Affiliate Buzz | Affiliate Marketing / Affiliate Programs / Internet / Online / Social Media Marketing - James Martell

Affiliate Buzz | Affiliate Marketing / Affiliate Programs / Internet / Online / Social Media Marketing - James Martell

By James Martell: Online Entrepreneur, Speaker and PodcasterBusinessTechnologyEducation
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Affiliate Buzz | Affiliate Marketing / Affiliate Programs / Internet / Online / Social Media Marketing - James Martell episodes

  • AB #395 | Multi-Millionaire and Best Selling Author Shares the Secrets to Building Internet Businesses that Lead to Financial Freedom
    In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp James Martell talks with guest Dan Lok who shares tips and takeaways for how to create a successful internet business of your own. Plus we learn about some of Dan’s failures and success along the way.
    Some listeners may remember Dan from Affiliate Buzz #365 (link in the Resources section below) which aired last December. The episode was the second-highest rated for 2014, which is amazing considering how late it was in the year.
    Some Background about Dan Lok
    Dan Lok is serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, and an authority on internet marketing and building Internet businesses that lead to financial freedom. During the podcast he explains what holds people back and why you may be struggling in your own efforts.
    Dan first came to Canada at age 14. Two years later, his parents divorced so he grew up an only child of divorced parents.

    * Dad's bankruptcy left him unable to send money to Dan and his mom
    * this led Dan to earning money to help support his family
    * Dan originally wanted to be a martial arts instructor. When he realized his instructor was struggling financially, he knew that was not the life for him.

    Dan had lunch with a wealthy individual and asked the person for advice. The person confirmed that Dan doesn't have the physical build of an athlete, wasn't a good student, and didn't have a screen presence - all that was left was entrepreneurship.
    Dan's Early Days as an Entrepreneur
    When Dan first tried his hand at being an entrepreneur, he lost everything - maxed out credit cards, lost all his money, lost equity in his home, and so forth.
    Then Dan explains that his early choices with money, which included buying a new car every year and treating friends to expensive dinners, were not great choices. He cautions other entrepreneurs to make smarter choices with money when profits start turning.
    Next Dan lists some of his early failed ventures, which include lawn mowing, software and computer repair, vending machines sales, and network marketing, to name a few. When Dan was jumping around, he was looking for something outside of himself to find success.
    Dan says this was a big mistake because he never took time to develop the mindset and skill sets to be successful. People tell him everything he touches turns to gold - but he is quick to let them know that ten years ago everything he touched turned to crap.
    Finally Dan tried his hand at marketing and copywriting, which led to online marketing, which provided some light at the end of a debt-ridden tunnel.
    Insight from a Serial Entrepreneur
    Wealth is committing to one idea over time. Dan says to master something, you have to focus on one thing and dedicate time to it, and then it will begin to turn a profit. Dan uses the example of James being a master of affiliate marketing.
    Dan's research included the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and personal development tapes by Bryan Tracey. The result was being more successful, motivational and productive, but he still didn't have the breakthrough he needed.
    Then Dan switched things up and focused on the other end of the spectrum - his business skills. He doesn't believe in faking enthusiasm and isn't a big believer in positive motivation. To those who say "Feel good and you'll make a lot of money" Dan says "if you make a lot of money you'll feel pretty darned good!"
    "Motivation Is Good but Desperation Is Better."
    All the good energy and intentions in the world won't close a sale. Dan's advice is to look at the objections a customer might have, and then find a way to overcome the objections. In short - prepare for the best while expecting the worst.
    Dan's breakthrough came when he found his first mentor, Alan Jinx. For the next year Alan took Dan under his wing.
    56 min
  • AB #394 | An Elance Fail, Computer Blow-Up, and a Timely Breakation
    In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell and wife Arlene share about some unnecessary Elance headaches, an unfortunate computer malfunction, and a timely breakation.
    Remedying an Elance Headache
    James kicks off the episode by discussing a recent headache with Elance, an outsourcing provider where he and Arlene have successfully completed over 1300 work orders. Elance's escrow program offers a safety net against losing money, but as James found out it's not a guarantee.
    While Arlene was in the hospital, which you can read about in episode #390, linked in the References section below, James hired a couple of virtual assistants (VA's) on an hourly basis to help keep things running.
    Despite putting the job on hold, one of the hourly candidates submitted time sheets for busywork outside the scope of the job description. When James realized he was paying the contractor for doing nothing, he disputed the time sheets.
    James learned that unless you dispute the timesheet right away, Elance will expect you to pay the money, and feels Elance made an error due to the amount of written communication that the work was not supposed to be underway yet. Chalk it up to an Elance fail and lesson learned.
    Elance's Transition to Upwork
    James goes on to say that as much as the situation annoyed him, Elance is still his go-to for outsourcing. The company, after merging with oDesk, is facing a big change as their entire platform is changing to Upwork.
    One worry James had was about the feedback he and his contractors have left for each other over the past several years. Elance assured him that everything transitions to the new Upwork site and all he has to do is log in with his Elance user name and password.
    When James and Arlene first started with Elance, they had access to several hundred thousand freelance contractors. That number grew over the years, but the migration to Upwork gives them access to more than 10 million service providers - almost one-third of the population of Canada!
    James and Arlene will talk more about Elance's transition to Upwork in Affiliate Buzz #397, linked in the References section below.
    Backing Up Data Before a Computer Crash
    After a break, James relays how during a recording using Screencast-O-Matic, an affordable program comparable to high-end tools like Camtasia, when his computer went down. The situation caused James to worry about his hard drive filled with family photos, data related to business, and so forth.
    Fortunately James uses a service that backs the important files from your computer to a space in the cloud that offers bank-level security. When James logged into the Backblaze website, he was able to restore the programs.
    Backblaze also allows you to move data from one machine to another, such as when you get a new computer. You can learn more about it, or sign up for the reasonably priced service using this link http://jamesmartell.wpengine.com/backblaze through James's website.
    A Breakation and How to Maximize Affiliate Knowledge
    Now that things are back on track after an eventful summer, James and Arlene are planning a breakation planned to visit their grandkids. During the podcast discuss what technology they plan to take so they can knock out some work during nap time.
    James built a website for a friend who owns White Rock Sea Tours, which offers tours of the area on a completely refurbished 27-foot former U.S. Navy vessel. The site, http://www.whiterockseatours.com/ has a sliding photo gallery with the company logo embedded in the top right corner.
    When developing the logo, James purchased the image of an anchor from Graphic River and then had a service provider from Elance create something based on the website owner's sketch.
    James reminds that as affiliates, you can take what you learned by setting up your own website ...
    36 min
  • AB #393 | ShareASale Think Tank 2015 Fall Catalog and a Killer Topic Idea for a Podcast
    In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell and wife Arlene discuss the ShareASale Think Tank and fall catalogue. They also talk about a killer topic idea for an affiliate or podcaster.
    What to Expect at a ShareASale Think Tank
    James and Arlene kick off the episode with some background information about past ShareASale Think Tank events. They share their own experiences while providing a general overview about the company. The fee for the event covers everything except airfare.
    Next James lists some of the past Think Tank venues including, but not limited to: the Grand Del Mar in San Diego, The Wynn Las Vegas where guests enjoyed golfing and spa days, and the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach. James and Arlene were able to add a breakation to Disneyland on the last one.
    Then the hosts segue into what happens during the events. As James points out, this is an opportunity for affiliates who work hard to take some time to play hard. You have to apply to attend, but newbie affiliates have equal chance of being accepted as seasoned marketers.
    Arlene goes on to share things you can expect at a Share-A-Sale Think Tank, such as:

    * a 5 star hotel rooms with marble baths and plush beds
    * meet and greet events with refreshments and drinks
    * well-organized one-on-one meet-ups with affiliate managers

    As soon as the website comes alive for the 2015 event, James and Arlene will send out an alert.
    A Review of the ShareASale Fall Catalogue
    After a short break, the conversation turns to the ShareASale fall catalogue. James compares it to the catalogues department stores put out at Christmas. This publication is geared toward affiliates, however and includes 84 digital pages of merchants and their offers.
    Arlene points out that these merchants at the Think Tank events are looking for quality affiliates. They often bring samples of their products to the events and are quick to share tips and marketing practices affiliates can use to best promote their merchandise.
    The catalogue is seasonal, and as James remarks it does a great job of matching up different merchants and projects to the season. The catalogue is also a great way to gear up for the holidays and Black Friday, which is traditionally the biggest shopping day in the Northern Hemisphere.
    You can get a copy of the catalogue at the link below.
    A Killer Topic Idea for an Affiliate or Podcaster
    James then turns the conversation to a killer topic idea for a podcast or for an affiliate or podcaster - Donald Trump. No matter where you turn, whether you are for or against the presidential candidate, Donald Trump is getting a lot of attention.
    As the tide rises, you can take a well-organized podcast really far. As James warns, the downside is that nobody can predict how long his popularity will last. The over-the-top enthusiasm for Donald Trump is sure to garner an audience.
    Did you enjoy today's episode? Please head over to http://jamesmartell.wpengine.com/itunes where you can leave a review. It helps other people discover the Affiliate Buzz so they can also benefit from the knowledge shared in these podcasts.
    There's a brand new way to sign up for the Affiliate Buzz. Send a blank email to [email protected] if you'd like to subscribe.
    Resources:

    ShareASale - http://www.shareasale.com/

    Grand Del Mar - http://www.thegranddelmar.com/

    Wynn Las Vegas - http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/

    33 min
  • AB #392 | New Podcast with Amazing Guests and a Killer Opt-In Offer
    In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell welcomes back Arlene from a long hiatus and we learn about what kept her off the show and in the hospital for an extended period of time. Plus, James shares with us a new podcast with amazing guests and a killer opt-in offer.
    James kicks off the episode by welcoming back Arlene and getting caught up with her. She shares an overview of the events of everything she's been through since her last appearance on the Buzz, about six weeks ago. After multiple surgeries to repair her back, she's free from both pain and the use of painkillers.
    James and Arlene offer a special shout-out to their four kids, who really stepped up. From James and their son Adam learning about laundry and shopping to their son Justin helping live stream their daughter Victoria's wedding to Arlene's hotel room so she wouldn't have to miss the ceremony, everyone pitched in during their family crisis.
    A New Podcast with a Killer Opt-In Offer
    After a short break, James and Arlene return to introduce information about a new podcast for Dan Lok. They recently attended a meetup for the Vancouver Entrepreneurs Group where Dan interviewed Joo Kim Tiah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of TA Enterprise Berhad.
    James remarks that the 34-year-old entrepreneur, who is worth $1.3 billion, talks about details from his life during the hour-long interview with Dan, and that the interview is one of the most inspiring that he's ever seen. James and Arlene agree that the principles and strategies shared are applicable to almost any entrepreneur who is in business.
    Arlene adds that this is the whole reason behind Dan Lok's bi-weekly meetings - getting entrepreneurs together to share stories and experiences. James recently presented a case study on the topic of podcasting, after which Dan invited James to produce his entrepreneur-themed podcast.
    The podcast is called Shoulders of Titans. It allows listeners to stand on the shoulders of titans of entrepreneurship by listening to content-rich interviews with some of the world's most successful and influential individuals. Those who subscribe receive a copy of Dan's exclusive interview with Joo Kim Tiah. Other guest interviews include:

    * Dan Pena from Quantum Leap Advantage who turned $820 into $450 million within eight years
    * Sam Beckford who built up his business and became a millionaire by the time he was 34
    * Stefan Pylarinos from Project Life Mastery who generates $70,000 each month

