Destination: Success

One method of gaining traffic and backlinks for a new blog is to submit the blog to directories and the feed to the rss directories. Considering that there are hundreds of these sites, it can become time consuming.

For Firefox users, there is a new extension, called Submit ‘Em Now, that could save you some time. It helps you submit your blog to 100 blog and RSS directories. The site also offers a manual submission service for a price ($59.95 at last glance); this option is good if you’re short on time or patience, but have the spare cash.

Tags: blog directory submission, blog marketing, free blogging tools, firefox extension

A new tool, called ClickBank AdBox Pro, will allow you to create contextual adverts that look similar to Google AdSense or YPN Contextual Ads. Instead of people purchasing placement through a service, you could list ClickBank affiliate products with your ClickBank affiliate ID. Anytime someone clicks on an advert and makes a purchase, you get the commission.

Using keywords, the script will pull results from the ClickBank marketplace; the potential problem I see, though, is with the ClickBank product descriptions. Some product owners write their descriptions to gain affiliates, not customers. That means the ad click through rates may be sketchy.

ClickBank AdBox Pro is only selling for $7 (as you guessed, modeled after $7 secrets), but it reminds me of the ClickBank Ads Genie, a product from some time ago — right down to the link to the website in each ad. That was actually what stopped me from using the ClickBank Ads Genie and will probably stop me from using the ClickBank AdBox Pro script in any major capacity. It would have been wise, on both accounts, to allow webmasters to remove the links or to, at least, provide their own affiliate link to the site. Otherwise, it’s like free product advertising.

I haven’t noted any major differences between the two scripts, so my recommendation is that you download the ClickBank Ads Genie for free. In the off chance that CBAG doesn’t suit your needs, splurge on ClickBank AdBox Pro.

(I’ve purchased the ClickBank AdBox Pro script, but haven’t had a chance to test it thoroughly yet. The above is based on my initial impressions.)

Tags: clickbank, clickbank adbox pro, clickbank ads genie, affiliate marketing, contextual advertising, adsense ads, ypn ads

Jonathan Leger has created a new site for $7 Secrets owners to promote their $7 product and listing the product is free.

Reviewing the site reveals that it’s still fairly new and in need of some products; by my count, there are only 38 products listed, but there is potential hiding in there. Though the site is plain looking, a bonus to listing your product is that products are randomly featured on the front page which means greater exposure for your product(s).

The only requirement of the site is that you’re using Jonathan’s script to sell the product; he’s actually making a nice profit because all the products pay directly to his PayPal account*. Now, before you think this is a bad thing, remember that you will be building your mailing list from each purchase , so you can forsake the $7 now to get more later.

This is just another perk to the $7 Secrets report, in my opinion. If you don’t already know about it, then you’re welcome to read my $7 Secrets overview.

Also notable is that Jonathan has also put out a couple updates to his included script. Some have been minor bug fixes and security releases, however, some additional features have been worked into the script since its initial release.

* Before you think you can substitute your PayPal account in place of Jonathan’s, think again. PayPal doesn’t allow you to send payments to yourself, so it makes it very difficult to steal affiliate commissions — another bonus to the $7 method.

Tags: secrets, seven dollar secrets, internet marketing, online marketing, affiliate marketing

One great way to build up a reputation online is to participate in forums. It’s also a great way to market your products and network with like-minded people. The downside to marketing in a forum, however, is that people tend to be wary of new members with unverifiable information.

When joining a new forum, it’s important to give the readers and participants some information that will humanize you in this virtual world.

• Introduce Yourself. Most forums will have a section specifically for introductions or general discussion. It’s always a good idea to make use of this forum by letting people know who you are, your goals, and what you hope to provide/accomplish at the forum.
• Mention Your References. We often participate in other forums and move around. If you’ve built up a name for yourself in another forum, don’t be afraid to mention it in your introduction. Linking to those profiles may even help win you over with the new forum members. But, caution: make sure those profiles are legitimately yours.
• Create A Profile. Many forums allow you to create a small bio area called a profile. Take a few moments to update your profile with some tidbits about yourself, goals, and business. People actually do read them, and seeing that you enjoy canoeing (or other activity you enjoy) will make you seem more personable.
• Add A Signature. A signature is a line that shows up under each post you make in the forum. Some forum masters allow links, so you can link out to your website. If you’d prefer not to reveal your website, you could also add a quote or other quip to brand yourself on the forum.
• Use Your Name. Attaching a name to your post will help greatly in personalizing your messages and gaining trust. Addressing someone as “coolscreenname” can become tiresome. Even if you don’t use your real name, create a penname that people can relate to and can use to address you.
• Participate. Welcome other new members to the forum, answer questions whenever you can, add a different perspective to a question that may have been answered, ask questions, and get involved.

Building your forum rep doesn’t happen over night, but in time, people will come to see your contributions and think of you as trustworthy. From it, you may experience an increase in traffic to your website, more joint ventures, and even a boost in your sales and income.

To learn more about how you can boost your business with forums, Harvey Segal has written a nicely laid out (free) ebook called Forum Supertips.

Tags: forum marketing, building trust online

I knew blogging had arrived two years ago when I heard it casually mentioned on an episode of Gilmore Girls and an episode of Half and Half started with the main character blogging.

But, now I know blogging has officially arrived because even Oprah is writing about it. An article in the March 2007 issue of O Magazine discusses weight loss through blogging. Losing It on the Web, by Sara Reistad-Long, briefly explains what a blog is and goes on to say how having a blog may help some women stick to their diets and support each other.

The article even explains how to set up a new blog. The instructions are very basic, such as set up a free blog at Google’s blogger.com or Yahoo’s 360.yahoo.com and they even tout Six Apart’s services. Once you have your blog set up, then the article urges you to submit it to a blog directory, leave comments on other blogs, and even ask other bloggers for a link exchange.

If you want to read all about it it’s in the March 2007 edition of O magazine, it should be available on news stands.

Tags: oprah magazine, o magazine, diet blog, blogs in mainstream media