There is a lot of information and ideas out there, floating around, regarding list building. Based on what I’ve seen, there are a lot of questions about what REALLY works and what is the fastest way to build an opt-in list.

Here are a few key points about list building:

1) Quality is better than quantity - the fact is, when you build a list you do it so you can develop relationships with your subscribers and eventually convert them into customers. What you will find in practice is that 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your subscribers. What this means is that it’s not the total NUMBER of your subscribers, but rather the depth and significance of your RELATIONSHIP with your subscribers that determine how successful financially you’ll be.

2) You can’t buy your way in - lists of subscribers are for sale everywhere, and with good reason. It’s VERY TEMPTING to think “I can BUY a 50,000 list and boom! I can start raking in sales!” Sorry to rain on the parade, but this just doesn’t work. The reasons it doesn’t work is first because you have no relationship with the subscribers, and second (more importantly) the subscribers are typically low quality co-reg leads or harvested leads. If you’re still not convinced ask yourself this–if the list was REALLY as “responsive” as the person selling it was claiming it was, why would they sell it? You can make a FORTUNE on a 50,000 list of targeted subscribers–and keep doing it month after month–why sell it for pennies on the dollar?

Okay, so that was the bad news. But there is some good news, too…

The good news is, while you can’t buy your way in and building a responsive list takes time, you CAN automate your list building and gain new signups at a MUCH FASTER pace than simply putting up a squeeze page and trying to drive traffic to it.

A great way to do this is to take advantage of traffic sources that are already there, and leverage them to add subscribers to YOUR list. A perfect example is the Internet Marketing Stampede. You can see it here: www.internet-marketing-stampede.com, but I’m going to do even better…

Because you took the time to read this, you are obviously serious about building your list. So to help you out, you can join the Stampede as a JV Partner. Go here for details:

Stampede JV Invite

You’ll be glad you did!

Your Partner in Success,

Brett

Okay, first off–I understand it’s been a while since my last post. It’s not that I disappeared. In fact, I’ve been working hard, and probably seeing the sun come up too many times before getting to bed.

There are a bunch of exciting things in the works, and I’ll eventually share all the details when I can. For now, here’s a quick plug–Marketing Tools Firesale is set to launch on Tuesday, July 22nd at 10:00am Eastern, and here are some highlights:

- The sale will have some UNIQUE tools for generating traffic, list building, and online advertising you can ONLY get there without paying full retail.

- The Firesale includes: traffic generation, web 2.0, list building, article marketing, blogging, sales conversion, business automation, website design, resell rights, affiliate marketing, and more!

- The tools included are REALLY selling NOW for up to 10 TIMES what you’re going to grab them for.

- The FIRST 50 customers ONLY will lock in at a value so extreme, you’ll want to be on the page clicking “refresh” at least 10 minutes early to MAKE SURE you don’t miss it!

- It will run for 7 days ONLY, and the price will keep going UP. (Plus, there are Fast Action Bonuses for those who take action right away)

- It has a “killer twist” you can use to get the entire package for no cost.

- The One Time Offer (OTO) is SO VALUABLE, you’ll want to grab the Firesale Package even if you DON’T WANT IT–just to get the OTO!

You can check it out at Marketing Tools Firesale, and I highly recommend you bookmark the site and check back just before launch so you get the MAXIMUM benefit.

Now, in terms of content, I have a few things planned to make the experience more “interactive” and also more engaging by using multimedia. I can’t get into too many details yet, but I can tell you that my sincere goal is to help you break through any stumbling blocks and build your business. More to come in future posts. For now I need to at least grab a few hours of sleep (it’s 4:12 am)…

- Brett

It’s an important question. After all, the best website in the world is useless without visitors to see it.

When I started marketing online, like everyone I needed visitors to see my sites and offers, but I had no list, no experience, and little funding. I wanted to get traffic without risking a ton of cash.

So I used traffic exchanges, safelists, co-registration, pay-per-click, and some other tools.

I didn’t get a lot of traffic or results from these methods, but I DID learn some important lessons about online traffic and promotion…

1) You need traffic sources that are automated -
If you trade time for traffic (clicking refresh on traffic exchanges, etc) it’s impossible to generate enough traffic with the limited amount of time in each day.