    James encourages everyone to check out Dan's podcast and grab the video from the developer of Trump Vancouver.
    Then James returns to Dan Lok's website. You don't have to live in the Greater Vancouver area or British Columbia to take advantage of what Dan has to offer. His website contains videos filled with tips for business owners, and offers a 7-day video training series to listeners.
    James points out that Dan Lok doesn't sell any of these videos or interviews. Aside from a dozen books he's published, all the high-impact information on Dan's site is completely free.
    A Very Special Announcement
    Next James and Arlene circle back to share the news of their new grandson's impending arrival. Arlene assures that she'll be on the ferry as much as her daughter will tolerate visits to the island where she now lives with her new husband.
    Did you enjoy today's episode? Please head over to http://jamesmartell.wpengine.com/itunes where you can leave a review. It helps other people discover the Affiliate Buzz so they can also benefit from the knowledge shared in these podcasts.
    There's a brand new way to sign up for the Affiliate Buzz. Send a blank email to
    34 min
  • AB #390 | A Wedding, Hospital and the Tools to Boost Productivity
    In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell explains how Arlene's back problems took a downward spin, forcing her to spend the past twelve days in the hospital.
    James kicks off the episode by pointing out that working for yourself is a real benefit when life has to come first and you need to put the brakes on your business, even temporarily. He goes on to explain an update about Arlene's health and why she'll need a second surgery to repair a disc in her back.
    James and Arlene also celebrated their daughter Victoria's wedding during this time. Although Arlene was not able to leave the hospital to attend the wedding, their son Justin came to the rescue. He streamed a live feed of the ceremony to Arlene's room where she and a few visiting friends at her side were able to virtually attend.
    Then James acknowledges that although a lot of us take technology for granted, it really comes in handy during times like this.
    Tools to Boost Productivity on Your Site
    After a short break, James applauds other family members who have stepped up and helped, including their daughter Shelby and son Adam. He says he now sees how much work Arlene does around the house and their business, and he appreciates her more than ever.
    Next James turns to the topic of productivity and getting stuff done. He wears many hats with his business, including The School of Internet Marketing. He walks listeners through two tools to help them be more productive on their own sites. The tools are:
    WP COURSEWARE - $99 for two-site license for another membership site he's building. You can embed audio and video into your course, automatically send students a message after each course, set up quizzes and surveys, and send a certificate of completion to students who finish the whole course.
    S2MEMBER - This membership plugin for WordPress offers both free and pro versions. You can set up a membership management platform, a custom welcome or login page, membership options page, registration page, accept "Buy Now" through PayPal, and more. Because it only allows members into your site, then only members have access to your content, which you can encrypt for an added layer of protection.
    James reveals that he has found quite a few people through Elance who are familiar with these technologies. He reminds that as long as you write out directions in layman's terms, then the freelancer you hire should be able to complete the tasks you assign to them.
    There's a brand new way to sign up for the Affiliate Buzz. Send a blank email to [email protected] if you'd like to subscribe. Did you enjoy today's podcast? If so then please head over to http://www.jamesmartell.com/itunes, which will drop you on the iTunes page, and leave us a review. Reviews help others find the podcast on iTunes.
    If you missed any of the last few episodes of the Affiliate Buzz mentioned by James in the current edition, then you can access them here:
    Affiliate Buzz #383 - Starting Business Over After Life Got In The Way

    Affiliate Buzz #385 - 7 Secrets to creating a PowerPoint Presentation that Makes you Money on Autopilot - Yes, Really!

