How to Choose Affiliate Products to Promote

Content creators talk often about the importance of being passionate about your niche…but what about the products you promote? This was one of the topics Missy Ward covered during her session BlogWorld & New Media Expo New York 2012. Missy is the Co-Founder & President of Affiliate Summit Inc., so she knows a thing or two about promoting products. But believe it or not, it still comes down to one tip: do what you love.

5 Business Balancing Activities: Produce High Energy Results

It’s much easier to balance every aspect of your business if you are organized. Stay on top of your customers, prospects, and deals by using a simple CRM and sales tracking app like Base.

Being in business is akin to walking several tightropes in order to keep balance and not fall.  Let’s explore 5 of those balancing acts:

#1.  Expense vs. Revenue

Both newer small business startups and multi-million dollar businesses face this issue. While the revenue is far greater for a larger business, so are their expenses. They face greater problems such as meeting large payrolls. This isn’t meant to discourage you from greatness, but it is important, regardless of the size of your business that your revenue must exceed your expenses.

What’s your problem?

All great marketing solutions start with a well and accurately defined problem and a correct diagnosis of the course of action that needs to be followed. So I thought I’d talk a little about this to kick the new year off in a back to basics style.
There is a very basic diagnostic tool I want to share with you that works a treat at the very start of a project and ensures that you are directing your efforts in the right and most profitable direction.

It involves asking whether you think the real problem that needs to be solved, the blockage that needs to be opened up, is a product, brand or communications problem.

And the starting point is to scrutinise the product, service or occasionally business – to ask whether the problem lies at the product level.

Sales Training vs Product Training

I started this morning just like any other: with cup of coffee in hand I begin reading my emails. The first email I came across began with the statement “Product training is the most important aspect of sales training.”  While I wasn’t interested in the free webinar the email was offering, the statement evoked a thought: Is product training more important than sales training? 
Many organizations invest money, time and effort teaching sales people all about the products and services they sell. Perhaps as a direct result of this effort, we often find sales people spending the bulk of their time attempting to pitch their products and services to prospective customers.

12 publicity "hooks" to promote your products

                                    (Credit: Public Domain Image)

(MoneyWatch) Is there such a thing as free publicity? My Dad used to say, "The sun comes up, and the sun goes down, and nothing else is free." In other words, there is a price to be paid for media coverage -- you need to work on being newsworthy.

The next time you are brainstorming ways to create publicity for your product or service, try this checklist of 12 proven news "hooks":

How to Advertise With Free Marketing Products To Increase Business Sales

Your business will benefit from the proper use of free marketing products.      
Instructions
1. Prepare your sales team for success.
Having great marketing products will do little good if your team lacks enthusiasm. Let everyone on your team know about the new marketing promotions. Get them fired up and share with them the impact that higher sales will have for everyone involved.  

Product Features, Advantages and Benefits

The sales mantra goes that we must sell benefits, not features. To explain what I mean read the following extract of an on-line advertisement for Miele ovens.
“The Miele fan forced cooking system, for example, enables you to cook on up to three levels. Rather than just circulating hot air with a fan we use a mini-turbine together with a ring heater element to force hot air evenly throughout the oven interior. This reduces cooking time and thus energy consumption – above all providing perfectly even cooking results.”

In this advertisement, the feature, advantages and benefits are: