by Andrew Plimmer
If you have been the owner of a website or a blog for any length of time, you're probably striving continuously to improve the SEO (search engine optimization) of your website. Let's face it; the more effort you put into SEO, the better your ranking will be on the various search engines, which in turn means your website will enjoy more traffic as a result.
Of course, even though you more than likely already use several social networking sites, you may not yet be sure of how much those sites can help improve your rankings. One of the best sites to take advantage of is LinkedIn. The main reason for this is that the site already enjoys phenomenal rankings due to the profiles which are hosted on it.
In the event that you already have a LinkedIn account then you can already begin improving your website's SEO with your LinkedIn account. In fact, let's take a look at a few simple ways for using LinkedIn in order to improve the SEO of your website or blog:
Step 1 - Make Use of Anchor Text and Links
Even though this is incredibly simple, it's of the utmost importance, if you want to increase the SEO of your site. You need to use anchor text in order to link to your website from your LinkedIn profile. When you create links to your various websites, it results in potentially profitable backlinks, and this is why it's important to use anchor text which makes use of specific keywords which are relevant to your website.
You need to bear in mind that major search engines such as Google will quite literally scrutinize anchor text when they rank websites. This of course means that if you had web site specific key words to your anchor text, your SEO will be vastly improved. In other words you need to avoid using names like "My Website" or George's Blog, but instead, you should try to be a little bit more creative.
Step 2 - Focus on Keywords When you Compose Your Profile
When you sit down to type up your LinkedIn profile, it's imperative that you focus on using the most relevant keywords. During the process you'll be required to include a headline, personal interests, summary, and also job descriptions and etc. Without over doing it, try to keep your profile rich with relevant keywords relating to your specific website or blog.
Step 3 - Adding Connections
The importance of using LinkedIn for adding connections simply cannot be stressed enough, particularly if your goal is to improve the SEO of your website. In doing this, you'll effectively be making your website more visible, bearing in mind that the more connections you have, the more visible your site will be to people out there in cyberspace. Over and above increasing your website's visibility on the LinkedIn site, you'll also be increasing the overall visibility of your own website or blog on the internet.
Step 4 - Customizing Your URL
Lastly but not least, you need to customize the URL which you have on the LinkedIn site, bearing in mind that LinkedIn members have an opportunity to customize their profile URL, rather than making do with the default one. In fact, you can even choose to change the URL to your own name, the name of your company, or even the name of your website. You can rest assured that if you do this it will result in your profile becoming far more visible, and this in turn goes a long way towards improving the SEO of your website.
Andrew Plimmer is CEO of Suncoast Internet, Sunshine Coast SEO, web design and web development specialists. For a free SEO analysis of your website go to =>
http://www.suncoastinternet.com.au/
Thursday, November 12, 2009
5 Things to Remember When Creating a Blog
by TJ Philpott
When creating a blog you'll want to keep a few things in mind from the very beginning that will help you to properly direct your efforts. If you aspire to become one of the most popular blogs in your niche your focus will have to be on the blog reader. If you are blogging to make money then realize your income will be dependent upon the people who visit your site. These people will ultimately decide how popular your blog is or how successful your promotional efforts may be so don't lose sight of that.
With that said here are 5 areas you will not want to overlook or disregard especially if you are counting on your home business blog to earn you an income.
Establish Transparency
Allow your readers to get some insight into who you are and why you blog. By increasing their familiarity with you in this way you are gaining more trust from them. Don't be afraid to share your opinion or a little bit about your personal interests, family or anything else that would be relevant to your blog or the readers.
This is especially important if you intend to promote any type of products on your site. Trust will be needed if readers are expected to make any purchases on what essentially will be your home business blog.
Create a Network
When posting take advantage of great content you may have found elsewhere and credit the source on your blog. By linking to other sites in this manner you will eventually have these sites link back to you creating a flow of traffic from their site.
Leave Comments
Visit other blogs within your community/niche for ideas on content, design, or even to see what others are talking about. Participate and if possible leave ONLY helpful, insightful, or informative comments. You will be creating a greater awareness of both you and your blog by doing this.