    Affiliate Buzz #387 - Understanding Attention Conversion with Entrepreneur and Online Educator Declan Dunn
    Resources:

    The School of Internet Marketing - http://www.theschoolofinternetmarketing.com/

    WP Courseware - http://demo.
    32 min
  • AB #389 | Oh Crap, I Did it Again – Why I’m Only Worth $5 per Hour
    In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell describes a mistake he made again, and explains why he feels it devalued his worth to just $5 per hour.
    James kicks off the episode by recapping Affiliate Buzz #388, where he talked with Vinny O’Hare, a 15-year internet pioneer and full-time marketer. During the podcast Vinny shared his success stories and advice on making money with affiliate programs.
    Then James reflects back to Affiliate Buzz #387, where his guest, Declan Dunne, talked about attention conversion and how to convert stories to sales. During the podcast they also discussed a technique known as multi-step marketing.
    Next James gets into the meat of the topic. Last week he did four speaking engagements which caused him to get behind in a few areas. As a result, he found himself working on things that he could easily find someone else to do, such as adding articles to his sites, possibly for as inexpensive as $5 per hour.
    Benefits of Outsourcing and Virtual Assistants
    Then James turns to the benefits of using a virtual assistant. He suggests making up templates, checklists, and worksheets to outline the tasks required to complete things for your business. Once you document how to do the task, you can outsource the work to someone you hire through a site like Elance, which after August 2015 will move over to the Upwork platform.
    After last weekend’s mishap, James hired a couple of top-notch virtual assistants to do the work. Now if he needs hosting set up, a podcast distributed to all the places that host the show, or so forth, then he can give the how-to document, which he outlines during the show, to one of his VAs who can knock out the task. This leaves James free to direct his attention to more important tasks.
    Instead of spending several hours doing the work, James can spend about $25 for the services of a VA to do it for him. The conversion works out to about $5 per hour. If you’re doing that work yourself, then what you are doing is valuing your time at $5 per hour. Isn’t your time worth more?
    Next James describes a video series he put together. The series contained screenshots for a PowerPoint presentation which he turned into videos using the Screencast-O-Matic software and a headset. After recording the videos, he outsourced the editing work through Elance for about $50. The videos are in Dropbox, allowing his VA to take the reigns on the next task in the process.
    James goes on to explain how he used the same software to create a video for his VA. The presentation details a virtual walkthrough of the instructions on what James wants him to do. As the VA completed the task, he also created a list of step-by-step instructions for an alternate person to follow in the event he is unavailable the next time the task needs done.
    Then James remarks that you can use these same techniques to educate your audience about an affiliate product for the purpose of selling. He suggests using the strategy of slipping the product into a presentation, which has been successful for him over the past years.
    Why Outsourcing Works and the Future of Elance
    James segues into some surprising news he recently received about his favorite outsourcing company, Elance, which in the recent past merged with oDesk. The company is rebranding itself Upwork and are debuting a brand new platform. The Elance blog article introducing Upwork, linked below in the Resources area, promises faster hiring, better collaboration, larger teams, and more.
    When it comes to outsourcing, James finds it a positive experience. He treats listeners to a live walk-through of some of the jobs he currently has listed on Elance, and then compares the price he received in bids for video work to what it would have cost if he had used a local video person from the Greater Vancouver area.
    34 min
  • AB #388 | Vinny O’hare, 15 Year Internet Pioneer Unplugged with No Holds Barred!
    In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell, welcomes back returning guests Vinny O'Hare, a 15 year internet pioneer who is also a podcaster, speaker and author with plenty of great advice for affiliate managers.
    James kicks off the episode by asking Vinny about the amount of travel he does. After a hurricane destroyed their home in New York, Vinny moved his family to Arizona while he stayed to rebuild the house.
    Now that the house is almost rebuilt, Vinny is still travelling back and forth between the two states and will for another two years until the construction is complete. You can hear about Vinny's experience of being in the house during the hurricane in episode #348 of the Affiliate Buzz.
    The Latest Things that Work Really Well
    Next James asks Vinny, a retired New York subway system employee who has worked as a full-time affiliate marketer for well over a decade, what the latest thing is that's working really well. Vinny's short answer is user generated content through Gravity Forms, a WordPress plugin, and shared social media through a service like HootSuite.
    James and Vinny recap the process. First, set up a form on the Gravity Forms website in such a way that you're asking people questions. The form looks like a normal form on a page to your audience. Then people answer the questions and hit submit, which automatically drops it into the back end of your WordPress site as a draft.
    Vinny interjects that his virtual assistant, or VA, handles about 90% of the responses to these questions. The VA takes care of any editing that needs to be done to the drafts before they are published to the web. The result is a few hundred posts per day on Vinny's WordPress site which he monetizes using AdSense, affiliate programs, and advertising.
    Then James and Vinny discuss his lack of failures lately. Vinny attributes this to the fact that his recent work involves revamping old sites. His one new venture, however, includes a site to promote giveaways.
    The Benefits of Having a Virtual Assistant
    James segues into the topic of the benefits of having a virtual assistant, or VA. James and Arlene each have their own VA, and Vinny hired one in March, 2014 on the advice of a friend. He hired the VA his friend used part time, and in no time at all had her up to 40 hours a week and has steadily hired her at that pace in the time since.
    Vinny had the benefit of getting a VA who was already familiar with the basic process. James wholeheartedly encourages this strategy and tries to impart the importance of hiring a virtual assistant on students in The School of Internet Marketing.
    As Vinny went along, he created how-to guides with screen shots and specific instructions to help train any future virtual assistants that might join his team. He stresses that it is important to make every single move clear when making how-to sheets to avoid problems on down the road.
    For more complicated tasks he might use ScreenFlow (which requires purchase of a license) on his Mac to record himself doing the task so the VA has the best possible instructions. James recommends Screencast-O-Matic, an online software whose free service allows 15-minute recordings.
    A Typical Day with a VA
    Next Vinny explains what a typical day is like working with a virtual assistant. Because they've worked together so long, she just logs in and gets started. Her duties include things like editing and posting interviews and letting people know when their post is live. At the end of the day she sends him a daily progress report.
    Another thing Vinny tasks his VA with is going through social media and following 50 new people per day. He limits it at 50 to avoid getting into trouble with the networks. The VA finds people using hashtags, and once that task is done she re-tweets 15 people at random - it may not even be people that they fo...
    58 min
  • AB #387 | Understanding Attention Conversion with Entrepreneur and Online Educator Declan Dunn
    In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell welcomes entrepreneur and online educator Declan Dunn. Declan Dunn explains the concept of attention conversion and how he discovered the first point of conversion wasn’t a sale, it was simply getting, and retaining, their attention.
    Introducing Declan Dunn
    Declan Dunn is an internet pioneer with over two decades of hands-on experience in online education, corporate performance enhancement, and affiliate marketing. He also taught a course on business development at the University of California Santa Barbara for three years.
    Declan is the co-founder of FMG Network which delivers practical and inspiring information to clients, students, and participants worldwide and the founder of the award-winning Remember.org, a community to help teachers and students find the best online sources for educating about the Holocaust.
    James begins the episode by talking with Delcan about how he got started. Declan got started while living off the grid. He used a backpack mobile phone and a generator to send research papers over the internet. Having to complete work before the gas ran out was great incentive for meeting deadlines.
    Shortly after Declan was introduced to Netscape, a web browser that allowed him to work on something besides CD-Roms. After getting his information online, he had to find a way to drive traffic, a necessity that led to his affiliate marketing career.
    From Off the Grid to Online Marketing
