It’s All About the Content!

…but how do you build a ‘Content Distribution Network’?

Now it’s one thing to create good quality content but what if nobody knows about it or gets a chance to read it? All of that time and effort is now lost!

It’s time to get proactive rather than waiting for your readers to search for you.  Reach your target audience by setting up your distribution network!

A successful content distribution network will include multiple points of entry.

Here are 5 ways that you can start building your content distribution network
today:

1. Blogging – A WordPress Blog is the most advanced platform for distributing content through the internet. There are now multiple social media platforms that you can embed into your blog to gain an even bigger audience.

   • Embed Social Media into your blog (Twitter, FriendFeed, YouTube, etc.)
   • RSS Feeds
   • Ping
   • Blog Rolls  -  Joint Venture with other online marketers
   • Syndicate content to other websites/blogs
2. Social Media – Word of mouth is the oldest form of marketing and is still used to this day. Now with the power of the Internet and technology, voices can be heard instantly through multiple platforms of social media.  Here are some of the top social media platforms.

   • YouTube
   • Facebook
   • Twitter
   • FriendFeed
   • LinkedIn
   • MySpace
3. Email List - It’s time to use your list properly.  TIP: Instead of sending them to an affiliate link, send them directly to your blog for another page view. Your affiliate link should be placed within your blog post.

   • Create an opt-in form on your blog/website to capture your audience’s information. Send a newsletter to communicate with your readers on a daily or weekly basis via an auto responder.
4. Forums – Forums are extremely responsive and a wonderful platform to drive targeted traffic back to your blog or website. TIP: Find topics that you have written about and drive people back to your blog for more information.

   • Conquer Your Niche – This is a great community that is very responsive and credits you towards advertisements for reading and writing posts.
     
5. Media Relations – There is an endless list of platforms and organizations that are always looking for new content or a good story. Here are some resources to start with…

   • Article Directories
   • Press Releases
   • NewsPapers online and offline

The concepts here are nothing more than basic online marketing platforms but when you understand the power of leveraging all of the different distribution networks through your blog, you will have a distinctive advantage over your competitors.

P.S. If you have found this post helpful please leave your comments below. I really appreciate that. If you are a Twitter user, I would be ecstatic if you retweeted this post.   Thank you!

Work Smarter, Play Harder!

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5 ‘Cool’ WordPress Plugins for your blog.

Once you have taken care of the 5 ‘Must Have’ plugins that you should have on your blog, there are so many more to choose from. If I could only pick 5, here is what they would be…

1. What Would Seth Godin Do - I love this plugin! This nifty plugin will encourage your readers to subscribe to your RSS feed.

2. TweetMeMe - Easily allows your readers to retweet your blog posts.

3. Broken Link Checker – Allows you to monitor your links on your blog. Easily see where the links are broken.

4. WP Super Cache – This is a great plugin for bloggers who have a lot of plugins activated.

5. Redirection - This plugin is great for monitoring 404 errors.
A full technical overview is listed on each individual page including installation instru

Click on the video below for a WP Plugin Installation Overview.

Additional Resources:

WordPress Plugin Directory:  http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/

P.S. If you have found this post helpful please leave your comments below. I really appreciate that. If you are a Twitter user, I would be ecstatic if you retweeted this post.   Thank you!

Work Smarter, Play Harder!

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5 ‘Must Have’ WordPress Plugins for your blog.

This was difficult to narrow down to, but if I had to go to a tropical island for six months and could only choose to keep 5 plugins for my blog, they would be…

1. WP-Spamfree – I was amazed at how much spam I started receiving through my blogs but as soon as I activated the Spamfree plugin, the spam stopped immediately. I highly recommend adding this powerful plugin.

2. All In One SEO Pack – This is a great plugin to help optimize your blog for all search engines.

3. Tiny MCE Advanced – I couldn’t live without this one. This little plugin will dramatically enhance your WP HTML editor by giving you more options.

4. WordPress Thread Comment – Blogs were created to be interactive. This is an enhanced version for your readers to leave their comments on your blog.

