Ask Jim Cobb

Social Media Week 12/06 by Google Me Talk Radio | Blog Talk Radio

2011-12-06T14:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a jam packed show. You may want to check out today's Show...

Social Media Week 12/06 by Google Me Talk Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Social Media Week 12/05 by Google Me Talk Radio | Blog Talk Radio

2011-12-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

You will not want to miss this week

Social Media Week 12/05 by Google Me Talk Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Spin To Win or Lose Everything how big is your pot of gold

2011-01-13T16:49:00.000-05:00

Spin To Win or Lose Everything how big is your pot of gold

Jim Cobb wants to help you get the word out.

2011-01-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

Jim Cobb wants to help you get the word out. Make sure to leave your questions in the comments.

If things go wrong, don't go with them.

2011-01-11T08:29:00.000-05:00

If things go wrong, don't go with them. Don't sweat the small stuff

Sorry For The Google Me Delay

2010-11-13T13:31:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delays here is...Securing your Google Branding by saying "Google Me" Take the first steps just click the Cinch button below:

Secure Your Google Branding Before They Do

2010-09-27T19:53:00.001-04:00

Secure your Google branding before some else does. Take the first steps just click the Cinch button below:

Or Click Here to Directly go to my micro podcast at CinchCast.com:

AskJimCobb.com Meets Cinchcast

2010-09-24T15:34:00.001-04:00

It's really time to get back to blogging. So AskJimCobb.com Meets Cinchcast.com

So here is my first Cinch Cast:

Or Click Here to Directly go to my micro podcast at CinchCast.com:

Google Branding - Just Say Google Me

2010-05-10T16:54:00.002-04:00

Google Branding is one of the most powerful Google marketing and Google branding strategy on the Internet Today. People and business worldwide invest millions of dollars branding. Let me talk about Google Me Branding and how you can do it with no financial invest. The only investment you will have is your time. Listen in to the power of Google Me.

Google Me Talk Radio - Monday May 10th, 2010 - 7:00 US edt - Replay availibe for download or replay after the show.

Cartoon Advertising

2010-03-21T11:27:00.000-04:00

Cartoon Advertising, Another advertisement trick that is seldom used: Cartoons are much more apt to be read than advertisements. Try making your ad in the form of a cartoon! Cartoon ads work much better than regular ads. Also your magazine or newspaper editor will thank you because good cartoon ads make a publication more fun to read and help him sell his publication.

Marketing is not a battle of products or services

2010-03-20T11:38:00.000-04:00

Marketing is not a battle of products or services. It is a battle of perceptions. The only thing that counts is how you are perceived in the minds of the customers. Consider the interesting story of a mustard company that was trying to sell their product. Just mustard! They created an illusion, the perception that their mustard was the absolute best. That it was sought after by the wealthy, the connoisseur of excellent food! Pardon me sir, but would you have any Grey Poupon? But of course! And the company raised their price above the competition and customers flocked to buy it! How do you want to be perceived in the minds of your customers? For more on this, be sure to read The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout. Available on line at Amazon.com.

Word of mouth advertising is the best!

2010-03-20T11:34:00.000-04:00

Word of mouth advertising is the best! Strive to get REPEAT business. It is very expensive to bring those first time customers into your place of business. Smile and be friendly to your customers even if they don’t buy anything. They may come back and bring their friends. Make it a goal to delight your customers. Don’t underestimate the power of a smile. Besides, it helps the whole community when you demonstrate to visitors what southern hospitality is all about!

Placing an advertisement in the newspaper or a magazine?

2010-03-20T11:26:00.000-04:00

Take a minute to page through and study the advertisements that others are using. Now how can you make your ad stand out? When people are reading a magazine or newspaper you have only seconds for them to notice your ad. If there are heavy borders around all the ads you see, make your ad without borders. Is everything in color? Make yours black and white. If everything is in black and white run a color ad. Perhaps try running the ad upside-down!! MAKE YOUR AD STAND OUT FROM THE REST SO IT WILL BE NOTICED!

Effective Uses Email Presentation Videos Online Marketing Tools for the Online Business

2010-02-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

Let;s face it, there is no better way of creating relationships and delivering video presentation content than through email video. And creating relationships and keeping visitors interested is what internet marketing is all about. If you take the informal bulletin board style approach to delivering web content and emails where all you talk about is yourself and your credentials then don't be surprised if the only thing you attract is obscurity.

