Write a Short Book or Manual to Create a Flood of Traffic to Your Business

Today we’re going to talk about the “Thump Factor”. The Thump Factor is a sound that will give you credibility, draw attention to your expertise, serve as a business card, and get you the traffic that your business so dearly needs. 

This is just one of those techniques that you can use offline to drive people to your online business.  Moreover, it can be used in the regular bricks and mortar world to get you great clients that’ll look to you as an expert in your field or niche. 

What is this “Thump Factor”?

The “Thump” is the sound a book makes when it lands on someone’s desk. 

With this strategy, you’re not trying to create a regular published book or bestseller.  In this instance, we’re trying to make a marketing tool that has all the looks of a well written book.  Your chances of getting anywhere near the normal world of publishing are close to zero and you’d probably have a better chance of winning the lottery. 

However, you can easily write and create a well written professional looking book without out spending much money at all.  And that’s all you’ll need to do to get it into hands of the people that you’d like to see as your clients and customers. 

How Can a Thumper Help Me Out?

There’s no question that a regular looking book carries clout. If you carry a book into a prospects office and show him or her how your book can help out their business, they are not very likely to forget you.   Not only that, but a book of

this nature will work great for you as a replacement for brochures.  If someone comes into your dentistry office and you've already written a book called “101 Ways to Make Sure You Never Get Cavities” and they can just pick up a free copy for you, then chances are, that client will never forget you and he or she might pass the book on to a friend. 

Amazon, will also let anyone sell a book from their site so even if you only sell just a few copies of your book you can walk away as a winner.

TIP : You can always set up the book to sell it on Amazon.  Next, give out your book to as many friends and people that you've done business with as possible or offer the book to anyone that promises to write you up a nice review.  Ask them to go on Amazon and place reviews on there about how much they liked it.  This will automatically give you clout on Amazon if anyone wants to check you out to see if you’re the real deal.  

You don’t have to make your promotional book massive.  You can make it fairly thin if you so desire, it’s all a matter of personal preference.  Of course, you need to bear in mind that the thicker you make your book, the more time it will take to put it together.

In reality, the effect of the Thump Factor is bigger that the number of people that will actually read it. Most people you give it to will be impressed, but won’t actually read it.

But think of it this way.  A company wants to hire a Web designer and there are two candidates, you and some other designer.  The other designer has a great portfolio and a pretty good reputation as do you; you’ve got an awesome portfolio and a good rep.  However, YOU HAVE THE THUMP FACTOR! You drop that book on their desk and …THUMP!  They’ll be impressed with the fact that you are an authority.

See the difference?

So, writing your own book is rather easy.  You can either hire a ghostwriter to write the thing or do it yourself.  Writing is so much easier these days anyway.  With word processors like Microsoft Word, you can create an outline or table of contents with just a few clicks of a mouse button.

You can also outsource the work of writing your book. Get a digital tape recorder, record yourself reciting the material that you want in your book, and then send the digital file off to an online transcriber that will type it up for you.

Don’t like that idea?

Get a copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking speech recognition software.  All you have to do is speak into the microphone, and your words will magically appear on your word processor.  You can knock out about a chapter a day with this powerful software if you wanted to.  I used this software quite a bit when I was in college.  I had so many papers to write for my Master’s degree and this was quite simply the fastest method to get a lot done in a very short time.

When using Dragon Naturally Speaking, it’s always better to have in your head what you’re going to say before you say it, though.  The other problem with this method, is that it requires time to go back and read what you've spoken into the microphone.   Many times the software will misinterpret what you've said and you’ll have to edit.

What Are You Waiting For?

If you see a value in what I just said, then the time to act is right now.  I shouldn’t have to sell you on this idea, because the benefits are real.  The hardest part of writing a book of this nature is getting off of your rump and getting it done.  That will take commitment and drive.  

To Your Success!

Mark “Elmo” Ellis

"When it Comes to High-Response Copy - I've Got Your Back!"

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

 (859) 797-9560

elmo033057@gmail.com

The Top 3 Web Savvy Facebook Traffic Generating Tips

Over the last week, we’ve explored strategies and tactics for using Facebook as a traffic generator for your business.  These strategies will get you started as quick as possible, and to make sure you get off on the right foot with Facebook, here are the links to those posts:

Your Competitors Are Using Facebook

Facebook Scheduling Tactics

Creating a Facebook Presence

Dirt Cheap Facebook Tactics

Boosting Your Business with Facebook

What to Do With Facebookers Once TheyCome To Your Site

Getting People to Leave Facebook and Come to Your Website

Today we are going to look at 3 ways to easily get people to come to your blog or website.  Up till now we’ve been mostly talking about what to do with people when they get to your site.

Now I’m going to show you what you should do on Facebook itself to motivate your crowd to move in a direction that is conducive to your business.  We’ve already talked about what you should be posting, now we’re going to look at how you should post.  (If you don’t know what to post, please look at the video I’ve posted: HERE) 

Tip #1 Post Web Address of Post or Web Page into Facebook

The primary way I use Facebook to promote my site is by posting a blurb about what I wrote on my blog for the day.  I pretty much write 500 to 1000 word articles as frequently as I can.  When I do this, I go to Facebook and on my business page, I’ll post a brief message about the subject I’m writing about as an intro.  Then, I paste the URL of the blog post into the message field. 

Automatically, a picture will appear from the blog post itself as well as the title and link to it. I also do this on Google + as well and here is what it looks like right after you paste the URL into the field:

Facebook and Google + are almost exactly alike in this nature.

 If your blog post or landing page does not have a picture on it, you can always add a picture directly from your computer.  As always, make sure that it is relevant to your post. 

Tip #2 When Posting - Use a Dynamic Headline

This is a tactic where learning how to write a little advertising copy might help.  You want to have headlines on your posts that are relevant yet DYNAMIC!   The best way to learn these is to start going to well written squeeze pages and make copies of the headlines that impress you the most. Then, keep them in a file so you can use them as a basis of a headline later. 

For Example:

“My $10 Million Dollar Discovery!”

That was a title of a book by Internet marketing specialist Yanik Silver.

You could easily create a headline for your post that read: “My $5 Thousand Dollar Discovery”, or “My Massive Cash-Flow Discovery” or even “My Amazing Facebook Marketing Discovery!”

Please bear in mind that when you are collecting these ideas to not use the exact same words, but learn from them and draw ideas from them. 

If you are going to stay in the Internet marketing arena for a while, then you’ll need to keep a swipe file and learn as much as you can about writing copy.  You may not have any desire to be a copywriter yourself, but you need to at least understand it when you hire someone to write copy for you.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you need to make sure that you are not misrepresenting the content you are directing them to.  If you do that prospects will automatically see you as a waste of time.  You can still make the lead – in exciting and on-topic at the same time.   

Here's a good video that'll give you a few pointers on writing a good headline.

Tip #3 Make Sure You Post at the Right Time

Using Facebook and other social media sites is an awful lot like fishing.  My dad was an incredible fisherman. A natural, actually. He always told me the best fishing hours were from 5:00 AM and 8:00AM and then later on in the day from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. He almost always brought a load of fish home to clean.

Facebook is almost the same way.  When people get up first thing in the morning, they are looking for something to read and when they start getting home from work they are on usually. 

So if you can get yourself on just before those peak hours, you’ll get the most eyes on your postings.

To Your Success!

Mark “Elmo” Ellis

"When it Comes to High-Response Copy - I've Got Your Back!"

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

(859) 797-9560

elmo033057@gmail.com

Get More Internet Traffic to Your Site by Using This One Simple Marketing Strategy

Most of the traffic generating ideas you read about on this blog look real easy.  One of the reasons for this is because I’m an actual, certified teacher. I’ve taught almost 30 different subjects in the last 20 years, and I believe in giving you concise information and instructions, rather than giving you a lot of “fluff”. 

So, whenever I actually get around to putting down the exact steps to help you generate traffic to your site or blog, it is usually to the point.

A Bad Illusion

However, the problem with this is that gives you the illusion that doing the task is easy.  In Internet marketing NOTHING IS EASY.

I once saw a YouTube video where in the famous copywriter Gary Halbert talked extensively about marketing on the Internet.  One of the things he talked about was how much harder it was to sell things by way of the Internet than it was by direct mail.  One of the reasons he felt this way was because there are way too many distractions on here. 

I’ve posted a video here where the late Mr. Halbert talks about Search Engines:

My Master’s degree is in Education Technology and for years I’ve observed how long it can take a student to find good, solid information using the Internet.  If you go to the library looking for a book on Renaissance art, chances are that if you know how to use a card catalog system it’ll take you 5 minutes to find an entire section of books on that subject. 

But on the Internet, there are too many things competing for your attention.  There’s email, texting, gaming, advertisements, favorite sites and of course the biggest distraction…Social media.  And even if you happen to stay on task, finding a good site (despite how good Google’s algorithm is) can sometimes be very difficult.   

If you don’t know how to look for something it can be quite difficult. 

So, without going into great detail on situations where I had to help students find specific information I’ve learned one important thing.   If it’s difficult to find and sift through and find information on common subjects on the Internet, how much harder is it going to be to find your business on here?

Here’s The “One Easy Trick” I Told You About

The trick is simple in principle, but requires WORK.  As Edison so aptly put it,

“The only place you’ll find SUCCESS before WORK is in the dictionary.”

Here is the strategy: Becoming an authority or having an authority site. 

There are several paths to becoming an authority, but the most popular way to become one on the Internet is by using a blog and regularly posting outstanding information on it.  Now, that’s a very simplified strategy or idea, but it’s true and it works.

However, the steps to becoming an authority or authority site require a lot of work.  Here are just a few of the things that you need to do to become an authority in your chosen niche.  (You do have a niche, don’t you?) 

1.        Publish really great information about your niche on your site or blog.

2.        Make sure you link out to other valuable links in your niche that are relevant to what you are writing about.

3.       Post good quality info everyday on your blog or website

4.       Post short snippets about your updates to all social media sites you are associated with letting people know that you posted.

5.       Guest write in forums, other people’s blogs and anyone else that’ll let you as much as you can.  
Make sure that you post your website links are on those posts.

That was the short and sweet answer.  You can accelerate this whole process by doing some offline marketing too:

1.        Do public speaking and give out your site address and email addresses

2.       Put your website address on every direct mail piece that you send out

3.       Make sure your email address has your website address on it.

4.       Write a book on Amazon and tell people there are bonuses on your site and place your site’s address in the book. (Side note – writing a published book will quickly make you an authority.)

Here’s A Strategy On How To Become An Authority On The Internet In A Year

I’m sure that you’ve seen these strategies before.  However, it doesn’t hurt to reiterate them and remind you of what you have to do to move your Internet business forward.  In order to get your site really noticed, I’m including a link to a document that will really get you moving if you do most of what’s in it.

 Years ago an IM superstar named Brett Tabke wrote a post o n a forum that later became a rather famous E-book on IM called “The 26 Steps” Here is a FREE copy of that document.  If you are even remotely serious about Internet marketing, then you’ll read this excellent document and begin to use the steps he so graciously shared with everyone.

Brett Tabke’s 26 Steps

One other resource I’ve already mentioned in another post is Bob Bly’s most excellent book, “How to Become an Authority in 90 Days or Less” And the link is to the post where you can get it.

To Your Success!

Mark “Elmo” Ellis

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

"When it comes to high response copy, I've got your back!"