Do Your Research
Before you post anything be sure it is accurate and helpful to your readers. Don't position yourself as an expert on something you know little or nothing about. Be willing to do the research if you are not already an expert and over time you will gain the recognition as an authority on the subject matter.
Show Gratitude
Remember what we spoke of earlier that your readers will be responsible for your ultimate success. With this in mind periodically extending your appreciation to them for their loyalty will only help to strengthen the bond between you and them. A simple thank you will suffice and an occasional 'free' report won't hurt either. Besides gratitude is always good for the soul!
When creating a blog it is always smart to keep your ultimate goal in mind. Your site was created for the blog reader and their enjoyment. By catering to the needs of the visitors to your site you will put yourself in the position to become one of the most popular blogs in your niche. If you are blogging to make money then this will be of obvious importance to you since it will directly impact your income. Your continual attention to the 5 areas above will likely result in the greater satisfaction of your readers which will lead to the desired results you are seeking for your blog.
TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.
For additional Money Making Tips and a free guide that demonstrates how to find both profitable markets and products visit: http://blogbrawn.com/
When creating a blog you'll want to keep a few things in mind from the very beginning that will help you to properly direct your efforts. If you aspire to become one of the most popular blogs in your niche your focus will have to be on the blog reader. If you are blogging to make money then realize your income will be dependent upon the people who visit your site. These people will ultimately decide how popular your blog is or how successful your promotional efforts may be so don't lose sight of that.
With that said here are 5 areas you will not want to overlook or disregard especially if you are counting on your home business blog to earn you an income.
Establish Transparency
Allow your readers to get some insight into who you are and why you blog. By increasing their familiarity with you in this way you are gaining more trust from them. Don't be afraid to share your opinion or a little bit about your personal interests, family or anything else that would be relevant to your blog or the readers.
This is especially important if you intend to promote any type of products on your site. Trust will be needed if readers are expected to make any purchases on what essentially will be your home business blog.
Create a Network
When posting take advantage of great content you may have found elsewhere and credit the source on your blog. By linking to other sites in this manner you will eventually have these sites link back to you creating a flow of traffic from their site.
Leave Comments
Visit other blogs within your community/niche for ideas on content, design, or even to see what others are talking about. Participate and if possible leave ONLY helpful, insightful, or informative comments. You will be creating a greater awareness of both you and your blog by doing this.
Do Your Research
Before you post anything be sure it is accurate and helpful to your readers. Don't position yourself as an expert on something you know little or nothing about. Be willing to do the research if you are not already an expert and over time you will gain the recognition as an authority on the subject matter.
Show Gratitude
Remember what we spoke of earlier that your readers will be responsible for your ultimate success. With this in mind periodically extending your appreciation to them for their loyalty will only help to strengthen the bond between you and them. A simple thank you will suffice and an occasional 'free' report won't hurt either. Besides gratitude is always good for the soul!
When creating a blog it is always smart to keep your ultimate goal in mind. Your site was created for the blog reader and their enjoyment. By catering to the needs of the visitors to your site you will put yourself in the position to become one of the most popular blogs in your niche. If you are blogging to make money then this will be of obvious importance to you since it will directly impact your income. Your continual attention to the 5 areas above will likely result in the greater satisfaction of your readers which will lead to the desired results you are seeking for your blog.
TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.
For additional Money Making Tips and a free guide that demonstrates how to find both profitable markets and products visit: http://blogbrawn.com/
New Kid on the Block - Should Twitter be Worried?
by Craig Friesen
To many readers the idea that anything could replace or compete with Twitter today is ludicrous. Millions upon millions of people are tweeting every day - what will ever change that fact? Realistically speaking the answer is not much could hamper let alone halt Twitter's momentum. But I suspect there were many people who quietly laughed at Jack Dorsey when he introduced his brainstorm of a short message service being used by individuals to share snippets of their lives with friends and family - even today people still wonder "who cares?" That is the miracle of social and technological innovation - a simple and sometimes crazy idea gains shape and forward, virtually uncontrollable motion until it cannot help but influence the very fabric of society. I wonder how many other "ludicrous" ideas have been voiced then squelched. I also ask myself whether I would have acted if presented with the opportunity to try out Twitter in its first weeks? Consequently I found it difficult to resist trying out Sokule when it was introduced to me in mid-August 2009 a month before its official release. The rest of this article is a review of my experience with Sokule, "the gentle giant."
Can You Make Money with Social Networking?
Sokule is described as "like Twitter but monetized." I found this to be true in several ways. First of all, while the lingo is different, with Sokule you can send short messages called "squeeks" out to your trackers but included are options to increase the length of postings. And whether your squeek is short or long it can be resized and re-squeeked to Twitter automatically. Secondly, while Sokule has a free membership like Twitter it also has paid subscription options to increase its power as a social marketing platform. Thirdly, Sokule's focus on creating a messaging service for marketers makes it possible to earn an affiliate commission from referred squeekers who upgrade.
Sokule is not just about monetizing your short messages. I discovered that the leverage being provided by Sokule is worth joining alone. When you post or squeek on Sokule you can choose to broadcast on Twitter, Blogger and LiveJournal among those currently available; and soon you will be able to post directly to other social networks such as Facebook, MySpace and Flickr. To be able to do this with just one squeek on Sokule is simply amazing and a great boon for anyone wanting to get a message out.
In addition to the SMS function of Sokule members have the option to add marketing links, graphics and videos to the side panels of their postit page. Some third party applications provide a similar service to Twitter users but it's nice to not have to join additional programs to get some of the same marketing advantages Sokule provides.
So Should Twitter be Worried?
From a business perspective I think Sokule has some distinct advantages over Twitter which in all fairness was not really created with business marketing in mind (as far as I know). Even without the possibility of earning commissions from Sokule I see enough unique and useful features available or in production to make it worthwhile joining for free. A good portion of Twitter followers stop using the service after only a month yet the number of new users seems to grow exponentially so I am quite sure it will be a long time before Twitter need worry about any competition. Social networking platforms like Sokule and third party applications that make use of or enhance Twitter's platform will also continue to fuel its growth.
I wish I had jumped into Twitter much earlier than I did - as a newcomer to the social networking scene I feel like I am at a disadvantage to have not "seen the light" earlier. It may be too early to really evaluate Sokule's contribution to the social networking sub-culture but from what I have seen thus far I would rather be on board now at the beginning than wishing I had later.
Craig Friesen is a freelance writer and owner of TopAffiliateProgramsMakeMoney.com. He has written articles and marketed online for several years but confesses to being late in joining social networking as a good business marketing venue. You can see Sokule in action at http://www.sokule.com/postit/topaffiliatepro or visit Craig's business website.
To many readers the idea that anything could replace or compete with Twitter today is ludicrous. Millions upon millions of people are tweeting every day - what will ever change that fact? Realistically speaking the answer is not much could hamper let alone halt Twitter's momentum. But I suspect there were many people who quietly laughed at Jack Dorsey when he introduced his brainstorm of a short message service being used by individuals to share snippets of their lives with friends and family - even today people still wonder "who cares?" That is the miracle of social and technological innovation - a simple and sometimes crazy idea gains shape and forward, virtually uncontrollable motion until it cannot help but influence the very fabric of society. I wonder how many other "ludicrous" ideas have been voiced then squelched. I also ask myself whether I would have acted if presented with the opportunity to try out Twitter in its first weeks? Consequently I found it difficult to resist trying out Sokule when it was introduced to me in mid-August 2009 a month before its official release. The rest of this article is a review of my experience with Sokule, "the gentle giant."
Can You Make Money with Social Networking?
