Turning Target Audience Data Into Effective Content Marketing

Whether data is a comfortable concept for you or an uncomfortable one, the fact is that all content is based on data. Those data are derived from many different sources, including information that you have gathered from your target audience.
It depends on your way of thinking
Depending on how you are naturally inclined to think, you will handle data in a specific way. The one thing that is important to keep in mind, of course, is that data is critical to your success with content. Of course, that means that the data that you gather has a direct and solid impact on the content marketing strategy that you build for your business.
If you aren't sure which is the dominant side of the brain for you, the qualities of each should help you to figure out on which side you fall. The left brain is logical, concentrates on the facts, is driven by reality (not fantasy), is organized, is stronger on the math/science side than the humanities' side, and is a straight shooter. On the other hand, the right brain is more emotional, is touched emotionally by creativity and the arts, is inclined to dream easily, can be forgetful, invents creative stories, and leans in the direction of fiction.
How do left- and right-brain inclination figure into marketing content?
Once you have figured out into which category you fall, the next thing that you will want to do is to determine how that affects you marketing content. If you are a left-brain person, your marketing content will possess certain attributes. Your content will give practical advice and it will express, in black and white terms, what you are offering to your customers/online connections, why the other person needs what you are offering, and why they should choose to buy those products and/or services from you instead of someone else who is selling the same thing.
On the other hand, if you are a right-brain person, your content marketing materials will probably read more like a short story (or longer story) than like what a left-brain person would come up with. Your marketing content will very possibly have a developed list of characters and it will take the reader on a complete journey, including a resolution to whatever issue is expressed in that story. Even though you think in an apparently more creative manner, you must also insist on a practical element to whatever you are writing because the truth is that you must bring your marketing materials to a logical conclusion so that they help you to achieve what you set out to accomplish.
The importance of using the data no matter which way your brain leans
One thing that you must never lose sight of is that the data that you have collected from your target audience is critical to the success of your business. An important thing to keep in mind is that the only way that you can wrap your mind around the needs of your target audience is through that data. You should allow keywords and key phrases to guide you. After you have done that, you will be able to customize your content marketing materials to suit the needs of your audience. Without the data, you will not be able to accomplish that. Your content marketing must suit the needs of your audience. That approach will help you to gain the advantage over your competition.
There are several things that you should do for effective results.

• Gather the metrics: You will need to gather analytics on a regular, consistent basis. There are several analytics programs available online and Google Analytics is probably one of the most common so you might want to go for that one. You will need to focus on what is important for your business. It is important to remember here that if you choose to concentrate on specific aspects of your business, that doesn't mean that you have a permanent obligation to stick with those forever. You can tweak as you go. Some of the areas on which you may wish to concentrate are traffic, the amount of time that you spend on specific activities, leads, and conversions.


• Get involved with social networks: The reason that this is so important is because if you are able to hear what the members of your online social circles are saying, you can use it to benefit your business. You may not be completely aware of how valuable that information can be. As you are probably aware, you can gather information from all over the world and from every walk of life. People will generally be more than happy to tell you what they think and how they feel. You can then take that information and customize and hone it until it is the most effective that it can be. Remember to grow your circles with quality connections.


• Concentrate on the holistic experience, don't pull it apart: You can extract the experiences that you had from what you gained from gathering the data. As you are examining that closely, you can take the valuable parts and include them in your content marketing strategy. There are several ways in which you can accomplish this, including writing blog posts, white papers, newsletters, and eBooks. Of course, it is very important that you only offer content that supports your marketing strategy really closely. That can be an extraordinarily effective way to build a content marketing strategy if you didn't happen to have one before or if you were not even sure where to begin.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9422551

6 Ways To Spot A Legitimate Home Business Opportunity

The best home business opportunity for one person may be completely different to another. We all have different likes, dislikes, skills and abilities. However, many potential home based entrepreneurs are often put off starting any type of business because they just don't know what is legitimate or what is a waste of time and money.
The internet does offer many legitimate home based business opportunities but make sure you do your homework first before committing to anything that you may come to regret. Here are 6 ways to spot a legitimate online home business from something that is most likely phony and best avoided.
1. Can You Contact The Business?
A legitimate home business opportunity will make it easy for you to contact the owners or their support team. At minimum, there will be a real business website with a real business email address. If you search online you should be able to find out more information about the business and how it operates.
2. Are You Promised That You'll Get Rich Quick?
Any home business opportunity that promises you'll become rich overnight is not for real. Running your own home business involves skill and work to make money. It's not possible to start a business, do nothing and earn huge amounts of cash.
3. Is There A Money Back Guarantee?
An investment in a home business opportunity is regarded as normal. Having said that, some unscrupulous opportunities only want your money. Always ensure that you can get a full refund for any investment within a certain period of time if you find that it's not for you.
4. Does It Sounds Too Good to Be True?
Take time to research the company. Do your due diligence and walk away if you can't prove they're legitimate.
5. Are You Pressured To Act Now?
Don't be forced into making a decision if you're not ready. If you're told that you must act immediately or lose out forever then something's not right. A real home business opportunity is going to be there tomorrow.
6. Have You Been Offered You A Position You Didn't Apply For?
This occurs sometimes when you submit an application for a real business opportunity online. Your information is hacked and you are sent an offer about a completely unrelated business that is offering you easy money for very little effort. If this happens, just refer back to the points above.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9421381

What I Learned Today About Internet Marketing

This is a personal article, and as such it is true, it comes from the heart.
So much of what we all read reflects an impersonal view of some subject. It may have value, but lacks the personal touch which connects you with the writer, or content sharer if it happens on video or some other non-text content.
Today, I learned that if you have the inclination and the will, you can produce a piece of content which will teach your audience something valuable, and that you can easily do it.
The key to doing this is teaching someone something you know. You may already be preparing to dismiss my premise, by listening to that still voice in the back of your mind that reminds you that you have nothing you can TEACH.
But you would be wrong, and you would be selling yourself short. We all have knowledge, insights or experiences which contain knowledge we can teach others. These are things that would be truly beneficial to your "students."
The basic fact is that we are all different, we all perceive the world in a different way. And it is our unique perception that contains the value you can share with your "students."
What I learned today is that if you create a daily article, or a daily video, or a daily Facebook post, by this time next year, you will have a collection of 365 pieces of valuable, unique content which has helped your "students."
You can then take all that unique content and compile it into a paid membership site.
New students can now join your membership site, pay you a reasonable fee for subscribing, and you are on your way to expanding the reach of your content.
Since you should continue producing daily content based on what you are learning "today," you should add this new content to your membership site. Thus your membership site will to grow more valuable every day.
They say that to be successful in life, to grow as a person, you have to continue to learn.
Therefore, if you focus at least some of your learning on your favorite topic, Internet marketing in my case, you will naturally accumulate a wealth if information on your topic.
Best of all, you will be teaching others something that is dear and near to your heart. You're teaching will be sincere, and will resonate with your students, who if they are following you, have the same interest for your favorite subject.
You will be building a money-making business by writing and sharing what you love, what excites you in life.
To summarize, this is my plan. This is real for me. How well I succeed will become evident in time. You can check back and find out how far I have gone, and how successful I have been.
Best of all, YOU can do the same. All you need is the determination to teach others what you know, and better yet, to teach others what you are learning. And you can learn internet marketing online.

                           

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9419560

Why Network Marketing Really Works

In network marketing, the goal of the entrepreneur is to create a down-line of people who are essentially doing exactly the same thing. They are marketing a business model and the dream of financial independence, to all of those who they recruit into the business. The beauty of this particular business model is that all of the efforts of the individuals who you bring into the business will inevitably help you earn more money, and these people will also help build your business as well.
There are many reasons that network marketing companies are profitable, but the only ones that have longevity are those that focus on the products that must be renewed. In this article, we will discuss why network marketing works, and what to stay away from when trying to establish a long-term income using multi-level marketing companies that are available today.
If you have ever read reports on network marketing companies that are successful, there is one thing that they all have in common. Each of them focuses on business models that require the purchase of products that can be consumed, or that must be repurchased because they will inevitably run out. For example, vitamins, cosmetics and different types of consumables that require the user to get more each and every month. Just as you go to the local grocery store to get food and supplies each and every week, network marketing companies built upon this particular model are the ones that are here to stay. They are also the ones that will be the most profitable for those who work the business.
There are different types of multi-level marketing companies. The ones that generally fail, ask you to purchase products that you really don't need. Even though companies that sell magnetic products have been very popular as of late, these are not consumable items, and the likelihood that you will need more of them the following month is very poor indeed. Other companies focus on monthly residual payments for virtually useless items like magazine subscriptions, or they simply call them monthly fees. These types of companies are doomed to fail because they are not based on consumable products, things that people need to have month after month.
One of the reasons why network marketing companies continue to expand and grow is that the economy is not what it used to be. People all over the world are looking for new sources of reliable income just to pay their bills. So if you introduce a network marketing company that merely requires the purchase of consumable products that company produces, this is very little money out of the pocket of those who join, allowing them to stay focused on building the company, and not worrying about an extra monthly payment.
Most multi-level companies that succeed for decades use the consumable angle. They understand that people have to eat, use makeup, and purchase vitamins on a regular basis. As long as this is the focus of the network marketing company that you want to work with, you will more than likely have success as long as you stick with it and continue to build a down-line now and in the future.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9416745

He Saw a Great Opportunity to Make Some Money

He saw a great opportunity to make some money, and seized the day to make the most of that opportunity. Like you, he grew up in a neoliberal world that has begun to shrug off the class system, but which still holds on to that archaic idea that everyone has to have a job, regardless of whether that job is one which maximizes a person's passions and talents, regardless of whether that's the job in which a person is providing the most benefit to his community, regardless of whether that job is outdated, outmoded, and a clever design could quickly make it unnecessary - a thing of the past.
He woke up one morning and realized that there was no real virtue in going to work 9-5 everyday to agree with his boss and shuffle paper. He had been paid to notice mistakes and risks in the paperwork, and then suddenly he realized that same eye for detail, that same analytical way of thinking, could be used to spot positive risks, to spot opportunities, gaps in the system where a clever man could create an opportunity to make some money. Have you ever wished that you could work a two-day week and have a five-day weekend? Good-bye, wage slavery; good-bye cow-towing to authority because you were raised to get in line and wait nicely. Today can be the day that you too recognize a great opportunity to make some money.
The ideal opportunity to make money is one that lets you work smarter, and eventually fewer hours, than you work now. Or maybe you're not employed at all, but still trapped within that mindset that says to make something of yourself in our society, you're supposed to put on coveralls, a suit, a uniform - and you're frozen in place, unable to seek out a life you'll love, because you define an opportunity as something given to you by someone else. Look around you! The world is full of problems that need to be solved, opportunities to make the world a better place through intelligent rethinking of the way we do things now. This is the age of the start-up - an individual or a few people getting together to recognize an opportunity to build a service that's needed or a new product that will simplify lives, improve communications, or open up opportunities for thousands of others who will then be only too glad to pass back up a small percentage of their success.
Start-ups, crowd-funders and pay-as-you-can publishers - models like these work because people, and consumers, believe that coming up with a great idea should be rewarded, and the best way to reward ingenuity and initiative is by rewarding it directly. There are a number of publishers currently meeting with great success by allowing customers to pay for work on a sliding scale - some pay almost nothing because that's what they can afford, but more than making up for that is the people that pay tenfold because they believe in the cause and want to support it. Community-driven start-ups like this are just one definition of a great opportunity to make some money while doing what you love. What will you do? What opportunity will you find?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9415167

Work From Home Review - Do You Have What It Takes To Succeed?

Working from home is never easy, and it's even harder to do it under pressure. And by pressure, we mean losing your job, your apartment, and healthcare while trying to raise a newborn. You're probably wondering how a woman can become successful by working from home under so much pressure and right after having a baby. But the truth is, everything is possible for anyone who believes in themselves.
Work From Home - The Beginning
As if having a baby after 9 months wasn't stressful enough, only 6 months after giving birth to her son Adam, Kisha lost her corporate job at woman's wear brand and had to start all over again. To make things even worse, the apartment where she lived with her family in New York City got infested with rats and had a dangerous carbon monoxide leak. Kisha and her husband Alex decided that they had to move out because their son was just two weeks old at the time. The only immediate solution they had was moving into their friend's basement in New Jersey.
Work From Home - The Middle
Their move had also resulted in losing eligibility for state health insurance in New York. While she was still working, her husband was looking after their son but after she got fired, she had to adapt to being a stay-at-home mom while her husband started freelancing. Since she now had a lot more time, she decided to do something creative and started sewing caps for her son. She posted the pictures on Facebook and her sister-in-law suggested that she should try selling these woven flat caps for boys. With nothing left to lose, Kisha decided to give it a try.
The End
Since she loved making these caps, turning it into a business by working from home was something she could see herself doing. However, Kisha didn't do it all on her own. She admits that her mother-in-law was very helpful and had even found a free online entrepreneurship program for Kisha to complete.
Trying to complete the program while taking care of the baby and running a business was hard, but this amazing woman managed to do it all in order to provide a better future for her family.
YOUR OWN SUCCESS STORY - IS IT POSSIBLE?
Everything is possible to those who are eager to learn the skills and information needed to see financial success.
Asking questions to anyone offering "work from home" (online) help will help you make a much better decision about who to work with to get your home business headed in the right financial direction. They can give you the insight you need, and give you a sneak-peek for the process ahead.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9401681

5 Profit Making Tips to Get More Customers

Everyone wants their online business to succeed, preferably in a big way. You want to increase your sales so you can boost your profits. There are so many options to increase profits.
When you do some online research on this issue, you get so many recommendations that it becomes confusing and overwhelming.
Your safest guideline is to maintain laser-like focus. Pick one course of action and stick with it. Don't jump around.
As you experiment with a few promising approaches you'll discover which works best for your particular business.
Make a commitment to your business, and stick with it. It will require work and effort. The "Easy Button" is a fantasy.
Working online is a business, and you have to stick to this mindset to see results.
Implement these strategies and you will see results:
Profit Making Tip #1. Offer Discounts on a Timer
People are drawn to good deals. Everyone loves a bargain. So when your prospects see valuable a bargain, they will be drawn to check it out.
If the discount is for a new product you are offering, you will attract many new customers.
This is easiest to do when you are offering your own product. However, with some negotiating, you should be able to work out a deal on an affiliate product you are promoting.
Put together your own bonus offer, and set up a timer to dramatize the deadline. Your sales will go through the roof.
Profit Making Tip #2. Get Involved in Social Networks
Everyone in now aware of the importance of using social networks to gain exposure for yourself and your products.
Although product promotion has to be done expertly so you don't annoy social network members who are there to socialize, not to get sales pitches.
Sites like Facebook and YouTube have gotten amazing numbers of active members.
You can use social networks to inform the public about changes, news, helpful information for members.
If done correctly, you can build the reputation and authority of your business and your brand.
Profit Making Tip #3. Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
With all the fast-paced changes taking place on the Internet, you'll be wise to have several alternative traffic sources, several different platforms to promote your products.
This way, if Google, or whoever pulls the rug out from under you, you will have other avenues in place to maintain your business.
It's wise to also expand your product offerings, both your own products and any affiliate products you may be promoting. Even so, do not spread yourself too thin by expanding too far, too quickly.
Profit Making Tip #4 Build Your List
Your very first priority should be to get everything set up to capture prospects and customers email addresses to build your list.
This will give you the opportunity to promote other products directly to people who already know and trust you.
I'm sure you know that to get people to give their email address, you have to offer them a valuable incentive.
People are now aware of the value of their emails, and they will not give them out unless they are enticed by a high quality, valuable gift, whether eBook, or video program.
Profit Making Tip #5. Promote Yourself Extensively
Use an innovative approach to advertising yourself and your products. Done correctly, you don't have to spend a lot of money to give a great boost to your profile.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9408203

3 Steps to Implement CPA Marketing

CPA Marketing is an excellent way to generate revenue on your site. You can accomplish it with three simple steps. Let's get started.
Step #1 - Go Find an Offer
The first step is to search for an offer that will align with the traffic you get on your site. There are many different CPA networks to choose from all with hundreds of offers so you should not have a problem finding something that's right for you. You can search based on network, category, price, keyword, etc.
Once you find an offer that seems to match your needs you can read the offer details. The listings generally offer basic information such as what kind of traffic is allowed or what users are required to do. If it seems like a good match, click the 'landing page preview' button. Now you will see the pages that your visitors will see when they click the CPA link. If it looks shady, walk away, because it will shady to your visitors too and it will not convert. The more fields on a page the lower the conversion rate so keep this in mind, although more fields compensate with higher commissions. You'll have to weigh it out.
Step #2: Join a CPA Network
Once you decide the offer looks right for you, you need to join the network that runs the offer. To apply simply click the link on the offer page. The application will ask you for your phone number, which they will call you at. For many affiliate marketers this poses a bit of a problem, as we aren't used to talking with others when making money.
You are going to need to get accepted. The CPA network isn't trying to be difficult. They just want to make sure that you are as legitimate a business as they are. Just be transparent. Keep in mind you don't have to be a 'rock star' to get accepted, so if you are new, be honest and tell them that.
Step #3: Build Your Website around CPA
After you are accepted at the network you want to join, and you have a CPA offer that's read, it is time for you to implement your CPA into your website. What's great about CPA you can have a website that looks like a Fortune 500 Company and you don't waste your time putting up ugly banners that pay hardly anything if at all. There's no need for in your face advertising with CPA.
There you go - three easy steps and you too can be participating in CPA Marketing.
4 Tips to Get Accepted by a CPA Network
There are so many rumors out there about the affiliate community and how it is really hard to get accepted by a CPA Network. Many people feel discouraged before they even start and so they don't bother, only later they find out it wasn't that hard. Here are 4 tips to get you accepted by a CPA Network.
Tip # 1
Register for a minimum of twice the number of networks that you really want to work with. For example, let's say that you want to start by working with 4 different CPA Networks, and then you need to register to 8 different networks. You will be accepted by approx. 50% of the networks that you apply to.
Tip # 2
Begin by building your blog. WordPress is a good platform to start with. It's easy to learn and you can easily use open source. It will take a little time to learn it, but there are tons of great tutorials to be found on Google. Building your blog can be fun! It's also not quite as intimidating as building a website from scratch.
Tip # 3
Begin by applying to the smaller CPA Networks. You should not begin by applying to the larger more popular Networks. They get huge numbers of applications every day and so whether they actually go through all the apps remains debatable. Even if they do check all the apps, they can be very picky because they know tomorrow there will be another big stack of applications waiting for them. Instead, focus on the smaller Boutique Networks, where there are fewer affiliates registering, because fewer people are aware of them. They pay attention to the applications they get and you are far more likely to not just get a more personal experience, you are much more likely to be accepted.
Tip # 4
Be determined about getting accepted by the network. Only a few Networks process your first application and that's OK just as long as you know that's the name of the game. Accept it and play by their rules. A couple of days after you fill out your first application, if you have not heard anything then find out who their Affiliate Manager is and send them an email. If the Affiliate Manager doesn't reply to your email in a few days, then look up their phone number and them. If you don't like the phone, you still need to get your nerve up to make this one call. It's that important.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9399431

Quick Guide to Creating a Keyword-Focused Internet Marketing Strategy

Your content's search engine optimization, or lack thereof, will determine how effective your Internet marketing strategy is. You can work with an SEO company to evaluate or build your digital marketing plan to make it more consistent and effective. A professional SEO service can determine what needs to be changed or implemented into your strategy. Plus, an Internet marketing agency has the tools needed to make a solid SEO strategy that works. Consider consulting with one that has extensive experience in business development.
There's a lot to understand in the world of search engine optimization, and a lot of small business owners lack the time or will to learn the ropes. Delegating this to a professional at an SEO company would be the best way to streamline your online marketing efforts. One key area of digital marketing is keyword usage. The keywords are what will drive your rankings in Google and other search engines. Careful research is required to ensure you're implementing the best keywords for your industry.
Keywords is a major part of content marketing, as well as the design of your website. If you're not pushing forward a keyword-focused Internet marketing strategy, then it's time for a revamp.
Here's what you can do to make your content strategy a keyword-driven one.
Find and Use the Most Important Keywords
There are hundreds of keywords that can be used in any one topic or industry. It can be easy to get swept into the wave of key phrases that can be used, but in all reality, there are only a handful of them that really matter. It's important to identify these keywords and use them in your content. Google AdWords Keyword Planner is a great place to start. Make sure to dig deeper behind the keywords into user intent. If you don't know why people are searching for a particular phrase, then how will you know they are looking for what you have to offer?
Write Based On User Intent
It's easy to forget the human element to content marketing, and that's that people who are looking for certain keywords have an initial intention. It could be to find more information or to make a purchase. Google's RankBrain is already striving to learn users' intent when searching for certain terms. This means, if your content isn't meeting the needs of users, then Google is going to push it down to the bottom of the ranks.
Don't Overlook Using Latent Semantic Indexing Keywords
Google is getting smarter and smarter, which means content creators have to be just as intelligent. To prove this point, Google has a system that's called LSI, or Latent Semantic Indexing. This is used to improve search results by determining the relationships between various words. This helps the search engine to learn more about the intent of the searcher.
You, the content marketer, can implement LSI keywords to help Google understand the relevancy of your site and how valuable it is to searchers. During your keyword research, you need to come up with LSI keywords, which can be done using a tool called LSI Keyword Generator. You simply type in a keyword and it will generate related terms.
Use Keywords to Drive Your Editorial Calendar
Coming up with new content that your audience will value can be done by implementing your chosen keywords into your editorial planning. Once you have a solid list of keywords and LSI keywords, you should be able to find topics based on the users' intentions, what they're looking for, their needs and desires, what they care for and how they feel. Always keep the keywords in mind when coming up with topics. This is key if you want the SEO strategy your company uses to be successful.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9405053

5 Legit Ways to Make Money on the Internet

There are numerous stories out there about how one can easily make it big by working online. While some of the ideas out there are practical, there are others that have been greatly blown out of proportion. In addition to that, it takes time to build an online reputation and even more to find a niche that is the right fit for you. You will need to carry out plenty of research before landing upon an area you want to focus on. Only when you get your research right can you make money on the internet.
Here is a look at 5 dependable and legitimate ways to earn online
1. Online writing
Over the years, a number of content writing sites have emerged, with people and organizations looking for prolific writers in different niches to create relevant content for blogs, websites and ezines. The rates will vary depending on the site as well as the profile of individual writers, but generally, one makes more as they move up the rung. Said sites include iWriter, Upwork, Crowdsource and a lot more. Before venturing out, seek to learn what online writing entails and acquaint yourself with the conventions involved.
2. Affiliate marketing
If you have always wanted to be a salesperson, then the internet provides a great platform to put your skills into practice. Affiliate marketing involves promoting products for online merchants such as Amazon and eBay. You basically join a network of accomplished marketers who have the tools to advertise products after which they earn commissions upon conversion. The first few months involve learning the ropes after which a steady flow of income is expected.
3. Taking surveys
Companies out there at times want to evaluate the performance of their products and will pay anyone willing to take part in objective surveys. Generally, a survey will take about 30 minutes to fill and earns the person filling them anything between $1 and $5. Always be sure to perform due diligence and never fall for scams such as the ones that request that you pay a small fee to take part in surveys.
4. Tutoring students
Some people make money on the internet by reaching out to students both at the high school and college levels and providing assistance with homework. There are websites dedicated to this type of thing and they offer remuneration depending on the educational background and proficiency of the tutor involved. The subject being taught will also play a big part in determining what the tutor gets, but as a general convention, science-based subjects pay a lot more than gigs in general areas such as languages or humanities.
5. Blogging
There are millions of blogs out there fighting for the attention of consumers and all sell different products or ideas. The key to running a blog lies in finding something you love doing and cultivating a following. As your crowd grows, you get to sell ads and links while building a stellar reputation as a source of authority in your field.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9401531