Entries from July 2007 ↓

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Fifth, offer them more information, but in such a way as to make them ask for it. This is the pink spoon (think Baskin Robbins’ free sample) and it is at this stage that you want to capture their contact information. Have a free report or audio or video clip or recorded message for them to listen to or even a CD or DVD that you mail to them.

There are two schools of thought at this fifth stage. One is where you present the solution in generic terms and then follow up with a more direct sales pitch. The other is to provide the information and direct sales pitch at the same time. Personally, I feel the second approach makes more sense. By the time they have gone to your website and sent for more information, they are well aware that there is going to be a sales pitch of some sort. At this point, they want it. They want to know what you have to offer so they can decide if it makes sense for them. Don’t be coy and make them wait to hear about it, give it to them when they want it.

Read the book!

Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog

Start with the headline that you used to get the customer there in the first place. That lets them know that they are at the right place and is less confusing.

Second, relate to them and their problems. Tell a story about how you experienced a similar problem. Show them that you understand what their problem is and can empathize. Use words such as ‘grapple’ and ‘struggle’.

Third, ask them if they are open to a different way of looking at the problem. Most people like to think of themselves as open minded, even to themselves.

Fourth, mention your solution in generic terms. Don’t mention your solution directly, but instead use language such as “Have you ever thought about… “ or “What if you tried… “. You want to get them intrigued with the idea, not give them a lot of information.
Read the book!

Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog

First, let’s do a recap. By now, you have picked a niche, identified their problem or need, and identified a product or service to solve that problem or fill that need. You have also written your USP (one for each niche-problem-solution combination) and know which online marketing methods you are going to start with and test (SEO, PPC, and OSN). Now it is time to deliver your message.

I really want to stress that you should only have one website per message. You want one clear message per solution and that means having one website per solution. You could try using subdomains (such as problem1.chrisobyrne.com and problem2.chrisobyrne.com), but I think you will have less confusion with separate domain names (such as www.problem1.com and www.problem2.com).

When in doubt, the confused mind says ‘no’. Have a simple website and one path to follow. Do not have more than one page on your site and have only one link, the link to either get more information or to buy the product. All you want is a headline, the sales copy, and one action to take. Nothing more!

Read the book!

Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to test your attention-grabbing methods. If you are paying to get people’s attention (and you are, either with time or money), you want to make sure that you are using the most effective methods and copy possible. Test different keywords on your website and different combinations and track which ones get searched for most. Set up an account with Google Analytics and you can even track which links get clicked and how often. You can see all of the keywords and keyword phrases that brought people to your site and you can see where they came from geographically.

I use both Google Analytics and StatCounter for tracking. StatCounter has an easier interface and all stats show up instantly. Google Analytics has many more features (including multivariate testing) and is much more useful, but stats usually take a day to show up. There are other tracking programs out there, as well, all with pluses and minuses. If you do not like either Google Analytics or StatCounter, try another one and keep testing them until you find the one that works best for you.

PPC advertising, using Google AdWords, is very easy to test. All of your results (and there are a lot!) will be tracked and saved and you can look at your results for one day or one week or whatever period of time works best for you. You can even choose to have the best-performing ad run more frequently or have both ads show up equally. It can also get quite complicated, so be sure to check out www.chrisobyrne.com/adwords.

Read the book!

Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog

These first three marketing methods (SEO, PPC, and OSN) are the ones I would do, in order, right away. Wait on the last three until you’ve got the first three in place, tested them, and have them somewhat optimized.

Affiliate programs can also be a very effective method of sending people to your website. The basic idea is that someone else sells your product or service in exchange for a percentage of the profit. Another variation is to pay people for qualified leads. Insurance companies often do this and will pay you for sending prospects to them that have already filled out a questionnaire. You can set up your own affiliate program at www.chrisobyrne.com/affiliate.

Podcasting has become much more mainstream and is a great way to build a community. Create a weekly or bi-weekly podcast that has a specific focus and create a companion website to accompany it. I have listened to certain podcasts, become hooked on the show, and then gone on to buy products from the people that create the show. Listening to somebody on a regular basis creates a huge bond of trust with that person, even if you never talk to them in person. All you need to get started is an inexpensive microphone and a program to edit your recording. If you use Windows, you can download the free program Audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net) which does an excellent job. If you use a Macintosh, you can simply use the program GarageBand that comes with every Mac. To get your podcast on the web, set up a blog with WordPress. The latest version now comes with the PodPress plugin which automates the whole process, including sending your podcast to the iTunes directory. If you have a web designer or someone that handles your hosting for you, get them to set you up. If you need more advice or questions, send an email to [email protected].

Writing articles is just one more way to get your name and information out there. I have placed this method last because article-writing is not as effective as it used to be. It is, however, a way to get practice producing an information product and they still provide another avenue for your potential clients to learn about you and view you as an expert. Ezinearticles.com is one place where you can submit articles and you can do a search to find several more.

There are several offline methods of sending people to your website and these include the more traditional forms of advertising such as magazine and newspaper advertising, yellow pages ads, radio and television advertising, billboards, and direct mail. These methods can be very effective and should be considered. Since the main body of your message is on your website, it could be as simple as paying for a classified ad that mimics your PPC ad and sends people to your website. You may also want to consider doing teleseminars, webinars, and having pre-recorded messages that people can call and listen to.
Read the book!

Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog

Online social networking (OSN) is our third online marketing method. Blogs and forums are the most common methods of social networking, but this could include any means of interacting or communicating on the web. Some other possibilities include getting someone with a related product to email their list about your program, leaving reviews on places like Epinions.com or Amazon.com, Myspace, Peopleconnection.com, Friendster, Facebook, and many more. Even chatrooms, instant messaging, and email are methods of online social networking.

The idea behind social networking is to hang out in the same places as your potential customers. When I was working as a sales engineer for a big chemical supply company, I was expected to join and go to Ducks Unlimited meetings because that is where the decision makers at the paper mills hung out. I would never talk business while I was there, just hang out and let them get to know me. The same holds true for online social networking, only it is a lot easier. Go to blogs and forums that deal with the same topics that your potential customers might deal with. You will also be hanging out with potential competitors, but that’s okay. This is about being part of a community and everyone has their own solution to other people’s problems. Leave comments or posts. Ask questions related to the topic. Offer advice that does not consist of “hey, go to my website where I can sell you something!” In most blogs, you are asked to give your email address and website url while leaving a comment. Take advantage of this! After you have established yourself as part of the community, you can start leaving your website url in your signature at the bottom of each post. Remember, you are a member of a community and the same rules that apply to offline social gatherings apply to online social gatherings. Look around for a bit before you chime in, ask questions first, and don’t force your opinions on others.
Read the book!

Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is your second priority. Although social networking is free, it is also time consuming. PPC advertising can be highly targeted and relative low in cost. Google has a system that makes it possible, for the first time in the history of the world, to deposit five bucks, write a couple of ads, and instantly get access to over 100 million people - in less than 10 minutes.

It’s called Google AdWords and it really works. In fact it may be the best thing to do to get traffic to your site.

But it’s not always as easy as I just made it sound - AdWords has some nuances, and most people have a rough time at first.

Perry Marshall has written a very helpful e-course called “5 days to success with Google AdWords” and there’s no charge for it. You can find out about it here: www.chrisobyrne.com/adwords.

Read the book!

Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog

Okay. By now you should have identified several niches that you want to market to and the products or services you want to provide to those niches. You should also have your USP (or USPs) created and be ready to market. Now it is time to deliver your message. Here are some possible marketing methods:

(SEO) Search engine optimization (and links)
(PPC) Pay-per-click advertising
(OSN) Online Social networking (blogs & forums)
Affiliate Program
Podcast
Articles
It is important to note that these are all methods of driving people to your website. In the next section we will talk about what message to have on your website.

Search engine optimization (SEO) means doing certain things to enhance the searchability of your website and make it more likely to get listed in the top search engines (Google, Yahoo, and MSN). This is most important because it is free and because so many potential customers will start with a simple search.