2) You need traffic sources that are REAL -
You’ve seen (maybe even tried?) those ads for 1,000,000 visitors for $10 and it sure sounds tempting…the reality is you’re not getting even a fraction of that number to see your ads or website. You need real people to see your website to get results.

3) You need traffic that is targeted -
No matter how large the audience, if it is not your target market you just won’t get results, plain and simple. Too broad a focus (i.e. “web surfers”) or mismatched target–marketing auction products to currency traders–will just leave you frustrated with nothing to show for your efforts.

4) You need traffic sources that are scalable -
To build your online business, you need to be able to test and evaluate a traffic source, and if it’s working and profitable scale it up to much higher levels quickly. You want your profitable traffic to always be increasing so your business grows, too.

It’s a good idea to have those characteristics in the back of your mind when you consider any traffic source. Then you know if it meets those criteria you are more likely to get results.

That’s it for now, but we have a LOT more to cover so stay tuned…

Your Partner in Success,

Brett

I promised details on the upcoming launch of Extreme PLR Makeover (March 30th at 10am Eastern), and I am delivering…Here is a short (8 minutes) “underground” video that gives you a sneak peek inside before the site is live…

Underground Video 1

(opens in new window)

You can see how the Product Workshop feature works, and learn about more of the powerful features. The site has been 4 months in development and incorporates tons of member input so we could make sure it gives you EVERYTHING you need to profit with Private Label Rights. A few of the features are exclusive to Extreme PLR Makeover and you won’t find them anywhere else. (In developing the site I can tell you why no one else offers them–without boring you with details, it involves using multiple servers with multiple platforms and $1,000s of software)

Watch the video and leave a comment on with your thoughts, suggestions, testimonial, concerns, or whatever else–we’ve gone through a lot to make this the most effective PLR resource for you, but we only know we’re on track when you share your thoughts!

Oh, and be on the lookout for a VERY SPECIAL, exclusive offer just for you coming in the next day or two.

Your partner in success,
Brett

Okay, we’ve covered the 2 most popular responses to the biggest challenge with profiting from PLR. Now let’s look at #3 (18% of members mentioned it)…

How to get website traffic or prospects to see your offer

Getting visitors to come to your website is a challenge that goes as far back as the start of the Internet, and it’s no different today. One of the reasons this is always a popular topic is the dynamic nature of the online world. Advertising and promotion techniques that worked yesterday may not today.

So the question keeps coming up…How do I get traffic to my sites or prospects to see my offers?

To tackle this one, let’s look at 2 general approaches–direct and indirect.

A Direct approach includes anything that is designed to deliver visitors to your site in some quantifiable way. These include pay-per-click, banners, safelists, traffic exchanges, email ads, among many others. You pay a certain amount for a specific result.

An Indirect approach, on the other hand, does not directly or measurably send traffic to your site. Instead, it focuses on building a flow of organic search engine and/or referral traffic. This takes longer to develop, but can be much more powerful, enduring, and effective.

The Direct Approach:
The direct approach is simple to understand and quick to implement–place some ads and watch the response. The best way to use these methods of promotion is to setup a lead capture page. You send traffic to the page, and on the page you offer something related to your product you are selling, and you give it away free.

You ask visitors to signup to get it, so they join your list. Now, if the free download is related to your for sale product, you can use a One Time Offer subscribers see as soon as they signup that gives them a chance to buy at a big discount. If they buy, that’s great. But even if they don’t you’ve got them on your list and can continue emailing them with valuable tips and follow up offers.

To drive traffic to the site, it’s a great idea to use a variety of methods to start and test and track your results. Different methods work differently depending upon your niche and product. I can’t just give you a silver bullet.

