Many people will find your blog posts through search engines.  They'll google their keywords and end up on your blog, reading an article or maybe two.  If you've got great longtail keywords it might bring you lots of targeted traffic.

While organic traffic is great, and you want to get as much of it as possible, why not try something that will keep people coming back instead of just hitting your site once and going away? One idea is to write a blog post series.  I recommend at least 3 parts to your series, although it's going to depend on what you're blogging about.

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Most business owners experience a creative block at one time or another. It’s not uncommon, but it can be very damaging to your business. Whether you’re a writer, virtual assistant, or marketer, creative blocks quickly turn into stumbling blocks and stop you from doing your best.

Here are a few tips to help you eliminate creative blocks from your business:

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Life is good when you can find tools to help your marketing endeavors. It's even better when you can find quality tools for free. Everyone can use a little help and these tools can save you time, which translates into making more money online. I'm going to tell you which tools I use, many on a daily basis.


RSS reader so you can get notified of new posts on your favorite blogs as soon as they're posted. Having an RSS reader saves you time, because you don't have to try to remember the links to visit the blogs you like, and no more wasting time checking on them only to find they haven't posted anything since you last checked. The one I use is  Google Reader. Simply sign up, subscribe to your favorite blogs' feeds, and pick the RSS reader you want.

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If you are doing affiliate marketing, your earning potential can be unlimited. Since you don't need to deliver the product or provide customer service, you can focus exclusively on earning your affiliate commissions. But too many affiliate marketers don't live up to their potential. If you've determined that you will, here are some ways you can take your affiliate marketing to the next level.



1. Start a blog

• Attract people who are interested in the products you’re an affiliate for by starting a blog. Keep it updated with fresh and informative content. Many affiliate programs will give you prewritten blog posts you can copy and paste into your own blog as is. However, it is better if you write your own. The search engines will like them because they're original content. Your human visitors will enjoy reading something they can't find anywhere else.

2. Start an opt-in email list

• An opt-in mailing list will give you an opportunity to follow up with your prospects. When people come to your blog because of the exciting content you have there, you want to be sure to capture their email addresses. Once they're on your list, send them informative emails regularly so they don't feel like you're always selling to them.

3. Write your own product reviews

• To sell an affiliate product effectively, try it out for yourself and write a review. Affiliate programs sometimes offer product reviews you can copy and paste, but it is best to avoid using those if you can. You will be more sincere, and more compelling if you write your own. Many affiliate programs will give their affiliates free or discounted prices for this very reason. Try the product or service you're selling and write your own honest reviews. 

4. Buy your own domain name

• Forget those long, unattractive affiliate links. Purchase your own domain name and redirect it to your affiliate link. When you want to direct someone to your affiliate link, it will much easier for everyone to remember. When you post your link on your blog or send it out to your email list, people will be more likely to click on it if it looks like a real website URL.

5. Create articles, press releases and/or videos

• Write articles about a topic that's of interest to your target market and submit them to article directories. Write a press release about how this product helps solve a newsworthy problem. Record a video of yourself using the product. 

6. Offer an attractive bonus

• After you've convinced your prospects to buy a product, how can you be sure they will buy it from you instead of your competitors? One way is to create an attractive bonus offer. Make sure that it will add value to the affiliate's product. Then give it to everyone who buys through your affiliate link. You may want to let the affiliate program owner know you're doing this and make sure it's allowed.

Following these suggestions can help you take your affiliate marketing to the next level. Remember that as an affiliate, your earning potential can be unlimited. Now it's time to fulfill that potential.

An online presence is important these days for whatever enterprise you engage in. To connect with a wide variety of people there is no bigger forum than the Internet. If you are looking for a way to show off your expertise and also make a little money while doing it, consider starting a blog.

What is a Blog?

A blog is actually an online journal of sorts. With a blog you can upload daily posts about anything that you want. Some people create personal blogs as a way to keep in touch with family members. Pictures, videos and other information are uploaded so your loved ones are current with what is going on with you.

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Sometimes you sit in front of your computer and stare at it blankly. Your brain has turned to mush and you can't remember even one of the million things you want or need to get done. You'll just get on Facebook or Twitter, or play a game Spider Solitaire first and then maybe your brain will kick into gear. Poof, your two hour window to work just went out the virtual window.

And sometimes you sit in front of your computer and stare at it with hatred. If you have to work one more minute your brain is going to explode or you're sure you're going to say something snarky on a forum that you'll later regret.

So what do you do? In either case you could be suffering from a serious lack of focus and motivation. 

It's time to motivate yourself. Now, everyone is different and what motivates me might not motivate you, and indeed, what motivates you right now, might not motivate you in three months.

Here are some suggestions to help light a fire under your rearend when you need it.

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As you may have discovered, there is an art to writing blog posts for the viewers who read your blog. Before you write each blog post, you first must decide what outcome or what result, you are looking to achieve.

• Do you want people to buy a product you're promoting?
• Do you want to get comments and feedback?
• Are you looking for Diggs and Stumbles and Tweets?
• Maybe you're trying to build up your image as the expert in your field?

In addition to writing for a desired outcome, you need to know who your audience is. While you might think you know, you can find out for sure by doing a poll or survey to gauge the level your readers are at.

• Are they beginners, intermediates, or fellow experts?
• Which group buys the most from you?
• Which group tends to comment the most?

Figure that out and you'll have a better idea of who you are writing to and for. Of course, you'll have readers coming from many different directions, but you'll understand the major group you want to target.

Once you know the who you are writing for, you have to find your own voice. Instead of thinking about every single person who will read your blog post, try putting a picture of one person in your mind. That's right, you're going to write as if you are writing to one person. He/she can be fictitious, another marketer you are friends with, or one of your customers who you've had some past conversations with. Just make sure it is someone friendly.

As you think about this friendly person, write your post in a friendly manner and don't forget to put your personality in it. Travis Sago, of Bum Marketing fame, fills his emails to overflowing with his personality, and his subscribers love him for it. He comes across as real, honest, trustworthy, and funny. But make sure you don't try to be Travis or someone else; you have to be yourself or it won't ring true.

Think about some of the posts you've read at other marketers' sites and what you've liked about them. The best ones are usually when the marketer puts some personal info in them. Don't make it long, boring or too personal, just some little ditty that happened to you lately or maybe some-thing that pokes fun at you. People like to know who they're dealing with - it brings trust into the equation, and that can convert very well indeed. And not only that, it's more fun for you.

So to repeat: Decide what results you want before you write. Know your audience. Write to one friendly and interested face. Add your personality and include glimpses of your life.

If you can do all of this then you've got the makings for some awesome blog posts!

(No affiliate links were included in this post)

This is a MUST if you are trying to make money online with affiliate marketing.

DO NOT make the same mistake I did:

I had not checked my affiliate links on my blogs in over 6 months and didn't know that the site I was using to shorten my links was no longer active. (When I checked my stats, I had not had a click on these links since the last part of May 2009). Almost all my affiliate links on my blogs were going to "Page not found" when clicked. It took me 3 or 4 days to get them all fixed.

Needless to say, my sales are way down for this year. I will not make this mistake again.

***Note:  It is also a good idea to check any outgoing links on your site to make sure they are going where they are supposed to go.  I had several links in my blogrolls that were not working. ***

Have you ever noticed that some internet marketers don't practice what they preach?

They go on and on with what sounds like really good advice and then you notice that they don't follow the business model or best business practice they're touting.

Here are some examples:

They say...Don't send your list promotion after promotion. 

They do...Promotion after promotion. 

You don't have to bother opening their email after awhile; you know what's going to be in it - a promotion for their buddy's new product.

Send the people on your list meaty valuable content and sprinkle in some promotions.

~~~

They say...You should be blogging on a regular basis to build your brand.

They do...Not keep up with their own blogging.

Are they just too busy? Is blogging really not a good business model?

Blogging can be a great platform for building your brand by giving information that shows you're an expert and by doing it in a way that shows your personality. People like that and will not only follow you but buy your products. It's also the place to sell affiliate products, do honest product reviews and show a personal picture or two.

~~~

They say...Use article marketing to drive traffic to your site.

They do...No article marketing.

While it's true some of them may still do article marketing under a pen name, many have moved on to easier and more lucrative ways to bring traffic in. They may have established a good following and don't have to constantly write articles. 

Article marketing can definitely work, but it's harder than it seems and there are a lot of nuances you need to know, like how to make your title bring in readers and how to craft your bio so people will click on your link. And be aware article marketing is not the only way to generate traffic.

~~~

They say...Put AdSense on your sites and you will make some good money from that.

They do...Little, if any, AdSense on their sites.

They use the space to advertise their own products, affiliate products, and paid product ads.

The reality is Google is not going to fill your pockets with AdSense money unless you practice a little search engine optimization, use some awesome longtail keywords, and get the necessary traffic.

~~~

They say...You've got to create a product, load an autoresponder, bring in traffic, and so on.

They do...Not tell you how to do it.

You can't build your business on "you shoulds". 

If you don't know how to do something find a mentor, hire someone to do the more difficult aspects, or look at YouTube for an instructional video.

~~~

They say...You should do blah, blah, blah on your website.

They do...None of what they just told you to do.

Sometimes you'll read or listen to someone's words of wisdom and when you check to see if they've done it, it's obvious they haven't. If they aren't doing what they tell you to do it makes you wonder... Are they purposefully leading you off course? Are they just spouting words they've heard others preach? Do they not know how to technically do it? Are they just trying to sell the latest and greatest but would never use it themselves? How does this make you feel about that marketer?

Now, if they tell you to do something and admit it's something they need to work on too, then it's all okay.


The bottom line is if you're going to preach, then preach what you practice. And when others are preaching to you, listen to what they say and form your own judgment. Some of what marketers are preaching is yesterday's news and not what really works in today's marketing. Another thing to consider is that your circumstances may be different.

While it may seem hard at first, you can succeed with internet marketing given you have a great desire to learn, you are taking massive action, you've found a mentor, and you're building relationships.  
Sometimes you might find yourself doing things that are counterproductive to your true desire to be an internet marketing success. It's time for a reality check.

Are you doing any of these?

Only download FREE products.
You don't want to have to pay for anything if you can get it for free, right? Even if you have to spend a lot of time finding the free information.

Start off by jumping right into the "internet marketing" niche as your niche of choice.
IM is an interesting niche; why not try to pass yourself off as an expert when you don't know anything yet?

Learn everything by yourself.
You like to be your own island and you're a DIYer. Besides, none of the successful marketers are likely to answer any questions you might have. They're too important.

Spend a lot of time on forums.
You're not stupid; you know you can learn a lot on forums. Why, there's so much information there you'll never be able to read it all. But you're going to try.

Have plenty of ideas and starts, but don't complete anything.
You loved your idea in the beginning, but then you just get, well... bored with it and never finish it up and get it out the door. Plus, it's not perfect yet and perfection is necessary.

Don't ever follow the advice in the PDF report you just read.
While it might be true that people have become very successful using the methods explained in the report, they won't work for you because of your unique circumstances.

Seminars are for stupid people.
Those things are just a pitch fest anyway. Why should you waste your time and money?

Jump around to different business models quickly and often.
You tried one method of making money online (for one whole week) and it didn't work, so now you're trying another one that's going to be just the thing. 

Obviously I'm being very tongue-in-cheek here, but did you feel just a little uncomfortable regarding some of them? 

Turn this around and...

•  Download only quality information even if it's not free as it can save you time searching and be exactly what you need right now.
•  Think about positioning yourself as an expert in a niche you are an expert in and go after the profits there first.
•  You can go above and beyond with your learning by asking others. Don't reinvent the wheel. Not every guru will have time to answer your questions, but there are many successful marketers who will. Build relationships!
•  Learning from forums is fine, but you don't have to read everything. Limit your time on forums and don't mistake reading forums as taking action.
•  Abandon your goal of complete perfection and get your product out there already. You can't make any money from it if you don't go live with it. You can continue to tweak it even if it is already on the market.
•  Swallow your excuses. Many a marketer has come from very poor odds and gone on to successfully make money on the Internet.