I mean take a look at what you have at your fingertips. Essentially you have a billion channel networks where even the smallest, MLM or network marketer can advertise effectively with the proper know how and approach.   Here are some of the uses of video that can really turbo charge your network marketing business.

Talk about getting personal. There is no better way to create that positive first impression than through the proper use of email presentation videos.   The key here is to deliver a video marketing message that has optimal impact with your audience -- and deliver it with personal appeal.   You need to see it to believe it.

Email presentation videos can be used to show "how to" do something that has wide appeal to your target market. Once you have your companies video or maybe you found one on YouTube you like it can be used to drive traffic to your site and your product. This helps establish credibility and provides a free service to your prospect or clientele creating the relationship and trust needed for your target market to purchase from you.   These are both critical elements for effectively selling a product or service on the internet.

How about using video to stay in contact with your clients. Again the personalized approach works on the net and this is a great way of keeping your businesses or product in front of your existing teams and clients.   Of course by developing your video marketing masterpiece where you are advertising your product or service using the effective marketing techniques using email presentation videos.

How about advertising a new product launch. Wow your prospect and customers with your new product by showcasing it in the best light with the strongest marketing appeal.

Obviously video, when done properly, will help you reach more prospects and establish those relationships necessary to convert visitors into customers and long term relationships. Do the research yourselves and you will find nothing to indicate the contrary. Email Video Presentation is being classified as the future of online marketing.

Well my friends -- the future is now.
Now take a look and see the Power of Email Video Presentation

Market Like A Virus - Viral Marketing

2010-02-20T10:41:00.001-05:00

In today's Internet Marketing, conversations are cropping up all over the place. People are talking. They are talking about products. They are talking about businesses. And they are certainly talking about their experiences and there brand.

When you look at how blogs, forums and social networking sites have exploded in the last 5 years, you can see how powerful word-of-mouth is. But the question is, is it all really important? Can it really help your business and your branding?

Yes, if you have not got it by now you will when your competitors get a head of you in the worldwide web race. You don't need to be controversial, either. I'm talking creating systems to leverage, manage and profit from the "buzz."

Word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful lead and business generation processes there is. But we know it more as viral marketing but today lets think of is as VIRUS MARKETING.

VIRUS MARKETING is the process of implementing means or tools through which the knowledge of your existence self- propagates. Like a virus, your visibility spreads throughout a network of people who refer you to each other.

Notwithstanding the power of backlinking, traffic and branding yourself, virus marketing is key for a number of reasons. Success in the offline world is location. The Internet is no different. Your success depends highly on the number of locations (Google Real Estate) you appear online - places on which your site, link, company or product name exist.

In essence, to expand your reach, you need to be in as many places as possible, talked about by as many people as possible and be in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

With virus marketing, there are three ways of doing it:

    Create content
    Create personal branding
    Create personal branding systems

The first is self-explanatory. Your content may be controversial virus or buzz. It may create raging fans, followers, subcribers - or nutball enemies.

The second is simple: you create your brand — whether it's a video, blogging, podcasting, software, ebooks, etc - that people can pass around, and thus proliferates the knowledge of your existence on the web through other people's efforts.

My focus is on the third: creating a personal branding system, a virus driven system, aka viral marketing system.

Before I share some examples, let me explain why word-of- mouth works wonders. Those who get to know you or to know about you through a third party grant you a higher level of confidence, credibility and loyalty. This is social proof in action.

In other words, if you tell people you're the best, that you're the leader in your field, or that your product is the best solution to their needs, your self-serving promotional bias makes it all suspect.

However, if someone other than you - whether it's on a blog, in an email, on a social networking site or in person - says to another that you are indeed the best or that you do have the best solution to their problems, how much more believable will that person's statement be? How much more credible and trustworthy?

The answer is "definitely more." So now YOU become a buzz , and you blast out all of the marketing sphere and you get attention.

Accordingly, word-of-mouth is not only important because it creates an awareness of your business , but also it is important to the degree to which third party marketing indirectly communicates greater credibility, superiority and value of the products or services you provide.

People don't buy the best - they only think they do. They usually buy the leader (or what they perceive as being the best). And that perception is often molded by what they are told and by what others do, not by what is fact or by what is being advertised.