    Declan points out the irony of how similar the early days of affiliate marketing online were to today's affiliate marketing that targets mobile devices. One thing he says has never changed, and is even more important today, is a killer headline. James concurs and recalls the simplicity of some of the earliest websites.
    Declan moved from his educational site to the marketing community by writing books. Although the cover left a lot to be desired, he attended a conference where his book got in leading to a round of introductions with the great names of affiliate marketing at that point which he then interviewed.
    The biggest first success Declan feels he had was his Director of Sales book which taught people how to sell websites in plain English. On the other side of the coin, he cites his biggest as a video series. For the rest of the 90s, with the help of some industry professionals, Declan learned to rethink his attitude about marketing, which he claims was his biggest crutch.
    By the time Y2K rolled around, Declan says things really got interesting. Declan and his associates took the profits from selling their books and created an agency during the dot-com times, where he worked as an outsource project manager, or OPM, for companies like American Express Network Solutions. Even after the dot-com crash, revenue continued to expand.
    James and Declan met again at the 2005 Affiliate Summit where about 500 affiliate marketers conferenced together. By this time, Declan moved on from his agency to work with exclusive clients and projects. That time taught him that everyone feeds everyone else -- in other words, the search engine guy, the social media guy, and the email guy are all connected.
    How to Use Multi-Step Marketing
    Then Declan segues into the topic of multi-step marketing. He explains that people dislike "marketing speak" and says buying a click no longer guarantees making a sale.
    Declan goes on to outline the different steps people take between the first click and the last one that leads to a sale, and says anyone who isn't paying attention to the in-between clicks in the middle is pretty much out of luck on social media.
    James then asks Declan to expand on the phrase attention conversion from stories to sales. Attention conversion is a term to describe using things that make customers happy in order...
    50 min
  • AB #386 | Finally, A Collection of Inexpensive ‘Landing Pages’ that Will Skyrocket Your Conversion Rates
    In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell takes the helm without a guest to discuss landing pages, and reveals which ones he uses to skyrocket his conversion rates.
    James dives right into the topic, starting with a collection of inexpensive landing pages that will literally skyrocket your conversion rate. When he swapped his landing pages out with these, he say conversion rates go from 2% up to as high as 40%.
    Glancing Back at Past Affiliate Buzz Episodes
    Looking back, James references Episode #380 of The Affiliate Buzz, titled "Projects You Can and Should Outsource". He feels that the majority of an affiliate marketer's job can be outsourced to other professionals who can do the work for a fraction of what it would cost you to do these things yourself.
    Next James harkens back to Episode #381, "How to Look Like a Million Dollar Business on a Shoe String Budget". In that podcast, he and Arlene shared their inexpensive sources for stock photography, stock video, stock audio, templates for flyers and brochures, and more.
    Then in Affiliate Buzz #383, James and Arlene talked about "Starting Business Over After Life Got In The Way". James says that happens after all of us would care to admit, whether we get sidetracked by illness, last minute holiday, or any other reason for derailment.
    Finally James references Affiliate Buzz #384, "Creating a Presentation that Sells Affiliate Marketing Podcast". In that episode, they discussed Arlene's situation of dealing with her back pain and use the story as an example of how they might use it to promote and sell a related product or service.
    Creating Better Landing Pages for Your Website
    James then segues into the topic of landing pages. A landing page could be a dedicated webpage with an opt-in offer to get people on your email list. It could be a buy-page where you sell an eBook or a product. A landing page has a great headline and subheadline, very little text, maybe a video or audio, but it is designed to create an action, such as generate a lead, a purchase, and so forth.
    Early landing pages were clunky and cumbersome. Putting them together was a great deal of work. Back then, James outsourced the job to someone at Elance. During recent times James discovered a couple of tools. The first is called LeadPages, a lead generation platform, and the second is called OptimizePress. These tools are:

    * extremely powerful
    * integrate directly to WordPress
    * very easy to use
    * drag and drop technology
    * have beautiful templates
    * and more!

    James says that the biggest feature of these new landing pages is that the conversion rate is built right in, so you know when you log in exactly how well that landing page is converting. Considering how complicated this was in the past, the new methods are a dream in comparison.
    Comparing LeadPages and OptimizePress
    Then James takes a few moments to compare the two software programs. Here is the information he shares during the program:
    LEADPAGES

    Price - $39 per month

    Usage - As many websites as you like

    Templates - Approximately 70
    OPTIMIZEPRESS

    Price - $97 one-time fee

    Usage - Up to 3 WordPress sites

    Templates - Approximately 40
    James adds that both programs integrate well with the top email marketing management software, like AWeber and MailChimp. Your landing page could offer free training or a course, give away a report, book or white paper, webinar registration, product launch funnels, and so forth. LeadPages and OptimizePress both take care of these things for you.
    Tips for Getting Started with LeadPages
    Next James explains how to use LeadPages. After signing up for an account, which you can pay for monthly or enjoy a deep discount for paying annually,
    32 min
  • AB #385 | Seven Secrets to Creating a PowerPoint Presentation that Makes You Money on Autopilot – Yes, Really!
    In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell along with his wife Arlene, reveal their secrets for creating PowerPoint presentations to help you use PowerPoint presentations to bring in revenue on autopilot. Yes, really!
    James shares that you can use a PowerPoint presentation for anything. He and Arlene kick off the episode by speculating how they might use one for personal reasons. For example, they reminisce about their youngest daughter’s teenage years and how they might revisit them in a PowerPoint during her upcoming wedding.
    Taking Your PowerPoint from Recording to Revenue
    James states the beautiful thing about a PowerPoint is that once it's together, if it logically takes the visitor from the beginning to a desired action for the end, there are so many places to distribute it where people are looking for this information. James doesn't use the term "autopilot" often, but this is one situation where it fits.
    James is something of an authority on this topic. Arlene says she has watched James put together PowerPoint presentations for years. James has put together at least 600 PowerPoint presentations since completing his first ones, and each one could encompass a couple of hundred slides or better.
    You can share a PowerPoint in so many places. James reminds that if you have affiliate products, that you can tie those into your PowerPoint as well. Some of the places you might present your PowerPoint include:
    LIVE GROUPS - PowerPoint presentations can be used in front of live groups. James says a good bit of his revenue comes from live speaking events, from worldwide conferences to local meetups.
    WEBINARS - You can either present during a live webinar or pre-record PowerPoint presentations with a program like Screencast-O-Matic, which costs a fraction of other programs and is very easy to use. Then use them as part of a webinar for an online audience. Then you can share it on SlideShare.net which has about 700 million unique visitors per year.
    TRAINING SEMINARS - You can use a PowerPoint to present products and services that are part of your affiliate program. For example, you might show people how to set up their own website through GoDaddy or Bluehost, the latter of which starts out at $65 but then pays about $90 per person you refer to them after you've referred an initial few.
    James mentions that you can also use YouTube to share your PowerPoint presentation. You can use the embed link in YouTube to refer people to your website where they can learn more about products and services you offer through affiliate programs.
    Creating an Outline for Your PowerPoint
    Then James divulges that the first step to creating a PowerPoint is creating an outline. In Episode #384 of the Affiliate Buzz, James and Arlene talked about having a story, in this case it was Arlene's ongoing search to find relief for her back pain.
    James says once you have a story, then you have the backbone of your PowerPoint presentation (no pun intended). This is because your story is something you can thread through your entire presentation.
    1. Tell the viewer know what you'll be talking about during the presentation. Pick about 5 or 6 things so they know what to look forward to in the PowerPoint.
    2. Tackle their challenges, needs, and desires right up front. The better you know your audience, the better you will be able to address this. You want to get your audience's attention. Arlene's desire is to be pain-free.
    3. Address some of the potential solutions that you tried. Include what worked and what didn't work, and give information about the outcome of each potential solution. What might not work for you might be the solution someone else needs a push toward. Some things Arlene has tried include acupuncture, traction therapy, stimulation, and tai-chi.
    4. Zero in on what solved the problem,
    36 min

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Since 2003, James Martell has been keeping affiliate marketers inspired, informed and motivated to succeed with affiliate programs. The Affiliate Buzz is the first and longest running podcast in the…