But in the meantime…check out the retro logo for ProfitPathz…I used to love it but it made the site feel too much like Halloween everyday!

I’ll be back soon…

Bryan

Hey guys…I browse through several blogs on the internet every week looking for interesting content for online businesses.   So here I am again with IM (Internet Marketing) Article Roundup.

This segment will attach any interesting article I find, regardless of the time it was published.  It could have been this past week…it could have been last year.  But they will be interesting and beneficial to you.

Now here are the most interesting internet marketing articles I could find this week…

Google’s 200 Ranking Factors: The Complete List

This first article was created by Brian Dean and it’s a monster! If you’re not sure you have everything Google wants to rank higher than this is a pretty good read.  It may take you some time and I honestly have to go over it again myself. I suggest that you go through the entire article because it is long but very thorough.  I admit I have not ventured into half the stuff I’ve read here. Check it out!

How to Build (Rebuild) Trust

This hybrid article/podcast by Michael Hyatt resonated with me personally because this is truly what you’re seeking in order to build your audience.  I admit struggling with this sometimes myself so I’m listening and I thought you might do the same.  Check out this very relevant post on how to build or rebuild trust.

7000 Newsletter Subscribers from 1 YouTube Video (Traffic strategies with Incredible ROI)

I like everything about this article. It really goes beyond the actual title in it’s scope.  So I think it’s a good read from the beginning quote, to the productivity video, all the way to the last sentence.  This is truly an epic article to say the least. I’m even having trouble tearing away from reading it again as I write this!

10 Tips to Create a Sales Page that Converts Prospects to Customers

Now an article after my own heart on Salescopy. It’s really in depth with case studies and tips.  So even if you don’t have the copywriting skills, I still advise you to check out this latest article to help you sell better in print. The differences in selling with words are a lot different than the olden days. So give this one a read.

Ok…let me know what you think about the IM articles this week. And if I’ve missed some that should’ve been included, give me a holla!

http://ryanlee.com/wso/

http://ryanlee.com/illusion/

and then come back and Review this slight rebuttal.

I say slight because I don’t necessarily agree or disagree with everything Ryan says. Nor do I believe that everything he wrote was good or bad or indifferent…maybe a little of all of the above.

Now if you read the articles you might see where I’m going with a grain of salt. You simply can’t forget it, especially with these articles and the behavior that is brought out because of it.

Let’s define grain of salt for a moment…well I won’t do it.  Here’s how this site explains it:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/take-with-a-grain-of-salt.html

So…a proof against poison? Hmmmm…

Giving out Poison w/o Realizing it

So am I suggesting that the articles Ryan wrote were poisonous in nature… Of course not.  I’m actually a huge fan of this guy and highly respect him. He’s a fellow New Englander!

But what happens from these articles is an incitement of a behavior that can be kinda close for some people in his audience.

And although Ryan has it altogether, the people receiving this information may not… So when you don’t have control over everyone, in my opinion it is best to be as careful with your words as possible.

Case in point: it was one dude in the comments that was a hype man for Ryan cheering him on. And others you know shouting alot of negative noise and blah blah blah…Look.

Is this what we should be teaching? You decide but…salt it down!

Is there Ever a Right or Wrong Way to do Your Business?

There was a point Ryan made about staying in a bubble to market your products or services. To this I say, what is wrong with staying in a bubble as long as that person is happy doing so. Is that really wrong?

He was talking about the warrior forum but let’s take some more examples:

• What if the market only did his business on Facebook… Is that wrong?
• What is someone only did business on Amazon, or eBay….

  Is it incorrect that someone only stays in one particular field?

I’m a writer by nature but I am only a nonfiction writer. So if I don’t do fiction, am I not a good writer all of sudden? Why is staying in a bubble supposedly wrong? I can’t agree with that at all.

If someone is comfortable staying in a particular field or a quote unquote bubble, God bless him/her. They shouldn’t be ridiculed or told that they are inferior because they don’t do more than what you believe they should be doing.

Providing Solutions should always be the Reaction

If you’re witnessing something that you feel is wrong in your industry, why is the first reaction to say that they are all crappy or whatevah? Is that really helping anyone?

I don’t think I’ve ever heard  anyone in this industry recommend negativity as a way of helping people solve their problems.  Now creating controversy is obviously a great marketing tool but are we creating a solution to the problem or making things worse?

This is why you must always carry around your grain of salt to have a mind that isn’t totally influenced my everything you see and hear.

For example: I will never forget a webinar I attended where there was a guest presenter recommending Go Daddy to buy your domains. The host presenter was adamant, almost furious of the notion that he would recommend Go Daddy and quickly interrupted and stated that they never use Go Daddy to buy their domains. They don’t believe in buying anything from the from Go Daddy and neither should we…? Huh?

And he cited one singular example that made his entire case for this decision.  For the record, I’ve never ever had a problem with Go Daddy and I’ve been buying domains from them almost since their inception.

But if I just said, “you know what…you’re right because your this guy…”, and then change my whole philosophy, What good would that actually do me? None. Cuzit’s not necessary.

So please take your grain of salt with you at all times… Because just like you can’t believe everything you see on TV, you certainly can’t believe everything you read on a blog post. Including this one.

The whole premise of this blog is for you to create your own path to profits. So choose wisely and make the best business decisions for You. I’m out.

Shouldn’t they charge for this stuff?

Isn’t it costing them money to give out this content for free?

What is the method to this madness really?

Well that is what we will discuss today.  Free information is usually the gateway to get your customers in the door and once they’re in, it’s usually a easier to close them.  If no one’s coming in the door then you don’t have a business.

So let’s discuss why you should never underestimate the power of free information:

Here’s what you’ll find in this article:

• Four basic reasons to use free information
• The value of using free information for business growth
• The use of Free information for Branding

No Risk Way to Take a Chance on You

Getting people in the door is at least half the battle and free information is a way of saying you can’t be harmed.  There is no risk in free stuff. No cost. No one gets hurt. It’s really a win-win for all parties involved.

If they don’t like the content then it’s no biggie.  But if they do, the benefits for you are tremendous. Because now you can turn these freebie visitors into buyers.

How do you do this? Give away article posts like this one on this blog.  Give out free reports or do YouTube videos. Webinars or Teleseminars are great ways to give out free info. Email courses and yes…snail mail.

But the main thing is to realize is, if it’s free, they will try you out for size and take a chance on you.  But don’t screw that opportunity is the key.

Show the Value of Your Content

So continuing on with not screwing up this opportunity deal.  Your free information has to be killer!  It has to be so good that the visitor will want to come back in the door for more.

You can’t give ‘em junk.  This where some marketers go awry.  This is the time to make your best impression so give them the red carpet treatment.  Give them something that you would sell for a price.

Let me say that again…Give them something you would pay for yourself.

Because if you give them something that you wouldn’t even pay for, why would they trust to invest in anything you else you offer them?

So show your best stuff and you’ll be almost guaranteed to have them come back for more…and buying your stuff!

Free Info Brings Free Traffic

If for no other reason, free content will provide you free traffic.  And isn’t this what we all need. More and more people coming into the store?

Your lifeblood online especially depends on it.  And if you’re giving things away for free, at least you will have them coming to the table.  People from all around will find you.

Your content will be searched. You will get visits and it will continue to come as long as you continue to provide the info.

Now this isn’t a how-to traffic tutorial but being diverse or concentrating on one source of traffic are your two options.  Whatever works for you is the way you should go.  But starting with one option and mastering that should be your direction first.

So go with free stuff and you will boost your traffic in no time…and for free!

Free Info Strengthens Your Brand

Let’s say you have a blog with an archive filled with valuable articles.  Then you have a YouTube Channel stocked with valuable marketing videos.  Then you have a Facebook fanpage or group where you interact and share hot content.  And Twitter, Tumblr…etc.

