Landing Pages
Forget for a minute things like click through rates, ad placement and keyword phrases.
Those things are important for one reason and one reason only: to get people from point A (Google) to point B (your sales process).
SIDE NOTE: It really helps to get questions from you, because I just do what I do and sometimes I’m too focused on the “wow” material to recognize some readers need things I “just do”.
OK, so we’re talking about what REALLY matters to a marketer and that is conversion. If you don’t convert, you make no money.
There’s buyer traffic, shopper traffic and info seeker traffic when it comes to people doing Google searches. And I’ve added a fourth type of traffic to this list, but it doesn’t apply to Google so I’ll leave that to another post. This is the type of “BIG” traffic you hear people talking about, but making it work isn’t as easy as some would have you believe.
...
Now, I STRONGLY believe that you should ALWAYS be focused on building lists. And, you can go about list building with all of the above. At the least, with a list, you should be able to double your conversion rates with a decent follow-up effort. Plus, if they don’t go for this offer then there other plenty of other offers to be made – or you can leverage those lists for joint ventures, etc.
X
Have a question you want an answer to? Leave a comment. If you don’t want your comment made public, that’s cool - I’ll answer it without posting your details.
Sales Are Easy, Profiting Is Hard?
I’m doing some market research at the Warrior Forum -
I put up the question, “What do you love about Adwords, and what do you hate?”
The first response fits here perfectly:
“Making sales with Adwords is easy - profiting is hard.”
There are some things .X. is friggin’ lousy at - for one, I’m a disorganized mess.
What I’m good at, though, is looking at a situation and seeing solutions. I used to have to work at that - now it’s natural.
And to do it requires getting out of the box and recognizing what the existing paradigm is.
Internet marketing is changing so fast that you can’t hold on to old paradigms - it’s no different than holding onto a concrete block in a swimming pool.
The old Adwords paradigm is the Google Cash paradigm; spend one dollar on ads and work at making 2 dollars or more in return.
It’s not legendary fable that there was a time when it was easy to make six to eight dollars for every dollar spent - now, I regularly make 2 or 3 dollars on those campaigns - but you better expect the trend is going down on the profit margins.
Because of this old paradigm, most Adwords marketers (at least the affiliates) are finding it harder and harder to make money. Then you have tools like Undercover Profits coming out which basically exposes those . . . and you get the picture.
People are dying here.
So here’s the shift you need to make now - ...
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Relativity Pricing
Here’s a fascinating concept I’ve picked up from reading a new, and highly recommended book titled ...
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Black Books Blog Changes
Based on the number of people who’ve registered for this blog in the last 24 hours, my guess is you’re probably wondering what’s going on here.
“X, what’s the deal?”
I’ve promised a couple of projects this year that just aren’t getting done like I want them to - plus I’ve found a new love in blogs. Now that I “get” Wordpress, I want to do more with it.
There are things I’m happy to share with the public in an open access blog. There are other things that I think have a value to them and instead of delaying the release of that material until I have enough good material to put out a book (I currently have 4 books in various stages, plus a membership site) I’ve decided to start posting more often, with even higher quality content here.
At this point, it’s just an experiment and that’s why I’m only asking $17 per month to give you complete access to the blog. I assure you that I will be posting more often and the content will be what you’d expect for paid material from X.
I’ve set the bar low enough for you that there isn’t any real risk. And for me, I’ve set the bar a little higher so I have a compelling reason to share more ideas, more often here.
Maybe you’d prefer to spend your $67 per month on Google Nemesis where you’ll read second-hand, hacked up versions of what I’ve written about in the past. Or maybe, you’d prefer to get it fresh from the source.
By the way, $17 per month will only be available for a limited time - I fully intend to provide more value than that. But let’s prove it first. NOTE: If you join for $17 per month NOW, you will only pay $17 per month for as long as I do this.
To become a member, you just need to register with my blog and then make your payment through PayPal, which you’ll be prompted to do when you login. Simple as that.
All the best to you - X
The Affiliate Black Book
I’ve written a ton of material that could end up in the Affiliate Black Book - now the challenge is to whittle it down.
Tentatively here’s a peek inside:
1. Dirty Little Secrets for Using OPP as Your Front End
2. The Unappointed Affiliate Manager
3. The Appointed Affiliate Manager
4. How to Have Affiliates Send You Traffic Even When You Have No Product
5. The Sneaky Ad***** Trick
6. Top-Secret Tricks and Little-Known Tools
Basically, the point of this book is how to take advantage of affiliate marketing beyond just making a few bucks here and there on commissions.
If that’s the only thing you’re using affiliate marketing for then you’re really missing the big picture (at least that I see).
I’m also working on a membership site project with a mega-geek programmer from Microsoft. I mean “mega-geek” in the nicest way.
I’m motivated to get both of these projects out by June 1 . . .
X
It’s Not What You Sell . . .
It’s not what you’re selling - it’s how you make people feel.
You’re not selling ebooks, audios, videos, or gadgets.
You’re selling feelings.
Internet Marketing Wealth Alliances
I need a break from dealing with “the assholes of the world” to talk about something new.
It’s easy to get caught in the latest hyped up methods of the moment and lose site of the big picture. X is no exception to this.
While meeting with a partner of mine who has tons of direct marketing experience but little online, he asked me a question you and I should be asking ourselves everyday:
“How do we get traffic that’s going to add the most to our bottom-line fastest?”
Let me shock you with the answer - it’s not pay per click. Pay per click is great for a constant stream of traffic and if you get in front of the right landslide you CAN get a lot of traffic fast.
You can also lose your ass.
No the best answer to that question is simple: joint ventures and affiliates.
The concept of “wealth alliances” takes this an additional step. The way I see most people operate is a “one and done” with JV partners. And if someone actually reciprocates a favor, that’s remarkably unique. I learned a long time ago there are VERY few people in the IM niche who’s word means ANYTHING.
And, maybe I’ve just stayed in the IM niche too long.
What I’m talking about with “wealth alliances” is simple. You get six complementary businesses - with complementary offers together - and you take turns promoting each other. Each business is promoted by every other twice per year.
Like I said, the idea is simple . . . and it’s more than an idea.
I’ve had the unique opportunity to work with 2 businesses selling essentially the same product.
Business one embraced the idea of “wealth alliances” and enjoyed explosive growth. In a couple short years, with this strategy accounting for about HALF of all income, this business built a multi-million dollar income and a list of approximately 150,000 subscribers. All of the businesses involved benefited similarly.
Business two’s owner took the attitude of “my product is the only solution anyone needs” and refused to do JVs of any sort. While I respect his integrity, it came at the expense of his business. Today, his business continues to struggle online and he has an accumulated list of about 20,000 (NOTE: the 150,000 subscriber count of business one was while I worked with them five years ago - that list is probably much larger now - the latter list of 20,000 is a current count).
Most businesses have this primary concern: “If I promote other people, then I’m going to lose my customers to them”.
No, not so fast. This is why you have two lists - one of prospects and one of buyers.
Prospects are people who are on your list but they haven’t bought; this are like dates that have no future. They’re an asset you’ve paid to acquire and while the two of you may not be a “love match”, there might be a “love match” with one of your JV partners (this concept could never get through the head of business owner two).
By the way, I detail this whole approach in Money Map X - it costs eight bucks.
What’s involved with forming a wealth alliance?
- Find, then contact five businesses that appear to be a match. You want to look for high quality partners (assuming you offer high quality goods yourself). Contact them and communicate the vision.
- In niches outside IM, you’ll find list owners don’t care about commissions - they want a reciprocal mailing. Smart marketers recognize the value of new leads mean more than one-time commissions. Be prepared to negotiate. If your list is smaller, offer a higher-than-normal commission to get the ball rolling.On the topic of list size, don’t judge a list by it’s size. Judge it by how it’s been built, who’s on it and how it’s been managed. I’d rather have a partner with a high-quality list of 8000 than a partner who regularly beats the hell out of list of 500,000 freebie seekers.
- Ask your new partner(s) if they can recommend another business or two to join you. Finding someone with an existing “in” makes the process easier.
- Create a calendar where everyone is scheduled a full year out so you can track who’s mailing who and when. It’s vitally important that these commitments take precedence over anything else that comes along - failure to do so will cause issues FAST. Also, there are better times of the year for some types of businesses to promote - keep this in mind so the schedule comes out fair on the whole. Most people probably don’t want your “just before Thanksgiving and Christmas” slot, but with this setup someone is mailing for them every month and it all evens out.
Marketing is simple - if not always easy.
It breaks down to three things I know you’ve heard many times, but it’s easy to overlook -
I want to sell:
- More stuff
- To more people
- More often
This takes care of the “to more people” part of the marketing success equation.
X
PS - I’m looking for some new JV partners in the niches of SLEEP, MEDITATION, STRESS RELIEF, AND PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS (this is pretty wide open). If you’ve got a high quality product, a respectable list and the desire to get involved in one of my wealth alliances then leave me a comment (I won’t post it) or send an email to sales<at>adwordsblackbook<dot>com
PSS - If you haven’t checked out Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula Videos, I recommend you do - this all fits.
joint venture marketing strategy wealth allianceGodin Tells Google About Adwords
Interesting presentation by Seth Godin to Google about why he thinks Adwords works.
Dan Kennedy On Pricing
Read this. Absorb this. Live this. Bang this into your head with a hammer if you must.
Dan Kennedy wrote . . .
“The area where I’ve had the combination of the most impact and the most immediate impact in the most businesses has actually not been direct-response marketing or copy that sells; it is ‘price’. Often ‘price’ is the path to stored value, hidden or overlooked opportunities, marketplace and competitive advantage, and even personal liberty for businesses’ owners. By exploring price strategies, we find our way to other opportunities to unleash enormous profit boosting opportunities in a client’s business.
“I constantly tell people: if you are in a ‘commodity’ or commoditized business – GET OUT. I don’t mean actually leaving the category of business you are in and embarking on an entirely new career. I mean creatively reinventing the business to be perceived differently than all other businesses in the category, so customers, clients or patients stand in line waiting, even literally begging you to accept them, rather than viewing you as interchangeable. This is extremely important. It is about a shift in POWER that must precede dramatic improvements in PROFIT. Sometimes changes in price strategies can be used to spearhead these changes. Other times, changes in price that favor the owner follow these other changes.
“Consider the chocolate chip cookie or steak. These are ordinary commodities readily available within 15 minutes of just about everybody anywhere in America. You can buy cookies at the supermarket, convenience stores, drug stores or pay a higher price for them at bakeries or cookie stores in malls or pay even higher prices for them at a Starbucks® or pay even higher prices to have them Federal Expressed to you at your home or office from Mrs. Fields® or other purveyors. You can get a steak burrito at Taco Bell® , a steak-burger at Dennys®, a steak dinner at Applebees® or, for higher price, at Outback®, or for higher price still at Mortons® or Ruth Chris® or you can buy steaks at your supermarket or pay more at the butcher shop or pay more to have them FedEx’d from Omaha Steaks® or pay about 50% more than that to have them FedEx’d from Allen Brothers®. If price controlled buyers’ behavior, these broad ranges of prices would not be able to exist. You will be tempted to point out that you are not in the cookie business. Pfui. EVERY business, without exception, is subject to a broad range of price. Sleep can be had at Motel-6 or at the Four Seasons or better. EVERY business.
“Failing to constantly ‘noodle’ better strategies for price and presentation of price is dereliction of owner responsibility.
This Only Makes Me Laugh
For your entertainment . . . a note from a (un?) subscriber responding to my “Please Unsubscribe” message.
You sent me this:
Hey Linque -
I slept well knowing that you’re
not among the sorry asses of the
world - 9 girly-boys unsubscribed.Bu-bye and good riddance. Now we
can get to business have a little
fun.I am telling you THIS:
Who the hell do you think you’re talking to??????????????? YOU MORON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Girly boy????????? You don’t have the brass to say that to my face!!!!!!
Cool down Linque - you bad boy, you. I love running across guys like you who make it so easy to push their buttons.
So yesterday, for probably the 500th time I see a post on the Warrior Forum about how stupid marketers are for using long copy.
As I often do, I wrote a response and deleted it without posting.
But I’ll let you in on what I had to say - and why it applies to our buddy Linque here.
The problem is long copy or short copy. This is like saying “Novels suck - people should only write articles”.
Some novels do suck. And some [MOST] long sales letters suck too.
But it isn’t the length that matters; it’s the fact that lousy writing is lousy writing.
Sometimes you read a book that you never want to end - how many thousands of pages is the Harry Potter series now?
It’s interesting - it’s good stuff.
Most sales letters attempt to be generic blabber that appeals to everyone - God forbade we offend the likes of Linque, who don’t comprehend the message anyway.
Your goal as a marketer is to reach, to qualify and build a relationship with THE RIGHT PEOPLE. And that means that the sooner the WRONG PEOPLE dislike you, the better.
But X! I want everyone to like me!
Then deal with your approval issues - they will prevent you from being the best marketer you can be. They will prevent you from taking action and standing FOR SOMETHING.
If your sales copy isn’t polarizing people - if you don’t have people on either side of the fence loving and hating, then you’re playing it WAY too safe.
The best stuff I’ve EVER written - product or sales copy - polarized people and yes, I’ve had second thoughts about putting it out there. But the more audacious it is - the more I feel like “Oh, man . . . this is going to piss some people off” - the better it does.
If your butt cheeks aren’t puckered up just a bit when you float something out there - then you’re not putting yourself in the position to grow.
Life rewards boldness - there is genius in boldness.
Now - I’m not saying to go out there and try to be what X is. And I’m definitely not saying going out there and try to shock the hell out of people for the sake of it.
You need to find your edge and you need to know the people you want to do business with (and the people you don’t want to do business with).
X
