“The difference between …

“The difference between a successful person and others, is not a lack
of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of will”

 - Vince Lombardi

Marketing on Craigslist 101

Since its launch in 1995 Craigslist.org has quietly become the largest online classifieds website in the world with a regional presence in 190 cities, across 35 countries.

Each month over 10 million people log on to the seventh most popular website to buy and sell just about everything. From real estate to furniture, promoting services such as contracting, house cleaning and even babysitting.  Craigslist is the one spot where anyone can connect regionally to fill a need.

As its popularity has continued to increase, so have the possibilities for vendors large and small to market their wares on Craigslist. Whatís the big attraction? For the most part Craigslist is 100% free to post and search. Only do job postings in San Francisco, L.A and New York City cost a small fee to post. Otherwise, Craigslist is an open free source for new targeted customers, ripe for the picking, just waiting for your business to give them what they want.

Craigslist is regionally based website that truly promotes community involvement. However, you can post in any of the available metros and multiple metros as well. The trick is in designing an ad that gets people attention, getting on a regular posting schedule, following the rules (or at least not overtly breaking them) and searching for new customers daily.

Simplicity in ad design is paramount and it matches the vibe that Craigslist likes to attract in peer-to-peer, real human interaction. It lacks the commercial aspects that add fluff and confusion in exchange for simple ads, most posted by real folks. Design your ad to fit into that scheme is key to a successful campaign.

Get into the habit of posting often on Craigslist and hit multiple metros with different ads to get more reach (if you business can support it). It’s free to post so what do you have to lose!

Understanding Craigslist rules are fairly simple as they are openly published. They are super picky about what you can post, but there are exceptions like livestock and anything illegal (drugs, guns, etc.). One of the major rules that I see as a marketing rule more than a terms of service rule is to post in the category that best corresponds with your product type. This ensures your ad will reach the best target without adding to useless clutter.

Over 8 million people post monthly on Craigslist and that number grows every day. Don’t just sit back and post ads, answer ads seeking your products and services as well.

Craigslist is one of the best ways for every business, large and small to find a new voice online for little more than elbow grease.

What Not to Put in Your Social Network Profile

Online social networks have rapidly increased in popularity, especially over the past couple of years.

Social networking websites are popular because they easily allow you to find, connect with, and develop friendships with other internet users, often ones that share the same interests as you. To find those individuals, you must join a social networking website and create a profile.  It is often advertised that your social networking profile is the key to making and finding friends online.

As previously mentioned, your social networking profile is important when it comes to meeting other internet users. This is because, in most cases, internet users are looking to chat with someone who has the same goals, views, beliefs, and interests as they do.  Without a personal profile, it would be difficult or impossible to tell what your interests are. That is why social networking profiles are not only important, but they are needed.

When it comes to social networking profiles, a lot of focus has been placed on what you should include in your profile or display on your profile page. It has been said that pictures produce the best responses, as well as detailed personal information.  Although a picture and detailed personal information may help to increase your page views, you may be getting views that you do not necessarily want.  Despite what you may believe, most social networking websites do not have restrictions on who can view your personal profile.  In fact, internet users, even those that do not belong to your online community, can easily see profile

Since anyone, literally anyone, can see your social networking profile, on most social networking websites, you are advised to be cautious.

Essentially, this means that instead of focusing on what you should put in your online profile, you should be focusing on what not to put.  This is one the best ways to protect your safety, both on and offline.

As previously mentioned, pictures are often recommended with social networking websites. If you are interested in positing a personal picture of yourself in your online profile you can do so, but you are advised to carefully choose that picture.  While you will want to look your best, you are advised against posting a picture that is too revealing or seductive in nature.  Most internet users can look at these types of pictures without feeling a thing, but for others these types of pictures spell danger.

If you make the decision to post a picture of yourself in your social networking website profile, you need to be careful about the rest of the information that you post.  Although you may not necessarily think about it, a picture is just a picture, but combined with your name and address, it could be a deadly combination. You are advised to only post your first name in your profile. This will make it more difficult for anyone to try and contact you off of the internet.

It is also advised that you carefully choose your location.  A large number of online social networking sites require that you select a city, as well as a state. If it is allowed, you may only wish to list your state and not the city.  If you are required to list the city and the state that you live in, you may want to think about using a nearby city or town, especially if you live in a small town. If an internet predator wanted to contact you and you lived in a small town, it could be fairly easy for them to find you. That is why it is advised that you carefully select the answer to the location question.

In addition to the above precautionary measures, it is advised that you do not post detailed information on your children, the location of your home, your income, or when you will be leaving for vacation.

By keeping these and the above mentioned points in mind, you should be able to enjoy online social networking without having to always look behind your back.

Staying Safe with Social Networking Websites

When it comes to internet safety, a large amount of focus has been placed on teenagers and the use of social networking websites.  Although it is important for teenagers to be careful when using these popular websites, they are not the only ones who should be concerned with their safety.  If you are an adult, who enjoys networking online, you should also be cautious when it comes to meeting and communicating with other internet users.

Although social networking websites are a great place to meet other internet users, especially ones with interests that are similar to yours, they can also be dangerous.

In recent years, there have been numerous reports of instances when individuals were harmed when they went to meet an individual that they met on an online social network, which includes dating websites.  If you are not careful and cautious, the same thing could happen to you.  This does not mean that you should be filled with fear; however, it does mean that you need to be cautious online.

One of the many ways that you can protect yourself, when it comes to using online social networking websites, is by watching what you post online, particularly in your profile. You may not know this, but a large number of networking sites, including MySpace, FriendFinder, and Yahoo! 360 allow all internet users to see your profile or profile page. These internet users do not necessarily have to be a member of your online community.

This means that although your networking community may be safe, there are still unsavory individuals out there who could easily obtain your personal information.

In addition to the information that you make available to other internet users, including member profiles, you are advised to be cautious when making contact with other internet users, especially those that contact you.  A large number of social networking websites have open memberships. Essentially, this means that anyone can easily join and become a member.  Just because someone says they are who they are doesn’t necessarily mean that they are telling the truth. If at any point during your conversations you feel that you are speaking with someone who is making you feel comfortable or not telling the truth, you are advised to end your conversation.

For many individuals it is enough to chat with others online, but for some it is not enough. Whether you are asked to meet with an online friend or if you initiated the meeting yourself, you are advised to be cautious.  You will not want to meet with an individual who you have only known online for a short period of time.  For safety reasons, it is advised that you speak with one of your online friends at least a month before agreeing to meet with them. If and when that meeting does take place, you are urged to have it in a public place.  That way if your meeting does not go as well as you had originally planned, you will be able to ensure your safety by having others around you.

The above mentioned precautionary measures are just a few of the many that you should take. Although you may be worried about hurting someone’s feelings or losing an online friend, you shouldn’t be. Your safety is far too important to be concerned with what others will be thinking or feeling.

Making the Most Out of Social Networking Websites

Do you belong to an online social networking website?

With their recent rise in popularity there is a good chance that you do.  However, it is one thing to be a community member and another to actually participate in online discussions, as well as the many other network features.  That is why it is advised that you learn how to make the most out of your social networking experience.

Many internet users already think that they know everything that they need to know about their social networking community.  Unfortunately, not everyone does. In fact, you can find numerous posts online of people ranting or stating that they wished that their social networking website, such as Facebook, Youtube, Yahoo! 360, MySpace, Orkut, FriendWise, or FriendFinder, has a particular service and feature.  Too many times, those posters did not look before they started speaking because, as it turns out, many social networking websites have what people want, just everyone doesn’t know about it.

The first step, in making the most out of your social networking experience, is to familiarize yourself to the online community or communities that you belong to. This can easily be done by closely examining the website. There are too many internet users who are focused on meeting new friends that they get started right away.  While it is nice to start meeting new people right away, it is also nice to know what your social networking site has to offer.  This can only be done by closely examining the website.  Whether you take one hour or one day examining the website, you will likely be pleased with your decision to do it.

When examining the website of the online community that you belong to, it is advised that you examine the terms of use agreement. This agreement often outlines what you can and cannot do online. Despite the fact that a large number of online networking sites, such as MySpace, have little rules, there are other websites that have them.  These rules and restrictions may limit the content that you can have on your site, as well as your pictures, videos, and other media.  Many websites, including social networking websites, will terminate your membership if you are found violating these agreements.  By reading all of the rules and restrictions of the social networking website you belong to, you should be able to ensure that you can continue to use and enjoy the site.

One of the many benefits to fully examining the social network you belong to is that you could be alerted to network benefits, features, or services that you were previously unaware of.  In addition to giving you your own profile page and allowing you to invite other internet users into your network, there are a number of other things that you can do with online social networking websites. A large number of websites have created features and sections that include horoscopes, quizzes, polls, instant massaging, chat rooms, and much more.  However, before you make use of these member benefits, you must know that they exist.

If you are interested in making new online friends, it is likely that you have already joined an online social networking community. Whether you are interested in joining more or you are a first time user, you will to carefully choose your networks.  By researching each social networking website online, you should easily be able to familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of each. And, since most social networking websites are free to use, there are no risks associated with giving the network a try.  If you happen to come across a website that requires a paid membership and you would like to try it, you are advised to lookout for free membership plans or free trail periods.  They may be able to help you determine whether or not the social networking website that you are interested in joining is worth the cost.

As you can easily see, there are a number of different ways to go about making the most out of your social networking experience. The control is in your hands.  It is your decision as to whether or not you want to spend a small amount of time researching your network and everything that it has to offer.  However, it is important to note that not doing so may literally mean that you are missing out on all of the fun.

Contact me today if you want to know how to turn your social networking sites into the social marketing powerhouses that they can be!

Internet Marketing – Easy as 1-2-3

Visit hundreds of internet marketing sites these days. They will tell you all the hundreds, if not thousands of ideas and ways they can sell you some product or service to have you making gazzilions of revenues through the internet. Half before lunch, ok, it’s tough, so it might take you until after lunch to get the other half of the gazzilion! Yeah, right!

What they won’t tell you is the cold hard truth.

Being successful on the internet takes a special blend of many ingredients. These include time, education, experience, luck, and yes–money.

Every day, I see more and more potential internet marketeers who have obviously cut corners, rushing to market a product hastily put together, poor marketing techniques, you name it.

Aside from having a lot of money to begin with, experience shows that gaining experience and educating yourself about internet marketing topics are the Number One areas that anyone wanting to get started needs to focus on. In reality the more one learns about marketing on the internet, the more they realize that you are just touching the surface! And with the continuing advances in technology, it’s changing every day!

Ok, admit — internet marketing is NOT EASY! It is not a piece of cake or the proverbial bed of roses. Now that we have admitted that part, what can be done then to advance or more accurately to accelerate the process?

Here are a few tips that have helped mylearning curve:

Treat your growth to frequent “library time” on the internet. That is to say, just like going to a traditional library, you need to set aside some “quiet time” to surf the net with the express purpose of reading as much as possible about internet marketing topics. Simple searches on any of the major search engines will give you lots and lots of subjects that your can explore.

From the start, set up specific goals for yourself and your growth efforts. These should be short-term, mid-range and longer term goals designed to continuously improve your knowledge. The quicker you become knowledgable and fluent with internet marketing, the sooner you will be having customers anxious to by your latest products and advice.

Obtain as much written literature and information on these topics as possible. Ideally, FREE information whenever possible. One fabulous resource for the full range and breadth of IM topics is Dotcomology. I personally use it on a continuing basis as a reference guide. You can get your copy absolutely free at on my website.

Find and locate programs that include websites (already designed or customized for you) as a part of the program. Getting your own website on a reputable website hosting service is imperative.

Outsource portions of your work to supplement your own knowledge or expertise. Don’t be afraid to use the expertise of others to accelerate your website capabilities. This is an ideal way to get your success on a fast track. Keep in mind you must shop around for reputable and low-cost providers.

Get your very own newsletters and ezines going as soon as possible. The sooner you begin to share what you have learned, the sooner you will get your name and company “on the internet map”. There are a multitude of benefits for this approach. To say the least, this is a great investment of your limited time.

Use social media sites like facebook.com and youtube.com to get your message out there. Just add all of your friends, and some people that you may not know but have the same interests that you have, and start the conversation.  Its alot easier than you think.  Just do it.

Join internet marketing forums related to  your specific area of interest and developing expertise. Start making many contributions to the various topics and postings to keep your self current on issues, build a reputation among your peers, and get your name and company on the search engines as content sources for other websites.

And lastly, stay positive and “have fun” with your efforts and activities. Maintaining an upbeat attitude not only helps you as you “learn the ropes” – it also comes through in your dealings with potential customers.

Internet Marketing: 7 Killer Tools You Can Use On A Shoestring Budget Without Having a Website

When most people think of Internet marketing, they think solely of websites.  Are they right or wrong?  Well both.  While websites are a key component of Internet marketing and in many cases are the only Internet marketing tool businesses use, they are not the be all, end all.  They are not required for Internet marketing.  However, I do highly recommend them as they are best suited to sit at the core of your Internet marketing plan, the hub so to speak, but thatís a topic for another conversation.

So here are 7 killer Internet marketing tools that you can implement on a shoestring budget without having to have a website of your own:

1. Email Marketing: When properly implemented, there probably isnít a quicker, better, and less expensive way to stay in front of your prospects and clients than to leverage the power of email.  You can literally touch an unlimited amount of prospects and clients with a single click, how’s that for power?!

2. Blogs: Blogging is a great tool when you would like to step it up a notch and stay in constant contact with your prospects and clients.  Some ideas on how to use it might be to post whatís new with you or your business, post informative content as a value-add to your clients, or hold and interactive forum with your clients geared towards understanding how to better serve them.

There are a handful of free or low cost blog hosts out there that really make this process simple (e.g. Blogger and TypePad).

3. Article Marketing: This is a phenomenal approach to bringing notoriety, interest and ultimately leads for many types of businesses.  It can be used as a major differentiator or value-add on why someone should buy from you instead of your competitors.  Whether your clients are local, regional, national or global — articles are portable and usable in all situations — that’s part of their charm.

4. eZines: Much like blogs and article marketing, eZines are great way to stay in touch with your prospects on a more scheduled basis.  Additionally, they are probably the forerunner in helping you develop a list of prospects to market and sell your wares.

5. Affiliate Programs: Get others promoting and selling for you.  This tool can become the equivalent of having both a full blown marketing and sales staff that gets paid on performance.  They don’t promote and directly lead to a sale for you, they don’t get paid.  For the do-it-yourselfers, there are plenty of tools out there to help you set up this type of program.  For everyone else, there are excellent service providers out there who can coordinate and manage this process for you (e.g. Clickbank and Commission Junction).

6. Viral Marketing: Again, a great approach for getting others to promote and help create a buzz about you, your business, your products and/or your services.  The best, most genuine way to get this started is by creating raving fans out of your existing clients and then helping them help you spread the word.

7. Public Relations: If I tell you Iím the best at what I do, youíll take it with a grain of salt.  Maybe you’ll believe me, maybe you won’t.  However, people tend to believe what they read.  So if a respected publication tells you that I’m the best at what I do, that usually holds more weight and adds instant credibility to me.

Spend some effort here.  Become a resource for the press.  You help them and they can significantly help you.

I highly recommend you spend some time with these. Explore how you can implement one, some, or all of these Internet marketing tools to help explode your business.

It’s Evolution Baby

There are those people who come to the web with a solid business plan, a large amount of investment capital, and a precise strategy for how they are going to leverage the internet and exploit the incredible revenue potential of the cyber-age. Then there are the rest of us.

Millions of people have arrived on the www. with the notion of making their fortunes, and millions more will arrive in the next two years. These hopeful masses hail from the full spectrum of financial status, from six figure earners to minimum wage employees. Likewise, the newbie-networker can be an individual with an extensive background in traditional business, or a high school graduate with no clue about the dynamics of commerce and marketing.

I’ve observed an interesting progression among those net-marketers who came onto the scene without a road map, and with little idea of how the micro cosmos of internet marketing worked. Or maybe I’ve just watched my own journey, and it makes me feel better to assume others have shared my experience.

Either way. Indulge me a few more paragraphs, if you will, as I lay out what I like to think of as the evolution of a net-marketer.

Stage One: Easy Money… Not!

Right out of the gate, most people seem to think the internet “levels the playing field”, or allows anyone with fingers and a keyboard to generate staggering riches with just a few hours of busy work each week. It usually takes a couple of months for this bubble to pop, but when it finally does, the majority of newbies don’t survive the event.

However, when that dark day of realization comes, and it looms evident that one must actually work this business if he/she hopes to see any results, the strong of the networking gene pool sprout their working legs and move beyond the fog of delusion. Supremely confident in the knowledge they have surpassed those lazy sluggards who squeeled and fled at the suggestion of buckling down and putting some hard work in, the survivors of Stage One move onward and upward, where surely they will be rewarded for their tenacity.

Stage Two: Hard Work Doesn’t Pay the Server Fees

In Stage Two, our post primordial networkers are laboring tirelessly through the deep thickets of website-construction, traffic-generation, email-list-building, and all manner of grueling and structured tedium. Their behinds sore from being glued to a worn out office chair, and their eyes bloodshot and bleary from the all night clicking sessions, they push on day after day, certain of their forthcoming vindication.

But they still aren’t making any freakin’ money. And what’s more, they are starting to see past the free web hosts, free classified ads, and free trial memberships. All the good stuff seems to cost money, but our Stage Twoers had hoped to put off any kind of monetary investment until they could create at least some kind of income to offset such expenditures.

And so another enormous batch of inferior networkers dies out. The thought of putting some cash into their web-business was more than their fragile little hearts could bear.

But, as always, those more suited to the challenge live on. With a deep breath, and a good look at their monthly budgets, the survivors of Stage Two determine they will invest as much money as needed to keep their operations afloat until they are able to become self-funding marketers.

Stage Three: Throwing Money at it Doesn’t Work Either

Enter the golden age of upgrades and paid memberships. Five bucks a month for this. Ten bucks a month for that. Anything with a Paypal button is fair game.

No longer clueless newbies who think this can be done for free, our marketers are in full stride. Buying every ebook that comes down the pipe, upgrading in programs they login to once a month, and hitting every buy now button they can find, they cruise through cyberspace on a mission to buy their way right to the top. “I’m not afraid to spend money on *my* business.” they tout.

Lots and lots of money goes out. Considerably less revenue comes back in.

Inevitably, the moment arrives when those who have made it to Stage Three see the folly of their current direction. Maybe it’s when the credit card bill comes, or perhaps it happens when they are balancing the checkbook.

Once again, the brutal process of selection strikes down those without the heart for further trials. Uncountable numbers of washed-up, would-be internet marketers sink beneath the sludge of this stage.

And once again, that fraction of the whole with the guts and gumption to keep going grow stronger than ever before. More than a regimen of hard work and the willingness to invest money is needed here, they resolve. On the verge of a real breakthrough (they can feel it in their bones now), those who have thus far refused to fall decide a well devised plan for all future endeavors is in order.

Stage Four: Plan to Fail, Fail to Plan, and All that Other Crap

Plans are drawn up to cover every possible aspect of the game from here on out. A strict but healthy budget is imposed. Daily tasking is fine tuned for maximum effectiveness. Projections are made prior to each ad campaign, and results are measured afterwards. Tracking, testing, brain-storming, and constant attention to the hows and what-ifs become paramount.

This carries on for some time. Until another moment of clarity is reached.

A question is posed…

“Is all of this work really worth the small amount of money I am generating?”

Or, more often…

“How is it that I’m still not making any @#$%! money?!”

This stage progresses rapidly into the next. Many specimens are lost in the transition, but due to the great speed with which Stage Four becomes Stage Five, a surprising number of marketers actually make the jump.

Stage Five: “What the Hell am I Doing Here?”

Here’s where it gets ugly. Stage Five is more of a bitter quagmire than part of the evolutionary journey.

Typical phenomenon exhibited by specimens at this stage include verbal outbursts like:

“Lousy bunch of @#$%! stinkin’ #$@%!!! I can’t believe I’ve wasted three @#$#*& years of my @#$%$# life with this bunch of @!!#$% silly @#$%#@!!!, and still don’t have @#$%## to show for it!”

As you might readily imagine, droves and droves of networkers die out over the course of this stage.

But those who are able to survive this particularly crucial stretch of development will find the arduous journey has paid off. For in the breathless, weary aftermath of their well earned tantrums, an epiphany is born.

Stage Six: The Cold Hard Facts

For the love of cheese fries, this is a business like any other. Hard work, monetary investment,and sound planning are required, but all of these combined are not enough to put you into profit.

You have to know what works, and you have to understand to some extent why it works. Real Knowledge of the market, the methods, and the meaning behind the apparent madness is what makes the difference between a person who works their butt off for nothing, and a person who makes a big, sweaty fortune with the same or less effort.

Nobody cares how much money we invest, or how many hours we spend each day in front of our computer. Competition is fierce, expectations are high, and the only thing that matters is whether or not we can penetrate, deliver, and get the sale.

This is a pretty far cry from what most of us want to hear. But lessons that are worth learning usually have a bitter taste.

Seek out people who are successful in this field, and find out what they are doing. Watch them. Ask them questions. Take notes. Absorb as much knowledge as you can, then put that knowledge into practice.