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Archive for September, 2009
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
The amount of false information available about e-mail marketing on the net is staggering. If you are advertising your affiliate program through e-mail campaigns, make sure you know what your responsibilities are.
The lawless days of spam e-mail are over, at least for U.S.A. based advertisers. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act) sets forth specific requirements for advertising via e-mail. The law has been tested numerous times since being passed and fines have been levied, property seized, people have even been sentenced to prison.
As an affiliate marketer obviously you don’t want to be on the wrong side of this law. Luckily, complying with the provisions in the law is fairly simple. Here is what it requires:
No misleading or fake header information. This includes the "From:" and "To" fields.
No deceptive subject lines. You want your customer to know what you’re selling anyway, so this should be no problem.
Messages must be labeled as advertising. Again, the moral is: no sneaky stuff.
An "internet-based" opt-out method must be provided. You have 10 days to stop e-mailing a person once you have received their remove request.
Messages must include your business (or home) physical address. This provides accountability and a way for the customer to verify that your business is real.
Breaking any of these rules could lead to a fine of up to $11,000 per violation! Honesty is now truly the best policy. You may be thinking: if this is such a big deal, why is my inbox flooded with spam every day?
It’s not a perfect world, and the short answer is that many of those advertisers are breaking the law. Commonly they are outside the United States in areas where prosecution may be unrealistic. You, on the other hand, would probably be quite easy to catch.
Be sure to read the detailed requirements for yourself. You can find more information at the Federal Trade Commission’s website, http://www.ftc.gov/spam
Tags: affiliate, Affiliate Marketer, Affiliate Marketing, Affiliate Marketing: Know The Can-Spam Act, Affiliate Program, Breaking The Law, e-mail marketing, email marketing, False Information, Federal Trade Commission, Ftc, Honesty, internet marketing, Mail Campaigns, Perfect World, Physical Address, Problem Messages, Prosecution, Quot, Request Messages, Short Answer, SPAM act, Spam E Mail, Spam Mail, Subject Lines, Wrong Side
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Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Are you seeing the same decrease in your handicap that reflects your hard work and efforts? Do you consistently fall short on your drives or feel exhausted at the end of 18 holes? Do you carry the disappointment of a missed putt over into the next hole? If you are plagued with problems like these then it is time to give your golf game a boost. Change your golf game for the better by focusing on the following five areas: flexibility, strength, endurance, nutrition, and mental toughness.
Flexibility:
Have you ever rushed to the golf course, quickly stepped up to the tee and felt stiff when you swung your golf club? Warming up your muscles can help relieve stiffness, but it is better to be more proactive in your approach. Therefore, it is essential to stretch on a regular basis. This allows you to increase and maintain your flexibility. You only need a small investment of your time in order to see significant gains in your range of motion.
Strength:
Have you incorporated strength training into your exercise routine? Many golfers are tempted to swing as hard as possible when hitting the golf ball. There are several adverse side effects of doing this. Your muscles may not be physically prepared for the intense strain and you may become injured. Increasing strength will enable your body to tackle the demands of the golf swing and prepare it for the action ahead.
Endurance:
Do you lose your intensity or feel tired after a few holes? If so, then focus on your endurance. At first glance, golf may not appear to be a game in which aerobic fitness is necessary. However, golfers that walk the course can walk nearly five miles over the course of 18 holes. Try to work in 20-45 minutes, 3-5 days per week of cardiovascular activity.
Nutrition:
Your body needs the proper fuel to work efficiently. Common sense dictates that loading up on junk food is a bad idea. So what exactly should you eat? An optimal sports nutrition menu plan will include high quality carbohydrates, lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and plenty of water.
Mental Toughness:
Are you still thinking about the drive you sliced on the first hole as you set up to tee off at the second hole? This negative thought pattern will adversely affect your game. How you perceive the situation affects each shot. One way to increase your mental toughness is not to relive missed shots. Visualize a good shot to help erase the missed shot from your mind.
Take these five facts into account and you’ll likely see better results with your game. It will take some time to make these activities a habit, but will be well worth the effort.
Pure Point Golf
Tags: Adverse Side Effects, Aerobic Fitness, Cardiovascular Activity, First Glance, fitness for golf, Golf Ball, Golf Exercises, Golf Facts, golf fitness, Golf Game, golf nutrition, golf programs, Golf Swing, Golfers, Junk Food, Mental Toughness, Menu Plan, Nutrition Menu, Proper Fuel, Range Of Motion, Sense Dictates, Sports Nutrition, Stiffness, Strength Endurance, Strength Training
Posted in Golf | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
The game of golf is truly an individual sport. The basics are the same for everyone; however, due to the differences in people’s body types no two people will ever have the same golf swing. Each person will have to adapt their bodies to perform a proper golf swing in their own way. Taking the time to develop your own method of playing golf will greatly improve your enjoyment and success at the game. Practicing the basic fundamentals of the game until they are ingrained in your muscles will lead to confidence on the course, and that confidence will lead to success and enjoyment of the game.
One of the most basic steps that you can put into action and see an immediate improvement to your golf swing is to keep your head still and look straight at the ball. The position of your head should be straight in line with your spine, and your nose should be raised up a bit so that when you start to swing, your left shoulder fits under your chin. Many players tuck their heads into their chests to try and keep their heads still and look straight down at the golf ball. Unfortunately, they cannot perform a proper golf swing while in this position.
If you are one of the many that are having difficulty keeping your head straight and an eye on the ball try the following. The next time you approach the ball, assume the correct stance with your feet and knees in position but keep your head and back straight, bend forward slightly at the waist and look straight at the ball. If you try and take a swing in this position, your left shoulder will most likely hit your chin. While keeping your eyes on the ball, raise your head slowly until your left shoulder does not hit your chin. Make sure that your head does not move from side to side by keeping your eyes fixed on the ball. Slowly go through the backswing and downswing portions of your golf swing. Do not hit the ball and do the follow through. Practice this portion of your golf swing focusing on keeping your head straight and eyes on the ball.
Practice this exercise in your backyard for about 25 times in a row and then take a break and relax a bit, then start again. Make minor corrections to your head and body position as needed to keep your eyes straight on the ball and your left shoulder from hitting your chin. This exercise will “train” your body, and your muscles will “remember” the correct position you need to be in to perform the movement correctly. Think about any sports athlete, they train and train to place their bodies in the correct stance and position to properly execute the movements necessary to be successful in their particular sport. You are doing the same thing by “training” your body to keep your head straight and position itself so that you can successfully execute a proper golf swing.
Another basic step that can work greatly towards improving your golf swing is to relax. I know it is easier said then done, especially when you are getting ready to put all your power into drive with an audience of either your co-workers, or better still your friends who will not let you forget it if you mess up. However, relaxing your muscles will help you to maintain the proper balance that is important to a great golf swing. Regardless of the golf clubs you use, your balance is the primary foundation of your golf swing, and the way to achieve good balance is to practice. A good way to practice improving your balance is to assume the address position with your club, relax your body and try holding it there for about 30 seconds. Does it feel like you have more weight on one foot or the other? Is one part of your body more tense then another?
Keeping your head straight and maintaining good balance are just two basic parts of a great golf swing. The exercises given above are just two ways that you can start training now to improve your golf swing. You can work on either one separately, or combine them together into one exercise. Improving your golf swing begins and ends with you. Training the muscles of your body to properly perform specific movements takes time and practice. The effort spent improving your golf swing will pay off on the course. Through exercise and practice, you will be able to slip into the proper address position and perform an effortless, powerful golf swing and feel just as if you were sliding your hand into a warm soft glove.
Pure Point Golf
Tags: Backswing, Chests, Confidence, Correct Stance, Downswing, Feet, Fundamentals Of The Game, Game One, Golf, Golf Ball, Golf Game, Golf Swing, Knees, Lead, Left Shoulder, Muscles, People, Playing Golf, Proper Golf Swing, Spine, Success, Taking The Time, Two Basic Steps to Improving Your Golf Swing
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Friday, September 25th, 2009
The private label bottled drinking water is a growth industry with double digit growth and profit opportunities for the entrepreneur. But like most opportunities care must be taken to seek out and exploit the most profitable niche in the market.
