Does it make sense to slog for 40 years at a job that grinds you down from 9-to-5 every day, just to build a nice nest egg for retirement? And if you are an Internet Marketer, how do you continually fire yourself up? Find out in this week’s Friday Podcast.
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Notes follow after the “more”:
Each social networking site has a specific purpose and can help you achieve your business goals. Although LinkedIn seems fairly limited in terms of functions, it can be used to enhance your Internet Marketing efforts if you approach it with the right mindset.
Initially set up for the business community to network, share contacts and recommend acquaintances for open job positions, it appears the site has been attempting to expand its scope.
It is a presence on the Internet though, with an Alexa rank of 149 and Google PageRank 7.
Some negative points against it include: Adding Google AdSense ad blocks detracts from its corporate image, as has some discussions in its questions and answers section which seems to have devolved into a discussion of network marketing opportunities and online scams.
Add to that the seemingly limited interaction and communication functions and you might have the receipe for a social network which could be a “killer app” for corporate headhunters, but something that merely stumbles along for the rest of us.
Admittedly, LinkedIn has helped me connect with a couple of university mates, but to squeeze some networking juice out of your profile requires some “out of the box” thinking.
Let’s look at your profile:
The first thing you need to do is to change the hideous: http://www.linkedin/in/473YDSJ3U3 profile URL to something like: http://www.linkedin/in/andrewwee.
If you don’t already have a blog, submitted articles or press releases or have a Squidoo lens or Hubpage up, perhaps this will help you rank for your name.
Be sure to include your profile details, including specializations.
Instead of “content developer” or “writer”, here’s your chance to mention that you’re a “direct response copywriter” or “advertorial writer” or “technical writer”.
Besides making your profile more relevant to human readers, the keywords will help others searching for a specialist to find you more easily too.
So you might list your specialities and perhaps get a job offer direct from an employer. But more likely a headhunter will be farming LinkedIn’s userbase for specific profiles for their database, such as “Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) markeitng specialist”.
Where I think Internet Marketers will benefit more is to find joint venture partners or collaborators who might fill in the missing piece of the puzzle for a project they’re working on.
From the demographics I’ve seen, I’d expect that LinkedIn users would be Continue reading
Fresh from our trip to Hong Kong, my family had a great time in Hong Kong Disneyland (especially my daughter Bianca). Internet marketers can take a few lessons out of Disney’s book in their online business.
The Art of the Pre-Sell: Stepping into the MTR (mass transit rapid) subway station at the Sunny Bay station, we got onto the train bound for Hong Kong Disneyland. The folks at Disney have decked the train out with small bronze statuettes of iconic Disney characters, and the regular plastic seats in the cabins have been replaced by plush velvet cushioned-seats.
As you step out of the station, the PA (public address) system starts playing tunes from various Disney cartoons like Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, and other cartoons.
Internet Marketing application: In your site design, strive to create an emotional experience for the visitor. Music can be highly evocative, as can be appropriate images. Since royalty-free music and low cost photo stock can be purchased inexpensively, there’s no reason why these tools shouldn’t be used.
Disclaimer: I hate “branding” type commercials and ads just as much as the next Internet Marketer. You should consider how music and image elements can be used in a “direct response” context, rather than in a pure corporate branding context.
A Multi-sensory Experience: The theme park featured a number of live performances, and with the added zing provided by technology, featured 3D effects, smoke, confetti, fireworks and other pyrotechnics. These effects served to heighten the emotional experience and create memories that you can see, hear and feel (visual, auditory and kinesthetic) for months and perhaps years to come.
The best part is Continue reading
In this episode of the Friday Podcast, I look at why some newer Internet Marketers fail to achieve the success they are aiming for.
It’s nothing to do with the Google Slap, the Squdio slap, competition from other niches, or knowing what to do. It’s something even more insidious and could affect you more deeply that you realize.
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Notes follow (click on “more” below)
I’m prepping to head over to Hong Kong to join the wife and family and take a couple days off with the family. I remember when I was actively trading in stocks, I was like a crack addict, constantly checking the value of my portfolio, hitting the refresh button every 15 seconds to bring up updated prices, or waking up at 3am to check how mid-afternoon trading was going on the Singapore stock exchange. Sure I made a couple of thousand dollars during my vacation, but on hindsight, it sure lowered the quality of the vacation (or quasi-work trip/vacation).
But hand on a second. If you’re constantly checking in on your business, you’re missing the one element that separates a business owner, from a sole proprietor: freedom of time.
If you’re constantly tethered to the office via your cell phone, crackberry or laptop, you don’t have much more freedom than the investment banker or management consultant camping in their office.
The only difference is that you’re probably sitting in front of your computer in your boxers, or catching the occasional movie at 3 in the afternoon.
What you need to have a successful business is its ability to operate without you.
If you’re newer at this, the business can probably Continue reading
In this episode of the Friday Podcast, I look at an especially deadly virus making its rounds of the Internet Marketing world, talk about hearing that Internet Marketing “doesn’t work” and how you can succeed online.
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Notes follow, click the “More” below: