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Creating Software To Advertise And Build Value: What You Need To Know

Lynette Chandler — Sun, 16 May 2010 12:42:45 +0000

As we all get more Internet and mobile phone-centric, you see more and more software built to either promote or add value to a service or product. For example: Nationwide Insurance created an iPhone app for their customers to help them make the task of filing a claim easier. There is Revver who created an official plugin WordPress to make it easier for their users to display videos and earn money. Pizza Hut has an iPhone app that includes a game, ability to order food and receive coupons. And there are countless Facebook apps created by big name companies. I love it. On every project I have, I try to figure ways to build in an app or plugin to make people utilize the product more or spread the word about my web site but there are some issues which I’d like to highlight if you have been considering the same thing yourself

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Creating Software To Advertise And Build Value: What You Need To Know

Common Linking Methods of Affiliate Programs Explained

Vera Raposo — Sun, 16 May 2010 12:41:56 +0000

If you’re a small business owner, an affiliate marketing program is a fantastic opportunity to make a lot of money without having to have a lot of capital or overhead costs. And if you have a web page, affiliate marketing is a great way to make quick cash without adding a lot of extra work. But just because you find a popular webpage to promote your product or the right product to promote on your page, doesn’t mean it’s going to work. In affiliate marketing, it’s all about the link. The kind of link you use and what you link to are going to make all the difference. Here are the most common methods of linking for affiliate programs: Photo Courtesy of Paul O’Connell – Text links These are a good way to put links on your site because they stand out, but at the same time, still look natural and don’t have the appearance of an ad. When you have a related word in your text, just embed a link in the word to a product or website. But if you overload your text with links, it will become unreadable or just annoying. – Banner Links These are ads that are usually at the top or side of the page. They can be plain, but are often catchy to try to get the attention of the reader. Just remember that people who surf the internet a lot see hundreds of banners in a day and ignore pretty much all of them. If you’re going to make advertisement banners, make something that’s going to stand out and get you noticed. The more clever and unique, the better. – Search Box Most people are familiar with search boxes embedded in a website that will do a Google or Yahoo search of the web. You can embed search boxes that will do this type of search, but search a marketer’s webpage instead of the whole internet. That way people can search an affiliate marketer’s website, sometimes without even knowing it. And they can find exactly what they’re looking for, even if the marketer has thousands of products

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Common Linking Methods of Affiliate Programs Explained

10 Things I Hate About Branding

Ed Roach — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:33:52 +0000

ONE: Frankly it takes a lot of work to stay on top of my brand. If only I could just push a button like the Staples “Easy Button” ( which I have on my desk). I hate that I can’t!

TWO: I hate having to remind businesses that their brand is more than their logo. I have every design shop and ad specialty shop to blame for the mis-information I guess. (I could be painting with big a brush too)

THREE: I hate companies who don’t realize that branding is a top down initiative. Without the captain on board, who’s piloting the brand?

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10 Things I Hate About Branding

Social Media Revolution – Fact or Fad?

Lennie Appelquist — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:36:31 +0000

Does Social Media represent a total shift in the way we communicate? Does Social Media fundamentally change the way we do business? Is Social Media the Biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? Personally, I think it does. If Starbucks can get almost 600,000 people to register for their Free Pastry Tuesday “Event” on Facebook and account for 1%…

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Social Media Revolution – Fact or Fad?

Unique Experience 101

Giovanni — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:58:15 +0000

A few years back I was hosting a workshop at the Four Seasons in Dallas. I’ll never forget my experiences there. EVERY business should go to Four Seasons Customer Service University. I remember walking into the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Half asleep, the lady at the front asked for my name and room number, then sat me at my table. Within a few minutes, a waiter came by and said “Hello, Mr. Marsico. How can I help you?” 5 minutes later, a gentleman came out from the back…not sure of his position, but he was cleaning tables, and said “Oh hello, Mr. Marsico! I hope your breakfast is great today!” It took 3 people to use my name before I fully woke up and realized that they had never met me before!! Such a small thing that made a HUGE difference. Later that day… I was in the workshop room and ran out of sharp pencils for the attendees. I leave the workshop room with a bunch of dull pencils and there was a random caretaker walking by…saw that I was a little flustered, he asked if he could help. I told him I needed sharp pencils and he said “No problem. They’ll be right here” and he took care of it for me! I’m sure that’s not his ‘role’, but what an amazing experience. We could all learn a thing or two from the Four Seasons team.

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Unique Experience 101

Supersizing case study #1

Giovanni — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:15:47 +0000

As part of my coaching process I teach my clients to find ways to ‘Supersize’… The term comes from the geniuses at McDonald’s who realized that there is HUGE profits and margins in simply asking clients if they want more of what they’ve already ordered. (Smiles are free….and asking your customers to ’supersize’ doesn’t cost anything either!!) This morning I was filling my gas tank like usual. Nothing out of the ordinary. As I go in to pay, the lovely attendant says, “Hi sir! Did you know the lottery jackpot is $17 million?! How many tickets would you like?” And I thought…”Wow. Finally! Someone who gets it” After buying a lottery ticket she asks, “Would you also like a cup of hot coffee? We just brewed it fresh…” A $40 gas fill-up turned into a $50 purchase by the time she was done with me, and all it took was a couple of questions. Cost? $0. Return? 25% increase on the spot. Genius.

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Supersizing case study #1

Fired over Facebook

Lennie Appelquist — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:21:20 +0000

Teenager fired for complaining about job on Facebook

Ok – here’s the deal. Don’t put anything on your social network pages that you don’t want the ENTIRE world to know about. You on Facebook is a window to your life – or so is the perception of people who read what you post on Facebook

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What NOT to put on Your Facebook Profile

The Power of Twitter Introductions

Lennie Appelquist — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:43:47 +0000

Funny thing happened on my way to filming a Twitter Introduction… Yesterday morning, I uploaded a Twitter Introduction Video to YouTube. I had seen a few others and thought that the notion of a Twitter Introduction video would be great. Twitter is such an amazing platform.

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The Power of Twitter Introductions

How To Develop A Mini eMail Trade Show!

Ed Roach — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:49:05 +0000

No matter where you look on the web, the key to making any money online is wrapped up in the list. Without one, you’ve got a major hurdle to clear. The following concept, may be your answer to fast-tracking exposure! At some point in time, you have probably visited a trade show within your industry. You saw legions of companies within your industry, selling goods from booths and visitors looking to buy or develop leads for themselves. Using this model, why not create your own mini trade show with friends or colleagues who compliment each other’s businesses? By combining the lists from say five to ten companies, who share the same target audience, put together a promotion to present a series of services to this body of contacts and feed off of each other. Here is how you could approach it:

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How To Develop A Mini eMail Trade Show!

Marketing Like a Rock Star, Take Two

Lennie Appelquist — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:38:36 +0000

Marketing Lessons From Christina Aguilera

While “cruising” around YouTube, I stumbled across this video of Christina Aguilera performing live in Sydney Australia. Watching this video (not my normal fare, but damn can she perform), I noticed how she uses so many sales and trainer techniques.

Learn the marketing lessons from this video:
Marketing Like a Rock Star, Take Two