TrafficWave - OceanSwell TEAM Update (#17)

'How do the Internet Marketing Pro's earn a full-time living online?' 'What do they know that I don't know?' 'What am I doing wrong?' How to network market correctly (and profitably) is the question that most new and not-so-new marketers begin asking sooner or later. If you are a part of Team OceanSwell, then you alreadly belong to an advertising co-op for TrafficWave and/or Global NPN. That's a good place to begin! Our co-op is great because it's always going to be there working for you in one way or another. But to build full-time incomes with your basis being TrafficWave or Global NPN, it's going to take more than that.  But this is where so many get stuck on what to do next, and they end up wasting a lot of time or just giving up in frustration.

First and foremost, you need your own website (one like this one, for example) and you must master the methods of driving traffic to it and getting conversions from those who visit it. That's the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - traffic & conversions. But how do the pro's do it, you ask? For the most part, they will tell you what you already know via the selling of courses, eBooks, tools and systems that explain what it takes to make it in this business of network marketing. But what many of them do not share is even more important - i.e. they'll tell you what you know, but they won't tell you what they know.

So what ends up happening is that we end up on this endless hamster-wheel of searching, and searching and searching for the answers.  But guess what?  The secret to that elusive pot of gold is right in front of you.  To discover the root of the problem, you need only to look at the person in the mirror.  That's right... the problem is you!  It's not that there's anything 'wrong' with you.  You're fine!  The problem is that you aren't concentrating your effort on the right activities.

We live in an ever-increasing, 24 hour information age.  We are bombarded with a blizzard of messages on a daily basis and it is so easy to get distracted. We have the constant emails (often by the hundreds!), Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and all the other social media sites. Not to mention the web surfing so many of us find ourselves doing on a daily bases. These are all wonderful tools when used to complete a task or goal, but too often we are sucked into to these activities that play no part in our ultimate business goals for that day.

So the smartest thing you can do for yourself is to just STOP. Stop the hours of useless activities that add no value to your business. How to network market like a pro is all about staying focused on the activities that bring results into your business. Yes, we need to use all these tools.  But use them with caution, as they will distract you and get you side tracked in a blink of the eye. Sounds too simple I know, but take a look at your entire day. I bet you will be surprised if you take note of all the time that was wasted.  It is no wonder that so many people are asking how to do Network Marketing the 'right' way.

The easiest way to stay focused is limit the amount of useless time you spend in email, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Keep it to one time a day, and set that time on your daily calendar - and limit it to a small amount of time. Now don’t get me wrong, each of these tools have great importance and the capacity to do great things in your overall marketing approach. The point is, however, that many new marketers get so distracted and go off in tangents and lose track of what they were originally trying to accomplish in the first place.  Then they give up in frustration and cry, "This doesn't work!  It's all a scam!"

New marketers are so easily distracted with the abundance of information that they can barely breathe. The key is to pick two or three methods of marketing and stick with those methods and become an expert with those. Don’t get sucked into buying eBook after eBook, course after course, seminar after seminar. These are all great in moderation, but you need to do something at some point. If YouTube marketing (for example) is your method of choice, great.  Just don’t get distracted with hours of pointless activities. This is your business, not social entertainment. And yes. this will take time to learn and master.  But if you are focused, you will find the success that has eluded you up until now. This is how to network market like a pro, simply stay focused on your business and the activities that grow your business and, of course... do NOT quit.

If you've read this far, I congratulate you.  Make it your mission in October to master just one thing:  YouTube marketing, Social Bookmarking, building a great new Autoresponder letter series or what have you.  In fact, I would concentrate on that one thing for the rest of the year.  When you get good at something - I mean really good at it - then you are a Pro!

As for this month's Team Loyalty prize, the $40.00 cash bonus goes out to TrafficWave promoter, Eliezer Ayal (airborn6). Eliezer is a long-time Team Member and is both a user and promoter of TrafficWave. Congratulations Eliezer. Contact me with your PayPal or AlertPay address and I will send you the cash right away!

TrafficWave - OceanSwell TEAM Update (#16)

Wow, it's been too long since my last update! I think it's because I'm trying to do too much every day. If you are reading this but still haven't joined TrafficWave or Global NPN, you should. Just because I might not put out a Team Update every 30 days does not mean that our team is not active in both programs! It just means that I'm BUSY!

Also, sometimes I feel as if I'm 'preaching' on a schedule and readers of this blog will get tired of it, thinking they've heard it all before. I know what people really want to hear: "There is money made automatically." (How many times have you heard that one?) So rather than bore you to tears, I am now only doing updates when I feel inspired to write something that I think is useful.  Oh, by the way, Team OceanSwell is useful! The team can't and won't do everything 'for you', but having support and collective recruiting is far better than trying to do this kind of business alone. That's a proven fact.

So I just want to say congratulations to all of you who remain part of our collective recruiting team and invite those sitting on the sidelines to join us. This business takes time, but there's no time like the present to get started or to re-commit to your dreams. If you look at the state of affairs in the USA and around the world, it's obvious that we don't have a choice. I think it's going to get worse. That's why you NEED extra income and you can get it from the Internet if you want it bad enough.

I never quit promoting - promoting me and promoting Team OceanSwell. There is no other way. You just have to stay at it, keep working, keep your chin up and stay in the game.  So thank you to the team members who continue to promote the team ads and links on a weekly basis. Our top promoter of late has been Blanca Perez, and (as I do in every team update) I am sending her the $40.00 cash bonus for being a loyal and hard working member of our team. When Blanca works this hard, she is working for ALL of us... and that's why our concept works and everybody has a chance.

TrafficWave - OceanSwell TEAM Update (#15)

'I'm tired of Internet Marketing!'  Ever say that to yourself?  I admit that I do some days.  This is a very tough and mentally overwhelming business - even more so if you work full-time and go to school like I do.  Sometimes, you feel like walking away from it.  Then you get that email that says, "You just got a new referral in ___________."  Those emails make it all worthwhile, don't they?  They're what keep me going!  And while I am no 'expert' on Internet Marketing, I can tell you two(2) things that help keep those kind of emails popping up in your inbox every month:

1)  Being part of an organized promotion team, like our Team OceanSwell.

2)  Using as much automation as possible.

Team-builds can't (and won't) do everything for you and you'll never really be able to automate your entire business. But what good teams and good automation can do is set up a kind of 'perpetual motion machine' that really helps you build (and sustain) your business over time.  In my case, automation is a must because I admit to having emails that I haven't answered in weeks!  That's because I just can't do it.  I get SHOWERED with emails on a daily basis and the most important ones get dealt with while the others simply get 'put on the shelf', to be answered at some later time.  I even get behind on these Team Updates too.  I wish that I didn't, but I do. 

That's just life in the big city.

Still, our system is working, our team links are live and the revolving rotator is churned of deadwood on a monthly basis.  Just believe me when I tell you that if I didn't automate as much as possible, you wouldn't even be reading this... because I would never have been able to write it!  Anyway, in keeping with my monthly pledge, our most recent winner of the $40.00 cash bonus is Team Member John Bell (insidmal). John, just send me your AlertPay or PayPal account and I will get that to you right away.

The random cash bonus every month is one of the ways I try to take extra care of our loyal Team Members.  If I take too long to answer emails, please realize that I am simply doing my best with the time that life allows me.  But I think about all of you every day and I wouldn't even be writing this if I didn't care.  Just stay true to yourselves, BELIEVE IN yourselves, never let go of your dreams and automate your business in every way you can.  Do these things and there's really no way you can lose.

TrafficWave - OceanSwell TEAM Update (#14)

For me, email marketing, organic search engine traffic and team-based ads in traffic exchanges are the only three methods of online advertising that have ever consistently worked.  The Team Ads that we use in Team OceanSwell have worked consistently because we promote them as a group.  They don't necessarily work 'quickly' (nothing online ever really does), but they do work - over time.  Of course, that concept only succeeds if every team member does her or his share.  Unfortunately, not all of them do.  I understand that people get tired, get busy or just get burnt out on 'internet marketing'.  In fact, I don't really kick people out of the rotator anymore like I used to, because of these very reasons.  It's happened to me too. 

But if you are an active promoter, who is doing your share (which is about 100 page hits a day, on average), then you can receive the monthly $40.00 bonus that I pay out regularly.  The winner for February was Mrs. Blanca Perez, who has been working very hard to support our team and to keep her dreams alive.  She deserves it and I'm happy to pay it!

However, if you are working the affiliate plan for TrafficWave and/or Global NPN, you should also be doing plenty of self-promotion.  Blogs like this one are a very good idea, as they certainly bring traffic.  BTW, You-Tube is still very good too.  But I'm just a huge believer in email marketing, because it never fails to work if you do it right.  If you're keeping up with your New Year's Resolution to get more referrals and continue to build your email contact list, here are some tips to get your marketing emails read and acted upon:

1) Your subject line should offer a solution to a problem or be in the form of an intriguing question.
2) Your subject line should be believable and sound like normal conversation in tone.
3) Keep your subject line and overall message simple.  Tell the reader quickly what you want him to do and why.  Make it easy for them to understand and act upon. 
4) Track your open rates and make small changes to find the best converting email subject lines.
5) Be different from the rest - stand out from others.  Sometimes, humor helps out a lot.
6) Be honest with yourself and others.  Just tell the truth.
7) Keep repeating your message - when someone sees the same message 2 or 3 times, they are more likely to take notice.  For example, with safelists, you really have to keep your message out there consistently.
8) Always include a p.s. - many people skip down and read those first.
9) Critical:  If marketing to fresh leads, get them on your list.

These nine criteria are what I use to construct all of my marketing emails.  It's worked for me and it will work for you too.  Lastly, the most important thing of all when it comes to your online business (be it with Team OceanSwell, or with your own promotions) is to keep a positive mental attitude and don't get discouraged.  Building an online affiliate matrix takes a long time, so let it take time.  Just keep your head up and stay in the game.  We're going to keep moving forward, as a Team and invidually.

TrafficWave - OceanSwell TEAM Update (#13)

Why I love TrafficWave is a good subject because yesterday was Valentine's Day in the United States and it's a day that we can't help but think about love.  The #1 reason that I love TrafficWave is because it's a product that I actually USE on a daily basis and it's the online MLM-style affiliate plan that I've had the most success with.  But I mention love for a reason.  It's my belief that you have to love Internet Marketing in order to have any chance of success with it.  Internet Marketing is so difficult, so time-consuming, so frustrating and (at times) so maddening that there's no way that you will remain committed to it if you don't love it.

Think about it.  Love is certainly about commitment.  But when you fall out of love with this industry, your dreams will wilt and die.  Love is fragile, and yet it is the most powerful force in the universe.  You need a powerful force to drive you forward, keep you motivated and compel you to action on a consistent basis when you attempt online business as a beginner.  But if you don't love the business itself, you should at least love it's awesome potential!

Thousands upon thousands of people earn full-time incomes online.  Many of them are incredibly wealthy.  They're no smarter than you are but they probably know more than you do and may possibly work harder than you do as well.  But one thing that they all have in common is that they LOVE this business. 

Speaking of love, it should be obvious by now that I love and care about every member of my OceanSwell Team.  If I didn't, I wouldn't even be writing this.  As we move into the future as a Team, I will do everything in my power to help each and every one of you get a little closer to your dreams with each month.  That's all I can do, because I'm just one person.  But our Team concept is just as good today as it was 14 months ago and my energy remains strong.  It always will be strong because I'm not stopping.  I want the same things you want and I will never quit until I get what I want.  So long as you're on my Team, I will help you get what you want as well.  That's why I am proud to announce the winner of January's $40.00 cash bonus for being a good Team promoter.  This time, the money goes out to Roberto Galvez (rob4utu). Rob, please send me your PayPal or AlertPay address and I will get January's prize out to you right away!

How can I get more leads for my online business?

Since you're reading this, you may already be a Network Marketer, Internet Marketer or just joined TrafficWave as an affiliate.  Whatever the case may be, your ulitmate success or failure is absolutely a by-product of your ability to master the top Network Marketing lead-generating activities. If you do, you will most definitely succeed in a big way. The reality however is that many (statistics say about 97%) don't.

The marketers that do succeed in this industry are the ones that set aside all that they think they know, and follow the activities of the ones that really do know. As simple as that sounds, so many people cannot, will not or won't do this.  Nobody wants to leave their comfort zone and I believe this is the biggest contributing factor to people’s failure in this industry.  I'm going to go ahead and recommend a book right here and now.  It's called 'Insider Tells All:  Ultimate Recruiting System'.  The author is a guy named Mike Demetro.  You can get a copy at http://www.insidertellsall.com/ - and no, I don't earn any money when you buy the book.  I'm not kidding.  I make no money from that link.

But if you don't care about Mike Demetro and his book, that's fine.  In that case, I would say that the very best way to attract leads to your MLM affiliate business is with blogging and/or article marketing.  It costs nothing but time and is fairly easy to learn.  You just have to do the work, that's all. You can write articles on pretty much any topic that relates to your business and/or opportunity and (with training) you can learn how to have that article rank on the first page of Google. Then when people start searching for the keywords you have selected, your article or blog post will appear and you will have magically provided them with the content they were looking for. And, of course ,you want to provide them with the ability to gather even more information. This is one of the MLM blueprint secrets you will want to learn. This marketing strategy alone can provide you with endless leads within 90 days if executed correctly.

Another rapidly expanding strategy is Social Media. The favorite of many is Facebook. With over 500,000,000 users, how can you go wrong in getting the word out? It is not hard to use Facebook as one of your Network Marketing lead generating activities.  However, beware of mixing your family and friends with business contacts that you make online.  With Facebook, you'll regret that.  But there are also others like MySpace, Twitter, and YouTube as well. But the nice thing about Facebook (other than its awesome size) is that they allow you to search for people that are like-minded and have similar interests as you. This is very powerful and only getting stronger every day.  In fact, there are literally hundreds of social networking sites out there in 2011 that are perfect for generating business leads.  It's just takes work, that's all.  It takes lots and lots of work!

So if you want to be one of the top 3% of Network Marketers that succeed in a big way in this industry, be a person not only of action but one of Massive Action. Learn how to incorporate these and other lead generating activities into your daily routine and you will find success on the other side.

What do I need an autoresponder for?

If you're asking yourself that question, then it's likely that you are very new to online business. I say this because your autoresponder is such a foundational online business tool, you really aren't doing Internet Marketing unless you have one and use it.

Take website site traffic, for example. Everyone wants more of it and works so hard to get it. But if a person visits your website and leaves, chances are that he or she will not come back, especially if there are no compelling reasons to do so.  We all behave rather impulsively on the Internet, so much so that we can easily forget where we were 10 web pages ago. But the bottom line is that your visitor may not come back to your website ever again. If 1,000 visitors visit your website, leave and never come back again, you can imagine the amount of potential revenue lost, simply because they do not come back. You may have converted a fraction of those visitors into customers, but there's a better way to get the most out of the visits your site receives.

Some may say that creating unique and helpful content can keep some of the visitors coming back again and again. That's true, but very often, unique content is not the solution. The real, long-term solution lies in converting your visitors into subscribers of your mailing list. Your optin email list (once large enough) is essentially your Internet gold mine. But to have such a list, you have to have an autoresponder!

That is why you ALWAYS have a subscription form somewhere on your site - usually near the top. Before your visitor leaves your website, you want to convert him or her into your subscriber via a simple opt-in to your mailing list. You do this by asking for your visitor’s name and email address through your opt-in form in return for some benefit to them. Understand? And if your visitor signs up to be on your mailing list, you can still follow up with him via email. You can get your subscriber to consider your offer, or endorse another offer to him or her.

All in all, you want to convert as many visitors into subscribers as possible and obtain the potential revenue you rightfully deserve – the easy, wise way... with TrafficWave.

Some quick advice on using your autoresponder

It's quite likely that you market certain programs or products in safelists, in Traffic Exchanges or on your websites and your description of the program/product/service is in the form of an autoresponder series that optin subscribers will receive. This is the classic Internet Marketing model. Likewise, once you have a sizable email contact list built up, you will probably be sending out weekly broadcast messages with new information to share or various special offers that you feel your 'list' could benefit from and, in return, earn you a bit of money.

But just remember that a broadcast message only works one time, whereas your TrafficWave autoresponder never stops working for you... so long as there are more letters in the series yet to be received by your subscribers. That brings me to the point of this message. If one of your broadcast messages has an especially good open rate and conversion ratio, simply 'repurpose it' and add it to your autoresponder series. Remember, your autoresponder letter series can be as long as you like. Some people will set their's for a YEAR'S worth of messages!

Repurposing is huge, actually. If a safelist email got better than expected results, you should not only add it to your stock AR series, but consider making it into a blog post as well (and link to it with social bookmarking in all its various forms), a podcast, the introduction to a viral giveaway product or what-have-you.  Re-use your best work in as many ways as possible!

My point is that your autoresponder is your workhorse. Let a great one-time sales letter keep working for you by adding it to your standard series. In this way, the result of your hard work is magnified many fold - and on autopilot - for all time.