7 Simple Strategies To Make Money From Social Media

Social Media is essentially social networking. Social networking allows individuals to set up personal profiles, interact with other users, and share certain aspects about their lives. For me, Social Media is a business tool. It is an Internet marketer's dream. Using Social Media to make money can be very, very lucrative. The amount of potential customers is extraordinary. You too can easily make money from Social Media just by following 7 simple strategies.

Get started
First of all, get started. If you think you don't know how or you don't have the time, think again. Nothing will happen until you take the first step and get started. Begin by creating accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and any other social media you want to use. If you don't know how, find out. If you don't have time, schedule it in as part of your marketing plan.

Promote on Facebook
Create a Facebook Page. Whether you are a business owner, an Internet marketer, an organization or a famous person, you need to create a page. Pages are designed specifically for companies, organizations, or other big names looking to capture and engage with an audience. When you have a page, it is completely customisable, it can provide statistics, people can become "fans" and you can add apps including discussion boards, shopping carts and more.

Use Twitter
Twitter is a powerhouse. Today, more than ever, businesses are using its power to meet, engage, and convert millions of people around the world. Businesses are using it in many different ways, but all for the same result: conversion and engagement.

Get a blog
In the past decade or so, blogs have grown tremendously in popularity. They are much more versatile than "stagnant" websites and allow an amount of flexibility never seen before. You see, blogs are all about connecting with an audience - your potential customer.

Promote on YouTube
YouTube is very similar to other social networking sites - you are able to reach large audiences and interact with others around the world. However, there is one key difference: YouTube is a video-based site which allows users to interact with one another through video recordings. There are many other methods for going about social media (messaging, comments, etc). However, this has showed to be the most popular and impressive way to do it.

Engage your audience
It's been estimated that about 95% of all the companies in the world are using social networking sites to promote their product and/or service. As a small business owner, you can use this to your advantage. You see, by growing an army of loyal followers you are able to aggressively target and market to those individuals. Not only is this cost effective but it should also convert very, very well.

Integrate Social Media into your website
Some businesses believe that having accounts is enough to generate cash flow and a loyal audience. This is only half true. When you incorporate social media on your site, you are essentially doubling your chances of gathering people.
You have now learned why you should use social media as a business tool and use it to start making money. This doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to make millions of dollars overnight. However, there are plenty of individuals who started with nothing on the Internet and have now amassed a money-making empire. This goes to show that ANYBODY can do it as long as they follow the 7 strategies.

All the best in wild success


by Dianne Ford
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6791767

Why Bother Blogging? 5 Strong Motivations

Many people ask themselves, why blog, why bother? This reaction is based primarily upon the time and commitment it takes to maintain a blogging platform. Nowadays many make money blogging and therein is found their motivation. Others however take a more 'personal' approach and they base their blog content upon merely helping or serving people! In either case a strong motivation must be found to maintain the constant flow of blog content needed to both attract readers and keep them coming back!

Here is a look a 5 different reasons or the motivations behind why many blog!

1:Help Others

Creating blog content that targets solving common problems associated with a particular niche reflect noble intentions. These type of platforms normally do well in attracting a large and loyal following and can also be quite effective if you intend to make money blogging. You must have an genuine interest in what you write about however since earning an income will take time and your interest will serve to keep you plugging away!

2:Share Experience

Sharing you own experiences serves multiple functions insofar as people can learn and/or be entertained by what you share. If you happen to have a good amount of experience to share than this type of blogging platform could be relatively easy for you to maintain!

3:Self Gratification

Sharing an interest or personal passion with like minded people is both an enjoyable and self gratifying experience! Much like having a lot of experience to share, if you are passionate about what you base your blog content on, this type of platform will likely be easy and even a joy to maintain. Visitor will also be quite appreciative of the quality of your posts making them even more loyal!

4:Offer Insight

Insights and/or opinions are an intriguing way to engage readers since if 'shared' correctly, it will be thought provoking. Nothing gets people more involved then stirring their interest by offering them a perspective they have not considered before. Helping them to 'stretch' their thinking is an invigorating and often enjoyable experience, especially when it focuses on subject matter that holds their interest!

5:Motivate People

Some people are simply 'naturals' at finding the best in others and making others realize their own potential, are you one of them? Having a blogging platform that 'picks people up' and gets them motivated is one of the most popular type of sites. In most cases folks will find not only motivation but will also experience a renewed sense of self esteem making them fell better about themselves. In turn the motivator also experiences an uplifting feeling due to their ability to make those around them feel more confident and capable.

In most cases the people who may ask, why blog, what's the purpose likely do not possess the commitment to maintain a blogging platform. This is not a negative but rather a point that it does in fact take time and a strong motivation to consistently create blog content people find interesting. For those who aspire to make money blogging this commitment must be even stronger! It simply takes more time to get people to spend money then it does to get them to read free content of interest to them. In either case a strong motivation is needed to maintain a consistent effort to create blog content. Discussed above are 5 of the most common and powerful motivations many bloggers use to help them maintain their site! Do any stir a strong enough motivation within you?

By TJ Philpott

5 Business Building Blogging Tips

 

Blogging can help your business. It doesn’t take rocket science to know that you won’t get far in the online world if people don’t know you exist. So, how do you get your name out? How can you generate buzz for your business? Well, it’s simple. You do it by blogging. In order to be successful in your blog marketing campaign you simply have to take a step back and understand how people use the internet. You see, people go online for two reasons – they’re looking for answers, or they want to watch cat videos. Basically, people hop online to find information or to be entertained. Your goal is to become one of those reasons (or a combination of both).

Are you ready to start your adventure into blogging and see what it can do for your business? Good. Let’s get started.

Tip #1 – Answer Questions Your Customers Are Asking

People need answers to their questions. Why not be the source? Offering the solution or answer to someone’s problem is the best way to paint yourself in a new light. Do this often and you’ll gain a reputation as an authority figure in your niche. You have to own it! This is the best way to bring in targeted traffic to your website. Think about it. When you run into a problem or are trying to learn something, what do you do? If you’re like me – or just about anyone else, you simply plug your question into Google and wait for an answer. The key here is to use that same process when you create your post. What is it that your potential customers are searching for? What are the answers they need? Zero in on that and you’ll be set.

Tip #2 – Blogging Doesn’t Happen On An Island

If you think that all it takes to be successful at blogging is to set up a WordPress blog, plug away at a few posts and - voilà, become a success story you, my friend, are sadly mistaken. If you want visitors voraciously reading your posts like rabid dogs you have to get out there and make a name for yourself. The important thing to do here is to find key players in your industry, along with people that share your interest, and get noticed. This may sound difficult, but all you have to do is to think about what your goals are. You’re online trying to get noticed and get new visitors to your site, right? So, is everyone else. By giving other people recognition, you’ll end up receiving the same thing. How to do it? It’s easy. Start following people on Twitter – and then take it one step further. Respond to their tweets, visit their fan page, comment on their blogs. Pretty much start stalking people – but in a good way.

Tip #3 – Um.. Use Keywords

When you first start out blogging you can’t expect to appear in the top of the search engines. As a matter of fact, you probably won’t even be close, at least not at first. Search traffic is the holy grail of website traffic, so even though you can’t expect too much traffic from the search engines (at first), you should structure your posts with SEO in mind. Have a purpose for each post. Be sure to include your keyword in the title, url, image tags, and body of your post. Keep it natural though.

Tip #4 – Embrace Social Media

Search and social are becoming nearly one and the same. You really can’t talk about one without including the other. You have to learn how to use social media as a tool for both research and networking. Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ are now your allies. Not only should you be using social media to stay up on industry trends and connecting with peers, you should also be using it to share your content.

Tip #5 – Post Regularly

This is often the most difficult part of becoming a successful blogger. Consistency is key. You want to post content regularly to your blog. This will help you in a lot of ways:

• More keyword-rich content for your website (which the search engines love).
• Regular content that you can share across your social media accounts.
• An opportunity to share your expertise, building your reputation as an expert.

In the end, you’ll benefit greatly by blogging for your business. Google loves fresh content. Updating your blog regularly will help pull in traffic and raise your website in the SERPs.

You didn’t think this would be easy, did you?

by Rivalhost

 

Social Media Marketing- Tips to Up Your Game

People are steadily coming to realize the importance of social media and integrating it effectively into ones business and marketing strategy. It's quite rewarding to say the least. Think about these statistics: Facebook has 900 million active users and there are more than 200 million users on Twitter. That is a lot of people and in a nutshell is the reason why you should have a social media strategy! Many people assume that it is highly technical and costly but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's actually pretty simple. The hardest part is simply jumping in and just getting started. I'm not talking about the basic Facebook profile where most people use it to let others know that they are in a complicated relationship, or are "checking into Starbucks" or having Ruth and Chris for dinner. That is not a social media strategy! That is just using Facebook to socialize. That is not our game plan.

 

Social Media First and Foremost

What you must take into account and remember when it comes to a social media strategy is that it takes time and it takes patience. As with every other legitimate business practice, nothing comes over night or with ease. If that were the case, everyone would be a social media success! It takes time to gain followers and credibility and so you want to make sure that you do not become disappointed if it does not happen for you right away. For some it will happen very fast, for others it will not and this is completely normal as it all depends on what the business and profile is all about and how it relates to the masses!

Social Media Must-Do's

You want to make sure that you are posting new updates as often as possible. You want to make sure that these updates are relevant and respectful! You don't want to post things simply for the sake of posting. You must make sure that you are "posting on purpose." As a business person, you never want to post things that may be offensive, derogatory, or sexually offensive. This is a sure way to lose followers in a heartbeat. Keep it professional, informational, inspirational and of course add some character. Post with consistency. Social network users look for updates and so if you are not posting on purpose, you run the risk of losing followers, customers and not being taken seriously.

·         Make it a point to interact with people - acknowledge comments, respond back and "like" other users content. People need to know that you are there and you are real.

 

·         Use interesting and captivating headlines - this grabs attention and speaks to emotions.

 

·         Be versatile especially in the beginning. Don't limit yourself to strictly Facebook, or strictly Twitter, or strictly to your own blog. The only way to expand and gain new followers and customers is to go everywhere that the people are and then hone in on what is working best and most effectively for you after you've tested the waters a bit. Be everywhere in the beginning and then narrow it down to few later.

 

·         Stay up to date. Keep it fresh. Make sure that all of your information is current and keep a current profile image up.

 

·         Create a business page to market your business so that you can add followers. This is not the same as your Facebook profile. A basic profile will limit you in how you can engage people and in the applications that you can take advantage of to engage people. Creating a Facebook PAGE (otherwise known as fan page) is an absolute must.

 

Social Media Don'ts

·         Don't do the Hard Sell. Never do the aggressive hard sell. Buy from me now! Join me now! People hate this. People especially hate this when they don't know you from Adam and this is what a majority of people are doing! This cannot be the complete focus. Only 5% to 10% of your social media strategy should entail "the sale focus." It's better to take a back end approach.

 

·         Do not self promote. People are not interested in hearing you toot your own horn.

 

·         Don't lie or exaggerate. People can typically see through B.S., especially the type of people that you are hoping to attract. Be genuine. Don't say that you are an "expert" in areas that you are not. Don't claim to have made a million dollars when you have not. People appreciate genuine people.

 

Stay abreast on social media and make it a point to read as much as you can and slowly implement new features and strategies into your social media strategy. For the most part, most information is free. If you have money, you can pay someone to assist you with getting your social media strategy going (just ensure that they are qualified to in fact get you the results you desire). If you don't have money, but you have time, invest in reading and learning so that you can begin to take action. There are endless resources available to you on the internet.

Social media is not difficult at all. It is completely up to you to make a decision in your mind to simply begin or to begin to generate results. It's an affordable, superfast way to put your business on the map and begin to build your brand and credibility. Invest some time, money if you have it to spare and begin with these tips. You'll be well ahead of the masses!

 

 

Make Money Online (Without Spending a Dime)

Making money online used to pretty much require you to have your own Web site, products to sell and some marketing savvy. But a new generation of dot-coms have arisen that will pay you for what you know and who you know without you having to be a web designer or a marketing genius.
But it's hard to tell hype from the real deal. I did a search on "make money online" and "making money online", and much of the information out there is just promoting various infoproducts, mostly about Internet marketing. I see why people sometimes ask, "Is anyone making money online besides Internet marketing experts?"
So I put together a list of business opportunities with legitimate companies that:

• Pay cash, not just points towards rewards or a chance to win money
• Don't require you to have your own Web domain or your own products
• Don't involve any hard-selling
• Aren't just promoting more Internet marketing
• Give a good return on your time investment

In the interest of objectivity, none of the links below are affiliate links, and none of them have paid or provided any other consideration for their presence here. These are legitimate companies with business models that allow you to get paid for a wide range of activities.

1:Help friends find better jobs.
Sites like ReferEarns, Zyoin, Who Do You Know For Dough?, and WiseStepp connect employers with prospective employees, many of whom are already employed and not actively job-hunting, via networking - the people who know these qualified candidates. Rewards for referring a candidate who gets hired range from $50 on up to several thousand dollars - not chump change. If you know a lot of job-seekers (and who doesn't these days?), this is a great way to break into the recruiting business with no overhead.

2:Connect suppliers with buyers.
Referral fees are a common practice in business, but they haven't been used much in online networking sites because there was no way to track them. Sites like Salesconx, InnerSell and uRefer now provide that. Vendors set the referral fees they're willing to pay (and for what), and when the transaction happens, you get paid. uRefer also allows merchants to set up referral programs for introductions and meetings, as well as transactions.

3:Write.
A growing number of sites will pay for your articles or blog posts. Associated Content and Helium will "pay for performance" based on page views for just about anything you want to write about. Articles on specific topics they're looking for can earn direct payments up to about $200. The rates are probably low for established writers, but if you're trying to break into the field and have time on your hands, they're a great way to start. Also, a lot of companies are looking for part-time bloggers. They may pay per post or on a steady contract. Our Weblogs Guide posts blogging jobs weekly in the forum.

4:Start your own blog.
You don't have to have your own Web site, or install blogging software, or even figure out how to set up the advertising. At Blogger you can set up a blog for free in less than five minutes without knowing a thing about web design, and Blogger even automates setting up Google AdSense so you can make money off your blog by displaying ads and getting paid when people click on the ads. To make even more money from it, set up an affiliate program (see below) for books, music, etc., and insert your affiliate links whenever you refer to those items. You'll have to get a lot of traffic to become a six-figure blogger, but pick an interesting topic, write well, tell all your friends, and you're off to a good start.

4:Create topical resource hubs.
Are you an expert on a particular niche topic? Can you put together an overview of the topic and assemble some of the best resources on the topic from around the web? Then you can create topical hubs and get paid through sites like Squidoo, HugPages and Google Knol. Payments are based on a combination of ad revenue and affiliate fees. You'll get higher rates doing it on your own, but these sites have a built-in supply of traffic and tools to make content creation easier.

5:Advertise other people's products.
If you already have a Web site or a blog, look for vendors that offer related but non-competing products and see if they have an affiliate program. Stick to familiar products and brands - they're easier to sell. To promote those products:

• Place simple text or graphical ads in appropriate places on your site
• Include links to purchase products you review or recommend in a blog, discussion forum or mailing list you control
• Create a dedicated sales page or Web site to promote a particular product

They all work - it just depends on how much time you have to spend on it and your level of expertise with Web design and marketing.

6:Microstock photography.
You don't have to be a professional photographer to sell your photos for money. People are constantly in need of stock photography for websites, presentations, brochures and so on, and are willing to pay for the right image. People generally search for images on stock photography sites by keywords, not by photographer, so you have the same chance as anyone else of having your image picked. Just be careful that you don't have images of trademarked brands, copyrighted art or people's faces that are readily identifiable (unless you have a model release), but just about anything else is fair game, and I promise - you'd be amazed what people need pictures of, so don't make any assumptions. If it's a decent photo, upload it. Some sites to get you started include Fotolia, ShutterStock, Dreamstime and iStockphoto. The great thing about this is that it's truly "set it and forget it".

The above list is by no means comprehensive, but it highlights some of the new and interesting ways to make money online without investing any money, without having a product of your own, and without having expert sales and marketing skills. Most of all, unlike taking surveys or getting paid to read e-mail, the potential return on your time investment is substantial.

By Scott Allen

Article source: http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/homebasedbusiness/a/makemoneyonline.htm

Laptop Entrepreneur Vs Bricks-And-Mortar Entrepreneur

Today, thanks to the Internet, entrepreneurs still in their 20s or 30s are setting up home-based Internet businesses that they run in their spare time, bringing in $5,000 to $30,000 a month.

They can travel anytime they want, and they have the freedom to run their business from anywhere in the world. And best of all, their websites are making money for them, while they sleep!

In his book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", author Robert Kiyosaki explains that to escape the 'rat race' you need to spend less than you earn and invest the difference in buying income-producing assets (e.g. shares or rental properties).

The goal is to eventually have the income from your assets replace your earnings from your job. That's how you achieve financial freedom, he explains.

When I was starting out with my business I was $12,000 in debt, I had zero income, no job, and I was homeless. Buying income-producing assets wasn't an option. Instead, I decided to build income-producing assets. Eventually, these web businesses would grow to generate thousands of dollars a day.

By the time I reached my late twenties I had 64,000 clients in 116 countries worldwide, and 16 different income streams. I could work from home... or whilst travelling around the world... or from the luxury cabin of a cruise ship in the Caribbean... in fact I could do this from any place on the planet where I could get an Internet connection!

Furthermore, my first Internet business only cost $400 to set up, and yet was bringing in more than $10,000 a month in income! When you compare the costs of running a normal bricks-and-mortar business to those of an Internet business, the differences are striking!

***********************************************
Costs of running a simple home-based Internet business
***********************************************

Internet connection $20/month
Getresponse autoresponder service $60/month
Gotowebinar webinar service $99/month
Hosting $15/month
2 Outsourcers (web design, customer service) $500/month
-------------------------
Total: $694/month

Imagine having a business that...

- Costs practically nothing to set up
- You don't need staff
- You don't need offices
- You don't need a shop
- You can work from home
- You can work from anywhere in the world
- Other people are selling your products for you, for FREE! (e.g. affiliates)
- Your business runs on autopilot (e.g. people buy your products from your websites automatically)
- You get to leverage incredible technologies such Email, Search Engines, Affiliate Programs, Voice-Over-IP, Online Auctions, Video streaming, Webinars, and Social Media!

... And all you need... is your laptop!

Other benefits of the Laptop Entrepreneur Lifestyle include:

* Total flexibility! You can work when you feel like it... You can get up as early or as late as you want... no more alarm clocks... You can take days off whenever you feel like it...

* You don't have a boss! No more taking orders from a nincompoop! You can even experience the satisfaction of 'firing' your boss! (Laptop Entrepreneurs often start their businesses in their spare time, whilst still working at a job. Eventually when their income from their Laptop Business exceeds that of their salary, they 'fire' their boss!)

* You don't have to deal with annoying coworkers anymore! No more bickering, no more office politics, no more endless pointless boring meetings...

* You can be a stay-at-home dad, or a stay-at-home mom! No need for nurseries, or a nanny... You get to see your children grow up...

* You can spend more time with your loved ones, your family, your friends... you can visit them and stay with them in different countries around the world...

* No more commuting... getting stuck in traffic every day... wasting hours every day... spending a fortune on petrol...

* You can travel any time you want, visiting different countries... you can go to seminars, take a course, learn new things, expand your horizons...

* You can live by the beach... you can 'retire to the sun' now, rather than wait until you're 65!

* You can live in a low-tax or zero-tax jurisdiction... no more spending a fortune and weeks of your time on accountants every year!

* You can give yourself a pay rise every month! (e.g. you can increase your earnings every month, simply by growing your mailing list every month!)

**************************************************
A typical day in the life of a Laptop Entrepreneur
**************************************************

My typical day looks something like this. I wake up, take a shower, and step outside to take in the fresh sea air, admire the view and play with my Golden Retriever, Leo.

I then have a breakfast of fresh 'Green Juice' (cucumber, celery, apples, spinach, avocado) with my partner, while relaxing on the loungers by our swimming pool.

I then sit at my laptop, answering some emails, to arrange a joint venture or a webinar or product launch, or to give assignments to my team of outsourcers.

I then take a break and go cycling through the mountain trails next to our house, taking Leo for a run. In the summer we usually end up on the beach in front of our house, where we love to swim.

In the afternoon I'll usually write, creating products, blog posts, content for my membership sites or my books, and emails to send to my mailing list. Or sometimes I'll study a new course, to find out new business strategies.

In the afternoon my partner and I go play tennis, or we go out with our friends for a meal, or for some relaxation at the spa on our resort. In the evening, we like to just relax by the fireplace, have a nice meal, and watch a DVD.

Once a week, on average, I do a 90-minute webinar for my clients.

We go on 6-7 trips a year, around Europe, or to more 'exotic' locations such as Thailand, The Maldives, Bermuda, The Caribbean, Senegal, Egypt, Australia, etc.

If I want to take a 4-month break or a 6-month break to write a book... then I do just that!

If you like the sound of this, welcome to the world of The Laptop Entrepreneur!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_L_Anastasi

By Mark Anastasi

Make Money Now Easily With No Money Invested!

ClickBank can be the answer to your money making prayers. All you need is an internet connection and a blog or website. You can set up a blog for free with blogger. Clickbank allows you to look through a long list of thousands of products to sell on your blog. You should have chosen your own niche and Clickbank will have many products that would suit your target market in this niche.

The only work required of you if you want to be a success at this is to research your chosen products. Once you are confident you have found a good product you can sell it on your blog for a commission. Commissions range in value and you can expect anything from 25-75%.

Once you have registered with them as an affiliate you can sell any product you please.  On choosing a product you will be issued an affiliate link. This is the link you will attach to your blog. Clickbank also offers free marketing material to help the advertisement attract more attention. 

When someone visits your blog and clicks on this product they will be transported straight to a sales page designed by the owner of the product. There is absolutely no work on your part in this sales page. If the visitor goes ahead and purchases the product your Clickbank account will be immediately topped up with your commission. There is no interaction between the affiliate and the owner of the product. The buyer pays Clickbank and they pay both the owner and the affiliate.

If you have little time and little money to invest blogging and Clickbank is the perfect start. After you have made your first blog you will realise how fast it can be done again. It takes maybe half an hour to set up a blog and Clickbank is completely free. It offers the perfect solution to your making money online quest.

You should also consider the prospect of producing your own products to sell on Clickbank. Everyone has his/her own interests. If you enjoy writing and there is some value you can offer others then put it on paper, or type it up I should say! EBooks tend to offer specialised knowledge for very specific topics. Harnessing the power of Clickbank and leveraging the thousands of affiliates readily available to sell your product you could turn a few hours writing into your first real income stream.

I attended a seminar lately on internet marketing where Simon Coulson, an online millionaire said it all started for him when he wrote his first eBook “British Buying Property in Bulgaria”. It shocked me to hear he had absolutely no knowledge of this topic before he wrote it. He had done his market research; the demand for British investment in Bulgarian property was huge as investors stood to quadruple their investment after Bulgaria joined EU. He capitalised on this.

He used the internet to accumulate all the information on the topic and compressed it into a document. He sold it using his website and Clickbank for 30$. This eBook went on to bank him over $300K! After that success he released a range of informational eBooks on varied topics banking him on average $25K/year/book!! He was unemployed living in his parents’ house on his laptop. I hope that inspires you as it did me.

I will be adding “how to” videos on making your first blog and also a run through of advertising a Clickbank product on your blog. Make sure to subscribe and receive your free eBook and I shall forward on the videos at a later date.  Get involved!