Being an authority in your industry isn’t just about having a reason to pat yourself on the back. When you’re an authority, consumers are likelier to trust you and buy from you. Of course, authority isn’t something that’s just handed out. You have to work for it.

Thankfully, there are several things you can do to increase your authority online.

1. Start your own blog—While just starting a blog won’t instantly make you a leading authority in your niche, it’s a good place to start. The key to gaining authority through blogging is to create high quality posts on a regular basis. Always do the research necessary to create educational, informative posts that enhance the reader experience. Also, make sure you promote your blog properly as you’ll never gain authority if no one knows you exist.
2. Guest post on other blogs—Once you start blogging, you should focus on building relationships with other bloggers in your niche. When you start to establish relationships with your fellow bloggers, simply ask them if they’d be interested in letting you contribute a guest post to their blog. Guest posting on another blog builds instant credibility as it’s essentially an endorsement from the blog owner. Always make sure your guest post is the best possible content you have to offer as this will be your one chance to reach a new audience.
3. Visit answer websites—Sites like Yahoo! Answers, Blurtit, and even LinkedIn allow users to submit questions to be answered by members of the community. The community then votes on which answer is the best. This presents a huge opportunity for anyone looking to increase their authority online. Always answer the submitted questions in your area of expertise with well-reasoned opinions and a non-self promotional approach. A few good answers will go a long way to making people listen to what you say.
4. Engage in conversations on Twitter—Twitter is the hottest social network of the moment, but don’t let its trendiness put you off. Lending your expertise in relevant conversations will help you establish yourself as an expert in your niche. The key to being successful on Twitter is to truly build relationships with your followers and to become an active participant in your community (Tweet regularly).
5. Contribute to trade journals—Unlike the above tips where anyone can easily participate, contributing to a trade journal can be a challenge. After all, the editor of the publication has to determine whether your content is worthy of being in the journal or not. To go about getting your content in a publication, send a detailed article pitch to the editor of your favorite trade journals. Explain who you are, and what you have to offer to the publication’s readers.
6. Write ezine articles—While some people believe article marketing is an outdated internet marketing method, I assert it’s still an effective way to increase your authority. Ezinearticles.com is the most popular ezine website, and it’s easy to get setup to submit your own articles. Include an author bio with your articles with links back to your website.
7. Write an ebook—Rather than spending months pitching your books to publishers, why not self-publish your own ebook? While it might not gain you as much authority as having a #1 bestselling hardcover book, the ebook still can make you a respected voice in your field.

The one common theme between all of these tips is to make sure you always create quality content. If your content isn’t good, you’ll never gain authority despite how many blog posts or articles you write.

The holy grail of social media is considered to be the power that comes from a real person giving an honest recommendation of a product or service to people who value the opinion of that person. Although no advertiser or social network itself (think Facebook’s failed attempt at Beacon) has been able to successfully crack this holy grail, it is the direction that most are still moving towards.

Because of the general consensus that the power of social media lies in the scenario outlined above, you would think that affiliate programs would be on board with affiliates using social media tools to promote different offers and products. However, it turns out that this is not actually the case.

Yesterday, Joshua Odmark wrote a post on Search Engine Journal about his experience with Amazon’s affiliate program and Twitter. Before sending out a positive Tweet about a product that he had actually purchased and found to be useful, he decided to use an Amazon affiliate link (which he formatted with a URL shortener before inserting it into his Tweet). Because it was a good product and a genuine recommendation, his Tweet resulted in several people purchasing the product through his affiliate link. However, much to his surprise, the sales he generated for Amazon did not earn him a single cent in commissions!

So, why wasn’t Joshua paid any commissions for his sales? In the canned response he received from Amazon, he was told that it was because it violated the Terms and Conditions of their affiliate program, which state that links have to be from “Your Site.” Obviously, this makes sense in certain situations (such as a spammer hijacking pages and stuffing them with affiliate links). However, it does seem quite outdated in an age when many people are Tweeting far more than creating new posts for their own blogs. Additionally, it’s important to remember that this not only applies to Twitter, but other social media websites like Facebook and Friendfeed (and potentially blogs that are hosted on third-party platforms).