A recent market study examined the growth and potential of the market for bottled water and concluded:
"The bottled water industry grew about 10% in 2005, while carbonated soft drinks revenue is essentially flat," says Gary Hemphill, marketing director of BMC. "There are a couple of things driving the market—sure, people like to have a tap water substitution, but it’s really driven by people’s demands for a healthier alternative to the wide array of beverages on the market."
Private label water is the fastest growing segment of the overall bottled water market and its future growth is considered by many to be “explosive”. .
Private label water combines the purity of refreshing drinking water with consumable advertising that is designed to an individual customer’s specification. The water is popular and the branding message, if designed properly, serves to promote business.
Almost every company in the United States can benefit from private label water with a custom branding message. The opportunities are huge, the market is largely untapped and the private label product is viewed by customers as a cost effective, power way to promote a brand message.
The bottled water industry consists of a number of interrelated parts including research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales. Much of the business model however, requires significant amounts of capital and has high barriers to entry for most entrepreneurs.
Nevertheless, with the advent of the internet and e-commerce, an aggressive sales focused entrepreneur can develop a substantial profitable private label business through affiliate programs .
What Are Affiliate Programs?
Affiliate programs are revenue sharing programs between an entrepreneur and a company that manufactures and sells a product or service. Affiliates are rewarded with referral payments for sending customers to the manufacturer’s Web site. The process works as follows:
• The affiliate place links on its site to a particular manufacturer’s Web site.
• When a visitor clicks on the link and makes a purchase the affiliate earns a referral fee that is a percentage of the total sale.
• The best manufacturer sites have automatic payment mechanisms and real time accounting.
But an efficient affiliate site requires planning and work. Many affiliates believe they will be able to just put up a Web site, establish some affiliate links and sit back and wait for streams of cash to start coming in. Care must be taken however to be truly successful. Consider the following:
• What type of Web site should you have to make money through affiliate programs?
• What are the best programs for your site?
• How will you effectively market your site and the underlying product?
• How can you find niche markets?
Similar to other facets of developing a home business, careful planning is needed to map out a profitable strategy for building a home based business using affiliate programs – a strategy that will allow you to build income through content in a sustainable, month after month way.
The issue is – what are the steps required to develop an income producing web site using affiliate programs that generate consistent, substantial revenue?
Tip Number 1: Align With a Manufacturer That Produces A Quality Product With Unique Features and Manages a Robust Affiliate Program.
As any good sales person will tell you, a high quality product is mandatory for sales success. Look for a company that manufactures (resellers add little value) a quality product that is recognized as different in the marketplace. There are many types of water in the market but purified water is clearly recognized as the highest quality.
After identifying a manufacturer with a quality product offering, chose one with a robust, profitable affiliate program. This should include at a minimum:
• commitment to affiliate success
• commission plans that are substantial
• a website that allows for easy ordering and accrual and payment of commissions
• support for marketing, selling and booking of orders
Tip Number 2: Identify a Niche Market and Create a Plan to Penetrate That Niche Deeply
Avoid the tendency to mass market and “shoot at the flock”. Mass marketing is beyod the scope of most companies and entrepreneurs. There are many profitable niche markets that have significant growth potential. Identify a niche market, understand the buying patterns of that niche and penetrate the market. It takes time and work but done right this effort is very profitable.
Some examples of niche markets: hotels (small and large), health spas, golf courses, gyms, car dealerships, organizations and health clubs to name a few. Almost any organization is interested in promoting their brand and brand message in a cost effective way.
Tip Number 3: Create an Eye Catching Website With a link to The Manufacturer
One of the advantages of an affiliate program is that profitable business can be developed with only a nominal investment. Given today’s technical level of internet development expertise, creation of an attractive web site is easy and cost effective. The critical part of the website however is the creation of a focused message presented in an attractive manner.
Following the creation of the site, establish a banner link with the chosen manufacturing partner that will direct affiliate inquires to the site for order creation and booking of the affiliate commission.
