Work Yourself Up!

What is Expert Status and Why is it Necessary?

2010-07-28T10:46:00-05:00

Do you have an online business? If you do, the second question is how are you doing? The bottom line is always the uppermost concern in your mind. To that end, creating expert status may be just the thing to catapult your business to the next level.

What is Expert Status?

Well, it is comprised of many things actually. Mostly, it is a tool to increase the number of people who patronize your online business. It involves raising your visibility level. Potential customers have to know that you exist before they can visit, get advice and buy your products.

But, you knew that already. You've told all of your friends and family, and also your church members and co-workers that you have begun an online venture. Your marketing strategy has served you well so far to draw traffic, but you wish you were doing better.

Here's a question: When you need help, who do you go to? Hopefully you seek out someone who knows what they are talking about on the subject. They are the experts and that is what you want to be.

Why Become an Expert?

Experts are not necessarily know-it-all people. They just know a lot about their chosen subject. As an online business owner, you had an interest in the niche you chose for your business enterprise. That alone means that you know a great deal more than the average person about your topic.

People like experts. They are the go-to person who takes the headache out of your research. If your information is helpful, these people will come back to you over and over again and bring others with them.

It sounds like a lot of work but it is well worth it. Besides, you love your chosen business niche (that's why you are in business) and you were going to do the work anyway. So why not reap the additional benefits of being an expert?

Experts have several things going for them:

- Can demand higher pay rates
- Credibility
- Increased visibility
- A sphere of influence

What's the necessity?

Expert status lifts you head and shoulders above the rest in your field. Where they KNOW about the basics of the niche, you go deeper to provide your customers with a better understanding of what you can offer them. That translates into many more dollars and cents.

So, are you interested in expert status now? It is a worthwhile venture for your online business that creates a win-win situation. The next step is to implement strategies to begin marketing yourself as an expert in your business area.

Increase Profits with a Multilevel Membership Site

2010-07-20T22:45:00-05:00

Membership sites are the hottest ticket these days. You can get in on the ground floor and ride the wave if you have the right setup and an idea that can satisfy the need of a number of people. Try a membership site that offers perks for a job well done.

Maybe your idea for a membership site is to get people to come and partake of your exclusive products. They can be privy to content that gives them more than the content they can find on other sites for free. The content is also well-written and informative. You can also offer them eBooks or special reports on various topics that they can use for personal growth.

If your membership site is in the business of showing people how to go into business for themselves, you have another unique opportunity. Let's say that with their membership, they receive access to content and other resources that teach them the basics of starting their own business. You can leverage that content and create a variety of other informational resources that you can offer to those who would dare to purchase a higher membership.

Those products could be for the intermediate online businessperson. This person already has a business but wants to know how to increase their profits. To do that, they would need to view some of the free videos you have available for an upgrade in membership.

Better still, is the highest membership level that includes other perks. Each level of your membership needs to be more enticing and deliver greater products than the level before. The information at each level will be enough to get them started and make them want more. Even include previews of what they can gain access to with a higher level membership.

This is just one example of a multilevel membership. Depending on your topic you can offer a variety of different perks that increase as membership does. But, you have to be prepared to give what you promise. If you want to appeal to everyone from the novice to the expert, you have to have that level of expertise within yourself.

Don't forget your affiliate program. Performing well here can earn them an upgrade in membership for a certain amount of sales completed. For you, your traffic and membership increases. For the member, they earn a commission as an affiliate and get a better membership without paying a dime out of their pocket to do it.

Give your members something to strive for with a multilevel membership program. If you don't have one now, you can always implement such a program to keep your members motivated to stay with you.

Creating Expert Status: Writing Articles

2010-07-12T22:43:00-05:00

What's the first thing you notice when you click on a website? There are words everywhere! No matter what other media marketing tools you use on your site, the ones that people still gravitate towards include words. Use article marketing to help you gain expert status as an online business owner.

Why Articles?

You might be wondering about articles. Perhaps you have shied away from them up until now because you don't write very well. Maybe your 11th grade English teacher scared the bejeebers out of you with her killer writing assignments. You don't have to go into therapy to write an article - simply write what you know.

Articles are the quickest and easiest way to drive traffic to your site. When people type all of those keywords into search engines, they are looking for information. It can come in a variety of forms but the one that most people know and are comfortable with is the article format. On your website, hopefully you have some form of content displayed there to keep your visitors happy.

Writing the Articles

Since you know a lot about the subject of your business, use that knowledge to elevate yourself to the level of expert. With what is trapped in your head, you could probably write a hundred articles.

How should you write? Create a list of topics that are related to your business. Because the subject is familiar, it will probably only take you about 30 minutes to write a 400 word article. This length is pretty normal for blog posts and article directories.

Did we mention article directories? These are the places where you will be submitting your articles to gain visibility. When you write articles, use the bio box to provide a link to your website so interested readers can find your business.

Some types of articles work better than others when it comes to promoting an expert status:

- How-To Pieces
- Tips
- Article Packs/Reports

With how-to articles and tips, you are sure to gain the reader's attention with bulleted and numbered points. Using numbers in the title also alert the reader that your work is something they want to check out. When you can put what you know into a format like this, you actually become an instant expert. And, the writing is fairly straightforward for those who doubt their skills.

An article pack can be created from ten or so articles that you have written on a similar subject. Marketing them on your site as a guide to "Learning Internet marketing" or whatever the subject of your business is.

Writing and submitting articles will get you noticed. Linking them to your website can increase your sales as you go from business owner to business expert.

Autoresponders and Keeping People Subscribed to Your List

2010-07-05T10:41:00-05:00

Autoresponders are a series of messages you can send to your list via email to let them know that you value their participation in your business. Autoresponder emails are not sales pitches but a way to communicate with people on your list that will hopefully lead to a sale.

If someone has signed up as a subscriber, then you know one thing already: they are interested in your niche. Your content, blog posts and other marketing tools have led them to believe that you just may have a product worth buying.

There are some people who find a site that they instantly click with and purchase right away. They are not usually the norm especially on the Internet where "sight unseen" can spell disaster and lost cash for customers. People will ask friends, visit review sites and follow you for a while before deciding to hit the checkout page.

Constructing an Autoresponder Email

Email marketing is an effective campaign when done right. Once you have someone's email address, you also have the addresses of their friends and their influence. You just have to get at it. Use targeted emails and an autoresponder service.

Autoresponder services take the guesswork out of delivering your email series. You can also deliver other products also, but that will come later.

If your emails read like a sales letter, you will probably get a lot of unsubscribe notices. Avoid this with these few tips.

1. Use keywords in your catchy headline. Headlines are going to be the first thing that your subscriber sees in their subject line. If you want them to open it, get straight to the point. Tell them exactly what they will find if they open the email. It could be the answer to a question you pose or specific information:"3 Easy Ways to Create a Family Budget."

2. Address your subscriber by name. General greetings don't let your reader know that you know them. It's a sign that you are too busy to actually be "connected" with your readership. Address each person directly in your email series.

3. Provide pertinent content. Begin with the question you posed or the statement you made in your headline. If you are focused your subscribers will be also. Give what you promise in as few words as possible - 300 to 400 words.

4. Ask them to do something. This is not a sales hook. If you are offering a free eBook with more information, this is when you discuss what they will find in it and provide a link to the landing page. If you would like them to opt-in for something else like a monthly newsletter, include that here.

5. Salutations. Use your real signature. Let them know that you are personally involved in everything that you send out to your subscribers and customers.

An autoresponder program lets you communicate with your subscribers in a variety of ways. What is important to them is what you say and how you say it through well-constructed emails.