5.  Add to Any: Share/Save/Bookmark Button – Make your blog interactive
by enabling your readers to share your information through social media sites.

A full technical overview is listed on each individual page including installation instructions.

Click on the video below for a WP Plugin Installation Overview.

Additional Resources:

WordPress Plugin Directory:  http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/

P.S. If you have found this post helpful please leave your comments below. I really appreciate that. If you are a Twitter user, I would be ecstatic if you retweeted this post.   Thank you!

Work Smarter, Play Harder!

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A personal branded blog is crucial to your online business. A blog will give your prospects a chance to get to know you and trust you before they join your business.

6 ‘Must Have’ elements for a Personal Branded Blog

There are 6 Basic Elements required in order to start off with a successful personal-branded blog.

#1. Picture – You’ve heard it a million times that ‘a picture is worth a 1000 words’. Place your picture in an area that can always be seen. You want to remind your audience who’s site they are on.

#2. Profile Page - an ‘About Me’ page is the second element that should be added to your blog. Your profile should tell your audience who you are, your family, experiences, and what you offer.

#3. Contact Me Page – a ‘Contact Me’ page will help your audience contact you.

#4  Opt-In Page – an ‘Opt-in’ page will capture your targeted audience’s contact information. A free offer, report, e-book, etc. should be offered to entice your audience to opt in.

#5. Social Networks – add your social networks to enable your audience to follow you on the
networks that they belong to.

#6. Content – add quality content to your blog that your targeted audience is searching for.

Click on the video below for a complete overview.

Yours in Branding!

P.S. If you have found this post helpful please leave your comments below. I really appreciate that. If you are a Twitter user, I would be ecstatic if you retweeted this post.   Thank you!

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What is a Favicon?

A “favicon” as described on Wikipedia is (short for favorites icon), also known as a website icon, shortcut icon, url icon, or bookmark icon is a 16×16, 32×32 or 64×64 pixel square icon associated with a particular website or webpage.

Why would you want to use a Favicon?

A favicon will help build your brand and your credibility online.

The image below shows Google’s favicon which is located to the left of the domain name in the address bar.

You can have your own image or logo appear beside your domain every time it is searched like mine below. Scroll down below for instructions.

How to Create a Favicon

Step 1 – Create a 16×16 pixels image in your favorite photo editing software. The image is extremely small like this one .  (If you do not have software, Google “free photo editing software” and you will be given plenty of choices to download.)

Step 2 - Convert image to an ICO file extension. Download ICOFX for free.

Import your saved image and Click on 256 Colors and 16 x 16 pixels in size.
Click on “Save As” and Save the image as an ICO file extension.

Step 3 - Upload the favicon to the root directory of your website or blog. Rename the image favicon.ico If you need help uploading your file see FTP instructions.

Here’s an 8 minute video that ties it altogether.

Resources:

Photo Editor Software – Use your favortite photo editor. If you do not have software, Google “free photo editing software” and you will be given plenty of choices to download for free.

Favicon Maker – I recommend IcoFX to create your favicons. It’s fast, easy, and free.

FTP Software – FTP software is required to upload your new favicon to the root directory of your website or blog. I recommend FileZilla because once again it’s fast, easy,
and free. Click here to watch a video tutorial on how to upload your files to your Internet Service Provider.

Congratulations on Creating Your First Favicon!  Way to Go!

Yours in Branding!

P.S. If you have found this post helpful please leave your comments below. I really appreciate that. If you are a Twitter user, I would be ecstatic if you retweeted this post.   Thank you!

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Would you fly an airplane with no training?

Silly question, isn’t it? Of course you wouldn’t!

Choosing a sponsor or a mentor is crucial when starting your first online business. But what amazes me is that most people forget that they require training & support when starting an online business….did you?

You can spend thousands of hours and thousands of dollars trying to make money online, but doesn’t it make sense to learn from someone who is already making money?

