.

Do you ever have those moments in building your online business that there are so many moving parts that it seems they could never all fit together?  That the odds of everything connecting and performing and cooperating at just the right moment are a million to one?

I love how this video illustrates the power of possibility, when you work with a team and use the collective brilliance and ingenuity created with that "third mind".  Also shows how much contribution our younger (and young at heart) geniuses have to bring to the table…

"Let it go, this too shall pass."  Listen to the chorus on this video. 

I SO don't buy into the current "Sky is Falling!" mentality.  To the contrary, I believe, because of the potential and promise of Entrepreneurs, that this will prove to be one of the greatest moments of opportunity in our world history.

In fact, a Kaufmann Foundation report out just today confirms that ALL new jobs created in our current economy are coming from start up companies, small businesses who have the courage and fortitude to plow ahead despite the naysayers.  The dreamers and action-takers who know that their best times are just ahead, when they apply smart business principles and combine them with the fascinating technology of the world wide web.

"You know you can't keep lettin' it get you down
And you can't keep draggin' that dead weight around."

I'm reminded of the Peter Drucker wisdom:  "Since the purpose of business is to create a customer, the most important functions of a business are marketing and innovation.  EVERYTHING else is an expense."

When you are looking to market your business on the internet, align yourself with the innovators.  Look for the trusted guides, ones who have traveled the road to success and take great joy in lighting the path for you.  The ones who know how to line up the pieces "just so", so they fit perfectly, each falling gracefully into the next, resulting in the holy grail:  a satisfied, paying customer. 

It's a beautiful thing!!  And when that happens, you'll be one of the ones remembering 2010 as the year of opportunity and productivity, when you and your team jumped up and down with delight, all your hard effort in paying attention to the little business details paid off, and it all WORKED.

Let me know when it happens for you, and what I can do to help make it so!

The power and potential of social networking is a phenomenon that cannot be ignored in the 21st century.  Or, to put it more accurately, it may only be ignored at your own peril. 

Businesses who want to stay or move into profitability must keep their "finger on the pulse" of what their target market wants most.  This applies whether the business is an industry giant, like Yahoo!, or a business started by two college kids from their campus trailer, like, um…say… Yahoo!. 

Lose sight of the desires of your "tribe" or intended audience, and the connectivity of the worldwide web encourages them to move on to someone who will better fulfill their desires, at the click of a mouse.  This fear of losing audience, and profits, is apparently what has "forced" Yahoo! to update its business model, incorporating social networking into its user interface.  Yahoo! has discovered, according to the Washington Post, "The longer a user stays on the site, the more advertising dollars and e-commerce it generates".

Shout out to Yahoo!:  this isn't exactly breaking news, that social networking encourages people to "spend time" on a site that they enjoy…

However, with this greatly increased connectivity (the world is now your neighborhood, via the internet), also comes the accompanying responsibility of recognition of and responsibility for personal privacy.  Even before Yahoo! launches its new social networking concept, they are already being challenged on this issue.

Here is a summary of the breaking report from the Washington Post:

Yahoo plans to announce Tuesday that it is jumping into social networking by using its massive population of e-mail subscribers as a base for sharing information on the Web.

Over the next few weeks, its 280 million e-mail users will be able to exchange comments, pictures and news articles with others in their address books.

The plan could spark criticism from Yahoo e-mail users, who signed up for the free service perhaps never imagining the people they e-mailed would become friends for sharing vacation videos, political causes and random thoughts throughout the day.

After backlash, Facebook last week announced new privacy tools to make it easier for users to block Web sites from tapping into their information, as well as a simpler way to configure who on the site can see personal data.

To allay privacy concerns, Yahoo said it would give users a week's notice before launching the new features and provide a single button on the site for opting out entirely.

"We've been watching and trying to be thoughtful about our approach," said Anne Toth, head of privacy for Yahoo.

Specifically, the company will launch a product called Yahoo Updates that allows e-mail users to see what other contacts on their lists are commenting about or sharing on sites like Yahoo Finance, Facebook and the photo sharing site Flickr.

Yahoo has tiptoed into social media, launching a similar tool last year called Connections, which allowed each user to customize a list of contacts with whom to share information.

The move is part of a revamping of the once-rudderless Internet pioneer.

The longer a user stays on the site, the more advertising dollars and e-commerce it generates.

Yahoo will begin notifying users of the change on June 7, one week before the launch. Users who don't want to participate can click one button on the settings page to opt out.

"What Yahoo has done is recognized that your e-mail or messenger network is a useful resource and that you may be interested in knowing what your contacts are interested in knowing about, and they stop there," said Jules Polonetsky, the director of the Future of Privacy Forum, a privacy think tank.

What are your thoughts?  Given that social networking is a foregone conclusion in the 2010 environment, how does a business effectively and responsibility incorporate this reality into their marketing strategy?  Or should they even try to? 

I would love to hear your comments on this very important topic.  And, as always, thanks for stopping by!

Jimmy D. Brown is a recognized expert in the online art of affiliate marketing.  I am a fan of affiliate marketing because, as you probably realize about me by now, I support concepts and systems that empower business owners to get into profitability quickly and for the long-term. 

Affiliate marketing is just such a powerful approach, as it allows the "newbie" online business owner to tap into a high-quality information product to sell as an income stream while she is still learning the ropes of how to make and sell her own product.  It allows you to "earn while you learn".

The following is a guest post from my mentor, Jimmy D. Brown, on one of the reasons he loves affiliate marketing.

Why I Love Affiliate Marketing – Part 3
By Jimmy D. Brown of "Affiliatenaire"

Some people have the ability to persuade others and talk
them into just about anything.  Especially when it comes
to influencing their buying decisions.  They know how to
push the right hot buttons, say things the right way and
generally get consumers into an emotional frenzy to the
point they are ready to click an order button.

There are two key words in that paragraph that really need
to stand out in your mind:  "some people".

Not everyone has this ability.  In fact, only a few do.

That brings me to the third reason why I love affiliate
marketing…

 ** You don't need to write a world class salesletter**

Have you ever tried to write a salesletter? There's a
reason why professional copywriters charge up to $10,000
(and sometimes even more) for a SINGLE salesletter. It
takes a lot of experience and skill to write a top-gun
salesletter, which is why most people have a hard time
convincing people to buy if they do create their own
products and website.

They simply don't have the right salesletter in place
to make it all work. Without good copy, it really doesn't
matter how spectacular the offer is, you're simply not
going to get many sales.

     SIDEBAR:  The average conversion rate of site visitors
     who become buyers is reportedly less than 2%.  That
     means 98 out of every 100 do NOT buy.  That's why
     sales are so incredibly bad for a poor site … you
     *might* get 2 sales out of every 300-400 visitors.

BUT, with affiliate marketing, you don't need to write a
salesletter! You simply direct people to someone else's
high-octane salesletter for THEM to convert your leads
into commissionable sales.

That's why I love affiliate marketing.

You don't need to write a world class salesletter.

…………………….

Jimmy D. Brown is the author of "Affiliatenaire", teaching
you how to create big-time affiliate commission checks in
only 1-3 hours each week.  Discover how you can get cash in
the bank without a website, experience or even an idea!
Visit http://bestact.affnaire.hop.clickbank.net

…………………….

One of the things I look for when evaluating success is results.  And when it comes to online marketing, NO ONE can claim more consistent and persistent results than Daegan Smith.  Not only is he brilliant at identifying and implementing the best marketing strategies that are working now online, but he also genuinely enjoys helping others. 

That fits my definition of a leader:  serving by giving value, which inevitably creates success for the one who gives and the one lucky enough to receive.  His Maximum Leverage internet marketing training system is one of the most helpful and profitable lead generation systems available online, and for good reason:  he knows what he's talking about, and he knows how to teach it.  Truly a rare and powerful combination.

Here is the latest word of wisdom from Daegan, hot off the presses!

RE: What To Do If Your Company Won't Let
You Promote Online

By Daegan Smith

I just got a great question in from
Shannon Hanaway, that I think you may be
interested in the answer to:

"I've just been advised that my MLM
company won't allow any website- outside
their provided template-that customers
can link back to for product information
and enrollment.

These are my products.

Am I dead in the water or do I just get
really creative?"

My Response:

Shannon,

Fantastic questions and by no means are
you dead in the water. You just have to
think a little bit differently about how
you introduce people to your
opportunity.

In all honesty, just sending people to
your companies website to learn about
your product line isn't going to win you
many sales anyway, so it's really more
of an non issue than you may think.

I've said it before and I'll say it
again. People don't join opportunities,
they join people.

Therefore nothing that you do on the
front end of your business even needs to
ever mention your company. Let me
explain . . .

Your best prospects will always be the
doers like you. The people striving for
success.

What do doers look for?

Information and guidance.

This is all your business on the front
end should provide. People will join you
because they "know" and you've proven
you can help them, not because your moon
juice is cooler than the next companies.

So on the front end, do what I do.

Create your own newsletter. Your own
lead capture page. Communicate daily.

If you get adventurous create a front
end product that solves on of your
prospects major concerns.

1. Getting more leads 2. Making more
money 3. Recruiting without rejection

Allow them to purchase it from you and
then . . .

Once all your marketing costs are paid
for by your profits, on the back-end
give you your customers a call.

Ask how you can be of further service,
naturally they'll be inquisitive as to
what else you're up to.

There, right there, is the time you
bring up your back end company.

You may say, but "Daegan I can't create
a product."

I have two answers for you.

Yes you can and you don't even need a
product to recruit online. It just makes
it easier.

Even if you were just to create your own
list online. Share stories and marketing
strategies daily, and as a call to
action at the end of your message you
said something like:

"If you'd like some personal help give
me a call between 4pm and 8pm tonight at
XXX-XXXX I'll be in the office to help"

You'll have people ringing your phone
off the hook all day and night. Trust me
on that one.

See how we never even bring up our
company online following this
methodology? Well, that's exactly why
you're in no way shape or form dead in
the water.

If you'd like to learn how to either
generate a boat load of leads, create
your first front end product, or create
a daily flow of profits, there is no
better place to learn these skills than
as a part of our family.

Watch this short presentation to learn
how to make that happen:

==> https://daegansmith.infusionsoft.com/go/freedvdbootcamp/lory1230

To the top,

Lory Moore

What if I told you that you could make money with articles?  What if I told you that you don’t really need previous career-related experience?  Or that the beauty of it is, you can learn the ropes as you go?  Wouldn't that be fantastic?  That probably sounds impossible to you.  And yet, people do indeed make money with articles every day.  How does that happen?

Well, certainly there are skills that you have to  learn.  Given the time crunch of our daily lives, it is not practical for most of us to develop these skills via the traditional classroom learning model.  This presents a problem; if I must use my time to earn money to live, then where do I find time to make more money?  Fear not.  Many of the skills that you will need are skills that you can teach yourself or otherwise pick up along the way.

First, you will need to determine what content to post: in other words, you will need to learn how to pick out the articles that will make your sites successful.  There are many types of content, from free content to high dollar content, and each comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.  Typically (though not always), high dollar content is more likely to result in a successful site in the end.

Second, you will need to learn how to choose keywords that can get you a good amount of traffic.  This is more tricky than it sounds.  You are trying to get on the first or second page of search engines.  Certainly, you can research popular and highly competitive keywords, and sprinkle them throughout your text.  Unfortunately, that often leads into a trap.  How so?  Because if those exact words are already used by huge and established websites, it is very unlikely that your site will ever get enough views in order to move up to those desirable first two pages.  This point is often the undoing of many writers.  Beware!

 The third point is related.  You will also need to know how to optimize your websites for various search engines.  Learning how to write "custom" text, using learned search-engine optimization skills, will allow you to get high rankings for your chosen niche keywords.  These "designer" keywords can then help you attract more visitors, and make a profit.

Fourth, you may decide to produce a large website which will be the focus of most of your internet marketing career.   If so, you will need to know how to market your website to your intended audience through paid banner ads and text links.  On the other hand, you may prefer very small 2-5 page niche sites.  Allow me to give you some additional advice: promoting all of those niche site using paid banner ads and text links will not be cost effective!  Your sites will then eat up more profits than they are worth.

If you can identify these skills and work on them aggressively during your first few small websites, or the first few months of a larger website, then you will eventually become an expert.  I repeat, you can learn the ropes first-hand on your own!  The only thing that you will need to do before you begin your new career is to continue to read up on how to get started. 

Finally, you must make sure that you at least have the funds available to start a small site.  I'll cover more on that topic in a later post.

You may wish to purchase an internet marketing e-book or two if you are having trouble getting started, or need some inspiration.  Some of my best, high quality recommendations are in the sidebar on this page; feel free to explore them!  In the meantime, how about some free training from one of the most trusted sources of internet marketing, my personal mentor, Terry Dean.  Click here to download your personal copy, with my compliments!

NOTE:  The following is a guest post from one of my favorite
internet marketing mentors.

Why I Love Affiliate Marketing – Part 2
By Jimmy D. Brown of "Affiliatenaire"

Pop quiz time.  What does "HTML" stand for?  Don't know
that one?  How about this – what does "FTP" stand for? OK,
one more chance.  Do you know how to work with either?

That brings me to the second reason why I love affiliate
marketing…

      ** You don't need to build a website **

What scares people more than creating a product is building
a website! 

* What in the world is HTML?  Or FTP?
* How much does the software cost?  And hosting?
* How do I upload files?
* Why isn't it formatted correctly?
* Why don't my graphics look like the ones the pros have?

If you are a complete beginner, it can be very difficult
(even using templates) to get an attractive website in place.
And hiring a professional to do it fo ryou is out of the
budget for most people.

But, with affiliate marketing, you don't need to build a
website.  You simply send visitors to someone else's
professionally designed site through your affiliate link.

     SIDEBAR:  Just in case you're interested, HTML stands
     for "hypertext markup language" and is the coding
     used to build webpages.  FTP stands for "file transfer
     protocol" and is the process used for moving files
     from your computer to a website, or vice versa.

Really, in a manner of looking at it, you get to take
advantage of the time and money invested by someone else
to develop the site.  Think about it:  when you promote an
affiliate link, it reflects firstly upon YOU.  You are the
one who is advertising the link, recommending the product,
sending people who have interacted with YOU to the website.

The professional site of someone else really represents
you as the promoter, in the eye of those who have clicked
through your link.

You get the benefits without the bother.

That's why I love affiliate marketing.

You don't need to build a website.

…………………….

Jimmy D. Brown is the author of "Affiliatenaire", teaching
you how to create big-time affiliate commission checks in
only 1-3 hours each week.  Discover how you can get cash in
the bank without a website, experience or even an idea!
Visit http://bestact.affnaire.hop.clickbank.net

…………………….

Life, as John Lennon famously says, is what happens when we're making other plans.  Certainly my friend Dallas never knew that fateful day in November, 2008, that painting a church in a cherry-picker would lead to months in a coma in a fight for his life.  His presence on the planet today defies the odds, and the most amazing part of this tale is that his story has just begun.

When God places people in your life, they are there for a reason, even when the why isn't immediately apparent.  Dallas and his family were a meaningful part of my life before his accident, but this experience has bonded us forever. 

Watching him struggle and persevere and will himself to live beyond boundaries seemingly outside of comprehension is a daily inspiration to all of us who know him.  Helping him establish the About Face Foundation to assist burn victims, and partnering with him in business to fund the account, ranks above the highest currency anyone could ever deposit in my bank account.

Sometimes life does do an "About Face"; the question is, what will we do with the new perspective? 

May you all be blessed by Dallas and his story, and perhaps even join him as he rewrites the chapters of medical history on what quality of life can mean, from the man who wasn't supposed to be, according to the odds. I'm placing my bets on Dallas, and partnering with him, along with many others passionate about serving Dallas and others,  in redefining quality of life for us all. 

Watch out 2010, we are coming to change the world, for the greater good!

Wisdom and Hollywood don't often occupy the same sentence.  Will Smith is a fine exception to that statement.  With all the Tiger Woods scandals and Wall Street shenanigans, what a refreshing change of pace to find a brilliant, successful man focused on living a good life.  Period.  Just like his grandma and his daddy taught him.

Doing well by doing good.  This is a movement I stand behind whole-heartedly.  Enjoy this montage of life philosophies that have endured the centuries; a formula for success that could very well be your answer to "Begin Again and Win in 2010".

One of my favorite of Will's quotes:  "I was always a Hollywood A-list star…ya'll just didn't know it yet."

Name your dream.  Who is it you want to be?  Then take Will's wisdom and apply it to your own life.
"I was always ___________________…ya'll just didn't know it yet!"

Write it down.  Dream UNrealistically.  Shoot for the moon.  Now, let's make it so!

NOTE:  The following is a guest post from one of my favorite
internet marketing mentors.

Why I Love Affiliate Marketing – Part 1
By Jimmy D. Brown of "Affiliatenaire"

Do you find yourself "starting" to create your own product
to sell online, but never "finishing" it? 

