How To Brainstorm And Narrow Down Your Information Product Ideas To Find The “Quickest To Market” Concept

STEP 1: Brainstorm as many ideas as possible.

Write down EVERYTHING that comes to mind. There are no bad ideas at this point. Just do a complete brain dump onto the spreadsheet in the “Idea” column.
You should get at least 20 – 50 ideas during this process. If you get stuck, go back and look through the list of customer desires to get some ideas.
Once you have 20 – 50 ideas (or you feel like you’re finished – if you can come up with 100 ideas go for it!), then move on to step 2.

STEP 2: How Difficult?

In the “How difficult?” column place an H, M or E in the column for each idea. This indicates how difficult it would be – based on your experience and skills – to turn this idea into a product.
NOTE: DO NOT ask anyone else to answer this for you – especially by making a post in a marketing forum. Only YOU can answer these questions.
H = Hard, M = Medium, E = Easy
Once you’ve placed an H, M or E next to each idea… move onto Step 3.

STEP 3: Who Will Do It?

Next to each idea place an O or M in the “Who will do it?” column. This will reference who would be responsible to actually do the work for this idea.
If you have the skills to do the work (and want to do the work) then put an “M” for ME.
If you don’t have the skills or would prefer to pay someone to do the work then put an “O” for OTHERS.
Once you’ve finished this for every idea on your list, move on to the next step.

STEP 4: Level Of Knowledge?

In this step, place an E, L or N next to each idea based on your personal level of knowledge about the subject of the idea.
If your idea is in an area that you are an expert… place an E.
If your idea is in an area where you have some knowledge but you’re not an expert… place an L.
If you think the idea is a money-maker but you have no personal knowledge of the subject… place an N.
After completing that for each idea, let’s move on to the final step.

STEP 5: Prioritize

Ok, now let’s prioritize your ideas.
Don’t get worried… this is going to be SO easy.
You see, most fail at this point because they try to prioritize their ideas based on their own personal “feelings”. Essentially, they pick the ideas they like or want to do.
Our process is going to make this SO simple for you.
#1 Priorites would be: E (Easy), M (Me), E (Expert)
Why? Because this means it’s an Easy idea, you’ll be doing the work so it’s under your control and you’re an expert in the subject. It can’t get any better than that.
The Last Priority would be: H (Hard), O (Others), N (No Knowledge)
Why? Because the idea is Hard to create, Others would have to be involved (which would mean extra money, additional time and limited control) and you have No knowledge of the subject matter.
The rest of the categories would be ranked somewhere in the middle.
You can even give a Number to each letter so the calculation of your priorities would be simple math.

Easy = 1, Medium = 2, Hard = 3
Me = 1, Others = 2
Expert = 1, Limited = 2, None = 3

Place those numbers next to each letter in the appropriate columns and then just add up the totals.
Your totals would rank everywhere from 3 (lowest) to 8 (highest).
You’re going to take the top 10 ideas and move on to the next section. Depending on how many ideas you have rank as a 3, 4, etc. you may have all 3’s moving on or 3’s and some 4’s, etc.
If you have more than 1 idea in the 6 category moving on to the next section then you may want to consider brainstorming some additional ideas.

The reason for this is because when you begin anything for the first time it always seems that much more difficult due to it being the very first time.

For some people, writing is an almost impossible task. Let me tell you though that writing an article, special report, or a 340 page ebook isn’t any different than learning to roller blade.

However once you get the ‘hang’ of it, it becomes child’s play.

The best advice for this is to write about WHAT YOU KNOW. That makes everything so much easier. And don’t think you don’t know anything, because everyone knows something that will be of value to someone else.

(Note: You can create anything you want and you’d still be able to get people to purchase them simply by offering your customers a way to make money with your product. This can be resale rights, private label rights, an affiliate program etc. Simply by inserting a ‘money-making’ element into your product will get you more sales compared to the other way round.)

Nothing is ever written in stone when it comes to the internet.

A quick example is how many older books on marketing and self-improvement have been storming onto the scene with the trend of Public Domain products.
So if you think that your subject won’t have any audience, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Chances are good that someone will want to read what you have written even if they may have never heard of you. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that everyone has a unique way of looking at and solving certain problems. No two people see things the same.

