RosalindGardner.com

Learn Blogging & Affiliate Marketing with Rosalind Gardner

Rosalind Gardner

Super affiliate, blogger, and speaker, Rosalind is best known for her affiliate marketing training in the Super Affiliate Handbook: How I made $436,797 in One Year Selling Other Peoples' Stuff Online. You can connect with her on Facebook.

I need a better accounting system…

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Just in case you thought all was perfection and fun vacations in ‘Ros-land', here's a pic that Ed took of me this afternoon.

Don't be fooled by the smile... I HATE accounting!!!!!!!

Yes, that's me sitting on the floor amidst a pile of Visa, American Express, banking, utility and other business statements.

Yes, I do have both a bookkeeper and an accountant – but I still have to wade through and keep track of those papers so they can process them.

And YES, if I actually took the time to handle them more than once every 3 months, it probably wouldn't seem like such a darned horrendous undertaking. The big stumbling block however is that just the thought of filtering through and filing all that stuff brings me close to tears at times.

There's always something better to do. A new affiliate promotion. Newsletter writing. Blog posting…

By result, I regularly waste money on late filing fees and otherwise unecessary interest payments.

So there, that's my grand confession for today.

So… any thoughts about what YOUR upcoming New Year's resolutions might be?

Share 'em below – misery LOVES company. 🙂

What is a Blog?

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During a conversation over dinner about making money online with blogs, one of my guests piped up and said, “So what's a blog, anyway?“

Aargh.

Sometimes I forget that most people don't live online like we do, and I'd neglected to fill in the blanks.

To rectify matters, here's a short article that answers the question “What is a Blog?“.

The term blog is a derivative of the phrase ‘web log' typically used to describe a regularly updated online diary or journal.

The word ‘blog' is also used as a verb as in ‘those who blog are bloggers‘ and ‘are you blogging yet?‘

A blog is both a website and a content management system that allows the blogger to post entries (articles) using an online interface. This eliminates the need to learn HMTL or create individual pages on one's computer that then need to be uploaded to the web.

Blog content is usually displayed in reverse chronological order, i.e. the last entry made appears at the top of the page. Once an entry ‘disappears' from the first page it can be found either through the blog's ‘archives' or a keyword search.

Blogs can be either ‘stand-alone' or set up on third-party host.

Hobby bloggers typically use the latter option, using free blogging platforms such Blogger.com or WordPress.com. Entire communities of bloggers that share similar interests have popped up in recent years. For example, two sites that offer travel enthusiasts free blogs are Travelpod and Travelblog.org.

The primary disadvantage of using a third-party blogging platform is that you are restricted by the host's terms and conditions. Here's an example of the restrictions placed on travel bloggers who blog on VirtualTourist.com.

  • Advertising or commercial material of any kind will be deleted.
  • Off-Topic material will be deleted.
  • Political or religious rhetoric is not allowed and will be deleted.
  • HTML & Javascript are NOT supported. For customization, use VTML

Furthermore, third-party blogs typically have URL's that are subdirectories of the host. For example, Blogger.com bloggers have URL's like MyBlog.Blogspot.com.

Business bloggers therefore typically prefer the stand-alone option, to avoid having restrictions imposed on their ability to write freely and earn from advertising placements.

To set up a standalone blog, you need to register your own domain name, get a web host and install blogging software.

NOTE: Bluehost offers free domain registration with their hosting services.

Although some bloggers use Moveable Type and Typepad, the most common blog software is WordPress, which is available for free and is easy to install on a host that offers CPanel, such as BlueHost.

To learn how to set up your own blog on a Cpanel host, please read How to Install a WordPress Blog in Minutes. The tutorial includes screen captures of every step of the process.

The standard WordPress template design (also called a ‘theme') is very basic, so most bloggers elect to change their blog's appearance by installing a new theme or making heavy modifications to the original. A good selection of free templates is available through Themes.wordpress.net.

Newer template designs, such as those used on my this blog and personal blog, allow bloggers to display posts in a news magazine style format.

The themes used on those blogs are by Brian Gardner of StudioPress.

The main advantage to blogging is their ability to attract search engine traffic, due their dynamic nature. Blog posts are quickly indexed by the search engines and almost immediately available to searchers, providing the blogger with a free source of traffic.

Another benefit is that bloggers can create community by allowing visitors to post comments in response to individual blog posts. Such interaction increases the amount of content on the site. Regular fresh content increases a site's search engine rankings which is then rewarded with more free traffic.

In summary, a blog is an easy to set up website with the added benefit of attracting free traffic when it is regularly updated with fresh content.

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Ros

Find a Job: Job Search Engines

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Looking for a job? The BEST place to start your job search is online. Listed below are the most popular job search engines, on which you can both look through job listings and post your resume.

Monster.com


Monster.comWith a local presence in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works to connect employers with quality job seekers at all levels and provides personalized career advice to consumers globally.

As a Monster.com job seeker, you can:

  • Save your searches and have matching jobs emailed to you as they're posted.
  • Apply instantly and put your resume in the right hands with just one click.
  • Post your resume and let top employers find you.

Visit Monster.com now.

While you are searching for a new job, keep networking via social sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Too, consider volunteering time with a non-profit organization or doing some contract work by posting your availability on sites such as Freelancer and HireMyMom


Jobs, Jobs and MORE Jobs…

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Find a jobWhat? Me say that dirty word – J.O.B. – not once, but THREE times?

I know, I know, but what with the Big 3 bailout on its last legs today (unless the White House steps in), my guess is that more than just a few NPT readers will be among the 1.6 million workers affected by the fallout – not to mention those of you who are already looking for work or have concerns that your job may be in jeopardy.

Seen in that light, ‘job' isn't such a bad word and I thought you should know that there are PLENTY of jobs in the affiliate marketing industry. Here's a screenshot taken today of Monster.com returns for a search for ‘affiliate marketing'.

Note that there were 396 job listings just in the States, posted by companies such as Amazon, Commission Junction, Google and Netflix. A search of the U.K. site resulted in 76 returns and the Canadian site returned another 16 job listings, including postings by our friends at EcomAccess / ShareResults and MaxBounty had posted a full-time entry-level affiliate manager's position.

If you – already having some knowledge of affiliate marketing – think that you're not qualified to be an affiliate manager, I'd like you to read the following list from MaxBounty's listing:

We are looking for people with the ability to:

  • Learn the INs and OUTs of Internet advertising
  • Accomplish tasks with initiative and little supervision
  • Develop strong friendly relationships with our clients
  • Utilize the Internet for research and prospect development (email, browsing, instant messaging)
  • Converse well in the English language (oral or written)

If that didn't convince you of your potential to qualify for an affiliate manager's position, here's another snippet from their ad:

We can't emphasize strongly enough that finding the right type of person is far more important than finding someone with experience.

MaxBounty wasn't the only company willing to provide affiliate manager training, however most DO expect some experience and/or training.

So, can you translate your experience as an affiliate marketer into a job as an affiliate manager? Well, let's just say that you stand a much better chance of doing so than someone who doesn't know the meaning of affiliate marketing. And there are ways that you can improve your chances of landing a job in the affiliate marketing industry.

  1. First, you have to start looking. Search the industry job listings on Monster and other job sites. Is there anything that interests you and are qualified for? Apply.

  2. Don't automatically reject those listings for which you don't qualify. Take note of the skills and experience that they are seeking. Now, think about your own experience. Perhaps the 2 – 5 years that you spent in offline retail sales or managing a small office IS helpful.

  3. Now, dust off your resume. Emphasize your online experience by adding “Expertise in website development, online marketing strategy, email marketing, affiliate marketing strategies and search engine optimization” for starters. Hint: Use the wording in job postings to guide your resume preparation. If you don't have a resume or need help with preparing a new resume, consider letting a professional resume writer customize your resume for that job.

Affiliate marketing is one of the few industry's that is forecast to grow in the coming years… so, NOW is the time to start looking for that job or set yourself to be in a position to land that job when the position opens… because guaranteed, there's going to be a ton of competition for all available spaces.

And one more thing to consider – many affiliate managers do enjoy the luxury of working from home!!

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Ros

Information: The Product that ALWAYS Sells

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What product sells best online? What type of product turns more internet marketers (merchants and affiliates) into millionaires? What type of product will continue to sell well despite the depressed economy?

Information products!

Future of Information Marketing

I was recently asked to do an interview for the “Future of Information Marketing: Pros, Cons and Predictions” series and one of the questions asked was ‘What is YOUR vision and prediction for where the Future of Information Marketing is headed?'.

Having the weekend to mull over my reply, I couldn't come up with a single indicator that pointed to a possible downward trend for the future of information marketing. That's because everything (even the lousy economy) leads to increased consumption of information, especially online.

When you're watching TV and you want to know more about a particular topic, what do you do? You go to your computer and ‘Google it'. If we need how-to information now and it's available as a digital download, we buy it online – which explains why Clickbank affiliates are some of the most successful affiliates.

More people from all over the world are getting connected to the Internet daily, and by result, foreign language information product sales are increasing in numbers. Lousy economy or not, people need information to solve their health issues (eg. Fat Loss 4 Idiots has been a top Clickbank seller in Clickbank's Health & Fitness category forever. In a lousy economy, more people need information to solve their financial woes.

So, if you've ever wanted to publish and sell information online, there is no time like the present.

Avoiding the Pitfalls or… How NOT to Waste 50K

HOW you build and promote that product is critical to your success, however. (One of the other questions I was asked in that interview was about the ‘pitfalls' and my answer revolved around those information marketers who don't succeed as well as they could because they either don't have a plan or don't follow a plan.

One example that immediately comes to my mind when I think of people who didn't follow a plan, is about a woman I met several years ago at a conference who was desperate for my help to bring her book to market – and that was AFTER she'd already spent $50,000 (a sizeable portion of her and her husband's retirement fund).

She obviously didn't follow Dan Kennedy's advice… “you need a complete strategy for putting out a product that will be ‘hot', eagerly accepted, have staying power, provide maximum profits. There are several very smart questions that ought to be asked and answered before putting together any info-product, that rarely are.”

Dan Kennedy: The Grandfather of Information Marketing

If you don't know Dan Kennedy, he's THE #1 authority to speak on this subject, having been called The Grandfather of Information Marketing and “the guru's guru”. His students include multi-millionaire information marketers such as Yanik Silver, John Reese and Derek Gehl!

You don't have to spent 50K to bring an information product to market and make it hugely successful (I know, I've done it).

What you need is a plan and Dan Kennedy's home study information marketing course INFO RICHES is a collection of the highlights from his seminar which cost $3475 per person to attend.

The course normally sells for $1375. But it's available now for $685 and until Monday December 8th at 9AM Eastern, a split-payment option is available which means you can get it for $360.

Head directly to the discounted pricing SPLIT-PAYMENT page.

Carpet Cleaner to Owner of a $117 Million Company

One of the bonuses offered is T.J. and Eileen Rohleder's “Info Millions“, a 12-CD audio case study that looks at how these two (ex Dan Kennedy students!!) started from NOTHING and built a $117 million company.

This entire promotion not only has TJ's $497 “Info Millions” bundled for free, but you are also handed the full LEGAL RESALE RIGHTS LICENSE to their 12-CD course. This high-value, mass-market, high-demand, professionally developed, 12-CD physical product comes with a ready-made salespage.

Make 2009 YOUR YEAR… Rich and Rewarding

If you're stressing about your financial situation right now, using Dan's instruction to publish your own information product in 2009 could change your life.

Dan Kennedy has been hired by Billion dollar companies for his advice. And his INFO RICHES is *the* course on the subject of how to build wealth with information marketing.

Grab INFO RICHES now for an up-front payment of only $360.

Remember, this normally retails for $1370+.

You'll also get T.J. Rohleder's “Info Millions”, the 12-CD detailed walk through of how he and his wife quit their jobs and built a very large income. This “Info Millions” is normally $497 but it's included with your $360 purchase and includes resale rights.

Oh, and there's a 30-day risk free money back guarantee.

But do not delay, this ALL closes down Monday December 8th.

Give yourself a real Christmas present this year… a rich and rewarding future in information marketing with Dan Kennedy's INFO RICHES instruction.

P.S. This isn't some one-time launch on a product that won't be available or supported next week or next month. But the discounted price WILL end tomorrow, Monday December 8th at 9AM Eastern.

Successful Sites: Guitar Lessons and Greetings from Santa

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December's Secrets to Their Success online magazine features the following successful netpreneurs:

  • Online guitar instructor Mike H., who believes it really is better to give than to receive… because the more of his free how-to videos he gives, the more orders he receives — $150,000 worth this year!
  • Mark B. — a jolly old soul who earns $500,000 in just two months sending out customized greetings from Santa… and spends the rest of the year making a list and checking it twice;-)

Tony W., who sells interactive Microsoft training programs was this month's winner of the site and marketing review.

To access these profiles, join Secrets to Their Success.

Each month, Secrets to Their Success members receive an e-mail, letting them know about two 100% brand new success stories that have been posted to the site.

When you join, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the secrets that have made each web site successful and how you can apply these same strategies and tools to build your own fortune.

As a member, you are also given the opportunity to enter a draw for a review of your web site or business plan by Derek and the IMC team (valued at $5,000), who dissect the site and offer tips and tricks that you can use to really accelerate your growth and sales.

Even if your site isn't chosen for a site review, however, you can still benefit from all of the profitable suggestions that Derek and the IMC team make because all reviews are also posted and archived within the SecretsToTheirSuccess.com Private Web Site.


Cyber Monday 2008: Second Biggest Online Spending Day Ever

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In a December 3rd press release, Comscore resported that Cyber Monday saw $846 million in online spending. Although spending over the holiday season to date ($12.03 billion) is down by 2% from last year, Cyber Monday's online sales were up by a whopping 15% over 2007 sales. Take a look at the following screenshot where you'll note that the preceding weekend also saw a jump in online sales by 19% over last year.

With online sales up marginally on Black Friday and significantly on Cyber Monday, analysts are still predicting a decline in the months to come. Considering that the job loss stats out today report 533,000 more jobs in the U.S. were lost in November – the biggest decline since 1974 – the outlook could look pretty grim.

HOWEVER, that depends entirely on what you are selling. For example, this is probably not the best time to start a new jewelry site. Want to know what you should sell? Read 8 Recession-Proof Product & Service Ideas for Affiliates… and stay tuned for more great recession-proof niches and product ideas. Let's prove the analysts wrong!

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