Want More Backlinks? Try Guest Blogging

2010-06-30T10:40:00-05:00

Blogs are fun ways to get your expert information into the hands of others. Also, if you have a business website, blogs are useful for communicating with customers and prospects. If you don't have a blog yourself, consider lending your brain to someone else's and enhance the traffic coming your way at the same time.

When you run an online business website and/or a blog, there don't seem to be enough hours in the day. Providing quality content alone can take up several days not to mention handling the marketing and the administrative duties. For a few fortunate entrepreneurs, they have learned the benefit of outsourcing. With more time to concentrate on lead generation and traffic, guest blogging is more fun than marketing campaigns.

Blogging?

If you have written content for your site, then you can write a guest blog post. They are usually shorter and slightly less informative. That doesn't mean that the quality of the post isn't good, it just means that the surface of a topic is touched upon so that the reader will look forward to future posts for more information.

The field is wide open for you, initially, you'll want to blog on topics with which you have at least a passing familiarity. As you establish yourself as an expert in your business area (through other marketing tools), others may be beating down your door for the opportunity to have you guest blog for them.

Choosing where to Blog

Choosing the quality of your guest blogging venues is as important as choosing the quality of your backlinks. Always go forward and not backwards. Start with friends and business contacts. The super busy folks that are familiar with you won't usually pass up an offer to have someone else blog for them.

An intimate knowledge of the blog topics gives you an idea of what topics will work and which ones won't. Try to choose a topical area where you can write a series of similar articles. For instance, choosing a 4-part post on constructing email templates for your affiliates is easier to manage than four different post topics. Besides, your readers are sure to come back for more of the same.

Blogging Nuances

Ask about links in your posts. Some blog owners may say yes to contextual links or just offer you a bio box. Take either one and use it to your advantage to create quality backlinks.

Interact with those who comment. Getting to know your audience will increase their trust of you and the chances that they will click on your link and head on over to your website.

Want to increase backlinks to your site? Guest blogging for others whose sites can elevate your status swells the traffic to your site so you can make more sales.

Use Article Marketing to Gain Backlinks to Your Site

2010-06-23T10:39:00-05:00

Backlinks are an important traffic generation method. By linking to your site from other sites and blogs, visitors always know how to find you with a click of the mouse. Article marketing is one tool in your arsenal that can yield a wealth of backlinks.

Article Marketing

Many people overlook article marketing as outdated, but it gets the job done and in the simplest fashion. What you want with a website is traffic and credibility. With so many websites and blogs all clamoring for attention, having a terrific reputation goes a long way.

Article marketing lets you share quality content with other online entrepreneurs and writers. When you submit to article directories, others can view and use your content. You get the all-important resource box to lead others to your online headquarters so that they can see more of you.

If you find an article directory that allows links in the body of the content, then readers can click and immediately find themselves on your website. Or, you can use the resource box to post a direct link to your site.

Optimize Your Articles

While you are writing informative content that others will want to read, don't forget that these articles are also ranked by search engines. With each article consider using keywords to enhance your rankings.

Let's say that you were writing about baking. Well, "baking" is a common search word so you could use some other word like "bread" or "baking bread." For that two-word phrase you want to use try and rank this article high by having it appear naturally several times. For a 450-word article, you don't want your keywords to appear more than 4-6 times. Search engines frown on overstuffing with keywords.

Using Backlinks

If you get a chance to use contextual links, for goodness sake, don't use anchor text (the words that disguise the link) like "click here." That sounds just like an ad and others won't click it. Also, the service may frown on it as blatant advertising.

For your resource box, include catchy and enticing words. You will end with a link to your website, but this can be masked with anchor text as well instead of just the usual website address.

With your articles, don't give away all of your secrets. If you tell everyone all they want to know, why will they want to click and visit your website? Give them a taste of what you can offer. For the rest, they will have to make use of that link.

The written word will not be trumped no matter what anyone predicts. Article marketing has an important place in your marketing plan and adding links to all your articles (or resource boxes) multiplies your chances of success.

