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Many work at home business owners post a hundred free content articles in the article directories, before they realize that there is more to the free content link building program then first meets the eye.

While the article directories work, there is a little more involved for Internet Marketers who want to max out their links in a short time.

Article Directories And Newsletters

The article directories are divided by category, but most of the time, they are so vague that web publishers need to waste hours finding a great article.

The most common application for web articles is in newsletters. Most webmasters promise their visitors a bi-weekly, or monthly newsletter. Instead of collecting articles from writers, they use free content.

The way to appeal to these publishers is to write dynamite titles. To many article writers use titles like, how to start a work at home business, start a business in ten days, etc..

Instead, solve a problem for the readers and use titles to sell the article. Titles like WHAM! Make Money This Week, I Will Help You Earn a Living in Less Than a Year, Toss Internet Marketing Out the Door.

This type of title makes the publisher look good in their subscribers eye. It looks like the publisher is giving their subscribers something new and innovative.

Evergreen Content

Many people ask what evergreen content really is. In short, it is anything which has been written about thousands of times, and can be found on any website.

It is easy to write evergreen content. Find a few versions on the web, compile the information, rewrite it, and there is another article ready for the web. Unfortunately, most publishers have already published a few articles with the same information. They need something new.

Build an Article

1. The trick is adding one new piece of information near the top of the article. And forget the introduction. The business is not writing for magazine publication. Keep To The Point.

2. Start the article by highlighting a problem, and then promise to solve the problem.

3. Break the article into easy to skim sections. Each section shouldnt just tell someone how to do something, it should show them HOW to do it.

4. End on a positive point that encourages the reader to move on to the next article. While it might be nice to have people click the link- it never happens. In fact, articles that end with a hard sell and try to steal the reader, are often overlooked by newsletter publishers who want the visitor to buy from their site.

This section Build an Article is an example of showing people HOW to write a good article.

Example of Telling people WHAT needs to be done: You need to build good web articles that solve problems the reader will face.

Pro Active Marketing

After a few months go to Google or Yahoo and search the article titles. Find out who is using the content, and why. Thy to gear future articles to favour the products sold on those web pages.

Another good idea is to contact the webmaster and ask them if they would like to receive a free article each month. Many will love the time saving idea.

Taking control of the article distribution will also give writers the opportunity to embed their link in the article using keywords. This creates an executive link, which is given a higher rank by the search engines.

Happy hunting -

Article Source: http://www.ArticlesHowTo.com

Sales Productivity is a factor of two things: Available time and effective use of time.

To increase a Sales Rep's productivity we can:
Decrease time spent on non-selling activities
Increase time spent on selling activities
Make better use of selling-time

Salespeople like other professionals, have a fixed amount of available hours during the year. Although you may put in far more hours, I'll base this number on 40 hours per week with 52 weeks in a year, and arrive at 2,080 hours total for the year. Your utilization of those 2,080 hours will determine your sales productivity and whether or not you'll hit your revenue targets.

Non-selling Activities

All Salespeople are burdened with activities that don't have a direct impact on revenue.

Sales forecasts, weekly sales meetings, chasing commissions, assisting with account receivables collection, travel and a myriad of other activities all contribute to a reduction in selling time.

Business-performance improvement firm Proudfoot Consulting conducts an annual survey with consistently shocking results. In their 2005 Proudfoot Productivity Report a whopping 79% of a salesperson's time was spent on non-selling activities. Using the 2,080 hour/year figure, only 437 hours remain to be spent on actively selling to or prospecting for customers.

If you're a Sales Rep or a Sales Manager, you won't find this surprising. If you're in marketing, this will give you more insight as to why Salespeople guard their time so judiciously, and chafe at following-up on leads of unknown quality.

Companies should take an inventory of tasks which divert Salespeople from being in front of customers. Then systematically create processes that will return valuable hours to the pool of selling-time. More time to sell is a good thing. However, it's not just the amount of selling time that's important, it's how the time is used.

Selling time

What types of activities would you consider to be selling activities? Of the 21% of selling time found to be available by the 2005 Proudfoot study, only 11% was spent actively-selling while a full 10% was spent prospecting.

Why wouldn't Salespeople spend all of their selling time with qualified prospects rather than prospecting? Why do they spend 10% of their available selling time cold-calling and following up with leads of un-known quality (think trade-show leads)?

Because there aren't enough prospects!

Stuffing the funnel with leads

In an attempt to bolster the amount of time spent actively-selling, we generate leads. Leads are the life-blood of sales. Leads keep our pipelines full. Leads are the source of all revenue. As Martha Stewart might say 'leads are a good thing.'

But leads aren't necessarily prospects and if they aren't prospects, they won't be buyers anytime soon. Too many non-qualified leads will kill your sales productivity, lower your revenue potential and limit your ability to exceed sales quota.

Leads: The Sales Productivity Killer?

The answer isn't to provide more leads, it's to provide more qualified prospects. Don't stuff the sales funnel with leads. Stuff the marketing funnel with leads. The marketing funnel is where leads should be shaken and sifted, helping qualified prospects fall through to the sales funnel where they can be closed. The more unqualified leads that make their way through to Sales, the less productive salespeople will be.

Lessons from the Gold Rush

I live in one of the historic California towns where the 49er gold rush took place. You couldn't find gold unless you had good techniques either panning for gold in rivers, or blasting through vast layers of earth. Gold seekers were of course, known as 'prospectors'.

Prospectors couldn't find gold without a laborious search. And like prospecting for gold, finding qualified prospects requires the right techniques. However, a division of labor for executing those techniques is crucial if prospectors are to maximize their return. If assayers were asked to haul and mill the ore as well as inspect for content and quality - investors would receive far fewer gold coins at the end of the day.

Copyright 2007 Smart About Sales, Inc.

Article Source: http://www.ArticlesHowTo.com

OK, so you want to improve your overall marketing effectiveness. You want to attract more clients, make more money and have a bigger impact in the world. You just know that if you could find that one 'miracle strategy,' everything would be different.

Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

It's more like this: Imagine someone who is totally out of shape. They eat too much of the wrong things, don't get any exercise, work long hours and, to top it off, have a drinking problem.

Picture our hero coming to a personal trainer and saying: 'I want to run a marathon next month. Can you give me the 'ultimate strategy' to get into shape? And can you share it with me in just one session? After all I'm in a hurry!

Not gonna happen.

It's a lot like that with marketing. Before you can implement a marketing strategy that will get you positive attention and attract all the clients you need, you must put work into correcting some bad habits and getting back into shape.

And what are these bad habits?

Marketing is all about communication. When your marketing is out of shape, your communication is ineffective. Your potential clients are not getting your message. They don't see what's in it for them and they don't respond or buy.

Yes, you can communicate with more impact.

There are no miracle strategies. You won't be running a marathon in a week. As you work to become a better marketing communicator, you'll slowly but surely build your marketing fitness, flexibility and strength.

Below you'll find the 'Seven Areas of Marketing Fitness.' Put your mind on improving these and you'll build the foundation of a very strong marketer with plenty of endurance.

'Seven Areas of Marketing Fitness'

1. Your Marketing Message: Is it 100% clear exactly what you are selling, who it's for and what problem it's solving? Is what you offer providing real solutions to vital issues your prospects are struggling with?

'What is it you do again (and who do you do it for)?'

2. Your Web Site: Does it effectively communicate (not only the message but the essence of) what you and your business are about? Sketchy content and amateur design will have visitors clicking off your site in a heartbeat.

'Do you have a website (with information I can understand)?'

3. Your Value. Are you clearly articulating the value and benefits clients get when working with you? Can you express this in terms of an 'Ultimate Outcome' that your clients get from you? Do prospects fully understand the impact of this?

'What can I really expect to get if I work with you?'

4. Your Differentiation: Do your services boldly stand out or do they look like what everyone else in your field is offering? What's a complaint no one else has addressed? What can you emphasize that all your competitors have missed?

'What is it that makes you different from everyone else?'

5. Your Packaging: Are you just selling a process (consulting, training), or instead are you providing services that will deliver an outstanding outcome every time? This one change can dramatically alter a prospects' perception of your value.

'What kind of long-term results can I expect?'

6. Your Credibility: Are you making a strong case for your services? Are you proving that you can get the job done? Have you built a portfolio of case studies and testimonials that prove you produce consistent results for your clients?

'Can you help a company like mine (and where's your proof)?'

7. Your Service: Is it easy to reach you? Do you respond quickly? Do you keep your word? Do you provide the information needed? Do you answer the hard questions? Are you pleasant and fun to deal with? Do you make the client a priority?

'Can I reach you when I need you (and will you treat me well)?'

Are you ready to start your marketing communication workout?

Pick one of the marketing communication areas above and create a simple plan to get it back into shape. Do some reading and studying. List some action steps; put it on your calendar and 'JUST DO IT!'

Article Source: http://www.ArticlesHowTo.com

The MLM world has changedand its going to change even more.

Heres the good news. As the industry evolves, you as a network marketer, now have the opportunity to generate your own leads and grow your MLM business like never before. And there are some major reasons why you absolutely should if you want to give your business the best possibility of success.

Generate your own leads? Thats right, you really can. Youll also be happy to find out just how easy it is. In fact, by picking up just a few simple skills, you can quickly begin generating leads like a professional and your business will reap the benefits.

Now, even though there are countless good reasons why you should generate your own leads, To help move you understand just how important it is, Ive listed the top 4 reasons here:

1. You can get paid by your prospects even if they never join your business or buy a single MLM product or service. Yes its true. You can actually monetize your leads by recommending generic business building information they can use to build ANY business they decide to join.

This creates an extra income stream that covers your advertising costs and pays you whether your leads join your business, buy your MLM products or services, or not. A good lead generating system runs automatically for you and creates a retail income 24/7 that can then be used for, you guessed it, creating more leads and more income!

2. Your leads will be fresh and 100% exclusive. You can contact your leads immediately after they leave their contact information. Youll never hear objections like that wasnt me, or I dont remember filling out anything. Since you generate each lead yourself, your leads will never be re-sold and youll never have to worry about anyone else contacting that lead about another business opportunity, unlike purchased leads.

3. You can follow-up with your leads and recruit them later if theyre not ready to join just yet. With purchased leads, once a prospect says Im not interested, theyre usually discarded. A good lead generation system can keep a prospect in a pipeline of constant contact. The idea here is to send your prospect a continuous stream of generic business building content, NOT more information about your opportunity. By doing so, your prospect will not feel pursued and you will position yourself as a leader who knows how to build a business. As a result, when the time is right to get started, your prospect will turn to you.

4. You will become the hunted instead of the hunter. Once opportunity seekers realize that you know how to build a business and generate your own leads, many of them will be contacting you. Because youve separated yourself from all the hunters out there, you will literally be able to pick and choose who you want to recruit and work with in your business!

The bottom line here is, you want to give your business every possible advantage. Learning to generate your own leads will pay dividends for the life of your business.

Remember, people are looking for a leader to follow. The vast majority of network marketers are not willing to take on that role and learn this simple skill set. If you do, prospects will seek you out and money will become a non-issue, recruiting will become a non-issue, and your business will enter a whole new realm of success because of it.

Article Source: http://www.ArticlesHowTo.com

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