Although this looks like a blow for Amazon affiliates (at least for the time being, since they have not made a response to the SEJ post), Rae Hoffman pointed out that it provides a huge opportunity for another affiliate program to step in and gain some ground:

“If Barnes and Noble were smart, they’d make it clear that they have NO problem honoring Twitter commissions… guess who would suddenly find themselves receiving a lot of exposure on Twitter.“

• Get to know your audience—Blogging is a form of communication, and the last time I checked, it takes at least two parties to establish communication. So, if you want to communicate effectively with your readers, you need to get to know them. This means truly reading your blog comments and interacting with your readers. You can also connect with your readers on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks to further establish these relationships.
• Read other blogs, but don’t be a copycat—Some of the best writers have said the best way to become a better writer is to read a lot. The same thing goes for becoming a better blogger. Check out what other successful bloggers are doing. Learn from the best, and you’ll start to improve as a blogger too. Now, this doesn’t mean you should completely rip-off someone else’s style, but there are little techniques you can pick up by following other bloggers.
• Try different styles of posts—Many bloggers (myself included) fall into the trap of writing a single style of posts (lists, how-to’s, etc.). While there’s nothing wrong with having a favorite style, you can’t expect to fully grow as a blogger if you don’t try other styles of posting. In short, mix things up a bit. It might be challenging at first, but you’ll become a better writer in the process.
• Know what you’re talking about—Blogs have given everyone a forum for voicing their opinion. Just make sure you have proof to back up your opinions. Otherwise, you’ll lose all credibility.
• Always proofread your posts—Even though blogging is less formal than other styles of writing, you still want to avoid any glaring grammatical or spelling errors. Check out these 5 proofreading tips before you write another post.
• Keep blogging—They don’t say “practice makes perfect” for nothing. You have to exercise your blogging muscles on a regular basis if you want to grow. Personally, I aim to write at least 3 posts here each week as I feel that’s just enough to keep me blogging consistently.

What tips would you recommend for becoming a better blogger?

1. Talk about a warm “welcome”

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2. Why you should always drink responsibly

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3. My apologies to my vegetarian readers

4.  Not the best choice of words

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5. This reminds me, I haven’t worked out lately

Image credit: myconfinedspace.com

6. Actually, yes it does

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7. Location is everything

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8. Are there any studies to prove this claim?

Image credit: http://billboardom.blogspot.com/

9. See #3

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10. All engineers are virgins

Image credit: discovermagazine.com

Image credit: scottwesterfeld.com

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You have hundreds—maybe even thousands—of followers on Twitter, yet every time you send out a Tweet, you get no response. It’s as if you’re Tweets are on mute. It seems like no one is seeing them; or worse yet, they’re seeing them but they just don’t care about what you’re saying.

So, what gives? What can you do to make people start noticing your Tweets?

Here are some tips to get you noticed on Twitter.

1. Focus on building relationships—I follow quite a large number of people on Twitter, and honestly, I don’t fully pay attention to each and every Tweet that pops up. You know which ones I do pay attention to almost every time? It’s the ones that come from people I know (whether I know them in real-life or just online). See, if you focus on building relationships with your followers, they’ll start to pay more attention to what you have to say. If there isn’t a meaningful connection between you and your followers, you’ll just blend in with all the other Tweets.
2. Connect with like-minded people—Remember earlier when I said it could just be that no one cares about what you’re Tweeting? One cause of this is connecting with the wrong people on Twitter. See, some people approach Twitter with an attitude of the-more-followers-the-better. Depending on your goals, that might be okay. But for me, I’d rather focus on getting quality followers than just quantity. By connecting with people who are truly interested in your niche, your followers will actually pay attention to your Tweets.
3. Tweet regularly—It’s sad, but it’s true: if you don’t Tweet on a daily basis, your followers will forget about you. If you’re absent too often, they might just drop you from their list. That’s why I recommend trying to Tweet at least a few times a day.
4. Tweet relevant content—Of course, Tweeting a few times a day is pointless if you aren’t providing quality content. Remember, Twitter is all about being a part of the conversation. So, to get your Tweets noticed, make sure you’re talking about relevant topics. For instance, if a group of your followers are engaging in a discussion about strategies for marketing a small business, a Tweet about tying your shoes will probably get lost in the shuffle.
5. ReTweet for others and they’ll ReTweet for you—Okay, so this isn’t a hard and fast rule, but there is something to be said for the power of giving. I know when I see someone ReTweet my content regularly, I’m much likelier to help them out in the future.
6. Create an eye-catching avatar—When your dashboard is flooded with Tweets, it can be hard to discern one person from another. That’s why a truly unique avatar is so effective. It cuts through the crowd, making you immediately stand out. Just make sure the avatar you choose makes sense for your brand.
7. Use compelling headlines for links—In a way, getting people to notice your Tweets is no different than any other form of marketing. It all comes down to creating great headlines that beg to be clicked. So, when you’re Tweeting a link out to a blog post, article, video, or picture, make sure you follow these tips for improving your headlines instantly.

What do you do to stand out on Twitter? Share your best tips with me in the replies!

Image credit:www.sptimes.com

By now, you probably already know that the great TV pitchman Billy Mays passed away on Sunday. Regardless of whether you liked his style or not, the bottom line is the man was very effective at selling products. One of the ways he generated so many sales was by making an offer that customers simply couldn’t refuse.

So, in honor of the late, great Billy Mays, I want to talk today about how to create an irresistible offer.

Step #1: Demonstrate the value of your product

Before you can even think about making an offer, you have to show customers the value of your product. That’s one of the things Billy Mays did so well. He showed how you could pull an 18-wheeler with Mighty Putty. He demonstrated how the Dual Saw could cut an entire car in half. And he never fell into the trap of pitching cheap products he didn’t believe in.

The lesson here: find a grand, effective way to demonstrate exactly what your products or services can do. It doesn’t have to be over the top and gimmicky, but it does have to clearly let the customers know just how valuable your product is.

Step #2: It’s about value…not price

When you hear the word “value,” you probably think of dirt cheap prices. But value and low prices are not always one and the same. Value is about getting good bang for your buck…no matter what the price. That’s why you have to do a great job in the first step of demonstrating the value of your product. Remember, customers are always willing to pay for a quality product.

One way to add value to an offer is to include bonus products or services. For instance, on one recent infomercial for a GPS holder, the offer included a charger that plugs the GPS into the cigarette lighter. The charger itself probably cost very little to make, but it makes the offer that much more appealing.

Including a free e-book or additional complementary services is more than enough to sweeten the deal for your customers.

Step #3: Eliminate the risk

Going back to the infomercials theme, it’s a well known fact that a lot of the products being pitched on these commercials are crap. Yet people still rush to buy them. Why? Because they often feel like they have nothing to lose. See direct response marketers know that eliminating risk is the key to attracting customers and convincing the skeptics. That’s why they offer money back guarantees and try-it-now-pay-for-it-later options.

The easiest way you can eliminate risk is just to offer an ironclad money back guarantee. Make sure your customer has enough time to truly try your product or services, and don’t put a bunch of restrictions on your guarantee because that just defeats the whole purpose.

Step #4: Give reason to act now

If you want people to take action, you need to give them a reason to act right now. Otherwise, they’ll wait around so they can think about it, and they might end up never coming back. Remember, buying is an emotional decision. Again, that’s why infomercials are so effective. How many times have you seen the “Call within the next 10 minutes to double your order for free” trick? Guess what? They wouldn’t be using that call to action if it didn’t produce results.

While you might think limited time offers are desperate or gimmicky, the simple truth is they work. They play into the emotional aspect of buying, and they give customers that extra motivation to take action.

What steps do you take to create an irresistible offer?