Sokule is described as "like Twitter but monetized." I found this to be true in several ways. First of all, while the lingo is different, with Sokule you can send short messages called "squeeks" out to your trackers but included are options to increase the length of postings. And whether your squeek is short or long it can be resized and re-squeeked to Twitter automatically. Secondly, while Sokule has a free membership like Twitter it also has paid subscription options to increase its power as a social marketing platform. Thirdly, Sokule's focus on creating a messaging service for marketers makes it possible to earn an affiliate commission from referred squeekers who upgrade.
Sokule is not just about monetizing your short messages. I discovered that the leverage being provided by Sokule is worth joining alone. When you post or squeek on Sokule you can choose to broadcast on Twitter, Blogger and LiveJournal among those currently available; and soon you will be able to post directly to other social networks such as Facebook, MySpace and Flickr. To be able to do this with just one squeek on Sokule is simply amazing and a great boon for anyone wanting to get a message out.
In addition to the SMS function of Sokule members have the option to add marketing links, graphics and videos to the side panels of their postit page. Some third party applications provide a similar service to Twitter users but it's nice to not have to join additional programs to get some of the same marketing advantages Sokule provides.
So Should Twitter be Worried?
From a business perspective I think Sokule has some distinct advantages over Twitter which in all fairness was not really created with business marketing in mind (as far as I know). Even without the possibility of earning commissions from Sokule I see enough unique and useful features available or in production to make it worthwhile joining for free. A good portion of Twitter followers stop using the service after only a month yet the number of new users seems to grow exponentially so I am quite sure it will be a long time before Twitter need worry about any competition. Social networking platforms like Sokule and third party applications that make use of or enhance Twitter's platform will also continue to fuel its growth.
I wish I had jumped into Twitter much earlier than I did - as a newcomer to the social networking scene I feel like I am at a disadvantage to have not "seen the light" earlier. It may be too early to really evaluate Sokule's contribution to the social networking sub-culture but from what I have seen thus far I would rather be on board now at the beginning than wishing I had later.
Craig Friesen is a freelance writer and owner of TopAffiliateProgramsMakeMoney.com. He has written articles and marketed online for several years but confesses to being late in joining social networking as a good business marketing venue. You can see Sokule in action at http://www.sokule.com/postit/topaffiliatepro or visit Craig's business website.
How to Market With YouTube
by David Bouchez
YouTube is one more piece of the Internet Marketing Puzzle. This is a great way to get your name out there, help brand yourself, and play a big role in your website's search engine placement - if done properly.. It’s also a good way for you to interact with potential customers, and attract new ones.
The thought of doing a video really scares some people; they're concerned about how their looks and the sound of their voice will be perceived.
"What will I say?". Not to worry. There are ways to create fun, stress free videos that are very effective for your marketing efforts - just stick around : )
Almost 150 thousand YouTube videos are uploaded daily, with over 80 MM users. So this market can be competitive, but there are ways to go about getting your video ranked high on the search engines.
Below are 10 basic tips to get you started.
1. Provide Value. This is not the time to create a commercial for your product or service. With so many videos out there for people to choose from, you need to give them something that they want to see. Provide useful information. Do a training video on something that people are interested in. Just make sure that it ties in with your product, brand, and service.
2. Keep it short. Ideally, keep your video between 3-5 minutes. Any longer, and your viewers may not watch the entire thing. You don’t want that because YouTube actually tracks how long viewers watch a video. If they don’t watch it in its entirety, your ranking will go down.
3. Good Quality. Make sure the sound is decent and the lighting is good. Be sure that there aren’t any distractions in the background.
4. Shy about talking on a video? There are other options. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of being on camera, look into such programs as Camtasia. This program allows you to present information directly on your screen. You don’t have to be on camera. All you will do is explain or present your topic.
5. Search Engine Optimization. Use typical SEO techniques to get your video ranked higher. Use keywords in your URL and filename. Also use appropriate keywords in your title and video description. This is a whole topic which can be very complex, so we won’t go into detail here.
6. Allow comments and ratings. This is a good way to interact with your viewers. You will have the option to remove comments if you think something is inappropriate or spammy. Try to respond to the comments as well. Allowing ratings will also help with your rankings on the search engines.