Even if there are hundreds of ebooks, special reports, or articles on the same topic that you’re writing on, it won’t be filled with the exact same information. That’s why you see literally thousands of ebooks covering the same subject matter with the author’s own unique spin on it.

Lets get back to selecting a topic…

No matter which route you take, you should check if there’s a market for it first. You can do this by typing in your subject matter keyword here:

http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

You can also do a quick search on a new keyword tool called ‘The Dowser’

available free here: http://www.keywordempire.com/keywordempire.exe.

Simply type in the your keywords to see the number of people who are interested in learning more about your subject. It will also give you good information on the ratio of current websites on your subject compared to the number of searches for it.

This is not the only way to perform testing on your subject matter of course.

Forums are a fantastic way to ask some questions about your subject and get real answers from real people. It’s also a wonderful way to find out how much interest there is from others about your topic.

To go one step further, you could ask specific questions and incorporate those into your ebook chapters based on the responses you get.

You can similarly visit the major search engines and check the supply and competitors. If there’re too many competitors in your subject topic with a low demand, you may want to rethink your topic.

Now before you begin writing, make sure you have the proper tool to begin with.

You can start out with the simple Notepad or WordPad tool that came with your computer. However, to cut through some additional formatting steps, i.e. - copying and pasting, etc., it’s easier to use a tool with a more functions like Microsoft Word or the better, and FREE alternative, Open Office.

You can download a copy of Open Office at http://www.openoffice.org.

You may also want to pick up the Open Office Suite. This is helpful to you if you don’t have the more expensive Microsoft Office or PDF Maker programs.

Well now that you have just the right writing tool, let’s start writing your first information product.

Make a list of the things that you do or like to do. Whether it’s your job, a hobby you enjoy, or caring for children or pets. Remember that things which we often take for granted or overlook because we do them on a constant basis may be something the market wants to know. Once again do your due research for demand and supply as mentioned above.

Look over the list you just created and choose a subject from it.

Here are a few example topics that might give you some starting ideas:

** Effective Marketing For Small Businesses
** Organic Gardening
** Japanese Bonsai Tree Growing and Care
** Low-Fat Dessert Recipes
** Delicious Italian Recipes
** Working with Leather
** Buying a Car with No Credit or Bad Credit
** Fly Fishing for Beginners
** Pit Bulls as Pets: A Positive Experience
** Choosing A Name For Your Dog
** Home-Made Cat Treat Recipes
** Having an Iguana as a Family Pet
** Being a Better Parent
** Making the Most Out Of Every Day
** Hot Air Ballooning
** Bird Watching For the Family
** Model Airplane Construction
** Coin and Currency Collecting
** Knitting, Crocheting, Sewing
** How to Play Football
** Learning to Play Tennis like A Pro
** Proper Car Tune Up Instructions
** Easy SAT Study Guide For College Students
** Carpet Laying For Dummies
** How to Build Your Own Tranquil Outdoor Garden Sanctuary

The more you narrow down your topic, the more specific the niche category will be and the less competition you’ll have.

Pretty much any topic or subject can be turned into a profitable information product if you put the effort into it.

You don’t have to have any knowledge about one particular subject, as you could always do research on the topic and create the product as you go along (more on this later).

Once you have your choice topic selected, it’s time to begin really writing it up.

Now don’t be afraid. This is easier than you might think. The way to write an information product is to write it as if you are explaining the subject to someone who has no previous knowledge of it or has never heard of what you are talking about.

Go from beginning to end. Leave out nothing, no matter how small the detail. Remember, most of the people that purchase your information product will be new to the whole process of your subject matter.

You would want to create an ‘outline’ for your product. I’ll show you how in the following pages.

Don’t be worried about the length of your product. There are more important things to be concerned with than something as trivial as length. Believe me, there are marketers out there selling 5-15 page reports like hotcakes.

This is because they have something unique to share. They also focus on the way in which they provide the information to their customers, making sure it’s good useful information. People pay for useful information not the length of the product.

