Creating a viral video on purpose for the launch of a product can be a tricky thing.  Trying to force a video to go viral can backfire a lot of times.  I just came across a video of a new product that seems to have done it right.  The numbers aren’t insane or anything yet, but when you have over 600,000 views and humor isn’t involved you’re doing pretty good.  The company did a good job of showing off how cool their product was all the while doing something that would make it “viral” worthy.

Check it out and think what you can do similar for one of your products:

A lack of organization can really hurt your ability to perform any job well. Being organized with your Internet Marketing business is particularly important because you’re pretty much on your own and every lost minute is lost money. Here are some great tips to get organized today!

Clean Your Desk

The first tip to get organized today is to clean your desk. A messy desk can cause you to lose things, and this will waste a lot of your time. But more than this, a messy desk is psychologically damaging and can hurt your performance in every facet of your Internet Marketing business. You may doubt this, but it is very true.

Make a List of What You Want to Accomplish

The second tip to get organized today is to make a list everyday single day. You want to plan everything you need to do each day and then check off each task as you complete it.   This way you will know exactly what you did or didn’t get done.  It is amazing sometimes what we realize when we hold ourselves accountable.

Block Off Chunks of Your Time

While you’re making your list you should also block your day. In other words, you want to assign tasks to specific times. For example, from 1:00 to 1:40 you might write a blog.  Assign a task with a time and make sure that’s what you’re doing. This will help keep you on task and not get sidetracked with other things.

Always Work Toward Accomplishing Goals

The last of the 4 tips to get organized today is to always work toward accomplishing goals. Everything you do should be working toward accomplishing a specific goal. If it isn’t then you’re just wasting your time.  Way too much time is wasted doing things that are not actually getting us closer to a specfic result.  Try and work on things specific to your task or project at hand and stick to those tasks untill your goal is complete.

Follow these 4 tips to getting more organized and you will be amazed at how much more productive you will be and how much you can help improve your Internet Marketing business.

How to Begin a Sales Letter: 3 Great Tips

Want to know how to begin a sales letter the right way? The beginning is very important because it needs to hook the reader so that the rest of the copy will be read. Here are 3 great tips for how to begin a sales letter.

List the Greatest Benefit

The first tip for how to begin a sales letter is to list the greatest benefit. The main purpose of your of your headline is to hook the reader and give them a reason to read the rest of your copy. So, a great way to hook the reader is to tell them about the greatest benefit of you product.

Now, you need to be sure to provide the reader with a benefit. You don’t just want to say what a product does, you want to say what it will do for the reader. So list all the benefits of your product (all the great things your product does for people) and then choose the best one and include it in your headline.

Make an Interesting Statement and then Explain it in the Subheadline

Another great way to begin a sales letter is to include a subheadline after your headline. The subheadline should continue or build on what the headline says.

For example, you might make a major claim in your headline that might almost seem too good to be true. Then you can back up that claim in the subheadline by explaining it so it’s more believable.

Make a Connection Immediately

The final tip for how to begin a sales letter is to make a connection with the reader as soon as possible. This should include the headline. If you can make a connection in the headline then do so. If not, then make a connection right at the beginning of the copy, just after the headlines. One great way to do this is to ask a series of questions that will get the reader nodding and yes and will let the reader know you are similar to them. This will help build trust and will make the person more likely to buy what you’re selling.

3 great tips for how to begin a sales letter are to list the greatest benefit in the headline, to back-up the headline with a subheadline, and to make a connection with the reader as soon as possible. These 3 tips will help make your sales letter more effective, which will result in your business being more successful.

Article marketing is a great way to market your business online. It’s free and it’s also effective. However, there is a lot more you can be doing with every single article you write. You can actually create a lot more content, and take advantage of a lot more marketing opportunities with every article you write. Here are 3 ways for you to boost your article marketing.

The first way to boost your article marketing is to take that article and build a social networking page around it. There are a lot of popular social networking sites. You can take your article and plug it into a social networking page. Then add a few other elements to the page (depending on what the social networking site offers) and just like that you’ll have more content on the Internet. It will probably take you less than 30 minutes too.

