Business Swagger

I recently had a discussion with a fellow marketer who inquired about the benefits of article writing. The conversation was simply a time to exchange our favorite marketing methods. I told him my favorite way to market was through article marketing.

The reason why article marketing is my favorite way to market is twofold. First, I actually enjoy writing down my ideas and sharing them. Secondly it is a great way to build a large amount of permanent traffic. Allow me to explain.

Currently, Web 2.0 is the hottest method of marketing. These social network sites have large amounts of traffic daily and there is plenty of interaction between marketers. The only downside to social marketing is the time allotted to market to a limited number of people.

You see, as a business owner, your most valuable asset is your time. When you set aside 2 hours of your day talking to 10 people, you have lost 2 hours talking to 100 people. It is simply not convenient for you to chat with 100 people at the same time outside of a webinar. I can't imagine switching windows and remembering who I'm talking to and about what topic for 2 hours or more a day.

Sure, you may get a more intimate relationship with a prospect and they may be more inclined to join you in your business, but what about the other nine people you are talking to? What are the chances all ten prospects end up doing business with you?

My friend, building your business is a numbers game. The more traffic you can get to your site, the more sales you make. Don't get me wrong, I believe relationships are what drive your business to an optimal level, but driving massive amounts of traffic to your site will give you the opportunity to build numerous relationships. This is where article marketing comes into the picture.

The beauty of article marketing lies in your ability to interact with your reader as if you were chatting with them. It is not a file you throw together in 5 minutes, but rather a structured and educational resource that will leave your reader satisfied.

Here are a few guidelines I personally use to structure my articles:

- I always try to learn as much as I can before I write an article

- I try to find a personal experience to relate to the topic at hand

- Imagine I am speaking to my reader personally and answer any possible questions that could come up in that conversation

When you write an article, you are trying to show your reader that you have some sort of expertise in the given subject. Many times, I find very short and obvious articles. These articles hardly have any content and typically give you very obvious tips. There is no interaction whatsoever and the structure makes it hard to read.

Relating to your reader by sharing a part of yourself, you give them the idea that you are a real person and a possibility that the topic you are discussing could affect them in a similar way. Developing a personal relationship with your reader creates more room for trust.

I highly recommend you read your article out loud as you revise it. By hearing it, you have the opportunity to make grammatical corrections and react to certain pieces of the article. You'll be able to question any claims you make and make your article more solid overall.

Like I mentioned earlier, article marketing has the potential to give you a solid flow of permanent traffic and give you time to market in other places. You have the opportunity to build your business much faster while qualifying your leads.

If you decide to start building your business with article marketing, write down the three guidelines I use. They're simple to remember and so effective when implemented in your writing. Know what you're talking about, create trust with your reader, and solidify that trust by filling any holes that could arise.

Article writing may not allow you to chat with people in Web 2.0, but creating a relationship with your reader allows you to share some value, build trust and create a prospect every day. Start building your permanent traffic today.

Learn more article marketing tips to build permanent traffic to your site. Join Kevin Tan's free training to learn his article marketing secrets and put your business on autopilot.

I'm sure you'll agree online business is a remarkable and exciting venture. On the flip side, it can be extremely difficult and quite stressful. The business is fun when you're pulling in people and making money, but when no one is joining and your PayPal account is empty the future looks bleak.

I'm here to tell you not to give up! I want to list out the top five troublemakers most marketers have in their business and how to overcome them so bear with me.

1. Friends and Family

Please don't misinterpret what I mean. This is typically a troublesome area, because these people are close to us. As much as we love them, they are typically not good business partners. In fact, you may end up alienating them because they don't have an interest in your business.

Let's say your best friend Mike is the most charismatic and sharp person you know, and you think this business opportunity will be perfect for him. As soon as you tell Mike all about it, you hear the dreaded word, "No". You then begin to proceed in telling him all the fantastic qualities again. This time Mike gets annoyed and begins avoiding you. You have alienated friend number one.

Solution?

Learn to find your target market. Your target market needs to be opportunity buyers rather than opportunity seekers. Let me explain the difference. Opportunity seekers are interested in hearing an opportunity. Opportunity buyers are walking around with their wallet open, because they are already exposed to your field of business. Target these people and you have completed step one.

2. Replicated Sites

Almost every business opportunity has at least 3 different capture pages and there is a huge problem with that. Let's do a little math for a moment. Don't worry I'll keep the numbers basic. Let's say your business provides only one replicated site. Let's also say there are about 1000 people in the business.

Now place yourself in the shoes of a prospect. If you saw a replicated site 1000 times, how many times would you say yes after you turned it down the first time? I remember joining a great company with a solid track record. Their customer service and low monthly rate were top of the line. However, the replicated sites were being used by the thousands maybe even millions by now. I never got a sign up for my downline and nearly quit the industry.

Solution?

Create your own lead capture page. People don't want to see an opportunity for the millionth time, they want to see who you are and why they should listen to you. Customize your page talking about you, not your business.

3. Hopping Businesses

I used to do this and I lost a lot of money so keep your wallets and purses closed. New businesses pop up and get hyped up everyday. Plus the compensation plans always seem to get better. Think back and count how mnay times you heard of the latest and greatest business opportunity coming up. Then think of the moment someone told you to hurry before the matrix fills up and you miss out. The habit of business hopping is purely emotional and can get you in a lot of trouble.

Solution?

Find and research a business and stick with it. Begin setting an automated system in place and begin marketing. Consistency and value will help you grow your business, not new compensation plans.

4. Relying On The "Gurus"

How many self-proclaimed gurus are out there? Every corner I turn, there's always a guru standing there telling me how to do things. You joined this industry to break out of the rat race. I remember hopping from business to business because of these supposed gurus. Don't get caught up in another one by following these gurus.

Solution?

Your business relies on you. It's wise to listen to more experienced marketers but never submit to everything they have to say. Start investing in yourself and become a face in the industry. You will become a leader and people will begin seeking you out.

5. Lack of Education

The previous 4 reasons are obstacles because of lack of education. Become a student of the industry and people will seek knowledge from you. The more knowledge you possess, the more valuable you are to people, because people need someone who can help solve their problems. Once you become the go-to person, there is no limit to the success of your business.

These are the top 5 troublemakers in finding online business leads. Once you overcome these obstacles, you will open the doors to massive success. I have already made the mistakes for you so you can succeed and reach your goals faster. I sincerely hope this has helped you in your journey and I look forward to providing you more value in the future.

Check out my other articles At E-zine Articles

Have you ever done any kind of physical exertion to the point that it hurts? Maybe you tried to give up fast food or jog 3 miles. Sometimes it hurts seeing your friends chomping down a quarter pounder supersized or you start feeling the burn at 1 mile.

Why do we tolerate the pain? Do we enjoy hurting ourselves in some way? Absolutely not!

We tolerate some sort of suffering in order to strengthen ourselves; whether it's physically or mentally. We continue to push ourselves to the limit to grow our willpower and feel triumph in the end.

Why then, are 97% of internet marketers failing? Are they terrible internet marketers? Of course not, it is simply a matter of willpower. You can't lose 20 pounds overnight or not feel urges to go to Wendy's at midnight in a few days, so why should it be any different with internet marketing?

Support groups always give way to the best success rate. If you constantly have someone encouraging you to reach your goals, you will have a high success rate.

So don't sweat the failures right now, we've all been there. Fight through the pain and you will see your success in the end. I know this, because I'm here to help.

"It's not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what happens to you."

-Zig Ziglar