One of the things I love about affiliate marketing is –

    ** You don't need to create your own products **

Many people find the idea of creating their own products to
be an overwhelming and even paralyzing task.

* I don't have any good ideas!
* I'm not a writer!
* There's too much competition!
* I don't know how to set everything up!
* I can't figure out where to start!
* It's too hard!

These are just a few of the valid reasons many people give
when it comes to not creating their own products to sell.
I'm sure with a few minutes of brainstorming, we could come
up with a list of many more.

With affiliate marketing, you don't need your own products.
You simply promote someone else's already proven successful
offer for a commission.

And, truth be told, even if you ARE a writer and you DO have
lots of ideas and you CAN figure it all out…

  ** Nobody wants to create new products all the time **

As good as you may be, you don't know everything!  Why try
to create a product on every topic imaginable in your
market when you can earn just as much money by simply
promoting someone else's really good offer as one of your
profit streams?

That's why I love affiliate marketing.

You don't need to create your own products.

…………………….

Jimmy D. Brown is the author of "Affiliatenaire", teaching
you how to create big-time affiliate commission checks in
only 1-3 hours each week.  Discover how you can get cash in
the bank without a website, experience or even an idea!
Visit http://bestact.affnaire.hop.clickbank.net

…………………….

As discussed in our previous post, to be successful in network marketing, you really must become a leader.  After focusing on being a person of character that people would be honored to follow, followed by being an active listener, what are some other skill sets of a good leader? 

Here are three more top requirements for quality leaders.  How do you score in these?

Good Leaders Are Available 


A good leader will make time for their recruits and clients. Some leaders have a set schedule for seeing recruits, but they also know emergencies arise and don’t get disgruntled when they do. Personal relationships are critical in a network marketing business, and creating opportunity for personal interaction is a prerequisite to build trust and unity in a team.



Set your own schedule, but be aware that your team members will need you at times other than those you specifically set every once in awhile. Open your door and help them when they need it most.  Even when the size of your network marketing business grows exponentially (a "problem" I know you will be delighted to experience!), always build in time for connecting, especially with those individuals who are working diligently and thus deserving of extra recognition and support.



Good Leaders Organize and Prioritize


This is not only true in business, but it is also true in a leader’s personal life. You’ll need to realize your family is most important and how to balance family and business. If you do not know how to organize and prioritize your business and personal life, don’t worry. There are tons of materials out there that can help you with this part. Look on the internet or in your local bookstore for starters.

A key point to remember in this area is the recognition that all people have the same finite amount of one resource, and that is time.  Your ability to identify what many call the "high value activities", those small percentage of actions that actually accomplish the majority of progress in your business, will be a critical component to your success.  Good leaders discover the most meaningful daily activities, develop a written plan around those tasks, and focus on those priority tasks instead of the myriad of "time suckers" that can steal their day.



Good Leaders Persevere


In other words, you’ll need to know how to overcome obstacles or work around them. In business, as in life, troubles and adversity are inevitable.  Part of being a leader is planning ahead for just such realities and building in flexibility to keep moving forward despite the challenges.

Also, don’t let negative people interfere with your progress or your well-laid plans. You should know how to block the negative and absorb the positive. Believe me, when you are in a leadership position, you will hear it all…some of which you don’t want to hear, but have to just because you’re the one in charge. (Perhaps the phrase "TMI! TMI!"–too much information– was first coined by a leader who heard too much!) As a leader, you must be able to filter out the bad and keep the good. Don’t let set-backs or frustrations stop you from reaching your goals.

Good Leader…In You


Leadership development is important in any business, but it is absolutely critical in the network marketing arena, a business model that lives and dies on building and maintaining strong relationships. For that reason, one of your foundational principles for success in your network marketing business should be to develop yourself as a leader.  Browse your local bookstore for bestselling or classic leadership titles that motivate you.   Be alert for online courses or live seminars that provide practical application in developing leadership skills.  And, most importantly,  learn from someone who exemplifies strong leadership skills in your personal life, like your minister, a teacher or business partner.

Good leadership can be learned, you just have to be willing to study it.  Find a good mentor to pattern after, curl up with a good read, and commit to improving yourself into the leader the world needs to step up and serve!

What do you believe are the most essential character qualities of a good leader?  I would love to know your thoughts.