To start with, I recommend trying these low cost resources(in no particular order):

- Traffic exchanges - buy or surf for traffic and members see your web page
- Pay per click - there are a bunch of sites out there, but my most effective has always been Google Adwords.
- Co-registration - these are low cost lead generators - the basic idea is one signup form adds a visitor to multiple lists, so it’s cheaper to get these leads but they are not exclusive to you.
- Viral Link Tracker (sorry for the shameless plug but hey, it works!) - link cloaking and viral advertising site that gets your ads in front of prospects
- Instant Buzz - toolbar advertising site that gets your message out to prospects

(If you don’t know where to find these, do an Internet search for them and you’ll get there)

Let’s look at an example…

Let’s say I want to sell an ebook “26 Tips to Play Guitar Like a Rock ‘n Roll Star.” I would create a lead capture page telling visitors they can get the 1st 5 tips FREE just by signing up for my list. When they fill out their name and email and click “submit” I would send them to a One Time Offer page where they see this one chance to get all 26 tips for the discounted price of ____. (Less than normal price)

Because visitors were interested enough in the tips to signup, they are much more likely to buy the full version. This way, I will make some sales now. But more importantly, I am building a targeted list of prospects and I know at least 1 type of product that interests them. I would email 2x per week with follow ups–some offers and some just free content.

To get this started, I might signup on a few traffic exchanges, run some pay-per-click ads, and signup on VLT and IB. I would use tracking links (can make them in VLT) for each one so I know where my results are coming from. I would also create 3-5 different versions of the web page (maybe different headlines, colors, graphics, etc) so I can test different versions and see what works best.

I would start running the promotions, keeping very close track of what results were coming in from where.

NOTE: This is where many marketers drop the ball. Testing can be tedious and time consuming, but without it you have no way of knowing where the results come from. You will succeed MUCH faster if you test because as soon as you know results you can stop any marketing that isn’t working, and do more of what is.

Then I would just monitor results from both the different ad versions and the different advertising methods. When I found the best ad, I would stop others and run it on all ad methods. When I determined which ad methods work, I would increase my exposure there.

The Indirect Approach:
The indirect approach to promoting your website is slower, but the results can be exponentially larger than with direct, as well as cheaper, and continuous too. The basic idea is to create such a demand for your product, service, or brand that people want to find you.

You give away as much free content as you can, and really try to make an impact for your readers/prospects. The bigger difference you make in their lives, the faster they will get in line to buy whatever you’re selling.

I know this sounds hard to believe–if I give away my “secrets” why will anyone want to buy from me? But the exact OPPOSITE is true. Consider this…Do you know anyone you trust so implicitly that you would virtually buy their products before you even know the price or details? If you do, ask yourself WHY you feel that way? Why has that person/company differentiated themselves so much from the competition that you would be so loyal?

The answer is that they helped you in such a significant way that you have complete trust in anything they offer.

Wouldn’t you like your market to feel that way about you? In today’s Web 2.0 world, it’s faster and easier than ever. It seems everyday there is some new viral video that 1,000,000+ people flock to see, and usually it’s just for entertainment. Imagine if you had a video (or anything else) that could actually HELP people solve their problems…

Do you think they would watch it? Share it with others that have similar needs? And here’s the $1,000,000 question…

Do you think prospects would be interested in the NEXT thing you have to say or offer?

So let’s take an example.

Let’s say I want to focus on the fitness niche. So I start a blog, and I make posts with some general fitness tips. I use direct promotion to begin getting some visitors if I don’t have a list already.

Then I create a few videos with exercise routines and diet tips that explain EXACTLY how to get the results, and I post them on my blog too. By now, I’ve got some traffic coming in, and when readers see all the free content that most other fitness sites are charging for, they will keep coming back. Better still, when they use the tips I gave out and get results for themselves they will tell others.

Then I can create a full workout video or training course and sell it, and my readers will even tell me what they want it to include to be worth buying!

This approach takes time because you need to build momentum, but it is much more powerful than buying a few ads. You are branding yourself and creating a loyal following, and that’s worth more than any quick sale.

(If you’re still skeptical, go to www.winelibrarytv.com and look closely at the video preview images on the right side near the bottom. Gary (host on the video you see) started doing video blogs of wine tastings…fast forward 1+ year and he has been on Ellen, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and he gets calls every day from major corporations that want to PAY HIM to advertise on his site. Not bad for a guy who doesn’t “sell” anything…)

Your partner in success,
Brett

Okay, so picking up where we left off last time, let’s talk about the #2 biggest challenge (as reported by 20% of members) marketers face in profiting from PLR…

Don’t even know where to start

I know, it seems like this should have been the first topic I covered, but I wanted to tackle the issues in order of how many members mentioned them as challenges.

The solution to this problem can take many forms, but we’re going to focus on a basic overall process that you can use every time.

