2 New Internet Business Resources Free

When I started my internet business in 2001 it was a lot different than today. Back then you pay for everything to build your site, brand yourself, create videos, etc.

Today however things are a lot different. You can get free software to create web pages. You can have a free blog. You can brand ebooks for free to give away. And now there's even a place where you can get some free videos to help build you list and make affiliate sales.

Now I don't use free software to create my web pages at FriendsWhoCare since I had to buy some when I started. However I do have a free blog. In fact I have several. I also have a membership at Viral Ebook Explosion where I get ebooks to brand and give away. And I also now have a membership at Affiliate Power Videos.

Since I've been doing business online for several years you may wonder why I use free blogs and membership sites.

Easy answer - Because these things help build my business!

Blogs are a fantastic way to promote your business because you can leave reviews for affiliate products online and they can continue to make sales for you long after you've written the review. Free blogs that provide content can even make sales if you promote things relative to your content and you provide good content on a regular basis.

As for membership sites like Viral Ebook Explosion and Affiliate Power Videos, all I can say is that I'll take all the help I can get when it comes to building my lists and making sales. And if you can't see the value of giving branded information away or using video then ... I won't even go there.

Of course the paid memberships at these sites offer much more however the free memberships aren't shabby. A free membership at Viral Ebook Explosion gives you the right to brand and sell or give away several quality information products. And right now a free membership at Affiliate Power Videos gives you professional video sign-up pages for 10 different affiliate products PLUS you also get 5 new video squeeze pages every month.

If you're able to create your own viral ebooks or make your own videos then you may not be interested in these 2 membership sites. However if you don't write your own viral ebook, you aren't making your own videos or you'd like some to make your life easier by not having to do all the work yourself then I highly recommend you check out both these membership sites.

Here they are again - Viral Ebook Explosion and Affiliate Power Videos.

To Your Success,
Susan

P.S. With Christmas only a few days off I just have to share a video with a really funny Christmas song. And while it's really cute and I think you'll enjoy it I do have to warn you. After the song and in the ending credits there is a joke you may find offensive so you may want to stop the video at the end of the song.

Tags: viral ebook, brand ebook, affiliate video, internet marketing resources, free marketing resources

Instant Article Wizard vs Article Architect Update

I've written several articles about Article Architect starting with the first 1 where I tried to compare Article Architect with Instant Article Wizard.

Since that first article a couple of things have changed:

1. Article Architect has been improved and existing customers have gotten the free upgrades. I think Instant Article Wizard has also been improved however I don't know Jonathan's policy for existing customers.


2. Someone started a monthly fee membership site for Jonathan's product although you can still get your own copy of Instant Article Wizard for the original price.

And now there's a big change coming that affects those thinking about getting Article Architect.

Jay is getting close to releasing another new version of Article Architect and he has already increased the price. He decided he had left the price "artificially low" long enough so he raised it to $97.

However...

...if you want it at the old price, you have until November 4, 2008 to get it for $50 off (which is actually a couple bucks below the old price).

Here's what to do:

1. Go to http://www.friendswhocare.us/recommends/articlearchitect.html and then to the order form.

2. In the Coupon field, enter this code: AAMinus50 and then press the Update button to see your price immediately drop.

3. Go ahead and finish placing the order.

And of course, you will also receive the new version of Article Architect as soon as it's released.

Sorry to I didn't tell you sooner, but I just found out.

To Your Success.
Susan

PS - Remember, that coupon code expires Nov 4th, so use it now or you'll miss out on the Official Software of Article Marketing. http://www.friendswhocare.us/recommends/articlearchitect.html

Tags: article architect, instant article wizard, writing articles, writing wizard, writing tool, article, writing, ezine article

Why I Switched To Aweber.

I've had an online newsletter for around 6 years and have known about Aweber for almost that long. Unfortunately I didn't start my newsletter using the Aweber autoresponder service.

You see, like most people who start an online business I was short of cash and didn't really understand the importance of building my list on a reliable service so I wouldn't have to move it. But believe me, I've learned my lesson because moving your list from 1 service to another is a gigantic cost!

In fact, the cost of moving my list is 1 I've learned 4 times. and I can't even imagine the amount of money it's cost me!

In a nut shell here's the story behind my recommendation to use a well established autoresponder service like Aweber when you're starting your first list.

1. Started my 1st list with a free service. When I started making money I could have stayed with it but decided it was time to be more professional and go with a autoresponder service that had more capabilities and it would look better to my subscribers. I moved my list and lost about 98% of them.


2. The new service I was using was a good 1 and didn't cost as much as Aweber (still trying to save a buck). I was using double-optin for my new subscribers but unfortunately many others weren't. As a result the autoresponder service started getting almost all the emails they sent blocked by most of the big mailbox providers like Yahoo, MSN and AOL.


3. Having your email not get through is not good so I move my list again with an almost 100% loss of subscribers since I couldn't tell them I was changing services.


4. This time I chose a service that had been around for several years and didn't cost as much as Aweber. (Yeah, I was still trying to save about $5 a month.) The service was good and they stayed on top of things to get the emails through. Unfortunately the job got too big for them and they decided to shut down the service after I'd built my list back up.


5. I was able to warn my list so only took a 96.7% loss of subscribers when I moved to an autoresponder service that was part of a membership site. (Now I was saving even more money and only members could use the service.) The autoresponder had only a few features that were time consuming to use but it was sufficient to rebuild my list.


6. Unfortunately, the service lost almost all my subscribers! Yes, you read it right. When I didn't receive a copy of my newsletter I checked my list and found that almost all my subscribers were gone. The only ones still in the system were those who had subscribed within the last couple of days. I notified the service but they couldn't find my list even though I sent them copies of both my backups and some of the subscriber email notifications they'd sent to me.


7. At that point I decided I'd lost way too many subscribers and too much money trying to be frugal. I bit the bullet and joined Aweber who allowed me to import my backups and edit the confirmation request that would be sent to my existing subscribers. Now I still lost subscribers but this time only around 80.35% didn't click the confirmation link.

From my experience I highly recommend going with Aweber when you start your list and moving to Aweber if you decide to move your list. I can not prove that they get more messages through however since I lost fewer subscribers sending an explanation in my confirm message, I think they must get more email through to the inboxes. And while I've only been using them for a few months and still have a lot to learn about some of their features, I can tell you I have used both of the ones shown in the video below.

Here are the features I've used in the few months I've had Aweber:

• Modify the confirmation message: Create your own personal message for new subscribers.


• Blog broadcast: Create broadcast newsletters automatically from existing blog RSS content feeds or other sources of RSS and XML content.


• Spam Score Analyzer: A popular spam filtering tool called SpamAssassin is used to check your message and display any key areas that are being caught by the filter.


• Link Tracking: Track the number of times the links in your email get clicked.


• Mail to Multiple List: You can send your broadcast message to multiple lists by simply selecting which lists should get that message.


• Auto Format: For text emails you can automatically format it to a good line length with the click of a button.


• Personalization: The list of personalization options is longer than any I've seen on the other services I've used.


• JavaScript Form: JavaScript forms allow you to modify the autoresponder signup form without changing your web page.

And while I haven't had the opportunity to try it yet, they also allow you to share your autoresponder messages both with your other lists and with other Aweber users.

So while there are less expensive autoresponder systems I still enthusiastically recommend AWeber to collect opt-ins, manage your lists, and send newsletters.

To Your Success,
Susan

Tags: aweber, email newsletter, email, good autoresponder, aweber review, autoresponder review, autoresponder service review

Viral Ebook Explosion Review

Earlier this year Jeff Dedrick open the doors for his free membership site Viral Ebook Explosion and I signed up to see just how good it really was.

To give you view inside and see what he gives his free members I'm posting the free video he gives his affiliates to use on their "Thanks for Subscribing" page. As you view the video you'll see the site's menu buttons on the left. The "Blue" buttons are the pages available to his free members and all but the "JV Blog Contest" are currently available. The "Green" buttons are for his paid members and all of the "Red" buttons have been removed and replaced with an "Upgrade" button.

Click Here For Your Free Membership

So just how good is Viral Ebook Explosion?

Well I think it's 1 of the best kept secrets internet marketing secrets on the web and here's why.

1. For his paying members there are at least 34 viral ebooks available to be branded. I think only a subset of this list is available to free members.



2. All members get access to he free video tutorials that show you how to do everything on his site.



3. He gives free products that include the Master Resell Rights available to his members.



4. He has free software available to all his members.



5. He offers a good affiliate program that pays through PayPal.
   
   And in addition paying members
   
6. Get access to his tools to easily create opt-in pages and download pages. There are 7 templates to choose from.



7. Get to host those pages on 1 of 5 of his sites.



8. Get stats on how many times the download pages have been viewed, the ebook has been downloaded and the branded links has been clicked.

So what do you do with the branded ebooks?

• You can use them as a gift to subscribers when they join your list either on your site or in a giveaway. Here's an example of 1 I used.



• You can use them as free gifts to your existing subscribers. FriendsWhoCare subscribers can get "How to Bookmark for Free Traffic" inside our membership area.



• And because they're free you allow others to give them away. In fact, since the ebooks have your affiliate links inside you want them to be given away.

Now what I really like about being a paid member of Viral Ebook Explosion is that I don't have to keep track of the giveaway ebooks, the opt-in pages or the download pages. As many of my subscribers know, I am always losing things so having someone else keep those freebies and pages organized and available is a valuable asset for me. For example, I gave you a link to 1 of my Viral Ebook Explosion opt-in pages and made the download page available to my FriendsWhoCare subscribers. These pages were created months ago for a giveaway and since they and the free ebook are being hosted on 1 of Jeff's sites I don't have to worry about losing them. (Actually, I remove giveaway pages and products from my own site when a giveaway is over only to discover that some giveaways go on long after the closing date. But now I'm protected because if someone joins my list through an old giveaway page that I've forgotten about they can still get the product inside the membership area.)

The bottom line is that I highly recommend Viral Ebook Explosion as a viral marketing tool. If you have your own site and are better organized than I am you may find that the free membership is enough. However, if you lose things like I do then the cost of the paid membership can help you keep your sanity.

To Your Success,
Susan

Tags: viral ebook explosion, viralebookexplosion, viral marketing, free membership site, giveaways, download, opt-in, internet marketing tool

How To Write An Article To Sell A Product Using Article Architect

One of the best forms of online advertising is by writing good articles about the product or program you want to promote.

The 2 problems with doing this are ...

• The article must contain usable information and


• The article must be found in order to be read.

Unfortunately most people, including myself, are not professional copywriters and don't really know how to write an article to sell a product. That's why I use a tool, Article Architect, to help me write my articles.

Whether I'm trying to make a sale or just posting an article to my blog, I use Article Architect because it helps me find and use good keywords and it helps me when researching my subject.

You see, when you write an article that you want it to be found and read there are 3 necessary key ingredients. These key ingredients are:

1. A good attention grabbing headline


2. Useful content


3. Good keywords

So here's how to write an article to sell a product or provide content using Article Architect:

1. Use the Research pane to use Wordtracker to find good keywords and to see how much competition you have on Google.


2. Use the Snooper pane to research your topic on several popular search engines or even look for particular types of sites like blogs or forums.


3. Use the Article pane with the "Brainstorm Titles" button to form an attention grabbing headline.


4. Use the Article pane to write your article since it gives some very good stats on how many words are in the article and if you've used your keyword too few or too many times. Plus it has a spell checker which is great for us bad spellers!


5. Use the Directories pane to submit your article to the article directories you choose.


6. Use the Income pane to track the sales from your article.

And that's how to write an article to sell a product using Article Architect.

Article Architect is easy to use and is a real time saver for those of us who struggle to write good online articles.

To Your Success,
Susan

Tags: how to write an article to sell a product, article architect, article architect review, write an online article

A Review of "How Can I Get Visitors to My Website: Traffic Generation Techniques Explained"

Last week I sent a message to you about a new affiliate commission model being introduced by Rob Toth. In his new model affiliates get paid immediately and it allows you to make money on 2 tiers. If you missed the mailing you can read about it here.

When I wrote about the new commission model I also admitted I had not reviewed the product because it hadn't been launched yet. Well yesterday, 2/26, Rob launched his new model with the product "How Can I Get Visitors to My Website: Traffic Generation Techniques Explained."

Not being the fastest kid on the block I didn't get it yesterday. I got it today and took a few minutes to see what is included in this product.

First, as shown on the sales page there are 4 audio files plus the bonuses. And being the expert marketer Rob is, he also has a few surprise bonuses.

Because I was more interested in the "How Can I Get Visitors to My Website: Traffic Generation Techniques Explained" product than the added bonuses I started with the audios. Each of these audios are 45 to 60 minutes long and contain information sharing from Doug Hidiburg, Steve Roye and Rob Toth.

Did you notice I used the words "information sharing" in my description of the audios? I used these words for 2 reasons:

1. The 4 audios are not done as an interview where 1 person asks questions. They are much more relaxed where the 3 exchange ideas and comments about what's being discussed. This format makes the audios very easy to listen to.


2. The audios are not a pre-sale for another product. In fact, if they are trying to sell anything, it's the audios contained in the package already purchased.

So how good is the information?

Fantastic! In words even a novice can understand Doug, Steve and Rob explain the follow marketing methods used to drive traffic to your site:

• Article Marketing
• Video Marketing
• Blogging
• Forums
• Traffic Exchanges
• Social Networks
• Social Bookmarking
• Pay Per Click
• Banner Advertising
• Ezine Advertising
• Press Release
• Podcasting

In addition, they tell you:

• How to use these methods correctly and


• How to use these methods with each other.

What you won't hear in these audios is detailed information about how to design a good web page, how to join a video site and upload videos, how to set up a blog, how to select good keywords, etc.

What you do hear is a good explanation of what these types of traffic generating methods are and the most effective ways to use them.

I've only had the opportunity to listen to these audios once and plan to listen again with a pen in hand so I can take notes. And I'll be sharing some of the information contained in these audios in future tips.

But if you want to get all the information I recommend you get the "How Can I Get Visitors to My Website: Traffic Generation Techniques Explained" package while it's still available. There's a 2000 limit on the number to be sold and at $3.99 this package won't be available long.

To Your Success,
Susan

P.S. If you've purchased "How Can I Get Visitors to My Website: Traffic Generation Techniques Explained" please leave a comment and share your thoughts on this package here.

Tags: traffic generation, website traffic, website traffic explained, get website traffic, how to get website traffic, traffic generation techniques

"A Brand New Affiliate Program Commission Model"

If you've been doing affiliate marketing you're probably familiar with 2-tier affiliate programs where you get paid on 2 tiers - you make commissions on your sales and on the sales by the affiliates who've signed up under you.

And you're probably familiar with instant pay affiliate programs where you get paid instantly, usually into your paypal account, when the sale is made.

Rob Toth has now combined these 2 types of affiliate programs to create the first 2-tier, instant-pay affiliate program. It's a brand new model that provides what most affiliates are looking for ...

• Instant Pay - No waiting for months trying to reach a minimum payout amount


• 2-Tier - Earn commissions on other people's sales

Like I said, this is a new type of affiliate model so it hasn't proven itself yet. And like most affiliate programs, its success depends on both the quality of its products and the work done by the affiliates. And while I can not predict how well this type of model will work or on the quality of the product yet since both are in pre-launch, this could be the beginning of something big.

I've joined Rob's new 2-tier, instant pay affiliate program that will launch on February 26 and am looking for other affiliates who are interested in trying it. You can find out all about it here. (Either watch the videos or scroll past them to read about how this program works.)

To Your Success,
Susan

P.S. In case your worried about how he's able to combine instant pay with an affiliate program, Rob's using a RAPS - like software program that does round-robin sales (to stay within Paypals terms).

Tags: affiliate program, new affiliate program, Rob Toth, 2 tier affiliate program, instant pay affiliate program, new affiliate program commission model