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I’m assuming most of you already know what podcasting is, but just in case one of you has been living under a rock, podcasting is essentially your own downloadable radio talk show. You can do everything from talking about the hottest industry news to interviewing experts in your field. You can promote your podcast through your blog, website, iTunes, and other places.

A number of businesses have jumped on the podcasting bandwagon, and those who do it well are reaping several benefits. Here are just a few of the biggest podcasting benefits.

1.    Increase your authority—Just like blogging or writing an e-book, podcasting is another way to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. The best way to build your authority is to give your unique insight on relevant industry topics without sounding like a constant advertisement for your services. By providing quality discussions to your listeners, your words will start to carry more weight, and over time, people will begin to trust you.

2.    Connect with a new audience—With the ability to place your podcast on iTunes and other websites, you have an excellent opportunity to reach an entirely new audience. Some of your listeners will be people who would have never found your blog or website. And once you have them listening to your podcast, you can direct them to your website, thus increasing your traffic in the process.

3.    Improve relationships with your target audience—For many, it’s easier to build a personal connection to a human voice than it is to an anonymous guy blogging. It just makes things more real, and it showcases the true you. Simply put, podcasting is another way to add a strong link in the chain connecting you and your target audience. You could also respond to questions submitted by your users to add an interactive element to your show, further strengthening the relationship.

4.    Build your brand—At the end of the day, podcasting is just another way to build your brand. Not only are you expanding your brand’s presence, but you’re also refining its image through the words you speak. You’re able to tell your story week after week. Just make sure the image you present in your podcast is consistent with the image you put forth in your blogging and social networking. Consistency is key when building a brand.

5.    Inexpensive promotion—Perhaps the best thing about podcasting is how inexpensive it is. With the right recording software on your computer, you can easily record, edit, and publish your own podcasts. And if your podcast becomes popular enough, you can actually make money by selling advertising spots.

Do you podcast? If so, how has it helped your business?

Step #1: Identify your target audience

Before you even think about writing your sales letter, you need to figure out who your target audience is. Write down their general characteristics (age, sex, income level, etc.), and then move toward getting as specific as possible (what are their wants/needs?, what do they like?, how do they talk?, where do they hang out? And so on.) The point is this: you need to have a clear image of exactly who you are communicating with so you can come up with the best approach to connecting with them.

Here are a few ways you can learn your target audience’s language:

• Follow them on Twitter
• Read the magazines they read
• Look at the ad copy of the products they buy

Step #2: Create a benefit-driven subject line

Your first challenge with e-mail marketing is getting your readers to actually open your e-mail. Creating a powerful subject line can be a challenge because you want it to be compelling enough to open but believable enough to not reek of spam. The key to your subject line is to pick a single benefit to focus on. In a recent post, I used an example of someone promoting an SAT e-book. Let’s continue with that example.

First let’s choose a benefit. We’ll choose “Increasing your SAT score by 200 points.”

Now, let’s create a powerful subject line that delivers that benefit. You have many different choices here.

• The Question Headline: Do You Know the Secret to IncreasingYour SAT Score by 200 Points?
• The Straight-Forward Headline: Increase Your SAT Score by 200 Points Today
• The Numbers Headline: 5 Easy Steps to Increasing Your SAT Score by 200 Points
• The Personalized Headline: Chad, Would You Like to Increase Your SAT Score by 200 Points?

There are several other subject-line formats you can use, but the main goal is to intrigue the reader by including an irresistible benefit.

Step#3: Restate the benefit in a headline inside the e-mail

A lot of e-mail marketers create a powerful subject line, and leave it at that. I prefer creating another headline inside the body of the e-mail. This headline should restate the benefit of the subject line just to drive the point home.

Step#4: Get to the point

Your readers are busy, and they’re not going to sift through a boring sales letter to find out if your product is right for them. That’s why you need to get straight to the point. From the beginning of the sales letter, you need to address your target audience’s needs and let them know you have the solution. Put the most important information at the beginning of your sales letter, and save the details for later on in the body of the letter.