Coke, for example, outsells Pepsi. But according to Ries, taste tests reveal that Pepsi is the better tasting brand. So, why does Coke still beat Pepsi in sales? It is not because it is the leader in the marketplace or promoted itself as such but because it is known as the leader. And the reason it is known as the leader is because Coke was the first cola "in the mind" of the marketplace.

It is the one most talked about, even to this day. When a person is introduced to cola for the first time, they are often told to try Coke. Restaurant patrons still ask for "coke," even when Pepsi is the only cola served. Why is that? While other colas are bombarding them with marketing messages, people have heard of Coke first, and most likely from other people.

Consequently, if people hear about you from other people, and not some advertisement or pitch, this social proof will create not only a virusbuzz about you but also an almost instant trustworthiness.

How do you do that? The most significant method is to be the first. If your business or website is unique, focuses on a niche or is the first in some category, the knowledge of your existence will spread quite naturally, almost like wildfire. It becomes virus in and of itself, in other words.

Now, I'm not saying you need to be new. I'm only saying you need to be unique. Or better yet, you need to be the first. Whether it's branding you to a new niche, or adding a new twist to an existing product, you become the first.

Don't be the best, be the first. But more important, "Don't be the first in the marketplace, be the first in the MIND of the marketplace."

Popularity of Social Media Websites & Branding

2010-02-20T08:08:00.000-05:00

There has been a significant jump in the popularity of social media websites over the past few years. With it has come a shift in the way that people search for information and how they share and consult opinions on the internet when making purchasing decisions.

Social media sites such as StumbleUpon, Redit and Digg, give users a voice on the internet by providing tools to connect, exchange views, share content, information, and recommend products and services using the "thumbs up or down" approach. This has caused a huge shift in the way people search for information online. More and more, Internet marketers rely on the opinions of others before they buy into the validity of a product or service. "Word of mouth" is no longer only from mouth to ear, but is more frequently spread on social media sites and it has never been so powerful. Any product or service deemed worthy is promoted, shared, or discouraged against in these online social communities.

Social Media Marketing (SMM) targets users by promoting content through bookmarking, blogging, online video sharing, and social networking to potentially expand audience and drive traffic. Businesses are beginning to understand the power of these influences when it comes to establishing a reputation and growing their online business. Social media marketing strategies such as a business' engagement in various social media websites can help to generate branding and a personal connection with its users.

Business Profiles

One of the most important social media marketing methods includes posting business profiles on social media websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Instead of waiting around for consumers to come to you, you have to reach out to your target audience. Solidifying your presence in the social media community creates a direct interaction between business and consumer that may not dramatically improve conversion rates but is definitely capable of establishing branding power and credibility. The valuable feedback consumers provide promotes insight in determining what business strategies are working and what could be re-evaluated to make a website more user-friendly.

Search Results

The influence of social media sites has changed the way search engines define placement. Images, videos and news content featured on social media sites such as Youtube, Digg, and Flickr are equally capable of sitting comfortably at the top of the search results leaving others, who have not yet jumped on the social media bandwagon, a little confused.

Effective Social Media Marketing Strategies

Take a hint from the popular social media websites by adding some type of interactive quality to your website. Engage the viewer and create an atmosphere of inclusion and direct contact that encourages a user to come back and visit again. Forums and social applications can help you compete for traffic in an evolving market.

Become an expert in your niche. Yahoo Answers is a great place to start. You can create a business or company profile and begin answering direct questions and supplying information to those in your target audience.

Join Social Networks. Social networking provides a means to promote association and the exchange of knowledge while also establishing business contacts and connections. Post your business profile in the popular social and business networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn, but also make sure to concentrate your attention on your niche audience by joining social media networks that represent and support your business or company’s ideas.

Some examples of popular niche social networks include:

TravBuddy.com for the traveller
Tipd.com for those seeking financial advice
AutoSpies.com providing money saving and insider information on cars
Publish articles to popular social media news sites such as Mixx.com, Digg.com, and Propeller.com. These sites allow you to post articles and vote on news stories.

Share videos and images by setting up accounts with Youtube.com, PhotoBucket.com and Flickr.com, leaders in online video and imaging to reach a broad or targeted audience.

Social bookmarking on sites such as Del.ici.ous and Ma.gnolia.com provide an opportuníty to store and share links.

Blogging enables you to provide information and updates about your business to customers.