Creating Expert Status: Networking

2010-06-15T10:37:00-05:00

You may know a lot about your business niche, but does anyone else know that? If not, it's time to set yourself up as an expert.

Sometimes it is WHO you know that counts, like when you're trying to accomplish something and need help. On the path towards expert status, you will need others to reach the destination.

I know, I know - you are not the type of person to shamelessly self promote. Don't worry because there is no shame involved. To do any less, than tell others about what you have worked hard to learn, is selling yourself short and that IS shameful. Even for shy people, networking with others in the business world can only help. What makes it a bit easier is that you and those you network with are all after a common goal - increased profits.

Why Network?

Networking is important in business. Making connections with others in the online world increases your visibility which matters when you want to get noticed. Who do you rub elbows with? Begin with someone with influence in your business area like a guru of sorts. Get to know them by hanging out where they hang out - on their blog, in their social networking groups and by attending events they host or are speaking at.

Networking mutually benefits both parties. While you are getting to know them, don't forget to let them know who you are. When you comment on blogs, link those comments to your own blog and/or website. If you host a podcast, invite them to be a guest.

Other Ways to Network

Blogs and forums are not the only way that you can make a useful business connection to promote your expert business status. Join local and online business associations. This is not in name only. Do our part and get involved so that others see your face, hear your voice and notice your work.

Your involvement in these professional organizations is a two-way street. Use the time to give but also get. Ask questions when you need to. Sharing business tips, tricks and secrets is a part of the perks.

Don't neglect the social networking communities. Facebook and MySpace are a lot of fun for connecting with old friends, but they are also big forums for sharing business information. You can post new happenings on your website and links. You'll be surprised who sees and takes advantage of the news. Invite all of your fellow organizational members as well as clients and other business associates to be your friends so they can view posts to your Wall.

Networking can be intimidating especially for business owners who are not good at self-promotion. But, once you begin, you'll notice the benefits and get hooked.

Find a Niche for Your Membership Site

2010-06-07T10:35:00-05:00

What do some membership sites have over others? They have found a profitable niche to base their site upon. If you want to drive traffic and increase membership numbers, find a topic that people are interested in.

Finding a topic is not that hard but it does require some research. That is always the most important first step in any business venture. If you don't know what else is out there, how can you compete? How can you improve on an existing model?

Finding Your Topic

Start with what you know. English teachers always tell you to write what you know. That philosophy goes for business as well. If you are interested in fitness, begin your research there. Are there other membership sites on the topic of fitness, nutrition or both? If there is, find out what makes them stand out.

Within each topic there is room to move around. You can choose a niche within that general topic (fitness for example) to specialize your membership site. Maybe the site will offer fitness tools for women or men's fitness. One advantage that your niche membership site would have is a more focused approach to fitness for that particular gender.

Choosing Your Price

What is it about $0.95 or $0.99? It's almost as if people are saving a lot with only a few cents. Someone is more likely to pay $9.95 than $10.00. It must be a psychological thing but it works. Knock off a few cents and you are in business.

Your price will depend on two things: competitive prices and your offerings. If another fitness site offers membership for $9.99, you will have to have something spectacular if your price is higher. And, that might be possible if they offer the basics for their members. Choose membership tools that make life easier for your potential members.

Testing the Waters

If you already run a website or a blog, use that forum to gauge how much interest there is in your niche topic. Poll visitors; send survey links to customers and post engaging blog entries that beg feedback on your possible new enterprise. You don't want to sink money into a venture that won't even get off the ground.

Want to start a membership site that will make you a profit? Research topics for your site and explore niche possibilities that will bring you the traffic and the money. But, when you find a worthy niche, you will see a recurring income each month from your hard work.

Creating Expert Status: Using Your Noggin, Not Your Muscle

2010-06-01T10:34:00-05:00

Achieving expert status is not all hard work. What it takes is a mind that is open and knowledgeable about their business subject. With a little bit of creativity, you can leverage what you do already to increase sales and product variety.