Always remember to be as original as you can be. A good way to do that is to write like you speak. Doing so will also make the task of writing a LOT easier for you.

Nothing is perfect. Get your product out there even if there are a couple of typos or a point you forgot to cover. It doesn’t matter. What matters most is that you start and finish it.

“You don’t have to get it perfect; you just have to get it going!”

Now let us move up the pace a little, it’s time to go short and sweet…

Do newspaper ads outpull radio spots or is the power of television the only way to go? The answer is different for each business, each situation, each location and each product.

The following are the pros and cons of each medium. Knowing these can help you decide which medium is right for advertising your product.

RADIO

The good:

* Radio offers a wide array of formats which can reach listeners during a specific state of mind, which can complement a specific advertising message. Many people listen to radio while driving to and from work, other listen in the evening while relaxing next to a cozy fire.

* Delivers your message to everyone in the room or car at the same time.

* In fast. Your ad could be heard the next day if production is available, ad copy is written and studio time is available.

* Radio advertising is intrusive — it butts in on your listening, and your only opiton is to listen or chage the channel, (or shut it off!)

* Reaches a national, regional or local audience.

* Can be effectively targeted to consumer segments, such as teen-agers vs. seniors, or men vs. women.

* Can be repated often, thus driving the message home. Once again, repeition is the heart of effective advertising.

* Radio ads can be heard 24 hours a day.

* Radio can reach people as they are on their way to the store. Messaes delivered just prior to actual shopping are very powerful.

* Tends to be cheaper per announcement than either TV or print, and in fact, is probably the most cost efficient of all media.

* Uses "theater of the mind." Radio uses voice and sound effects to conjur up images in the listener’s mind by engaging the human imagination. This
can be more powerful than any pre-developed TV image or still photograph.

* Reaches people who do not like to read newspaper or magazine, or people who do not view outdoor mediums, such as billboards, and those who do not
like TV.

The Bad:

* Most people have the radio on "for noise." That is, they are usually otherwise engaged with something while listening, and often are only half-listening.

* Repetition is more important to overcome general lack of attention on behalf of the listener, and thus, you have to spend more for more spots, which can make up for the lower cost.

* Makes it difficult for the listener to take physical action as a result f the advertising message. For eample, most listeners do not have a pen in hand when they hear an 800 number to call or an address to remember.

* You generally need more up-front money to buy up the large number of spots you need to get the job done.
* Is not visual, and many people retain better what they can see than what they hear. Also does not move, another aspect of captugring vidual attention. 

NEWSPAPERS

The Good:

* It’s fast. An ad in a magazine may take three months to break. A newspaper ad can come out the next day. If you need business fast, this is great.

* Newspapers have wide array of editorial topic selcition to match what you are advertising. For example, if you are selling car parts, you cac place your ad in the paper’s automotive section, or have it placed next to news stories about cars. Newspaper also have international news, local news, etc., all of which help you focus your advertising effort.

* You get a lot of room, if you need it. Remmeber, long copy always sells better than short copy. The broad area of a newspaper page is ideal for long copy.

* Newspapers can insert your catalog, flyer or whatever preprinted matreials you might have.

* You can use them to distribute reader response items, such as coupons, contest entry forms, surveys, and other such things.

* Radio advertising is sometimes called "invisible ink." That because it is gone as soon as it is broadcast. With a newspaper, you can give the customer something to clip, or something they may see a second time if they read the newspaper a second time.

* Nespaper can reach large numbers of people, depending on circulation. Lage urban dailies, for example, may easily reach 1 or 2 million potential
buyers overnight.

* They are available nationally, regionally, or locally.

* Newspaper allow you to reach possible nonreaders who might be part of your secondary target audience.

* Tend to be cheaper than other media, depending on a number of variables.

* Newspaper ads are easier to produce, and thus less costly. A TV ad, for example, may require special effects, actors, video footage, etc.

* Newspaper are good for repeat exposure, a vital element of effective advretising. Readers need to see something an average of six to eight
times before they "see" an ad or respond to it.

* Newspaper can reach people who othrewise have little access to other media.

* Many people buy newspaper not for the news, but to find out what’s on sale today, or what’s happening today. Movie ads are a prime example.

* They have better local market penetration than magazines.

* You have more options in terms of space and unusual ad configurations

* You can use dealer listings.

The Bad:

* Newspaper tend to charge relatively high-cost premiums for less than full-run purchases.

* They are flat, and more than literally. In other words, they don’t beep, squeek, blast and make noise and colorful moving images as do radio and TV

* Do not have the reach other media forms, such as national magazines.

* Are not conducive to last minute changes beause of tight printing schedules.

* Newspapers do not produce as high a frequency level as other media forms.

* Large space ads are very expensive and their longevity is fleeting.

* Ads in newspaper tend to compete heavily with other ads on the page. Clutter is not good for your ad, but in a newspaper, their is usually a lot of clutter

* Use of color is crappy, and does not equal that of magazine color quality.

* Tend to deliver only an adult audience. If you have products targeted at teens or even college students, a newspaper probably won’t reach these
people.

* Newspaper are usually only viewed by one person at a time.

TELEVISION

The Good:

* Is usually in vivid exciting color, and color is a prime motivator of the human mind.

* Uses all elements of sight, sound and movement at once to form a powerful package that hits on all level of human senses (except touch and smell).

* Can deliver your message to all people in a room simultaneously.

* Is fast, but not as fast as newspaper or radio because it tends to require more production.

* Like radio it is intrusive. The customer does not have to seek out the ad, like they must to find a movie listing or a rummage sale. The ad comes
to the viewer.

* Available nationally, regionally, or locally.

* Television ads can be purchased to focus on concentrated geographical areas, especially with the adventof cable.

* Has a wide variety of programming to match the nature or subject matter of your ad. Want to sell rock-n-roll CDs? Buy ads during Beavis and Butthead or Melrose Place. Want to sell feminine hygiene products? Buy time suring soap operas.

* TV has more reach than any other medium in terms of all segments of society. Just about evreyone watches TV, but not everyone reads newspapers
or magazines.

* Is good for repepetition of ads.

* TV can deliver your ad at any time of the day, 24 hours a day.

* You can get an exclusive, that is, your ad need not compete with a clutter of other ads — but you may have to pay dearly for it.

* Tends to be more cost efficient in terms of number of responses it produces compared to dollars invested.

* Is probably best for reaching those people who tend not to use any other form of media.

The Bad:

* Most often is very cluttered. your commerical may be sandwhiched deep within a string of other commericals, which have long since caused the viewer to head to the refrigerator. Also weakens long-term memory of your product message.

* Is sometimes hard to get. There are usually a limited number of TV spots available, and you may not get the program you want.

* Is perhaps the most expensive. There are a lot of production costs related to TV advertising.

* May be less demographically selective as some other media forms, although cable TV has helped in this category.

* Your audience can fluctuate widely. If 10,000 people see your ad one night, a mere 100 might see it the next if a high-interest program airs on
another channel.

* TV is cost-inefficient when you are after highly focused target markets

* VCRs are helping TV ads get beyond the "invisible ink" proplem of broadcast media. A taped program may be viewed again and again — on the
other hand, your commerical may be fast forwarded.

MAGAZINES

The Good:

* Magazines offer a wide variety of subject matter and editorial focuses to reach readers when they have a state of mind you are looking for. Thus, you can tailor your message to a high degree of specificity.

* Magazines have glossy, polished paper that makes color photographs and other graphic elements look like works of art. You ad will look superb.
(That doesn’t mean it will sell, however!)

* Can reach very specific target markets without having to waste time or money on markets you do not care about.

* Like newspaper, you can have long copy. Full or even multiple page ages let you make a pretty long and detailed pitch. Do people really read all that fine print? Yes! If you have their attention and interest.

* You can insert your catalog, card, flyer or whatever into the magazine.

* Like newspapers, they allow you to include reader response materials, such as coupons, entry or order forms, and more.

* They are not disappearing ink. In fact, magazine are even better on this count that newspapers because people are much more likley to re-read or go over a magazine a second time. Many people even collect magazines or go through them for research in the library, giving your ad the chance to be seen again and again.

* Can reach a huge audience, easily in the millions with the bigger zines.

* Magazines allow for a breathtaking array of creative options: pop-ups, special inks, holograms, unusual space configurations, personalizing elements for each reader of the publication, etc.

* They have national, regional and local reach.

* Magazine ads can reach specific demographic segments within the total readership of the magazine. That’s because most magazines have departments
and areas of specific topic or subject matter, helping you to target your customers.

* Magazine ads can reach possible nonreaders who might be part of an advertiser’s secondary target audience.

* Because they are more highly focused and need less repetition, as in radio, they can actually be more cost effective than any other media form.

* Frequency of exposure is high, as we said, because magazines are often read more than once and by more than one person. Also, they may read other
similar magazines you have targeted for your ads.

* May reach people that other media do not. Many people prefer to read magazines to newspapers, for example.

* Magazines can accommodate your listings.

The Bad:

* One of the biggest drawbacks is the long period before you buy the ad and when it appears. A magazine ad may take three to four months before it appears. If you need fast cash and customers, this is no help. Also, a reader may not get to his or her magazine right away upon receiving it.

* Tend to be expensive for one-time runs.

* Do not offer sound of movement, although some cutting edge ads, such as pop-ups or those with micro-chip intsertions are breaching this drawback.  These are mega-expensive, however.

* Because they are more highly focused, they have less reach, which many do not consider a drawback.

* You must submit your final copy and ad prep many months before deadline. Some magazines have a fast close, and other will call up repeat advertisers
with last minute deals, often because they have space to fill or when others back out at the last minute.

* Although once they start printing, you cannot backout. Generally, once you buy a magazine ad, you are locked in no matter what. Refunds are rare.

* You do not get high frequency unless you buy an entire year’s worth, but then readers will see them about once a month for most magazines.

* You only get exposure to one person at a time, as opposed to a whole room or call-full as in radio or TV.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENTS

The Good:

* You get superior quality color on high quality paper, allowing for effective product presentation, if you are willing to pay top dollar.

* Great for insertions. You know the way it is with all Sunday papers and magazines — lots of extras which many readers actually buy the publication for in the first place. Many people live to scan and clip coupons.

* You get ample opportunity for long copy. Sunday magazines are among the best place to make a long, detailed ptich.

* As we said, people love to clip coupons, and this is the place people will most likley use any kind of special insertion, from coupons to sweepstakes,  contests or surveys.

* Have better chance of repeat exposure to your ad than newspapers or magazines. People tend to hang onto the Sunday paper longer and also give it a better read because they are more relaxed and have more time on Sunday
to linger over the paper.

* Can reach large numbers of people in a short time.

* You can get very creative, as you can with magazines. This means pop-ups, specials inks, scratch-and-sniff — even insertion of product samples.

* Distribution of the advertisement to possible nonreaders who might be part of an advertiser’s secondary target audience.

* Because of high readership and better repetition factor, can be a good deal for the your scarce advertising dollar.

* Production costs for your ad will be less than all other media, except for newspaper.

* Can reach people who do not ordinarily read newspapers or pay attention to other media. Many consider the Sunday papre "special."

* You get immediate delicery to entire audience — even millions of people — in just oen day.

* They can have national, regionaly, or local distribution, although national is less likely with mst Sundays, except the real biggies, such as the New York Times.

* Sunday publications have higher penetration and greater readership locally than do competing publications or other media.

* You can use dealer listings.

The Bad:

* Ads do not force themselves on reader as in radio or TV. In other words, they are nonintrusive.

* No sound or movement in general.

* Usually require advertising materials well in advance of issue date. Some even have longer lead time time than magazines.

* Relatively inflexible for accommodating last minute changes. Most Sunday ads are set in stone after you issue a check. You won’t get a refund.

* Frequency is lacking because they only come out on Sundays, and people don’t make connections from one Sunday to the next, in most cases.

* Are extremely expensive if you want national or regional coverage.

* Large space ads are very expensive and they are here today and gone tomorrow most of the time.

* Again, they are relatively short-lived, and quickly end up lining a bird cage or wrapping a fish.

* Are not good for delivering ad messages to young people: teens, young adults and children.

* Most often only expose ad to one person at a time, unlike radio or TV, which can deliver a message to a roomful of people all at once.

There you have it. Based on what you have learned above, you should now be in a better position to decide which medium is best for your business, product or service.

Of course, the only perfect way to make a final decision is through test marketing with each medium. You can do that by starting out with small, inexpensive adds in each medium. Those that bring the best results deserve to get your future business and a larger share of your advertising dollar. Good Luck!

The process of designing a banner ad is not a difficult one if you are familiar with Flash player and Java Script. If those two phrases have absolutely no meaning for you then you need to stop reading right here and pick up the telephone. Chances are that you have a spouse/child/friend/relative/co-worker/neighbor/nameless acquaintance who rides the bus to work with you every morning that is familiar with computer code and will be able to help you put together a working banner ad.

If you are not familiar with banner ads and you do not have someone to help you out, you may want to outsource this.

Given the many resources out there to buy banners from it can get overwhelming to decide who to do business with. Included here are two references for artists who will create your banners at a competitive rate and who have earned the trust of many Internet marketers.

You can visit their websites and see what others have said about them and their services.

If you are determined to create your own banner ad there are a couple of guidelines for you to keep in mind. First and foremost, the primary objective of a banner ad is to spark interest in a product and convey the purpose or function of a product as quickly as possible.

The most effective way to do this is to find a graphic spin on the impression which you wish to convey and run with it. The graphics of a banner ad are going to be the first things that catch the attention of your consumers, so they must be spectacular without being excessive; remember, as was the case with your website these advertisements are going to serve to give potential customers a first impression of your product. You are never going to get a chance to undo this first impression, so it is important to make it count.

When choosing the graphics for your ad attempt, choose ones which convey the mood you wish to relay to your customers with regards to your product. Take the advertisement above, for example. The Buy Me A Drink! campaign was intended to be lighthearted and fun; notice how the woman in the corner conveys the image of summer and lighthearted fun. Was this a coincidence? I think not. This was probably the end result of a large group of people pulling their heads together and making their image of Buy Me A Drink! into a reality.

The second thing you need to consider is the color scheme you choose to use. Again, attempt to base your color scheme on the mood which you wish for your advertisement to convey. While a small child may appreciate an ad with a veritable rainbow explosion it is not going to go very far in convincing the men and women of the business world that you are a professional. It is essential that you pick one or two colors and go with it.

The simplest and least expensive method of advertising for an affiliate is through the use of blogs and forums. A web log (hence “blog”) is an interactive medium where the blogger can provide information to a market and that market has the option of interacting with the author (most of the time) through the comments feature on the blog. A forum is a community feature very similar to a blog and tends to focus on one central theme.

For example, let us say that you are attempting to market a new form of video game. If you were advertising through a blog you would want to find a section of the blog which deals with video games, gaming software, gaming equipment, etc. You could then create an interesting and informative blog post (or respond to someone else’s post) and include your affiliate link you were given in the signature section of your blog.

In fact, you can start your own blog by going to www.wordpress.com and clicking “start your free WordPress blog.” This will allow you to become familiar with some of the aspects of blogging and incorporation of marketing efforts into it. Later, we’ll cover a more effective, yet slightly more complicated way to use WordPress blogs in your marketing efforts.

When marketing on a forum, you would need to find a forum that was devoted entirely to video games; specifically, the genre of video game you are attempting to market. You could then create or respond to a post and include your affiliate link in the signature.

There are two things you need to remember when advertising on a blog or a forum:

1. Make sure that your postings are interesting and informative, and
2. Don’t make it obvious that you are hoping to sell something.

Due to the rising popularity of social networking among Internet marketers (social networking being the process by which you use community sites to get the word out about stuff to as wide an audience as possible at no cost to yourself) most blogs and forums have very strict rules with regards to advertising on their sites; specifically, you are not allowed to do it. Many of them will remove your post or comment and restrict your access to the site if they catch you attempting to use their resources to gain free patronage.

“So wait,” you are probably thinking, “if we aren’t allowed to advertise through blogs and forums why are you telling us to do it?” Simply put, you are going to learn to be sneaky. No, you cannot specifically promote your products but you often can include your affiliate link with each post. Most blogs and forums will give you the opportunity to create a “signature” which will be included each and every time you create a post on their site. By adding your affiliate link you are essentially handing out your business card to every person who happens to read your post or blog comment.

Human nature is steeped in curiosity; at least some of the readers who read your post are going to be curious enough about you and what you said to check out your link (this is especially true if you have taken the time out to create a truly unique content). Word of mouth is your best friend when it comes to successful marketing; those that read your post and visit your site will tell their friends. Before you know it you will have an entire network of customers ready and willing to part with their hard earned cash.

When an advertiser is writing a text ad they are seeking to orient the contents of that advertisement around a specific keyword. This keyword is the word which they believe that their target audience will enter into a search engine in an attempt to locate their product. The quality of the keyword chosen is the single most important factor in the success or failure of a pay per click marketing campaign.

Choosing a keyword is a simple process. Simply sit down and ask yourself, “If I was a customer and I was looking for my product what words would I use to search?” Once you have that list you can compare it to the list of recent popular searches contained in the database of each search engine. If the words which you have chosen are not on any of the lists do not lose heart. Many of the keywords found on these lists are far too general to allow the searcher to find what they are really looking for, and will quickly drive the browser to redirect their search.

A good keyword is one which is general enough that one need not have a college degree in order to associate it with the product but specific enough that it will decrease the number of false leads as much as possible (remember, you are going to have to pay the fee for the link whether the customer who came to your site made a purchase or not). Google has a number of tools available to help those finding difficulty in selecting the proper keywords; advertisers are encouraged to take advantage of these, particularly those working in the safety net of Google Adwords.

However, you can also find keywords that have been overlooked. These keywords get high searches and may not be being bid on. A great tool for this process is at www.WordTracker.com. There is an investment required but is well worth the return.

Another free option for keyword research can be found here http://tools.seobook.com/general/keyword/.

After choosing a keyword you are going to have to choose how much you want to bid on it. No, this isn’t an auction where the highest bidder will be able to lasso the keyword and take it home with him. Remember, an Internet browser’s search will generally come to an end once they have viewed two to three pages of results. It is essential that an advertisement be among those two to three pages if it is to have a chance of generating the kind of revenue it needs to in order to yield a profit.

Those who are willing to pay the most amount of money per click are placed at the top of the list while those with a more conservative budget are bumped out of the picture. Finding the proper balance between a bid high enough to keep an advertisement in the running but low enough that the ad will be able to run for the proper amount of time is an essential and sometimes complicated process.

Some affiliate products will send the prospect to a catalogue type page. This will not be as effective as a direct response sales letter in conversion. A confused mind says “no” so there has to be a clear presentation of what is being offered.

Some of the more professional affiliate programs out there may have actual stats for conversion rates of people that view to those that buy. That will always vary depending on the targeting that we just discussed above (i.e. the more targeted the prospect, the better the conversion, all else being equal). Generally speaking a conversion above 2% is very good.

Most of the time, this will come down to you being able to assess the quality of the copywriting that the company provides to you to promote their products. If you are unfamiliar with copywriting this may seem intimidating at first. I have included a few tips of things to assess and look for to determine good copy from bad:

• Be sure the headline is compelling and grabs the reader’s attention.
• Be sure the sub-headlines through out the letter flow naturally and keep the reader interested.
• When reading the letter, ask, “Does this clearly tell me what I get or do I have to figure it out?” The letter should clearly define the core benefits of what the reader will get.
• Are there misspellings or poor grammar? (Professional appearance is a big deal).
• Is there plenty of “white space” on the borders and between sub-headlines, etc? The copy should be easy on the eyes and flow well down the whole page.
• Is there a strong call to action at the end of the letter? (The call to action is even better if it includes an expression of the pain associated with not making a buying decision).
• Are there strong PS’s at then end of the letter? PS’s may not seem like a big deal, but they are imperative. They should in some way catch the attention of the reader and remind them of the benefits derived and/or re-state urgency of a purchase

There’s obviously much more to copywriting, but just being familiar with some of the common factors that make for good copy can make a big difference for you. You certainly don’t need to be a copywriter yourself to assess good from bad copy.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

If you are reading this chances are that you are already familiar with the concept of affiliate marketing and are seeking to learn methods by which you can bring in the greatest amount of profit as an affiliate. For those who are unfamiliar with this process, however, affiliate marketing is the process by which a larger company will extend the boundaries of its marketing team to include those entrepreneurs who are both shrewd and creative and would like to make a living from the Internet but do not have their own products to sell.