Here are the steps to getting started:

1) Pick a product niche - the first thing you want to do is decide what topic or topics you want to focus on in your marketing. Are you going to sell self development, dog training, fitness, home decorating PLR products, or what other niche? It makes sense to choose something you are genuinely interested in and NOT something you think there’s “a lot of money” in. That’s because when you really like your niche, “work” is fun and you’ll do a great job because you love it. If you’re just chasing dollars, remember that you are competing against someone who really loves your niche and thinks the work is fun. Good luck if you don’t.

The reason this first step is so important is because knowing your niche upfront helps you focus and filter–you focus on one market segment which is much more profitable than doing “a little of everything” since that segment will keep buying similar products and begin to look for your promotions. (You will develop deeper relations with your customers, they will trust you, and you’ll know exactly what new products to offer)

And you filter out unrelated products, no matter how great they may look, that would dilute your efforts. Everyday you get slammed with so much information and so many offers that you can’t possibly do it all. When you get sucked in by PLR products that look great but don’t fit your market, you waste time and money trying to promote them, annoy your subscribers with offers for stuff they don’t want, and miss out on a ton of potential revenue. You need to make smart choices with your time because it’s so limited.

2) Search your market - once you have a niche, you want to find as many PLR products as possible within it. Do Internet searches on Google for the name of your niche, PLR, Private Label Rights, Resell Rights, and combinations of those. Check Clickbank and Ebay for products that are selling in your niche. See what you can find. You should actually buy as many of them as you can to both really understand what’s being offered and also have some products you can rebrand and market.

This helps you in a few ways–you can see what products and topics within your niche are most popular, which is a big hint to what you want to market. Also, you get a sense of quality, pricing, and marketing tactics others use that you may be able to duplicate or improve upon.

3) Choose a tactic - once you have a sense of what’s being offered in your market, you need to decide what approach you want to take. Are you going to buy existing PLR products in your niche and add some chapters, rename, and resell? Or create an audio/video version? Or hire a ghostwriter to create new products based on needs you noticed in your market that are unfilled with the existing offers? This decision will vary from market to market, and you can even choose a combination strategy of some of each.

Note: I think it’s very important that you AVOID simply renaming a product but leaving content exactly the same–either sell it as the same or rework it. Otherwise you will have customers who want refunds because they already got the product when it had the other name. And worse, you’ll hurt your reputation because your market will begin to believe you don’t have anything original to add that will help them. (When that happens your response will plummet even if you then try to offer good products)

4) Build a list - avoid the temptation to “just sell” your products–you may make a few bucks, but the real, sustainable income from marketing anything (including PLR products) comes from developing a real relationship with your market, adding value by giving them something they aren’t getting elsewhere that really meets a need, and then selling repeatedly to your customers.

I know in today’s Internet world the “slow, steady, and solid” approach to building a real business is not popular–it’s all about making money overnight, etc. But, the marketers who endure, the ones that will be around for years living their ideal lifestyles while marketing online, will use this approach. Once you have a bond with your customers, you don’t need to worry about some new competitor trying to cut the price on some product by $1 and taking your customers away. Your customers will trust YOU, so they will tune out over-hyped, just trying to “make a buck” types.

5) Convert subscribers into customers - ahh, the part we’ve all been waiting for. As soon as you start adding subscribers, you want to think about which products to sell and write several emails to promote them. (It takes an average of 7 contacts with a prospect before they buy from you)

A good approach is to create a series of emails for any product you will offer, with each email pointing out a different benefit of the product. This way you build a solid case for why they should buy your product, and you also appeal to the largest percent of your market possible because some will valuable different benefits more highly than others. Then just load them into your autoresponder and set them to send on a timed interval like 2 times per week.

NOTE: One point here–I also recommend you continue to weave “free value” communications into your marketing. It builds trust and your reputation, and it will product higher open rates of your emails than just sending 1 pitch after another will. If all you do is sell, many subscribers will start to tune you out. But if you keep educating and helping your subscribers, they will look forward to your emails.

Okay, so I gave you 5 very simple steps. But let’s take an example to see how this really works in action…

Your Fast-Start “Business in a Box” Plan

STEP 1:
Let’s say I want to start selling PLR products but have no products and no list. So I start by asking myself “What do I know better than anyone else?” or “What things have others typically asked me for advice about?” Let’s assume I have a coin collecting hobby that I have been doing for years (this is fictional–I don’t). I probably know coins pretty well–better than most in fact, except maybe some other collectors.