Remember, each time you started a new job, you required training? There are no short cuts in an online business either. (Well unless you have a BIG advertising budget.) You will need to take the time and learn the skills and implement what you learn.

You can make a six figure income in as little as six months online…. so why don’t people want to learn how? Instead, most just run around in circles, purchasing the next best thing and not “doing”. That’s all you need to do to succeed online, is utilize a simple technique and keep using it daily. You can’t stop because success does not happen overnight. Even the “Internet Gurus” who make six figures on a launch of a new product did not see success overnight. It took them years and thousands of dollars to figure out how.

Your mentor is someone who you should trust that can coach you, guide you and be relied on.  Find someone “a friend” you feel  comfortable asking questions too. The proper mentor can help pave the way to your success. Having one that is compatible to you is the key.  Maybe you will end up showing them a thing or two also.

Ask Questions

I have created some questions below that you should feel comfortable asking your potential business partner before you decide to join their team.

1. How much experience do you have with online marketing?
2. Have you made any mistakes? (The honest ones will let you know)
3. Do you offer a training site with resources to help me & my downline succeed?
4. Do you offer personal one-on-one training to help me get started?
5. Do you send out frequent updates to your team members?
6. Do you use the product?
7. How do you market your business?

The answers to these questions will help you decide which sponsor you should join.

Yours in Partnership and Friendship!

P.S. If you have found this post helpful please leave your comments below. I really appreciate that. If you are a Twitter user, I would be ecstatic if you retweeted this post.   Thank you!

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Just like any company online or offline, you will want to establish your brand for your business before you purchase your business cards or build your website. Your brand is the image that you will create to attract your target audience.

The last sentence is so important that I need to share one of my biggest mistakes when I started marketing my business online. I don’t want you to make this same mistake. I am going to repeat the sentence… “Your brand is the image that you will create to attract your target
audience.”

Here’s my biggest mistake…

“When I first started out I wanted to help everyone who did not know how to start an online business. Was that really why I got into business?  Absolutely Not! I wanted to make money. Don’t get me wrong, I did want to help my business partners in any way that I could but I did not want to attract only those who didn’t know what they were doing.  Do you get my point?  If you want to attract business leaders then you need to brand yourself as a business leader. If you want to attract the retail market then you need to brand your product in an original way.”

If you plan on targeting business partners to join you in your program, I highly recommend establishing yourself as your brand through a wordpress blog. A blog will establish yourself as a leader in your industry.

So when you are thinking about how you are going to brand your business, you should ask yourself the following two important questions:

1. Who is my target market?

2. Who will I attract with my brand?

Remember the only goal is to attract your target market through your established brand. 

Here are 5 Easy Ways to Establish Your Brand Online

1. Domain Name - A domain name looks like this, www.yourdomain.com and will act as your website’s physical address. The domain name is your website’s identity and will let customer’s know how to reach you.

2. Email Address - Once you have purchased your domain name, one of the first steps that you should complete is setting up an email address with your domain name. This step is often missed and so important and only takes 5 minutes to set up.

3. Email Signature – It is extremely difficult to build a relationship with your prospect because you are physically not in front of them. An email signature will help build your credibility. Your email signature will reassure your prospect that you are a real person. People like to purchase from people they can see…so make sure to include your picture!

4. Blog – A blog is the core to Social Media marketing strategies. A blog is the main piece that ties all of your online advertising methods together. A well-branded blog will keep your target audience coming back for more.

5. Social Media Profiles (Google, Facebook, Linked in) - Where does your website or profile appear when you do a Google search on your name? “If you are not on the first page of Google, then you need to set up your Google Profile.” Google profiles are easy to set up and once indexed by Google, your profile will appear on the first page whenever someone searches your name.

If you have found this post helpful please leave your comments below. I really appreciate that. If you are a Twitter user, I would be ecstatic if you retweeted this post.   Thank you! 

Yours in Branding Success!

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Establish your monthly advertising budget.

The good news… starting a business online has never been so profitable!

Show me the MONEY!

Once you establish a monthly advertising budget you can get a better idea month to month how much your advertising is really bringing in for profit.

The most widely used method of establishing an advertising budget is to base it on a percentage of sales.  Advertising  is a legitimate business and should be related to the quantity of goods sold.  This method is quick and easy.  You can keep your advertising in a constant relation to your sales volume, which in turn your advertising will be increasing as your sales increase.

With Global Resorts Network, we have the priveledge of marketing either the business opportunity or the retail product or both. Not only will you have unlimited target markets to choose from but you will also have too many choices when it comes to advertising your GRN business where it can actually make your head spin.

Don’t worry, I have created a spreadsheet to help give you an idea as to how much you should budget based on the different advertising strategies available.

When you download the spreadsheet below… I want you to choose only 3 methods and one of them should be your friends and family. You will increase your marketing as you grow but you need to take everything one step at a time. This chart will help guide you in your business plan.

Click here to download your calculator.

If you have found this Advertising Calculator helpful please leave your comments below. I really appreciate that. If you are a Twitter user, I would be ecstatic if you retweeted this post.   Thank you!

Yours in Successful Budgeting!

P.S. Remember to only choose two advertising methods plus friends and family to start with.

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Have You Created Your Google Profile?

Where does your website or profile appear when you do a Google search on your name?

“If you are not on the first page of Google, then you need to set up your Google Profile.”

Google profiles are easy to set up and once indexed by Google, your profile will appear on the first page whenever someone searches your name.

Here is what my Google Profile looks like…  http://www.google.com/profiles/christine.mcivor

6 Main Components

There are six main components of a Google Profile page. You are able to edit and modify your profile so that you can determine what your users will see when they search your name on Google.

Receive Messages – This is an awesome features that allows prospects to email you without divulging your email address.

Upload Photos – Engage your prospects with personal pictures of you and your family.
Photo’s enable your prospects to trust you without having to meet you in person first. You may easily add your photos through Picasa and Flickr.

Add Your Bio- This is your chance to tell the world who you are. Share your story, your experiences, and your goals.

Contact Info – Keep your friends, family, business associates, and prospects up to date with your current contact information.

Add Your Links – This is such an amazing feature, especially when you can add multiple links to your websites, blogs, splash pages, and other profiles at sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Show Your Location – Keep your friends, family, business associates, and prospects up to date with your current contact information. Your current location and where you have lived will be displayed on the map.

You must have a Gmail account in order to create a Google Profile.  Your Google Profile URL will be dependent on your Gmail user id. I highly recommend to get your full name as your Gmail user id.

ie. My Gmail user id is ”christine.mcivor” therefore my Google Profile URL is http://www.google.com/profiles/christine.mcivor

  Set Up Gmail account with your name.

 Set up your Google Profiles page here.

I have created a video tutorial below which will take you through the six main components and how to set up your Google profile page.

Video Tutorial

 Congratulations! You are one of the first to create your Google Profile. 

If you have found this post helpful please leave your comments below. I really appreciate that. If you are a Twitter user, I would be ecstatic if you retweeted this post.   Thank you! 

Yours in Branding Success!

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Creating Your e Mail Signature

Your email signature is extremely important when marketing your business online.

It is more difficult to build relationships with your customers because you are physically not in front of them. Your email signature will instantly build your credibility. Your email signature will reassure your prospect that you are a real person.

A Gmail signature can be set up at www.gmail.com within a few short seconds. To set up your signature in Gmail please follow the instructions below. 


 
                                                     
Creating Your Signature in Gmail:

1. Log into your Gmail account at www.Gmail.com
2. Click on “Settings” on the top right corner
3. Enter your text signature in the “Signature Text Box”
4. Click on “Save Changes” to update your signature.

* Images can not be included in your Gmail Signature.

 Congratulations! You have just created your first Gmail signature. 

If you have found this post helpful please leave your comments below. I really appreciate that. If you are a Twitter user, I would be ecstatic if you retweeted this post.   Thank you!

Yours in Branding Success!

 P.S. Click here to create your signature in Outlook with your picture.

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