These affiliates will be brought in on “independent contractor” status and registered with the company. They will then be given the opportunity to work with members of the larger marketing team, exploring possible venues and strategies which they can use to maximize the amount of sales while minimizing the amount of out of pocket expense. These fledgling affiliates will then be sent out into the web to spread the word of their products.

Through various methods the companies will track the amount of sales their affiliates make and will grant them a commission on their sales. If you do not enjoy sales, this may just be the opportunity for you if you have always wanted to sell but do not want to be associated with the “used car salesman” stereotype. Some companies grant a higher commission on their sales than others; this is one of the items that should be considered when selecting a company with which to affiliate.

Why is affiliate marketing significant to you?

Each of these companies wants to bring in the largest number of sales possible through their Internet marketing endeavors; however, there are millions of sales venues available to the Internet marketer and only so many hours in a day. In an attempt not to overstretch their own employees many of these companies will have affiliates do some of their marketing for them.

The first step in launching a successful advertising campaign is to identify your target audience. If you are unfamiliar with the term a target audience is the specific portion of your pool of buyers who is deemed most likely to buy your product. This is important because there are a lot of consumers out there, but not all of them are interested in making a purchase. In order to ensure maximum results for a minimum amount of capital upfront (i.e. your marketing expenses) you are going to have to “target” your campaign towards those who are most likely to help you to recoup your losses.

Identifying your target audience is a simple process, but it’s going to depend a great deal on the amount of effort you are willing to put into it. The first thing you are going to have to do is answer some simple questions to help you get to know your product and its role in the market a little better (all of the steps contained within this document can pertain to a service as well as a product; products are used because it is simpler to explain basic marketing concepts if you are thinking in terms of a thing). Ask yourself:

a) What is the purpose of this product?
b) How does it fulfill a need?
c) Who has this need?
d) What is it about the product that makes it irresistible?

Once these questions are answered you will have your target audience.

The difficulty in marketing to a target audience is you have to be aware of exactly what to do to appeal to their desires. There are many different target audiences in the world, and since not all marketing strategies are created to equally entice all groups of people you are going to have to know how to tailor your advertising campaign to meet their needs.

This is not as difficult as it may sound. The question you have to ask yourself is, “What is it that these people want most in a product?”

The answers you get may surprise you. For example, while for the average businessperson the value of a product lies in its ability to perform its intended function with maximum efficiency, a teenager is going to be more worried about how the product will make them appear to be “cool”, and up with the times. An entrepreneur is going to worry about how the product is going to keep them ahead of their competition while a parent is going to be more interested in topics such as safety and ease of use. It is important that while you are developing your advertising campaign you take the time to address each of these issues.

• CommissionJunction.com
• ClickBank.com
• AssociatePrograms.com
• AffiliateGuide.com
• LinkShare.com
• AffiliatePrograms.com
• ShareaSale.com

When registering through a third party affiliate directory (such as many of the above listed), they will often ensure some level of insurance that you will be paid your commissions as agreed.

The reasons that the companies offering their products to be sold by affiliates use the above mentioned services is because they

1) provide the affiliate with the assurance of commission payment

2) make it easier for affiliates like you to find their products to promote.

As another tip for finding affiliate programs, you can always go to Google and type in your niche followed by the keyword phrase “affiliate program.” So if you were in the lawn care niche, for example, you could go to Google and type in: lawn care “affiliate program”. This will search the web for various programs that may not be listed in the directories which provide you with good opportunities. Chances are your competition doesn’t know about these programs. You can try the same tactic on Yahoo! as well to see what pops up.