•  Seminars are a great way to build relationships and create joint venture partnerships that can be quite lucrative. And you could learn a thing or two from watching how the speakers market themselves and their products. 
•  Pick a business model and don't quit unless you've given it all you've got and then some. You have to own that business model, not just dabble in it.

Now go forth and multiply your internet marketing profits.

To Your Success!

If you would like me to add your link, exchange links or for your comments to be approved, there are a few simple rules that will need to be followed.

Links and Link Exchanges:

Most of the links on my sites are ones that I liked or thought that my readers would like. I have never contacted them and ask them to link back to me. If those sites choose to link back to me, great.

If someone requests a link exchange, usually I am very happy to do so, if it is compatible to the blog it is being requested for...but there are limits.

• Someone sent me an email request for a "link exchange". I liked what they had on their site and added their link to my site. Replied back to let them know that I had done so. I then received an email back stating "If their link was still there after 24 hours they would then consider adding my link to their site" . Excuse me? That is not a "Link Exchange". Their link has been removed.

• Someone left this comment on one of my posts: " Your posts are waaaay to general. My site is much better than yours. Would you like to exchange links?". Ummm...No thank you and the comment was not approved.

• Someone left the same thing on 5 different posts in one day. It was not a comment, but an ad for an affiliate product that went to their affiliate link. They ask me to "exchange links" with them. Are you kidding me? No thank you and the comments were not approved.

• One person left 10 messages in a row at Blogcatalog "telling me" (not asking) to add their link to my sites. What? No thank you, their site was not compatible to any of my blogs.

I will not link to sites that have absolutely nothing to do with what my blogs are about. Nor will I link to any gambling or adult sites. Don't even bother to ask.



Comments:

I will approve any comments:

• That add to the conversation of the post they are left on.
• That don't agree with what I have written. (You can disagree with someone without being rude and condescending to them and their readers).
• Telling me about memes or awards.
  

I will not approve any comments:

• That are rude, condescending (to me or my readers), hateful or blatant ads. (If you can't say something in a nice way, don't say anything at all).
• That just says "hello, I was here...with a link to their site" and nothing else.
• That are 5 paragraphs long and have nothing to do with the post they are left on.

or...How To Let Family Members Know You Are Not Available to Chat During Business Time!

If you run or operate a small business from home or work online, you may find your time is often interrupted by unexpected phone calls from family members who just “want to chat.” This can be a very frustrating experience for someone that relies on their business to ensure their financial stability and success.

If this describes a situation that you have been faced with, or are currently experiencing, rest assured you are not alone. You don’t have to suffer however. In this article I will show you how you CAN have a backbone and let family members know you’re not available to chat on the phone, without little to no conflict.

If you find yourself needing to reiterate to family members that you can’t just stop and chat anytime you feel like it during your work time, it’s probably best to send a subtle message at first. One way to do this (after you’ve explained it to them that is) is to attach an answering machine or voice mail to the line. Then (and this is the hard part I know) when the phone rings, regardless of what the Caller ID displays, avoid the temptation to answer it.

Allow the answering machine to pick up the call. If you have a machine that you can hear the message a caller leaves as they are leaving it, resist the urge of picking up when someone leaves a message that they claim to be important. Everyone has something “important” to talk about, but not all topics are significant enough to interfere with your daily routine and achieving success.

If you find that this is a hard task to accomplish or just not possible, have voice mail added to your line so that you don’t have to hear the message right away. Then set a specific time each day to check the messages and return calls as necessary.

While we hope this is enough to get the point across, sometimes it just doesn’t happen that way with some friends and family. If you find after a certain amount of time that you have not received the peace and quiet you have to have during work time, it may be time to sit down and have a talk with these individuals.

It is often natural for those we are close with to take for granted the fact that you work from home. Especially if they don’t understand what you do or have never been in a situation where someone they knew ran their own business from their home office. They automatically assume that since you are home, you must be available at any time. Then there are those who realize you are actually working, but they may believe that you have more flexibility in your schedule than you do so they don’t think about things such as productivity and allotted time for certain tasks, including telephone chats.

