own freedom to retire.

Lesson #1: KISS - Keep it super simple.

Lincoln was known for his simple, straightforward style of communication. Of the speech’s ten most frequently used words, only one has more than two syllables. Simple words get straight to our emotions and stick in our brains. Think of the massive effectiveness of slogans like, “Be all you can be” and “Just do it” and you’ll realize Lincoln would have been a great content marketer.

No matter who your audience might be, using straightforward language to deliver your message will be more effective than complex, flowery, multisyllabic jargon.

Lesson #2: Find and emphasize common ground. Lincoln never mentions the two sides of the war - the Union and the Confederacy. He never uses the words, “I” or “me.”

Lincoln doesn’t start out talking about the unfathomable divisions in the country or the bitterness of the war dragging on for two years with massive casualties.

Instead, he begins by referring to an event common to all Americans’ history: The founding of the nation 87 years prior.

Find the common ground with your readers and offer friendly advice as a friend who knows them.

“You’re dealing with XY problem? We’ve dealt with that ourselves. Here are a few ideas to consider.”

“We understand how you feel. We felt the same way ourselves, and this is what we’ve found.”

Lesson #3: Keep it short and tight.

279 words, 10 sentences and 3 paragraphs make up the most famous speech in U.S. history.

Conversely, there was another guy there at the ceremony who was actually the keynote speaker. That’s right, the President of the U.S. wasn’t considered the main speaker.

And this other guy, a ‘revered orator and pastor from Massachusetts,’ spoke for over 2 hours. TWO HOURS.

Ask anyone in the U.S. who this guy was, and I guarantee 99 out of 100 people can’t tell you his name was Edward Everett. And even if they somehow know his name, they can’t tell you what he said.

Here’s the gist of Lincoln’s speech:

1: Where we come from – The U.S. was established as one nation

2: Where we are – The U.S. is divided

3: What we’re going to do about it – Strive to restore the nation along the same principles under which it was established.

Finding the right size for your content can seem confusing. Should you write 500 words or 5,000? Should you make a 2minute video or a 20-minute video?

Here’s the miniskirt rule I learned 20 years ago that has never failed me:

“It should be long enough to cover the basics, but short enough to be interesting.”

Follow this rule and you won’t need to worry about word counts or minutes.

Not everyone recognized greatness when they heard it. The Patriot and Union newspaper of Pennsylvania called the President’s oration, “Silly remarks.” 150 years later they printed a retraction which was then parodied on Saturday Night Live.

The Chicago Times wrote, “The cheek of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat, dish watery utterance of the man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as the President of the United States.”

Perhaps they would have liked Lincoln to wear a sash like a beauty queen or perhaps a crown like a king. No matter. These critics – mainstream at the time – have gone down as being comic buffoons in the footnotes of history.

As content marketers we may not strive to appear in the annuals of history, but we can apply Lincoln’s lessons to the task of touching the hearts and minds of our audiences that keeps them coming back for more.

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