The point of SEO is get the search engines to find you naturally and to show up as high as possible on that first page when people search for the key words that apply to you. For example, if you offer customized watercolors, you want to show up on that first page when people search for such terms as “custom watercolor”, “customized watercolor”, or “watercolor commission”. The other way to get listed high in the search engine rankings, perhaps as important as SEO, is to have links from other sites. Links from other sites are looked at like votes for your site. The more links you have, the more votes you have and the higher you show up on the search results page. Links from sites that have a high page rank themselves, count for more points.
Read the book!

Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog

With so many ways to use the internet to grab people’s attention and send them to your website, where do you start? Which ones are most important and how do you decide and prioritize accordingly?

There ARE a lot of ways to use the internet for marketing and the more research and reading you do and the more programs you buy or subscribe to, the more ways you learn about.

Which ones are most effective?
Which ones are must-do methods?
Where do you start?

The only must-do methods, in fact, the ONLY methods you should use are the ones that ARE the most effective and provide enough of a return to meet your goals. Unfortunately, what is most effective for one niche is not necessarily going to be most effective for another. The only way to know for sure is to have a list of potential methods, in order of suspected effectiveness, that you then test. If you really want to know which methods are the most effective, you need to test each and every one of them.

Wait a second… did you say goals?

I was hoping you didn’t miss that. If your goal is to make only $1000/month, you may only need to find one or two methods that are most effective for your niche. If your goal is to make $5000/month, however, you may need to utilize a few more, perhaps several more. You won’t know until you set a goal and start testing online marketing methods.
There are many ways to go about setting goals and everyone has their own preferences, but here is a simple strategy you can start with if you are relatively new to this. First, what is the least amount of money you need to continue your current lifestyle? What are your monthly expenses. Whatever this number is, that is your first goal. I would take that number and increase it by 20% to cover unforeseen expenses. Next, if only as a mental exercise, figure out what the least expensive lifestyle is that you would be happy with. Perhaps it would mean something drastic like moving someplace different or selling your car, but remember, this only has to be a mental exercise. You may find that your monthly expenses could be reduced significantly which is the equivalent of getting a significant raise.

For your second goal, think about what your ideal lifestyle would be and the amount of income necessary to realize that. Perhaps you want to spend winters in Australia and summers in British Columbia. Calculate air fare, living expenses, and everything you can think of that might be included in that lifestyle. Be as specific as you can. Whatever that number comes to, that is your second goal. That is the monthly income you want to start shooting for after you reach your first goal.

Read the book!

Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog

Once you identify your niches, it is time to start educating them. Work on one niche at a time and give it your full attention. What do you need to tell them? You have not only identified who they are, but what their most pressing problems and needs are. Tell them that you have the solution they have been looking for.

I would suggest that you start by creating a make believe person that fits your niche perfectly. Write a letter to them that focuses on what their need is and how you can provide that for them. Do not simply tell them how great you and your product or service are, show them how you can help them. Give them examples of how you have helped others that are in their same position solve the same problems. This isn’t the place for testimonials that say how wonderful you are, this is where you build trust and confidence.

Actually, let’s go back one step. Before you even start to write the letter, write a headline. And don’t just write one, write many of them, at least 10 to 20. One very helpful and easy technique I use is to use a swipe file. A swipe file is a file of winning headlines. These are headlines that have been used by the best of the best throughout the years and have proven themselves by bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars for those that have used them. For more information, go to www.chrisobyrne.com/headlines

This is where you might want to use the services of a professional copywriter. A copywriter is a person that writes sales copy and they have experience in crafting just the right message with just the right words. There are many factors and psychological considerations that go into copywriting, so if you want this done right, either learn how to do this yourself or hire a professional.

After you have crafted your message and incorporated your USP, you need to deliver that message to the people in your niche. This is where you really grab their attention…

Read the book!

Chris O’Byrne
http://OnlineArtsMarketing.com/blog