Another great way to boost your article marketing is to make every article you write a blog entry. You should have at least 1 blog in every niche you make money in. You might have several blogs. But every time you write an article, you want to post it on your blog as a new blog entry. You do want to change the title. You might also want to change a few sentences in the body of the article. However, slight changes are all that’s really needed. Within minutes you can easily make your article into a blog entry.’

The last of the 3 ways to boost your article marketing is to make your article into a video. This is much easier then you might think. You can actually use free software to make the video or you can just use a web cam and make the video directly on YouTube. The video can be as simple as you reading the article slowly and clearly. Even a basic video like this will get views and will help you with the online marketing of your business.

There you have 3 ways to boost your article marketing. You shouldn’t just write the article, post it online, and then forget about it. Instead you should use the article to create a social networking page, make a blog entry, and create a video. It will take very little time to do these 3 things and it will result in a lot of great content on the Internet for you and your business.

Some of the results surprised me to say the least. The question I ask below is at the very bottom of the article. You can read it here:
http://TwitPWR.com/7lr/

I decided to see if one of the questions results were anywhere near accurate to my Twitter followers and my blog readers.

Please make me proud and show you are smarter than the other 900 people polled.

Let me know what you think about the results and leave me a comment. Thanks.

I know I need to post here more often and I WILL be doing that. I have a lot to share and a lot of new projects that I will be talking about and tracking here on the blog.

My problem is that I don’t always take action. I know that a lot of people deal with this, so maybe this will help some of you as well. I am talking about this and making it public as to hopefully kick myself into gear and make sure some things get done.

At least for me, my problem is I love Ideas.

Coming up with a new Idea for a project and adding to it and tweaking this and that is “FUN”. I absolutely love the idea stage of projects. Add to that, that I am somewhat of a perfectionist and want everything to be a “home run” and it ends up being a complete dissaster.

Instead of finishing a project and moving on to the next I come up with an idea, then add to it. Then I add to it some more, and then add a new twist. In the process somewhere I get a new side project idea and so I don’t forget about it, I start to write it down. Then the juices start to flow again and I can’t waste all that creativity now can I? So the sidetrack becomes a new project that is still in Idea mode along with the last one and the one before that.

I end up having a desk fill of project ideas that have not been completed, most of them not even started. Why? Because Acting isn’t as much fun as Thinking of the what if’s.

With each new project Idea it gets even more annoying and harder to act because I then have to choose which one to truly ACT on and make my priority.

The reason I am telling you all this and airing some of my dirty laundry is because I know some of you most likely have the same or at least similar problem. If this matches you in some way, don’t worry, you are not alone. I am right there with you.

There is a solution.

Take Action Right Away! Get an idea and DO It.

That is why I titled this Post how I did.

Do, Don’t Think. Act, Don’t Wait!

Sounds simple because it is. I know first hand it is not the easiest thing to Do, but it is a simple concept.

I have lost so much money by not taking action on many of my ideas. My list could be so much bigger if I had completed just a just a portion of the reports I could have released. Maybe not all of them would have been home runs, but a lot of base hits add up and can win you the game.(There’s my Baseball Spring Training reference)

So, I might not hit a home run everytime, but I am going to be stepping up to the plate and swinging more often. When I get a new project Idea, I am going to be Taking Action. It may not end up being a million dollar launch, but growing my list and adding to my bank account is way better than a desk full of “Ideas”.

Remember, Ideas don’t make you money, Acting on those Ideas DOES.

I think this post was more for myself than anything, but I needed to do it. I hope it was of some benefit to you as well.

Please comment below and tell me if you struggle with the same thing or if this post helped you in any way. I’d like to think I am not the only one.

Twitter can be an incredible asset to your business, just like email can be.  But (just like email), it can also be a huge time-waster and can suck hours out of your day without you even noticing.  You get on Twitter and then the next time you look up it’s an hour later, or more!

Self-control is important for Everybody, but If you are self-employed, it becomes even more important!   Wasting time is wasting money. 

Wasting time on Twitter is like sitting around the water cooler and chatting with coworkers about last night’s episode of your favorite TV show- it might be fun, and it passes the time, but it wasted time that could have been used to make money.