7. Place your website in the description box. Place it before your actual video description. This will help point traffic toward your website, as well as create back links.
8. Get your video out there. Post your videos on blogs, websites, and social media sites. Anytime your video is viewed, even if it’s on other sites, YouTube counts it as a view and this will help your rankings. So post your videos anywhere you can.
9. Do it often. When you start this form of marketing, make sure you create your videos frequently. Every time you learn something new, immediately make a video. Remember, these don’t have to long. The more videos you put out there, the higher your rankings will be.
10. Research. There are many more techniques for posting, and ranking your YouTube videos. As you become more comfortable with this marketing medium, you can research and learn these more advanced methods.
David Bouchez wrote How to Market With YouTube to teach the valuable skill of Video Marketing. Get No Cost Traffic and receive free video internet marketing training. Drop by right now to gain access to the training and tools you need.
YouTube is one more piece of the Internet Marketing Puzzle. This is a great way to get your name out there, help brand yourself, and play a big role in your website's search engine placement - if done properly.. It’s also a good way for you to interact with potential customers, and attract new ones.
The thought of doing a video really scares some people; they're concerned about how their looks and the sound of their voice will be perceived.
"What will I say?". Not to worry. There are ways to create fun, stress free videos that are very effective for your marketing efforts - just stick around : )
Almost 150 thousand YouTube videos are uploaded daily, with over 80 MM users. So this market can be competitive, but there are ways to go about getting your video ranked high on the search engines.
Below are 10 basic tips to get you started.
1. Provide Value. This is not the time to create a commercial for your product or service. With so many videos out there for people to choose from, you need to give them something that they want to see. Provide useful information. Do a training video on something that people are interested in. Just make sure that it ties in with your product, brand, and service.
2. Keep it short. Ideally, keep your video between 3-5 minutes. Any longer, and your viewers may not watch the entire thing. You don’t want that because YouTube actually tracks how long viewers watch a video. If they don’t watch it in its entirety, your ranking will go down.
3. Good Quality. Make sure the sound is decent and the lighting is good. Be sure that there aren’t any distractions in the background.
4. Shy about talking on a video? There are other options. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of being on camera, look into such programs as Camtasia. This program allows you to present information directly on your screen. You don’t have to be on camera. All you will do is explain or present your topic.
5. Search Engine Optimization. Use typical SEO techniques to get your video ranked higher. Use keywords in your URL and filename. Also use appropriate keywords in your title and video description. This is a whole topic which can be very complex, so we won’t go into detail here.
6. Allow comments and ratings. This is a good way to interact with your viewers. You will have the option to remove comments if you think something is inappropriate or spammy. Try to respond to the comments as well. Allowing ratings will also help with your rankings on the search engines.
7. Place your website in the description box. Place it before your actual video description. This will help point traffic toward your website, as well as create back links.
8. Get your video out there. Post your videos on blogs, websites, and social media sites. Anytime your video is viewed, even if it’s on other sites, YouTube counts it as a view and this will help your rankings. So post your videos anywhere you can.
9. Do it often. When you start this form of marketing, make sure you create your videos frequently. Every time you learn something new, immediately make a video. Remember, these don’t have to long. The more videos you put out there, the higher your rankings will be.
10. Research. There are many more techniques for posting, and ranking your YouTube videos. As you become more comfortable with this marketing medium, you can research and learn these more advanced methods.
David Bouchez wrote How to Market With YouTube to teach the valuable skill of Video Marketing. Get No Cost Traffic and receive free video internet marketing training. Drop by right now to gain access to the training and tools you need.
How To Make Money From Your Membership Site In 5 Simple Steps
by Jeremy Gislason
Membership sites can generate a very nice income, allowing anyone to quit their day job and work from home. A freedom that many people would die for.
Starting a membership site is not as difficult as it may sound. With the tools available to us today, it can be a very easy process. You simply decide on a topic, put up a site, generate the content, launch and promote the site.
Let’s go through the steps one by one.
Step 1: Choose A Topic.
Before you pick the topic you will be building your site around, do some extensive research. You are going to want to choose a topic that lots of people are interested in.
Niche topics are best, and you want to make sure that there are enough people interested in the topic to enable you to generate a decent income. Creating your site around raising goats may not do the trick. Some examples that will draw a good crowd would be cars, weight loss, video games, traveling and so on.
Once you decide on the topic of your site, break it down into sub-topics, to create tightly focused discussions. This will help to make the site engaging to specific interests.
Step 2: Build The Site.
A membership site can be put together in a mater of minutes with the right tools. There are plenty of tools on the market that will get the job done quickly and easily. Some of these tools are free as well.
If you are going to be setting up your first membership site, I would suggest using a free tool, such as Wordpress. It is easy to use and has numerous plugins that will help you to get ranked quickly and easily in the search engines.
Using some of the free tools available will let you get started without investing too much money right off the start. Later on down the road, when you are making enough money from your membership site, you can purchase something like Dreamweaver or Frontpage to build your site. But it is not necessary.
Step 3: Generate Content.
This is probably the most difficult part of planning a membership site. What will you be offering your members in return for their membership fee? The options are unlimited.
For example, you might offer e-lessons on your niche. You could offer an e-book as well. People love information and it is exactly what they are searching for every time they open a browser window. If you have a lot of knowledge in your niche, you probably have some valuable information to offer. Make the offer exciting; entice them and over deliver on what you have to offer.
Set up a forum if you have the technical know-how, or simply hire someone who can do it for you. One of the great things about forums is that once they get going, all the great content will be coming from the members. These members make up for a great community and have a lot of valuable information to offer each other.
Step 4: Set Up Your Payment System.
You need to make a decision on how you are going to charge people for their membership. With the right topic, forums can become quite large.
You can charge a very low monthly fee, or a one-time payment for a lifetime membership. With a small fee to join, you can still earn a large amount of money. Charging a monthly fee will create a dependable income. This in turn, will allow you to spend a fair amount of time and energy on the membership site, building up relationships with your members.
Some marketers offer the forum of their membership site for free, but has certain sub-forums for paid members only. The site would need to have so much good information on it, that it will lead free members to wonder what was going on behind the secret door. Curiosity will get the better of them, and they will pay for access to the exclusive members area.
Once your forum is open and you have active members, it is just a matter of time before you build a relationship with the active posters. Once you do, you have gained their ultimate trust. It is at this point that you can begin to recommend products that you feel will be helpful to them. These products can be your own, or affiliate products that you promote, enabling you to earn money from each purchase they make.
You may also consider using Adsense advertisements as an extra way to generate income. Using Adsense to place relevant adds on the forums is easy to set up. Every time a member clicks on an advertisement, you will earn a little more money.
Step 5: Launch And Promote Your Membership Site.
This is the most exciting stage of the membership website. This is also one of the more challenging steps in the process. Getting the word out will take a little work. You want to use all mediums to generate excitement and attract members. You will want to use online and offline forms of promoting the opening.
-Write and submit articles to directories related to your niche.
-Start a blog about the upcoming opening of your site.
-Post at related forums, answering questions about your related topic.
-Write a press release
-Include the web address in your email signature.
-Use PPC advertising campaigns to drive traffic to your site.
-Purchase banners on targeted websites.
Completing all of the steps above is going to take a little planning on your part, and will keep you busy for a while. But if you are passionate about the topic of your site, this should be a fun challenge for you.
Once you have members signing up to join, and the posts are coming in, the hard work is done. At this point you can sit back, relax and get to know your members.
Want to know proven ways to tremendously increase membership sales? Want to take membership marketing to a whole new level of overflowing profits? Build high-earning membership sites like a pro by going to http://www.membershipmillionaire.com
Membership sites can generate a very nice income, allowing anyone to quit their day job and work from home. A freedom that many people would die for.