The fact is the more you get your face and content out there, the more people will trust in you.  They will see that you are actually doing something and that you’re not going anywhere.

It’s a big contrast from blogs you see that are wasting away or FanPages that are vacant (guilty).  Not to say that you have to use every blog and social site known to man.

But the more people see you doing something. Giving out content, being consistent and creating products regularly, the more they will trust and invest in you.

This is branding.  And free information is one of the best ways to keep your brand alive and strong.  Having people invest their time in you is where you want to be.

But is all starts with free information.

So this is why you should never take free information for granted.  Give and give away again…till they trust you enough to invest in you.  Eventually they will.  And even if they don’t, that’s ok too.

You at least will have people who will invest their time in reading and viewing your content and there’s always value in that.  If you’ve read this article from top to bottom, you should understand this clearly.

So let me know if you are having trouble with giving away free information or if you think this is not the best way to go.  Giving out cheap info at a cost could be another option but it doesn’t provide all the advantages of free.

Perhaps will talk about that next.  But send a comment on your ideas as well. I’m out for now!

No one wants to ultimately ruin the reputation of their brand right?  I know I didn’t so I had to correct what I was putting out there in my sales copy.  And I’m sure you may have similar concerns or experiences when you launch(ed) your online products.

So here are three ways to make sure that you don’t play yourself and lie to your visitors about what your latest product or service can do…

1. Balance the Hype

Anyone can smell hype a mile away. There are more skeptics (smart skeptics) than believers out there so exactly what can you do about not over-hpying them?

Well hype is good and necessary whether you believe that or not. You have to create an air of excitement and a buzz that draws people emotionally. But it must be balanced.  You can’t have people flying high with enthusiasm only to have them crashing down with disappointment.

So you have to balance the excitement with practical application. Let them know that it’s not going to be all easy…there must be work involved to get good results.  So balance it out and you’ll have your visitors excited but cautiously informed.

2. Don’t Overplay Your Experience

This should be self explanatory but it must be stated just in case. If you’re selling a training course or service, only promote your real experience. People will call you out on what you say you are. If you can’t back it up, that’s a problem.

Even if you’re promoting a product, only display the results you have with it to date.  No need to say that your products and services can give people miraculous results when you’ve never experienced them.

Now some may see this as a crutch and I understand that.  But you’ll be better served just being truthful about what you know period.  If you can only take people to a certain point, then make sure you can do that to the best of your ability and you can makes sales this way.

And if your product doesn’t have much data as far as results then…say it’s in beta mode or its in the intial-stage. Be honest about your data and work on the proof of the product over time.

3. Promote Real Expectations

Set realistic and achievable results for your visitors from the outset.  This will not only make you words more believable, it will show that you really care.

Tell your visitors that it may take a few months to achieve the results they desire.  Tell them what your products and services can and can’t do.  Let them make a clear decision so that the decision is there’s and there’s alone.

Keep it real and your visitors will trust you and keep coming back for more!

In summary…

These 3 simple precautions will make your offer more believable.  People have to see themselves creating a good result from your project.  You can do this by being honest without sacrificing the excitement and hype of your launch.

Let me know if you have experienced or had salespages that were over-hyped and undelivered and what you have learn from it in the comments.

This just in…I’m in the middle of creating some key products and services and I’ve totally tuned out on my blog. I apologize for those who come back to the site and found nothing since Valentine’s Day…and that wasn’t any great information to be honest.

I’ve read other bloggers who have said that they have slowed down from writing content because they were working on products. I thought that would never happen to me.

Alas…I’m guilty as charged.  Your production can go down but I do believe that it’s key to get a hold of it.  I will have to revamp my to-do list.

But what happens is that you get so enthralled in making sure your product and launch is nearly perfect that you forget the importance of everything else.

But we should know that it is important to stay engaged with your audience and maintain that trust.  You look for quality content from this site and I must deliver.

So I will have an article to post today…I promise! And going forward, I won’t let it lapse this long. I’m out.