One way that may benefit both you and those looking for a friendly conversation may be to give everyone a set time frame in which they can call you. This is one way to get your point across without making anyone feel like you are shunning them. There will more than likely come a point in which, despite your previous attempts to get family members to call during certain hours, you will be receiving calls outside of those hours.

If this happens, you have to be certain to let them know, in a way that they understand, that they are interfering with your overall productivity, as well as the way you make money to support yourself and your family. Remind them that you would not call them on their job unless it was an emergency and that you would like them to so the same respect for your work.

It may come to the point in which you really have to get point blank with your family members. Let them know, however, that you enjoy talking to them on the phone but that there are certain times during the day that are more appropriate than others. Eventually it will sink in!

It can be hard to tell those you love that you are unable to chat on the phone during the time that you are working. However, it is something that you will need to come to terms with and do for the success of your business. In the end it will be beneficial and everyone will come around.

There are many ways to manage time while working online. The computer, Internet, and various other types of activities that can be pursued while working may prove to be quite overwhelming when it comes to time restraints or deadlines. If your income is dependent upon the financial success that you achieve online, it is absolutely imperative that you take the time to ensure that you are maximizing each and every minute of your working time.

Productivity is an extremely important element to the overall success of an online business. In order to reach a high level of productivity, time management skills are a must for every home business owner. Here are five ways to help manage your time while working online in turn boosting your productivity and hopefully income.

1. Reducing the amount of time spent on the telephone.

One of the biggest time restraints that individuals experience are telephone calls. It is quite easy to experience a severe time lapse while working due to unexpected calls, long conversations, and even calls that are necessary for the overall functionality of your business. One way to manage this aspect of your time is to turn off the ringer and purchase an answering machine or subscribe to voice mail. Then, you should set aside a time each day to check your messages and return calls as appropriate.

2. Avoid the act of constantly checking email.

Just like the phone, this can take up a lot of your time. You should set aside small chunks of time on a daily basis where you can go through your email and respond when needed. For the average eight hour work day, I recommend setting aside up to four intervals of fifteen minutes a day to handle the task of dealing directly with email. While this may seem like an awful lot of time at first, you will find that it actually saves you time in the end.

3. Dealing with your children when you work at home.

You may want to consider setting up a schedule in a way that works well with the schedule of your partner. This way, your partner can contend with the kids and you can focus on your work instead of sitting down to work and getting interrupted after 5 or 10 minutes. If this is not possible, you may consider implementing the services of a babysitter, daycare or mommy’s helper a few days a week. This way, you aren’t neglecting your business or your family.

4. Dealing with friends, family members and neighbors.

If you want to learn ways to manage your time while working online from home, it is important to express to family members, friends, and neighbors that you work at certain times and it is important that you are able to maintain a sound level of productivity while working. Come up with times that these individuals may call you to chat or come by for a visit. Although not always intentional, these friends and family will end up testing you initially and drop by and call anytime. However, if you let them know it is not acceptable and set up appropriate times for these activities, you will find yourself getting more accomplished during these times.

5. Take breaks.

Yes, I said it! You may not believe that by taking a break you can actually increase your overall productivity, but it is quite true! Why do you think employers allow their employees to take small breaks? It allows the employee to experience a short time of relaxation and also provides them with the opportunity to refresh! You can experience this too, so be sure to work in those breaks and take them – you can always finish what you started when you get back!

As you can see, there are a number of ways to successfully manage your time while working online. Sometimes, all it takes is a little creativity and persistence to come up with successful time management techniques. Here’s to a better organized and more profitable online working environment.

What is worse than not marketing your website/blog? It is getting bad backlash from doing the wrong thing. When you are getting a bad rap, people may avoid you like the plague.

If you are not marketing yet or need to change how you are marketing, here are a few internet marketing do's and don'ts to keep in mind as you go forward from this point.

DO'S

1. Keep the name of your website/blog short and to the point. Choose your words carefully. When it comes to reading something on the Internet, shorter is better. People lose interest quickly and a long name will not be catchy enough to stay on their minds for very long. This is a business that you want to keep going for a long time.

2. Use your signature line in forums and on emails. The signature line is not just for your name anymore. Include the name of your website/blog, a brief description of what it is about, and the website/blog link to find your main page. Be sure to check with the forum TOS to find out what you can and can't do as far as trying to get free advertising.

3. Do advertise offline to the local community. The local community is another sphere of influence that will help you spread the word about your website/blog. If money is an issue, try to find cheap local directories, newsletters, advertising books for special events, and the word of mouth method to advertise with. Talking to people in the beauty shop, barber shop, church, and club meetings can earn you hundreds more visitors to your site. Hand out your business card whenever possible.

4. Learn all that you can about search engine optimization. The idea is to be ranked somewhere in the top ten of search results for as many search engines as you can. Most people only look on the first page because they assume correctly that they are the best places to find the information needed.

DON'TS

1. If you ignore the rules of posting information about your website/blog on forums, they will boot you out. This type of blatant solicitation is prohibited on most forums. They let you use your signature line but adhere to the rules of what you can say.

2. Adding a lot of extra frills to your website/blog page will not make it more attractive to the search engines. People who visit may like the bells and whistles but they won't be able to find you to admire them if you are consistently placed low in the page rankings.

3. Take a long time to respond to visitors/customer service issues. When visitors/customers send you an email about a broken product or have a question, answer promptly. If you do not they will tell everyone that they know about your bad service. That type of word of mouth marketing you can do without.

Internet Marketing strategies will either help or hurt you. It takes time to see what works best so try as many as you can. Remember that the object is to attract customers, not chase them away.

One of the major costs of any business start-up is advertising. No one will buy your product if they don’t know that you exist. But, Internet Marketing takes money, right? Yes it does usually, but if your funds are limited, you can find ways to get started without spending any money.

To market for free online you have to start thinking free. What would entice you to try someone’s service or product? I look for information all the time on the Internet about how to get started in this or how to improve that. The one thing I hate to see (and I did say hate) is an offer to buy a program where some information should be.

I am more likely to revisit a website if they give me something to work with. Sure I will buy your product, but if I want information, I’m not going to pay when I am not sure it is even the information that I need. Consider giving potential customers a little taste with some tidbits to whet the appetite.

Offer free e-courses on your site. A site that is geared towards selling crafting supplies could offer e-courses in how to sew, or how to create crafts for flea markets. The e-courses should be geared around your product. You have told them about creating crafts and making money at flea markets, so they will now come back and buy their crafting supplies from you to get started.

Let’s say that I wanted to know how to grow vegetables. I need an easy guide. I would pay for that guide on your website but not without some proof that the information would be to my advantage. Upload free videos for customers to watch on various aspects of growing vegetables. The videos could be about choosing the right seeds or when to plant. You don’t have to steal information from your guide, but demonstrate other things that are important to vegetable growing that they would be interested in.

Give your customers an offer they can’t refuse. For a certain dollar amount spent, they get a free report on a choice of subjects. Have contests where the condition for entering is joining a free forum on your website. Once they are there, you can reel them in with other advertising strategies.

There are other ways to get the word out and keep people coming back to your website. Join social networking sites, forums and post on message boards. Talk about your business and what it offers to customers. Never miss a chance to advertise what you do and how people can find out more about it.

Internet Marketing in ways that take very little to no money involves creativity. With the entire world at our fingertips via the Internet, we can market our product in a number of places without spending a fortune doing so.

Your business isn’t growing. There could be any number of reasons why it has happened.

Maybe it’s because you’ve lost your passion.
Maybe you’re overwhelmed.
Maybe you just don’t have enough time.
Maybe you’re disorganized.
Maybe your staff is inefficient (or maybe you are)
Maybe you don’t know how to grow your business to the next level (or maybe you don’t want to do what it takes)

Regardless of the reason why your business isn’t growing, it’s time to stop making excuses and do something about it. You worked REALLY hard to get to this point. You spent time, money, and a lot of energy to build your business. Certainly you’re not going to let it fritter away.