Basically, it goes like this:

• The goal of your subject line is to get them to open the e-mail
• The goal of the headline is to get them to start reading the letter
• The goal of the first sentence is to hook them into reading the second sentence
• The goal of the second sentence is to get them to read the third sentence
• And so on…

Remember, online readers tend to scan content first before fully reading it. That’s why you need to make your e-mail marketing sales letters scanner-friendly. Do this by using bullet lists, bolding the main phrases throughout, and keeping your sentences and paragraphs short.

Step #5: Talk with the customer not at them

Earlier in this post, I talked about identifying your target audience. The point of doing that is so you can connect with them in your sales letter. The best way to connect with your audience is to talk with them rather than at them. This means using customer-centric words like “you.” In short, talk to them like you would if they were your friend. Use language they feel comfortable with, not corporate jargon.

Step#6: Close with a powerful call to action

Of course, your sales letter ultimately has a specific purpose. For some, it’s designed to generate leads. For others, it’s simply to drive traffic to a website. Whatever the purpose of your sales letter, you need a strong call to action to achieve it.

Simply put, the only way to get the reader to do what you want is to tell them to do it. If you want them to buy a product now, tell them “Buy today and you’ll get 25% off your order.” If you just want them to get a free consultation, tell them “Click here to get your FREE consultation today.”

Make your call to action clear and to the point.

What are your secrets to e-mail marketing success? Share your most powerful tips with us in the replies!

1. Gridlock—This grid-based design can be used for anything from an online magazine website to a clean design for your business’ main website.

2. Blues Theme –A simple, clean 2- column design.

3. Scarlett–I honestly couldn’t believe this magazine theme was free. It’s better than most premium themes out there.

4. Corporate Sandbox–Minimalists rejoice! This clean design is perfect for business blogging.

5.  Zeke 1.0–A beautiful 3-column, widget-ready theme.

6. Color Paper Theme–A great combination of beautiful visuals and clean design.

7.  Freemium–A highly customizable theme that brings you all the features of a premium theme for free.

8. Yoghourt–I really like the color scheme on this design.

9. Paisley–Probably not suited for a business blog, but great for informal, personal use.

10. SilveRay–A simple, professional-looking 3-column Wordpress theme.

TweetMeme – If you’re looking for an easy way to see “what’s hot” on Twitter, this website will easily show you what’s popular amongst Twitterers all over the world. This can be really useful information for a lot of reason. Unlike Google Trends and some other websites, Twitter usually allows for a feeling of the pulse of the world “right now” not a few hours ago. If you’re ready to tap into the interests of the world at the moment, this online tool is going to help you.

BackType – This is a really useful online tool that will let you “follow” your comments on multiple social media sites easily. From Blogger to Wordpress to Friendster to Myspace and more, BackType will let you follow comments tied to a keyword or phrase as well. Want to know when your company is mentioned in a comment? No problem.

TweetDeck – While this is still in ‘beta,’ that isn’t necessarily a bad thing in today’s world. This tool allows you to do a lot more with Twitter – which is quickly gaining relevance as one of the main “titanic” social media networks. From creating Twitter groups to previewing those sometimes annoying (but necessary) ’short URLs,’ TweetDeck can make your Twitter life a lot easier.

TwitterFeed – This online tool for Twitter isn’t going to be good for all situations, but for large networks that aren’t very personal – your marketing arms in the social media world – this can be very useful. Basically, it takes your RSS feeds and turns them into separate tweets automatically. This type of Twittering isn’t always that successful, but it can work in certain situations.

Trackur – YASNT (Yet Another Social Network Tracker), Trackur is a slick looking tool that allows you to track any buzz about your brand (or any topic you want to follow.) This can be a very useful way to look far and wide on a lot of various social media networks to make sure you’re taking part in conversations about yourself and your websites.

This is just a small list of online tools available for social media networks. There are many more out there, but sometimes it’s good to get the ball rolling and let the community on a website fill in the blanks and make it an even better resource. With that in mind, feel free to leave your favorites as a comment below.