The first part of any strategy you use to become an expert is visibility. Others have to know that you exist and have something important to say. Through article writing and distribution and networking with other business owners, your "sphere of influence" will begin to grow.

But you are still just scratching the surface. Wouldn't you like to take advantage of tools that help you become an expert without expert work? We figured that you might. So, here are some ways that you can do that.

The Pitch

Let's say that you have been writing articles and submitting them to article directories. You might have even written enough to be considered an expert on a certain topic on that site. Ezinearticles.com has experts who blog, answer questions, write articles and provide other multimedia content. Having that label there is a big boost for your business.

The Hit

Those articles are not just articles but pages of potential. One piece of written content can give rise to another. Look at your articles with new eyes. See them turning into:

- eBooks
- Special Reports
- Audio products
- Video products
- Course material
- Seminars

The list goes on but you get the idea. The information in the articles can morph into each one of these. Better yet, take a series of articles, bundle them to create a special report or an eBook if there is a lot of information. Take each section of the eBook and create a course that customers can buy. Add audio and video to the course and turn your course material into a study guide to accompany them.

It's Out of the Park

Instead of one solitary article that has increased your visibility through article marketing you now have leveraged that article into a variety of product offerings all of which will add to your expert status and your bottom line. Instead of the press release saying that you have written hundreds of articles, it will also say that you the author of several eBooks, business courses and a lecturer. If that doesn't say expert nothing does.

If you have a bunch of articles floating around in cyberspace or just sitting on your PC, give them a second look. Each one can bring a new product for sale and a new path to expert status for you.

Building Your List through Opt-Ins

2010-05-25T10:33:00-05:00

Building a list of email addresses saves time when you are trying to reach your target market. You have a dedicated group of individuals or companies that you already know are interested in your product. But, how can you get these people on your list to begin with?

What are Opt-Ins?

You have seen them before but probably didn't know that they had a specific name. When you visit a site and they offer you a reduced rate on a product or something free, they usually ask for a name and email address so that they can send it to you. When you volunteer this information, it is called "opting in."

Opt-ins is one way to build your list of targeted customers. People protect their personal information very carefully. If they decide to even give you an email address, then they have demonstrated right there a level of trust that will be the backbone characteristic of your list.

The trick is getting people to opt-in in the first place. For this, there is no trick. But, what you might want to do is to include a disclaimer link on your opt-in forms to let those who sign up know exactly how their information will be used. Without one, you will be considered a spammer if you send unsolicited information to them. With one, you assure people that you will not sell their information to others to build paid lists.

What type of opt-in offers will you promote? It all depends on your niche market and what these potential customers want. One thing that everyone wants on the Internet is information. Helpful information can take your business places that you can't reach in other ways.

Much of the info on the Internet is recycled over and over again. Offering a mix of original, up-to-date resources and content with common sense tips can be your ticket to creating a successful list of email addresses. This includes content on your website and your blog.

Types of Opt-Ins

So, what will you offer? Think free. Everyone loves free stuff. On the Internet, the free stuff shouldn't be just any stuff but relevant information that they can use.

For example, if you have a website that sells homeschooling products, consider giving away a free report on how to teach algebra to pre-teens. This is only an example. What you want to do is create a freebie that is relevant to your target audience. If they already homeschool their kids, then tips on how to do it more efficiently will most likely peak their interest.

You can also offer longer pieces like eBooks. Usually, if you offer a valuable eBook, then it is not your first opt-in offering. You are pretty sure that the ones who will sign up for it are going to buy something else. Maybe use the eBook as a freebie for customers who have bought once, to help encourage them to buy again.

Opt-in pages are a popular way to gain trust and encourage buying from your visitors. Whatever you decide to offer, be sure that you follow through on your promise. Better yet, over deliver on it!