Here are some tips on how to keep your Twitter time under control:

1.  Schedule a time for Twitter.  Just like you can spend hours online checking emails and just surfing the ‘Net, getting on Twitter 10 - 20 times a day doesn’t help you get what you need to done.  Schedule two or three Twitter times per day - once in the morning and once in the afternoon and once in the evening - and then stick to it.  Your Twitter followers can survive without knowing your entire itinerary for the day.

2.  Decide the purpose for your visit before getting on Twitter.  Are you sending a Tweet about your latest blog post?  Are you trying to find other Twitts to network with?  Are you looking to @ people and “Talk”. Deciding what you want to do before you log on is a big time saver.

3.  Jot down notes during the day for your Twitter time.  It doesn’t have to be anything long or fancy.  A sticky note will do.  Just keep track of your thoughts so when you get on Twitter you can accomplish what you want and then leave the site.

4.  Do not tweet about every single thing you do.  No one cares if you are going to the store.  They don’t agonize over the fact that your hamster ate too much.  Keep your tweets limited to important stuff. (Remember to always give value in your tweets that way people look forward to them and “assume” they will be important and valuable.)

5.  Only concentrate on what is happening Now on Twitter.  If you are following a lot of people their Tweets will do on ot the next page rather quickly, so don’t worry about what you missed.  Stay focused on the New Tweets and what is going on while you are there at that moment.

If you take control of your Twitter time, you can take control of how well it works for you.  Be strong.

Unless you have been hiding out somewhere over the last few months you have most likely heard all about Twitter, and have seen a ton of Internet marketers jumping on and telling everyone how great it is.

So, here is the thing that is bothering me.

Everyone has an opinion. That is to be expected as is with most everything, but the problem is the fact that Everyone acts as if their opinion is the “rule” or the “only way” to do things. I mean honestly, it is getting rediculous.

One of the big debates right now is “do you have to follow everyone that follows you?”

This is a good question, not so much in the “HAVE TO” sense, but in the should you and what is best sense.

The thing that bugs me is the people that are making a big scene about it and posting blog posts and writing articles all about how their take on it is “the way it should be”, no questions asked. People have an idea of the way Twitter should be used and they think that it is a written rule or something just becasue that is the way they like to or want to use Twitter.

Twitter is a newer medium and when something is new there is a learning curve and an adjustment time period when things are getting set in place by the users.

As more and more marketers and businesses are starting to use Twitter there are going to be some changes and people are going to be testing different things out to see how they work and get reactions from people to.

As these things are tested and figured out there are going to be very differing opinions.

Every person or business on Twitter has a different list of followers and a different relationship with those followers. Some people were on Twitter before Internet Marketers started coming on and they feel that Twitter should not be used for marketing or any other purpose besides conversations between people.

You have to figure out what you want to use Twitter for and how you plan on using it for yourself.

Just because you hear some people say they don’t like it when people on Twitter do ________(fill in the blank) doesn’t mean that is what everyone believes.

I can understand if someone was on Twitter for personal reasons just to talk to friends for months and then they follow an Internet Marketer and they don’t feel they should get a marketing offer. Do I think that is a problem, no, but I can understand their thinking.

What you have to realize is that now there are a lot of big name Internet Marketers that are on Twitter and they have brought a lot of their lists on as well besides all the other Internet Marketers who found Twitter on their own. These are internet marketers, bloggers, WAHM’s, copywriters, designers, etc who are used to being marketed to and are also interested in seeing what new products and affiliate programs are floating around.

There is a changing shift and adjustment period right now on twitter as more marketers and businesses are starting to use and figure it out. If all you are following are Internet Marketers don’t get mad if you get marketed to. If you feel that Internet Marketers should not market and try to figure out how to use a valuable site for that reason then you might be in the wrong business to begin with.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I believe the first and foremost benefit of Twitter is the relationships and the ease of which you can connect with people. You need to build relationships and create trust and give value before your marketing will have any affect anyway.

Just be carefull when listening to people on Twitter about unwritten rules and preferences that some people are very vocal about. Just because some people complain about something and make a fuss does not mean that it is how everyone feels.

Make sure you know Your followers and what they want. If you wonder, just ask them. Or if you tweet an offer to your followers and you make a few hundred dollars, but you loose 10 followers from that tweet, you have to make the call on which is worth more to you.