Businesses that incorporate social media marketing into their conventional marketing plan have the advantage of reaching audiences using a whole new approach. The benefits of branding and traffic are just the tip of the iceberg. Establishing your business as a leading authority in your industry promotes good quality links and better search engine placement, which in turn increases sales

My Review of Energy - After Burn

2010-01-19T16:35:00.001-05:00

Originally submitted at Onlineshoes.com

Turn up the heat with Skechers Energy After Burn. This stylish jogger features a leather upper with webbed eyerow details, as well as a compression-molded EVA midsole for comfort and shock absorption. The lug rubber outsole adds superior traction. Choose Energy After Burn and leave the competi...

Broke Them In Today - Comfort & Balance

By Cobbie from Columbus, Ohio on 1/19/2010

Sizing: Feels true to size

Width: Feels true to width

Pros: Cushions Impact, Good Arch Support, Comfortable, Lightweight, Great for a heavy weight, Pronation Control, Responsive, Durable

Cons: No Cons - Just Right

Best Uses: Working out, With Orthotics/Inserts, Walking, Everything

Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational

Arch Type: Low Arch

This is my second pair of Skechers. I had the first one for over 4 year. I am a heavy weight 300+ lbs and have been working out for the last three months. I just broke my Skechers in today on a treadmill and walked over 6 mile. The comfort and balance that I experienced was awesome. I recommended them to three of my friends today. Thanks Skechers!!!!!

Jim Cobb

Heavy Weight Uses Skechers to Lose 50+ lbs

(legalese)

Stop Wishing And Start Building Your Business

2009-10-16T15:32:00.000-04:00

The founder of Chrysler Motors once said the reason so many people never get anywhere in life is because when opportunity knocks, they are out in the backyard looking for four-leaf clovers. Sure, we all do a little four-leaf clover hunting now and then. But when I decided to stop wishing and start building my career I discovered that running a successful business was very much within my reach.

I don't have a fancy degree. My IQ is average. My talents are ordinary. My dad isn't rich. But, I run my own business and make a good living because of three things:

-    The power of the Internet.
-    The right tools and support.
-    Persistence.

I discovered that through the Internet I can reach thousands of people all over the world to market my business. I learned about simple Internet tools that actually build my business for me! And I found out the key to my Internet success isn't about talent, it's about persistence.

If you are ready to build your personal income, if you aren't afraid to color outside the lines of traditional business, if you have persistence--then it's time to stop wishing and start letting the Internet work for you!

It's The Stupid Money

2009-10-05T09:14:00.001-04:00

Why are so many smart people choosing the Internet market as a career? It's the money, stupid! Think about it. When it comes to what you do for living, your earning potential has to rate pretty high on the list--unless you want to live on Spam sandwiches! But there's more to it than that. People are choosing Internet businesses because:

You don't need special talent or training to succeed.

You can make VERY GOOD MONEY.

-    You can be in charge.
        You can make VERY GOOD MONEY.

-    You can grow your business at your own speed.
        You can make VERY GOOD MONEY.

-    You can work out of your home.
        You can make VERY GOOD MONEY.

-    All you need is a computer and a few inexpensive Internet
        tools.

        You can make VERY GOOD MONEY.

The best thing is that you can start right now! You don't need to quit your day job--but you may decide to. When I chose to start my own business as an online entrepreneur I quickly found out that I can make more money than some of my friends who slave away in the traditional business world.

Facts about your Online Business

2009-10-04T09:13:00.000-04:00

Everywhere you turn you hear about the millions to be made on the Internet. It makes you want to drop whatever you're doing and start your Internet business! But, how do you know what is fact and what is fiction? What do you need to know to make an informed choice about your financial future?

I asked these same questions when I first discovered the Internet as a serious business building tool. I did my homework and I believe I have something valuable to share with others who are considering a career on the Internet. Here are just a few important facts you should know before you start.

Fact: Thousands of people will begin online businesses this year--most of them will quit before they make a profit.

Fact: To succeed in Internet marketing you only need ordinary talent and average intelligence, but you need extraordinary persistence.

Fact: Running a successful online business isn't rocket science but it does require commitment and hard work.

Fact: All Internet businesses are NOT equal. Affiliating yourself with the right support company can make the difference between success and failure.

Fact: You CAN earn a good living as an Internet entrepreneur.

I learned some of this stuff the hard way, but you don't have to.

The Greatest Single Source Of Wealth Is YOU...

2009-10-03T09:10:00.000-04:00

When I was teaching a business seminar a few weeks ago I said this to over 1000+ attendees...

"The single greatest source of wealth is between your ears."

A lot of the attendees looked at and me really hard. But did you get that? It's not about who you know, where you went to school or how much money you have to invest In fact, it's not even about how clever you are. There are millions of poor clever people in the world.

Dreams: Determination: Diligence Here it is in a nutshell-if you've got a mind to succeed you can! I had the three "D's" of success, but I just wasn't getting ahead in the traditional business world.
Then I discovered the Internet business world and everything fell into place. The power of the Internet provided my business a huge market area-world wide, in fact! it can do the same thing for you.
Forget those get rich quick schemes.

People who try to get something for nothing usually end up losing their shirt. But you can succeed as an Internet entrepreneur if you have the three "D's"and a few simple online tools. Before you make a decision about starting a home-based online business, get the facts.

Quit Now, You Will Never Make It

2009-10-02T09:10:00.000-04:00

Quit now, you'll never make it--ignore this advice and you're halfway there, says film producer David Zucker. How many people miss out on success because they quit before they start? How many others drop out when the goal is almost within reach? How many business opportunities are lost because someone was afraid to take the first step?

Have you dreamed of owning your own business? Then make that dream a goal and don't quit!

With the power of the Internet thousands of people are able to work in their house as web-based business owners. You can be one of them. You don't need to be smarter or more talented to make it happen. You just need a few simple tools and some determination.

Whether you've been in business for years, or don't have the first idea where to start--you can earn more money and build your market area through the Internet. When you go online with your business your target market instantly becomes worldwide! The limitations inherent with traditional business simply don't exist for online business.

But you can't just sit back and hope that someday all the conditions will be just right. If you wait for that day you'll still be sitting and wishing in 50 years! Instead, you only need to make a decision right now to explore the possibilities of an Internet career.

I Dare To Dream... by Susan Boyle - Live For Today But Plan For Tomorrow

2009-09-28T14:01:00.003-04:00

I just finished the book "I Dare To Dream" by Susan Boyle. It really made me think..

Other people are so busy worrying about tomorrow they never actually live at all!

What about you? Does your career offer you the freedom to live for today and still have something left over to plan for tomorrow?

If not, then don't waste one more minute. It's time to find a business that let's you live well--today and tomorrow. Thanks to the power of the Internet ordinary people like you and me are earning very good incomes working in your house. Starting a web-based business is much easier than you can imagine.

-    You don't need to take out a loan for a big investment.
-    You don't need a fancy degree or special training.
-    You do need a few simple online tools.
-    You do need persistence.

If you're ready for a move in the right direction, today is the right time, the Internet is the right vehicle, and where you're sitting at this moment is the right place, Susan Boyle was, NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

Do You Really Love Your Job

2009-09-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

Come on, be honest with yourself. Do you really love what you do?
Or do you spend endless hours in a job that drains you and leaves you with no time or energy to enjoy life? Do you ever wonder if you're seeking success the long way around? Albert Schweitzer says that success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.

If you love what you're doing you will be successful.

A lot of people just like you are spending too much time downtown in gray partitioned cubicles when they could be making better money by working at home. No, you don't have to be a novelist, an artist or wealthy investor to work at home!

The power of the Internet now makes it possible for you to earn a very good income without ever leaving your house.

Whether you already have a business or a product of your own or even if you don't have the first idea how to begin an online business--you can succeed with a few simple tools and a little persistence and determination. I can tell you personally that it's well worth the time.

How Much Money Can You Earn

2009-09-25T07:53:00.002-04:00

Every year Parade Magazine runs a special "career edition," in which they highlight hundreds of people in every career imaginable and actually tell the world how much money those people earn. It amazes me that people's incomes often have very little to do with how difficult their job is. In today's free market world you can work long and hard and make very little money--if what you do isn't highly valued by those who pay your salary. But there is a flip side to that coin.

In today's free market society your earning potential is virtually unlimited if you tap into a target market that sets a high value on what you can provide. Let me put that a different way.
You can name your price if you can tap into the right market!
That is what makes Internet marketing a gold mine for many businesses. By tapping into a world-wide target market you can build your business using simple web tools that bring dependable results.

- You don't have to have a degree.
- You don't have to make a big investment.
- You don't have to spend big bucks for advertising.

Through the power of the Internet you can run a successful business in your house. You most definitely can earn more than your stressed out, hard working friends in the traditional business world.

The Internet lets you work smarter, not harder!