And since it’s a hobby, I obviously love coins. So I decide maybe that’s the right niche.

STEP 2:
I move to step 2 and start researching–I do Google searches, check out Ebay and Clickbank to see what info products are selling about coins, and I buy a few ebooks I find. Now, because I have found some info products in my niche, I validated there is a need–people want to know stuff about coins and coin collecting. So I read through the ebooks and they are good but nothing special. They cover basic coin collecting, how to spot bargains, flea market shopping tips, etc.

STEP 3:
Now I ask myself, “What unique value can I ADD to what I’ve seen already in the market?” or “What market need seems to be unfilled by the existing products?” Since this is where a lot of people get stuck, let’s assume that I do too–I can’t seem to pinpoint a market need or a better product.

(If I had found something unique, I would just write the ebook or hire a ghostwriter through Elance (www.elance.com) to do it.)

So to choose a tactic I decide I will record audio of my voice reading one of the products I bought (assuming I have rights) and market that as my first product. Presto–I’ve got my first product.

If that’s not possible because I couldn’t find a product with rights that would allow me to sell audio of it, I would do 1 of 2 things:

1. Contact the author and ask him or her. Maybe they didn’t offer rights but I can buy rights now, or give him a copy of the audio when done to sell also as compensation for letting me do it.

2. Go to a flea market and talk to coin collectors or call/email coin collectors I found online and ask them to allow me to do a quick interview. I can put together a list of simple questions I know my market wants answers to, and ask them while recording the call or writing the answers down. I would assemble a few of these interviews (or even just 1 if it has enough content) and again Presto! I’ve got a product. (Don’t be bashful to approach people to ask them to do interviews–most people will be flattered by this and you don’t need to pay them, but you could offer a copy of the finished product)

STEP 4:
I would take the first 2 chapters if an ebook, or the first 10 minutes if an audio, and make it into a separate file. Then create a web page with email capture form and text telling visitors that they can download free the first 2 chapters or 10 minutes just by entering their email address and name. I would probably also get an ecover made because the graphic will increase signup rate. (Ron does a great job and is quick: http://www.yourwebdesignpro.com )

Now I’ll be building a list of targeted subscribers who wanted a preview of my “for sale” product badly enough to signup to get it. Do you think they are more likely to buy my full product? (you bet they are!) I can now follow up via email as often as I like because they signed up, and I can send various messages promoting my product to make sales.

(To drive traffic to your site to get signups, you can use traffic exchanges, pay per click, etc. The details of this we’ll cover in another post)

STEP 5:
Now that I have subscribers joining my list, I will write a bunch of emails, and make at least 3-5 that promote this product, each from a different angle or benefit. I would also write 3-5 “info only” emails to help my subscribers learn what they want to know or break through some challenges. I would alternate sending every couple of days–day 1: promo email, day 4: info email, day 7: promo email, day 10: info email, etc. Now I’m building my relationship with my subscribers and making some sales too.

I hope you can see from this example that this is a simple yet powerful technique that will apply to almost ANY niche. YOU can actually do this exact process RIGHT NOW and setup a business if you want!

I hope this info helps, and once again I encourage you to leave comments on this blog post.

More coming soon…

Your partner in success,
Brett

Okay, the results are in…

First, thanks for all of the input–we got flooded with replies to our survey about Private Label Rights! Now, let me share with you the #1 most common response to your biggest challenge with PLR products. Drumroll please…

Over 31% of members said that transforming PLR products into their own unique products is their BIGGEST challenge.

It makes sense. After all, PLR products get recycled so much online that you really NEED to make them unique to have any success in marketing them. But to rework them, you need a handful of tools, knowledge of the subject matter, and some skills in graphic design and copywriting.

Let me share with you a few shortcuts for transforming PLR products. I’ll start with some quick strategies to change a product, and then I’ll cover actual tactics you can use:

Strategies for transforming PLR products:

1) Attack the flanks - one easy way to create a new product is to look at the existing product and ask yourself, “What would the reader want to know BEFORE reading this product and what would the reader want to know AFTER. You can add content and change the entire focus of the product easily. For example, let’s say you have a nutritional ebook called “11 Foods that Help You Lose Weight” that you want to transform. By asking yourself the question and thinking from the reader’s point of view, maybe he or she could use the calorie count on some of the most popular foods people eat BEFORE they read this. And maybe a list of foods they should always avoid or some simple exercises they can do to lose extra weight would appeal AFTER they’ve read this.

By adding content before or after, you can use the main body of the original ebook as is, so you get a ton of content free and make a much more solid looking product with more pages (and therefore WORTH MORE) just by adding some new info. Then you rename the product and presto–you’ve got your own unique product to sell!

2) Add a worksheet - worksheets, or checklists, or any tool that helps readers use or implement the content in the ebook are very simple yet powerful ways to add value. For example, suppose you have the weight loss ebook we discussed–you could create a daily chart with each of the foods listed that helps readers track what they eat. Or a sample weekly menu with a blank copy readers can fill in also. You can add it to the product and sell it as “Version 2: Now Includes sample and customizable weekly menus!” Instant added value!

3) Speak it or Show it - audio and video and HUGE value adds to any product, and a great solution if you struggle writing new content. You don’t need anything new–just read the product into your PC microphone and record it, or take some home video of you speaking or demonstrating. You can even download a free software tool that will record audio right from your web browser: http://www.freecorder.com/freecorder3

Sell it as it’s own product “Audio version of productname” or again sell as “Elite Version: Now includes complete audio version too!”

Tactics for transforming PLR products:

1) Use a global replace tool - when you are renaming a product or changing any part of it that is repeated several times throughout the ebook, it can take hours to manually sort through and find each time it appears. Instead, use a tool to globally search the entire document and replace every instance in seconds. You can get a tool free here: http://www.divlocsoft.com/ or if you use MS Word it has a built-in find and replace tool.

2) Use PDF format to add value - when you finish editing your PLR product, turn it into a PDF because it makes the product look more professional, and it also allows every user to view your product in exactly the same format. You can transform it in seconds by grabbing this free tool: http://www.pdf-free.com

3) Combine multiple aligned products - there is no shortage of PLR products, as you know. An easy way to create a new product with higher perceived value is to combine multiple products on the same topic–either weave the info together throughout, or add them together and write a brief transition.

For example, if you have an ebook on dog training and another on dog grooming, you can make a new ebook “The A-Z Guide for Training & Grooming Your Dog” and then just make sure the content flows from one to the other (we’ve covered training, now let’s talk about grooming, etc.)

So there are a few quick ways to get going. I will be posting more member challenges about Private Label Rights, along with some quick solutions, so check back soon for more.

Also, I encourage you to post comments on my blog–this post or others–to let us know what you think and how we can help.

Your Partner in Success,
Brett

Dear Friend,

If you’re an Internet Marketer or want to be, I can help you. My name is Brett Ingram, and I have been marketing online since 2005. I have launched several successful sites that have brought in literally thousands of members and thousands of dollars in just the first 24 hours!

I don’t tell you that to impress you, but rather to show you what a substantial resource I can be for you in getting started or taking your online venture to the next level. I wasted tons of cash and months of time starting out because I had to learn by trial and error. The most frustrating thing for me was overcoming the confusion of information overload. There were just so many products and services, and advice was either totally ineffective, or just plain crap.

So that’s what brings me to you…

My vision is help you as a marketer achieve the next level or hit your next goal, and the way I am going to do that is by ONLY sharing advice, resources, tools, services, and products that generate a VISIBLE, BOTTOM LINE IMPACT for your business. Information is great and can be very useful, but it’s not enough. You need to know exactly HOW to apply it to YOUR business to CREATE RESULTS beyond mere education. Let’s face it, you don’t build wealth by collecting information. You get wealthy by applying it to your business.

My pledge to you is to help you increase your profits so that you will FEEL the results with your business in measurable ways. Bookmark my site and check back often — I’ll keep you updated on everything from here…

Now let’s build your business!

Your Partner in Success,

Brett Ingram
Founder, Think Big Publications

P.S. — If you haven’t done so already, most communication from Think Big Publications will come from the thinkbigpublications.com domain. I suggest that you start by “White Listing” the domain, so you will be sure to receive email with valuable insight, advice and information about upcoming products and services.