You can’t make everyone happy. You can try, but you will fail.

Remember, everyone has an opinion. Even this post is my opinion, but what you have to realize is that what matters is what works for You and Your followers. What works for someone else and what does not work for them is based on what they Tweet and what their followers expect from them.

If all you post is marketing messages and links to offers but that is what your followers know and expect then that can work for you, but if your followers expect value and conversation you better give them that.

Know your followers and attract the followers that you want. If you choose one method and loose some followers for those tactics don’t worry so much, as they were not the type you wanted anyway.

I will finish with one final thought.

TEST, TEST, TEST.

That is the only true way to know what works and what does not. Test something out and see the reaction.

Track if you make money with links to offers.
Track if you loose followers after certain tweets.
Track clicks to see what your followers are willing to click on and check out.
Poll your Twitter followers and ask them questions.

Just make sure to give your followers what they want and you will be fine.  Don’t worry about everyine elses opinion.

The story is about a 6 year old who has a simple blog that has pictures up of Ben 10 Toys. I know nothing about them at all, but I guess they are popular to some degree at least. The kid JUST puts pictures up of his favorites that are found throughout the internet from other sources. You can find the blog post here on the story http://budurl.com/6yroldblog

The crazy thing is that the blog is getting a lot of traffic and not just traffic, but people who want to buy the items pictured. The thing is, they are not for sale, they are just posted pictures.

Like I said before, you can read more about the story at the link above, but the point I want to make is that sometimes people overcomplicate things.

I mean realy, can it get much simpler than that? This simple blog was created with just pictures added and is getting a lot of traffic. Not just traffic, but buyers Wanting to spend money.

The post goes on to explain how you could do the same and I encourage you to do it.

So, here is the thing. Don’t just go read it, do something about it. Either read it and use that method or at the very least Take Action on whetever it is you have been planning to do.

If a 6 year old can get traffic to a blog with nothing but pictured from other sources, what is your excuse?

Don’t overcomplicate things. Everything does not have to be perfecty planned and laid out to get started with Internet Marketing. If you have been wanting to get started, just do it. It does not matter how simple it is, just Take Action.

I am as guilty as anyone at this. So many times instead of just Taking Action on an idea, I try to overcomplicate things and make it perfect and add a million extra’s to it and by the time I am done adding to the idea it is a huge project. Then that huge project can seem daunting and another simple idea can come along that seems like a great quick money maker. Then that quick easy money maker can grow in size just like the last one and the process can repeat itself.

So, my point is this. Keep it simple and take action. Just make sure to do something. It is better to make money on a simple idea than it is to keep building on an idea and never get it done or launched.

I have a lot in the works right now related to Social Marketing and Social Networking.  I differentiate the two of those things because I see them as two very related, but very different things.  I will cover more on that a little later, but for now I want to give you a little heads up and set things up for the coming weeks ahead.

I am going to be doing a lot of things related to Social Web 2.0 sites such as Facebook and Twitter and I want to let everyone know right now that I don’t have a huge following on either site.

I have done that for a reason on Facebook at least and Twitter mainly because I am newer to it and setting everything up for my Big Plan.

By the way, if you are not Following me on Twitter or are not my Friend on Facebook, please do that.  Both my links are on the right sidebar, just go ahead and add me on both of them.

let me also say this, if you are not using both of those sites you Are missing out.  More on that later as well, and trust me when I say that I will be covering that quite a bit here very soon.

As of this post I have 580 Followers on Twitter and I have 196 Friends on Facebook, nothing to brag about, but a good start.  These numbers can be achieved in a very short time if so desired.

These numbers should be increasing very rapidly in the near future as I implement some of the strategies and techniques I will be going over on this blog and also on another site I will be lauching soon. 

I will be announcing the launch of that site shortly after a few more decisions are made about the exact direction I want to take it in.

Ok, enough for now.  I will be updating this as different aspects are released on what is going on and how you can be involved.

I don’t want this to be just me talking.  Yes, I will be relaying what is going on and how I am doing things, but I want to make this interactive if I can.

Feel free to leave comments on what you want to see and learn.  I will do my best to try and accomodate what people want this to be.