Starting a membership site is not as difficult as it may sound. With the tools available to us today, it can be a very easy process. You simply decide on a topic, put up a site, generate the content, launch and promote the site.
Let’s go through the steps one by one.
Step 1: Choose A Topic.
Before you pick the topic you will be building your site around, do some extensive research. You are going to want to choose a topic that lots of people are interested in.
Niche topics are best, and you want to make sure that there are enough people interested in the topic to enable you to generate a decent income. Creating your site around raising goats may not do the trick. Some examples that will draw a good crowd would be cars, weight loss, video games, traveling and so on.
Once you decide on the topic of your site, break it down into sub-topics, to create tightly focused discussions. This will help to make the site engaging to specific interests.
Step 2: Build The Site.
A membership site can be put together in a mater of minutes with the right tools. There are plenty of tools on the market that will get the job done quickly and easily. Some of these tools are free as well.
If you are going to be setting up your first membership site, I would suggest using a free tool, such as Wordpress. It is easy to use and has numerous plugins that will help you to get ranked quickly and easily in the search engines.
Using some of the free tools available will let you get started without investing too much money right off the start. Later on down the road, when you are making enough money from your membership site, you can purchase something like Dreamweaver or Frontpage to build your site. But it is not necessary.
Step 3: Generate Content.
This is probably the most difficult part of planning a membership site. What will you be offering your members in return for their membership fee? The options are unlimited.
For example, you might offer e-lessons on your niche. You could offer an e-book as well. People love information and it is exactly what they are searching for every time they open a browser window. If you have a lot of knowledge in your niche, you probably have some valuable information to offer. Make the offer exciting; entice them and over deliver on what you have to offer.
Set up a forum if you have the technical know-how, or simply hire someone who can do it for you. One of the great things about forums is that once they get going, all the great content will be coming from the members. These members make up for a great community and have a lot of valuable information to offer each other.
Step 4: Set Up Your Payment System.
You need to make a decision on how you are going to charge people for their membership. With the right topic, forums can become quite large.
You can charge a very low monthly fee, or a one-time payment for a lifetime membership. With a small fee to join, you can still earn a large amount of money. Charging a monthly fee will create a dependable income. This in turn, will allow you to spend a fair amount of time and energy on the membership site, building up relationships with your members.
Some marketers offer the forum of their membership site for free, but has certain sub-forums for paid members only. The site would need to have so much good information on it, that it will lead free members to wonder what was going on behind the secret door. Curiosity will get the better of them, and they will pay for access to the exclusive members area.
Once your forum is open and you have active members, it is just a matter of time before you build a relationship with the active posters. Once you do, you have gained their ultimate trust. It is at this point that you can begin to recommend products that you feel will be helpful to them. These products can be your own, or affiliate products that you promote, enabling you to earn money from each purchase they make.
You may also consider using Adsense advertisements as an extra way to generate income. Using Adsense to place relevant adds on the forums is easy to set up. Every time a member clicks on an advertisement, you will earn a little more money.
Step 5: Launch And Promote Your Membership Site.
This is the most exciting stage of the membership website. This is also one of the more challenging steps in the process. Getting the word out will take a little work. You want to use all mediums to generate excitement and attract members. You will want to use online and offline forms of promoting the opening.
-Write and submit articles to directories related to your niche.
-Start a blog about the upcoming opening of your site.
-Post at related forums, answering questions about your related topic.
-Write a press release
-Include the web address in your email signature.
-Use PPC advertising campaigns to drive traffic to your site.
-Purchase banners on targeted websites.
Completing all of the steps above is going to take a little planning on your part, and will keep you busy for a while. But if you are passionate about the topic of your site, this should be a fun challenge for you.
Once you have members signing up to join, and the posts are coming in, the hard work is done. At this point you can sit back, relax and get to know your members.
Want to know proven ways to tremendously increase membership sales? Want to take membership marketing to a whole new level of overflowing profits? Build high-earning membership sites like a pro by going to http://www.membershipmillionaire.com
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