The manufacturer’s site must be able to design and produce labels, provide powerful e-commerce facilities for order booking and shipment and include a facility for the booking and payment of commissions to the affiliate.
Tip Number 4: Create and Implement a Sales Strategy
A clear sales strategy is the most effective path to success and profits in the private label business. Identify in writing the target niche, strategy to penetrate that niche, buying patterns, target prospects and communication material (sales collateral) and tactics to sell targeted prospects. Then implement the strategy in an organized manner and make adjustments to the strategy as conditions change. Remember the old sales adage “Always Be Closing”.
Tip Number 5: Follow Up on All Orders and Provide Feedback to Customers
As part of any effective sales effort, follow up and feedback with and to customers is critical to maintaining good customer service and obtaining repeat orders. One of the most powerful aspects of private label water sales is that happy customers tend to be repeat customers. Creation of a long customer list with satisfied customers will generate a steady stream of repeat orders and significant cash flow.
Tags: Advent Of The Internet, Affiliate Prog, Affiliate Program Success, Affiliate Programs, Aggressive Sales, Barriers To Entry, Bottled Drinking Water, Bottled Water Industry, Brand Message, branding, Business Affiliate, Carbonated Soft Drinks, cashflow, Double Digit Growth, e-commerce, Fastest Growing Segment, Five Steps, Private Label Business, private label drinking water, Private Label Water, Profit Opportunities, Profitable Niche, pure water, Refreshing Drinking Water, sales planning, sales startegy, Tap Water, Water Business, Water Market, wealth
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Thursday, September 24th, 2009
You’ve just signed up for this fantastic new affiliate program. They have great products, free referral websites, training, pre-made ads for you to copy and the best compensation plan on the internet. This is the best affiliate program on the internet! Put a few ads out there and you’re on your way to becoming the next internet millionaire. Right?
Before you break ground on that big mansion on the hill, here are a few mistakes many new affiliate marketers make that you’ll want to avoid.
1. Believing the hype
And yes, I do mean the hype promoted by your own program. Those income projections that every program makes are just that, projections. You can make that much. Will you within your first few months of the program? Probably not. Look at this as a long term investment in your future, not a way to get rich quick. Believe in yourself and your ability to make your dreams come true. But don’t believe the hype.
2. Expecting instant results with little effort
Expect to work your business. And expect to work it daily. If you opened your own neighborhood store, you’d expect to have to go in to work daily, wouldn’t you? You’d expect to have to advertise and get people to come to your store. Well, you just opened your own brand new internet store, what are you going to do to make it work? How are you going to get people to come look at your product?
3. Lack of a plan and specific goals
You’ve probably heard the saying, plan your work and work your plan. You need to have a specific plan and clear, measurable goals. Many people join affiliate programs with the vague goal of wanting to make a lot of money. How much money? How quickly do you want it? (Try to be realistic here, making a million dollars in one month is not realistic.) Okay, you have your clear, specific goal. Now how are you going to get there. Again, think clear, specific steps here.
4. Advertising your affiliate link
Wait a minute, if you don’t advertise your affiliate link, how are you supposed to get sales and downline members? Create your own website that has a link to your affiliate program. Every affiliate for your program gets the same website that you do. You have to be able to make yourself different from everyone else. The way you do that is with your own website.
5. Quitting
You’ve been working your affiliate program for 2, 3, maybe even 4 months now with very little to show for it. You’re getting discouraged and beginning to wonder if this is worth it after all. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and figure out what it is you need to be doing. Learn more. Bug your sponsor and your upline members until they help you out. Don’t quit. No one ever achieved success by quitting. Neither will you.
Tags: Advert, Advertising, Affiliate Link, Affiliate Marketers, Affiliate Programs, Best Affiliate Program, Compensation Plan, Dreams, Five Common Mistakes, Free Referral, Hype, Income Projections, Internet Millionaire, Internet Store, Long Term Investment, Making A Million Dollars, Mansion On The Hill, Many People, Measurable Goals, Nbsp, Neighborhood Store, Rsquo, Vague Goal
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