Here’s how to stop making excuses for why your business isn’t growing:

Step 1. Figure out why it isn’t growing.

Perhaps your product line is stagnant. Perhaps you’re only reaching 10% of your eligible prospects. Perhaps your sales page isn’t converting or your advertising campaign isn’t reaching the right people. The first step to figuring out how to stop making excuses is to honestly examine why it isn’t growing. The reason may reside completely in you – perhaps business got too big too fast and you don’t have time to catch up let alone build your business. This leads us to the next step.

Step 2. Decide if you want your business to grow and if so, by how much?

In short, if you do want your business to grow then set goals. If you’re making $500 in sales then maybe you want to set a goal of $5,000 in sales. If you have a customer base of 100 regular customers maybe you want to double it. Set reasonable and attainable goals.

Step 3. Analyze what is working to help you attain your goals and what isn’t working.

For example, if you want to attain $5,000 in sales but you’re spending 50% of your time on administrative duties then your time isn’t being well spent.

Step 4. Make a plan to eliminate what isn’t working.

Using the example in step 3 if you’re spending 50% of your time on administrative tasks then outsourcing some or all of those tasks will free up a significant amount of time. Time you could spend on selling and reaching your new goal.

Step 5. This is the best part. Create a reward for attaining your goals.

Part of the motivation to attain a goal, beyond self fulfillment and feeling very proud, is giving yourself a little pat on the back. Some may pat themselves on the back with a two week vacation to Hawaii, others prefer a new pair of shoes or a week off to go camping with their children. Whatever the reward, including it in your plan may be the extra motivation you need to get beyond excuses and into action.

Entrepreneurs are goal oriented, action oriented people. However sometimes life gets a bit out of control and instead of action, excuses fill the void. Regain your entrepreneur spirit, eliminate the roadblocks and hurdles and set new goals. It’s the best way to stop making excuses about why your business isn’t growing and remember why you got into business in the first place.

Related articles

• The Ultimate Guide to Motivation - How to Achieve Any Goal [via Zemanta]

When you work for yourself it requires hard work and perseverance to get a business going and keep it running successfully. Therefore, it is vital that you stay motivated. It is also very important that you do not forget that you still need to take a break every now and then.

Long hours are a necessity sometimes. But if you don't take breaks, it will not take long until you became burned out. Rather than helping your business by working hard, you could actually be harming it.

How Often Do You Need a Break?

When you work for someone else, you generally get a break every couple of hours. That's a good rule of thumb. Sometimes you may not get a break quite that often, but if you go for several hours without a break, it can start affecting the quality of your work.

When you are self-employed, you don't have to stick to a strict break schedule. If you come to a stopping point, you can go ahead and take a break even if it's not time yet. If you have appointments or important errands to run, you can adjust your breaks accordingly. But it's important to make sure that you don't work too long of a stretch without taking a break.

If you're working on a difficult project and begin to get tired or frustrated, a break could be just what the doctor ordered. Nor does a break have to be particularly long to be effective. Five minutes away from your desk or computer could be all you need to feel as good as new.

How Can You Get the Most Out of Your Break?

Sitting silently during your break may only make things worse if you are really frustrated. Getting your mind off of what's bothering you for a few minutes will help more. Here are some ways you can do that:

* Taking a brisk walk can help you clear your head.

* Turn the radio on and listen to some soothing music.

* Renew your focus by reading a chapter from a favorite book or an article from a magazine that interests you.

* If you are a crafter, you could work on your latest project for a few minutes.

* Try to switch to a less stressful activity for a short time if you are swamped with work and you don't feel you have time to take a break.

* Play a game on your cell phone or the Internet. Just don't get so wrapped up in it that you forget to go back to work.

Taking breaks at regular intervals can help avoid burnout and can help you recharge your batteries. When you are stressed out, a short break can improve your outlook, allow you to see things more clearly and be more productive.

From Other Affiliate Marketers.

Affiliate marketing can be one of the best and easiest way to earn money online today. But as the competition keeps getting bigger and bigger, you may need some ways to distinguish yourself from the rest of the affiliate marketers. The major reason is that many of your competitors are promoting the exact same affiliate programs, in the exact same area or on the exact same advertising websites.

Here are some tips that you may want to consider in order for you to stay in this business and have the chance to set yourself apart from other affiliates in your market.

#1 Your Own Website/Blog

It is essential for you to have your own website/blog if you are considering affiliate marketing as your professional career. Potential customers primarily go to websites/blogs in order to search and sometimes purchase items that they are looking for. It will be much easier for them to remember your website/blog name than a long affiliate URL. Once they are on your site, then you can point your visitors to the affiliate products on your website.

#2 Write Your Own Affiliate Ads

Many affiliates marketers just publish the same ad that is supplied by the affiliate program and that is being used by all of that programs affiliates. In this case, check the affiliate programs TOS or you may want to email the owner of your affiliate program and ask them if you can write your own ads. This way people will not become immune to your ads. Sometimes, when your potential customers keep seeing the same ads over and over again, they may just skip it all together. Besides, the primary purpose of your ad is to attract people to read them and be curious enough to click through to your website.

#3 Build a Strong Relationship with Your Customers

In order for you to fully answer the questions of your potential customers, try and buy the product yourself if you can afford to. You can then share with your potential customers what a great experience you have had with the product, and this could make them interested enough to buy the product. You may also be able to provide support, a tutorial or steps on how to use the product.

#4 Your Own Products when Possible

Once you have established your website/blog, try to have some products or services that your customers can not find on any other affiliate’s site. You want your customers to keep coming to your site and the best way to do that is to have something on your site that they can’t find any where else.

#5 Admit Your Mistakes

We all make mistakes and admitting your mistake will boost your reader’s confidence in you. The idea is to be totally honest about the products that you are trying to market. If you find out that a program you were promoting is a scam, stop promoting it and inform your readers about it. This will help you build credibility with your customers.

#6 Don’t Market Too Many Programs

With services such as Clickbank, it is very easy to become overwhelmed and try to market everything in their marketplace. It is better to focus on one market and market products that your potential customers would want. This is called niche marketing.

Affiliate marketing is definitely here to stay and it can become a great way to earn a part time or a full time income. However, it won’t happen overnight. Like everything else in life, you’re going to have to put a lot of hard work into it. To Your Success!

Recommended Product: Ready to get started in affiliate marketing?
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You build a website or blog, add some banners and links to a bunch of products and eagerly wait for your affiliate sales to start rolling in. A few days later still no sales and you think affiliate marketing doesn’t work and want to throw in the towel.

Have you done this? I did when I first started working with affiliate marketing. Instead of giving up, I decided to research everything I could about affiliate marketing so that when applied properly it most certainly works and it’s has turned into a fantastic way to make money online.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid those dreaded mistakes many beginners make in affiliate marketing.

Mistake #1. Banner Central

Banners don’t often work as well as text links. Of course, it does depend on your subject and you should test both individually to determine what works best but often times you’re better off sticking to text links rather than turning your website into banner central.

Mistake #2. Unrelated Products

Make sure all offers on your website are related to the context on your site. For example if you have a site about baby care don’t offer pet care products. Sometimes it’s tempting to promote other products but stick to what your target market is looking for.

Mistake #3. Missing your Target Market

Before starting your affiliate marketing site, you should always know who your target market is. To become a super affiliate you’ll need to build a website which caters directly to the market you are trying to attract and you’ll need to understand the needs of that specific market. So who’s your target market?

Mistake #4. Using Hype to Promote

Avoid it all costs. People can smell hype a mile away and will run quick with their credit card clutched tightly in their hands. If you review products on your website makes sure those reviews are honest. If possible, try to take the time to actually use the product (or at least look into it) so that you can honestly speak about its features and benefits; and don’t forget to add the not so good sides of the product too. If the product is lacking in some way, say so. People will appreciate your honesty and grow to trust you.

Mistake #5. Not Tracking Your Sales

In order to know whether a program is worth promoting or not, you’ll need to track how well it converts. Try out different things in your promotions and track each one of them. If a program or product is not working, remove it and try another one.


Recommended Product: Ready to get started in affiliate marketing? Super affiliate Rosalind Gardner can show you how with her Super Affiliate Handbook.