 (859) 797-9560

elmo033057@gmail.com

Portfolio Site: http://markelliscopyportfolio.blogspot.com/

P.S.  Here's a link to Gary Halbert's site: The Gary Halbert Letter

Marketing For Software Companies: 7 Ways to Market Your Software Business

It's always good to get back to the basics.  I recently read this article from

Avantegate on 7 Ways to Market Your Software or Software Services that I thought I could expand upon for all of you out there in the heartland of cyber-space.

As you already know, just creating a software product is about 10% of the battle.  The other 90% or so is MARKETING your software.  It doesn't matter what you're selling.  

Not to say that your goods should be shabby, but once you have created the product, you really need to put your rear in gear and get it sold. 

A Tale of Two Law Students

I recently heard a story from a top-drawer, killer ad copyist that had an interesting take on this.  He said what if you had two lawyers.  One was a straight "A" student from Harvard Law School and the other was a "C" student from Podunk University.  

The Harvard student put his shingle up and waited patiently for clients to walk in his door.  

The "C" student from Podunk got on a local talk show that was very popular and talked about how he helps clients with legal issues, while saving  them loads of money in the process.  Not only that, but the "C" student had a focused and well targeted direct mail campaign, gave speeches at his local Kiwanis Club and answered legal questions on social media sites like Facebook.

Now, guess which one was more successful.

The same thing goes with any other type of business, without some sort of a marketing plan in place, you are going no where fast.  

So here are the 7 ways to market your software.  I've added important links to each one of these ideas that was written about in the article.  If you want to see the original article, please click on the link at the beginning of this post. 

NOTE: I am not affiliated with any of the sites in this post.  All links are just that, PLAIN LINKS.  Not affiliate links.

1.  Continuous Search Engine Optimization.  You really need to check out SEOBooks article on SEO for businesses.  One of the best things I have ever read.  This site is loaded with high octane info on SEO that can help your online marketing efforts.

2.  Submit Your Shareware to Software Download Sites.  Here's a good article on how to do that from Avantegate called Submit Software for Higher Sales

3.  Write Newsletters and Press Releases.  If you don't have a method of delivering your Newsletters through direct mail, here is a way to do it online using Ezines. This is quite possibly the fastest way to get great traffic to your site and turn yourself into an authority.  If you don want to actually produce a newsletter online, you can always write articles using the Ezine Articles site, shown in this video.



4.  Affiliate Marketing.  For people that have developed Apps, one of the best places to go is Chupa Mobile.  This site is very straightforward and easy to use.  Create an account. organize the apps you created, sell them and collect the cash. (Don't forget, you still have to do the marketing!)

5.  Get Noticed On Online Forums and Blogs.  This is one of those situations wherein you will have to either read quite a few blogs and see which one's are most suited to your software niche. As far as forums are concerned, you'll just have to look around for the most popular ones and lurk for awhile.  As a copywriter, I usually frequent the Warrior Forum.  It is loaded with advice on every type of marketing, both online and off.

6.  Pay per Click.  In the last few years, PPC has gotten very, very expensive for people marketing their services.  So, you will need to learn how to use it first.  Just like anything else, you'll need to learn about marketing using this particular vehicle, because you can loose your shirt if you aren't careful.  
A great book to get is Ad Words Secrets Revealed, which is loaded with all sorts of strategies and information to help you launch a PPC campaign using Google's AdWords advertising behemoth.

7.  Affiliates Marketing.  One of the best places on the Internet to put your App online and have other people sell them for you is the Apple Itunes Affiliate Program.  There are also other sites like Appifier that will let you sell them there as well.

These are usually the best sites on the Internet to use or learn from.  I'm sure there are others on there, so if you want to share other sites you may have found, please leave a link in the comment section.

To your success!

Mark "Elmo" Ellis

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

"When it comes to high response copy, I've got your back!"

 (859) 797-9560

elmo033057@gmail.com

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

Portfolio Site: http://markelliscopyportfolio.blogspot.com/